DVC Charging Members for Valet Parking as of 10/11/09

[Hammer]

Forgive me, but this is one of those "perks" that I think is so non-essential to enjoying your DVC stay that I'm having a hard time understanding why there's so much wringing of hands. I'm not even sure it belongs in the category of "well if they're going to take THIS away from us, what's next?" If paying for valet service bothers you, don't pay it. It's not required. Just walk.

I mean, on a vacation in which you probably walk more miles in a day than you walk in a month at home, how can it be such a big deal to walk from your car to the resort?

I think Mikki summed it up pretty well. She has been a long time DVC owner:

Taking a long term view on this the 'perks' have changed quite a bit over the years, sometimes for the better and sometimes worse. I guess my concern is that most recent changes seem to be for the worse and that is a precedent that worries me.

[JPL]

I agree while I rarely use this perk it's more the principle of it! What are they replacing it with? What's next to go? These are the questions that come to my mind.

[Ian]

Forgive me, but this is one of those "perks" that I think is so non-essential to enjoying your DVC stay that I'm having a hard time understanding why there's so much wringing of hands. I'm not even sure it belongs in the category of "well if they're going to take THIS away from us, what's next?"

I tend to agree ... also, folks seem to forget that they just gave us free Internet last year, so I wouldn't necessarily say every change has been a reduction in perks.

I think they looked at this for what it was ... a little used, little known perk, that was probably causing them more headaches working around it with the outsourcing company than it was worth.

[JPL]

Bringing my level of service up to the status of Motel 6 with Free internet really isn't much of a perk! It's not even wireless!

[Ian]

Bringing my level of service up to the status of Motel 6 with Free internet really isn't much of a perk! It's not even wireless!

Yeah, but that's not a fair comparison.

Motel 6's give you free Internet because they have to. But if you travel to virtually any real resort area you're not getting free 'Net.

At best, it might be included in some kind of generalized "resort fee."

[tink'72]

I just read on another site that DVC members will now have to pay for Valet parking at the DVC resorts. I know this was a little "perk" we got but I loved it! It just seems the perks are going away for DVC owners and every time I turn around they are offering more and more incentives. I get the reasoning behind it but it just frustrates me....

[pox24]

I got a response from DVC from my email I sent about this. They basically said too bad and have a magical day.

[MidnTPK]

There's a long thread already going on about this issue

threads now merged

[FiggyFan]

I have seen a few posts here that describe the increase in points for weeknight room reservations as an example of the erosion of perks. I disagree with that logic. The increase in the weeknight point cost was coupled with a decrease in the weekend point cost. The result is no net change in the point cost for a room for the entire year, just as the contract says. This change was an attempt to balance demand.

For those booking weeknights using points and weekends using cash because of the difference in point cost, the same trip will cost more points. For those booking a full week using points, the change is negligible. For those booking a weekend, the point cost of the trip will go down. Disney is not lining their pockets with this one.

I agree with those who are unhappy to lose the valet parking perk. If those who speculate that the AP discount may be a future target are correct, it may be time to break out the torches and pitchforks .

[PETE FROM NYC]

Really getting tired of all this nickel and diming It's bad enough we see it at the parks now I have to see it at my resort! What's next coin operated Washer and dryers in the rooms

Worse than that.
Toilet paper at 25 cents per sheet.
OOOh, better not give them any ideas. LOL

[LebelJD]

Not strictly on topic for this thread, but perhaps thematically correct; The recent changes to the Disney PhotoPass have taken away the option to preorder the CD by DVC members. I for one am disappointed by this news, and I will be sure to mention it when I visit the DVC preview center in a couple of weeks.

[OogieBoogieMan]

I suppose, as some have stated, we didn't buy the perks we bought the timeshare, but I have always seen the perks as part of the package. For reasons I won't get in to here, we don't use DVC as much in the past, through no fault of Disney or the accommodations. I have held on to it for the perks, primarily the AP discount and the parking. Maybe they are trying to get rid of people like me. If the AP discount goes you can be sure the membership will be on the block the next day.

[epceddie]

The free valet parking was part of the perks package that Disney promoted when I was making my decision and I viewed it as a positive, something I could use or not use at my discretion. I can deal with the fact that free valet parking is gone, but I never heard a word about it from Disney and that ticks me off. I spent over $10,000 for my DVC membership and if not for Intercot, I wouldn't have known that a perk I've enjoyed in the past isn't park of the package anymore.

[epceddie]

I wonder if the day will ever come when Disney's "too bad and have a magical day" philosophy backfires. Power to the people!

[Seasonscraps]

I wonder if the day will ever come when Disney's "too bad and have a magical day" philosophy backfires. Power to the people!

I can't convince DH to sell but we don't spend as much there as we used to. IF we buy park tickets, it's never for every day we are down there. We are 50/50 on getting park hoppers. We don't bother with the water park & fun since PI was shut down. No way would we every purchase a dining plan. We pick up groceries on our way in. About 2/3 of our meals are either off property or in non-disney restauarants like HOB or Shulas.

They weren't all conscious decisions to take money away from Disney but they are a result of the decline in overall service and an effort we take to increase the value and enjoyment of our vaction.

[lockedoutlogic]

Yeah, but that's not a fair comparison.

Motel 6's give you free Internet because they have to. But if you travel to virtually any real resort area you're not getting free 'Net.

At best, it might be included in some kind of generalized "resort fee."

Actually, I gotta go JPL on this one....

You can not...CAN NOT...give Disney "credit" for giving you something that was implemented 5-10 years ago in every hotel chain in america....

the amount of "services" offered at WDW are kinda pathetic....

like for say....if i need to access to a business center at my 300 dollar a night hotel - Animal Kingdom Lodge - i have to go to coronado to find it.....

kinda silly....

[Ian]

The free valet parking was part of the perks package that Disney promoted when I was making my decision and I viewed it as a positive, something I could use or not use at my discretion. I can deal with the fact that free valet parking is gone, but I never heard a word about it from Disney and that ticks me off. I spent over $10,000 for my DVC membership and if not for Intercot, I wouldn't have known that a perk I've enjoyed in the past isn't park of the package anymore.

I agree with this completely. The fact that Disney arbitrarily makes these changes mid-year and never tells anyone about them is digusting from a customer service standpoint. They've almost stooped to the level of airline or cable company customer service.

I wonder if the day will ever come when Disney's "too bad and have a magical day" philosophy backfires. Power to the people!

Well the thing is it really isn't Disney's philosophy. That philosophy is pretty much limited to Walt Disney World only. They are the cash cow for the Disney Company as a whole and as long as people keep packing the parks they're going to keep raising prices, cutting back services, and boosting their bottom line.

I can't convince DH to sell but we don't spend as much there as we used to.

We don't either. In fact, if it wasn't for my kids I don't think I'd go back for a couple years.

But we used to go 3 or 4 times a year. Now it's once or twice max.

Actually, I gotta go JPL on this one....

You can not...CAN NOT...give Disney "credit" for giving you something that was implemented 5-10 years ago in every hotel chain in america....

the amount of "services" offered at WDW are kinda pathetic....

like for say....if i need to access to a business center at my 300 dollar a night hotel - Animal Kingdom Lodge - i have to go to coronado to find it.....

kinda silly....

Nah ... you're never going to convince me that Disney not giving free Internet access is a big deal. "Every hotel chain in America ... " does not give away free Internet access. Hotels that give it away are hotels that have to give it away to lure customers.

But I've stayed in lots of hotels in lots of convention towns and none of them give Internet away for free. In fact at $9.99/day, Disney's is one of the cheapest I've found.

[Seasonscraps]

I don't think the internet needs to be free although I'd like to see it charged on a sliding scale like the park tickets. The longer you stay, the less you pay per day. A lot of people go to disney for long stretches - 10 days, 2 weeks - so it adds up. About half the hotels I stay in have free wireless internet access. $10 per day seems to be the going rate for the hotels that charge.

There's no reason there shouldn't be a business center at each resort with a couple of computers and a printer for people that need access for a brief time - that's an excellent point lockedoutlogic!! It would be convenient for guests to be able to check/confirm their flights, there's that 24 hour check in to get boarding passes on Southwest, check their email, etc.

And I think WI-FI is should be available everywhere, including the rooms. The jacks are frequently in hard to reach spots and in an inconvenient location. I am sure that's not an accident. I know they don't want people sitting in their rooms surfing the web but at the same time, I dont think I am the only one that does.

[lockedoutlogic]

I agree with this completely. The fact that Disney arbitrarily makes these changes mid-year and never tells anyone about them is digusting from a customer service standpoint. They've almost stooped to the level of airline or cable company customer service.

Well the thing is it really isn't Disney's philosophy. That philosophy is pretty much limited to Walt Disney World only. They are the cash cow for the Disney Company as a whole and as long as people keep packing the parks they're going to keep raising prices, cutting back services, and boosting their bottom line.

We don't either. In fact, if it wasn't for my kids I don't think I'd go back for a couple years.

But we used to go 3 or 4 times a year. Now it's once or twice max.

Nah ... you're never going to convince me that Disney not giving free Internet access is a big deal. "Every hotel chain in America ... " does not give away free Internet access. Hotels that give it away are hotels that have to give it away to lure customers.

But I've stayed in lots of hotels in lots of convention towns and none of them give Internet away for free. In fact at $9.99/day, Disney's is one of the cheapest I've found.

Ian....

let's keep it simple....

the hotels are overpriced for the level of service they provide...and management is continually trying to find ways to cut more corners.....

all because of a fiberglass castle, a steel ball, and a mouse


disagree? lets call a cake a cake

It's just indicative of the management "direction" that has decreased quality for close to two decades.....just one piece in the ever developing puzzle....

I know you agree with me there

[candleshoe]

Does this mean they wont provide free valet parking even if you are currently staying at that resort, or is it only if, say you are at BLT and want to spend some time and boardwalk to shop or eat that they won't provide the free valet?