We are losing Member's Perks!

[tjkraz]

I just called to make FW Segway tour reservations. Everywhere it states we get a 15% discount using DVC member card or Disney Visa card. Well I am making reservations for June 2......CM tells me no discounts on that day! Umh...why? She checks all the times for that day, no discounts. So when exactly DO we get the discounts? No where does it say subject to seasons, etc. Just another degradation of our membership....

Not all tours are discounted and (far as I can tell) the Segway tours have never been on the list. I have 4 copies of Portable Perks dating back 2 1/2 years and none of them list the Segway among those eligible for discounts.

CORRECTION: Segway tours ARE listed at 15% discount.

 

[Doug7856]

Overall I've found the "perks" to be wanting. As has been mentioned, we didn't buy perks, we bought lodging. During our last trip, I voted for perks with my wallet. The discount had been eliminated from Artist Pallet at SSR, so we did not purchase any meals there. In fact, the only meal we purchased was the Candlelight Processional package. Our minimal Disney food purchases saved far more than the 10% Disney "saved" by not offering the discount.

These things used to bother me, but there is more to life to deal with than this. Our vacation objective is to have a great vacation, within our budget, and enjoy life to the best of our ability. During our last stay, we found that enjoying a family meal in the villa was a great way to do that.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Unless there's been a change, you get a discount on the FW Segway tour if you use your Disney Visa AND ask for a discount. My DGF forgot to ask, and after the fact of booking and going on the tour was told there was nothing that could be done to give her the discount retroactively. I went on the FW Segway tour with 3 DF's last June and the discount was applied to us all.

Bobbi

 

[spiceycat]

miss Kona Cafe - don't participate like the GF as much as Polyn

just as long as they kept MacDonald will be happy.

plus all the dolphin 20% are still there - just listed in the other dinning.

also like FW trail's end - don't remember that one.

 

[spiceycat]

Not all tours are discounted and (far as I can tell) the Segway tours have never been on the list. I have 4 copies of Portable Perks dating back 2 1/2 years and none of them list the Segway among those eligible for discounts.

think that was the annual pass discount -wasn't it.

we were wrong - it was listed as a discount
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Not all tours are discounted and (far as I can tell) the Segway tours have never been on the list. I have 4 copies of Portable Perks dating back 2 1/2 years and none of them list the Segway among those eligible for discounts.

Well it is posted on Allears.net. And the CM did say they were available for discounts, just not on my date. The CM feels there is a glitch in the new reservation system, and highly encourged me to keep calling back and requesting the discount. Also, at time of check in of the actual tour.

 

[Inkmahm]

I think that I "Signed up" somewhere on the members' site to receive these "pre-trip" e-mails.

I would think a 3 week stay is on their radar! I have one night at AKV before my BWV stay, and I didn't get an e-mail referencing that stay. I don't know the criteria, but I did sign up for these things.

Bobbi

I"m staying at AKV, too. Maybe the emails from AKV are more consistently sent?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

think that was the annual pass discount -wasn't it.

we were wrong - it was listed as a discount
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

Yep, good find Spicycat. Yes, I always knew there was a discount. Good post! And I am paying with Disney Visa, so I'll keep checking back to get the discount.

 

[Inkmahm]

Not all tours are discounted and (far as I can tell) the Segway tours have never been on the list. I have 4 copies of Portable Perks dating back 2 1/2 years and none of them list the Segway among those eligible for discounts.

I think I got a discount by paying with Disney Visa. Or maybe it was because of the annual pass... Most of the time I just pull all the cards out of my wallet and ask the CM who is helping me to tell me which one has the best discount for whatever it is I am buying!

 

[tjkraz]

think that was the annual pass discount -wasn't it.

we were wrong - it was listed as a discount
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tours.htm

Well it is posted on Allears.net. And the CM did say they were available for discounts, just not on my date. The CM feels there is a glitch in the new reservation system, and highly encourged me to keep calling back and requesting the discount. Also, at time of check in of the actual tour.

OK, I'm an idiot. The Segway tours are listed. Both at Epcot and Ft. Wilderness for a 15% discount.

There is no mention of blackout dates so it sounds like an error on the part of the booking agent. I'd call back and ask someone else to check. If they still won't grant the discount, contact DVC so that they can communicate with the reservation desk and get it resolved.

 

[spiceycat]

Most of the time I just pull all the cards out of my wallet and ask the CM who is helping me to tell me which one has the best discount for whatever it is I am buying!

now that is a good system - why do also think I know the best discounts - when half the time don't.

so bring my DVC member, AAA, AP, DDE (got it before TIW) to everyplace and ask for the discounts.

do you do this before ordering?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Ok, update. I spoke with the WDW Tours manager...DVC MS can do nothing for us regarding tours. The manager did say there are problems with the new system, and it is indeed not pulling up the discount. She rectified the problem (put my DVC membership # on my profile), but now I need to get the discount at the time we check in to FW for the Segway tour. They can credit the CC, WDW Tours can not credit the CC! Soooooo......managers now have to get involved for DVC members or Disney Visa card holders to get the discount (at least until the system is fixed!!). If I were to cancel and rebook, it takes 2 billing cycles to credit the CC!!!!

 

[keishashadow]

Hmm.

I bought a place to stay. Anything else is a bonus. Considering the outcry on here anytime they do give us something I continue to be amazed we get perks at all! LOL!

I really don't see any reason for Disney to give us "perks". They have our cash, they know we are coming to visit... from a marketing point of view, I don't get it?

(And dozens of options in each park... WHAT? I think there were one or two at most parks, if that. Epcot had more but MK practically NONE!)

i like gimmie's just as much as the next DVCer, yet i'd rather see the AP discount be phased out if it would have an impact on lessening our dues

i'd settle for a $100 credit per family member (okay, my final concession is $100 credit per membership) I wish, fat chance, the perc is designed to churn the one more trip mentality...not necessarily a bad thing all the way around

our habits have been taking us offsite more every trip, sometimes we skip WDW entirely & we're quite happy with MYW base tix/party events to cover our time in the World.

 

[Chellymouse]

Quite honestly, we didn't think the perks were all that great to begin with and the only perk that is really to our advantage is the savings on the PAP. DH and I are still using DDP and supplementing with garden grocer, however our DDP days are getting numbered because the value isn't as good as it used be. As long as they don't mess with my PAP cost, I'll be content.

 

[Brian Noble]

The manager did say there are problems with the new system, and it is indeed not pulling up the discount.

Not surprising. Those booking dining after "the change" are finding that the CMs taking ADRs are beating their heads against the "new improved" reservation system.

WDW IT: Epic Fail. Again.

 

[mvc1997]

I just wish there was a discount on park passes and not just annual pass.

Me too!
Years ago we were able to purchase passes for our children and their children at a discount. I would rather have that than the discount on just our own APs....

 

[famsen]

Yeah, I'm annoyed by it.
My guide really sold us on the idea of perks that come with membership.
One thing that she specifically asked us before we joined was where we like to eat. DH and I both happily chimed "BOMA!" and she proceeded to happily tell us how great that is because Boma is one of the dining places that give us a DVC discount.
I realize that the contract says they have the right to add and remove perks as they wish but literally, the next month after we purchased, the Boma discount was taken away.
I can barely find anywhere now that we enjoy doing or going to at WDW where having the DVC membership even matters anymore.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yeah, I'm annoyed by it.
My guide really sold us on the idea of perks that come with membership.
One thing that she specifically asked us before we joined was where we like to eat. DH and I both happily chimed "BOMA!" and she proceeded to happily tell us how great that is because Boma is one of the dining places that give us a DVC discount.
I realize that the contract says they have the right to add and remove perks as they wish but literally, the next month after we purchased, the Boma discount was taken away.
I can barely find anywhere now that we enjoy doing or going to at WDW where having the DVC membership even matters anymore.

I hope you can see that what is a great perk for one person might be an unimportant one to another. If I was interested in a discount at a restaurant, I'd for SURE want it to be more than the 10% DVC gives as a "perk". That's why I still contend the AP discount is the best, since we can get the 20% discount on a lot more restaurants with the TIW card available to AP holders.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Since I'm not going to buy an AP, I hope they get rid of that discount and offer other ones. And when they do get rid of it, I'll come on here and tell you that you had no right to that discount and I expect you to be as happy as Minnie Mouse. That's not true, I'd expect you and many others to be upset and I'd be right there with you eventhough I don't buy an AP.

We all realize that DVC doesn't have to offer anything other than lodging, however it's the "extra magic" that helps make DVC special. It's what helps drive people to buy DVC and rave about it on boards like this. Take away that special feeling and you end up with just another timeshare. If people sell their shares then you'll see prices to continue their freefall that they are in now.

Point missed again. I do indeed have the "RIGHT" to the AP discount AT THIS TIME, just as all other members do. Have I always had that "right"? No, because it hasn't always been a perk. Could I lose it in the future? Of course.... Would I be happy about it? No, but I was never guaranteed to have it in the first place.

Believe me, the discounts, be they APs or 10 % dining discounts or a free picture of me with the mouse are nice, but they are NOT the reason any of purchased DVC. We did that to have pre-paid accommodations in larger than normal ON SITE hotels without spending $5000 a trip. Sure, it's nice to get those perks, but it in no way makes me feel "special". What makes me feel special is that I was smart enough to buy DVC in the first place.

Back when we purchased, they had just ended the "free passes" promotion. I was disappointed that we missed out on that, but it certainly didn't keep me from feeling less "special" and certainly didn't keep me from buying DVC.

I guess I don't understand why DVC should be worried about stroking our egos instead of giving us a quality product.

Now, if you tell me they are going to futher downgrade the housekeeping that's done between guests, then I'd say we have something to worry and talk about.

 

[kenny]

While I did not purchase the DVC for any perks it would be nice if the perks were a little better.

The AP discount is nice if you can utilize it. We can this year and are going for our second trip this year in 3 weeks. It is great to only have to pay for airfare and food this trip. However it would be nice if there was a discount on regular tickets as well as not everyone can go twice in 12 months. Doesn't have to be anything huge, but even 10% would be something.

While I agree we are not entitled to anything it is a hard pill to swallow some times. Disney makes most of their money from repeat customers. well who is more a repeat customer than DVC members (yes there are the exceptions of non dvc owners that go multiple times per year) but most of us bought DVC to go at least 1x every year.

I do find it upsetting that I can use my Disney Visa (that cost me nothing) to get a 10% discount at WOD yet the DVC that cost me tens of thousands of dollars doesn't get me the same. To boot, when I was in the emporium in Nov we asked if we get a discount with either Visa/DVC/AP and were told no but if we were staying at a monorail resort we would get a 10% discount. Not sure if the cast member was mistaken or not but that was kind of upsetting knowing I am dropping thousands of dollars every year but the person that spent one night at the CR/Poly/GF get's the discount.

That being said, none of that stops us from going back.