So, a few nights ago, Jerry Sydow from the DVC Store, Paul Krieger, and I did a live stream Q&A on our DVC Fan Facebook Group. I knew that the topic of coronavirus would come up, and I knew there would be some upset members looking for answers. I had no idea how bad it was, though – and the anger of the members joining us in the live chat room was palpable.
Why is everyone so angry, you ask? Well, there are a few reasons. First – what little direct communication there has been from DVC has routinely been contradictory. An email says one thing, member services says another, and the website says something else altogether. No one knows what to believe or whats going on. That’s a really bad situation to have in the midst of a global crisis.
Second – People who used banked points for canceled trips are going to lose them, and with very few exceptions, DVC has offered nothing more than “we’re evaluating the situation” as a response. They’ve been ‘evaluating’ for three weeks and have yet to do anything.
Third – future availability concerns. People are (understandably) concerned that they will have to spend more points for larger villas resulting from decreased availability on future trips. Many suggestions have been made, including relaxing the amount of points required to book moderate resorts. While not ideal, it would alleviate some of the issues.
In addition to this, members who are being financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have reached out to Disney to ask if loan payments can be deferred. They have been met with a clear and unequivocal NO. At least there’s one thing about this situation they’ll be clear and unequivocal about.
But, what really got to me was a story shared with me by a member, Britany Lynn. I asked her to write out her experience, and I’m sharing it here with her permission:
Disney Vacation Club: Missing the mark during COVID-19 by Brittany Lynn There is a major disconnect within the Walt Disney company. You hear of upper management taking pay cuts, offers being extended to cash bookings to Disney World and Disneyland, all incredible gestures, but go talk to a Disney Vacation Club Member for their Disney experience during this horrible pandemic. Now yes, there are some stories where everything is magical and members whose trips are impacted by COVID-19, have a happy ending, but overall this is not the case. Reading through Facebook groups & posts, many members are being faced with tough decisions and some decisions that are completely out of their hands. I come from a DVC family. My parents bought back in 1992 at Conch Flats (now Old Key West) and my fiance and I bought direct from Disney in 2018 a contract at Old Key West, too. When we purchased these points, it was strategically planned to go towards our honeymoon which is set for this July. We banked and borrowed to get a week at the Grand Californian, a dream for us being that I have been to Disney World 50+ times but never out west. Our wedding is planned for the end of June and with everything going on in the country and the world, we have taken steps to come up with back up plans. We have been planning our wedding and honeymoon since December 2018, so neither are things we have taken lightly. Once I read about the rules via email from DVC and people’s experiences I decided I had to reach out myself. Now the phone lines over at DVC are insane and unbelievably hard to get through--which is understandable, so I turned to the live chat feature on dvc.com. When chatting online I explain the situation. We do not want to cancel but because of the situation of the country and world we may be forced to do so. I was basically told there is nothing, not even a supervisor can do to help the situation. Because my points were used at a Disney Collection Resort, I have to use them by December 1, 2020. No remorse, no supervisor to talk to, just a use them [points] or lose them mentality. Even when I asked what if there is nothing available because everyone is rebooking, and was told, “if nothing is available, we can’t make something available.” True. But you can extend my points into my next use year (because my parents have had that happen before). So I asked about that option and was told, “I understand, and yes in the past under normal circumstances we could look at things on a case by case basis. But this is not coming from our supervisors. It is coming from above them. We have been limited on what we can do. That includes our supervisors.” I just find it hard to believe that the people, us Members, who have committed to vacationing with Disney for 40, 50+ years, are unable to be helped. None of us asked for this. No one wanted their trips, family reunions, birthdays, honeymoons, or weddings cancelled. We are all going through a complete low in our lives, and the one thing us Members find hope, solace, and comfort in is Disney. But Disney isn’t there for us right now. I understand that they don’t want us all booking at the same time so they can’t just give our points back and they have rules to follow, too. I get all of that. But there is NOTHING they can do? There is no way to make this situation better. At least if they gave us another year to use our points and the availability was low, we can say, they worked with us but it just didn’t work out. Instead they are potentially giving me four months to rebook my honeymoon, with already low availability, while I am trying to rebook a wedding, and I am a teacher. I know I am not alone in this feeling. I am already confused, anxious, and nervous about other aspects of my life and now my vacation--not just any vacation--my honeymoon is giving me more stress than I should have to carry. Shouldn’t Members be a priority? From talking to other Disney fans, Disney World and Disney Cruise Line have been wonderful to work with...so why not DVC? Why isn’t Disney taking care of the people who have committed to them?
There may be real reasons why certain things can’t be done. Few, if any of us, genuinely know the full scope of timeshare laws in Florida. Whatever the case, or whatever the reason – it is time for DVC to address these issues, explain what can or cannot be done and definitively, with one voice let members know that they actually care about these issues. I’m not talking about the “We here at DVC care about our members” bullshit that we’ve been getting. I’m talking about communication that outlines the various concerns directly and what is being done about them – and if nothing can be done, explain why. While I’m certain their intent (or the reality) is not that they are petulantly refusing to act in an effort to preserve their revenue streams- they need to understand that their lack of communication or consideration is being interpreted that way by more and more members every day. If nothing else, they should be aware that potential members are watching this play out. If they are concerned about revenue, they better start thinking longer-term because more than a few people that were on the fence about DVC are starting to say ‘no thanks’.
We’ve all been asking the question, “what will WDW be like when this is all over?” I think DVC has to start asking themselves the same question. You did yourself no favors with the general membership with the resale restrictions. This situation is going to make that look like a garden party.
Step up.
Wonderful article that captures what’s really going on in the community. I’m only slightly affect with the possibility of 19 points and I’ve come to terms with that. But my heart breaks for families like the one above who have been banking and borrowing to plan their dream vacation.
DVC member since 2009,
My main resort is AKL and I bought 50 extra at the Floridian (with I could take those back). Every year I regret more and more of becoming a member as it becomes more and more expensive. Tickets are insane, discounts go down and annual dues go up more then inflation. I emailed last year and they didn’t bother replying. My wife and I make good money, and luckily can afford the increase, but that doesn’t make it right. It blows my mind that they keep opening new DVC resorts as the value goes down every year, so I feel bad for new members.
The reason that Cruise line and Disney world is getting service is that all Disney cares about is money. And they do not lose money from DVC members as it is already committed. They don’t care about the lifetime commitment – or that on average I still spend more money on trips buying extras like dining plans and special events.
Be a good person and now Discourage people from buying in.
Life isn’t fair. The sooner you learn that the better off you will be.
I had to cancel a trip and now I have 185 points that will expire end of August I can not use them I put them up of rental sites but have had no action and that is understandable. I am on the fence I don’t want any problems in the future booking but when I made this reservation coved-19 did not even exist. Bc Disney makes us plan so far in advance we are forced to tie up points 7-11 months out and so much can change. We don’t have choice since nothing would be available 2-3 months out. Going forward I believe this is very damaging to the value of dvc. We are forced to tie up points and money so far in advance that if things get canceled last minute we are left holding the bag. Where has a cash payer can unwind their trip very easily. I While I am ok with losing this trip bc of what is going on going forward when I make another reservation in the fall for spring I am again going to be committing banked points and who knows if next spring this is still not going on and outbreaks are popping up and things get canceled again. Dvc might have worked well for the last 25ish years but things change and now their processes are not working very well. I wonder even for us Disney people if things will change and we will won’t want to commit to things so far in advance with out any recourse. I don’t know what the answer is but I do know the model is now broken and us the members need to push for changes.
I don’t borrow because I know that “life happens” and I didn’t want to be in this situation. I feel really bad for Disney. People are acting like COVID-19 is their fault. If people feel Disney should have planned for this, then maybe when they bought their contract, those people should have asked some really important questions about how their contracts work and how much leverage does the state of Florida give them and not just worry about “where to buy”.
I had April Resv’s with borrowed point and they were returned to my August use year.
Temporary Updates to Our Cancellation Policy
Until the decision is made as to when the Resorts will reopen, all reservations scheduled for arrival during the closure time will be automatically cancelled by Disney Vacation Club on a week-by-week basis. Members do not need to cancel the reservation online or contact Member Services.
Vacation Points returned due to a cancellation of a Resort reservation will not be placed in a holding account and will be returned to the current Use Year. This applies to all reservations checking in within the next 30 days. When a reservation involving Borrowed Points is cancelled, the Borrowed Points will be returned to the Use Year they were borrowed from. This applies to all reservations regardless of arrival date. Please allow up to 15 business days for this process to be completed. Reservation Points returned due to a cancellation of a Disney Collection or a Concierge Collection reservation will be returned as Reservation Points in the current use year.
I think there should be some transparency with communication. I don’t think Disney knows what is going to happen after this pandemic. So they are tight lipped. Working in essential jobs the communication changes daily so I can understand a little bit. But the bigger question is. Will there be a recession? Depression? From the amount of job loss this may be more like the latter. imy family was planning to fly down 4/8 and stay at the VGF for my wife’s 50th. It hurts not going down but With 2 incomes still coming in we are being even more diligent with our$$. Disney has no real revenue coming in they are furloughing staff. If you see they are restructuring debt trying to get through this.
I wonder how this will impact dues. Will they have to tap into some reserve accounts? Time will tell.
I pray for everyone’s health Have a great day everyone
Good post Pete. I agree with this. I’m a new DVC member resale purchase in 2018. But listening and following everything the last few years, it makes me wonder what DVC is thinking. I know this isn’t the most popular opinion, but I think after this they need to roll back all the release restrictions for any member that has points at this time. My points are restricted and just having the 20% off at resorts and access to the epcot lounge would be nice. I just think doing a thing like that would show very good will on Disney’s part during this time.
Great article. You are right about making future new members leery of joining with how Disney is reacting right now. My husband and I have been discussing it for quite awhile, but now is not the time to buy in… I feel for Brittany Lynn above and truly hope her shared story has a happy ending.
I think you are so right, our family has owned DVD since 2002. We have had many magical vacations. I have always felt WDW could do more for arguably their most loyal fans. Express passes/like Universal? Extra fastpases? Free Dining? Something. I really feel this points issue needs to be reviewed and allow for their most loyal fans to be treated as such!
Very well written, Pete. Thanks for making all of us feel heard and listened to.
Thanks for being our voice Pete (as always). June use year, purposely didn’t bank our points in January as we had a Spring Break (April) trip planned for our family. Spent the time on hold (understandable) with DVC and talk to a cast member who was pleasant but helpless. “We’re evaluating things at this time”…. the standard answer and basically a “use them or lose them” result. We can’t use them by June given our kids school situation (and god only knows how that eventually resolved itself). The cast member said I could write to them as well…. I did five days ago, no response of any kind. I run a large sales organization…. customer service 101…. COMMUNICATE and BE TRANSPARENT. Your business (Dreams) is going through an incredibly difficult time, but think about the loyalty and pent up demand you’ve created over the years…. and now during a crisis…. by simply being honest, transparent, and putting the customer first. They could learn a lot from your team (what else is new).
-Bill
Biil, my husband and children are in thesame boat. We were due to start our vacation today. I have a june use year and stand to lose a total of 465 points on June 1.
Terrible, so sorry to hear that. Hoping they make it up you guys in the right way.
If borrowed, my points were returned
If the concern by Disney is an inventory of points being carried over into a year that is not allowed (i.e., using banked points in a future year), I’m sure they can work out a plan to spread those points over multiple years. They could convert cash rooms and allow point use for those. The answer definitely isn’t a NO. I’m sure Florida timeshare laws normally restrict this, but many laws are being suspended during these times. Governor or state legislature action could remedy this, allow flexibility, keep DVC members positive and relieve the stress this is causing. The last thing Disney needs is an uprising of angry members when the economic future isn’t so bright.
This is a great idea, as I’m sure the normal hotel rooms will not be filled! Also, Rules and laws are made to be broken…make an addendum!!!
I banked points from last year and have to use them by July 31. I have 4 days at the end of May booked at the BWV and 7 days in mid July at the BCV. I fully expect to miss out on my trip in May and July is 50/50 at best right now. What would go a long way is a voucher for a future stay at any resort. Possibly a monetary cap on the voucher. I understand the problems with just giving everyone their points back or extending the expiration of points. Something to ease the sting of losing points would be a nice gesture by DIsney.
It’s all “Disney money” and they could extend or exchange or refund ….This all sounds like chaos coming from a number of middle departments who don’t have the authority and haven’t been given authority to formulate a member friendly plan….
Potential member here who falls into the “disillusioned” category you mentioned. I’ve always thought about purchasing DVC but within the last year or so I’m finally at a place financially where I could do it without taking out a loan on a beginner contract. I’ve always had some reservations, in that there’s a lot more profitable things I could probably do with 20-30k, but I love Disney and would definitely get my money‘s worth. At the same time, I’ve seen all these restrictions recently and what appears to be some pretty significant mismanagement during a crisis, and for me, I just don’t think I have the unequivocal trust and confidence I’d need to make that large or a purchase on a luxury item (and I’m happy to spend money on a luxury item; been a Platinum passholder for over a decade). I’ve been far more impressed with how the cash side of Disney has been handling this, so for the time being, I’m going to stay there.
I’m against DVC extending these cancelled points into the next use year. I think that would cause too many problems for every Owner, not just the ones affected by this issue. Is it out of the realm of possibility that DVC offer to reimburse the affected reservations by refunding the value of the points “lost”? They know the purchase price of every contract point and they know the maintenance fee per point for each individual contract. While I wouldn’t be necessarily satisfied with that offer, I could at least recoup some money(at my true cost) that could be used in a different way. The other thing would be optioning to extend the affected owners contracts by the point amount for a future date or allow the possibility to apply the points “lost” to reservations at some determined use year in the future. It seems trying to solve this in one use year is the worst solution. I realize there are limitations, I’m just throwing ideas off the wall….
Maybe it’s be because I haven’t been adversely affected yet (but I do have a trip in May that is going to be cancelled). But I realize that DVC is in a tough spot here. If the closure is only 1-2 months is a LOT different of a response than if the closure is 6 months. If half the years points are “lost” to COVID-19, Disney will be unable to let people use those points. And maintenance fees paid are still being used to maintain the resort. They really do need to wait to see how long this goes – and the results are unfortunately going to likely make a lot of people angry.
Not all fees are used to maintain the resort. We pay for transportation, (buses) houskeeping, front desk, electricity, security, and various incidental items. Fees should be reduced since these services are currently reduced or eliminated. If not, I can see a huge class action lawsuit against Disney.
This quote (see below) describes my wife and I perfectly. We have been saving for DVC for years and our first daughter was just born in December. We have been looking forward to the day we become DVC members since we got married in 2016 and that is supposed to happen early next year. This tumult has given us pause… for many reasons. Ultimately we don’t want to make this massive investment in our future vacations if DVC member services is simply going to take the exact same path we have seen every other Disney service entity go down over the last 7-10 years: money over all else.
“If nothing else, they should be aware that potential members are watching this play out. If they are concerned about revenue, they better start thinking longer-term because more than a few people that were on the fence about DVC are starting to say ‘no thanks’.”
I think everyone needs to sit back and get a grip of the enormous nature of this event. If WDW re-opens in June as some have suggested, that is almost 3 months of dvc resort reservations at what is it,15 resorts that are typically run at a extremely high occupancy level, that would be need to be granted exceptions. This would snowball into not being able to reservations for a very long time. If you recall, before Disney knew the full extent of this virus’s toll, their announcement of concessions being made was more than fair. Then when this thing blew up they rescinded out of necessity. Maybe we need to look at the big picture here. Yes it sucks, but everyone in this country is effected by this event. If my points lost is the biggest loss I have when this comes to an end I will gladly take that. Maybe they are still trying to come up with a solution. For God’s sake their are lives, jobs, possibly homes and so on are being lost here. Maybe they can add 6 month to a year on to everyone’s end date who knows …….what if this comes back in the Fall like some have also suggested…. more points effected then what? Give them time to figure it out.
I think reimbursing points lost by the event at no fault of a member by reducing dues owed for a time would go a long way.
I have a question about Brittany Lynne’s email displayed in the article. She said she a week booked at the Grand Californian, which is a regular DVC resort plus a hotel. In the next paragraph, she states “my points were used at a Disney Collection Resort” so she has to use them at by December 1, 2020. Is that because she booked a hotel room – and not in the regular DVC inventory?
Personally, I think that no one really knows how the next many months will play out, and Disney is no exception. I think we will all have to wait for awhile to learn how this will affect us. I have a big trip planned for July/August, and I am becoming resigned to the fact that I have no control over this situation. And this trip involves a huge amount of banked and borrowed points, and extremely hard to get reservations. I keep telling myself that it will all work out, just not as I planned.
I’m not a lawyer and I haven’t studied FL timeshare laws, but I gotta think DVC will do something for people who would otherwise lose points. Think outside the box. Extend their contact one more year; give them one use year at Riviera, which isn’t fully sold yet; apply those points to a cruise or Vacations by Disney next year (when people may be less inclined to take those types of vacations); allow them to use the list points for nights in a moderate hotel. And that’s just off the top of my head. If I had to get, Disney will figure something out.
I had a trip planned for my daughters sweet 16 which we had to cancel. Some point pts could be banked others were already banked so I will end up losing them. We rebooked for Oct and availability was extremely limited as many rooms were already booked and others were gobbled up by people rebooking canceled trips. We were able to get a room but are forced to do a spit stay. Less think ideal but glad we’re were able to get something
While I understand people’s want of being allowed to banked banked points again, the issue is more long term. If everyone banked their points that would put a larger pool into next year causing inventory issues. People would subsequently bank next years points when they couldn’t get what they wanted, and the problem would trickle year over year for several years rather than being a 1 time issue.
However I agree that Disney could maybe do something to appease their clients. Maybe offer free dining to guests that lost points or were forced to rebook. Do some allocation where a certain number of points equal certain number of days free dining. This wouldn’t cost Disney anything and while it may not make up for losing points does show that Disney is trying to do something for its guests. After all cash guests are getting free dining for rebooking why shouldn’t that be offered to DVC this one time as well.
They can’t make a decision until the full scope is known. Reopening June 1st is a very different story than reopening July 1st or August 1st. Them not having an answer yet is perfectly legitimate. Nobody can do anything right now anyway, so why not just wait it all out until there is a final decision made. People are either going to lose their points or get to use them in some creative way. Of course it’s frustrating not knowing the answer yet, but knowing now or knowing in 2 months won’t change the final outcome. So just wait it out, sweat a little, and see what happens.
If this was a traditional timeshare people would lose out on their scheduled weeks and have little to no recourse, just remember that.
I am also against extending point expiration. I feel by extending point expiration, they are just prolonging the issue of availability for next year and possibly longer. At the very least they should over room vouchers for the cash side, or refund dues for those affected.
Anyone complaining on this topic has 0 idea what they bought with DVC.
How can you expect them to make a decision or even give you a timeframe for a decision on what to do with expired points? That would be irresponsible.
While lately I am not a fan of Disneys choices, the holding pattern here is the right one.
They need to understand the magnitude of the problem before figuring out the solution….the problem is still ongoing.
If you are mad, you really dont understand whats happening. Disappointed, thats understandable
All you people with the money to worry about your vacations at Disney is so absurd. Just stop one minute and think about all the cast members who will be furloughed soon. WDW is going to have a tough time reopening since since almost a third of the jobs are held by college program and seasonal cast. The cast who run the show are and will be suffering financially,, some who already live in their car. Think about that!!
Some of us have family or are in medicine and are donating locally to take care of the communities in which we live, have family members that have been cast members and any other number of issues happening. People have saved for years and this is effecting everyone. Life happens and it is because we have Disney in such high regard that people are speaking. If we didn’t think our voice would make a difference we wouldn’t say anything. I think communicating ideas and possible solutions is what moves things forward. I think trying to shame others does no good and creates divide. I’m sorry if you are one of the cast members you described and good fortune will befall you soon.
I can understand why that would not extend banked points. They can’t magically double the inventory in the next year. DVC should calculate the per point dues, and refund the money for people whose points are expiring due to COVID. Members have points expire often for not being able to use them, and they get nothing. If the trip was canceled, they can compensate what was paid. It’s already hard enough finding a reservation with current years (plus banked and borrowed). It seems that getting some kind of monetary compensation would be ideal.
DVC since 1994. I have always been happy with my dealings with Member Services in the past. When I called about our upcoming April 5 check in last week the person at Member Services could not give me an answer. Our use year ends 5/31/2020. She said the points would be lost if not used by then. Chances are the parks will not even be reopened by then. I asked that a supervisor call me back, still waiting.The only thing she said is RCI is an option. If I wanted RCI I could have bought any old timeshare not DVC. If we had booked a cash reservation there would be no problem rescheduling. We are living in very difficult times. NJ Co-vid 19 death toll went up 200 people overnight. It is heartbreaking. None of us should have to stress about our DVC accounts when these are such uncertain times. I hope DVC makes good by us all.
I would hope that for cancelled trips because of the shutdown the return those points to whatever bank they are and extend contracts for one year basically pausing extending a contract. This would alleviate people’s worries and fix us losing value. I am not sure about what to do about maintenance fees as we are technically deeded owners and have some risk as any homeowner would attest. This isn’t an ideal situation for anyone including Disney and as owners we must recognize this as well. I don’t know if this means that we pay for the fees and get an extra year and pay the fees for the last year or we have paid the fee now and don’t have to pay the fees. I would hope that this or a similar solution would settle the nerves of people and really show us Home is where the heart is by welcoming us Home as soon as safely possible. These were just a few thoughts I had on this blustery time in which we currently live.
I am completely open to other ideas and hope there will be some extra pixie dust for owners.
It’s a tough position for both DVC and its members.
DVC needs to reach out while being very careful what they say. Nothing is certain so any possible solutions they offer are just that, *possible* solutions. How long DVC is impacted will change the method used to correct the situation. Whatever is proposed needs to stay consistent in the event closures happen again at some point.
DVC should offer an outline of concerns going forward so that everybody understands the issues that need to be resolved. Recognize the DVC community for their loyalty. Let owners know how much they are valued and that they’re working hard to protect owners interest. Disney itself needs to be involved and connect with owners that we’re all in this together and they will try their hardest toward the best outcome for all concerned. Maybe throw a bone in good faith if they can.
All I can say about Disney is how they have become so large that you really don’t matter as long as you pay your dues ,they don’t know you ,my wife loves Disney,Myself I think Micky is a Rat,Disney lovers come from all over the world to stand in line,I am currently looking into selling my membership to Animal Kingdom very disappointed in Disney,that is how you get them to listen
If these are possible, maybe give owners a choice:
DVC affords giving 50% of the dues back on unusable points
Tack the unusable points to be used anytime in the last 5 years of the contract (dues already paid).
What are the legal options regarding large scale solutions?
Cost only to those directly affected or spread out to every owner over the life of their contracts?
I’m in the same boat!! Had an anniversary trip end of April using 408 pts (some borrowed, some from current use year that could have been banked if not used) at a Disney Collection hotel. I have called, emailed and begged in the live chat, DVC won’t do anything to help save my points, my 408 points will expire 06/01/2020. We are devastated!!
Disney isnt at fault here, but neither are the members, it’s not like people are voluntarily canceling, they have no choice! Rather then create a points mess, a cash refund equal to the points would be a good gesture, even in the $7-10 a point range.
Neat idea. What account does the cash refund come from? Would it be the same amount for everyone or would it be tiered, you bought direct at $200 point you get more, you bought at $50 a point resale you get nothing?
It’s a real estate interest not a hotel reservation. There is only so much inventory. You can’t just make your interest magically reappear. If we owned a condo on the beach and suddenly the building closed, we would be out any rental income and generally just in a bad situation with no recourse. Empathy is good and we all have it, but treating this as a hotel reservation vs a finite real estate interest sets bad expectations. I feel for all of us, but I don’t understand how they magically fix it.
With limitless options – they can choose a solution if they cared.
What would you recommend they do with your real estate interest? Magically turn it into next year points? If they do that there will be massive inventory issues for quite a while. How about they offer you a week at Coronado springs? Can’t do that for everyone, they can’t steal from Peter to pay Paul. Maybe you get a rebate on your maintenance? Then the lack of maintenance on the resort will cost all a lot more next year. It’s a bad situation, you can choose travel insurance in the future, but even that won’t replace your real estate interest, just comp you some cash for the loss of it.
Empathy is good. Expectations that is easy to fix like a hotel reservation is not. I do feel for all of us, I just don’t understand the total and complete expectation that DVD needs to fix.
I was about to buy resale then they stripped all the perks away from resale accounts and I just haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. I look at them every month and now I’m very thankful that I didn’t buy anything other resorts in the area have alot more affordable points based timeshare systems
You are correct that Disney’s handling of this situation will hurt their future sales if they don’t turn it around. My husband and I have been seriously considering becoming DVC members and it is not comforting to hear that Disney is not taking care of it’s people. I hope things work out for all of you.
DVC JUST DOESN’T Care. We attended there December meeting and they were useless , they gave no answers but raised fees , remember DVC has everyone because people still go regardless but the middle class is being pushed out and that will be left will be people with $$$$ what use to be the happiest place on earth is now the most expensive place on earth , someone needs to throw all those officers out and allow DVC MEMBERS ON THE BOARD so there vices can be heard
This may mark me as a “online target” but why do people think a “for-profit business” would act differently. You didn’t buy into a neighborhood social club. The privilege people expect out of DVC is sometimes is way over the top. On the priority list DVC members are and should be way down on the list. Disney will make the best decision for the company and in turn (odds are) that will be the best decision of DVC members. Discount annual passes, bigger cash only discounts, 25% store discounts…etc… Disney realizes if the DIEHARDS are not coming back then the regulars won’t.
Disney added Moonlight Magic when no one asked them to and they have been a BIG hit. Give them time and they want us to come to the parks and spend money and will make it worth our while to do so. Why? Because it helps their bottom line.
For a membership program I think DVC has to be in the top 10% of all time.
I’m shocked that DVC members are that upset at Disney, the writing was on the wall since November 2019, and your blaming Disney because you did not taking appropriate actions to secure your points, yes everyone was optimistic that the covid epidemic would not effect us in the state’s. But the reality is it did, as a corporate company the size of Disney. Being all over the world is shutdown. All of us are out of our wheel house, no one knows how to navigate these water’s. The communicate from Disney maybe slow, but I would expect it to be, look at the u.s. government, coming out almost by the day making changes. I’m sure Disney wants to make the appropriate changes, but not as frequent. I’m sure that Disney is working on everything to the best of their abilities, with the minimal cast members on duty. And I’m pleased that disney has taken this epidemic seriously and looked out for their employees and guest’s safety! And it’s not just up to Disney as to when they open back up. Disney can’t open until the governor of Florida lift the state of emergency order.
Lots of great ideas here to help us all. One poster said let’s make our voices heard and offer those suggestions.
I like Pete’s idea of relaxing point value so we could use points for normal resorts. I also like the idea of being able to spread banked points due to expire over a couple of years. These two options would probably help us all and would definitely help those who live in the States fill up those rooms when the parks open. Particularly, how can use points before they expire if the resorts are shut?
I think there will be less overseas visitors to fill them. In the many fans are not thinking of coming again until late 21/22.
There are also overseas owners like me who have even greater restrictions, on flights, who knows if and we can travel again freely.
Get your DVC magazine out and let’s all write and send our suggestions to the right person, now.
Disney is for Disney, and cares little for its DVC members……..Loan extensions, no such luck its members hardships are of no concern to them………
I’m currently in the ROFR stage of a resale contract that has banked points and am hoping this won’t affect the ability to use then before they expire. I can imagine how booked disney will be for the next year after this is over. This was probably the worst time to enter into a contract but we started before this all fell apart.
If Disney is offering major discounts to fill the non DVC resorts then they need to consider allowing DVC points with reduced restrictions to book at all non DVC resorts. That would be one way to lower the inventory issue and get people back in the parks to generate additional revenue. Non DVC members may be hesitant to book rooms but a DVC member who must use their points or lose them will not blink an eye to book. DVC members are backed into a corner and Disney has the ability to do a win win situation by filling up their parks while preserving DVC good bill and preserving the DVC program. DVC members and potential members will remember how this was handle. DVC MANAGEMNT need to step up and NOT screw this up….
I consistently feel that DVC members are taken for granted and fail to receive the promotional offers and level of attention that most businesses would give to their most loyal and invested customer base. It seems that Disney has the attitude that, “We have these people committed for decades. They aren’t going anywhere so let’s put our efforts on other customer groups.” Considering the slow process it will be for Disney in getting visitation back to regular levels, perhaps they might focus on the group that is most committed by improving service and finding ways that make it more enticing to visit.
Your first mistake was to find hope, solace, and comfort in Disney. Disney hasn’ been there for us in a very long time. We have become an endless money stream to them. Always jacking up prices on everything from parking to popcorn. It is not the same Disney that your parents knew, when it was affordable for the average middle income family to vacation in such a magical place. Leave your money at the door, and don’t let it hit you in the butt on your way out.
Thanks for saying what needed to be said, Pete
I just did a chat and they cancelled my reservation and banked my points. Easy peasy.
Were these banked points that you used to book your trip?
In the exact same situation. Saved last years point to add to this years points so we could stay longer. Am having to rebook in the next 5 months where there is no availability or loose the points we saved and brought forward. 146 to be exact. I feel like this is where Disney will make back some of there money. Not exactly fair or what you would expect from Disney. My family is Very disappointed like i know any others out there are.
If you don’t like Disney’s response then sell your points. At least points can possibly be used. What happens with people that bought fixed weeks?
My March 28 booking got cancelled when I was down there staying off site and I made one call and not only did they put my points back they allowed me to bank them even though my banking date was 4 months ago.
When I hear stories of people being upset with Disney or DVC customer service I always wonder if they’re calling the same number I call. Every time I interact with Disney I either get what I want or they give me something way better.
I was there the last day the parks were open and it was very emotional. I was also there the last day the resorts were open drowning my sorrows in a “Kitchen Sink” at Beaches and Cream at the beach club with my family and my niece who just lost her job in the college program. It’s a real crisis and I have resolved that instead of listening to the news, politicians, or medical experts I will know the pandemic is over when Walt Disney World re-opens.
I will move mountains to get there and I pray the Canadian border is open by then.
They’re going to have a hard time filling the resorts and ships after Coronavirus and the oncoming recession. I suggest they offer a huge discount (like 50+ %) for a year to DVC members to stay at non-DVC resorts or take Disney cruises, up to some total discount limit based on the number of points you own. Fills their rooms, gets people back in the restaurants/ships, and placates our very unhappy DVC membership. Come on Disney, do something good here!
I think this will hurt the cruise industry, because of the close quarters. I have friends that cruise about 3 times a year. They said they don’t think they will cruise again. In the past couple of years there has been too many illnesses spreading through ships, with COVID-19 being the worse. As for the Disney, things will start off slow, but I’m sure they will bounce back quick. So many people are very anxiously waiting to go back. It’s hard to find a room in the fall because of all the rebooking. That alone shows people aren’t afraid to go.
All the complaints I read just goes to show how many people don’t fully understand what a timeshare is, or what their dues are for. The Florida State Legislative sets the timeshare rules and there’s only so much Disney can do. They are trying. But no one planned for a 2 month or more shut down. Life happens! And People borrow points and give no thought to the consequences if things don’t go as planned. This whole thing is no ones fault. It’s a very bad situation that took all of us out of our comfort zone. I hope those that just skimmed over their contract or didn’t read it at all, pull it out and read it. I have some friends who have a timeshare under Wyndham Inc. Their contract has a set week. Their week is in April and they lost it. They have to wait another year. No compensation of any kind. Their are some people that have that same type of contract with DVC.
Several weeks ago I moved my May trip to August. I’m hoping I can leave it bc if I don’t bank the points by end of April I will lose them. So I’ve got to decide by then if August looks feasible.
I feel as if my Oct and Dec trips are unlikely due to resurgence of the virus in the fall/winter. So goodness only knows what 2021 will look like as everyone scrambles to use points.
Disney has def come up small here in terms of helping out the membership.
Don’t you think it might be a good idea for them to offer non DVC deluxe properties for less points in order to make sure all members get they’re time at the resorts?
Borrowed points should be returned to use year.
My recommendations (not that anyone asked)
Any points from current use year that will be loss should be given at Minimum a few options:
1- points can be banked (possibly spread over 2 or even 3 years) to reduce impact.
2- banked but can be used for available hotels (at reduced point), only allow a certain amount of rooms per resort, possibly allow blackout dates.
3- Allowed to use for Resv’s for undeclared rooms at Rivera.
There may be better options. Maybe allow to covert for resort credit/ or cruise onboard credit for stays as well.
Pete, you are spot on. We were at the Riviera when we got a notice the the resort was closing on Friday so I immediately contacted member services whom told me when we checked out the remaining pts would go back to our account then just call back then to have them banked! Sounded easy BUT when I called in when I got home the story changed to “management is reviewing options and nothing could be done but call back weekly for updates”! DVC support is at an all time low and thank you for publishing this and supporting us DVC members
I’m really stuck, having had to have back surgery, going through the assessment, surgery and recovery/therapy stages I was unable to go to WDW or use any points in 2019. I looked forward to a trip in May to see some of the new attractions and so forth. Now, my early May trip is likely dead in the water, but upon checking to see if I could use those points to add on to a scheduled November trip. The short and long answer is “NO”. Because I used points that were banked I only have them until July 31. From what you read, it may be lucky if WDW is fully open by then. So, unlike the cash paying guests, DVC members are s*!^ out of luck. The cash paying guests are made whole, getting a full refund or a free dining plan for a re-book. DVC members get a hearty “them’s the breaks”, “sorry about your luck”.
Well, I’m pretty peeved about this arrogant attitude that appears far too often in DVC management, especially after a change at the top. I would like to suggest that if there are some issues about the availability of units and we can’t use these points, perhaps the better thing would be to reduce next year’s dues prorated by the amount of time units were closed.
We are from the UK. We have been extremely fortunate over the years to stay in several of the DVC properties with our best friends who have been members for over 20 yrs at OKW. We have always wanted to purchase but only last year we finally got to a position to purchase. We managed to find a resale contract which already had 150 banked points from 18 plus 150 from June 19 so we booked 2 studios at OKW for May 8 at the 11 month window borrowing 96 from 20. We were beyond excited just to get that 1st “Welcome home” meant for us (it’s the little things right?) Just got off the phone last night with Disney. All 300 of those points are going to expire before we ever get a chance to use them. We can put them into RCI woohoo!!! This will extend them. Having stayed in several RCI properties in the past with very mixed results this really would be a last resort. The person we spoke with told us that this comes from way way up the chain and is absolute. We are extremely reluctant to do this because if Disney does rethink this strategy by June we would no longer be a “part of the problem” to be dealt with and there would be no way back from RCI. Any thoughts?
Here is what DVC should do. They need to issue a vague but reassuring statement. Something like:
“This is an unprecedented situation. DVC like the rest of the country was simply unprepared for the indefinite closure of all of our properties and almost all of the travel and leisure sector. We apologize for any added stress our actions have caused to our members in this already supremely difficult time.
While we recognize the hardship of members who have and will lose points to expiration during this closure but we cannot make extensions to point expiration without risking operational and legal compliance issues in future months and years.
However, the long term satisfaction of our members is not just essential to our business it is our business. We will make this right by our members. DVC will keep an accounting of points lost to expiration for the duration of this closure and announce a plan compensate effected members once normal operations have resumed”
They can’t be specific about what they are going to do here because what they can do if resorts open June, 1 2020 is much different than if they are closed though sometimes next year.
I have a week booked at copper creek in late September. I give it a 50/50 chance of happening.
We had a better experience when we called to cancel our trip at the end of May. But? I absolutely agree that the emails, the DVC agents and the website are in conflict with their communication. I get irritated by companies that say “we are here for you during this global crisis” just for BS Public Relations. Make a decision, be transparent and move forward. The lack of clarity seems intentional tbh.
If DVC is smart they will do something before Lawyers force them to and then everyone loses. The fact they are offering no help to note holders will hurt there business long term. and if people lose points they paid for, there will be legal action and maybe even government action. Look at how the airlines have reacted, DVC better wake up
I would just like to say this experience with Disney has left a terribly bad taste in my mouth. I lost my husband August of 2018 and basically went off grid. I was finally able to book a trip April for a week. It was before my points expired but like everyone else I couldn’t have expected this. Now they tell me I am going to lose 196 points or I can put them in a RCI today. I have never used the RCI we only used Disney Properties. I don’t understand what is the difference if they give me another year on my points or someone else gets to use my points at Disney . I have been paying for this for the last 22 years. We even had my sons wedding there. I feel very betrayed and once this is over am probably going to look into selling. Every other large company you see giving people back what they can BUT NOT DISNEY ——SHAME ON YOU—–we have been your steady Income and you have treated us like next to nothing. It is sad to see how you have ruined the Disney legacy.
HURT and DISAPOINTED
Linda Macomber
I’m feeling the same way, had to cancel a big trip this month using our points as reservation points in the Disney Collection, 408 pts. They are offering no help, advice, suggestions, nothing!! I’ve talked to multiple supervisors, and they all say the same thing, there’s nothing they will do and my pts will expire June 1, 2020. I understand the whole inventory issue and that there may not be availability for awhile until it evens out, but I would rather have my points back and take my chances on finding availability. I’m just not feeling the magic over this, thinking it might be time to sell and get out from under the monthly dues.