Test new level of member services

[CarolynFH]

Did they reach out to you first? What was the process?

Staying in a BWV GV in March 2025….

We’re in a BWV GV in January, and we received an email a few weeks ago. Our deadline to notify MS of our requests, by replying to the email or calling, is day 65 before checkin. I’m so excited, because we’re in Central time, and it’s hard for me to be awake early enough to book ADRs myself.

 

[AstroBlasters]

We’re in a BWV GV in January, and we received an email a few weeks ago. Our deadline to notify MS of our requests, by replying to the email or calling, is day 65 before checkin. I’m so excited, because we’re in Central time, and it’s hard for me to be awake early enough to book ADRs myself.

We are West Coast… so I 100% get it!

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

We are West Coast… so I 100% get it!

I stayed up until 3 AM to book candlelight processional earlier this week… the actual bookings did not go until about 3:45 AM — felt like a Geneva Convention violation.

 

[geargrinder]

Did they reach out to you first? What was the process?

Staying in a BWV GV in March 2025….

They contacted me. I was about 90 days out from my reservation.

Here's the email content:

Welcome Home XXXXXXXX Family,

We are excited to share that Disney Vacation Club® is piloting an all-new complimentary Member Experience Specialist Team. You’re invited to participate in this new program through the end of your stay at [Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House. Our small but dedicated team’s goal is to make sure your next welcome home is set up to be truly magical! Your booking day for dining, recreation, and tours will open on 11/13/24. Please note that larger parties may require flexibility in times or split tables. If we are unable to secure a request due to availability, we will continue to search on your behalf! For assistance, please ensure: Resort reservation(s) are current with all Guests including infants Send in your requests no later than 11/8/24 with preferred dates, locations, times, and party size including infants For the security of your Membership, if you would like to designate another Guest as planner and they are not on the Membership, in order to speak with us for general planning purposes without actual access to your Membership or resort stay, please provide the following information to us: Guest’s First and Last Name Guest’s Phone Number Guest’s My Disney Experience Email Address We look forward to assisting with your upcoming trip needs! Provided below are some other offerings you may be interested in including in your future stay. Please note these services are booked separately through the links or phone numbers listed below. Purchasing or Booking Virtual Queues or Lightning Lane Passes, click here Disney Private VIP Tours - Please call 407-560-4033 Walt Disney World® Golf - Please call 407-WDW-GOLF or visit www.GolfWDW.com Victoria & Albert's - Please call 407-WDW-DVNA between 10AM-4PM ET, Tuesday-Saturday This opportunity begins today and lasts through the end of your vacation. If you have any questions or would like to send us your list, please either respond to this email or call the Member Experience Specialist team at 1-844-382-6772 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM ET Monday - Thursday, and 9:00 AM - 2:50 PM ET Friday - Sunday. We look forward to hearing from you soon!/Have a magical day! Regan Member Services \ Member Experience Specialist Disney Vacation Club®

 

[AstroBlasters]

They contacted me. I was about 90 days out from my reservation.

Here's the email content:

Welcome Home XXXXXXXX Family,

We are excited to share that Disney Vacation Club® is piloting an all-new complimentary Member Experience Specialist Team. You’re invited to participate in this new program through the end of your stay at [Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House. Our small but dedicated team’s goal is to make sure your next welcome home is set up to be truly magical! Your booking day for dining, recreation, and tours will open on 11/13/24. Please note that larger parties may require flexibility in times or split tables. If we are unable to secure a request due to availability, we will continue to search on your behalf! For assistance, please ensure: Resort reservation(s) are current with all Guests including infants Send in your requests no later than 11/8/24 with preferred dates, locations, times, and party size including infants For the security of your Membership, if you would like to designate another Guest as planner and they are not on the Membership, in order to speak with us for general planning purposes without actual access to your Membership or resort stay, please provide the following information to us: Guest’s First and Last Name Guest’s Phone Number Guest’s My Disney Experience Email Address We look forward to assisting with your upcoming trip needs! Provided below are some other offerings you may be interested in including in your future stay. Please note these services are booked separately through the links or phone numbers listed below. Purchasing or Booking Virtual Queues or Lightning Lane Passes, click here Disney Private VIP Tours - Please call 407-560-4033 Walt Disney World® Golf - Please call 407-WDW-GOLF or visit www.GolfWDW.com Victoria & Albert's - Please call 407-WDW-DVNA between 10AM-4PM ET, Tuesday-Saturday This opportunity begins today and lasts through the end of your vacation. If you have any questions or would like to send us your list, please either respond to this email or call the Member Experience Specialist team at 1-844-382-6772 between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM ET Monday - Thursday, and 9:00 AM - 2:50 PM ET Friday - Sunday. We look forward to hearing from you soon!/Have a magical day! Regan Member Services \ Member Experience Specialist Disney Vacation Club®

Thank you!

Please report back on your findings with the service.

 

[geargrinder]

Thank you!

Please report back on your findings with the service.

Will do.

I did get an email back after sending my list. It basically said that when my booking window opens they will send me an email with my held reservations. I will need to call them back with my credit card to confirm and pay.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Are you in a GV? They’ve been doing this for a few years I think for poly bungalows, copper creek cabins, and all GVs.

We had them book our dining reservations during our last bungalow stay. They booked all our dining reservations for 8 days and did a great job.

It’s a great service!

I don't think it's been offered to all GV. Last year, we fulfilled a life-long dream of mine by staying in a GV at OKW. And if it matters, we're grandfathered in to direct benefits. However, I'm not complaining-it was well worth it for the location, the views, and the huge accommodations.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I don't think it's been offered to all GV. Last year, we fulfilled a life-long dream of mine by staying in a GV at OKW. And if it matters, we're grandfathered in to direct benefits. However, I'm not complaining-it was well worth it for the location, the views, and the huge accommodations.

Makes sense. It’s a “pilot group” and I’m sure there is some magic algorithm that determines who gets selected to participate.

 

[geargrinder]

Makes sense. It’s a “pilot group” and I’m sure there is some magic algorithm that determines who gets selected to participate.

Probably same algorithm as the ROFR picker.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Makes sense. It’s a “pilot group” and I’m sure there is some magic algorithm that determines who gets selected to participate.

I've gotten the pick on both our 2023 and 2024 trips. When I asked the CM who helped us how it works and how one is picked, they said there is some random selections to the system but it does "favor" those who are booking GVs with large parties (this was us for both trips). The system had flagged us due to our stay at a Jambo GV, but when I asked they were happy to help us for the entire trip and our entire travel party (I was able to book the other family even when they had their own room at BWV). I just had to help with the three way call to allow them to put their deposit on the stuff as needed.

Both times we have used the program they were excellent and they got us everything we asked for within a +or - 20 min window but most of the time exactly what we asked for.

And yes, as someone trying to do this from PST, I was very grateful for the service.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I've gotten the pick on both our 2023 and 2024 trips. When I asked the CM who helped us how it works and how one is picked, they said there is some random selections to the system but it does "favor" those who are booking GVs with large parties (this was us for both trips). The system had flagged us due to our stay at a Jambo GV, but when I asked they were happy to help us for the entire trip and our entire travel party (I was able to book the other family even when they had their own room at BWV). I just had to help with the three way call to allow them to put their deposit on the stuff as needed.

Both times we have used the program they were excellent and they got us everything we asked for within a +or - 20 min window but most of the time exactly what we asked for.

And yes, as someone trying to do this from PST, I was very grateful for the service.

So, reading between the lines….you are saying I should add people to the reservation to increase the chances of getting picked…..

 

[geargrinder]

I have 6 people on my reservation.

 

[JackosinDIS]

We have 10 in the CCV and SSR GVs next summer… fingers crossed they are still doing this, would be nice not to have the stress of booking the ADRs!

 

[CWTC]

We’ve been picked previously with week long bungalow stays - party of either 2 or 3. We only used them for dining ressies but have been really happy both times.

 

[CarolynFH]

So, reading between the lines….you are saying I should add people to the reservation to increase the chances of getting picked…..

We just have 4 adults and a toddler, so….

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

So, reading between the lines….you are saying I should add people to the reservation to increase the chances of getting picked…..

Happy to crash your family vacation as long as there’s a Murphy bed and not the fold out sofas where you can feel the horizontal bars across your spine.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Happy to crash your family vacation as long as there’s a Murphy bed and not the fold out sofas where you can feel the horizontal bars across your spine.

I know you will hate me for this, but there is a chance we have any empty bedroom since my wife and I will have a room and the kids will likely share a room. MAYBE the 15yr old will ask for his own room for that part of the trip…..

I really just wanted the GV for the living room space, 3 bathrooms, and a long balcony with a Boardwalk View. If it was a GC, AUL, BLT style dedicated 2 BD with a BV view we would be just as happy.

But…. my wife does have a very good friend from college who moved to FL almost 10 years… so maybe she will drive out and the two can have a girls evening while the kids and I play Switch Sports in the living room…..

 

[Willow Ufgood]

@AstroBlasters

Not to burst your bubble but some BWV GV do not have long balconies. The HA GV on the 3rd floor has a number of smaller balconies and the 2-story GV also have shorter balconies. There are only 7 GV so you have a pretty good chance of not getting a GV with a long balcony. But all of the GV face the Boardwalk so you will have good views no matter which one you are assigned to.

 

[AstroBlasters]

@AstroBlasters

Not to burst your bubble but some BWV GV do not have long balconies. The HA GV on the 3rd floor has a number of smaller balconies and the 2-story GV also have shorter balconies. There are only 7 GV so you have a pretty good chance of not getting a GV with a long balcony. But all of the GV face the Boardwalk so you will have good views no matter which one you are assigned to.

Thank you for the insights.

As long as we have a view of the Boardwalk I will be a happy camper.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

I submitted my requests a couple of weeks ago for our upcoming NYE trip. We have a party of 16, staying in a GV and three studios at SSR.
They were successful getting some of our requests fairly close to the times we were looking for. I knew given our party size that we would need to be flexible.
We requested Hoop De Doo for our arrival evening
Skipper Canteen lunch, we got 4 tables for 2pm
Via Napoli lunch. They had us at 5 tables with times from 2pm to 230pm. We were able to rebook our own at 3 tables within a five minute difference.
Chef Art Smiths dinner between 6-8pm. We have four tables within a thirty minute time difference.

They were unable to book Hoop De Doo for us, but will continue to monitor.
On our own we were able to grab this, but not on the original day we wanted, nor the time or tier we had wanted. But it was important for most in the group, so we decided to take what we could.

The member services team member I spoke with was friendly as expected.
I did appreciate the service, primarily because I hate having to get up early to try and book things, but I don't think if it became a paid service I would pay for it.
Years ago, there was a thing called Magical Gatherings I think, which had events for large groups, and we did take advantage of those offerings.