Breaking up with Disney?

[DonMacGregor]

Soon we'll be asking how many kids today will know what a gas station even is.

After 5 years of driving an electric car, I bought a gas car. First time at the pump my daughter asked "What are we doing here?" I spent the next 30 minutes trying to explain to her what gas is...

The "problem", if you will, is that buyers are still excited to buy DVC, even though it's a luxury and not a necessity. If the price of food or electricity or gas goes up, you adjust and re-budget and you overcome. You don't just stop eating or quit work or school because you can't drive. If the price of DVC rises too high, you simply don't buy it.

But the price of DVC is continuing to rise, and Disney is still selling new DVC memberships (albeit somewhat fewer of late, but we need to get past Covid to really understand the sales dip) and the resale market is still robust. Loads of people, willing to pay more than current owners did in the past, for fewer perks. We will need to see if it is sustainable, but the trend of shrinking perks goes much further back than the pandemic yet even before 2019 sales and prices were trending up.

 

[ckb_nc]

We are going through this too. Our older children are out of college, and into their professional life. Trying to align schedules for more than 48 hours right now feels impossible. These two are part of Team A, with my middle the most Disney of the group. As I have told my wife (she likes Disney but is really adamant she wants to see other things) of the changes recently, she is not happy.

With a December use year, every year until this 2020 we have borrowed points. I have never banked points like we did this year. My wife has suggested we sell the points - in looking at the numbers, we would likely break even in the sense, purchase price + dues over the life of the contract would roughly equal the proceeds of the sales - which means we had several trips to WDW and one to DL over 6 plus years where our accommodations were free. Plus we could use the money for weddings.

I am really hesitant to sell. We will never buy into DVC again - that's my sense. So selling is really, really a big deal. It very much feels like saying good bye to Disney.

 

[kanerf]

Nope, I have actually added on 50 direct (Riviera) and 76 resale (BWV and BLT) in the last month. As I head towards retirement I want plenty of points and plan on spending months in Orlando instead of the weeks I do now.

 

[DSLRuser]

Nope, I have actually added on 50 direct (Riviera) and 76 resale (BWV and BLT) in the last month. As I head towards retirement I want plenty of points and plan on spending months in Orlando instead of the weeks I do now.

that's where I am. we started being Disney nerds in 1993 and have been going 1-3 times a year ever since. We changed from looking for "discounts"...tpyed with off property, but on property deluxe experience is the Disney experience we like.

as we move into retirement, and our girls start their own families. I want more points to be able to share with my (hopefully) grand kids. And in retirement, I want to travel more. and a few
cheap" weeks away in a studio are just what I need.

yes. nostalgia will always look better then today. profit taking is where our world is. but no matter what. when I get to Disney I am relaxed. it is home.

 

[TEK224]

I am not happy with how the price of tickets has skyrocketed. The cost for the Halloween and Christmas parties has almost doubled. But I don't plan to sell my contracts. When I bought DVC back in 2005 (and added on in 2007), I did so with the intent to bring family members with me so it would not cost them a fortune to stay on site. My other reason was so I would have a place to go to when I retired. Not necessarily go to the parks all the time, but just to enjoy the DVC sites, relax by the pool, visit Disney Springs and soak up the sun. Knowing I would have nice, clean accommodations, entertainment, pool, a gym, etc. I can cook some meals in the room, go out to eat, visit Discovery Cove and just relax. I will retire next year, so I'm looking forward to spending time at the DVC resorts and getting to Aulani again!

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I don't see staying at DVC to go to UO. That can be more than 30 minutest travel time. I'd probably just rent my DVC points and use the proceeds to book a hotel at UO and get the perks and discounts for staying there.

We just got back from our DVC stay at RIV. We did stay at Portofino Bay for 3 days before our WDW trip but I actually went back to UO on Wednesday for Halloween Horror Nights. We did Boo Bash on Tuesday and it was horrible! Wednesday night was so much better. You are right, it was about a 30 min drive but worth every second.

 

[suebeelin]

We are in the same want to break up with Disney boat.

After a two year hiatus from Disney we *were* excited to be back “home”.

But it wasn’t homey anymore.

Cast members were not very nice this time around. No one tried to make any “magic”.

People were rude, CM’s snapped at you, the whole vibe was just off.

I’ve spoken to some Disney regulars who agree that something doesn’t fequite as magical in 2021.

To be sure, the rides are the same. The hotel is the same. The pool is the same. But the feeling we used to get, that happiness that we were in our 2nd home? Unfortunately, not the same.

Will we sell? Or rent? TBD.

Disney is pricey. We know ways to save $$ even if the trip isn’t cheap. DVC makes the room stay reasonable. There’s still value there but…. It’s not as special as before.

 

[bobbiwoz]

^ sorry to read this.

 

[n2mm]

omg, thank you for posting. I’m struggling too. Ive visited 4 trips since March 2021. The love is gone for me. I kept thinking, it was me. What Suebeelin said hit home exactly for me—I could’ve written that post too. We still enjoy cruising, we’ve cruised twice in September. We stayed at WDW during that trip. In those 9 days we had no desire to go to MK or AK and only went to Epcot and HS to eat with friends. For the first time in 25 years as passholders, we are struggling with whether we will renew our APs in March. As I plan my trips for 2022, they are just stays before and after cruises.

 

[RaymOOOnd]

I think Disney execs are probably looking back at the deal they gave people in the couple of decades past -- guaranteed vacations for 50 years and static total number of points per chart -- and kicking themselves for doing something lacking any indexing for inflation (but for the dues to some degree). Not sure if everyone else's experience has been the same but I'm finding most everything else IN LIFE to be WAYY more expensive than it had been just a few years ago, let alone back in 1991 at the opening of OKW.

Those who bought in the 90s ought to be able to laugh like a mad lottery winner at this point. Those like myself who bought 5-7 years ago still get to be pretty happy. We splurged on a 3rd contract (PVB) just a little over a year ago which I'm coming to regret and may sell (although it was just $139pp resale -- still looking relatively cheap put to today's prices!).

So I guess what I'm saying is that longer-term owners have gotten such a great deal from a relative perspective on the lodging itself, that they could probably consider some of the current gouging on smaller things now to be merely making up for much money saved -- and have still come away pretty well in the long run.

 

[RAD]

I’m guessing that all the points that DVC for each resort covers the construction and a nice bit of profit. Then the members year after year pay for the costs of running the property and drawing in people that will spend big bucks on tickets, food, tours etc. Then starting in 2042 Disney gets the property back and they can sell it again. I don’t see Disney crying because they aren’t making money on DVC.

 

[Dizzydizney]

We’ve had a number of trips since reopening. The first two were difficult due to mask mandates and difficulty communicating. Also no fireworks . And getting used to the park reservation system and no fast passes or dining plan. And one family unit at a time on the skyliner resulting in longer lines.

Last two trips were much better....fireworks are back in 2 parks, more people allowed on bus, skyliner has relaxed the one family unit at a time.

The money grabbing makes me upset...but that started before the closure. Paying to park at a resort you are already paying for to stay at....so magical express was a great alternative. But now they are taking that away so you either rent a car, do a ride share service or pay for the Mears (I know this does not matter for DVC but I feel badly for others). Anyone price out a rental car lately? $400 to $500 for a week. Noticed an increase in price in counter service food too and it might have been my imagination but some portions looked smaller. And gas increased 40 cents a gallon in the last two months.

We have too much money invested in various resorts and grandkids that love Disney, so not thinking about divorcing Disney yet.....and not even a trial separation.

In the last 12 months, we have spent 50 days at Disney/DVC and have interacted with dozens of Cast Members and have spoken with a number of people with Member Services. The vast majority have been pleasant , helpful, happy. We’ve received some pixie dust and some disappointments (mostly waiting around for the room ready text). We’ve only run across one cranky/unhappy cast member and I didn’t let it ruin my day.

I’m happy that DisneyWorld started reopening as soon as it did.....little by little, in fits and starts and nobody knowing what to expect.

That being said, though, not happy at all with the Lightening Lane and Genie. More money grabs. The fast pass system worked out great for us. I guess the people that b!?ched and moaned about it are happy now....guess they can afford the extra price tag.

If it gets to be too much for us, we will rent out points and use the money for different experiences. But for now it’s working. Just wish they would end the 50% borrowing rule, although I understand why it had to be done.

One part of me is hoping that park attendance goes down and Genie is a dud and people start bringing their lunch to the parks.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Now that we are 3 hours from Disney instead of 14 hours, we are contemplating selling our remaining three contracts. We have enjoyed our three night/four night short trips for the past four years, but now we no longer enjoy the new attractions (we're not about fast, spinning, jerky rides - I get motion sick and have BPPV vertigo from time to time). We've enjoyed the Epcot festivals, but we wind up spending on average $40 a day to go to the park and then $70 a day each trying all the food items that we enjoy. We used to get the all parks and water parks passes years ago (no more than $400 a person) and now we have been purchasing the Florida Weekday pass (also about $400 a person). We live 1.5 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, so we can have a beach vacation any day of the year (or just swim in our own pool). We had some banked points from 2019 into 2020, so we have four nights booked in March (no park tickets) to celebrate our anniversary. Once we use up those points, we'll decide if we plan to keep them or sell them all or one or two of the contracts. We sold two contracts about 14 years ago to reduce the dues we were spending and still had plenty of points for at least two trips a year. We're not fans of Disney's trends in movies and television any more either. So a divorce seems imminent.

 

[Dizzydizney]

We're not fans of Disney's trends in movies and television any more either. So a divorce seems imminent.

Totally agree with you about their movies and family shows. I might be old fashioned and like to live in the past, but all the classics I’ll still watch over and over. I remember when the Little Mermaid came out....it had been such a long time since their last feature. Loved most of the ones that followed, and even enjoyed the live actions of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. I like to be entertained to forget about life for a while....

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

When we bought DVC in 2008, the plan was to take lots of family trips with our two DSs who were 10 and 8 at the time and then to continue family trips once we had grandkids. I can't tell you the hours I've spent dreaming of how to use our points for family trips, even trips way into the future. First, I dreamed of taking (future) grandkids to WDW every other year. Then, the dream became every three years. Here lately, I'm thinking, "Maybe I'll be able to take them twice before they turn 18." Seriously, there is no way we will be able to afford tickets for large family trips on a regular basis. Our DSs are no longer Disney lovers, so I don't see them wanting to go as often as I had originally planned anyway. As far as breaking up with Disney, we aren't to that point. We have 100 AKV points and 100 HHI points. We will use the AKV points at HHI until we are ready to return to WDW. I want to keep the AKV points though because it will be the only way we can afford to take our grandkids even for one trip. I can't imagine what lodging will be ten years down the road!

 

[igrsod]

We are not ready to sell our points, and we haven't been able to come back to WDW since the pandemic hit as travel from Canada has been difficult at best. BUT, I do understand how everyone is feeling here. Seeing all the changes, upcharges, removal of entertainment etc. has me wondering if the magic will still be there when we return.
I used to get so excited to plan for our trips, now it just feels blah... no anticipation, no 180 day booking of restaurants, no 60 day booking fast passes. I LOVED planning the trip and setting our days up so that we all did what we wanted to do in an organized and efficient way... thus saving time and energy.
I'm not so sure with Genie plus if this will be the same... I do reserve judgement on all of these things until I can get back to the parks.
I suspect that as others have said, if the vacation doesn't feel magical, I will probably use our points for a little while staying at HHI or VB or Aulani and hope for sunnier days to return to WDW before we make the decision to sell our contracts.

 

[jimmymc]

I'm a little late to this thread, but as a pretty experienced young traveler and recent DVC buyer, I'll give my perspective.

If you base your opinions on the top threads here on the boards, you'd think the parks are on fire and cast members are throwing trash at guests while Bob Chapek points and laughs from the top of the castle. But my most recent trip at the beginning of September had the best cast members I've ever experienced on a Disney vacation. Everyone from the resort check in to the attractions to dining was over the top friendly, asking about my day, and making magic with kids. The parks are also simpler. No worrying about fastpass times, park hopping has only been blocked out one day for Magic Kingdom on the 50th, and shorter lines than on any of my pre-Covid trips. And I really want to emphasize the cast members and shorter waits, since I still try to get on as many attractions as I can during park days.

With all that being said, Disney is rarely my only vacation for the year. This summer I also went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and last year was Hawaii. So if you only have the time or money for one trip a year, then I would totally understand renting out your points every other year or banking them for a huge trip in the future. There is more to travelling than Disney, but the magic is still there when I go back.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm a little late to this thread, but as a pretty experienced young traveler and recent DVC buyer, I'll give my perspective.

If you base your opinions on the top threads here on the boards, you'd think the parks are on fire and cast members are throwing trash at guests while Bob Chapek points and laughs from the top of the castle. But my most recent trip at the beginning of September had the best cast members I've ever experienced on a Disney vacation. Everyone from the resort check in to the attractions to dining was over the top friendly, asking about my day, and making magic with kids. The parks are also simpler. No worrying about fastpass times, park hopping has only been blocked out one day for Magic Kingdom on the 50th, and shorter lines than on any of my pre-Covid trips. And I really want to emphasize the cast members and shorter waits, since I still try to get on as many attractions as I can during park days.

With all that being said, Disney is rarely my only vacation for the year. This summer I also went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, and last year was Hawaii. So if you only have the time or money for one trip a year, then I would totally understand renting out your points every other year or banking them for a huge trip in the future. There is more to travelling than Disney, but the magic is still there when I go back.

I'm very happy for you that you can still find magic when you visit.

 

[suebeelin]

omg, thank you for posting. I’m struggling too. Ive visited 4 trips since March 2022. The love is gone for me. I kept thinking, it was me. What Suebeelin said hit home exactly for me—I could’ve written that post too. We still enjoy cruising, we’ve cruised twice in September. We stayed at WDW during that trip. In those 9 days we had no desire to go to MK or AK and only went to Epcot and HS to eat with friends. For the first time in 25 years as passholders, we are struggling with whether we will renew our APs in March. As I plan my trips for 2022, they are just stays before and after cruises.

Thank you for echoing my sentiments.

Here's an example-- My brother, an SSR owner, just upgraded TODAY to an AP on his 6 day ticket PH on his last day at Disney.

Guest services REFUSED to upgrade him starting TODAY, October 11th (he is texting me furiously as I type), instead backdated his upgraded AP to the FIRST day he entered the park EIGHT DAYS AGO, which was October 3rd.

In other words, his AP ends next year on October 3rd, 2022 even though he upgraded today, October 11th 2021. He said they were being SUPER rude to him at guest services.

Maybe I was wrong with my advice to him on telling him to upgrade on his last day, but ??? isn't it supposed to be the day that up upgrade as the last day of your AP?

It's just so upsetting to have little rugs pulled out from under you and feel so incredibly nickel and dimed. It's everywhere. It was almost every day. I had a CM yell at me for trying to get into a ride 3 minutes earlier than my return time. He basically said "THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD-- YOU COME WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO COME, NOT BEFORE". I looked at my watch, and lo and behold, I was three minutes early.

That was just one of a gazillion examples of so many negative experiences.... yes, there were also nice CM's but there were also sooooo many rude and mean and ill tempered CMs. I was so taken aback.... over and over again.

Like I said, the room is nice and cheap and a fixed cost. But the experience is no longer... wonderful. And it's not just me. It's all my Disney regular friends and family, some DVC and some are not DVC.

Shrug. I'm a little sad, but for the $8-9k we just dropped on this most recent trip (granted, we were there for 2 weeks), we can go elsewhere, and now I'm thinking we may go elsewhere.... after our AP's expire. Sigh. It does make me sad, as DVC used to be so special to me.... note the past tense.

Now it's just a cheap(er) room (than it would otherwise be). DVC is now just a timeshare that has thankfully retained its value/principal, so that when or if I sell, I will not lose money.

But it's not longer my home away from home, which is super sad.

Maybe someone will read this and try to get the culture and customer service back to what it used to be... maybe not. Here's to hoping.

 

[Imkarlawithak2005]

Thank you for echoing my sentiments.

Here's an example-- My brother, an SSR owner, just upgraded to an AP on his 6 day ticket PH on his last day at DIsney (today).

They REFUSED to upgrade him starting today (he is texting me furiously as I type)m but instead backdated his AP to the first day he entered the park.

In other words, his AP ends next year on October 3rd, the first day he entered the park this year, instead of ending TODAY next year, October 11, the day he upgraded. He said they were being SUPER rude to him at guest services. Maybe I was wrong with my advice to him on telling him to upgrade on his last day, but ??? isn't it supposed to be the day that up upgrade as the last day of your AP? It's just so upsetting to have little rugs pulled out from under you and feel so incredibly nickel and dimed.

Like I said, the room is nice and cheap and a fixed cost. But the experience is no longer... wonderful. And it's not just me. It's all my Disney regular friends and family, some DVC and some are not DVC. For the ones who are NOT DVC, the cost is skyrocketing and they are doing swan/dolphin, Lake Buena Vista hotels, etc, but they are also now questioning the value.

Shrug. I'm a little sad, but for the $8k I just dropped on this most recent trip (granted, we were there for 2 weeks), we can go elsewhere, and now I'm thinking we may go elsewhere.... after our AP's expire. Sigh. It does make me sad, as DVC used to be so special to me.... and I felt valued.

Now it's just a cheap(er) room (than it would otherwise be). Yes, DVC is just a timeshare that has thankfully retained its value/principal, so that when or if I sell, I will not lose money. But it's not longer my home away from home, which is super sad.

When we upgraded a park hopper to an AP it was retroactive to the first date we entered the park. We upgraded midway through on a blackout date. They let us in for the blackout date but the AP was effective the first date the park hopper was used.

The rudeness is not acceptable though.