VGF makes me sad :(

[supersnoop]

It figures...if it ain't broke, fix it.

But it was broke; people were getting blocked out of the one week they wanted every year.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Who wants "a week"...that defeats the whole purpose.

It doesn't for a lot of people, though. There are a lot of people who can tell you exactly when they'll be able to travel 3 years from now. (Teachers fall into this category, and there are a lot of them.) That it's not how you travel doesn't make it invalid for others. Disney's tried to balance it out by only selling 35% as fixed weeks. At resorts with low inventory, it simply makes things tighter for others. One set of people (the people who work with fixed weeks by nature) and the other (more flexible) are at odds to some extent with booking regardless.

Disney charged premium for fixed weeks.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It doesn't for a lot of people, though. There are a lot of people who can tell you exactly when they'll be able to travel 3 years from now. (Teachers fall into this category, and there are a lot of them.) That it's not how you travel doesn't make it invalid for others. Disney's tried to balance it out by only selling 35% as fixed weeks. At resorts with low inventory, it simply makes things tighter for others. One set of people (the people who work with fixed weeks by nature) and the other (more flexible) are at odds to some extent with booking regardless.

Disney charged premium for fixed weeks.

I understand you point...

But i respectfully submit that it's "lacking vision" for what they bought

 

[lockedoutlogic]

But it was broke; people were getting blocked out of the one week they wanted every year.

Then that is a function of the point structure for grand Floridian...not the program as a whole.

The amount of points sold should allow for the 11 month window to be reasonably effective.

They keep tinkering with this.

Wait till the points are sold on the bloated poly/wilderness lodge Napoleon bungalows...it's gonna crunch them too.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Then that is a function of the point structure for grand Floridian...not the program as a whole.

The amount of points sold should allow for the 11 month window to be reasonably effective.

They keep tinkering with this.

Wait till the points are sold on the bloated poly/wilderness lodge Napoleon bungalows...it's gonna crunch them too.

The problem isn't the amount of points sold. It's the individual contract sizes. Resort points are based on bookings of all units in a period. If a disproportionate number buy JUST the points to rent studios, it creates imbalance. It is nearly impossible for DVD to regulate this SAVE by selling all weeks as fixed weeks, as one person who buys 100 points may be looking at a bank-borrow model to stay every 3 years. One might be thinking annual. One might be adding on to other contracts.

This is absolutely what will happen with the bungalows at Poly and WL, although it does look like the WL2 will be on a new contract cycle vs. WL1 (which expires in 2042, I believe). So any buyer who does even half-hearted due diligence should be aware they're buying points for bungalows; there simply aren't enough Lodge rooms being converted for anyone to delude themselves about availability there. Hopefully.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

A further "safeguard" could be that you have a different buying criteria with the "firm week" contracts...

I'm just not sure whether it should be more or less...my brain hurts.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

But it was broke; people were getting blocked out of the one week they wanted every year.

And they only made it worse by adding fixed weeks. It was a bad decision to make that change to the system IMO.

 

[Minniesgal]

Could you try a 1 bedroom they are more available

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Could you try a 1 bedroom they are more available

One bedrooms are by far the biggest waste of points

 

[lockedoutlogic]

And they only made it worse by adding fixed weeks. It was a bad decision to make that change to the system IMO.

I don't like the arbitrary nature of it...like some kind of whack "experiment".

It's just muddys the waters. And of course people bit on an arbitrary "upcharge" to get a set week...which is how you get a snowball rolling down Mt. Disney. They won't be able to resist.

If you talk to a lot of "memebership" or read comments such as disboards...there's this false idea of "I own_____". Like they believe the welcome home stuff.

That is false...you own a piece of a large and expanding general point bank. It's all one thing in logistics if not legal language. And changes like one random place that has solid bookings could cause problems down the road. Just my thought.

 

[Minniesgal]

One bedrooms are by far the biggest waste of points

Totally disagree but each to his own.

1 bedrooms are the entire reason we fought DVC hate studios

 

[DisDadDVC]

The problem isn't the amount of points sold. It's the individual contract sizes. Resort points are based on bookings of all units in a period. If a disproportionate number buy JUST the points to rent studios, it creates imbalance. It is nearly impossible for DVD to regulate this SAVE by selling all weeks as fixed weeks, as one person who buys 100 points may be looking at a bank-borrow model to stay every 3 years. One might be thinking annual. One might be adding on to other contracts.

This is absolutely what will happen with the bungalows at Poly and WL, although it does look like the WL2 will be on a new contract cycle vs. WL1 (which expires in 2042, I believe). So any buyer who does even half-hearted due diligence should be aware they're buying points for bungalows; there simply aren't enough Lodge rooms being converted for anyone to delude themselves about availability there. Hopefully.

I think you are giving the average buyer WAY too much credit. (Note: Disboards is not the average buyer....)

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Totally disagree but each to his own.

1 bedrooms are the entire reason we fought DVC hate studios

Granted...I can see the merits of the one bedroom as well.

But the reality is it provides by far the least amount of lodging for the point.

And I don't need an oven...nice tub though

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think you are giving the average buyer WAY too much credit. (Note: Disboards is not the average buyer....)

Maybe. But it really does look like WL2 is going to be maybe 10 rooms in the Lodge, possibly with CL access, and the Bungalows. The existing WL contracts are a 2042, and it would be odd if they just made those new points "home" for those as well.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Maybe. But it really does look like WL2 is going to be maybe 10 rooms in the Lodge, possibly with CL access, and the Bungalows. The existing WL contracts are a 2042, and it would be odd if they just made those new points "home" for those as well.

The "rumor" was that wilderness lodge had a 58% occupancy rate for 2014...

If that's even close then vwl phase 2 will include a mass Conversion of the eastern/southern wing to reduce the inventory.

It would only be a matter of time...if true

 

[disneynutz]

And they only made it worse by adding fixed weeks. It was a bad decision to make that change to the system IMO.

Disney added fixed week contracts to be more like other timeshares and to attract conventional buyers. Their job is to make sales, not to keep everyone happy.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Disney added fixed week contracts to be more like other timeshares and to attract conventional buyers. Their job is to make sales, not to keep everyone happy.

Bill

DVC was pretty successful with no show of slowing down from all numbers reported. They sold before without them and could easily have continued to IMO. I'm sure that someone came into the management and felt that the fixed weeks should be continued after they started at Aulani but it still does not mean it was a good thing to do. As I understand it many timeshares started following the lines of DVC with point systems.

And - they didn't even do it in a way that was most beneficial to their bottom line. They should have had an upcharge for the fixed week points as in the equivalent cost per point was 110% of the base charge - not require the purchase of additional points.

 

[disneynutz]

DVC was pretty successful with no show of slowing down from all numbers reported. They sold before without them and could easily have continued to IMO. I'm sure that someone came into the management and felt that the fixed weeks should be continued after they started at Aulani but it still does not mean it was a good thing to do. As I understand it many timeshares started following the lines of DVC with point systems.

And - they didn't even do it in a way that was most beneficial to their bottom line. They should have had an upcharge for the fixed week points as in the equivalent cost per point was 110% of the base charge - not require the purchase of additional points.

If Disney made one additional sale due to offering a fixed week than in their world it was a good thing to do.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If Disney made one additional sale due to offering a fixed week than in their world it was a good thing to do.

Bill

One sale? Out of 2.5 million points? We'll have to disagree on that being the minimal tipping point.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I don't like the arbitrary nature of it...like some kind of whack "experiment".

It's just muddys the waters. And of course people bit on an arbitrary "upcharge" to get a set week...which is how you get a snowball rolling down Mt. Disney. They won't be able to resist.

Fixed-week sales began with Aulani, not VGF, and the intent was to provide a more traditional timeshare offering that would appeal to international buyers.

I am one of the members you have described that paid the 10% point increase for a fixed-week contract. To me, the increase was well-worth the investment because I do not have to worry about using VGF points to book any available resort at the 7-month mark for a December reservation.

Although it may sound harsh, VGF exemplifies the importance of understanding the product you are buying.