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

[WolfpackFan]

Clearly nobody gets my point. I can live with it.

I think folks get your point. They just don't agree with it. Personally, I make the majority of my ressies at 11 months, so it is no problem with me. If I do travel at the last minute (like 2-3 months out), I'll just stay at whatever is available.

 

[BelleOfAlaska]

I would not support this as I bought for the flexibility.

 

[dizney4us]

I would be happy if the only place left to stay was SSR!!! We loved it there. I think if you book at the 11 month mark you are MOST LIKELY UNLESS IT IS HOLIDAY SEASON gauranteed a room at your home resort.

I totally agree! SSR!

 

[La2kw]

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

One of the biggest complaints members have is not being able to book their home resort because it is booked up by visitors from other resorts. As the number of resorts grows this problem will get worse.

A small surcharge on staying away from home won't stop anyone, including me, from trying out other resorts. But it will tend to make people choose their home resort in case of a tie. And the revenue from the points received from a room tax can be used to lower member dues, which can help compensate members who are shut out of their home resort.

We all try to buy where we want to stay, and there is nothing more disappointing than to find out that our only option for a last minute trip is either to not go or to stay at a resort that doesn't appeal to us. It just seems that a small surcharge on staying away from "home" would make it more likely for all of us to find vacancies at the homes we've chosen, without having to resort to ever more meticulous planning.

Any thoughts?

Owning points at a given resort does not guarantee you to a room there anytime you want it. Your guide should have made it clear that all accomodations are subject to availability. They should have also made it clear that you need to book as far ahead as possible. Our guide repeated that message more than once to us.

 

[dizney4us]

In NH we don't pay an income tax or a sales tax....we would be very upset to have to pay a "point tax"

One of the best things about DVC is the flexibility. It is what makes it a cut above the rest as far as timeshares go.

 

[CraftyMouse]

They should have also made it clear that you need to book as far ahead as possible. Our guide repeated that message more than once to us.

Ours did too...and that was back when the BWV and OKW were the only two on-site resorts!

 

[marynvince]

If it is easy for owners at BCV to book between four and seven months, then they might not be ultra-agressive in booking at 7 to 11 months.* On the other hand, in the past couple of years it has been virtually impossible to book BCV inside the 7-month window.* As a result members there are becoming hyper-agressive about booking during their early window, lest they lose their chance.* As a result, it makes it harder to book even during the 7-11 month window.Clearly nobody gets my point.* I can live with it.

You obviously don't understand that people that book between 7 and 11 months are still going to do that. They are not hyper-agressive, they are good planners and can make a decision that is not last minute. For small resorts like BCV increasing the booking window to 4-11 months is not going to increase availability.Just cause you think the sky is yellow, when everybody else says and knows it is blue, does not make you right and everyone else wrong. Your continued defense of circular logic is both amusing and sad.

 

[lizanne]

My point was that the effect is likely that some wouldn't make the trip at all if their home resort was full.

Therefore wouldn't you want to call right at the 11 month window to make sure you got in before your home resort filled up, because if you can't get a room there you would have to pay a premium to stay somewhere else.

Don't know how that helps to plan less meticulously.

I'm one of those BCV owners - if it fills up with actual BCV members before the 7 month window and I call at 6 months, you now want to charge me to stay somewhere else? How does that help me as a BCV owner? The members will just call sooner so they don't end up having to pay the point tax to stay at Boardwalk.

Good Point!

 

[dwelty]

I dissagree with the whole Premise that more members= more demand.

More members = more inventory, as you cannot become a member without buying a realestate interest. This is why DVC works.

THe latest DVC rersorts like AKL, BLT and soon VGC, will be high demand resorts taking some of the pressure off small popular resorts like BCV. (I am assuming the OP is a BCV owner, as this is the complaint I hear mostly from them.

 

[Kathi OD]

If it is easy for owners at BCV to book between four and seven months, then they might not be ultra-agressive in booking at 7 to 11 months. On the other hand, in the past couple of years it has been virtually impossible to book BCV inside the 7-month window. As a result members there are becoming hyper-agressive about booking during their early window, lest they lose their chance. As a result, it makes it harder to book even during the 7-11 month window.

Clearly nobody gets my point. I can live with it.

I get your point, and think that most everyone else does too. FWIW, we've been able to book BCV inside the 7 month window on a couple of occasions. As a matter of fact, last year I wanted a 1BR at OKW during Jersey Week and it wasn't available when I called about 5 months out, but I could have BCV or BWV. Very weird, but every day is different. We booked at BC, but really wanted OKW and so waitlisted. Our waitlist came through after a few weeks, so someone was able to snag BCV somewhere around 4 months out.

I think it's a smart plan to makes ressies at your home resort during the early window, especially if your resort is normally difficult to get. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Unless you bought in early at BWV, you should have realized that this could happen.

 

[dis-happy]

OP,

Quite honestly, I think the biggest reason it's now harder to book after the 7th month window opens is because of the new waitlist policy. Last year it changed from the "24 hr. hold, we'll call you first", to an "automatic match, once you have it all your others choices disappear from the list". As a result, there's now a lot less movement and rooms opening up, at least that is how I see it. Perhaps this is more the cause of your angst than anything else.

As far as the supposed frenzy from people booking so early, I'd say that has more to do with the internet. People post that they call day by day, so EVERYONE thinks they need to do it, even during non-holiday times when it's not necessary. It all snowballs. Reminds me of how and why the city of Charlotte ran out of gas a couple of weeks ago....everyone started posting how gas was unavailable and the frenzy started; even those not needing gas were waiting in line for hours to get it. It happens a lot with WDW internet information which can be good or bad, depending (other examples of this same thing: people learning about the TS paint brushes, or waking Tink....it goes from helpful information to a feeding frenzy where everyone thinks they must have it).

 

[stopher1]

Ummm - no. Not at all. Not me. Not ever.

 

[Anal Annie]

As far as the supposed frenzy from people booking so early, I'd say that has more to do with the internet. People post that they call day by day, so EVERYONE thinks they need to do it, even during non-holiday times when it's not necessary. It all snowballs. Reminds me of how and why the city of Charlotte ran out of gas a couple of weeks ago....everyone started posting how gas was unavailable and the frenzy started; even those not needing gas were waiting in line for hours to get it. It happens a lot with WDW internet information which can be good or bad, depending (other examples of this same thing: people learning about the TS paint brushes, or waking Tink....it goes from helpful information to a feeding frenzy where everyone thinks they must have it).

Not to change the subject BUT...

TS paint brushes?
waking Tink?

Never heard of either...

 

[CraftyMouse]

Not to change the subject BUT...

TS paint brushes?
They used to hide a couple of paint brushes on Tom Sawyer Island every morning. The first guests to find them go some sort of fast pass (don't remember if it was for one ride or good all day). Recent reports have said that they are no longer hiding the paint brushes.

waking Tink?
If you are the first guest of the day at Tinkerbell's Treasures in Fantasyland you can wake Tink up. This has now created a mad dash of people all trying to be the first ones to the shop. It's almost as bad as the rush for Dumbo or one of the coasters!

Never heard of either...

Hope that helps!

 

[Anal Annie]

Hope that helps!

Ahhh! Disney trivia....thanks! I hate that raft (makes me claustrophobic when it's crowded) that goes to Tom Sawyer Island so we don't usually go over there....and since we only have a DS Tink is not usually on our radar screen.

 

[Monorail Purple&Gold]

If it is easy for owners at BCV to book between four and seven months, then they might not be ultra-agressive in booking at 7 to 11 months. On the other hand, in the past couple of years it has been virtually impossible to book BCV inside the 7-month window. As a result members there are becoming hyper-agressive about booking during their early window, lest they lose their chance. As a result, it makes it harder to book even during the 7-11 month window.

Clearly nobody gets my point. I can live with it.

What time of year do you travel??? I can see a mad dash 11-7 months out at Christmas, New Year's, Easter, etc. You're suggesting (based on what I've read) that it is increasingly harder to book at a home resort during this window...well, if EVERY SINGLE BCV member decides to go for Thanksgiving, it's 1st come, 1st served...common sense, I think!

Wouldn't availability be relative to the time of year take your trips? I should think that also affects ressies being made over 4 months out.

Why should ANY DVC owner be "charged" extra (since a point is a point is a point) for not staying at their home resort?

I visited last month, stayed at SSR and VWL (my home resort is AKV), with 24-hour notice for both ressies...you're suggesting I should pay an extra "tax" in points or $$$ for "taking" inventory from SSR and VWL owners...YEAH RIGHT! If I try to get AKV ressies last minute and they're not available...it's on ME for not planning ahead, and I'm okay with that!!!!!

If a DVC member decides not to exercise their home resort priority booking period...what does that have to do with ME???

 

[Monorail Purple&Gold]

The end of the OP:

We all try to buy where we want to stay,

IMO, everyone should.

and there is nothing more disappointing than to find out that our only option for a last minute trip is either to not go or to stay at a resort that doesn't appeal to us.

If the system is designed to operate at or near capacity, then this is reality, sorry if you don't see it that way...also take into consideration that some inventory goes into CRO over/under 60 days when members trade out.

It just seems that a small surcharge on staying away from "home" would make it more likely for all of us to find vacancies at the homes we've chosen, without having to resort to ever more meticulous planning.

If the spirit of the program was to allow members to only stay at their home resort, DVC would have been set up that way...it's not. A number of folks on this thread repeatedly mentioned the flexibility of the DVC, that's why so many favor it over traditional timeshares. Be realistic, if you can't plan in advance, recognize that you take your chances letting months pass without trying for a ressie.

Any thoughts?

The DVC home resort priority is designed to reward those who plan in advance, IMHO.

 

[spiceycat]

dvc is set up - so DVC can do this.

read your contract.

don't remember the real written word- but something like in the future DVC can make only your home resort be your resort and consider everything else an exchange - or not allow it at all (I think)

If I remember will find it tonight.

definitely buy where you want to stay - unless you have faith that DVC won't do this. well now we are paying to go to WDW resorts. anyone want to bet that DVC won't some day change it to this?

I don't.

So own at BWV, VWL, OKW - and soon to be BLT. (maybe akv too)

 

[Deb & Bill]

So how about charging a "tax" of extra points so a non-owner can use the trip? If none of the owners are on the reservation, the owner gets charged a premium of X many more points.

 

[bwvBound]

So how about charging a "tax" of extra points so a non-owner can use the trip? If none of the owners are on the reservation, the owner gets charged a premium of X many more points.

Other timeshares do this in the form of a "Guest Certificate." Some properties/clubs allow a limited number of Guest Certificates free for each account ... with a fee charged once the owner exceeds their allocation. Exchange companies also play the Guest Cert game with added fees.