Unappreciated

[metzgardesign]

DVC is an investment [not in the traditional sense], if you lay out "x" amount of dollars and are able to to vacation for 40+ years; investment + dues you're ahead of the game within 10 years, depending upon your accommodations. As a stockholder, my annual dividend pays for our dues and our APs, and I have have some spending money left over. Investment's are not singular, but more how you bundle them to get the best ROI.

That is not an investment. That is pre-paying for an expected vacations. You will never make a return on your DVC contract. You may lower the cost of a vacation but that does not make your contract an investment. You are buying into a timeshare. You do not "own" the unit in the same way you own a vacation condo. Yes it is deeded but it's time restricted and expires no other type of property investment has such an expiration. And yes you can rent out points or even sell the contract for some funds but that does not make buying the initial contract an investment.

The sales person will push you saying "We have almost sold all units than you won't be able to buy in yada yada" Yet the truth is their are always people selling contracts or renting points. DVC villas are even sold by Disney on a per night basis. I just dislike scheming sales men who tell these families they are buying an "investment in their future".

If DVC works for your families vacation needs that wonderful that's what it's for, to have a vacation. It is not a tool to make money which is why it's not an investment.

Agree 100%. A vacation timeshare will NEVER be an investment (in spite of what sales people tell you). It MAY be (over time....a very long time) a cheaper way to spend entertainment money. But it is not an investment.

Try selling your timeshare and see what kind of return on your "investment" you really get.

You stock shares ARE investments. The timeshare....no.

 

[doconeill]

At our last stay at Beach Club I had an eye opening experience. We went down to the pool where they were having a make your own Mickey tye dye t-shirt activity, which had a fee attached. It wasn't a problem that there was a fee, but when I went to pay, they asked me if I was part of DVC, when I said no they added two dollars to the price! It bothered me then and it bothers me now. I feel like I was penalized because I wasn't part of the "club". It left me with a sour taste and I don't feel the same way about Disney anymore. That was just one of too many things that have changed for the worse so we are now looking at other vacation options. I'm not saying they owe us anything but they do cater to DVC because it makes them a boatload of money. Oh well....moving on. There are many more places to go in this world. You can see by our ticker that we don't hate Disney, This trip will be our last for a while.

I wonder if this was a DVC-sponsored activity, and thus was meant for DVC members but they weren't going to turn anyone away, and thus the additional charge. Did you ask why?

If it was a DVC activity, I don't see why having to pay an extra two bucks to take part would be that big of a deal. DVC members essentially were paying for that activity in their dues.

 

[vicki_c]

I wonder if this was a DVC-sponsored activity, and thus was meant for DVC members but they weren't going to turn anyone away, and thus the additional charge. Did you ask why?

If it was a DVC activity, I don't see why having to pay an extra two bucks to take part would be that big of a deal. DVC members essentially were paying for that activity in their dues.

That is the way pricing works at the DVC community halls. Anyone can participate, but the price is less or even free for DVC members. Beach Club Villas doesn't have their own community hall location, so it's possible they just decided to throw the DVC members a small discount for some activities to make up for that. I think almost every other DVC has a community hall (not sure about the newest ones).

I guess if I can feel a little peeved about "welcome home" being said to everyone, a cash guest is entitled to feel a little peeved over $2.

 

[cman]

Agree 100%. A vacation timeshare will NEVER be an investment (in spite of what sales people tell you). It MAY be (over time....a very long time) a cheaper way to spend entertainment money. But it is not an investment.

Try selling your timeshare and see what kind of return on your "investment" you really get.

You stock shares ARE investments. The timeshare....no.

I've been reading this thread and feel I need to make a comment on opinions like the one above and others on this thread.

First of all here's a definition of investment from wiki:

"Investment has different meanings in finance and economics.

In economics, investment is the accumulation of newly produced physical entities, such as factories, machinery, houses, and goods inventories.

In finance, investment is putting money into an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends, and/or interest earnings."

So as far as I’m concerned when I joined DVC I made an investment. I gave Disney a bunch of money and they gave me rights to a piece of real estate that I would have access to for a set amount of years. I didn’t expect to return a profit – which is the finance related definition of investment.

If Disney gives me a perk that saves me a few dollars here and there I don’t see why non-DVC members should feel upset. I committed a portion of my entertainment\vacation budget to the purchase of DVC and you did not. No big deal.

For example. I don’t have a membership at the local country club. Their members get preferential tee times on weekends that I can’t get. So what. I don’t feel underappreciated. If I want the perk I need to buy a membership and then I’ll get them.

If you have to pay an extra $2 for a T-shirt and you don’t want to then don’t pay it. If it bothers you for more than a few minutes you should be thankful that’s all you have to worry you.

As a society we’ve become so thin skinned about everything. If we see someone getting something we’re not getting we wonder why WE are getting screwed.

Most people are on this forum because they go to Disney. There’s an overwhelming percentage of the world population that would love to go to Disney but there’re worried about how they’re going to get their next meal. They are the ones that should feel underappreciated – not anyone here.

Stepping off my soap box…..

 

[kittyab]

I am a new DVC Member..... what perks? I get a discount card same as any AP holder would get... and I get discounts on party tickets on select dates.

Thats it.

DVC members do not get any extras than that.

 

[metzgardesign]

I've been reading this thread and feel I need to make a comment on opinions like the one above and others on this thread.

First of all here's a definition of investment from wiki:

"Investment has different meanings in finance and economics.

In economics, investment is the accumulation of newly produced physical entities, such as factories, machinery, houses, and goods inventories.

In finance, investment is putting money into an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends, and/or interest earnings."

OK....well, if one wants to use a Wikipedia source as they point of reference, than good dealio.

But all those examples.....economic or financial.....in terms of "returns," will generally yield a measurable, monetarily improved return.

If you view a timeshare 'ownership' (and that 'ownership' is uniquely interpretive, at best), as an investment, then your "return" is the non-monetary return of good times and fun.

Nothing wrong with that. But, I was generally referring to the financial investments......of which a timeshare will never be a good example.

I've looked at the DVC literature, but never taken a tour or sales pitch, as the program never interested me enough to pursue further investigation (and quite frankly, given recent Disney business practices changes, I am very glad we did not). If it's something you enjoy.....then by all means....enjoy!

As for the rest.....meh....doesn't matter to me. If someone says or doesn't say "Welcome Home," or charges me $2 more for a T-shirt, it really wouldn't be a blip on my radar, I guess.

 

[king kamehameha]

I wonder if this was a DVC-sponsored activity, and thus was meant for DVC members but they weren't going to turn anyone away, and thus the additional charge. Did you ask why?

If it was a DVC activity, I don't see why having to pay an extra two bucks to take part would be that big of a deal. DVC members essentially were paying for that activity in their dues.

This was not a DVC event. It was at Stormalong Bay and is a weekly activity for everyone. It had nothing to do with DVC. I have nothing againsed DVC but it's not for our family. This is Disneys way of making you feel like you should be part of something you're not. It's the corporate machine that makes these decisions.

 

[mrsmorrow]

I am a new DVC Member..... what perks? I get a discount card same as any AP holder would get... and I get discounts on party tickets on select dates.

Thats it.

DVC members do not get any extras than that.

We've been members for about 8 years....not sure what "perks" we really get. The occasional discount on a few things isn't really a perk. We choose to buy into the program for our own reasons but I don't want to hear anything even remotely close to something that insinuates "unfair" or that we get "more".

 

[mrsmorrow]

I've been reading this thread and feel I need to make a comment on opinions like the one above and others on this thread.

First of all here's a definition of investment from wiki:

"Investment has different meanings in finance and economics.

In economics, investment is the accumulation of newly produced physical entities, such as factories, machinery, houses, and goods inventories.

In finance, investment is putting money into an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends, and/or interest earnings."

So as far as I’m concerned when I joined DVC I made an investment. I gave Disney a bunch of money and they gave me rights to a piece of real estate that I would have access to for a set amount of years. I didn’t expect to return a profit – which is the finance related definition of investment.

If Disney gives me a perk that saves me a few dollars here and there I don’t see why non-DVC members should feel upset. I committed a portion of my entertainment\vacation budget to the purchase of DVC and you did not. No big deal.

For example. I don’t have a membership at the local country club. Their members get preferential tee times on weekends that I can’t get. So what. I don’t feel underappreciated. If I want the perk I need to buy a membership and then I’ll get them.

If you have to pay an extra $2 for a T-shirt and you don’t want to then don’t pay it. If it bothers you for more than a few minutes you should be thankful that’s all you have to worry you.

As a society we’ve become so thin skinned about everything. If we see someone getting something we’re not getting we wonder why WE are getting screwed.

Most people are on this forum because they go to Disney. There’s an overwhelming percentage of the world population that would love to go to Disney but there’re worried about how they’re going to get their next meal. They are the ones that should feel underappreciated – not anyone here.

Stepping off my soap box…..

Perfectly stated - All of it!! People aren't entitled to everything everyone else has in life in general so I don't understand why its such a strong feeling when it comes to Disney. The activities at DVC Community Hall are a small perk and charging a few extra dollars for non-members makes sense imho.

 

[doconeill]

This was not a DVC event. It was at Stormalong Bay and is a weekly activity for everyone. It had nothing to do with DVC. I have nothing againsed DVC but it's not for our family. This is Disneys way of making you feel like you should be part of something you're not. It's the corporate machine that makes these decisions.

It's location at Stormalong Bay does not mean it was not a DVC-sponsored activity.

I haven't seen any general activities where DVC members get treated "special". There could be some. But the prices should be posted.

I'm more concerned as to whether pricing was posted, and if it wasn't, whether you asked specifically why you were charged an additional $2. If the prices weren't properly posted, that is a concern. If this was a general activity where DVC members got a discount, then the posted price should have been the full price that YOU pay, not what the DVC member pays.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

What perks? Really, we are not all that appreciated. They've got our money, they don't have to appreciate us.

I get $100 off an annual pass and the ability to buy TIW. Nothing else of any real value.

I hear more DVC members complaining that they don't get free dining than I hear complaints that DVC gets too many perks.

 

[Networth]

I've been reading this thread and feel I need to make a comment on opinions like the one above and others on this thread. First of all here's a definition of investment from wiki: "Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. In economics, investment is the accumulation of newly produced physical entities, such as factories, machinery, houses, and goods inventories. In finance, investment is putting money into an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends, and/or interest earnings." So as far as I’m concerned when I joined DVC I made an investment. I gave Disney a bunch of money and they gave me rights to a piece of real estate that I would have access to for a set amount of years. I didn’t expect to return a profit – which is the finance related definition of investment. If Disney gives me a perk that saves me a few dollars here and there I don’t see why non-DVC members should feel upset. I committed a portion of my entertainment\vacation budget to the purchase of DVC and you did not. No big deal. For example. I don’t have a membership at the local country club. Their members get preferential tee times on weekends that I can’t get. So what. I don’t feel underappreciated. If I want the perk I need to buy a membership and then I’ll get them. If you have to pay an extra $2 for a T-shirt and you don’t want to then don’t pay it. If it bothers you for more than a few minutes you should be thankful that’s all you have to worry you. As a society we’ve become so thin skinned about everything. If we see someone getting something we’re not getting we wonder why WE are getting screwed. Most people are on this forum because they go to Disney. There’s an overwhelming percentage of the world population that would love to go to Disney but there’re worried about how they’re going to get their next meal. They are the ones that should feel underappreciated – not anyone here. Stepping off my soap box…..

Wikipedia as a reference? It's not an investment for the 100th time. But if you believe it is, the salesmen did their job pretty well when you toured.

As for DVC getting perks I personally don't think you guys get enough for what you gave Disney. You guys defiantly deserve more, you should get TiW free for instance.

 

[bcrook]

This was not a DVC event. It was at Stormalong Bay and is a weekly activity for everyone. It had nothing to do with DVC. I have nothing againsed DVC but it's not for our family. This is Disneys way of making you feel like you should be part of something you're not. It's the corporate machine that makes these decisions.

That's what I figured. Because this was at storm a long bay it doesn't matter if it was for DVC or not, I can see how that would look bad. I think the DVC membership activities should be kept in the DVC areas and available for people staying with points. This works well at self contained timeshare locations, but not well at DVC locations. This would have been better suited for the DVC pool area with clear signage.

It is almost like Disney did this in a high profile area to accentuate the perceived benefit of DVC, but in this case it did the opposite.

 

[bcrook]

Perfectly stated - All of it!! People aren't entitled to everything everyone else has in life in general so I don't understand why its such a strong feeling when it comes to Disney. The activities at DVC Community Hall are a small perk and charging a few extra dollars for non-members makes sense imho.

Stormalong bay is not a community hall. Quite the opposite actually.

 

[bcrook]

Wikipedia as a reference? It's not an investment for the 100th time. But if you believe it is, the salesmen did their job pretty well when you toured.

As for DVC getting perks I personally don't think you guys get enough for what you gave Disney. You guys defiantly deserve more, you should get TiW free for instance.

As long as they don't raise the dues a $100.00 to give it to us free!

But if they did give it to us free, I would spend more money on food on site. When they raised the price from $75.00 to a $100.00 it reached my tipping point, and didn't buy the card and slashed my onsite food budget in half.

I also discovered a whole world of off site restaurants not very far from Kidani. And I discovered flippers pizza.

Reducing TIW card might cause me to reconsider, but on the other hand they let the genie out of the bottle.

I also visited SeaWorld and Busch gardens for the first time and their counter service dining plan was awesome, so I have even more reasons to avoid Disney food.

 

[doconeill]

They don't need to give us TIW for free, they just need to expand the DVC dining discounts we already get.

 

[Networth]

Good point lol "Dear Member, to keep your home away from home magical we are have to increase dues this year. But don't worry their is plenty of fun to be had because Tables in Wonderland memberships will now be included on your next trip for free so you can enjoy even more magic at our wonderfully themed (overpriced) restaurants."

I like most of Disney's signatures but for sure Orlando in general has some very good food. Check out The Point one time if you go offsite the seafood and Greek place their are VERY good. Their is a Thai place that is great too but the name escapes me at the moment.

 

[ILUVALASKA]

I don't know where you're getting your info or your observation from. In my opinion Disney doesn't offer any incentive that makes me want to buy into their vacation club. Years ago when my Aunt bought she used to get Park passes for the length of stay for each week of her stay. Now THAT would be an incentive. I don't see a single thing offered by DVC that makes me want to buy into it or gives me an advantage compared if I was a guest that was booked as a guest at one of the resorts.

Bingo! We almost bought into DVC when it was a new program, but I sensed it would not be all that worth it in the long run. Additionally, going to Disney every single year when the entire world begs exploring, no way. We enjoy WDW, but we are glad that we chose to see the real world as well.

 

[DebbieB]

I am a new DVC Member..... what perks? I get a discount card same as any AP holder would get... and I get discounts on party tickets on select dates.

Thats it.

DVC members do not get any extras than that.

Really? What about the $149 off annual passes? What about the current limited time promo of $270 off premium annual passes?

What about pool hopping? What about TWOL at BLT, members only?

There is a long list of other member discounts on the member website:

https://dvc.disney.go.com/members/member-extras/perks-and-discounts

You're a new member, when you signed your contract did you not know what it included? All that is included in the contract is a place to stay. That's what you bought.

Sure I'd love more perks but I'm grateful for what we do get. When I bought in 1999, there was no annual pass discount. There was a 10% discount on length of stay tickets. The regular AP discount we have is about 25% off.

 

[officer tigger]

When we first joined the DVC, we got a discount on park passes and at the Disney Store in the mall. Both are now gone, well we do get cheaper AP's starting this year. So the perks members get are not that great anymore. The only one I use is the 20% off of Divequest, but anyone can get a coupon out of the back of a book.
However I do love staying in a room with two full bathrooms, washer/dryer, and a full kitchen.