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

[WALTSAGOD]

11 month window should be enough.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I know the OP's name is "Mississippian", but are we sure he's not from Delaware ? Sounds like a Joe Biden take on DVC .

Would a "tax" on booking other resorts be "patriotic" ??

Hope the OP doesn't mind a small jab from a fellow Mississippian - I'm from Madison MS.

 

[JustSayin]

10% is in no way small. Even if you put the value of your points at $10 a piece, which is low, that would mean the tax was costing you several hundred dollars for a 1 week stay. I don’t think any member who is not motivated by the DVC version of protectionism would ever support a $200+ booking fee for booking at another DVC resort.

I would support a point “tax” for staying at a resort other than my home resort ONLY if they were to give me a point “rebate” for staying at my home resort. Since that isn’t going to happen, I don’t like the idea.

 

[MommaX03]

A material selling point of the program is that all points are equal after the home resort booking advantage. I would not be in favor of changing that.

 

[La2kw]

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

We bought when it was just OKW, and they were very clear about that.

 

[disney1474]

You must be a John McCain supporter!!

 

[robandkelly13]

No! I think the 11 month window over a 7 month window is a big advantage itself.

 

[LauraLea]

Mississippian,

Although I am not in favor of a tax, I very much support your 11/4 month booking windows.

It is certainly not necessary to "bash" those of us that now find it difficult to book prior to the 7 month window. And let me warn those of you that pride yourself in being so in control of your "quality of life" that someday your family will be in transition, and you too may find it difficult to make plans that much in advance.

Granted, while kids are in school it is easy to plan your vacation time. Our DS just graduated from college, since we did not know where or when he would locate a job, or if he would have any vacation time, we found it difficult to make plans this year. When we could, our home resorts were not available. We own lots of points at 3 resorts, and like to take family and friends. It is becoming increasingly more difficult for us and our firends to plan around adult children's schedules and new grandbabies on the way. You could make plans at 9 months, only to find out after the 7 month window a baby is due during a trip!!!

So please do not be so harsh to those of us that are frustrated by the 7 month window. Someday you most likely will find your own family struggling to determine what your new travel routine will be.

Laura

 

[LadyKay]

You must be a John McCain supporter!!

 

[LIFERBABE]

Control and flexibility are 2 different things. No one is bashing those that find it difficult to book at 7 months. Heck that is why I own 6 resorts so I can get what I want if I plan accordingly.

If I dont then I take whatever is left or stay home . We all have booking challenges. The key is to be flexible if you cannot use your home resort advantage.

I dont think its bashing to tell people that if they cannot book at 11 months and do not want to stay at the larger DVC's that DVC is not a good fit for them. It's not and never will be no matter what the booking window is.

You cant compare past performance to today. Most people did not even have home computers or internet 10-15 years ago. There were 3 DVC resorts and some of those people let points expire yearly and did not give it a second thought. DVC members are more savvy today and informed. They are not letting their points expire, they are using them. They are not waiting til the last minute to book. It's like a 1 stop light town lamenting on how things used to be before the WalMart moved in.

DVC is not 1 size fits all, but it fits many and although the number of resorts has grown along with the membership, the ability to be part of the club has not changed as long as you like the clubhouses.

That's like being part of the book club and not liking or reading any of the books.

 

[widvc4us]

Nope - no way. Taxed to death as it is...sure don't need one at my home away from home

 

[kimberh]

You must be a John McCain supporter!!

You mean Obama, right? 95% no tax hike, now that's funny!

 

[Chuck S]

Folks, it is fine to discuss a fee, whether it be cash or additional points, for trading within DVC..if that is something you want to discuss.

But please leave the current Presidential and VP Candidates out of it, as threads with those references tend to turn bad quickly, and I'd hate to see a thread on the DVC boards closed because of politics.

Thanks.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would like to thank the moderator, I was shying away from saying anything.

I feel as if VB owners for instance, are subsidizing the owners who stay there but pay lower maintenance fees. Yes, it is the system as stands, but the differential in fees is great enough, that I think it is too unbalanced. My answer is that I own at 5 resorts and tend to use the points at the home resort 90% of the time. I can see that something would be unpopular and maybe not allowed by DVC's rules, but I do see an inequity here. Maybe some part of the MF should follow the points, I know that's not the answer, but let's just consider it a "brainstorming" idea.

Bobbi

 

[Entropy]

NO! That's not the agreement that we made when I bought my membership.
However, If they wanted to give me 10% more home-resort points in exchange, I'd consider that.

 

[parlay]

... the ability to be part of the club has not changed as long as you like the clubhouses.

That's like being part of the book club and not liking or reading any of the books.

Excellent analogy.

Another vote for No. And no for the 11/4 month booking change. It would be bad enough that if you weren't able to get your home resort at 11 months, but then to have to wait until 4 months out to book somewhere else... very inconvenient and certainly not flexible.

 

[akghutton]

No!

 

[Anal Annie]

I feel as if VB owners for instance, are subsidizing the owners who stay there but pay lower maintenance fees. Yes, it is the system as stands, but the differential in fees is great enough, that I think it is too unbalanced. My answer is that I own at 5 resorts and tend to use the points at the home resort 90% of the time. I can see that something would be unpopular and maybe not allowed by DVC's rules, but I do see an inequity here. Maybe some part of the MF should follow the points, I know that's not the answer, but let's just consider it a "brainstorming" idea.

Bobbi

OK, point taken BUT....

Don't forget that the upfront cost per point for an owner at BLT or AKV is significantly higher than someone who purchased cheaper VB points. (Some owners purchase at VB to stay there and some purchase for the lower up front cost.) IMO now you'd have to factor in that difference. Someone who paid $104 /point for 250 points at AKV or $107 / point at BLT maybe paid $8,500-9,200 more up front for this option of being to stay at different resorts than the person who paid say maybe $70 / point to save money at VB. But then the VB owner wants to stay at AKV next year. NOW what? Next you'd have to consider what incentive someone got when they bought. Did they get more off per point or extra developer points or did they purchase back in the '90's when the cost per point was less?

ALSO, many of us are lucky, lucky, lucky to even own at one resort, let alone 4 or 5!! I mean my goodness! Seriously, if you can afford enough points at multiple resorts you are out of our league. We could have addonitis for years and not be able to do anything to cure it. Personally, I would LOVE to be able to own at a couple other resorts but we just can't right now. I would love to own at VWL, AKV and BLT. But we're financially challenged right now and are so-o very grateful for the way the DVC system was designed. We would not have purchased a traditional timeshare that locked us into the same week year after year somewhere. We purchased DVC for the flexibility of being able to stay at a different resort each time we go. This is our way of having a different vacation (to a degree) from year to year. If it were to be changed to being able to only stay at your home resort I think we would be forced to sell if we couldn't have this flexibility. It just wouldn't be the same timeshare plan that we purchased any more. (Just my view.)

One more thought about that 4 month booking window...some people have to put in for their vacation time at work WAY early. I once had a job where I had to put in for my time off in January for the entire year and my dates were subject to the seniority of what the others in my department wanted. Some employers do not let you plan on a shorter term basis. I think many people like to have an idea of what & when by at least 6 months out. This allows them to take advantage of their seniority at work to get the time off that they want and allows them to start shopping for airfare etc.

I think the system works pretty good as is and do not want to quibble about who owns where. I like to think of us as all equal in that we all own a bit of the mouse. If I can't plan 10 or 11 months out and have to wait for 7 months or less then we cross our fingers for what we want but then take what we can get.

 

[photobob]

Definitely no. As others have mentioned that is not what we signed up for. I think the 11/7 month windows are as they should be. I think a four month jump on everyone else is plenty of time. We all joined knowing that for DVC to work for you being able to plan well in advance would be a necessity.

 

[theoarn]

No!