DVC upgrades during Free Dining

[xrayvision]

My concern....Why can they give upgrades to people from value and moderate resorts into our DVC rooms? Seems that the DVC resorts are taking a loss. If we as DVC members want to stay at a Walt Disney World resort we do so at a hefty point exchange.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Not all rooms at DVC resorts are for DVC members; a percentage of them are set aside for CRO and can be used at their discretion.

DVC may not necessarily be taking a loss on this. First off, the mods/values are overbooked - so CRO fills up whatever other rooms they have. By using DVC resorts/rooms, Disney is showcasing their timeshare accomodations - a very lucrative market to them. Perhaps they're hoping some will eventually purchase?

As long as it doesn't infringe on our rooms, there's nothing we can really say about it.

[llamaface]

As someone who is considering buying into DVC, I think what they are doing is a good idea from their perspective. I wish they would offer me a free upgrade (going 1 week after free dining) - I'm sure that if I stayed in a DVC resort, it would make up my mind and our family would seal the deal!!

[Ian]

I'm sure they have the rooms available and are thinking that allowing some folks to see how nice the DVC rooms are will lure a percentage of them into joining.

I suspect it's not a very busy period for DVC at that time, because a lot of members might be opting to just pay for their vacations and get the free dining.

[Carol]

I also think the one and two bedroom villas are more popular for booking among members.

Why not offer the studios to others if they're available at the Vacation Club resorts that don't have standard rooms??

[CarolMN]

If you have used (or ever plan to use) your points for something besides a DVC resort stay or an exchange via II, the upgrades are in your best interest.

That's because most (nearly all) of the inventory that DISNEY/CRO has for cash reservations at DVC resorts comes from members who use points elsewhere (like cruising on the DCL, or staying at the Poly or even one of the options in the Conceirge or Adventurer's Collections). DVC sends the equivalent number of room nights to CRO to get the cash to pay for members' other choices.

Without the upgrades, these rooms might sit empty - so no cash at all back to DVC. (Something, even the amount paid for a value resort, is better than nothing, right?). If DVC doesn't get enough cash back from CRO, next year the points to use the non-DVC options will increase - because DVC will have to send CRO even more room nights to get the amount of cash needed for the other choices. Many members already think the points needed for non-DVC options are too high.

Anyway, I'm convinved that these upgrades are in members' best interests. I'm happy for those who were fortunate enough to get the upgrades - in addition to the "extra magic" they get to experience, maybe they will also become members because of it.

[MarkC]

Theoretically if they rent those rooms out that would have been empty, that should reduce the dues that all of us members eventually have to pay. Don't know if that's reality or not-- I was never very good at theory anyway.

[CarolMN]

At the 60 day mark, any unreserved rooms from the points inventory are sent to CRO to be offered to the general public. The revenue from these rooms does go back to DVC and is used to reduce members' dues. You can find in in the annual budgets - it's called "Breakage" income. During this time, members still have access to the rooms, but they are competing with the general public for them (on a first come, first served basis).

None of the free upgrades offered during free dining are coming from this group of rooms and none are coming from member inventory.

[lockedoutlogic]

A couple things....

1 bedroom villas are the least popular accomodations...they're kinda of "in betweeners" that come at a heftier point value and members have never seemed to know what to do with them.

When you call and get locked out of studios or 2 bedrooms...the 1's have always seemed to be available.

Second, Florida statutes have a clause that a timeshare facility must have a percentage of rooms available for public use.....
I guess that is so locals can have access to them...but I'm not really sure.

That is the main reason that rooms are "for sale" at DVC and why they can sell them...bump people into them...etc.

But why shouldn't they fill open spaces? at a certain time window...they probably would not fill them with DVC ressies...and every warm body you can put into a hotel room at WDW equals more cash flow....

[MaizeNBrew]

I believe the law refered to above states that a Timeshare can only sell 98% of its available inventory. This is to insure that maintanence can be done on the property when needed without taking inventory away from a paying member. When maintenence is not needed, this is part of the CRO inventory in addition to the the 60-day member inventory that goes to CRO.

Overall, it is in all our best interestes as DVC members that the CRO inventory gets completely booked. It helps with dues the following year.

[Donald A]

I am a DVC member and the answer is very simple.

1) They have our money already. Why would we get an incentive. They do not want us staying at the Grand Floridian for the same points as a DVC resort room if they can get cash for that GF room.

2) They upgrade rooms for people to try to get them to join DVC. Once again, we are already members.

I love WDW as you can see. After all I think my DVC membership was a great decision. However, The Walt Disney Company is around to make money as is Disney Vacation Development who manages our vacation club.