What do you get for going on a tour?

[kirstenh]

We are heading down next week and staying at Saratoga Springs. We reserved by renting points through David's DVC Rentals. I'm interested in learning more about DVC and a friend said they give you a $150 GC for going on a tour for an hour. Is this true? Do they tell you this when you book the tour or is it a surprise?

 

[disneynutz]

The sales meeting gift changes all the time and they are not the same for everyone. Disney knows if you are just there for a freebie and they gift accordingly.

Bill

 

[kirstenh]

The sales meeting gift changes all the time and they are not the same for everyone. Disney knows if you are just there for a freebie and they gift accordingly.

Bill

Interesting. I wonder how they think they can tell ... I just called and am geniuinely interested and he said they would provide $15 per person. Not that it matters, I really don't care what they give me - but it doesn't really align with your theory. And honestly, he was kind of an arrogant jerk and I hope he is not the one who gives me a tour. He made me feel like he was doing ME a favor by setting up an appointment. Not the best sales pitch I've ever heard.

ETA - Let me specify that I didn't ask about a gift. And perhaps he was judging my less than enthusiastic reaction to his "pitch", which was condescending at best.

 

[Simba's Mom]

When we took the tour, we were told beforehand that we'd get 4 fast passes, but then both we and the guide forgot (or....?) We bought after we got home, but we never did get the fast passes. When we bought, I reminded him that he forgot to give us the Fps, so he said to stop by on our next visit (the dates of which we discussed). We did drop by, but he happened to be out and no one else could give us Fps. Eleven years later they still owe us.

 

[cemeb4dk]

^^ This sounds like our experience. We bought eleven years ago on our honeymoon. They shuttled us from the rear of Epcot over by America, to the office on the boardwalk, where we could look thru the telescope and see our future home resort the Beach Club. We were genuinely interested but wanted to talk it over once we got home. No pressure ever given, but as we were talking joking etc on our way out, we never got the passes either. But I think the buying bonus was a years worth of points in the bank. So we were good with that.

 

[OneMoreTry]

We got fast passes that had no time restriction ... any time any ride

 

[double r]

We also got the fast passes back in 2004

 

[bwvBound]

.. going on a tour for an hour.

Just be forewarned that the total time invested will likely exceed one hour. The "tour" time doesn't include the time required to get to/from the tour center from your hotel, time spent answering your questions, etc. I'd budget 3 hours and be very pleased if you are out sooner.

 

[Simba's Mom]

And although they told me that the tour would take an hour, in reality it took 2 1/2 hours. Add pick up and drop off, and it took the entire morning.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

$25k+ of immediate debt.

 

[tlh]

We received three FP cards to use for each person, and they actually gave us each a gift card for $15 each. It was supposed to be one or the other, but he gave us the gift card and I told him I wanted FP cards for Toy Story Mania. We went to the sales pitch on our DHS day so we needed them. We offered to give back the gift cards, but he told us to keep them.

 

[deb010305]

We went on the tour in August 2011 and bought in (yes I know about resale and all that), we were offered FPs but we were leaving the next day.

Our guide said they would be waiting for us the next time we were there and to get them we just had to stop by the Preview Center at SSR.

We went back in October 2012 and yes our FPs were waiting for us, just as promised. There were actually 10 cards, good for 3 FPs each. We took 6 and left 4 there for the next time. We went back in April 2013 and picked up the remaining 4 cards.

 

[DizDaD7]

We did the tour thing twice....

Once in 2008 or 9 I believe. The guy was kinda rude & rushed us through it..I guess we looked young or disinterested or something but, before going to the SSR for the tour, we were told at numerous kiosks, that we were going to receive 4 INSTANT FP's cards. 1 for each of us...On each there were 3 FP's , which they said run out after you use them all....LoL The tour guide even went as far as to say, throw them out as soon as you use 3 on each, because they'll be no good..... So what did I do. As soon as we left & went to a park later that day, instead of using 1 FP on each of the 4 cards, I used 1 card for 3, then it said it had no more, & I used 1 on another. My DW said see, you might as well just throw it away....Well long story short, I didn't throw it away, and to our surprise it replenished the next day... So for the last few days of our trip we had our reg. FP with our MYW card & 3 instant FP's. Made for a very special trip for sure. Definitely worth it's weight in gold.

On our 2nd tour ( which we bought ) in late 2011 they gave us 4 more , but these did not replenish, and during our 1st booked DVC trip the following yr in 2012 he told us to stop in to the officewhen we arrived & offered us 4 more for that trip too...Lots of Pixie dust for sure...

 

[Simba's Mom]

$25k+ of immediate debt.

Ain't that the truth! But it's good debt!

 

[Iamthequeen]

We went for the tour last week and got a $15 gc for each of us. No pressure to buy and the sales person was very nice. His name was Larry. The bonus for booking before we left was &1370 off the price and a years worth of points for this year.

 

[crisi]

I got ice cream.

I've never heard of anything as generous as a $150 GC in recent years other than this post.

 

[KalamityJane]

We were waiting for our room at GCH to open up last year, and I was talking to a group that had apparently just walked out of the DVC tour. IIRC, they got more like $25/person and FPs. I know the amount they got was more than $15/person, because I actually considered going on the tour, and I wouldn't have for $15/ea. This was at DL though.

 

[twinklebug]

Just be forewarned that the total time invested will likely exceed one hour. The "tour" time doesn't include the time required to get to/from the tour center from your hotel, time spent answering your questions, etc. I'd budget 3 hours and be very pleased if you are out sooner.

It certainly shortens the tour to educate yourself well in advance regarding how DVC works for home resort, use years, booking with 11-month advantage vs 7-month, banking, borrowing, using points outside of DVC etc etc.

I read the DIS daily for a year before my visit, learned tons (but still not everything) and walked in and out of my tour in less than 1/2 hour. Note, I did not walk through the resort models as we had already been staying in DVC units (from the rental board here) for the prior 2 years & had were staying in a Jambo DVC room that stay.

- Now as for what we received from the "tour", as I recall it was a small ice cream, DVC van ride back to anywhere on resort property we wanted to go and three fast passes on a card. No money. Offering folk money to talk DVC sounds sketchy to me.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Back in 2006 we got $100 Disney Money to use at any store, resort or restaurant onsite.

 

[socalnativ]

I originally took the tour at SSR in 2006. I did it with a few other families I was vacationing with. Each family received a $50 gift card. Maybe that's where someone could think it was a $150 gift card if it was for each adult in the party? I was also offered 10% off the current rate plus closing costs paid. It was basically enough to cover the cost of that vacation.