Want Better DVC Benefits?

[rbuzzotta]

Like others have said, I don't think Disney will change any benefits they give us. I have changed the way we do Disney now..............we love the atmosphere and love our DVC but more and more we are now limiting our time in the Disney parks.

In April our plans are for ZERO Disney park visits for our one week stay!! US and IOA here we come!!

For our August 2 week stay we plan to visit the Disney park for only TWO days (if that!!!)...............Sea World and Discovery Cove............here we come!!

So, for 3 weeks on the Disney property we will only see 2 days inside the Disney theme parks!!!

Yes, our money will be spent on property for other items (mainly food!!) but alot of our money will be going elsewhere!!

 

[BELLE16127]

WOW nothing like getting yelled at for telling something you know. I DID NOT SAY I would complain about anything on Disney Property.....I was just saying what I knew to be FACT!!!! I thought these boards were to post questions, opinions and so on???? It seems that more often then not someone is getting "FLAMED" for having an opinion, and I think that is WRONG. Next some of you will be thinking that anyone who posts that "YES we will be staying in rooms at WDW but not even consider going to the parks there because of costs" will be BANNED from being members at all?????? Geez people why have boards like this if not for people to post what they really feel without worrying that someone will freak out because you don't feel the same as they do???????

 

[Mickmse2002]

I think it would be interesting to see how many DVC families stay at an on-site resort and then never go into a theme park, water park or Downtown Disney. I bet it is a very small number. I would certainly like a discount on AP's, but we buy them anyway so it won't affect our decision one way or another. Since joining DVC we actually spend less money in the parks then we would have before, as we eat nearly all of our meals in our room. Their is really no economic reason for Walt Disney World to offer DVC members discounted passes, if there was, we would have it.

DVC stopped providing the freebie tickets they used to offer because sales levels supported them dropping them. DVC is like any other business, they offer incentives to get you to buy. If the product is selling brisk, they lower the incentives. If sales slow, they increase the incentives. Look at the auto market as an example.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Originally posted by BELLE16127
Geez people why have boards like this if not for people to post what they really feel without worrying that someone will freak out because you don't feel the same as they do???????

Don't worry, your not in the minority on the perk/discount topic. There have been numerous posts and polls about the "desire for /wish for /entitlement to /would like to see" a DVC admission discount. These polls all have the same result. The majority of members would like to see better or special DVC member ticket options and improvements in other perks.

A minority of posters may feel there is no room for program improvement/changes, and are happy with ALL aspects of their WDW/DVC experience....always.

If Disney could only figure out a way to squeeze us all into that mold.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Johnnie Fedora
A minority of posters may feel there is no room for program improvement/changes, and are happy with ALL aspects of their WDW/DVC experience....always.

I look at this differently. I really think all of us wish that we could get better discounts on park tickets. The difference of opinion is that...

1. Some folks think that Disney should give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because we made such large purchases and long-term commitments.
   
2. Some folks think that Disney should give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because it would be a win-win situation, with Disney ultimately making more money directly through increased total ticket sales and indirectly by encouraging DVC members to spend more money on-site.
   
3. Some folks think that Disney would be foolish to give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because we would simply pay less for the same tickets we would buy anyway.

I subscribe to number 2 above.

 

[crisi]

Re: Epcot after 5.

There is another thing going, which is lost opportunity cost.

Since few of the Epcot restaurants are having problems keeping their tables full in the evening, they don't make any more money bringing us into the park to fill tables. They are already making the maximum amount of money.

Where they aren't making the maximum amount of money - targeting discounts (like the one at Marrakesh) makes more sense to them.

In some ways, giving us discounts which will encourage us to overfill the restaurants gives them problems. The family from Omaha on their first trip down has problems getting into the restaurants to spend their money. Disney becomes "too complicated, too many burgers and fries" and they cause customer dissatisfaction with the people they want to turn into repeat customers. Same thing with encouraging us to spend more time in the parks - the more time we spend in the parks, the longer the lines for the attractions get - which represents a soft cost to Disney in customer satisfaction.

Since DVCers travel year round - during busy and not so busy seasons - its hard to target discounts to us to match when Disney needs fuller parks - while keeping us from using them at Spring Break and Christmas. I think we'd be really unhappy if DVCers who travel in September and Jaunary got deep discounts on UPHs, while those traveling in the Summer paid full price - but that would probably make the most sense for Disney - so we aren't the ideal group to discount.

I'd love discounts, I don't know if they make any business sense.

 

[rinkwide]

Originally posted by rbuzzotta
Like others have said, I don't think Disney will change any benefits they give us... In April our plans are for ZERO Disney park visits for our one week stay!!

If Disney reads enough reports like yours you can bet that they will change the benefits.

 

[Mickmse2002]

Originally posted by rinkwide
If Disney reads enough reports like yours you can bet that they will change the benefits.

I really doubt it. Where does Disney offer incentives right now? On rooms, mainly the budget resorts. Why? To fill them. They do not have any difficulty in filling the DVC resort rooms, they are almost always at capacity. If you fill all of the regular hotel rooms those folks typically go to the parks. Not true with the DVC rooms.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
I look at this differently. I really think all of us wish that we could get better discounts on park tickets. The difference of opinion is that...

1. Some folks think that Disney should give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because we made such large purchases and long-term commitments.
   
2. Some folks think that Disney should give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because it would be a win-win situation, with Disney ultimately making more money directly through increased total ticket sales and indirectly by encouraging DVC members to spend more money on-site.
   
3. Some folks think that Disney would be foolish to give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because we would simply pay less for the same tickets we would buy anyway.

I subscribe to number 2 above.

Nicely done. I agree, I subscribe to #2 as well.

 

[Dean]

My views most closely fit into Horace Horsecollar's number 2 above. But I've come to the conclusion that Disney is actually happier if a significant portion of DVC members don't go to the main parks. Remember there are other ways for Disney to make money than the main parks and crowding of the parks for much of the year is a big issue.

 

[crisi]

I'm a 2.7.

I've worked similiar equations. They are very complex, and then you have the hard to measure/ hard to attribute (park overcrowding). Its completely possible this works out and Disney makes more money, I'd have to have numbers, which I don't have (and even then, this is an art, not a science). But my gut is that they'd lose money.

 

[DrTomorrow]

I was just thinking that I was somewhere between 2 and 3, then I read crisi's post; score me as a 2.7 - 2.8. I confess that the capacity / level of service aspect had escaped me; I too always assumed that Disney benefits most when maximizing attendance. But just like a restaurant, or movie theatre, or grocery store, there's a point where the number of people starts to overwhelm the ability to provide a high level of service, and guests start to have negative experiences.

Thoughtful lot, we DIS DVCers.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

So do you presume that Disney weighs quality more heavily over quantity?

As an aside, I've had higher quality (therefore overall satisfaction) during off-peak seasons such as January and September than I've experienced in May or July.

 

[crisi]

Quality plays into quantity.

If you have a high quality experience, you will return.

If you have a low quality experience, you won't return.

Quality plays into the price you can charge.

People will pay more for a high quality car (say a BMW) than they will pay for a Huyndai. Therefore, BMWs margain is higher on each car they sell.

You can make a lot of money selling a low quality product at a low price in volume (Walmart's clothes come to mind) - but Disney doesn't have the luxury of easily maximizing quantity. The parks have a maximum capacity, at which they close the parks. Therefore, they have to be very careful with their cost equation and make the most use out of the most costly resources - park real estate and attractions.

 

[Mickmse2002]

Originally posted by crisi
Quality plays into quantity.

If you have a high quality experience, you will return.

If you have a low quality experience, you won't return.

Quality plays into the price you can charge.

People will pay more for a high quality car (say a BMW) than they will pay for a Huyndai. Therefore, BMWs margain is higher on each car they sell.

You can make a lot of money selling a low quality product at a low price in volume (Walmart's clothes come to mind) - but Disney doesn't have the luxury of easily maximizing quantity. The parks have a maximum capacity, at which they close the parks. Therefore, they have to be very careful with their cost equation and make the most use out of the most costly resources - park real estate and attractions.

I think you hit a nail on the head here. We stayed at WDW once over the New Years holiday and the parkes were a zoo. The Magic Kingdom was closed to new entrants one day by 11:00 am and it was nearly gridlock trying to get through Fantasyland. We left as it was just way too crowded for us. it was like that on several days we were there and have subsequently not returned for this time period. For us it is all about the quality. This is not meant to be a knock on Disney, that's just the way it was. Some folks may enjoy the excitement of being there over the holidays but the not the poorer quality experience for us.

 

[CRSNDSNY]

The reason I asked this questions is because my experience this past July with the crowds and such makes me question the price I paid to be there. To me it doesn't justify the high ticket cost. BUT, on other occasions where we've been there during moderate- to low-crowd seasons, we always feel like we're really getting our money's worth and that it was worth the expense.

If high-crowd season were my only exposure, I'd probably never want to step foot in the parks again. I'm glad I've had more positive high-quality experiences.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by CRSNDSNY
So do you presume that Disney weighs quality more heavily over quantity?

As an aside, I've had higher quality (therefore overall satisfaction) during off-peak seasons such as January and September than I've experienced in May or July.

I don't know if Disney does, but I sure do. Unless there was a remarkably good reason, I'd never visit WDW during the peak attendance periods - that is, unless I wasn't planning any park visits. I've gotten quite spoiled visiting during more quiet times of the year; I just can't justify to myself waiting in line for an hour to ride Splash Mountain (like many folks do in busy season, FastPass notwithstanding) when I've ridden it without any lines at all.

Look what the DVC point chart has done to early December DVC availability - I'd hate to see a discount program that does the same thing to the parks....

 

[crisi]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar
I look at this differently. I really think all of us wish that we could get better discounts on park tickets. The difference of opinion is that...

1. Some folks think that Disney would be foolish to give better park ticket discounts to DVC members because we would simply pay less for the same tickets we would buy anyway.

Since I'm one of the bigger defenders of #3, its pretty good....but...

Some folks don't think it make business sense to give park ticket discounts to DVC members because the costs of such a move will likely outweigh any additional profits they get.

(The equation is more complicated than "just pay less for the same tickets." They'd anticipate profits in more DVC sales, possibly a higher per point cost, more souvieniers, more food. They'd lose money on tickets sold currently at full price that would be discounted, loss of margin (i.e. it costs them something in energy costs, maintenance, toilet paper, etc., to have you in the parks), and the "optimal attendence" problem. If they do lose money and its a mistake, they lose goodwill if they need to pull the discount. Plus it doesn't solve the constant issue Disney has of trying to even attendance over the course of the year).

Which doesn't mean I won't gladly take advantage of ticket discounts if they were offered. And, given Disney has historically been pretty good at this - and has a slew of MBAs better trained than I am - I'd even think they'd done the analysis and it had come out on the "profitable" side.