What is included/discounted with DVC

[Disneymom418]

Looking into purchasing DVC. Is this price solely for the room? Do we purchase park tickets on our own? Are park tickets discounted? Fast passes?
Magic express still included at airport?

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Yes, it is solely for the share in a timeshare.

Currently, if you purchase from Disney, you are able to also purchase discounted tickets. But that can change at any time. It is really here one day and possibly gone the next.

You are able to book fastpasses as though you were on site. And you can book and use Magical Express.

 

[Lynne M]

You're purchasing the right to use your points to reserve villas in DVC resorts, subject to availability, for the life of your contract. That's all that your contract guarantees. Anything and everything else - use of third-party exchange options, discounts offered by other divisions of Disney (park passes, etc) or outside companies - is subject to change or termination at any time, whether you buy direct or resale.

Perks like Magical Express, the FP+ booking window, charging to your room, access to EMH, you get by being a registered guest of a Disney resort. Doesn't matter how you reserve your resort, whether it's a cash booking or a DVC reservation, you're still a guest of a Disney resort.

 

[zavandor]

Perks like Magical Express, the FP+ booking window, charging to your room, access to EMH, you get by being a registered guest of a Disney resort. Doesn't matter how you reserve your resort, whether it's a cash booking or a DVC reservation, you're still a guest of a Disney resort.

Reading your post, in which you list the perks for being a member that could be removed at any time, separated from the list of benefits for onsite guests made me think...
Theorically DVC guests could be excluded from on site benefits as well. They could restrict us to 30 days for FP+ and exclude us from EMH. It is highly unlikely, but it could happen. If Disney decides the timeshare market is not lucrative enough and shuts down DVD, why should they continue to give DVC resorts onsite benefits for the remaining of the lease?

 

[OutNChiTown]

When I first bought in, everyone kept on telling me to buy for the room, don't buy for the benefits. No matter what benefit is out there right now, it can go away just as quickly as they add it.

With that said, there's usually some sort of rolling benefit for DVC Members who bought with DVC or bought resale before 2016. Right now, they do include park ticket discounts, saving at some of the restaurants and some other interesting and cool benefits.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

While everyone gets a bit gooey-eyed about the current ticket discounts, it's good to remember that early purchasers regularly got free length of stay tickets, free valet parking, etc. etc. So it very much supports the idea of not buying for benefits.

The current discounts are okay and all, but they ain't free length of stay tickets, KWIM?

 

[crisi]

Reading your post, in which you list the perks for being a member that could be removed at any time, separated from the list of benefits for onsite guests made me think...
Theorically DVC guests could be excluded from on site benefits as well. They could restrict us to 30 days for FP+ and exclude us from EMH. It is highly unlikely, but it could happen. If Disney decides the timeshare market is not lucrative enough and shuts down DVD, why should they continue to give DVC resorts onsite benefits for the remaining of the lease?

They certainly could. When the dining plan first came out, it wasn't available to DVC. Generally, the ability to add dining plan/ME is added on the CRO side first, and released, then added to the DVC side. I'd bet its a systems release thing - they do the development with the CRO systems and since the DVC systems are a separate integration, we get added later. I've long been of the opinion that if Disney wants to put a dent in the DVC rental market, they make ME and the Dining Plan only available to a room booked in conjunction with a member stay. (i.e. if you book two studios and are staying in one, both get benefits - if you let your son use your points while you stay home, he'll need to grab a cab from the airport and pay OOP for meals).

 

[disneynutz]

Benefits change with a change in DVD/DVC management and it does change. Also the more cash that DVD/DVC brings in the better their position to negotiate deals and discounts not directly under their control.

Bill

 

[SPLzero]

They certainly could. When the dining plan first came out, it wasn't available to DVC. Generally, the ability to add dining plan/ME is added on the CRO side first, and released, then added to the DVC side. I'd bet its a systems release thing - they do the development with the CRO systems and since the DVC systems are a separate integration, we get added later. I've long been of the opinion that if Disney wants to put a dent in the DVC rental market, they make ME and the Dining Plan only available to a room booked in conjunction with a member stay. (i.e. if you book two studios and are staying in one, both get benefits - if you let your son use your points while you stay home, he'll need to grab a cab from the airport and pay OOP for meals).

Was this before Food & fun? I miss the old Food & Fun Plan days!

 

[crisi]

Was this before Food & fun? I miss the old Food & Fun Plan days!

No, this was the first few months of the current (version 1) Dining Plan. I can't remember if DVCers could get Food and Fun (or if they could get all plans - there have been times when we could get some plans but not others.)

 

[mustinjourney]

They certainly could. When the dining plan first came out, it wasn't available to DVC. Generally, the ability to add dining plan/ME is added on the CRO side first, and released, then added to the DVC side. I'd bet its a systems release thing - they do the development with the CRO systems and since the DVC systems are a separate integration, we get added later. I've long been of the opinion that if Disney wants to put a dent in the DVC rental market, they make ME and the Dining Plan only available to a room booked in conjunction with a member stay. (i.e. if you book two studios and are staying in one, both get benefits - if you let your son use your points while you stay home, he'll need to grab a cab from the airport and pay OOP for meals).

I disagree that DVD looks at the rental market as a bad thing. Having people at the resorts increases ticket revenues, as well as food/drink and souvenirs...and those are all high margin items. Plus, first time renters are much more likely to spend more money in the parks/resorts as compared to those of us that have been to the parks multiple times already. Especially compared to members that have APs.

Not to mention, if renters have good experiences renting points, a decent percentage of them are going to eventually sign up for DVC themselves. Sure, they'll likely buy resale since they are more aware of that option than the normal person, but they're still worth more to Disney per person than a stale DVC owner.

 

[crisi]

I disagree that DVD looks at the rental market as a bad thing. Having people at the resorts increases ticket revenues, as well as food/drink and souvenirs...and those are all high margin items. Plus, first time renters are much more likely to spend more money in the parks/resorts as compared to those of us that have been to the parks multiple times already. Especially compared to members that have APs.

Not to mention, if renters have good experiences renting points, a decent percentage of them are going to eventually sign up for DVC themselves. Sure, they'll likely buy resale since they are more aware of that option than the normal person, but they're still worth more to Disney per person than a stale DVC owner.

I didn't say that they did. But common sense says that they do. People staying in their hotel rooms give them all that, PLUS they get one of the industries biggest markups on the room. Their profit margin on hotel rooms is huge. If they don't see DVC rentals as a problem, they are really bad business people. But to date, it isn't a big enough problem for them to take action on. When it does, expect onsite perks for non-members staying on points to go away, since that is their point of leverage.

The decision to go to Disney and buy food, tickets and souvenirs is generally independent of the availability of a DVC rental. People might choose to stay offsite instead - which is why Disney offers special perks to onsite guests. They aren't offering Extra Magic Hours so people will stay in a DVC unit - they offer Extra Magic Hours so you don't stay in the Holiday Inn.

 

[CarolMN]

They certainly could. When the dining plan first came out, it wasn't available to DVC. Generally, the ability to add dining plan/ME is added on the CRO side first, and released, then added to the DVC side. I'd bet its a systems release thing - they do the development with the CRO systems and since the DVC systems are a separate integration, we get added later. I've long been of the opinion that if Disney wants to put a dent in the DVC rental market, they make ME and the Dining Plan only available to a room booked in conjunction with a member stay. (i.e. if you book two studios and are staying in one, both get benefits - if you let your son use your points while you stay home, he'll need to grab a cab from the airport and pay OOP for meals).

IMO, Disney/DVC would have a difficult time picking and choosing who gets ME. The resorts fund ME, which means for the DVC resorts, member dues pay for it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

To exclude ME, they'd have to do something like one of my local cities did: Exclude ME charges from dues, much as the city made streetlamp maintenance separate from property tax and frontage tax.

So long as dues are part of the ME operating income, they can't exclude DVC stays. Realistically, they wouldn't want to exclude DVC from ME for that reason. One of the reasons conversions of existing resort space to DVC is so financially compelling to DVC is it provides a guaranteed revenue stream for recurring expenses, some of which scale to occupancy (like ME) and others that are more fixed expenses (pool maintenance is pretty much the same costs whether your resort is half full or overbooked).

 

[crisi]

To exclude ME, they'd have to do something like one of my local cities did: Exclude ME charges from dues, much as the city made streetlamp maintenance separate from property tax and frontage tax.

So long as dues are part of the ME operating income, they can't exclude DVC stays. Realistically, they wouldn't want to exclude DVC from ME for that reason. One of the reasons conversions of existing resort space to DVC is so financially compelling to DVC is it provides a guaranteed revenue stream for recurring expenses, some of which scale to occupancy (like ME) and others that are more fixed expenses (pool maintenance is pretty much the same costs whether your resort is half full or overbooked).

Did they add them as part of dues? They used to be a Disney Marketing expense out of the corporate parks division - logic being apparently that a captive consumer base was worth the transportation costs (and the hit to Universal when people didn't have cars to spend a day or two there).

 

[zebsterama]

Question: If i purchased a VGF resale contract first and then added a 50 point direct contract after - am I entitled to the same residual benefits? Specifically ticket/dining discounts and member rooftop fireworks experiences (etc.). I know I can't book cruises - but are the other benefits in tact? Also I've heard it's hard to buy a small direct contract at VGF -- how hard is it really?? Thanks!

If we buy, it will likely be VGF or Poly -- we'd love BWL or BCV ... but if we're going to put down the $$ might as well get a longer contract length.

Once again the family is wrestling with the idea of joining DVC.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Asmall add on entitles you to discounts. They haven't wait list for VGF and matching UY may be difficult.

Question: If i purchased a VGF resale contract first and then added a 50 point direct contract after - am I entitled to the same residual benefits? Specifically ticket/dining discounts and member rooftop fireworks experiences (etc.). I know I can't book cruises - but are the other benefits in tact? Also I've heard it's hard to buy a small direct contract at VGF -- how hard is it really?? Thanks!

If we buy, it will likely be VGF or Poly -- we'd love BWL or BCV ... but if we're going to put down the $$ might as well get a longer contract length.

Once again the family is wrestling with the idea of joining DVC.

 

[Dean]

I disagree that DVD looks at the rental market as a bad thing. Having people at the resorts increases ticket revenues, as well as food/drink and souvenirs...and those are all high margin items. Plus, first time renters are much more likely to spend more money in the parks/resorts as compared to those of us that have been to the parks multiple times already. Especially compared to members that have APs.

Not to mention, if renters have good experiences renting points, a decent percentage of them are going to eventually sign up for DVC themselves. Sure, they'll likely buy resale since they are more aware of that option than the normal person, but they're still worth more to Disney per person than a stale DVC owner.

They do look at it as a bad thing to a degree overall. They assume, correctly so, that the rooms will be filled and that those in the rooms will spend a certain amount of money for the things you mention. They know those rentals are in direct competition to cash rooms. Now if they were to mine those rentals for direct sales, they might take an overall different stance, but they don't. Some that rent will buy but not enough to offset the negatives with their current approach.

 

[Brian Noble]

Looking into purchasing DVC. Is this price solely for the room? Do we purchase park tickets on our own? Are park tickets discounted? Fast passes?
Magic express still included at airport?

DVC is very simple. In exchange for a making a long-term commitment to vacationing regularly in DVC lodging (and front-loading some of your costs), Disney discounts that lodging. That's it. There is nothing else to it.