Technical Question-Free Internet

[WilsonFlyer]

Just curious. Simple question (Like any question on here ends up being simple! )...

Is the free internet for members a "perk" or it is indefinate? In other words, can it be taken away or is it part of our overall long-term deal as members.

 

[erionm]

It's a perk. If it's not in your contract, it can go away at any time.

 

[LIFERBABE]

It's a perk. If it's not in your contract, it can go away at any time.

Ditto!

 

[disneynutz]

As far as I know, everything can change except your rite to book at your home resort.

Bill

 

[DebbieB]

It's just like free valet parking. Poof! It's gone without notice!

 

[Jacket93]

I think besides being a DVC member The only free internet is wi-fi in the common areas of the hotels.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) It is NOT a perk.
2) It is a paid-for service.
3) Your maintenance fees were increased to cover in-room internet.
4) And, as mentioned above, it can go away at any time.

 

[Raising Disney Princesses]

Unfortunately it can disappear.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The only thing your DVC membership guarantees is that you will be able to make a reservation at your home resort. That's it.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

1) It is NOT a perk.
2) It is a paid-for service.
3) Your maintenance fees were increased to cover in-room internet.
4) And, as mentioned above, it can go away at any time.

The only thing your DVC membership guarantees is that you will be able to make a reservation at your home resort. That's it.

OK. I kinda thought I had heard what Rusty said. That being the case, it's certainly not a "perk" but rather a paid for service that we pay for in our dues. Certainly, the association could vote to discontinue this contract/arrangement and do away with it. I get that.

There seems to be a conflict about whether it's a perk or a paid for service and that's really what I was trying to determine.

As for those of you explaining the "only thing you're guaranteed is the right to book at your home resort...", I get that. Always have. IF you stay around here long enough (and I've been here a while now), you eventually get that concept brow-beat into you enough that you finally understand it completely. (NOT directed at you personally, Deb or Bill, nor meant in the spirit of an attack on anyone who said it)

I guess I didn't word my question very well. More what I really meant was, do we pay for it or is it a free perk subsidized by some entity other than the membership?

 

[Sammie]

Technically it is a member paid enchancement due to member feedback.

 

[TisBit]

Technically it is a member paid enchancement due to member feedback.

Which can disappear whenever they want.....

Actually, here is my thought on this, I am not so sure that this is a "member" paid enhancement, or more of an extra that is now included. It is hard to say if there was any impact on dues, or if this is an item that is already in place (maintained by the costs to cash guests who pay for it) which is given free to members.

Valet was a contract service that DVC did pay to give the "perk" for, but is the internet service really contracted through Resorts or another entity which DVC must reimburse for member use.

Similar to restaurant discounts, etc. DVC does not pay for those, but restaurants give the discounts to try to fill seats in off times.....

 

[disneynutz]

If internet access is member paid then any reservation on points should receive "free" internet. I thought that I had read that member Guests do not always receive free internet access.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

As I recall, internet access was installed and paid for by Disney at all the resorts that currently have it. Disney charged those that wanted it a fee ($9.95/24 hours). Members who wanted the service paid for it at first, just like everyone else. I was told that Disney wanted to recover the cost of the installation and that perhaps after that, the charge would be waived for DVC members staying at DVC resorts.

Perhaps now that it is free, member dues pay a prorated cost of maintenance and support for the service. Can't imagine that is very much.

I do not see DVC removing the internet perk.

 

[JimMIA]

I guess it depends on how fine you want to split hairs.

To me, anything that is not guaranteed in the POS is a "perk," because it can be changed at any time. There are some "perks" that I do not think will go away (like being able to stay at non-home resorts), but free Internet access is not one of them.

 

[NewDCLGuy]

1) It is NOT a perk.
2) It is a paid-for service.
3) Your maintenance fees were increased to cover in-room internet.

Really? How much? And how do you know?

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Sorry to ask this, but is free wi-fi still available.

This will be our second DVC trip since purchasing, but last time, we didn't have our computer with us. We'd like to know if wi-fi is available for "free" to DVC members and I'm having trouble finding the answer.

TIA!

 

[disneynutz]

Sorry to ask this, but is free wi-fi still available.

This will be our second DVC trip since purchasing, but last time, we didn't have our computer with us. We'd like to know if wi-fi is available for "free" to DVC members and I'm having trouble finding the answer.

TIA!

As far as I know, WiFi is not intended to be free anywhere, only the hard wired connection in the room for members and their Guests staying on points is "free". Some members have reported finding free WiFi access, but I don't think that Disney intended for it to be free.

BTW, Disney's internet service is provided by a outside contractor, Smart City.

Bill

 

[dbs1228]

Sorry to ask this, but is free wi-fi still available.

This will be our second DVC trip since purchasing, but last time, we didn't have our computer with us. We'd like to know if wi-fi is available for "free" to DVC members and I'm having trouble finding the answer.

TIA!

I asked about this myself while staying at BLT, OKW and BWV I was told no free wi-fi anywhere. I bring my travel router (39.00) with us on each trip and we instantly have secured wi-fi.

 

[Cap]

Be careful about the use of terms such as "anywhere", "always", and so forth.

At my visits this year to DVC Vero Beach and DVC Hilton Head, the service in the rooms is wi-fi and is free to members. When I was last at Disney World, the service was Ethernet wired and was free to members. I've found some of the resorts seem to have free wi-fi in certain areas, some in the lobby or pool area.

The availability of wi-fi is changing rapidly, as there are more and more wi-fi connected phones and tablets (e.g. iPad). Customers who are paying for upscale hotel rooms are finding it harder to understand why they get "free" wi-fi at Holiday Inn or Homewood Suites, but don't get it free at a "better" hotel, so some of the upscale chains are switching to free wi-fi.

I personally think that within a few years included wi-fi will be considered a given for any hotel, just as color television, a/c, and cable are no longer "extras".