Who'll stand with me...outside the DVC 'member' lounge?

[Lyn-CA]

I wouldn't worry too much, most of us will probably end up joining you at some point in the "outsiders".

I am still in the process of crafting a letter to Potrock with a cc to Iger, et al. Meantime, I keep having to read that I'm supposed to somehow suck it up. The bigger picture issue for me is what to replace Disney with, you know, going forward. I was a die-hard Disney apologist as of two days ago. Now, not so much. At this point, I will only "remember the magic" for this latest money-grab, bone-headed, bad faith move on Disney's part has killed the magic.

I will most likely go through the motions during our August trip so as not to ruin the trip for my DH and DS esp. as it is his birthday trip but it will take a miracle to restore my once great love for this new Disney. Not that I even want it restored. This is no longer Walt's Disney and I do not feel like being part of it anymore.

 

[suebeelin]

OP here. Do you think it would be possible for you to show even just a little sensitivity toward those of us who didn't quite make the cut-off? Yes, I bought a timeshare but due to bad timing, the welcome mat was pulled out from under me. I already got kicked in the gut by Disney-I don't need those who of you who are not going to feel the sting of being excluded from the 'club' to pour salt in my still-fresh wound.

I'm totally empathizing with you here. I would be completely pissed myself, and even more annoyed by the whole "perks come and perks go" mantra everyone's been chanting.

Disneys no longer about grace and customer service. If my kids weren't 2 and 6, I would be looking at an exit strategy right now. This is not the "un timeshare" that I thought I had.... Instead, I've bought a timeshare-- and I see the value of this timeshare going down pretty quickly

 

[ScubaCat]

Lyn-CA, don't freak out about this just yet. I still believe you'll be grandfathered in. The official statements have been rather vague thus far. I'd still send your email, but my guess is you'll get the perks you were expecting. Oddly, I'm the only one that seems to think so, but it's just the typical corporate pattern that plays out over and over. They'll reinstate it for those pending before 4/4 and act like they're being oh so generous for doing so. It'll be a facade, but at the end of the day you'll be taken care of and that's what's important.

If they don't, we'll stage an anti Ken Potrock protest!

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

I was at VGF in March, and I thought I would add up the benefits I used - just to add some perspective.

1. My Annual Pass was still in effect. It is a gold annual pass, and only available to DVC members and Florida residents. It cost me $549 x 2. I could have bought the Platinum pass for $100 savings over the non-member price for the Platinum pass, so I figure my savings was $200 for 2 passes. The difference between Gold and Platinum is basically the value of the blackout dates plus maybe a small discount - say $50. So now we are up to $300 for 2 passes.
2. I bought a T-shirt for $25. My DW bought a hat and a kid's book for about $55. Savings = 10% = $8.00.
3. I used my TIW card, which I bought at a $25 member discount. This dropped the breakeven point by $125. Savings this trip from using my TIW card, $142.05. If I subtract the $150 cost, I am in the hole by $7.95, but if I add the savings from a previous trip, I have a net savings of about 6%, or $65. So without the $25 discount, my savings are reduced to $40 - so a $25 savings from the perk.
4. Special DVC 25th anniversary gala party - woo hoo! But of course there was not a party the week I was there. It is like winning the lottery to actually be there when one of these events is going on. The events are announced a couple of months in advance - but wait, I had to pick my dates 11 months in advance to even get this resort. And even if you are there on the date of the party, if you have plans to be in a certain park (which by Murphy's Law, is never the same place as where the party is) with your fast passes and dining reservations all set, then you are probably going to skip the party anyway. Value = $0

So..... the total value of my perks on my last vacation in March was $333.

And the $333 perks I received could go away next year with the stroke of a mouse's pen.

 

[Lyn-CA]

I was at VGF in March, and I thought I would add up the benefits I used - just to add some perspective.

1. My Annual Pass was still in effect. It is a gold annual pass, and only available to DVC members and Florida residents. It cost me $549 x 2. I could have bought the Platinum pass for $100 savings over the non-member price for the Platinum pass, so I figure my savings was $200 for 2 passes. The difference between Gold and Platinum is basically the value of the blackout dates plus maybe a small discount - say $50. So now we are up to $300 for 2 passes.
2. I bought a T-shirt for $25. My DW bought a hat and a kid's book for about $55. Savings = 10% = $8.00.
3. I used my TIW card, which I bought at a $25 member discount. This dropped the breakeven point by $125. Savings this trip from using my TIW card, $142.05. If I subtract the $150 cost, I am in the hole by $7.95, but if I add the savings from a previous trip, I have a net savings of about 6%, or $65. So without the $25 discount, my savings are reduced to $40 - so a $25 savings from the perk.
4. Special DVC 25th anniversary gala party - woo hoo! But of course there was not a party the week I was there. It is like winning the lottery to actually be there when one of these events is going on. The events are announced a couple of months in advance - but wait, I had to pick my dates 11 months in advance to even get this resort. And even if you are there on the date of the party, if you have plans to be in a certain park (which by Murphy's Law, is never the same place as where the party is) with your fast passes and dining reservations all set, then you are probably going to skip the party anyway. Value = $0

So..... the total value of my perks on my last vacation in March was $333.

And the $333 perks I received could go away next year with the stroke of a mouse's pen.

There's the monetary value of the perks. And then there's the 'slap-in-the-face, you're not welcome for we are excluding you' emotional aspect. Guess which one matters more to me. I waited years to finally be able to buy into DVC and now, Disney says, you don't really belong but we'll still take your resale $$$$ and annual dues. This left a bad taste for Disney in my mouth and all I want to do is spit Disney out.

 

[Lyn-CA]

Lyn-CA, don't freak out about this just yet. I still believe you'll be grandfathered in. The official statements have been rather vague thus far. I'd still send your email, but my guess is you'll get the perks you were expecting. Oddly, I'm the only one that seems to think so, but it's just the typical corporate pattern that plays out over and over. They'll reinstate it for those pending before 4/4 and act like they're being oh so generous for doing so. It'll be a facade, but at the end of the day you'll be taken care of and that's what's important.

If they don't, we'll stage an anti Ken Potrock protest!

Regardless, there is now love lost between me, THE disneyphile, and Walt's Disney and it is irretrievable.

 

[LAMickey14]

But DVC already sold it once and made their money on it, so now they get to sell it twice and make double profit???

Yes they can do that , they are a company like any other looking to make bigger profits. Too many fall for the pixie dust , it's a timeshare nothing more.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

There's the monetary value of the perks. And then there's the 'slap-in-the-face, you're not welcome for we are excluding you' emotional aspect. Guess which one matters more to me. How is Disney supposed to make this up to me exactly?

Can't help you there. But it is in your power to change it. Part of this is putting it into perspective. Was Disney thinking "how can we piss off Lyn-CA?" when they made this decision? Probably not. What were they thinking then? It could be something like this. (Note: this is my guess. I don't know anybody currently at Disney. Your mileage may vary)

1. We are not making our numbers.
2. Why? Because our current offerings of Aulani and Poly are not compelling. Aulani is not a draw for people on the east coast. But most of our traffic for new prospects is from the east coast and visiting DW. And Poly only works for the subset of timeshare buyers who only need a studio, while most other resorts offer a variety of room configurations. A secondary factor is that when someone DOES buy direct, they are excited and go online to find out more. When they do, they find a chorus of resale buyers ridiculing their decision and pointing out the limitations of the Poly, and noting the existence of relative bargains in the resale market that do not have the limitations of Poly. So even when we make the sale, 10-day recisions are up.
3. Besides not making our numbers, our Guides are upset. They were making a lot of money as VGF sold out, but now they are not making commission, and are hurting financially. We expect some turnover in our guide ranks, which is OK. But now we are seeing some of our most successful guides quit. Some of them are taking jobs with resale companies. Some are going with other timeshare vendors. But we really risk our numbers if our top producers are leaving.
4. So we need a three step plan. 1) Offer discounts on Aulani and Poly. 2) Be more aggressive exercising ROFR so our guides have something to sell besides Aulani and Poly. and 3) Create fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the resale market. Step 3 is a risk, but it is much more risky to have individual guides go off script and do it. By doing it as a corporate announcement, they can keep the messaging legal - and send a strong signal to the guides that they have their back. It may cost the parent company some revenue through loss of merchandising revenue, but the impact is small - pretty much a rounding error for corporate. Step 2 is also a risk. Our numbers are based on selling Aulani and Poly. If we sell too many low margin resales, it could hurt our ability to make our numbers. Maybe we offer this as a perk to the top performing guides.

This is what I mean about keeping it in perspective. Does it suck? yes. But it was not aimed at you. When you are with your family having a great vacation, no one in your family is going to know that you could have saved $300 if only you had bought a month earlier. And if your family does not have a great time at Disney - by all means do not buy DVC.

So come on down off that ledge - or not.

 

[southerngirl528]

Lyn-CA, I don't recall what your home resort will be, but I hope you will love your membership as much as I have and do enjoy mine! When the dust from all this brouhaha clears I think you will be happy with your purchase. Staying at DVC resorts is pretty awesome. And checking out with no charge for the room makes it all the more awesome!

 

[LAMickey14]

Lyn-CA, don't freak out about this just yet. I still believe you'll be grandfathered in. The official statements have been rather vague thus far. I'd still send your email, but my guess is you'll get the perks you were expecting. Oddly, I'm the only one that seems to think so, but it's just the typical corporate pattern that plays out over and over. They'll reinstate it for those pending before 4/4 and act like they're being oh so generous for doing so. It'll be a facade, but at the end of the day you'll be taken care of and that's what's important.

If they don't, we'll stage an anti Ken Potrock protest!

Protest ? Lol

 

[Lyn-CA]

Lyn-CA, I don't recall what your home resort will be, but I hope you will love your membership as much as I have and do enjoy mine! When the dust from all this brouhaha clears I think you will be happy with your purchase. Staying at DVC resorts is pretty awesome. And checking out with no charge for the room makes it all the more awesome!

BVC

 

[southerngirl528]

Beach Club Villas? That's awesome! Don't flame me folks, but I tend to prefer BCV over BWV myself. I like that it's a quieter location but still with that great EPCOT & Studios access. I hope that as the dust settles you will be able to lean into how many wonderful vacations you can enjoy at DVC resorts in the years to come.

 

[Lyn-CA]

When you are with your family having a great vacation, no one in your family is going to know that you could have saved $300 if only you had bought a month earlier. And if your family does not have a great time at Disney - by all means do not buy DVC.

I dunno about having a great vacation. We're going in August, which means we're vacationing on the surface of the sun.

DH will know that we missed out on the TIW card, and the member lounges, etc. because I used these as my marketing tools to get him to agree to buy into DVC back in February.

As for our existing contract, I am thinking of putting it right back on the resale market or just renting out the points. While I am still stewing in my lividness, I am picturing:
- myself walking around WDW hissing at every DVC booth, salesdesk, what have you.
- being upset all over again each time I have to pay the annual dues.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

I dunno about having a great vacation. We're going in August, which means we're vacationing on the surface of the sun.

DH will know that we missed out on the TIW card, and the member lounges, etc. because I used these as my marketing tools to get him to agree to buy into DVC back in February.

As for our existing contract, I am thinking of putting it right back on the resale market or just renting out the points. While I am still stewing in my lividness, I am picturing:
- myself walking around WDW hissing at every DVC booth, salesdesk, what have you.
- being upset all over again each time I have to pay the annual dues.

Yes, if you feel that way, you are definitely better off selling. Nobody goes on vacation so they can raise their blood pressure through the roof.
I suggest going in August and get some value out of your purchase. When you sell, you will get less than you paid, if for no other reason, the sales commission. So enjoy $3000 worth of lodging - then sell.
You can still buy the TIW card, by the way. It will cost you $175 instead of $150, and you will have to have an annual pass, I think. Here is the info - although it sounds like you have already researched this. http://tablesinwonderland.com
If you only go one time, you can save money by not getting the annual pass.

 

[jedcaum]

So much drama! I'm still not past ROFR on an add-on contract. No way will I be grandfathered in, nor do I expect it. Yet I have no intention of exercising recision during our cooling off period. I certainly am not gong to waste my breath and energy writing a poison pen letter to Prufrock or Bob Iger or whoever.

We went in eyes open about the perks, as should anyone purchasing a contract. They are very, very clear, both direct and resale, of how much you can rely on the perks. (None). As others have mentioned, they aren't worth that much anyway, in the grand scheme of things. $333? That's someone who really tried to use them. For us, it's more like a buck here or a free snack there. Nice? Sure. Worth losing sleep over? Hardly. Anyone who goes to Orlando is dropping SERIOUS money for a week's vacation.

We bought AKL direct in 2005 with a 7 year-old in mind (got triple points the first year of that contract and unlimited super-fastpasses as an incentive). Broke even on that contract 6 years later. Everything past that is gravy, money-wise. That kid is now 17 and mom doesn't want to stay in a studio with him any more, but we all still want those magical (albeit expensive!) trips we take every year to WDW. So I'm paying about $15 less than I did direct for a resale contract add-on that expires 15 years before my AKL contract does - hardly huge savings or a fantastic deal, given that history. Why? Am I crazy? Has the Mouse filled my head so full of pixie dust that I've lost all sense? Have they treated me so fantastically over the years that I felt I owed my loyalty to the Mouse?

No. It's because my break even on that contract is 5 years from now, given our current vacation pattern. It'll get us through college with our kid, who as far as I know now will want to go with us because he REALLY loves the Mouse, even as he gets older, and somehow still suffers the presence of his parents. That's it. No emotion. No great expectation that Disney is going to treat us like royalty when we go. They told us very clearly during our direct sale that they made no promises other than a really nice room in a resort close to the parks at well below rack rates. And they've delivered that, every time.

If there's resale value in either contract at the end of that time, so much the better. I've gained a little something if I decide to sell. If not, I can likely rent points to people trying to save off the rack rate. If the bottom falls out completely - these timeshare things are always a risk, and I should have known that going in. Which I did, because I did my homework. I didn't assume I'd make money at the end of anything, or save a bunch of money on other outside parts of the experience... I did the math and saw that by prepaying for my vacations that I take anyway, I'll save some money off the rack rates for the accommodations. Significant money over the life of the contract.

Perks really do come, and go, for everyone. Some of them are annoying - we really liked Interval International accommodations for trades for non-Disney vacations, and are quite disappointed in the current relationship with RCI. But they never promised us an ongoing relationship there, so we weren't betrayed, either. Oh well.

My suggestion is to get past the emotion of it all, and do some math. If it still works, then it still works. If not, you've got an out. But dear goodness, the drama doesn't help the situation at all, and has no place in the decisions to be made. It's a corporation, and Walt was a Nazi sympathizer. Don't make them something they aren't in your mind.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

DH will know that we missed out on the TIW card, and the member lounges, etc. because I used these as my marketing tools to get him to agree to buy into DVC back in February.

As a husband myself, I am guessing that your husband agreed to do this, not because of TIW and member lounges, but because he saw how happy it would make you, and how passionate you were about it. So if you want to keep it, he won't care. And if it does not make you happy, he will agree to sell.

I knew we had done the right thing when we were sitting at Cinderella's Royal Table watching the princesses come around to the tables. I thought my wife would get a kick out of watching the joy of the little girls, which she did. What surprised me was that my wife turned 12 years old right before my eyes. She enjoyed it as much or more than any of the kids did. She talked to all the princesses and posed for pictures with each one. My wife lived an hour away from Disney World as she was growing up, and every time family visited them, they would take them to Disney, so she went a lot. Now she gets joy from taking our grandchildren and seeing it again through their eyes, having done this once before with our own children. That is what it is all about for me. The rest is noise.

It is funny. Two years ago, we were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and starting to think about DVC. It seemed that everywhere we went, there was someone who would sing the praises of DVC, even when we hadn't asked. If we went in a store at Hollywood Studios, someone would come over and start talking about how they were a DVC member and how much they enjoyed it. At AKL, there was this nice old lady who was on a scooter, and she hung out in the lobby. She came up to us and started to tell us about DVC. This happened so much that I was convinced that DVC was hiring DVC members to work as shills. I even joked to my wife that when she went to the restroom, someone would follow her out and say, "ma'am, you have toilet paper still hanging from your pants, and did I mention how much I love DVC.?" I only mention this because if I read my last few posts, I have become that person. So I am going to be quiet for a while. Good luck.

 

[ScubaCat]

Regardless, there is now love lost between me, THE disneyphile, and Walt's Disney and it is irretrievable.

I tried...

Protest ? Lol

Yes! With giant KEN POTROCK signs! My brain always says "ken pet rock" every time I see that name. But a pet rock would be a perk, and I'm rescinding HIS perks now! Muahahahhahahahahah

 

[linzjane88]

I am still in the process of crafting a letter to Potrock with a cc to Iger, et al. Meantime, I keep having to read that I'm supposed to somehow suck it up. The bigger picture issue for me is what to replace Disney with, you know, going forward. I was a die-hard Disney apologist as of two days ago. Now, not so much. At this point, I will only "remember the magic" for this latest money-grab, bone-headed, bad faith move on Disney's part has killed the magic.

I will most likely go through the motions during our August trip so as not to ruin the trip for my DH and DS esp. as it is his birthday trip but it will take a miracle to restore my once great love for this new Disney. Not that I even want it restored. This is no longer Walt's Disney and I do not feel like being part of it anymore.

Oooh Oooh hi OP I have been angrily posting on other forums regarding this but saw your post and wanted to hug you. Your story is almost EXACTLY mine. After months of getting to convince DH to go for DVC be finally relented but still didn't fully understand it and definitely could live without it. We passed ROFR the end of March and had a closing date of 4/13. Then we got the email... (I've been in a psychotic state of rage ever since) I disliked sheepishly telling my husband we don't get to do any of the cool things I sold him on (discounted ap, member lounge ). I did write an email to Mr. PetRock . I also put it on their FB page. It was up there for like 3 whole hours before they removed it, carefully leaving posts from nut jobs who praise the change since they paid so much for their DVC and should be getting more perks . Anyway, here's my email :


I wanted to share how disappointed I am in the way Disney Vacation Club handled the policy change on 4/4/16.

As avid Disney fans we finally made the decision to purchase DVC via resale. We made that decision because, other than not having access to the Disney Collection, the vacation ownership was otherwise the same. We put in an offer and were excited when we passed Right of First Refusal on 3/25/16. Our closing date is scheduled for 4/13/16. You can imagine my disappointment when I read that this new policy change would affect me. Initially, there was little detail provided about who would be included in regards to pending purchases. Hours later phone calls made by our brokers to staff at DVC indicated that because we (and many others) had already passed ROFR we would not be affected by this change. The next morning I was both disappointed and angered to learn that further communication with DVC revealed that anyone who had not closed by 4/4/16 would have their benefits reduced and effectively be treated as a second class DVC member. Had we been given advanced warning about this change we could have decided that the direct buy benefits were worth it to us and made the decision to buy from Disney direct. Unfortunately there was zero notice, just a vaguely worded email sent late in the night with no details regarding how this would affect those already under contract followed by misinformation.


A company as customer service based as Disney should have the forethought to know this would cause some bad feelings to those of us not yet closed on our DVC purchases. Many of us are long past our ten day period to rescind. As such, we are ‘stuck’ buying a product that is not at all what we thought we were getting when we locked into our contracts. The money that Disney will save on discounts withheld to the few with pending contracts can’t possibly be enough to justify the sour taste we now have in regards to our new purchase. You effectively took away the right of many to make an informed decision. While Disney does reserve the right to remove incidental benefits without notice, it’s hardly the way to start a relationship with your most loyal clientele, the ones who have and will continue to spend thousands per year at Disney Parks.


I sincerely hope that in the coming days there will be clarification on this policy change and that you will reconsider your decision to exclude those of us who have invested a significant amount of money becoming members but are just a few days shy of being acknowledged as such.

So to answer your question.... Me! I'll wait outside the lounge with you! We can get t shirts that proudly announce to the world that we are "Half DVC Members"

 

[hcortesis]

So much drama! I'm still not past ROFR on an add-on contract. No way will I be grandfathered in, nor do I expect it. Yet I have no intention of exercising recision during our cooling off period. I certainly am not gong to waste my breath and energy writing a poison pen letter to Prufrock or Bob Iger or whoever.

We went in eyes open about the perks, as should anyone purchasing a contract. They are very, very clear, both direct and resale, of how much you can rely on the perks. (None). As others have mentioned, they aren't worth that much anyway, in the grand scheme of things. $333? That's someone who really tried to use them. For us, it's more like a buck here or a free snack there. Nice? Sure. Worth losing sleep over? Hardly. Anyone who goes to Orlando is dropping SERIOUS money for a week's vacation.

We bought AKL direct in 2005 with a 7 year-old in mind (got triple points the first year of that contract and unlimited super-fastpasses as an incentive). Broke even on that contract 6 years later. Everything past that is gravy, money-wise. That kid is now 17 and mom doesn't want to stay in a studio with him any more, but we all still want those magical (albeit expensive!) trips we take every year to WDW. So I'm paying about $15 less than I did direct for a resale contract add-on that expires 15 years before my AKL contract does - hardly huge savings or a fantastic deal, given that history. Why? Am I crazy? Has the Mouse filled my head so full of pixie dust that I've lost all sense? Have they treated me so fantastically over the years that I felt I owed my loyalty to the Mouse?

No. It's because my break even on that contract is 5 years from now, given our current vacation pattern. It'll get us through college with our kid, who as far as I know now will want to go with us because he REALLY loves the Mouse, even as he gets older, and somehow still suffers the presence of his parents. That's it. No emotion. No great expectation that Disney is going to treat us like royalty when we go. They told us very clearly during our direct sale that they made no promises other than a really nice room in a resort close to the parks at well below rack rates. And they've delivered that, every time.

If there's resale value in either contract at the end of that time, so much the better. I've gained a little something if I decide to sell. If not, I can likely rent points to people trying to save off the rack rate. If the bottom falls out completely - these timeshare things are always a risk, and I should have known that going in. Which I did, because I did my homework. I didn't assume I'd make money at the end of anything, or save a bunch of money on other outside parts of the experience... I did the math and saw that by prepaying for my vacations that I take anyway, I'll save some money off the rack rates for the accommodations. Significant money over the life of the contract.

Perks really do come, and go, for everyone. Some of them are annoying - we really liked Interval International accommodations for trades for non-Disney vacations, and are quite disappointed in the current relationship with RCI. But they never promised us an ongoing relationship there, so we weren't betrayed, either. Oh well.

My suggestion is to get past the emotion of it all, and do some math. If it still works, then it still works. If not, you've got an out. But dear goodness, the drama doesn't help the situation at all, and has no place in the decisions to be made. It's a corporation, and Walt was a Nazi sympathizer. Don't make them something they aren't in your mind.

Well written.

 

[Minniesgal]

I am somewhat ok with them taking away some of the perks, because those of us who bought directly from Disney, PAID ALOT MORE for points. And most people who buy resale contracts think we made a mistake doing so. (we bought BCV, not sure if there were any resales on BCV at the time Disney was selling it anyway)

Maybe some original owners are irritated that people that paid much less per point, get to stay at the same DVC resorts, same rooms, for such a bargain (relatively speaking! haha). I personally do not think about it, but it is the flip side to this situation. Not that Disney cares about that, they are looking at the bottom line, and resales cut into their new sales.

I do remember being irritated I could not get into the BLT lounge when I was in a cash room vs. a point reserved room, though. SO get the feeling of missing out. I rarely, almost never, use the DVC perks. The best one was the $100 APs (is that still available to resales?) And JUST missing out on something, is a tough pill to swallow.

Disney wants people to buy new contracts, not encouraging people to buy resales. I remember when they took away the ability to trade out from resale contracts, so to see this new cutback was no real surprise to me. They will continue to make these cuts, or add new perks that the resale folks cannot access. And so it goes.

I dunno about having a great vacation. We're going in August, which means we're vacationing on the surface of the sun.

DH will know that we missed out on the TIW card, and the member lounges, etc. because I used these as my marketing tools to get him to agree to buy into DVC back in February.

As for our existing contract, I am thinking of putting it right back on the resale market or just renting out the points. While I am still stewing in my lividness, I am picturing:
- myself walking around WDW hissing at every DVC booth, salesdesk, what have you.
- being upset all over again each time I have to pay the annual dues.

We are at VGF now and I bought a table in wonderland card. We have been here 15 Nights and so far I have saved a grand total of $60 after I paid off the $150 purchase fee. We have actually decided not to buy it again as the savings just aren't there anymore.