Current free gift for touring DVC?

[CarolynFH]

LOL, this thread brings back memories! We visited the original preview center at OKW in 1994 and got ice cream and the photo that’s now my avatar. Our next visit to a DVC preview center was in 1997, when we walked into the one at BWV, intending to buy, and walked out with a heavy canvas tote (required for carrying the heavy 3-4” ring binder full of purchase documents and owners’ manual including points charts)!

 

[Hayla]

I came to ask the same thing, since we will be there next week with family who are not members. When they toured 8 years ago, they gave us each 7 fast passes and gave everyone ice cream. It was great. I'm sad that it won't be worth it this time. They considered joining.

 

[Mle8308]

I came to ask the same thing, since we will be there next week with family who are not members. When they toured 8 years ago, they gave us each 7 fast passes and gave everyone ice cream. It was great. I'm sad that it won't be worth it this time. They considered joining.

If they are serious about joining/buying, does no free FP and an ice cream really matter in the overall scheme of things? If they do buy, they will get the new holiday MagicBand slider. You as well if you are blue card.

 

[Mle8308]

Can’t believe how cheap they have got. When we bought we got fast passes, dole whip (at poly), a nice tote bag. We always get that email or call to come do a tour when we are there and get a “gift”. Once we found out it was a print it was a definite no.

I actually think it's a smart idea to not offer a lot of swag for a tour. A lot of people would do a tour simply for the "gifts" and waste the guide's time, they never had any intention of purchasing. It helps screen out true buyers from people who just want free stuff.

 

[chuff88]

I did my "tour" on DCL, which is also when I ended up purchasing. I got a backpack and a whole bunch of random swag (chapsticks, pop sockets, a string bag, etc.) right after I completed my purchase, and then I got mailed the water bottle and the cooling towel. A baseball cap would be great, but between Castaway Club and ABD trips I have so many backpacks that I'm fine not getting any more. I forgot to stop at the kiosks on our recent trip though, I'm still not used to being a member. I did remember to get my discounts though!

 

[DVCjj]

Wow! What happened to the fantastic heavy blue decorated canvas tote bag (not cheap) I got with my 2014 Resale BCV purchase?!
Then 4 months later bought Poly direct and got another one!

They sure have cheapened up (what else is new?) on the welcome gift.

 

[TexasChick123]

I just went to the DVC room at VGC. I got a lightweight backpack, some lanyards, some chapsticks, and a collectible Disneyland coin just for stopping by. They were so happy to give it to me. It was a great experience.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Yup, still have the DVC backpack in one of my storage rooms somewhere. The DVC Store still sends you one of theirs if you buy resale. I think I have four of those.

We bought 1resale contract from dvc store about 3 years ago and didn’t get anything from them

 

[DonMacGregor]

Wow! What happened to the fantastic heavy blue decorated canvas tote bag (not cheap) I got with my 2014 Resale BCV purchase?!
Then 4 months later bought Poly direct and got another one!

They sure have cheapened up (what else is new?) on the welcome gift.

They are still giving out the backpacks. I have three, the most recent being one I got in February of this year. They are transitioning to the cooling towel and water bottle gift set now, which I kinda like since I already have 3 backpacks I don't use.

 

[DVCjj]

They are still giving out the backpacks. I have three, the most recent being one I got in February of this year. They are transitioning to the cooling towel and water bottle gift set now, which I kinda like since I already have 3 backpacks I don't use.

I saw the backpack on Disney visitors. They can’t compare to the quality of when they gave the totes. Glad you like the water bottle/cooling towel. I would not be. .

 

[DonMacGregor]

I saw the backpack on Disney visitors. They can’t compare to the quality of when they gave the totes. Glad you like the water bottle/cooling towel. I would not be. .

I guess I really don't care what they give me, and if they gave me nothing it wouldn't really matter. I didn't buy a DVC contract to get a freebie I likely won't ever use because even if it is practical, I probably already own one that's better and that I picked out myself. I bought a $750,000 house several years back (not a flex, that's just what they cost here) and all I got was 2 front door keys and a garage remote.

ETA: I do remember a neighbor who was complaining they didn't get a really nice Toll Brothers door mat like the guy across the street did, not realizing that the other house was a model home and the mat was left over from when the garage was part of the sales office. So I guess I DID get gypped!

 

[wdw4rfam]

I actually think it's a smart idea to not offer a lot of swag for a tour. A lot of people would do a tour simply for the "gifts" and waste the guide's time, they never had any intention of purchasing. It helps screen out true buyers from people who just want free stuff.

Very true. I remember back then all the planning website’s telling people to do tours for the free stuff even if you have no intention of buying

 

[CarolynFH]

I actually think it's a smart idea to not offer a lot of swag for a tour. A lot of people would do a tour simply for the "gifts" and waste the guide's time, they never had any intention of purchasing. It helps screen out true buyers from people who just want free stuff.

Very true. I remember back then all the planning website’s telling people to do tours for the free stuff even if you have no intention of buying

That's the standard timeshare solicitation model - offer some kind of gift in exchange for the person's time listening to the sales talk. They know that only a small percentage will buy, and the cost of the gifts is built into the marketing budget (which of course is paid for out of sales). So don't feel bad about "taking advantage" of the free stuff - they expect it.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

That's the standard timeshare solicitation model - offer some kind of gift in exchange for the person's time listening to the sales talk. They know that only a small percentage will buy, and the cost of the gifts is built into the marketing budget (which of course is paid for out of sales). So don't feel bad about "taking advantage" of the free stuff - they expect it.

Stuff like fast passes and gift cards don’t cost Disney anything anyway. Giving a giftcard is similar to the 25% off they have going right now on shopdisney. And the backpacks they give out cost them pennies. Go on temu and see how much that stuff costs from China. And they get it even cheaper because they negotiate deals. The backpacks are the cheapest form of advertising they could possibly get anyway. Imagine. People walk around advertising your product for free and you didn’t even have to pay them anything for it. We are the fools doing the free advertising. The fact that Disney isn’t giving out anything anymore just shows how— let’s put it nicely- “unintelligent” their management team is.

 

[tjkraz]

Stuff like fast passes and gift cards don’t cost Disney anything anyway. Giving a giftcard is similar to the 25% off they have going right now on shopdisney. And the backpacks they give out cost them pennies. Go on temu and see how much that stuff costs from China. And they get it even cheaper because they negotiate deals. The backpacks are the cheapest form of advertising they could possibly get anyway. Imagine. People walk around advertising your product for free and you didn’t even have to pay them anything for it. We are the fools doing the free advertising. The fact that Disney isn’t giving out anything anymore just shows how— let’s put it nicely- “unintelligent” their management team is.

DVC has never been stingy about giving out things like backpacks, string bags and baseball caps to members, so I'm not sure why that's even a topic. I got a DVC bag on my last Disney cruise earlier this year. It came in handy at Castaway Cay...then went in the trash. Was also given one by Disneyland sales rep in 2022.

Giving DVC merch to non-members as touring incentives is pointless because very few people who are not members would want to carry around a "Disney Vacation Club" bag. Also if asked about DVC by another guest, they either wouldn't know anything or would proceed to tell the questioner why they chose not to buy.

DVC has given out gift cards in the past. There's never been a standing offer. I assume they have internal reasons for deciding when / where to offer such incentives.

As for things like FastPasses and Genie+, those are limited resources which Disney has always valued internally. If you get too generous with items like that, suddenly it becomes a headliner in clickbait YouTube videos and web searches under the heading of "Want to get Genie+ for free on your next Disney trip? Here's how!!" Meanwhile, they tie-up sales resources with non-prospects touring for the gifts.

You may get the occasional "I splurged on DVC after touring to get Genie+ for free." But DVC knows what its closing percents are. Pretty simple to use feedback from sales reps to track how activity changes in response to a variety of incentives. If your staff spends too much time catering to non-prospects, you end up missing better candidates. Or your administrative / promotional costs go up, defeating the purpose of the incentive.

 

[Torontogal]

They give you a coupon for a Dole Whip at Tangaroa Terrace if you tour the Aulani preview rooms at DLH. Not sure about the VDH rooms.

How did you get that monorail at the bottom? Love it!

 

[DonMacGregor]

How did you get that monorail at the bottom? Love it!

It's just an animated GIF. You can insert them in your signature just like any other image file.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

In September, after touring a 2-bedroom villa at Animal Kingdom Villas - Jambo House, we received a gold stamped coin, with logos of most of the DVC resorts.