RUMOR: Disney Vacation Club Considering Paid Member Perks Program

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Hey I’d take just a separate faster phone line. For Worldmark, if you’re at a certain level of membership or above you have a different phone number. Usually takes me 3 mins tops until I’m talking with someone instead of 30+.

 

[Her Dotness]

I'm not upset with DVC phone answering at the moment.

DH called MS about 2:00 today, and it went right through.

Maybe the maxim currently is "Call on major national holidays"?

 

[myth2001]

They had better be getting those “priority room upgrades” from their own pool of rooms. The problem with Disney charging for services which were included before is that they create expectations they can’t live up to, à la FP to Genie….

Agree this “priority room upgrades” would be very strange in the context of DVC room booking ... (Probably only for cash booking of dvc member?)

 

[Sandisw]

Agree this “priority room upgrades” would be very strange in the context of DVC room booking ... (Probably only for cash booking of dvc member?)

Maybe they could decide that those that are part of the program would be given access to special points…dvd owned…to get an upgraded room if available. Maybe cheaper OTU points?

Who knows? Maybe this is what DVD is going to do with all those ROFR points? Offer to special members??

So many ideas!!

 

[clarker99]

I am intrigued but not expecting that this will be offered to resale.

 

[McCrae]

Interested to see more details. As someone who bought BLT direct when the resort first went on sale I wouldn’t be happy to pay for access to TOWL.

 

[tjkraz]

I still wonder how long it will take them to implement tiered benefits based on number of developer points owned. The other major timeshare players have been doing that for years now.

More than a decade ago during a condo meeting, DVC claimed they were working on a tiered program. It received solid applause by those in attendance at the meeting, and then was thoroughly savaged by the masses on the Internet. The idea quietly disappeared...along with Jim Lewis (bada-bing!) Since then it's come up every few years in surveys and whatnot.

I, too, am surprised they've never acted on it. The original concept mentioned getting credit for both points owned AND for referring direct buyers. It's an interesting way to motivate folks to promote DVC, especially those who don't have the interest or resources to buy a large number of direct points.

 

[Brian Noble]

They had better be getting those “priority room upgrades” from their own pool of rooms.

There are a few other systems that have an "upgrade" perk. As far as I know, all of them work similarly. The upgrade is performed during what would be the breakage period, but not before. Consequently, they tend to be rare--room types that are in demand were booked long before then. The developer is also allowed to rent unbooked rooms in breakage, and is not obligated to make them available for upgrades. Nominally, the points required for the upgrade come from unsold inventory, and is paid for out of the marketing budget.

I would imagine DVC could do something similar, but again $100/yr to opt in is way too cheap IMO, unless the Member has to pay for those upgrades in some additional way.

One other possibility: Wyndham allows owners in the highest two or three tiers of ownership to select specific rooms in the booked category at the time of booking, subject to that room being available. That's definitely possible here, but again $100 feels too cheap for that, as I bet many members would pay it in a heartbeat.

 

[Doug7856]

Sounds intriguing, but generally I find Disney's paid add-on benefits to be underwhelming. Take the Premier Disney Visa. For a fee, you get a couple of categories that earn 2% instead of 1%. The limit of the categories and minimum benefits just aren't worth the fee. I can do better with other free cards like the Costco Visa. We tried Tables in Wonderland a few years ago and it took so long to break even, it just wasn't for us. I know this benefits many people, it just wasn't for us. I'll hold out to see what's included, but I doubt it will be beneficial, especially at a "low rate" of $100.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

I honestly think a $100 rate would just last long enough for everyone to get comfortable with the fee. I'm bracing myself for what's coming when the 3 year Disney+ deal expires.

 

[BruinEd03]

There are a few other systems that have an "upgrade" perk. As far as I know, all of them work similarly. The upgrade is performed during what would be the breakage period, but not before. Consequently, they tend to be rare--room types that are in demand were booked long before then. The developer is also allowed to rent unbooked rooms in breakage, and is not obligated to make them available for upgrades. Nominally, the points required for the upgrade come from unsold inventory, and is paid for out of the marketing budget.

I would imagine DVC could do something similar, but again $100/yr to opt in is way too cheap IMO, unless the Member has to pay for those upgrades in some additional way.

One other possibility: Wyndham allows owners in the highest two or three tiers of ownership to select specific rooms in the booked category at the time of booking, subject to that room being available. That's definitely possible here, but again $100 feels too cheap for that, as I bet many members would pay it in a heartbeat.

I think it would be problematic if you’re talking about the same class of rooms that the member has booked. People that booked those rooms are supposed to have equal chance in getting a room. By making it pay to play you would essentially be making it so one point is not equal to another point.

I could see it work if someone could get upgraded from a standard room to a lake view room or a studio to a 1 BR.

I also think the $100 is the “introductary” price. They’ll keep raising it to what the market will bear.

 

[SeasonneRose]

I would not mind paying a little bit more to get more benefits. They might sweeten the deal a bit by giving it free to people at certain point levels, say 500 or more.

Look at you trying to make me buy more points!

 

[Sandisw]

I think it would be problematic if you’re talking about the same class of rooms that the member has booked. People that booked those rooms are supposed to have equal chance in getting a room. By making it pay to play you would essentially be making it so one point is not equal to another point.

I could see it work if someone could get upgraded from a standard room to a lake view room or a studio to a 1 BR.

I also think the $100 is the “introductary” price. They’ll keep raising it to what the market will bear.

I agree it would be hard to use breakage rooms for upgrades as they have the ability to pull those ahead of time based on booking trends.

I am not even sure how feasible it is that upgrades would be part of the program,…but if they did, I think it would be from DVD owned points.

 

[RoseGold]

LOL. Pay us $100 for what we used to give you as members and put in the pitch when you bought. It’s just $100. You have that right? Who can put a price on magic?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Would it be $100 per membership, or $100 per person that wanted privies? Big difference, and an important one.
A family of six should not get all the privies off a family of two for the same price…. At least not imo.

 

[Disney mac]

Would it be $100 per membership, or $100 per person that wanted privies? Big difference, and an important one.
A family of six should not get all the privies off a family of two for the same price…. At least not imo.

The question of $100 per membership or per contract or per home resort. I just hate the feeling of being feeling like the golden goose they are trying to kill.

 

[nuhusky123]

Why wouldn’t the room upgrades work in a similar fashion to Marriott. I’m a Marriott titanium and when the hotel has a higher room category available for my dates I get an upgrade

take the gfv villas. I book a resort standard and at time of check in if a lake or theme park view is available I get pixie dusted and get my upgrade

hotels usually are not at 100% occupancy so upgrades are sometimes available

in terms of who gets an upgrade that usually gets computed in based on status and other factors such as check in time, money spent in the hotel and of course an exact match on dates and capacity

bottom line this is a loyalty program that you pay to get into.

if dvc introduces a loyalty program I’d assume it naturally be based on points purchased direct. Sorry no resale folks here, you will be second class citizens

if not points based and rather pay to play as rumored I’ll wager dvc will introduce tiers with higher tiers costing more per annum than the one below but with upgraded benefits as you move up. For upgrades like any hotel the higher the tier the higher the priority for upgrades

im taking the rumor with a pinch of salt but if it’s real no way it’s just a flat $100 and one tier.

my prediction $100 for bottom tier (assuming this price point is legit) and then it goes up in cost with at least 3 tiers of status

pluto - $100
donald - $250
mickey - $500

I do think if there is any validity to this loyalty program, resale people will be excluded and it’s sold as a perk of direct

pasted below is the DL loyalty program. Note the prices which does lead me to believe $100 isn’t starting price for Pluto. I would expect wdw specific benefits best suited for dvc members

 

[Barbydoll8]

We didn't buy DVC for the perks but they are a nice to have. Personally- this is a total money grab on top of all the others. *sigh
I like to believe Walt and Roy are both spinning in their graves.

 

[FionaP]

There are a few other systems that have an "upgrade" perk. As far as I know, all of them work similarly. The upgrade is performed during what would be the breakage period, but not before. Consequently, they tend to be rare--room types that are in demand were booked long before then. The developer is also allowed to rent unbooked rooms in breakage, and is not obligated to make them available for upgrades. Nominally, the points required for the upgrade come from unsold inventory, and is paid for out of the marketing budget.

I would imagine DVC could do something similar, but again $100/yr to opt in is way too cheap IMO, unless the Member has to pay for those upgrades in some additional way.

One other possibility: Wyndham allows owners in the highest two or three tiers of ownership to select specific rooms in the booked category at the time of booking, subject to that room being available. That's definitely possible here, but again $100 feels too cheap for that, as I bet many members would pay it in a heartbeat.

Agree, most members would pay an additional $100 if it

There are a few other systems that have an "upgrade" perk. As far as I know, all of them work similarly. The upgrade is performed during what would be the breakage period, but not before. Consequently, they tend to be rare--room types that are in demand were booked long before then. The developer is also allowed to rent unbooked rooms in breakage, and is not obligated to make them available for upgrades. Nominally, the points required for the upgrade come from unsold inventory, and is paid for out of the marketing budget.

I would imagine DVC could do something similar, but again $100/yr to opt in is way too cheap IMO, unless the Member has to pay for those upgrades in some additional way.

One other possibility: Wyndham allows owners in the highest two or three tiers of ownership to select specific rooms in the booked category at the time of booking, subject to that room being available. That's definitely possible here, but again $100 feels too cheap for that, as I bet many members would pay it in a heartbeat.

Agreed! Most members would pay the extra $100 if the benefits were worth it. Thus decreasing the overall value of the product while increasing profits for Disney ( see Disney Genie +). Disney then can claim that too many people bought the “Diamond level experience“, and the only way to solve the problem moving forward is to raise the price!

 

[Chuck S]

If the benefits were guaranteed to be available, like be SURE can we buy APs, add member lounges at all parks, etc. But don't offer things, then "suspend them" like the APs.