Category: DVC News

Disney Vacation Club News

Does DVC listen to it’s members?

I’m very glad I’m a member of the Disney Vacation Club, and I’m generally a happy member satisfied with the program. I’ve enjoyed many wonderful vacations. However, I’ve had a few negative experiences that prompted me to reach out to DVC.

From my experience, I’ve always been thanked for providing my feedback and told that the issue or suggestion would be looked into (you know, the standard response any customer service group starts with), but then… nothing. It leaves me wondering if my issue or suggestion ever goes anywhere and whether it receives any serious consideration.

Yet, on the other hand, when DVC makes an announcement of a change, it invariably prefaces it by saying the change is “in response to member feedback”, and sometimes I’m scratching my head thinking, huh? Did members really ask for this?

I’m not talking about a problem during a stay such as a dirty room or what not, as Disney usually responds well to those types of issues if you bring them to their attention during your stay. I’m talking about issues or suggestions that can’t be handled by a line manager, but someone higher up the food chain. I never hear back from anyone, outside of a standard form letter thanking me for contacting them.

The same thing seems to occur at the annual DVC member meeting. A member brings up an issue or suggestion, and the majority of them seem to get a “thank you” response, but little action. I know, as I’ve been to every annual meeting from 2007 onward.

I just experienced this at last month’s annual DVC member meeting. Some of you may know that I was doing some research into the history of the Disney Vacation Club. At the annual meeting, I had the opportunity to speak with Ken Potrock, Senior Vice President and General Manager of DVC, about this. I asked Ken about obtaining some photographs from the early days of DVC, and he agreed to do so, saying he’d put me in touch with a particular individual.

Well, that individual never contacted me, nor did Ken.

All I got was this email from DVC:

“Thank you for your interest in DISNEY VACATION CLUB history. The WALT DISNEY COMPANY® unfortunately isn’t able to share photo assets or individually support the large number of research requests it receives. We thank you again for your interest in DISNEY VACATION CLUB history, and we look forward to welcoming you home again soon.”

So disappointing. It’s just like all the other email responses I get.

If you’ve contacted DVC, either over the phone or using [email protected] or [email protected], do you feel your issue or suggestion was actually listened to?

Do you think DVC listens to its members?

Join the discussion in our DVC Discussion Forum or leave a reply here on this blog post.

Deciding whether or not to buy DVC

Go to any discussion forum or social networking site where the question of whether or not it’s a good idea to become a Disney Vacation Club member comes up, and chances are you’ll find people on both ends of the spectrum.

While you will hear from people who have rationally considered DVC and made the right decision based upon their specific situation, you’ll also hear others expressing extreme, polarizing opinions.

Some people bluntly state that DVC is wrong for everyone, and buying DVC is just plain stupid. Others say DVC is great for everyone. I see a lot of passion (and unfortunately ignorance) in these discussions, which typically turn into debates when people from both ends of the spectrum debate the question of DVC.

Obviously, DVC is not for everyone. Nor is becoming a DVC member a bad decision for everyone. Like many other things, the right answer to the question of whether or not someone should become a DVC member is “it depends” (I’ve covered some of my thoughts here.)

Since DVC is a major purchase, some people spend a lot of time thinking about the pros and cons, while others view it as a luxury purchase, have the cash and buy it because they want it.

One of the things you hear a DVC member say is: “I wish I would have joined sooner”. While some folks immediately join the Disney Vacation Club and become members, others need to think it over before purchasing. In fact, some give considerable time to working through the pros and cons of buying DVC. Their thought process may take hours, days or even months.

Some people never get over potential concerns or worries they have, and decline the opportunity to become DVC members. Others finally get comfortable with the program and move forward with a decision to buy in.

I thought this thread would be a good place to discuss what your concerns were before you joined. What were your concerns, and how long did these reservations about becoming a DVC member delay you signing on the dotted line? Why did you decide DVC was right for your family? For others who are right now facing the same decision of whether to join or not, how did you overcome your concerns?

If you are a prospective member who is considering DVC, what are your big questions? How are you working through the decision-making process?

Join in the discussion on our DVC discussion forum.

DVC Direct Sales Fall Again in 2015

Disney Vacation Club’s year-over-year sales fell again in 2015 – continuing a trend that started in 2012.

DVC Direct Sale Fall Again
DVC Direct Sale Fall Again

Looking at it by resort, sales at the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows haven’t even come close to the top sales periods fro Villas at the Grand Californian,  Bay Lake Tower, or Animal Kingdom Villas.

DVC Direct Sales 2010 to Present
DVC Direct Sales 2010 to Present

The latest sales figures are available here.

What do you think? Join the discussion here in our new DVC discussion forum.

Wilderness Lodge DVC Construction Continues

On December 22, 2015, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts filed two notices of commencement with the county related to the Wilderness Lodge “rehab”, also known as the DVC expansion.

The first notice was for the construction of 26 cabins (8001-8026).The expiration date of the notice is August 31, 2018.

Wilderness Lodge Dec 22 Notice of Commencement
Dec 22 Notice of Commencement

The addresses given are immediately before and after that of the Wilderness Lodge, which makes sense if these are the DVC cabins.

The expiration date of the notice is August 31, 2018.

The general contractor is DPR Construction. The architect is Glover Smith Bode (GSB), a company which also worked on Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Eagle Pines Resort DVC, Bay Lake Tower and Saratoga Springs. The civil engineer is listed as Atkins North America, a firm which worked on the Villas at the Grand Floridian.

The expiration date of the notice is August 31, 2018.

The second notice was for the “Wilderness Rehab – Interior & Exterior Renovation” and lists the address of the Wilderness Lodge. This likely is for the conversion of existing hotel rooms at the lodge to DVC units – similar to what was done at the Polynesian.

Wilderness Lodge Dec 22 Notice of Commencement
Wilderness Lodge Dec 22 Notice of Commencement

Orlando Theme Park News reported on December 27 that beginning in January 2016, select areas of the resort will be temporarily closed due to the refurbishment, including the rooms in the south wing, the Cub’s Den, and the South Wing and Lobby Elevators.

WL-Elevators

As a reminder, here is the plan Disney filed back in April 2015.

Wilderness Lodge DVC Expansion April 2015 plans
Wilderness Lodge DVC Expansion April 2015 plans

I visited the Wilderness Lodge a month ago, and the land was getting cleared. The quiet pool was gone.

Dec 11, 2015 Wilderness Lodge Photo
Dec 11, 2015 Wilderness Lodge Photo
Dec 11, 2015 Wilderness Lodge Photo
Dec 11, 2015 Wilderness Lodge Photo
Dec 11, 2015 Wilderness Lodge Photo
Dec 11, 2015 Wilderness Lodge Photo

We’ll keep an eye on the progress as time goes on.

What was the best DVC news of 2015? The Worst?

HappyLooking back on the year 2015, what were the highlights for you – from a DVC perspective? What event or announcement, if any, made you happy? Conversely, did anything happen that disappointed or even upset you?  Or, was 2015 a year where not much happened of interest to DVC members?

Looking through the history of DVC, there were some years where a lot of changes were made, and others when nothing happened. How would you rate 2015 – from a DVC perspective?

In case you’ve forgotten, 2015 saw:

  • The grand opening of the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows
  • A revamping of the member web site
  • The announcement of a DVC expansion at the Wilderness Lodge
  • Changes to the Annual Passes and prices
  • Announcement of new categories at Saratoga Springs in 2017
  • Villas at the Grand Floridian selling out

Add a comment here or on our Facebook page.

 

Celebrating 25 years and beyond

DVC 25 Years and beyond

DVC 25th anniversary – This morning, the Disney Vacation Club unveiled their plans for special events and discounts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of DVC.

Details are available at disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/25th-anniversary and dvcmember.disney.go.com/post/celebrating-25-years-and-beyond-20682

 

DVC 25th Anniversary Surprises

At the December 10, 2015 DVC Annual Meeting, Ken Potrock (the Senior Vice President and General Manager  of the Disney Vacation Club) told the audience that surprises will be in store for members during the 25th anniversary of DVC. He said we’d begin to learn more online starting January 4th.

DVC Surprises coming Jan 4
DVC Surprises coming Jan 4

Well, we are starting to see what sort of new experiences may be in store for members in 2016.

The DVCMember web site has a printable version of member perks, and the Walt Disney World one mentions “Disney Vacation Club 25 and Beyond Bash with an exclusive, after-hours event at the Magic Kingdom”.

25 and Beyond Bash
25 and Beyond Bash

Expected surprises include:

  • Disney Vacation Club 25 and Beyond Bash: An exclusive after-hours event at the Magic Kingdom Park. The first dates are rumored for late February and early March with reservations opening in mid-January.
  • Disney Vacation Club Neighborhood Beach Bash: After-hours access to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park where they can experience exclusive access to attractions and beach party entertainment. Reservations open in April 8 with dates in June and July.
  • Disney Vacation Club Safari Spectacular: Go wild with fellow members during this exclusive event at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. When the sun goes down, members and their guests will revel in an after dark look at some of the park’s star inhabitants enjoy access to select attractions. Dates in September with reservations opening in July.
  • Member Lounge in Epcot: Coming this spring, a new member lounge in Future World at Epcot.

We’ll see what other things pop up on the member web site starting January 4th. Shortly thereafter, members should receive something in the mail from DVC with details about all the 25th anniversary events – along with their new DVC membership card.

 

DVC Contract Foreclosure Sales

On the heels of an article by Wil Lovato on the sale of DVC deeds at public foreclosure auctions comes this morning’s article in the Orlando Sentinel.

Disney Vacation Club foreclosures attract interest

Hundreds of Disney Vacation Club contracts go to foreclosure sales each year.

December 28, 2015 | Orlando Sentinel | Sandra Pedicini

Disney advertises ownership in its time-share resorts as “vacations you never outgrow.” If the vacations outgrow their owners’ bank accounts, though, the properties can end up in foreclosure.

Orange County’s foreclosure auctions each year include hundreds of Disney Vacation Club deeds, as owners walk away from or can’t pay their loans or annual assessments. Disney often ends up getting the contracts back, but a small group of entrepreneurs wins some of them.

Foreclosures are not uncommon in the time share world. The default rate for time-share loans last year was 6.3 percent, according to the American Resort Development Association, an industry trade group. Disney did not provide its default rate but says it is “significantly less,” and that the number of annual auctions makes up only about half of 1 percent of its membership of more than 200,000.

Still, that there is any significant number of foreclosures surprises some in the industry because Disney time shares are known for their high resale value.

“I’m shocked and surprised,” said Chris Skeldon, vice president of sales for Fidelity Real Estate, which resells time shares from companies including Disney Vacation Club. “I think virtually anyone who’s in foreclosure with a Disney property, the vast majority of them have options they may not know about.”

Read the complete article at orlandosentinel.com