We leave tomorrow for OKW! Received call from DVC.

[Nanajo1]

I just got a call from DVC inviting me to take a look a the new Magic options. She encouraged me to go online to see all the options available to members. I had a feeling not many are taking advantage of this.

 

[Mtkgal]

We also arrive tomorrow, but are staying at VGF. We signed up for the member event on Wednesday night at Splitsville. We originally had reservations there for Saturday night but changed when the new events were announced. It seems pricey, but I'm hoping it will be fun. I hope there are other members there with us.

 

[disneynutz]

I just got a call from DVC inviting me to take a look a the new Magic options. She encouraged me to go online to see all the options available to members. I had a feeling not many are taking advantage of this.

So now our dues are being used to contact members to advertise premium paid events aimed at members?

Bill

 

[wrighter]

Perhaps nobody is "taking advantage" of these options because they are a crock? Just a thought . . .

 

[Shadeaux]

So now our dues are being used to contact members to advertise premium paid events aimed at members?

Bill

I was thinking something similar. With wait times for member service being extremely long lately (my wait time last week was estimated at over 30 minutes) why aren't our dues being used to add CMs to answer calls, rather than make them to sell something!

 

[crisi]

I don't think they understand their audience. I don't think many members want to pay extra for the feeling of belonging. They need to be actually giving us something of value for our money.

I suspect this isn't coming out of the dues budget, but the DVD (sales) side of the house.

 

[a742246]

Know your audience! That is one thing I got way back in my college days from my art class teacher, great advice still use it today.

 

[wiigirl]

Perhaps nobody is "taking advantage" of these options because they are a crock? Just a thought . . .

 

[disneynutz]

I don't think they understand their audience. I don't think many members want to pay extra for the feeling of belonging. They need to be actually giving us something of value for our money.

I suspect this isn't coming out of the dues budget, but the DVD (sales) side of the house.

I was told by DVC executive offices that if it benefits the owners, the owners pay for the event and any costs associated with it. That includes the mixers and welcome home Wednesdays. You will notice that Disney doesn't talk sales at these events because if they do, then we don't pay, they do.

It's all about creating a positive DVC image, making members feel good about their ownership and being able to advertise that there are DVC exclusive events for DVC members, another marketing tool.

From a company stand point, why pay for something if you can legally have someone else pay.

When I complained about the declining conditions at MS and why don't they spend the energy and money on fixing MS instead of offering member exclusive events, I was told that they are separate departments with different responsibilities.

Bill

 

[bumbershoot]

I just got a call from DVC inviting me to take a look a the new Magic options. She encouraged me to go online to see all the options available to members. I had a feeling not many are taking advantage of this.

Did she simply mean to look at the website under Membership Magic?

If so, many of those things are relatively new. The whole section, named that, is new. I think she was just trying to get you to look at the website and, as others have said, pay siome more money. The freebies aren't until all the way at the bottom of the page, after all.


The call, to me, feels the same as the thumb drives they were sending out the other month. A way to tell people to look at the website. If only their websites were something worth looking at anymore...

 

[SnowWhite2]

I'll throw my 2 cents in...

I'm booked tomorrow night for the fireworks cruise. It was a surprise event for my DH since we missed Valentine's day together. Yes, I'm paying for it but I expect it to be special. I'll report back tomorrow how it goes, if it doesn't rain and get cancelled.

 

[bonrea]

I don't think they understand their audience. I don't think many members want to pay extra for the feeling of belonging. They need to be actually giving us something of value for our money.

I suspect this isn't coming out of the dues budget, but the DVD (sales) side of the house.

That's just it! We are getting something of value for our money. We paid up front for a deluxe room for every time we go to WDW or the other resorts for DVC. The room at a good discount. That's it. But not if you are paying $150+ per point.

You have to understand the Disney has changed radically from the Walt Disney himself in the company days. Walt concentrated on the "guests" and what made people happy which in turn made him happy. This new company is concentrating on the stock holders and the money. Disney takes in VERY LITTLE revenue from the hotels and restaurants and even the park tickets. The revenue is from all the junk people buy and haul away from there. Yes, you buy anything and that is pure profit for the Disney Company. I'm sure there is a profit on the other charges but the vast majority of profit is on the merchandise.

We DVC Members are a captive audience for Disney. We are hooked. Their plan today is for us to go, and go, and GO, and buy and buy, and BUY things. The more we go the more we buy. We complain about the dues going up. We complain about the lack of good maintenance of the DVC rooms. They can’t pay high wages for the staff if we don’t want to pay for it. I’ve actually stopped complaining about that and ask at the meetings that they stop expanding and concentrate on what they have for a while. Hmmm…

We... DVC Members... We are the BEST word-of-mouth advertising for anything Disney. I cannot and will not recommend anyone pay $150+ per point no matter which resort it is. That is unbelievable. I nearly fell in the floor when a cast member gave me that price. I laughed in his face and walked away. There are too many resorts in one place, they are spending too much time on new resorts in the same Florida location and not on the upkeep of the existing ones. Give us some resorts in the continental US where we can afford to drive to with something non-Disney to teach our kids about. The resort in D.C. was a great IDEA and I was geared up to buy points there.

The only thing I keep hearing about is how wonderful the new resorts are and how many points DVD has sold at them. "Oh you better get on the band wagon because this or that resort is almost sold out!!!"

The room at a heavy spread over 50 years discount is good, but that is not how they pitch the magic. When DVC first started DVC Members were so special that we got park tickets for free and a lot of other "Perks." All of the perks that were worth a dang are gone now.

OH! It used to be "Disney's Best Kept Secret." They have so many resorts now that the parks are so crowded that they have to build extra rings round the hub in the Magic Kingdom to support all the people and they charge extra for entrance to the Magic Kingdom over the other parks. If they are not careful they will price themselves out of the market for the common folk. I'm there now. I only go and spend time at the pool at the resort because it is paid for and I pay the dues.


I'll get back in the trunk now.


PS: We spend more time on cruises now and rent our points. Renting the points pays for the cruises and the dues.

 

[WDWMom]

We spend very little money at WDW these days. After 15 years of being members we go into the parks 2-3 days in a 7-8 day trip. We eat lunch in the park, other meals in the room, no souveniors are bought. None parks days we eat in the room and hang around the pools. Groceries are from Publix.

When the kids are gone we might spend are money differently, but I think habits will be hard to break.

 

[Msmithmd]

Bonrea- one of the best written posts I've read this year. Props to you for that. Well said...

I do think they make a good bit on the stay components outside of merchandise. Theme park division contributed $2.2 billion of the overall Disney corp profit of $6.1 billion for their last fiscal year. And that was after accounting for the costs of the MDE/FP+ rollout.

In other news, ticket prices went up twice in less than twelve months. Ugh.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We spend very little money at WDW these days. After 15 years of being members we go into the parks 2-3 days in a 7-8 day trip. We eat lunch in the park, other meals in the room, no souveniors are bought. None parks days we eat in the room and hang around the pools. Groceries are from Publix.

When the kids are gone we might spend are money differently, but I think habits will be hard to break.

We are the same way. Just looked the other day and it was 2008 when we last purchased 7 day park hoppers and we still have 2 days left on them. We go to Disney every year but may only go to the parks one day and that is it. We refuse to eat at Disney because of the cost. If DH needs a new Disney polo we head to the Disney outlet store.
I am not giving them more money than I have too.

 

[bonrea]

Bonrea- one of the best written posts I've read this year. Props to you for that. Well said...

I do think they make a good bit on the stay components outside of merchandise. Theme park division contributed $2.2 billion of the overall Disney corp profit of $6.1 billion for their last fiscal year. And that was after accounting for the costs of the MDE/FP+ rollout.

In other news, ticket prices went up twice in less than twelve months. Ugh.

Thank you. I've held that rant for a few years now but the park tickets going up again and again and then they spring the cost of points at 150+. OMG! Then these lame "Perks" Potrock announced. UGH!!... If we DVC members have kids we can't just pickup and go to WDW and use Annual Passes like most people can. Give us park ticket discounts.

I have a neighbor that works for ESPN and he gets employee pricing on tickets. Even that is only at $4 buck discount but he doesn't pay the taxes. Not much of a discount but WE'LL take it but not with the Non-Expiring so high now a days.

Air fair is not Disney's fault but they need to consider that when they raise their prices. I have lots of friends that used to go to Disney once a year and they are not DVC members. They took advantage of the Free Dining and room discounts. They too have given up on the cost of the park tickets. Families of 4 and 5 and 6 just can't afford 4 or 5 days of tickets even with the room and food discounts because of air fair.

Oy Vay!!!

 

[awilliams4]

So now our dues are being used to contact members to advertise premium paid events aimed at members?

Bill

I hope not.