What are your thoughts on the new DVC guidebook?

[jennybobenny]

I apologize if this has already come up but other than the "Have your received the book yet?" thread I can't find any comments.

So....do you like it? What does everyone think?

On a scale of 1 - 10 (with 10 being the best) how would you rate the new guidebook?

 

[dianeschlicht]

Wow, looks like I was the first to vote! As I posted a couple weeks ago when we got ours, I think it looks great, but I will miss the ring binder and will probably put this inside it. I liked the calendar in the back. I wish they would have had something in with the member number, since I have that in my ring binder, and will still need to search for that when I call MS. I suppose they don't want to run the risk of it getting into non-member hands with a member number in it.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

I haven't gotten the new one yet.....

 

[MinnieMe2]

Haven't gotten ours yet...

 

[DVCDAVE]

I received mine two days ago, and had a chance to review it last night. While it looks, reads, and feels fine, I don't see or feel that it is signifacantly better than the 3 ring binder. My major concern here is COST of publication, and mailing. IMHO I would be hard pressed to jusitify this major added expense in light of the ongoing financial hardships Disney is experienceing, compounded by layoffs, reduced hours, and cutback of services. Hence I voted for a '1' on this poll. My only added concern is who is paying for all this, US or Disney ?? Either way, I would have been just as pleased receiving an update for my old binder.

 

[wdwnut]

hi to all: we haven't received ours yet either. if it's like the vm, we'll see it in a month or so.

 

[Pa@okw95]

Haven't seen one yet, but we live in Connecticut so anything received from DVC is questionable to start with, I figure I have a 50% chance of getting my guide book without calling someone to send me one.

 

[Granny]

Our Guide Book came in the mail yesterday.

As I posted on the other thread, my DW immediately grabbed it and wouldn't let go of it! She used to think I was nuts for planning next year's vacation so early....now she's talking about 2003 and 2004 already!

I do wish they had better pictures of the interiors of the various resorts....guess we'll just have to visit them all throughout the next 40 years!

 

[RobDoc]

We received our guide in today's mail. While I liked the old binder, I was never very good about removing the old info and inserting the current information, so mine always had many years of "stuff" to wade thru to find anything. (My desk is the same way!)

The new guidebook appeals ot me, since all the information is current and the format is very easy to read/understand. The question/answer sections provide a simple way to find your way thru the book and often can provide the solution I'm looking for without a major hunt.

My hunch is that there is not much more cost involved to print and mail this guidebook than the page inserts for the old binders- and now the binders themselves don't need to be purchased for future owners.

Now I can have a nice collection of DVC guidebooks on my shelves- next to my overstuffed DVC binder(s) and my Birnbaum's (dating back to 1987), Perlmutter's, Sehlinger's and Aero's.

I'm pleased with the new guidebook and feel the concept will continue to improve in years to come. I gave it an "8"- has a good beat/easy to dance to!

Enjoy!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Cute, Doc! I was first to vote, and I gave it an "8" also! I know what you mean about all the old Birnbaums and old DVC info. I need a whole office just for that stuff!

 

[Mickbee]

The quality stinks! As soon as I opened mine, the binding was cracking and letting go. The pages in the folder in the back were creased and GLUED into the binding. It appears to have been read/thumbed through (bend cover and pages). If I hadn't opened the package I would have thought it was in the lobby of a dentist office.

The content is nice and I enjoy reading it.

Sorry to be the black cloud... I gave it a "4" based on quality.

 

[Paul in CT]

Doc,

Your collection sounds a lot like mine, that's why I was glad to see the new format. Now my binder can become a "collector's item", especially since it has three mountains in the logo!

I think they did a great job and I like seeing the Vacation Magic pictures again.

 

[Firefighter Mickey]

Mickbee, you must have accidentally been sent Doc's copy. Maybe he'll trade with you

 

[baileybrad]

No book yet, so no rating.

 

[Disnydad]

I do not like it. We got it today and I just spent a half hour going through it. I like the ring binder. I was easy to work with on the desk while on the phone w/member services. It layed flat. My binder on the new one has already cracked too!

But, then again, I'm one who properly updated the ring binder. Not a lot of old stuff to wade through. Sorry Doc.

I gave it a 4 .

 

[rbuzzotta]

I really like it. The pictures are more brilliant and it is easy to read. My DD's also like it better (more pictures for them to look at). I like the calendar and the papers to track points.

I guess I like anything with Disney pictures on it.

 

[KarenB]

I also gave it a 4but that was just on the physical end since I really haven't had a chance to go through it page by page.

As someone else mentioned, I liked the way the binder could lay flat. I liked the "tabs" on the binder to allow me to find the section I wanted easily. The back cover is already coming unglued and I only had a chance to glance through it.

Maybe I'll punch holes in it and put it in my binder!

Does this mean we will get a new one every year?

Karen

 

[Mickbee]

FF Mickey, I think you are right. That's okay, the info is still good. It certainly won't keep me from reading it.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Sorry DOC, but I find it hard to swallow that printing and mailing 6 or so pages for the binder, is the same cost as producing, binding, printing and mailing a whole new book of 160 pages. Postage alone is 5 times the old cost !!! Seems to me the money for postage alone could keep Adventureland opening the same time as the rest of the MK for a year or more. Logic, and priorities like this makes a shareholder like me wonder why I even own the stock.

 

[RobDoc]

that printing and mailing 6 or so pages for the binder, is the same cost as producing, binding, printing and mailing a whole new book of 160 pages.

Maybe you've been missing a lot of pages!

I always got new point charts for each DVC resort, a new listing of descriptions for Concierge Collection, World Passport Collection, Adventurer Collection as well as the Disney Collection- plus point charts for each of those. There were also updates on other programs when appropriate. I ALWAYS got far more pages than just the "6 or so" you remember. They were also sent out at various times of the year. As my mailer didn't show any postage, I don't have any idea what the postage was- but find it very hard to swallow that it was 5 times the old cost. It was, after all, sent by Parcel Post. I seriously doubt the postage difference (if any) could keep Adventureland open for more than a few hours, but that's an entirely different discussion- NOT appropriate for this board.

I like getting all of the pertinent information at once and in one concise format. The table of contents makes it very simple to navigate.

I guess we'll just have to see how this affects our dues. I expect there will be little change at all. As a stockholder, I'm not worried about the cost- as it's being paid by the DVC dues as it always has been and I'm certainly willing to hold my stock, as I'm confident it will increase in value again.

I'll still stand by my original statement- "that there is not much more cost involved to print and mail this guidebook than the page inserts for the old binders- and now the binders themselves don't need to be purchased for future owners."