Yea, they're revamping DVC.com!!!

[ProfGoofy]

From April Member Clubhouse (email)

A magical makeover for dvcmember.com
In early May, we're debuting an all-new Member web site, featuring a fresh design, improved navigation, and exclusive content just for Members. The new dvcmember.com also incorporates enhanced site security to maintain exclusivity for Members and to protect current and future information that may be available.

For this reason, each individual Member on a contract will be issued a separate and unique personal Vacation Club ID and PIN. These numbers are required to register for access to the site when it launches.

At the end of April, each Member in your household will receive two separate notices containing these numbers via postal mail. Please note—be careful not to discard what appear to be duplicate mailings! While the mailings will look the same, each envelope contains important unique information required to log on to the new web site.

 

[Caskbill]

Thanks for the info, ProfGoof. Looks like they're finally getting the web site prepared for some of the real member stuff. Hopefully that means checking availability, and possibly even checking points, etc.

Do you know the significance of this empty lot?

Yes, that's where the house once stood in which Walt was born.

 

[Bugeye]

Hmm, that kind of security may be a good indication of ONLINE ressies. Now wouldn't that be nice. Predicted peak time - 00.01 to 01.00 om 4/24 each year.

 

[zulaya]

I don't think the security is necessarily indicative of online ressies. It's probably more indicative of personal account information like contract information, points usage.

Don't get me wrong, I would appreciate an online ressie option, but I don't know that they would have that feature go live right away.

Can't wait to see it though!

 

[RumpleMom]

Anxiously awaiting this improvement!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Yes. I was also very happy to read that in my email this morning. YEAH!

 

[CarolMN]

I agree with zulaya - online reservations are pretty complicated to just "spring" without some extensive testing, etc. I think we would have heard something if that were the case.

I also think they are just planning to give us some kind of access to see the "real time" status of our points. Maybe we'll be able to bank points online as well.

Looking forward to seeing the changes but trying not to set my hopes/expectation too high, LOL.

 

[antnee]

I will happy with the new website for sure, but dont think they will go live with online ressies right away. Account info will probably be phase 1 but a good question to ask MS is if they are considering this idea and a beta release fo this version.

 

[Connears]

Just read our email about it and that's great! Along with all the new dining perks..thing are looking up! Not that it ever was down..you know.
Connears

 

[Poorman]

Just talked to MS. I asked her about the member's site. She said it eventually will have the ability to bank and borrow and check points ,but she didn't think it would ever let you reserve a room, there are too many variables. As always ,MS doesn't know everything, but i thought I would post it.

 

[disneyberry]

<font face="times" size="+0">working backwards through the threads, so didn't see this one until now.

anyway, as i was saying in another thread... i'm glad that DVC is working on improving the website, but i highly doubt that we'll actually have any account access or reservation ability online yet.

the exclusive/personalized content will probably just be something similar to what the WDW website has right now. i.e. you can make a list of "favorites" such as resorts, and pages of the website you most frequently use. that will probably be the "improved navigation".

unless DVC has been secretly working on a new system for the past year or longer, there is no way that they can possibly roll out a new website that has all the functionality that we all have been wanting. it's just way too complex, and would require a massive amount of work and manpower.

DVC doesn't seem to have invested a lot of time/money into keeping up to speed in terms of their IT systems. if they're finally moving forward with that now, i wonder if our dues will be going up?

anyway, we can hope to be pleasantly surprised in May. but, i'm still skeptical. DVC is so far behind w/ their IT. i mean, the current MS systems can't even handle some of the more complex DVC rules correctly (such as transferring, or the supposed "always uses banked points first"). </font>

 

[rocketriter]

Done right, modern IT systems reduce costs rather than raise them. That's why corporations invest in them. Over 5 years, a system that simply maintained and supported point banking and borrowing would save more money in MS time and phone calls than it cost in programming and maintenance.

Please note that for the above to work, there has to be a certain size to the operation (economies of scale and all that). My guess is that up until now DVC simply didn't have enough members for the savings to kick in. Now, with the opening of SSR, membership will be pushed past the tipping point and DVC will happily invest in automated services.

 

[disneyberry]

<font face="times" size="+0">true, over time there would probably be a cost savings, and perhaps our dues will be lowered.

however, i was suggesting that in the immediate future, our dues may see a jump because DVC seems so far behind in their IT that they would require extensive development costs to redo their systems.

not a major concern, though... i was just pondering...</font>