RUMOR: Disney Vacation Club Considering Paid Member Perks Program

[drusba]

I can see them dropping the 7 month window down to 6 months. Those willing to pay the $100 get the benefit of reserving 1 month earlier, the 7 month window. This would be a close to $0 cost to DVC. I’d bet a majority of members wanting to stay at another resort will pay the $100/Yr.

That cannot be done because the POS dictates that reservations for all members are to be done on a first come first served basis, with the only difference allowed being the home resort versus unowned resort reservation start time. That first come/first served rule could be changed only via an actual vote of the members.

 

[ajiuo]

It’s been a while. Is this rumor dead? I hope it is. I would be okay with an optional program for discounts and extended park access or whatever… but I think that myself and many others would go absolutely irate if they put waitlisting, upgrades, or anything regarding room reservations behind a paywall. Especially if there is discrimination between direct and resale members… room reservations are not the place to do that. Would that even be legal?

 

[Sandisw]

It’s been a while. Is this rumor dead? I hope it is. I would be okay with an optional program for discounts and extended park access or whatever… but I think that myself and many others would go absolutely irate if they put waitlisting, upgrades, or anything regarding room reservations behind a paywall. Especially if there is discrimination between direct and resale members… room reservations are not the place to do that. Would that even be legal?

It would all depend on how things were structured but something could be and others I think would get them in trouble.

I think waitlists have to be the same give our system is FCFS and any attempt to charge some and not others would be tough.

Upgrades may or may not if the system was that paying gave access to points owned by DVD. For example, costs less for OTU points since those belong to DVD/DVC and they can charge whatever they want for those.

Room requests are not guaranteed anyway and not something part of the program so those I think could be done in a legal way. Though, I doubt we’d see that because I think once you charge you now have to have a way to ensure it and that could be impossible.

 

[pianomanzano]

I wonder if some of the paid events that we've been seeing recently, like that meet and greet with Jodi Benson, the pizzerizzo event over the holidays, and some of the events at the villain's lair/TOTWL is what they came up with instead.

 

[Disneytrippin']

I've said it before,if you have to pay for it it isn't a perk.

 

[tjkraz]

I've said it before,if you have to pay for it it isn't a perk.

It is a perk, in the sense that people who aren't qualifying DVC members don't even have the option to pay for it.

Sure there are other Disney cruses non-members can attend. But they won't have the celebrity guests and giveaways of a DVC cruise. There are other meals, dessert parties and fireworks voyages non-members can attend. But perhaps with greater competition to book and a less impressive overall package.

 

[SL6827]

I've said it before,if you have to pay for it it isn't a perk.

This!

 

[Sandisw]

I've said it before,if you have to pay for it it isn't a perk.

I think many things can still be perks and not be free.

Whether it benefits you personally may change how you feel about it and whether it’s worth it.

 

[Disneytrippin']

It is a perk, in the sense that people who aren't qualifying DVC members don't even have the option to pay for it.

Sure there are other Disney cruses non-members can attend. But they won't have the celebrity guests and giveaways of a DVC cruise. There are other meals, dessert parties and fireworks voyages non-members can attend. But perhaps with greater competition to book and a less impressive overall package.

I would say that the perk is you are a DVC member giving you the option to purchase membership extras. I stand firm a perk is something you get free. A paid extra is not a perk. Its a paid option. Never have I thought paying for anything was a perk. If it was a membership perk it would be included with the purchase of DVC direct or resale.
I own at Baylake Tower resale. One of the perks I use to have was being able to go up to the TOTWL and watch fireworks. Nevermore. I am forbidden. Maybe one day I can pay to go the top floor but, it wouldn't be a perk. It would be more like a reservation,

 

[tjkraz]

I would say that the perk is you are a DVC member giving you the option to purchase membership extras. I stand firm a perk is something you get free. A paid extra is not a perk. Its a paid option. Never have I thought paying for anything was a perk. If it was a membership perk it would be included with the purchase of DVC direct or resale.
I own at Baylake Tower resale. One of the perks I use to have was being able to go up to the TOTWL and watch fireworks. Nevermore. I am forbidden. Maybe one day I can pay to go the top floor but, it wouldn't be a perk. It would be more like a reservation,

Semantically, call it whatever you wish. There are things offered to owners who qualify for Membership Extras that are not available to others.

 

[sethschroeder]

I've said it before,if you have to pay for it it isn't a perk.

What's a single perk you get in life without paying for it?

My point is you always pay for it. This just wouldn't be something that is requires for everyone to bankroll.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Someone else said it, but I can't see it being effective as a paywall at only $100. Especially when you are talking about the amount that DVC members drop on Disney and for those perks (which would easily pay for themselves, I think). I mean fastfood discounts and/or lightening lane would effectively make the cost zero, or even cheaper than not doing it.

If it's $100, it's just a money grab. It would have to be significantly more to make it an exclusivity deal. Without that, many of these perks are pointless (what is the point of a preferred room if everyone has it? You can't possibly meet the demand, so it becomes "as available" and it never will be).

 

[jimim]

I would not mind paying a little bit more to get more benefits. They might sweeten the deal a bit by giving it free to people at certain point levels, say 500 or more.

edit

 

[Mkaiser1]

Depends on what the perks would be. We're in the UK, so it might be some perks seem great, but we'd just never get to use them. I assumed we'd never get to a Moonlight Magic, but we're luckily there at the start of Feb and booked for 8th Feb MM at EPCOT, but I suspect we won't ever get to go to another one.

 

[karen4546]

Perks are not paid Benefits. Perks are something that is part of your job. Perks could be free food for fast food employees, a company cellphone, a company car, I believe Carnival cruise line gives two cruises a year to their employees (at least that was in the package they offered my daughter but she turned down the position).

this thread is over 6 months old and if there were any traction on a paid DVC perk program IN ADDITION to our already PAID DVC membership dues then we would have heard more about it.

 

[bwang123]

What's a single perk you get in life without paying for it?

I've received free food for signing up for mailing lists before. No purchase required.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I've received free food for signing up for mailing lists before. No purchase required.

Still not free. Perhaps *you* didn’t pay for it, but somebody did.

 

[bwang123]

Still not free. Perhaps *you* didn’t pay for it, but somebody did.

"What's a single perk *you* get in life without paying for it?"

your quote says "you" not someone else.

 

[DebbieB]

Sometimes I think Disney “floats” rumors just to see the reaction before deciding to actually release it. I think this would cause a big backlash. We already have direct vs resale perks, now you add another? The part about preferred waitlists or requests is going too far. It actually affects how you use your membership, not outside events like Moonlight Magic.

 

[sethschroeder]

I've received free food for signing up for mailing lists before. No purchase required.

You paid for it with your information and ability to contact you with marketing material.

Same how Hilton gives free rooms at their timeshares, how you get extra discounts in stores for signing up, ect.

So no not free and the reason why its provided to not tangible cash cost is because the value is there to potentially get additional money out of you.

Google and Facebook both run their whole company off "free" which is not really free.