Wish DVC members got Flordia resident perks

[Deb & Bill]

IF we own DVC (and thus pay some tax to the state of FL), are we able to get an Florida State ID? (not a driver's license, but the state ID?)

If we can get that, then that would entail the keeper of said ID to all Florida resident perks, right?

I am also thinking of the seemingly HUGE discounts available to FL residents on DCL.

The documents when you sign state that you are not a FL resident through your purchase of DVC.

 

[JimMIA]

Why would DVC members need hotel rates?

Same reason DVC members would want the DVC cash discount -- for those times when they choose (or have to) do a cash stay. But I think most DVC members probably already have AP's, so they get the same rates and the availability/validity periods are usually the same.

If a DVC member is also a Florida resident, wouldn't they still get the hotel rates?

Yes, of course. We get all of the Florida resident deals.

Personally I don't really want an AP with blackout dates. If I lived in FL I still wouldn't want an AP with blackout dates. But I guess that's just me. And if I get the AP (which I would) I don't need other kinds of park tickets.

Right, that's very much an individual family decision. We're not tied too much to the school schedule -- plus we don't want to go during the summer anyway -- so we have more flexibility than many families. The seasonal pass works great for us because it's valid for the time periods we're going anyway and it's much cheaper than even the DVC AP. Another reason it works is we tend to take shorter trips (3-5 days) several times a year and we're not worrying about airfares, etc. It makes a big difference when you don't have a full travel day on each end of your vacation.

I think the only Florida perk that would be advantageous to most non-resident DVC owners is the discounts on regular park tickets.

[ETA: For example, many DVC members would benefit from the availability of the Florida 6-7 day Park Hopper (14-day expiration) for $243-245, rather than the DVC AP at the discounted price of $370. If that ticket met your needs, you'd be saving $130 per person. For the family that goes once a year for a week, the Florida PH would be a great deal.]

 

[JimMIA]

I am also thinking of the seemingly HUGE discounts available to FL residents on DCL.

DCL is kind of a special case, because it's a very expensive cruise to start with (2-4 times as much as regular cruises) and then the DVC points cost is very high on top of the high price. So any cash price is going to be a much less-expensive option than using points.

Getting discounts of any cruise is an art form. We don't cruise often enough to be really knowledgeable on all the ins and outs, but I know we usually pay a fraction of the prices you see from travel agents, websites, etc. Someone who really knows cruising would get even better deals.

 

[Alexander]

Cruise discounts for FL residents are hit and miss. They are not always available. They are made available when and if Disney decides to make them available. There usually isn't a whole lot of advance notice. Meaning, the discounts are usually available for select cruises in the near future.
Here are the current discounts available:

Special Disney Cruise Discounts for Florida Residents
3-Night Cruise - 2/21/08, 2/28/08, 3/6/08, 3/13/08

4-Night Cruise - 2/24/08, 3/2/08, 3/9/08

7-Night Cruise - no current offers
Limited stateroom types available. Proof of Florida residency required.

As you can see, they are for Feb. and March right now.