Questions from a new Member

[Lori in CNY]

My husband and I are new DVC members. We have been to WDW many times but finally decided to take the plunge into DVC and we bought our ownership for each other for Christmas.

Anyhow, we will be staying at OKW in May and VWL in October but have just recently decided last minute to throw an extra trip in this year. (in March)

My questions are:

If we are not staying in a DVC resort, using DVC points, can we still be entitled to DVC benefits. Specifically pool hopping and parking at the other resorts? We chose to pay cash for the March trip and are planning on staying at POR but would still like to visit some other pools. Do we bring our DVC card and show it?

Also, do the resorts (deluxe) offer free valet parking for DVC members?

We bought our membership site unseen but would like to go over to VWL and walk around as well as explore the OKW grounds. Is this allowed?

Thanks for any and all input.

 

[jctwizzer]

Normally, pool hopping requires a resort ID showing that you are a DVC member.....the one you get for the March cash stay will not have that printed on it.

Only DVC resorts offer free valet parking for DVC members (ie. the deluxe do not). In either case, tipping for the parking persons would be appreciated.

With your DVC membership card, you should be able to explore all the DVC resorts.

Have fun

 

[DebbieB]

You can get the dining, recreation & shopping discounts listed on the member page by showing your member card even if you are not staying on points, You also get the free valet parking at BW & WL. You don't get pool hopping if not staying on points.

I also stayed at POR right after I bought DVC (then Dixie Landings), we already had the trip planned with a great rate, plus I had banked my points left over after magical beginnings into the next year. I had bought over the phone, so when we were there about 3 months later I took the official DVC tour at BWV and met my guide.

 

[Dean]

You've gotten the answers to your questions. The preview center is at BW and they have just remodeled rooms to looke at WL and BC. While we were there, they did have a unit open for people to just drop by at the WL which I though was a nice touch for those that just wanted to see the rooms for whatever reason. I'd recommend you walk around all of the DVC resorts if you haven't seen them and have the time, especially WL and BC (if possible in May).

 

[Lori in CNY]

I'm glad to hear that I will be able to enter the resorts to check around. It might help us later in the year when we want to request a building.

I am a bit surprised, however, with the answer to the pool hopping question. I thought pool hopping was a benefit you received as a member, paying your annual dues. However, it sounds like I'm being told you must have a resort id card with a DVC resort listed on it. So the people that rent points from DVC members are entitled to the benefit but we're not??? That seems a bit odd to me. We'll have our DVC membership cards with us and I ASSUMED that would allow us access to the other pools. How would someone checking know that you are a DVC member otherwise? Don't they also just sell rooms to non-member guests who just choose to stay at a certain resort? That would provide you with a room-key type card with the resort id# on it but how would that indicate a DVC member or non-DVC member? Hmmmmm.....am I confused!!!! Maybe I should just rent someone's points for March!!!! tee hee....... that would solve everything

 

[DebbieB]

It's a benefit you receive when using your points. If they allowed any member to pool hop with the regular DVC Membership card, the local members would always be there. They are restricting pool hopping more and more because of crowds at the pools, if they allowed non-point users it would be more of a problem and end up hurting people staying on points.

When you check-in to a resort on points, your resort ID will say *DVC Member* on it and that's how they know. People who pay cash at a DVC resort will not have the *DVC Member* on their card and cannot poolhop. According to DVC rules, people who rent points from members are not entitled to the benefits but people who are guests of a member who did not pay for it are. But in reality, the front desk doesn't know who paid for their stay and who got it as a gift, so they usually put *DVC Member* on any stay with points.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Lori in CNY
I am a bit surprised, however, with the answer to the pool hopping question. I thought pool hopping was a benefit you received as a member, paying your annual dues. However, it sounds like I'm being told you must have a resort id card with a DVC resort listed on it. So the people that rent points from DVC members are entitled to the benefit but we're not??? That seems a bit odd to me. We'll have our DVC membership cards with us and I ASSUMED that would allow us access to the other pools.

Lori, as Debbie noted, you must be staying on points to pool hop. It's been unclear whether you can hool hop if your staying at another WDW resort on the DC for points if you can pool hop. The answers seems to have evolved to yes but I'm not certain it's "official". This is an added priviledge and is not contractual, as such it could vanish completely tomorrow.

Many timeshares allow members AT THAT RESORT to use the facilities year around. I own at 3 different resorts that allow that. Two of them are on Hilton Head and the other in Aruba. The other non DVC resort I own at is in MX and I don't know about that one so DVC may be the only one I own that I can't use the facilities as a day visitor. The overuse issue is not a real problem at the other resorts I own but it would be a huge issue at DVC at WDW. I know someone in the Panhandle of FL that bought a week at a resort just to have access to the pool facilities.

Renters are not technically supposed to get the pool hopping priviledges but guests of a member are. DVC has had no current way/interest in enforcing this issue. Given the industry standards of day use of pools and facilities, even if you could use the facilities, it would likely only be at your home resort and not at any DVC resort.

 

[Lori in CNY]

Thanks to everyone who responded to me to help me understand this "priviledge". I understand it could go away at any time and I can see where it would be abused. In our case, it was just for the one day we were going over to Epcot. It would have been nice to spend the morning at the park, take a break in the afternoon at the BW pool, and then head back over to Epcot later for dinner and Illuminations. I guess we'll have to keep that plan on the back burner until we stay over at the BWV.

I had no idea that the room key card that you received when you checked in would say DVC Member on it. I thought we would have to show those fancy "credit card" type DVC cards to allow us admission. Thank you for clearing that up for me.