Why no "Special Deals" for DVC owners

[bhickman]

Hey!! DVC owners deserve a deal too!!

Over the past several months I have been wondering what is up with the retail Disney deals being offered. The 7 Nights for the price of 4, bargin discounts on room rates, etc....

Does anyone else agree that Disney could offer a few deals to DVC owners to get us to fill their empty resort rooms??? Special discounted park passes, night stay deals for park hotels, etc...

How's that for Disney Magic!!

Thoughts Anyone???

 

[RobDoc]

DVC members are eligible for the same deals as anyone else.

IMO, I already have a better deal by using my DVC points, but if I felt that these other programs are actually better, they are available.

Enjoy!

 

[jaysue]

DVC is a captive audience - guaranteed attendence.....where they could offer us delas is in ticket packages/admission for those who do not go to the parks as often or go to other parks

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

They already have us and our money. It seems as though they think that there is no incentive for them to do more. They are trying to bring in $$$$ that they otherwise wouldn't have with those special offers. Disney knows that we will be back.

HBC

 

[JimC]

We use the AP discounts for trips to other Disney resorts when we are not using points.

Most of the other discounts programs now are focused on packages (Something Disney is marketing really hard) and with APs they don't work for us.

But the 7 for 4 package this past summer was a great bargain if you needed tickets with a room.

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you look at DVC as what it is, a timeshare, you wouldn't expect specia perks. Most timeshares only offer special perks if you sit throuh another information meeting. I own a timeshare at Disney which makes staying there a much better deal than paying for a room one-two weeks a year. JMHO.

 

[Kathy O]

I think I have to agree with the first post. I think Disney should give a discount on Park Passes for members. We did receive a discount on the Altimate Park Hopper Pass, but nothing on the other type of passes or single day admissions when we were there this sprin. Granted you did just buy a timeshare, however it is at WDW it is totally different from other programs. I think Disney could offer us a little more.

 

[crisi]

Disney (the theme parks division) makes money on four things: accommodations, food, souvieniers and park admission.

DVC members have bought the first already - and most of us think we are getting a darn good deal.

With the second, DVC members often have a kitchen available to us - allowing us to save money there. And DVC has given us targeted discounts on a few restaurants. It isn't the sun, moon and stars, but the discounts are targeted to fill some of Disneys less frequented restaurants.

With the third, DVC members go so often that we probably have a per trip souvienier cost somewhat lower than average (although the arguement could be made that we are such fans that we are the ones buying Mickey Mouse shotglasses).

With the forth, we get a discount on UPHs, the only pass that guarentees Disney gets to make a profit on us regardless of us spending the day at Universal.

Disney isn't particularly interested in giving DVC members a good deal on a home base to visit Universal while we cook in our rooms and not buy souvieniers. How much of a good deal should Disney be obligated to give us?

(Standard disclaimer: It would be great, from a DVC member perspective, if they gave us free park passes and a 30% discount on everything else. But I wouldn't want to be a stockholder.)

The OP had it right, they offered those discounts to fill their resorts - perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems that DVC resorts ARE filled. Also, I think the FTP exceeded their expectations - and I don't know that was all good.....sometimes, when you discount something and it really takes off, you end up making less money than if you hadn't discounted it in the first place.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by Happy Birthday Cat
They already have us and our money. It seems as though they think that there is no incentive for them to do more. They are trying to bring in $$$$ that they otherwise wouldn't have with those special offers. Disney knows that we will be back.

HBC

This is probably the most realistic reason, although not the most desirable from our side. They already got us, what's the incentive to get us more.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
If you look at DVC as what it is, a timeshare, you wouldn't expect specia perks. Most timeshares only offer special perks if you sit throuh another information meeting. I own a timeshare at Disney which makes staying there a much better deal than paying for a room one-two weeks a year. JMHO.

This is not accurate. I've stayed at and owned many timeshares. Everyone gave decent perks, at least as good as DVC. The list of perks at most Marriott's dwarf's the DVC list. All the others I own give a 10% discount minimum at all food outlets and sometimes 20% and special deals above that. Almost all that have floating units guarantee owners a room assignment priority and this can be a big deal. IMO, DVC is very light on the perks and the shame of it all is that they have the situation to give owners a lot of perks with little or no cost to DVC or the dues paid by the members. All they have to do is put a little effort into it.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by Dean
This is not accurate. I've stayed at and owned many timeshares. Everyone gave decent perks, at least as good as DVC. The list of perks at most Marriott's dwarf's the DVC list. All the others I own give a 10% discount minimum at all food outlets and sometimes 20% and special deals above that. Almost all that have floating units guarantee owners a room assignment priority and this can be a big deal. IMO, DVC is very light on the perks and the shame of it all is that they have the situation to give owners a lot of perks with little or no cost to DVC or the dues paid by the members. All they have to do is put a little effort into it.

Interesting comparison.

 

[manning]

I think Disney should give a discount on Park Passes for members.

Yes, it would be nice to get discounts. However, Disney doesn't have to. The only things they have to give us are spelled in the contract, and that is what they are doing.

The argument is that it would attract more business. However the question is, at what price? If the discounts will result in a net loss (and it could be huge), then it does not make sense to give that discount.

Discounts that are given may not expose the company to a large loss, if any. The risk is much lower and makes for a good business decision.

Of course, Disney has made some big bad ones.

 

[trishy]

Does anyone else agree that Disney could offer a few deals to DVC owners to get us to fill their empty resort rooms??? Special discounted park passes, night stay deals for park hotels, etc...

Yep - but we're a captive audience and they don't need to offer us anything. It would be a nice gesture, but that's all, a gesture. Sometimes I feel like DVC owners are treated like second-class citizens (because of the lack of "incentives/perks"), but then when I get there and I'm enjoying all that there is to offer at the resort, I'm a happy second-class citizen.

 

[Duckielucky]

When Disney runs a promotion to get people there in the off season they could offer DVC members an incentive to spend our points at that time. How about an annual pass priced at the rate of a three day pass, good for only the off season? Then the DVCers could fill up those empty rooms while putting on a few extra pounds at Disney restaurants.

 

[RobDoc]

Originally posted by Dean
This is not accurate. I've stayed at and owned many timeshares. Everyone gave decent perks, at least as good as DVC. The list of perks at most Marriott's dwarf's the DVC list. All the others I own give a 10% discount minimum at all food outlets and sometimes 20% and special deals above that. Almost all that have floating units guarantee owners a room assignment priority and this can be a big deal. IMO, DVC is very light on the perks and the shame of it all is that they have the situation to give owners a lot of perks with little or no cost to DVC or the dues paid by the members. All they have to do is put a little effort into it.

I'll have to disagree here. We currently own weeks at four other timeshares besides DVC and none have anything close to the perks offered thru DVC. They have a few 10% offers for local dining and maybe a couple of tours, but nothing like the DVC listings. One of our timeshares is a floating week and we get no special consideration as to room location. The others are all fixed weeks- and we get exactly the unit we purchased.

None of these offer daily housekeeping. One offers a towel exchange at no extra cost, but we have to take the towles to the housekeeping/laundry building. All require that we strip beds, take out trash and do the dishes before checking out and all have a 10:00am checkout time with no exceptions.

... Just typing this out makes me appreciate all that DVC has to offer.

 

[DVCtinkerbell]

I have to agree with Trish on the second class citizen once you join DVC. As long as people feel that Disney does not have to treat us as valuable guests with money to spend, then I guest it is OK not to expect any VIP treatment, discounts or any other warm fuzzy feelings. Alittle appreciation here and there would go a long way. I don't expect a long list of discounts, but I would like to feel like a valued guest. Members just don't count since member=captive audience. Perhaps that is true to a certian point. In my personal situation, while on vacation, WDW could certainly get more of my $. We don't spend all of our vacation $ on property. I find it hard to believe that they can't come up with a few things that really wouldn't cost DVC in their bottom line or the members in annual dues.

 

[Jimbo]

When Disney runs a promotion to get people there in the off season they could offer DVC members an incentive to spend our points at that time.

There already is an incentive in place for off season, called "low points." And it's permanent, so you can depend on it for the next 40 years. 50 at SSR. And we DVC'ers are smart people, so our resorts are generally busy during those times.

I honestly have never felt like a second-class citizen. In fact, every time a CM says "Welcome Home" to me I feel like I'm king of the world. I'd appreciate any perks Disney would throw my way, but that would just be icing on the cake. I'm a happy camper the way things are now.

 

[CRobin]

Originally posted by WebmasterDoc
... Just typing this out makes me appreciate all that DVC has to offer.

I'm with you Doc...I just put this list together in anticipation of our Halloween trip home, and these are only the discounts WE might use.

Cape May Café 10%
Olivia's 10%
Yacht Club Galley 10%
Artist's Point 10%
Chefs de France 20%
Marrakesh 20%
Nine Dragons 20%
Rainforest 10%
Wolfgang Puck 10%
Fulton's 10%
Portobello 10%
House of Blues 10 - 15%
Planet Hollywood 10%
Swan / Dolphin 20%
Mini Golf 15%
Cheesecake Factory 10%
Basin 10%
Disney Quest $4
Pleasure Island $4

 

[crisi]

I certainly did not feel like a second class citizen at my recent BWV stay. The hotel was lovely, the bell people and desk people treated me just the same as a "regular guest." The bus drivers didn't make me stand in the back of the bus or give up my seat for paying guests. The store clerks didn't wait on "regular" customers before serving me. Mickey woke me up in the morning - no second class wake up calls from Donald or Clarabelle Cow. We were able to get PSs, just like everyone else, and when we showed up we were seated in turn. We ate at Marrakesh and Narcoosees - both which offer a discount to DVC members. I got other special privleges as well - a room that rents for $705 a night plus tax rack rate for less than $170 a night in dues, plus my initial purchase price of less than $10000 - which is still good for 40 years. The ability to get three rooms connecting. A washer and dryer in my room (who'da thunk I'd use it, but we did). Fresh brewed decent coffee in my room every morning. 10% off the UPH, from which the desk clerk dropped the last day and would have dropped the first - which really makes the DVC UPH a good value over a hotel length of stay pass (where I understand getting them to drop days as park of a package is much more difficult).

 

[DisneyKidds]

The only things we as DVC owners can't realistically take advantage of (though we are eligible to use) are things like the Fairytale Package and other resort room discounts. However, in purchasing DVC we've already taken advantage of the greatest available long term Disney lodging discount!!! Sure, I'd like more general WDW discounts, but I'm pretty happy with what is offered. Some timeshares offer more, some offer less.

Seeing that we are (perhaps the ultimate?) a Disney Club, it would be nice if DVC rounded out the discount offerings to match what the DC offered. All that would require would be a discount on park hoppers and annual passes. I will miss getting a discount on AP renewals after this year.

I'd agree with the sentiment that we are already sold on Disney and there is no need to offer us a discount to get us on property so they won't offer more.................but it isn't like they offer nothing.

You know what they say.....................you can keep some of the people happy all of the time, and you can keep all of the people happy some of the time, but you can't keep all of the people happy all of the time .