Saturday Night Rant (and Friday too)

[ExRIGuy]

"2. Unbooked DVC rooms 60 days prior to check-in are made available to CRO. Again, profit goes as a credit to member dues."

As to #2, I did not know this, and if you say Disney doesn't somehow profit --and that all the funds, net small service fees, are applied towards dues -- then great.

But, still, let's not ignore reality in the pixie dust Disney fog (which I do buy into, and escape reality in, like many here) -- the points charts ARE out of balance with demand. Some folks have made the comment that lowering weekends would make weekend availability disappear. Others have all the time in the world to go mid-week. I don't, and I pay dues too. It was my underlying understanding when I bought DVC and knew that points charts were fluid that Disney would strive to equalize vacancy rates. Surely, there is a number between 33 and 99 points (HH 2br Sat v Sun night) that would equalize vacancy rates, and let those of us who aren't as free as a bird mid-week off-peak enjoy a weekend stay. Again, when the CM says to me "which Saturday night do you want" as to HH but "there are no Sun-Thur" nights available, then I say to myself something is wrong with the system. If HH averages a 15% vacancy rate during a particular season, for example, then points should be charted to strive for that number for each day of the week to the extent possible. Right now it's 100% booked weekdays with waiting lists -- all summer! -- and vacant as whatever % it is (sounds like a much lower number from the way the CM described it) on Saturdays. THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE, NOT PRESUMABLY WITH THE DATA THAT DVC HAS AVAILABLE TO IT. I'm not saying it should be reversed, merely balanced.

 

[tmk0730]

I think the best advice is to look at the point charts as weekly requirements. And if you like, you can then think "how nice that they have lower points for the week nights vs the weekend nights"!

It's all perspective...and certainly nothing to get steamed about. It's not like they changed the charts after we joined!

This is how we look at it. We look at the point charts for the entire week stay. Since we like to vacation for an entire week. Also, very good point about if the points were low for the weekends some people (I know we would!) stay for two weekends which might mess up availibility. When I look at the charts I just look at the week stay.

 

[tjkraz]

But, still, let's not ignore reality in the pixie dust Disney fog (which I do buy into, and escape reality in, like many here) -- the points charts ARE out of balance with demand.

No "fog" here. I was simply responding to your allegation that Disney has a financial interest in structuring the points the way they have. I never said that they were properly balanced.

Personally I think there are even more important imbalances currently in the seasons DVC uses. Some room classes are fully booked 11 months TO THE DAY from some early-December dates, yet that period remains in Adventure season. I think that's crazy.

As for the weekdays / weekends, it's difficult to do anything more than speculate. For instance, I tried to get a cash discounted 2B at OKW for a Saturday night during a slow period in early February. There were none offered. That tells me that DVC was expecting 100% occupancy that night.

Certainly there are weekends that will have higher points demand than others, but that doesn't justify throwing the proverbial baby out with the bath water.

The point charts were reorganized one, I believe back in 1996. From what I've been told, during those changes DVC RAISED the weekend point requirements. In lieu of any overwhelming financial justification for making this change, one can only assume it was driven by member booking trends. Whether those trends hold true today is the most debatable subject, IMO. Given that DVC has the ability to change the charts, I assume they will at some point the future to correct inconsistencies in the current system. But at the same time, I don't expect DVC to be willy-nilly in making those changes. More than anything I believe members value consistency. I don't think people would be pleased with a system in which their preferred dates / room costs 120 pts when they buy, then changes to 140 pts a few years later, then down to 130, etc.

 

[Granny]

I disagree with the "you knew going in" line. True. But, with that said, you don't mind humongous weekend point rates that deter us from using the resorts so Disney can grab $900 a night for them?

No, it has never bothered me a bit. I agree with Carol and others who agree that weekends need to be quite "expensive" to keep the "long weekend reservations" down. I'm sure you are aware that traditional timeshares are sold in weekly increments, and it was this mindset that we used when buying and deciding on how many points to buy. So far we have stayed anywhere from 5 to 13 nights and while we are mindful of the weekends we don't let the point schedule dictate our vacation if we need particular dates.

Do you think this money is honestly used to offset our costs?

I honestly don't know. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into, researched it and was aware that at times the weekend nights might be more available since some members (not us) move out of DVC over the weekends or pay cash.

I think it's a bit of a slap in the face. Not "angry" mind you, just frustrated.

Really? I took the title of your thread which includes the word "rant" and figured you were angry. I know I would be angry, not frustrated, if "slapped in the face". But semantics aside, the tone of your post seemed to indicate that you thought Disney was ripping us off. I was just trying to explain why I disagree.

The points charts should reflect OUR demand habits, no?

The point charts probably DO reflect OUR demand habits. In general, people would probably have a higher demand for weekend nights if all points were equal for all nights. So the point schedule does reflect this, and has higher weekend points to discourage a high level of long-weekend-only trips.

Now you might say that they have gone overboard with the weekend night point premium, but that is not how you chose to position your issue. You positioned it as a "Disney is ripping us off" argument and we are just disagreeing.

For what it's worth, I see your point. But I do believe that if they didn't have a steep increase in weekend points then DVC owners living within 200 miles of WDW would make it a frequent weekend destination and cause availability issues in the other direction.

I think the topic is interesting, and worth discussing. Just don't agree with the Greedy Disney premise, though I'm sure that financial considerations are part of the entire equation.

 

[PamOKW]

While we are lucky to have the option to use our DVC as we chose -- one night, ten nights, whatever -- the basis is to allow one week stays. If points were equal or less for the weekends, DVC discovered that people who lived an easy distance would book weekend stays only. (I know I probably would if I lived there.). It would be very difficult for people to get entire weeks when Fri-Sat were in much bigger demand than the rest of the week.

The idea of adding the whole week together and averaging is how I like to look at. I also look at it that I bought DVC to stay DVC. I'm not sure why this type of thinking hasn't moved into the rental market. Rather than charging "per point" to people who really don't have much of an idea what that "means", why don't people rent weeklong vacations at a price rather than charging "per point"? I never have understood the "per point" pricing to non-DVC'ers.

 

[ExRIGuy]

Granny:

1. I for one would love to be able to take long weekends and would be willing to pay an appropriately balanced point total for such. Can't DVC just adjust Sun and Mon or Thur to appropriately account for that? No? I'd love to do a poll to see who would prefer long weekends versus mid-week stays. As for greedy Disney, in my last post I conceded to the individual who states that Disney doesn't profit from cash reservations that I did not know that was the case. You are a bit late to be making the point, but why not beat it to death? If true, if weekend points are through the roof for purely altruistic reasons, then so be it. Skeptical, I must admit.

2. I'll let you know when I am angry, though I am impressed that you think you know me better than I know myself. Frustration = having a CM tell me that I can have just about any Sat night I want at HH for the summer, a few Fri-Sat night pairings, but in no way shape or form can I do a long weekend until mid-September. Where's the balance in that? Angry, no, let down and frustrated after having spent a lot of money on this "flexible" timeshare, yes.

No, it has never bothered me a bit. I agree with Carol and others who agree that weekends need to be quite "expensive" to keep the "long weekend reservations" down. I'm sure you are aware that traditional timeshares are sold in weekly increments, and it was this mindset that we used when buying and deciding on how many points to buy. So far we have stayed anywhere from 5 to 13 nights and while we are mindful of the weekends we don't let the point schedule dictate our vacation if we need particular dates.

I honestly don't know. Like I said, I knew what I was getting into, researched it and was aware that at times the weekend nights might be more available since some members (not us) move out of DVC over the weekends or pay cash.


Really? I took the title of your thread which includes the word "rant" and figured you were angry. I know I would be angry, not frustrated, if "slapped in the face". But semantics aside, the tone of your post seemed to indicate that you thought Disney was ripping us off. I was just trying to explain why I disagree.



The point charts probably DO reflect OUR demand habits. In general, people would probably have a higher demand for weekend nights if all points were equal for all nights. So the point schedule does reflect this, and has higher weekend points to discourage a high level of long-weekend-only trips.

Now you might say that they have gone overboard with the weekend night point premium, but that is not how you chose to position your issue. You positioned it as a "Disney is ripping us off" argument and we are just disagreeing.

For what it's worth, I see your point. But I do believe that if they didn't have a steep increase in weekend points then DVC owners living within 200 miles of WDW would make it a frequent weekend destination and cause availability issues in the other direction.

I think the topic is interesting, and worth discussing. Just don't agree with the Greedy Disney premise, though I'm sure that financial considerations are part of the entire equation.

 

[Figment2]

I am a member who does long weekends. I don't care what they cost as I bought DVC to stay DVC (and I don't like to move unless I absolutely have no choice). Friends and & usually go down for 2-3 long weekends every year (arrive Friday night and leave Monday or Tuesday). Plus we stay a week in late October arriving either Friday night or Saturday morning. So we're there over two weekends. I knew going in that weekends are higher but we don't care. How do we manage all these trips? Friends own DVC too so we take turns using points. Oh, and most of our trips are in a 1BR (2BR in Oct) since we love the extra space. I guess I'd rather conserve my vacation days from work more than my points.

I have to agree with others that Disney put the point structure together based on DVC travel habits. I know most members don't do the weekends but that's okay (for them). Too, I have met quite a few FL members who go for long weekends and don't mind the extra points (it is what it is and they bought DVC to stay DVC).

Cyn

 

[OKWKirt]

I totally agree with PamOKW, and others, that one reason for higher points on weekends is so we can reserve week long stays without weekends being taken for weekend trips. Something else that hasn't really come out is this is not a DVC thing but a timeshare thing. I own three other timeshares and they are all like this. I bet if Dean had replied all of his would be also. One of mine has three different points. The lowest is Mon-Wed, then Sun and Thur are a little higher, and then Fri and Sat the highest. My perfect trip to WDW would be 10 days Sun thru the following Tue with one weekend stay. We don't move out on weekends.