What if any are the DVC perks?

[kctracy1]

1 year old DVC member HERE wondering what the perks are for being a DVC member other than getting a discount on hotel fare there isn't much else.

Plus the room fits 9 people but if we invite 9 people then we all must get the same dining plan and we all must make the same reservations or else the system won't allow use to make a reservation at all

It was easier when we went down stayed at the cheaper resorts and had different room keys then at least we could split up and have dinner at different places

Does anyone know the perks? Please educate me cause I am starting to have Disney regret

 

[chalee94]

if you bought DVC for the perks, then you didn't do your homework. that's the unpleasant truth.

you can get $100 off annual passes. you can hop to certain other resort pools.

you can get small discounts (usually 10-15%) off certain restaurants and shops at disneyland and wdw.

you can get small discounts on disney tours (like 15% off the backstage safari tour).

you can buy the dining plan without a required ticket purchase (but i've never thought the DDP was a very good deal to begin with.)

but the value of DVC is in the accommodations. if you demand more than that, you probably are not going to be happy with DVC in the long-term...

 

[Chuck S]

You can have dinner at different places, there is nothing about the DDP that says you must all dine together. The all the dining credits are encoded onto all the room keys.

 

[TDC Nala]

we all must make the same reservations or else the system won't allow use to make a reservation at all

This makes no sense at all, as there is no requirement that everyone registered on a resort reservation must make the same restaurant reservations together. The difficulty comes in booking reservations online at different restaurants at the same time, which Disney doesn't allow because they want to cut down on guests booking several restaurants for the same time but not deciding on which one to attend until the last minute.

If you want to split the party at different restaurants, just book the reservations online under different names and phone numbers, or try calling to make the reservations. You can make restaurant reservations through member services if you want to use a toll free number to call.

While it is required that all registered guests 3 years old or over get the same dining plan, there is no requirement that everyone eat together at every meal.

 

[nbdyspl]

One of the best perks FREE INTERNET!!!

 

[DebbieB]

One of the best perks FREE INTERNET!!!

all the deluxes now have free wireless internet for everyone.

The best "perk" is $100 off regular AP's, $125 off premium.

 

[TDC Nala]

One of the best perks FREE INTERNET!!!

Every guest in all DVC, deluxe and moderate resorts (they recently added all the moderates, not just CSR) gets free wi-fi now, so this is no longer exclusively a DVC perk.

 

[vicki_c]

If you bought for the "great perks" - um, there aren't any. Sounds like you did not understand what you were buying.

And as the others said, your comments on dining are incorrect. It is true that everyone in your room has to have the same dining plan, but other than that you are free to eat wherever and whenever you want, in whatever groupings you like. You still all get your own room key with the dining credits on it (just make sure no one else from your party uses up all the credits). That's exactly the same as any other Disney resort.

 

[downontheBW]

Log into dvcmember.com - you can find them under Member Privileges > Member Perks. There are many but they're small, and selective. Other than the discount on annual passes, the best are probably 20% off lunch at some restaurants. We've used the 15% of tours as well. Pool hopping perk seems nice but we've never used it (thought we would, but haven't).

 

[disneynutz]

Log into dvcmember.com - you can find them under Member Privileges > Member Perks. There are many but they're small, and selective. Other than the discount on annual passes, the best are probably 20% off lunch at some restaurants. We've used the 15% of tours as well. Pool hopping perk seems nice but we've never used it (thought we would, but haven't).

FYI - The Chase Disney Visa has the best discount for tours.

 

[DebbieB]

If you bought for the "great perks" - um, there aren't any. Sounds like you did not understand what you were buying.

And as the others said, your comments on dining are incorrect. It is true that everyone in your room has to have the same dining plan, but other than that you are free to eat wherever and whenever you want, in whatever groupings you like. You still all get your own room key with the dining credits on it (just make sure no one else from your party uses up all the credits). That's exactly the same as any other Disney resort.

I consider the $100 off AP a "great perk". When I bought, we didn't have it, just 10% on length of stay.

Regarding the restaurant issue, it's a problem when you want to book the 180 + 10 because you have to enter the room reservation #.

 

[Atchley]

I consider the $100 off AP a "great perk". When I bought, we didn't have it, just 10% on length of stay.

Regarding the restaurant issue, it's a problem when you want to book the 180 + 10 because you have to enter the room reservation #.

I ended up having to call the reservations line and making mine there for just that reason. The person on the phone was super nice and had no problem making 8 or 9 reservations for me.

 

[vicki_c]

I consider the $100 off AP a "great perk". When I bought, we didn't have it, just 10% on length of stay.

Regarding the restaurant issue, it's a problem when you want to book the 180 + 10 because you have to enter the room reservation #.

Yes I was being cheeky. That is a great perk for those who can use it, which is often me. But other than that, and now that WiFi is for all, I don't find any of the other perks worth anything at all to me.

As for dining, I have not had any trouble using my DVC reservation # for on line booking using 180+10. I just did it again in October.

 

[Brian Noble]

getting a discount on hotel

There you go.

The fundamental value proposition of DVC---indeed, of any timeshare---is to commit to vacationing long-term at a particular property and in exchange receive a nice discount on lodging.

Period. Full Stop. End of story.

 

[TDC Nala]

have not had any trouble using my DVC reservation # for on line booking using 180+10. I just did it again in October.

They're saying they can't book two reservations online under different names if they enter the reservation number at 180 + 10. Unless it's an ultra-popular restaurant I don't see why they can't make the second reservation within 180 days instead of 180 + 10 though. I don't do 180 + 10, so I don't know if all 180 + 10 reservations have to be made in the name of the person who is the lead on the reservation, but you can call to make separate reservations if you really need 180 + 10, or you can wait a few days and make the reservation in another name. It's not an insurmountable problem.

 

[Brandis]

Haven't seen it mentioned yet, DVC members will sometime in 2012 be able to purchase the Tables in Wonderland Card without havin an AP.

For me, Tables in Wonderland is a much better value that the Dining Plans.

 

[downontheBW]

Haven't seen it mentioned yet, DVC members will sometime in 2012 be able to purchase the Tables in Wonderland Card without havin an AP.

For me, Tables in Wonderland is a much better value that the Dining Plans.

Yeah, hopefully we'll get it soon. MS hadn't heard of it when I asked about it the other day. There's a thread on this same board discussing it.