Would you support a point "tax" for staying at other resorts?

[Blahnde]

Would you support a small tax of say a 10 percent surcharge to stay at a resort other than your home resort?

So, if I understand you correctly, when I call as a BCV owner to book at say 9 months and there is nothing available, not only would I have to wait until the 7 month window to book somewhere else using these points, but I would then have to pay an additional 10% to do it? Lemme think ... NO!!

I agree with prior posters that not only is this a bad idea, but it would take much of the flexibility out of DVC's system.

Blahnde

 

[TDC Nala]

Under no circumstances. Most of my points are at a smaller resort. If I decide to go to WDW and my resort is full, I am not interested in being penalized.

 

[backyardponder]

Whether this is a good idea or not doesn't really matter. It is not permitted based on the Offering Statement and other legal documents including contracts.

 

[Lynn5700]

Can somebody explain to me what the OP is talking about please lol.

 

[TDC Nala]

Here's an example. I own 300 points at BCV but say I want to book at OKW where I don't own any points. OP would like to know if it would be a good idea for DVC to charge me a "tax" of extra points because I am booking at a resort other than my home resort.

Of course, if the reason I am booking OKW is because BCV is full for the time I want to go and OKW is a bigger resort and has more availability, I'd still have to pay that "point tax."

the OP is apparently thinking in the opposite direction - how would I feel if I wanted to stay at BCV (my home resort) last minute but it's booked up with OKW owners who wanted to try something other than their home resort. Should something be done to inhibit owners of the larger resorts from booking up the smaller ones? Seriously - I don't care. You snooze, you lose. I could have booked it at 11 months out all the way up to 7 months out, no problem. Because I waited, I need to look elsewhere.

 

[Blahnde]

Can somebody explain to me what the OP is talking about please lol.

If you use your points at any DVC resort besides your own, you would pay an additional 10% (in points assumably) to do it. So, for example, if you own AKV and SSR points and use them together at the 7 month mark to stay at OKW since that is all that is available, you would pay an additional 10% to do it.

Blahnde

 

[Lynn5700]

If you use your points at any DVC resort besides your own, you would pay an additional 10% (in points assumably) to do it. So, for example, if you own AKV and SSR points and use them together at the 7 month mark to stay at OKW since that is all that is available, you would pay an additional 10% to do it.

Blahnde

HUH LOL that is lame lol!!! No way would I want to do that.

Thank you for explaining it to me

 

[CraftyMouse]

So, if I understand you correctly, when I call as a BCV owner to book at say 9 months and there is nothing available, not only would I have to wait until the 7 month window to book somewhere else using these points, but I would then have to pay an additional 10% to do it? Lemme think ... NO!!

I agree with prior posters that not only is this a bad idea, but it would take much of the flexibility out of DVC's system.

Blahnde

This is a very good point. It's not only non-owners that fill up the resort for the time you want to book. Sometimes it is owners who have reserved all of the available rooms, even within the 11-to-7 month period. So the "tax" idea would penalize owners at a resort for not being able to book a room because other owners planned a bit earlier.

The bottom line is that with DVC, if you snooze you lose. It's always been that way. We've owned since '97 and have planned our trips well in advance since then. When we made our purchase our guide stressed the fact that the closer we got to our travel dates the lower the chance of getting a room. We have never had a problem getting a room at our home resorts or at any of the other DVC properties we've wanted to try.

One more thing to consider...the points at each resort cannot change (and it's in our contracts) so adding a "tax" would not be legal. I can only imagine the uproar it would cause among members if DVD tried something like this.

 

[Mississippian]

Whether this is a good idea or not doesn't really matter. It is not permitted based on the Offering Statement and other legal documents including contracts.

My understanding was that there was never any absolute guarantee that the resorts would maintain swapping privileges, and as such this would not be outside of the Offering Statement. Are you sure this wouldn't be permitted?

I have to say that based on the responses, it certainly wouldn't pass if put to a popular vote, but you never know until you ask.

My home resort is BWV. It wouldn't bother me at all if they made it harder in some way for me to book at other resorts, and also made it harder for others to book at BWV.

I think we all can agree that we want to facilitate people being able to stay at their home resorts, even without meticulous planning. A "tax" doesn't seem to be a popular idea. Maybe they could change it from an 11-7 window to an 11-4 window. That would help everyone.

 

[dpuck1998]

I understand where you're coming from. Of course, some folks may feel that they didn't sign up for being unable to book their home resort without meticulous planning because all the rooms are snapped up at seven months, when at one time that wasn't the case. Obviously their quality of life has gone down.

Actually that is exactly what they signed up for when they purchased.

 

[CraftyMouse]

My understanding was that there was never any absolute guarantee that the resorts would maintain swapping privileges, and as such this would not be outside of the Offering Statement. Are you sure this wouldn't be permitted?

Your "tax" idea wouldn't be eliminating swapping privileges, it would increasing the points cost for non-owning members. That is not allowed.

I think we all can agree that we want to facilitate people being able to stay at their home resorts, even without meticulous planning. A "tax" doesn't seem to be a popular idea. Maybe they could change it from an 11-7 window to an 11-4 window. That would help everyone.

I have no interest in helping to allow owners to book at their home resort. They have a 4-month window to make their reservations at their home property (as do I at my home resorts). If they want to go at a busy time they need to plan in advance and book at the 11-month window. If they wait too long to book then they lose out or must waitlist. It's the same for every member out there and works fine just the way it is.

I also don't like the idea of changing the booking window. I think the system should stay just as it is.

 

[Chuck S]

I understand where you're coming from. Of course, some folks may feel that they didn't sign up for being unable to book their home resort without meticulous planning because all the rooms are snapped up at seven months, when at one time that wasn't the case. Obviously their quality of life has gone down.

I find it interesting that some folks feel they should have some home resort priority, even during the 7 month window. When we purchased, there was only one DVC resort and the 11/7 month window was explained in detail, even though the would not confirm any othe DVC resorts were currently being designed.

I'm sure there are members that feel that way, but I still find it interesting.

A resort can withdraw, by a vote of its members, from the DVC system. There is no guarantee that trading will always be available...but there is also no provision to 'charge" for trades within the DVC system. Out of system trades, of course, are another matter, they can (and do) charge a fee for those reservations.

 

[TDC Nala]

My home resort is BWV. It wouldn't bother me at all if they made it harder in some way for me to book at other resorts, and also made it harder for others to book at BWV.

It wouldn't?

It would bother me if I wanted to book a stay that was less than 7 months out and had to pay a "tax" because BCV couldn't accommodate me. BCV is small and it books up fast. (It'd probably also book up fast with people who'd pay the "tax" to stay there.)

I'd give up the stay rather than be penalized for the mere fact that I happen to own points at a popular resort. Now THAT would impact quality of life. Staying at, say, OKW because that is where the availability is, wouldn't.

Nor does it bother me that I might have to plan if I want to stay at my home resort. I know what the booking limits are and I know what the deal is and what I have to plan for. If I choose not to do it I understand that I may have to stay somewhere other than BCV. No, I don't particularly want to facilitate members' ability to stay at their home resorts. They know what they have to do to get a room there.

(I also own points at SSR, but a much smaller amount. Seeing as I don't have a lot of SSR points, I also wouldn't like paying a penalty if I had to supplement an SSR stay with BCV points).

 

[Mississippian]

It wouldn't?

It would bother me if I wanted to book a stay that was less than 7 months out and had to pay a "tax" because BCV couldn't accommodate me. BCV is small and it books up fast. (It'd probably also book up fast with people who'd pay the "tax" to stay there.)

I'd give up the stay rather than be penalized for the mere fact that I happen to own points at a popular resort. Now THAT would impact quality of life. Staying at, say, OKW because that is where the availability is, wouldn't.

Nor does it bother me that I might have to plan if I want to stay at my home resort. I know what the booking limits are and I know what the deal is and what I have to plan for. If I choose not to do it I understand that I may have to stay somewhere other than BCV. No, I don't particularly want to facilitate members' ability to stay at their home resorts. They know what they have to do to get a room there.

(I also own points at SSR, but a much smaller amount. Seeing as I don't have a lot of SSR points, I also wouldn't like paying a penalty if I had to supplement an SSR stay with BCV points).

Thanks for your views, Nala. I am clearly a minority of one on this issue so far!

 

[kimberh]

I pay enough TAX! If someone gets into office, I will be paying even more. I am sure not interested in paying 10% more to book a reservation. Now, I will say that I do own where I really want to stay. The others just do not appeal to me, at all. I think that if the extra 4 months Home Resort priority isn't time for DVC owners to plan their trips, then maybe DVC was not a purchase they should have made.

 

[marynvince]

It would help last minute trips by causing people to be slightly more likely to book at their home resort, thus leaving more rooms available at all of the resorts.

There tends to be last-minute availability, but it is mostly at SSR, where many people don't want to stay. This is because lots of people bought there even though they didn't want to stay there. (Let me make the point, though, that for many SSR is heaven on earth. There's just a terrible imbalance).

As I mentioned, as more resorts are added this problem is going to get worse.

The important thing is to keep the system FLEXIBLE, which means making it where people can do as they did several years ago and call three or four months out and get their home resort. Putting a small surchage on non-home stays makes the system more flexible for everyone, and ought to result in more open rooms for the members at their home resort or resorts.

Disney has already got this figured out. Plus as an SSR owner, you would further penalize me by making less available resorts more expensive, great plan. I've already got penty of room available at SSR, how are you helping me?

As more resorts are made available, nothing changes. I can call 3 or 4 months out and get my resort. Your Home resort has a 4 month advantage over all other resorts, How much advantage do you need? Why should a system be developed for people that can't plan more then 7 months out? News flash for you, life doesn't work that way. Careful thoughtful planning is what separates those that have from those that don't or shouldn't.

I just called and got HHI for Thanksgiving, a high desire occupancy time frame, 6 weeks out. I'm glad I didn't have to pay more points as a penalty for others that can't make up their mind. I knew I was taking a chance and if the availability was not there, my bad, not the system.

Good luck finding additional advocates to your plan, although I suspect you are accustomed to ideas that are not embraced.

 

[marynvince]

No, you're not! The only guarantee is that IF there is availability, you may book. There are plenty of stories on this board about people calling at the 11 month mark and there being nothing available. Not just that what they WANT is not available (AKV Club/Concierge, for example), but that NOTHING at all is available at their home resort. Yes, this is usually for a holiday period, but it does happen.

Blahnde

If you call at the 11 month mark for anything anytime you Will get no problem This quote is completely untrue

 

[Caskbill]

If you call at the 11 month mark for anything anytime you Will get no problem This quote is completely untrue

Actually, with the new booking rules that began this year, it is possible that you could call exactly at 9:00 am right at the 11-month window, and specific villas could already be fully booked.

I envision this happening for example for NYE reservations, mostly at BWV standard view Studios. That is probably THE most popular day and most popular resort and most popular room category of all reservation ever made during the year.

If you want to check-in on Dec 31st for example, your desired room category could already be fully booked by those checking in Dec 30th, Dec 29th, Dec 28th, Dec 27, Dec 26, or Dec 25.

The only way to guarantee it is to reserve 7-days beginning Dec 25, then walk the reservation until you get to Dec 31st as your check-in day. Of course, DVC says they're going to 'watch' for this type of activity.

All in all, the old booking procedures were better, and fair.

 

[mello]

No Siree Bob.

 

[florep1]

NO. When we signed up for DVC, we got hooked on the flexibility feature. I'm already ticked off about the $95 booking fee to use a Disney Non-DVC resort because we like to try other resorts other than our home.