Questions about the $95 RESORT FEE

[Redrosesix]

I seem to be the only one who has paid OOP to stay at resorts in Orlando -- so I'm going to give you a completely different theory. I'm pretty sure all of the WDW resorts charge a resort fee, even for room only reservations. Not surprising, since the icky flea bag motel that we almost stayed in when my daughter's team did a trip to Orlando also charges a resort fee. If this fee isn't included in the DVC MF's (I don't own there yet, so I don't know) then the fee is waived for them. We don't have fees on any services like this where I live, but I've seen them on just about everything in Orlando.

IMO, it's a "because they can" fee, just like the rental car companies charge you a fee for being at the airport because they can. As for ME, everybody who stays in WDW really is paying for it but some people choose not to use it. The rest of the WDW transportation system is free to anybody who wants to use it whether you have a park ticket or not -- it's just that it only goes to places in WDW, so I'd assume you're only going to be taking their buses if you're going to a park or are eating at a resort. But if you're staying off-site, you have to pay to park somewhere -- parking at DTD for the day is apparently no longer an option.

As for whether WDW resorts are the cream of the crop, I'd say no. The upkeep everywhere in WDW is excellent, the theming is great, but yes the rooms are smaller and more expensive than they need to be. But for us it is part of the WDW experience. AKV is in a class by itself, though, since there are few resorts anywhere where animal lovers can be surrounded by a Savannah. Then again, I'm also the type of person who would pay extra to have real whipped cream on my hot chocolate.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Enterprise & Colonel Clunker & Wrent-A-Reck & Vinnie's Rent-A-Car, Etc.

IMO, it's a "because they can" fee, just like the rental car companies charge you a fee for being at the airport because they can.

It costs the car rental companies more for on-site airport facilities (rental counters in the airport lobby, dedicated parking spaces in airport lots & garages) because the airport authority charges plenty for those privileges. It's not unreasonable for the rental car companies to pass those costs on to customers who are willing to pay for the added convenience.

Off-site car rental companies charge less because they can.

Customers have to decide whether saving time is worth more than saving money.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[dvc_john]

I was simply pointing out that you are making excuses for Marriott ('At least with parking or golf you are actually getting something for the $$ '). Aren't the Marriott owners already paying for that parking/golf?

I do! Not only the fee but the whole Disney system if at all possible (I have to admit if we can get in free - more common than you might think - we will do it. But even then I find it to be a frustrating, underwhelming experience that is a shadow of what it once was).

'If at all possible'??? Trust me - it's entirely possible to avoid Disney/DVC. Millions of people do it!
Why in the world would you stay there and have a frustrating, underwhelming experience, even if it's free. I would never stay anywhere, even if for free, where I was guaranteed to have a miserable time!! I'm sure you'd be happier at 'Wastegate'!

 

[klynn]

I seem to be the only one who has paid OOP to stay at resorts in Orlando -- so I'm going to give you a completely different theory. I'm pretty sure all of the WDW resorts charge a resort fee, even for room only reservations....

I just had a room only reservation at AKL 6 weeks ago. I was not charged a resort fee.

 

[luvsvacation22]

I think you may change your mind if you stay in a Kidani Village grand villa.
That is hard to beat. Not sure words can really do it justice.

Or in a Grand Villa at The Villas Grand Californian in Disneyland.

 

[Carl D]

Or in a Grand Villa at The Villas Grand Californian in Disneyland.

Soooo true!!!

 

[elaine]

WDW does not charge a resort fee

You can book a room only reservation and it includes free Magic Express--however, I am sure that they have added the cost of ME into the room charge--it is just not separately broken out.
I am a DVC member and am trading in via RCI and am paying the $95 fee--we are not using ME and we are not making any dining reservations--so that $95 is total gravy for them---OK by me b/c my trade for Spring break week is a much better "deal" for me than if I had to use DVC points for that week-----dollar for dollar in maintenance fees, acqusition costs, etc., I got a 1 BR for the week vs. only a studio for 6 days using DVC points. Elaine

 

[JonathanIT]

I am a DVC member and am trading in via RCI and am paying the $95 fee--we are not using ME and we are not making any dining reservations--so that $95 is total gravy for them---OK by me b/c my trade for Spring break week is a much better "deal" for me than if I had to use DVC points for that week-----dollar for dollar in maintenance fees, acqusition costs, etc., I got a 1 BR for the week vs. only a studio for 6 days using DVC points. Elaine

Exactly. Exchanging through RCI is just too good a deal for exchangers, and Disney saw that immediately. Even compared to DVC owners who book direct it's a better deal, and they like to brag that owners save 70% on Disney vacations. Forget about the comparison to cash customers!

I almost bought DVC before they rejoined RCI. I love my HGVC, but I also wanted occasional trips to WDW on property, and I was willing to pay the price of DVC to get it. But with ability to book my HGVC points for Disney now, I am elated. I don't have to buy DVC, and I can still get my trips to Disney, for less than if I had to buy.

The only drawback for exchangers is the limited availability, which doesn't seem to be such a problem right now with the drop in attendance at WDW. Also the requirement to stay a full 7 nights, but that is not a problem for me because I have HGVC for shorter stays.

So, you can scream and complain as much as you want; you don't have to pay the $95, just don't go! There are plenty of people like me who will happily pay the fee, because we are saving so much money overall.

Sure, in theory you can say that you are "paying for something twice" but that is just semantics. It's just a poor choice of wording to explain a fee that you are really paying "for the privilege of Disney Magic". And that's what I'm paying for, because it's a product and service that I desire.

If it's not something you want, you don't have to go and you don't have to pay. But don't scream and rant that nobody should be paying the fee or going to Disney, because well, that just ain't gonna happen.

But for the record, I don't stay with Disney every trip. I own HGVC and love staying there. But for the few trips I want a little extra magic, I am more than willing to cough up $95!

 

[CouchTater]

My first experiencing trading in is that you are treated as an unwanted outsider and are entitled to nothing. I leave in 4 days and received no Magical Express tags, no confirmation, am unable to do online check in nor am I able to receive the Photopass discount nor anything else that owners receive.And am charged $95 for all these "benefits". I have spent hours on the phone trying to straighten out reservation problems and DVC blames RCI and vice versa. I have always stayed off site with no problems but jumped at the chance to see what the DVC has to offer and they can keep it. I am not impressed!

 

[littlestar]

My first experiencing trading in is that you are treated as an unwanted outsider and are entitled to nothing. I leave in 4 days and received no Magical Express tags, no confirmation, am unable to do online check in nor am I able to receive the Photopass discount nor anything else that owners receive.And am charged $95 for all these "benefits". I have spent hours on the phone trying to straighten out reservation problems and DVC blames RCI and vice versa. I have always stayed off site with no problems but jumped at the chance to see what the DVC has to offer and they can keep it. I am not impressed!

Sorry to hear it hasn't gone smoothly. I've heard the confirmations from RCI don't have the information they need to get in touch with DVC Member Services or you just don't get a confirmation. And since you have to set Magical Express and the dining plan up in advance, that's BAD.

Even though I own DVC points, I used to trade in when they traded through II - it always went very smoothly for me back then. Too bad it's not that way with RCI. So sorry to hear that.

 

[bnoble]

I've heard the confirmations from RCI don't have the information they need to get in touch with DVC Member Services or you just don't get a confirmation.

The RCI confirmation does include the Member Services phone number, and also instructions to the effect that you must call to set up Magical Express in advance.

It doesn't include the DVC reservation number (as the old II confirmations did) but it's a simple matter to call Member Services to get it---they should have record of an exchange within at most a week or ten days after it is confirmed, as I believe RCI reports exchanges to DVC on a weekly basis. Once you have that number, you *can* check in online even without being a member, though it's not obvious how to do it. For future exchanges, you can use this URL:

http://www.mydisneyreservation.com/dvc/

Your DVC reservation number is also required if you wish to use the 180+10 perk for making dining reservations on line. It is twelve digits.

The Photopass discount is not an exchanger issue---apparenly, Members booking on points have been having the same problem. Resolving it requires a call to the Photopass Cast, which hasn't been very consistent in their handling of the problem. In fact, I just read today that Member Services is now running interference with Photopass, because the latter can't get its act together. Apparently, you can also build an itinerary on the WDW planning tool to generate the discount offer in email:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2330309

I don't believe DVC ever sent confirmation letters to II exchangers---at least I never got one. I doubt there will be any for RCI exchangers either. If you've called in advance to set up ME, then it's in Disney's hands whether you get the luggage tags or not, not RCI's. I've always gotten them with II exchanges in the past, but my first RCI exchange isn't until next summer, so it will be interesting to see if they arrive or not.

As for RCI confirmations---I get all of mine through email, usually within a short time after the exchange is "final" after close of business the day after it is confirmed. I get the sense it is automated, and I much prefer it to the old through-the-mail mechanism.

 

[klynn]

My first experiencing trading in is that you are treated as an unwanted outsider and are entitled to nothing. I leave in 4 days and received no Magical Express tags, no confirmation, am unable to do online check in nor am I able to receive the Photopass discount nor anything else that owners receive.And am charged $95 for all these "benefits". I have spent hours on the phone trying to straighten out reservation problems and DVC blames RCI and vice versa. I have always stayed off site with no problems but jumped at the chance to see what the DVC has to offer and they can keep it. I am not impressed!

How long ago did you call DVC Member Services to set up the Magical Express? Even if you haven't received the yellow luggage tags, you can still ride the DME and have your luggage sent to your resort. When you check in at the DME desk at the airport just give them your baggage claim tags from the airlines and they will pull your baggage for you and have it sent to your resort. I have done several exhchanges with RCI into DVC and never had a problem getting through to DVC Member Services. They are the ones you call, not RCI. Be sure when you call them, you ask them for your reservation number as it is a different number than what you get from RCI. I use them to set up the DME and all my dining reservations and also room location requests. Hope this helps.

 

[littlestar]

[QUOTE

I don't believe DVC ever sent confirmation letters to II exchangers---at least I never got one.[ /QUOTE]

No, I was referring to the fact that II always sent the confirmations really fast - I always got mine through e-mail.

Too bad RCI doesn't have the DVC reservation number. That would definitely probably cause some confusion.

 

[bnoble]

Sorry, that bit really should have quoted CouchTater, who never got a confirmation from DVC---it was in response to that post, not yours.

I can't remember when I started getting RCI confirmations via email---probably in the last year or maybe two. It's a lot simpler this way.

 

[timeos2]

The second class is true

My first experiencing trading in is that you are treated as an unwanted outsider and are entitled to nothing. I leave in 4 days and received no Magical Express tags, no confirmation, am unable to do online check in nor am I able to receive the Photopass discount nor anything else that owners receive.And am charged $95 for all these "benefits". I have spent hours on the phone trying to straighten out reservation problems and DVC blames RCI and vice versa. I have always stayed off site with no problems but jumped at the chance to see what the DVC has to offer and they can keep it. I am not impressed!

That's one reason I tell everyone to try it once. In most cases they are likely to discover, like you, that not only aren't they missing anything but taking a big step backwards in many areas and PAYING extra to get it! It is a rarity that people find they need or want to be immersed in Disney 24 hr/ day - it usually gets really old really quick! As we have established the $95 buys you nothing (but adds to the DVC bottom line. Thank you for your contribution!)

 

[logan115]

That's one reason I tell everyone to try it once. In most cases they are likely to discover, like you, that not only aren't they missing anything but taking a big step backwards in many areas and PAYING extra to get it! It is a rarity that people find they need or want to be immersed in Disney 24 hr/ day - it usually gets really old really quick! As we have established the $95 buys you nothing (but adds to the DVC bottom line. Thank you for your contribution!)

I agree that it's not for everyone, and also don't dispute that you can get better accomodations for less staying off-site (I can't dispute it because I'd be wrong :rofl: ). There are also some off-site locations that are even closer to some of the parks than the on-site DVC resorts. BUT - for some (such as myself) that do want the perks of staying on-site and the 24/7 immersion it is worth it.

If you're not sure about DVC, rent points and try it out before buying your contract (resale of course). Yes, I've "inhaled" the pixie dust and love staying on-site, and am very happy with our DVC purchase.

I can't speak to how anyone is treated when they trade in, but it is disappointing to here that those that are aren't getting everything they should.

Chris

 

[itradehilton]

We were quite happy to get the DVC reservations and agree that DVC is just making profit by charging the $95 but for us we felt the trade using less points than it costs to book a HGVC room was worth the money. When a HGVC 2bdr costs 7000 point and a DVC cost 4800 it means I can get more vacations from my points.

 

[Aussiedog]

The RCI confirmation does include the Member Services phone number, and also instructions to the effect that you must call to set up Magical Express in advance.

It doesn't include the DVC reservation number (as the old II confirmations did) but it's a simple matter to call Member Services to get it---they should have record of an exchange within at most a week or ten days after it is confirmed, as I believe RCI reports exchanges to DVC on a weekly basis. Once you have that number, you *can* check in online even without being a member, though it's not obvious how to do it.

Not so simple at all. I am going through this now. After an hour on the phone with several people at DVC and back and forth with RCI I found that you can't get your reservation number and take care of things like the dining plan far in advance because RCI says that they now hold the reservation information and don't transmit it to DVC until 48 hours or so before check-in. The reason I was given is that they don't want to have to keep calling DVC with changes. So by RCI waiting until the last minute we will have to wait to get our actual DVC reservation number and will then have to scramble to complete our arrangements.:annoyed:

So....I have an RCI confirmation but no DVC reservation number. Bummer.

Ann

 

[JonathanIT]

It is a rarity that people find they need or want to be immersed in Disney 24 hr/ day - it usually gets really old really quick!

Yes, I admit this may be true for most... but as a true Disney fanatic it never gets old for me! I hold Annual Passports for both Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World and in addition had them last year for Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Hong Kong. I just spent 10 days earlier this month at the Disneyland Tokyo Resort. I make about six trips to Orlando a year to visit the parks, and when I'm home (not much) you can usually find me in Anaheim most weekends.

Yes I love Disney and visit them often, but I also travel to a whole lot of other places. I just can't justify the purchase of DVC for what would probably only be one stay per year or less on DVC property. I have grown to love HGVC properties in Orlando, and I actually prefer to stay off property most visits.

Most of my friends (also Disney geeks like me) own DVC and can't figure out why I'm not an owner... but I feel lucky that I found HGVC before I bought into DVC. With access to DVC through RCI I now no longer need to buy, and whatever is spent on fees I have more than made up for with my savings from not purchasing! And that includes the $95 resort fee, so that's why you won't hear much compaining from me.

For those that don't like the fee, the solution is simple: don't stay there.

There is probably no other place on earth with more options for TS exchanges!

 

[klynn]

Not so simple at all. I am going through this now. After an hour on the phone with several people at DVC and back and forth with RCI I found that you can't get your reservation number and take care of things like the dining plan far in advance because RCI says that they now hold the reservation information and don't transmit it to DVC until 48 hours or so before check-in. The reason I was given is that they don't want to have to keep calling DVC with changes. So by RCI waiting until the last minute we will have to wait to get our actual DVC reservation number and will then have to scramble to complete our arrangements.:annoyed:

So....I have an RCI confirmation but no DVC reservation number. Bummer.

Ann

That doesn't sound right. I currently have 2 RCI exchanges into DVC for May 2010. I have had one since July and the other since October. I called DVC and got my reservation numbers for each one right away. I also made all my dining reservations through DVC Member Services a few weeks ago.

 

[bnoble]

Likewise---I made one several weeks ago, and got my DVC reservation number shortly thereafter. Call DVC on Friday (they may be closed tomorrow) and ask for the RCI desk, and see if you get a different answer.

 

[itradehilton]

When I called the DVC phone number and it took a few minutes to figure out that I needed to talk to the RCI desk within the Disney system. After that it was a breeze. I got both reservation numbers and verified online at the disney dinning reservations website to make sure they were in the system. It all was very smooth.

 

[Aussiedog]

Thanks for the insight - I will try again, starting back at DVC.

So frustrating though to be told something completely different by both RCI and DVC.

Ann

 

[klynn]

Thanks for the insight - I will try again, starting back at DVC.

So frustrating though to be told something completely different by both RCI and DVC.

Ann

When DVC answers they will ask for your member number. Just tell them you are not a DVC member, but your are exchanging INTO DVC through RCI. They will transfer you to the DVC person(s) that handle incoming RCI exchanges. Once transfered, that person will ask what resort you will be staying at, the arrival date, and your last name. They look up your reservation that way. Be sure to ask for your DVC reservation number so you have it in case you need to call back for anything such as DME. ADRs, room location request, etc.

 

[JonathanIT]

When DVC answers they will ask for your member number. Just tell them you are not a DVC member, but your are exchanging INTO DVC through RCI. They will transfer you to the DVC person(s) that handle incoming RCI exchanges. Once transfered, that person will ask what resort you will be staying at, the arrival date, and your last name. They look up your reservation that way. Be sure to ask for your DVC reservation number so you have it in case you need to call back for anything such as DME. ADRs, room location request, etc.

Thanks for the simple explanation of the process... I think I will call soon and get my reservation number for my stay next June.

Also, several people have mentioned wanting the number for ADR's. I don't think you really need the number to making dining reservations... I'm pretty sure anyone can make them in advance whether staying on property or not.