If you’re a member of the Disney Vacation Club, or planning on renting some points for your next vacation, you’ll want to see how your typical vacation pattern is affected by the recent reallocation in how points are used in the DVC. Disney is prevented by state law from changing how much it costs to stay for a week, but they’re allowed to make some slight changes to parts of a week.
If you like to stay around weekends, you’ll find your points stretching just a big further, but if you prefer those mid-week stays, then you might find it just a bit more expensive. All part of an effort by Disney to maximize the value of their DVC Resorts for weeklong visits.
Not sure how if this will change the DVC point rental market. Right now you tend to pay the same amount for a point no matter what day or how long you’re staying. Could you ask for a discount if it’s a weekend stay now?
(via the Orlando Sentinel)
I am a Disney Vacation Club Member, and I am very upset about the point change. When I bought into DVC I was told that the point in each season would remain the same and not change. Now it has and I know the reason why. Many DVC owners have decided to cut out there weekend. Disney wants to even there there playing field. The weekend points were not decreased as much as the weekday point were increase. I say this because of the value that was placed on weekend to begin with. Disney knows it will away get the weekend person who want that quick get away. But now they are putting pinch on the people who stay during the weekday. This is lucrative for them.
I love Disney and spend a lot of money there. I have 300 points at Disney Saratoga Springs and 300 points at Disney Animal Kingdom Villa’s. I was planning on purchasing points in Disney’s soon to be built resort in Hawaii. I am no longer interested in doing this knowing they can change the value of my vacation experience when ever they please.
I own another timeshare with Marriott and I am very happy with that purchase. I have not had to worry about these sort of changes. I know what my vacation dollar is worth from year to year. My purpose for buying into “quality” Vacation resort was two fold.
First I wanted a retirement investment for the days when I will be on a fixed income and need to plan for the those special vacations. Second is that I did not want to deal with a timeshare company that was fly by night and change things as they go. In addition I liked the point syestem.
When I bought into Disney it was explained to me that the point system would not change form Season to season. That they could change the dates of the seasons but not the points within them, and that they could not do away with any of the season. For example if they took away two date from the low season they had to add two other dates to that season, but the point within that season would remain the same.
I was fine with this arrangement. I looked at the point structure, and being that I do not like to visit Disney on the hectic weekend. My points were more valuable and the payment for the membership easier to stomach. In short I thought I new what I was buying, but I know now I was wrong. I really didn’t.
I wrote to Disney and was told that this is what the members wanted. I think not as I am a member and I did not want this. I knew what I bought into and was content with that. Everyone who bought into DVC knew what they bought into and to change the rules after is in the very least a violation of the members trust. I could have felt better about the decision if the members were sent a survey or pole and all member were asked to participate. This was not the case and as it stands this was an executive decision.
In the end I must let my money speak for me. As I had stated before I was going to purchase points in another Disney resort to the tune of 1200 points, but knowing what I know now, that would be just plain stupid.
I would strongly suggest that anyone thinking of buying into into DVC think about the Disney machine being able to change the value of your vacation dollar at the stroke of a pen and there is nothing you can do about it.
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