SW:GE opening guess Dec 4 - DVC related

[Networth]

October sometime is still a possibility but I think September’s out. Room discount / free dining promos currently go through September 30th. No way would they have done that if they planned a September opening.

Disneyland SWGE will of course be open sometime in Q3.

Disneyland SWGE should be open in June per Iger’s own words in the Barons article.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I'll be there 12/8-12/15, 2019. Do I have a chance it will be open by then?

 

[Somnia]

I'll be there Dec 1-7th... if they really do open in early December I hope they do a DVC or AP preview like they did with Pandora!

 

[keishashadow]

Iger Previously stated in discussion about park attendance that:

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will open at Anaheim, CA's Disneyland in June of this year

Then, mentioned in passing, that the Orlando version is scheduled to be unveiled in "late fall" 2019

 

[Greg36]

Has anybody had any luck getting an AKL value studio or one bedroom in the month of December using points? Maybe through a waitlist? Seems like they are still not showing up and now we are into January. Hoping this is still some sort of computer glitch but it has been going on for a while now. Could be that they are taking inventory to sell on cash side. I suppose it could also be some sort of expected refurbishment. Would DVC be allowed to just decide that these rooms will no longer be 'value' accommodations and just eliminate that category of booking and either turn the rooms into standard accommodations or even eliminate them altogether from the DVC side (i.e., just make them cash bookings)? I would guess that while these rooms were a great selling feature for the resort they are likely a pain for DVC to deal with.

 

[ziravan]

Has anybody had any luck getting an AKL value studio or one bedroom in the month of December using points? Maybe through a waitlist? Seems like they are still not showing up and now we are into January. Hoping this is still some sort of computer glitch but it has been going on for a while now. Could be that they are taking inventory to sell on cash side. I suppose it could also be some sort of expected refurbishment. Would DVC be allowed to just decide that these rooms will no longer be 'value' accommodations and just eliminate that category of booking and either turn the rooms into standard accommodations or even eliminate them altogether from the DVC side (i.e., just make them cash bookings)? I would guess that while these rooms were a great selling feature for the resort they are likely a pain for DVC to deal with.

My guess is that they’ll start to show back up a few days after NY’s day, after the race weekend at the latest.

They aren’t a pain if DVC is spending 8 points of their own points to turn them around for $42.50/point CRO. No, they’re a gold mine.

I firmly believe that this was a strategy to monetize SW:GE.

DVC is allowed to use its own points, and I can be made to believe that it has an inherent advantage at 8:00am each morning.

But taking them all and not even bothering to compete at 8 am doesn’t sit well.

 

[cmwade77]

I would not expect it to be cheap. Or reasonable. Not even expensive. The cost will be insane.

My guess is in the $3,000 - $10,000 range for 3 to 5 hours with one snack and one drink included. And honestly, I might be low on the estimate.

 

[cmwade77]

I don't mind competing at 11 months. Not even having a shot because they are pulled prior to 11 months and sent to cash bookings doesn't seem right...though there's probably something somewhere that says they can do as they please.

Actually, they can't pull them for cash reservations unless they are still unbooked either 30 or 60 days out, UNLESS the owners of those rooms have done exchanges with RCI, ABD, DCL, etc., Then they may have to rent out rooms to cover those exchange costs.

 

[Ben E N]

Actually, they can't pull them for cash reservations unless they are still unbooked either 30 or 60 days out, UNLESS the owners of those rooms have done exchanges with RCI, ABD, DCL, etc., Then they may have to rent out rooms to cover those exchange costs.

Are you sure about that? Disney owns at least 3% of each resort's points. Typically used for shutting rooms down for various reasons, they could legally bank and borrow to use all 9% in one year to book up and then rent out rooms.

 

[cel_disney]

Are you sure about that? Disney owns at least 3% of each resort's points. Typically used for shutting rooms down for various reasons, they could legally bank and borrow to use all 9% in one year to book up and then rent out rooms.

This leaves me sort of speechless.

 

[cel_disney]

Had anyone done the math to see how many points are needed to book the rooms taken out of inventory?

 

[ziravan]

Had anyone done the math to see how many points are needed to book the rooms taken out of inventory?

About 21,000 points to date, well within their allocation of points.

And we saw them for sale CRO online for about $42/point value,

So, the turnaround to date is pushing $900,000.

Maybe they’ll give us back the rooms after it makes them an even million? Of course, it’ll make a decent difference timewise if that’s $1 million net or gross.

 

[CarolMN]

I don't read a lot into seeing the value rooms offered for cash. It's probably just a "hidden" discount.

Disney often upgrades cash guests to more expensive rooms. Perhaps the plan is to upgrade those who book values to Kidani savanna views (those rooms are often available late into the booking periods). Makes the guests happy and is a way to get more $$ for those room without losing the revenue from the guests who want the savanna views enough to pay the higher rate. Cruise ships do this all the time. if the higher cost categories are not selling as fast as the lower ones. Same concept.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

My husband would DIE if there was a hard ticket preview while we're there at Thanksgiving.

Same. I'd rather pay for a hard ticket event then spend our entire trip in insane lines.

PLease....please.....please....please....

 

[ziravan]

A month and a half - and counting - of an entire category of rooms out of inventory for members demands an accounting. And this at what will likely turn out to be the busiest period in over a decade with SW:GE opening.

It’s time for DVC to officially address this issue.

 

[cel_disney]

I don't read a lot into seeing the value rooms offered for cash. It's probably just a "hidden" discount.

Disney often upgrades cash guests to more expensive rooms. Perhaps the plan is to upgrade those who book values to Kidani savanna views (those rooms are often available late into the booking periods). Makes the guests happy and is a way to get more $$ for those room without losing the revenue from the guests who want the savanna views enough to pay the higher rate. Cruise ships do this all the time. if the higher cost categories are not selling as fast as the lower ones. Same concept.

Not sure I understand this post. The ‘Value Villas’ are DVC rooms only. And no one who wanted to rent them is getting a ‘free’ upgrade to a one bedroom instead - because they CANT actually rent them!!

I am totally in the conspiracy theory club on this one...

 

[JETSDAD]

Not sure I understand this post. The ‘Value Villas’ are DVC rooms only. And no one who wanted to rent them is getting a ‘free’ upgrade to a one bedroom instead - because they CANT actually rent them!!

I am totally in the conspiracy theory club on this one...

I believe the point being made is that they were offered as cash reservations (which they were at one point) even if there was no intention of actually having people stay in those rooms. The cash customers would instead be bumped up to something else.

 

[CarolMN]

Not sure I understand this post. The ‘Value Villas’ are DVC rooms only. And no one who wanted to rent them is getting a ‘free’ upgrade to a one bedroom instead - because they CANT actually rent them!!

I am totally in the conspiracy theory club on this one...

Thank you, JetsDad. That was my point.


Those rooms can certainly end up in cash inventory. Disney has the same booking rights as Members for the points it owns and also the obligation to send DVC nights to cash when members use points for cruising or other non-DVC options. In my experience, they pull nights to pay for trades from all resorts and booking categories. That said, they haven't been taking much from the categories & times popular with Members.

 

[cel_disney]

We disagree.
Those rooms can certainly end up in cash inventory. Disney has the same booking rights as Members for the points it owns and also the obligation to send DVC nights to cash when members use points for cruising or other non-DVC options. In my experience, they pull nights to pay for trades from all resorts and booking categories. That said, they haven't been taking much from the categories & times popular with Members.

They certainly have the right to use the points that were traded out - do you think 21,000 AKV jambo points were traded out? Or do you think they are using their own allotment?

to take ALL the points for the lowest cost inventory item - and to pull the inventory before it’s available to members (!!!!) - is a dirty move. And I believe that it’s tied to their goal to get people to buy more points.

That being said - I’m surprised that a room at a Deluxe Resort is selling for such a low price in December. I bet they could get $500/night with SWGE Opening. And yes - I suspect the dates are a good indication of their target time.

 

[zavandor]

Disney has the same booking rights as Members for the points it owns

Exactly. The same rights as members. Not more rights. So they cannot book rooms before the 11 months mark and they cannot have automatic procedures to book room at 11 months and 0 seconds before members have a chance to use the website. Competition must be fair.
Value and consierge rooms at AKV have not been available to members for booking before the 11 months mark. We'll see if the whole 2 DVC floors will be out of service for that weeks (I believe value rooms are spread all over). If not, then DVCMC is doing something illegal.