Would a nightly resort fee effect DVC?

[Splashboat]

http://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wal...a-nightly-resort-fee-to-its-resort-hotels.htm

According to a recent Walt Disney World survey that has been sent out to previous guests, Disney is considering adding a nightly resort fee to its hotels.

The survey mentions a $15 per night resort fee that would include Disney's Magical Express, MagicBands, FastPass+, Resort entertainment, WiFi, Extra Magic Hours, and parking at the resort and parks.

All of these features are currently included with any Walt Disney World Resort hotel stay, but the survey proposes a $15 per night charge to cover these.

 

[Tiggerette]

There's a thread on the DVC resorts section asking as well. Great minds!

 

[crisi]

Why wouldn't they just throw it into dues? And isn't most of that in our dues now? The advantage of dues is they don't have to collect any payment from members - and since members like not having a hotel room, I think moving it from dues would create a member satisfaction issue of a bill at checkout for those things.

 

[smjj]

I always thought this was part of our dues and one of the selling features of owning DVC. What the CEO need another raise or larger corporate jet??

 

[com_op_2000]

Why wouldn't they just throw it into dues?

How would DVC know how many nights you are staying that year?
With the changes in points requirements for time of year and size of room I could stay anywhere from 7 nights per year in a GV at the highest points times of the year to 37 nights in a studio at the lower points cost.

 

[thepops]

It's been a selling point of Disney resorts in general (look at all the great things you get when you stay with us.) Depending on the price (is it per night, per person?) then go ahead and charge, and I'll rent a car cheaper and then that opens LOTS of other places to go eat and other parks to tour while I stay at your resort.

 

[DebbieB]

I doubt it. Disneyland charges resort guests for parking but not DVC points stays. Some of these charges are probably rolled into our dues.

 

[AnnaKat]

I was surprised that when I booked in October for a 2016 stay, MS wanted to block me out of Magic Band ordering. " Do you want to just use the MBs you ordered for your 2015 trip? ". We don't have lots of MBs like most, & I didn't like that MS wanted to keep us from the option of ordering new ones. I saw it as cost-cutting measure, SO charging that resort fee to DVC stay nights, when we already pay dues, would be like Disney wants DVC owners/guests to subsidize the Deluxe resorts.

 

[amcnj]

What is the advantage to adding a resort fee versus just raising the room prices by $15? Is it just for online search purposes, like the airlines do, so they show as a lower price per night than you really will end up paying? I wouldn't think that would be as important here. And if it is a mandatory fee, not like a baggage fee that you might avoid by not checking a bag say, why break it out? To me the add on charges are always more annoying for some reason. I like to see one flat and final price. Breaking it out and listing several separate charges for things makes me feel I am being nickeled and dimed.

 

[jerseyduke]

What is the advantage to adding a resort fee versus just raising the room prices by $15? Is it just for online search purposes, like the airlines do, so they show as a lower price per night than you really will end up paying? I wouldn't think that would be as important here. And if it is a mandatory fee, not like a baggage fee that you might avoid by not checking a bag say, why break it out? To me the add on charges are always more annoying for some reason. I like to see one flat and final price. Breaking it out and listing several separate charges for things makes me feel I am being nickeled and dimed.

I do not think there is much now. The FTC really cracked down on this years ago. Originally places were not as forthright. They showed you 100$ per night, and failed to mention the 25$ resort fee. When you found out, you were at the front desk.

Unless they are taxed at a lower rate than hotel charges (and I do not think they are), there really is no longer a benefit to doing it, since they can not be hidden like they used to be. That is not to say that no one does it.

 

[jerseyduke]

How would DVC know how many nights you are staying that year?
With the changes in points requirements for time of year and size of room I could stay anywhere from 7 nights per year in a GV at the highest points times of the year to 37 nights in a studio at the lower points cost.

Dues are not paid per night, they are paid per point.
How many nights you stay is not relevant.
Person A - Vgf studio - weeknight, adventure reasons is 17 points. (*5.52 dues per point) = 93.84
Person B - VGF studio premier is 31. - 171.12

each person stays 1 night, same room, 1 person pays a lot more in dues, because it is per point, not per night.

If you want to collect 1 mil in resort fees, divide 1 mil by the number of points, and add it to the dues. Done.

By the way, I always thought this was the injustice of DVC (and I am not sure it can be fixed)
Person A and person B are both staying one night, but person B is paying more toward the new roof than person A. It is not like they put more wear and tear on the roof because they go during a busier time.

 

[crisi]

How would DVC know how many nights you are staying that year?
With the changes in points requirements for time of year and size of room I could stay anywhere from 7 nights per year in a GV at the highest points times of the year to 37 nights in a studio at the lower points cost.

Because they wouldn't bother with nights or with trips, it would be via points. There isn't anything inherently fair over doing it by room night. A $15 per night fee to cover parking and magical express isn't fair to the non-DVCer who takes a cab over from the airport and back because its faster and more convenient. Or to cover FastPass +s and Magic Bands for someone not doing a park trip. The way dues are handled now isn't fair - someone who uses their DVC to take a number of weekend trips needs to use a lot more housekeeping with their points than someone who takes one eight day trip at a high point season.

 

[com_op_2000]

...The way dues are handled now isn't fair - someone who uses their DVC to take a number of weekend trips needs to use a lot more housekeeping with their points than someone who takes one eight day trip at a high point season.

True, but all purchasers should of figured that out during your pre-purchase study/review/investigation and had a full understanding of what they were buying. This thread is about an added expense to what you are paying now. Could DVC add something to the MF that specifically cover these items.

 

[Anal Annie]

If I was given this survey (which I was NOT) and asked if I would be "OK" with paying an extra $15 per night for these things my answer would be Heck NO I wouldn't be alright with it. One reason we bought a timeshare was so we wouldn't have to rack up more of these typical "hotel fees". I feel our annual dues should be enough to cover these things. Magic Bands wasn't MY IDEA. I was FINE with the old FP+ system. Don't turn around and start CHARGING ME for them now that they've gone & buried themselves into it (it must be expensive - the cost of the bands, mailings etc.) Do not try to charge me to use them NOW. HELLO Disney. Didn't you think that one thru first?? Duh. OH. And they want to charge for their crappy WiFi now too? Seriously. Get a grip Disney. Most places stopped charging extra for WiFi already (unless it's a plane).

The only thing I could see being a valid upcharge would be DME. I always assumed the high cost of the rooms covered the expense. We always use it when we fly. If they started a charge for THAT then we'd have to compare it to the cost of hiring a car service or getting a rental. On our next trip we are driving down. I should not have to pay a fee that covers DME if I'm not using it. I would have a real problem with them trying to bundle in all of this stuff together just because someone goofed up on their Shanghai Disney budget.

 

[Dean Marino]

Best comment I can come up with.....

DVC is a contract. Examine the CONTRACT, to see if something like this could be done without a lawsuit.

 

[crisi]

True, but all purchasers should of figured that out during your pre-purchase study/review/investigation and had a full understanding of what they were buying. This thread is about an added expense to what you are paying now. Could DVC add something to the MF that specifically cover these items.

And most of those things that Disney wants to charge you for now are either already in your dues (parking costs, entertainment expenses) or theme park expenses (Magic Bands and FastPass+s). We aren't sure where ME ended up - some people think its in the marketing budget. If they move that to resorts then it should be an optional expense.

I don't have a problem with charging for Magic Bands - if you get your first set free (by this time most DVCers probably have a set - we don't yet, but will) for everyone living in your household. But then you are expected to reuse your Magic Bands from year to year or purchase them if you need new ones - maybe trade them in after five years or something as part of the membership. And if they want us to pay for FastPass+ through a resort fee, I hope that means that day guests and AP holders who are day guests just don't get any.

 

[Anal Annie]

^ But don't the Magic Bands only have like an 18 month battery life? They don't last forever. And there's no way to change the battery or to test them before you go to see if they still work. Not right IMO to charge for new ones if they've died between trips. They were Disney's idea. Disney needs to eat the cost. Like I said before. I was happy with the old system...

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

^ But don't the Magic Bands only have like an 18 month battery life? They don't last forever. And there's no way to change the battery or to test them before you go to see if they still work. Not right IMO to charge for new ones if they've died between trips. They were Disney's idea. Disney needs to eat the cost. Like I said before. I was happy with the old system...

Apparently there are 2 parts to the MB. One is a passive RFID that will continue to work with the scanners etc. The battery is for the longer range to do things like record your photo automatically when you come down the drop at Splash Mt. You'd still be able to touch the scanner to retrieve your photo though. So entry and anything that the MB touches the scanner should work indefinitely as I understand it.

 

[Kimly]

And it is pretty insane that they would "charge" us for a room key.

 

[Kimly]

If they want to increase rack rates, then just do it with the final cost. Why piss everyone off by adding a daily charge? None of this makes sense.