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Exclusive EMH benefits to DVC members and Deluxe hotel guests only. So much for being inclusive, Disney!

rickandcindy23

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I think this is indicative of the way the new CEO of Disney feels about the riff-raff, those who stay at the budget hotels on property and for resorts off property.

We own DVC and I find this pretty sleazy myself.

This is something I read about months ago. I belong to a Facebook group of DVC owners who were talking about Disney wanting to cater to a crowd that can better afford to spend money on property. A manager at OKW told a DVC member that Disney wants people with money in the parks, not the ordinary people. I guess DVC members are included in the group they want. I can see a time when DVC members are left out because 1) we go often and don't buy souvenirs every trip, 2) we get to renew our annual passes and that makes for less money for Disney.
 

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Sounds like a good move to me ... ??
 

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Sounds like a good move to me ... ??
I tend to agree. I'm OK with them rewarding those that have made the additional commitments. I wonder if it'll apply to those who do not own qualified points.
 

rickandcindy23

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Gee, I am in the minority on this one? I also know that the new CEO of Disney World was at Disneyland prior to Disney World and thought Max Pass was a great thing. Spend more money, get more FP. So maybe that is the way things are going. I am truly wondering why Disney is talking about inclusivity and then making a move like this. You cannot have it both ways.
 

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Gee, I am in the minority on this one? I also know that the new CEO of Disney World was at Disneyland prior to Disney World and thought Max Pass was a great thing. Spend more money, get more FP. So maybe that is the way things are going. I am truly wondering why Disney is talking about inclusivity and then making a move like this. You cannot have it both ways.

No I think Disney is scum in that sense. I was about to pull the trigger on a small resale DVC contract 2 weeks ago so I could do single night stays in Orlando and decided to join Marriott instead, which I'm like 99% was the right call and saved about 7k doing so. I was just at SSR a few weeks ago for an RCI exchange right after I spent 5 nights at Wyndham Reunion. If you compare the 2 accommodations for their actual cost buying resale, it's ridiculous. I enjoyed the room at Reunion immensely more and would GLADLY do the 15 minute commute it takes to get to a theme park in order to have that comfortable of accommodations. Both my 15 year old niece and 6 year old daughter had the same sentiment. The kids loved having a water park right next to the room. Both SSR and Reunion costed me around $150/night.

SSR buy in cost + annual dues makes each point nowadays cost about $11/point per year. The average cost of that 1 bedroom villa at SSR is about $2,500/week for an SSR resale owner to book. Even if you bought while resale was cheaper, you're still paying about that much to stay because of the return you could get if you sold your contract. A Wyndham resale owner that owns Grand Desert points, which are super easy to find resale, can usually book a week at Reunion 35% off most times of the year, making the average cost to just under $800/week (high season calculation at 35% off).

Other than 2021, I've been able to get Reunion 35% off 3 months out every time I've wanted to stay there. I'm comparing a 1600sq foot 3 bedroom/3 bathroom villa with a double size balcony with an actual 4 person table and 2 lounge chairs with a 700 square foot room at SSR that doesn't even have an ice maker. The fridge at Reunion has an actual ice/water dispenser, and this room at SSR costs 3x as much. Wtf? The only benefit I see to own DVC is for locals who want to stay 1 night only in a studio. Other than that, why pay 3x as much for something that isn't even nearly as nice as what you can get off property. DVC accommodations aren't nearly as comfortable as what the same amount of $$ buys off property. Most DVC 1 bedrooms are just as small as SSR.

I think Disney is doing this because people are getting smarter about where they stay and not booking the deluxes like they did in the past. Most people with money are self earned and can probably smell the bullshit with how little you get for how much you pay with a basic Youtube search. That's why I've never been able to justify any DVC points purchase when it came time to pull the trigger. Disney has the worst value for what you get. As a Wyndham owner, it's actually CHEAPER for me to fly two people to St. Thomas, stay 3 weeks at Wyndham's Limetree beach resort in a studio loft (in the ACTUAL Caribbean) than it is to drive and pay standard rate for 1 week at the Caribbean Beach resort.

So why on earth would anyone actually pay deluxe rates? Disney probably needs something to incentivize the ridiculous costs. I don't think they're catering to the people who can "afford it", I think they're trying to keep their ridiculously overpriced rooms occupied and allowing people to rationalize in their head paying for something that isn't nearly worth what they dish out for it. I think a good amount of people have the $$ to spare to stay deluxe, they just find it a poor use of $$.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my SSR room for the $1050/week it costed me. Would I pay DVC resale prices to stay there? Not likely.
 

TheHolleys87

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Just to clarify - the evening extra hours are not for DVC members per se. They’re for guests staying at Disney’s Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villa Resorts (the DVC resorts), whether paying with cash or points. DVC members staying offsite (as we’ll be in November) or in Disney’s value and moderate resorts (we’ve been known tostay at Pop when out of DVC points) won’t have access to those extra hours.
I tend to agree. I'm OK with them rewarding those that have made the additional commitments. I wonder if it'll apply to those who do not own qualified points.
It’s not a DVC perk, it’s a perk for those who pay to stay in Disney’s deluxe accommodations (cash or MFs). I’m seeing comments elsewhere from people who booked a deluxe because the moderates were full and were planning to switch if a moderate became available. Now they’re thinking they might not switch - the lure of those extra evening hours may keep those extra dollars in Disney’s pocket.

I’ve also seen thoughts that the deluxe folks might “sleep in” in order to stay late, thus lessening the crowding at the every day extra 30 minutes morning entries to the value and moderate folks. :sneaky:
 

rickandcindy23

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I just think this is wrong. We own 500 Disney points and have the blue DVC ownership cards, all of us, including our three kids. It's not like I don't get the value of the ownership and the accommodations, that is not it at all, but I do believe that people who cannot afford the expensive rooms should get some perks for staying onsite. I just don't get how Disney can talk about being inclusive, which they are bragging about currently, and then they do something like this.

I get to stay at Disney resorts with RCI. I guess that is what the $190 is for now. Someone asked on another thread, and I guess this is the answer we can give.

Look for Max Pass to be offered at Disney World. Could have a different name, but the intent is there.

This reminds me of the rich folks who were hiring people in wheelchairs to go with them to Disney to skip all of the lines.
 

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t’s not a DVC perk, it’s a perk for those who pay to stay in Disney’s deluxe accommodations (cash or MFs).
My point was that it could be either and either would be appropriate.
 

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but I do believe that people who cannot afford the expensive rooms should get some perks for staying onsite.
From how I read the article, all on-site guests get early entry ... now to all parks every day. That is an expansion over the the former rotating park-of-the-day.

snippet from article said:
Starting October 1, Early Park Entry will give resort guests the first chance to enjoy select attractions at every theme park, every day.
 

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Is SSR considered a deluxe resort? What I'm getting at is, would an exchanger into any DVC resort be eligible, or would it be restricted to guests of the "deluxe" DVC resorts like Polynesian, GF, AKV etc and those with DVC membership cards?
 

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Is SSR considered a deluxe resort? What I'm getting at is, would an exchanger into any DVC resort be eligible, or would it be restricted to guests of the "deluxe" DVC resorts like Polynesian, GF, AKV etc and those with DVC membership cards?
I think all DVC units are considered deluxe. At least that's one of the selling points - "always stay in deluxe accommodations."

I'm trying to figure out how this is different than before. Is it different because they are blocking their own customers who are staying at their lower tier resorts? If that's the issue, then I do think they are blowing it. I think selling their low end rooms at the prices that they charge and then excluding those customers from benefits of staying onsite is a poor choice. I'd rather see them upsell tickets for early/late park hours. Then, it's free game for everyone who wants to pay.

In CA Disneyland, early entrance has always been for those staying in the Disney hotels only. They did have some ticket option that included one early entrance to DL, but as far as being able to enter a park early on each day of your stay - that's only been for those staying in the 3 hotels that they have.
 

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I think all DVC units are considered deluxe. At least that's one of the selling points - "always stay in deluxe accommodations."

I'm trying to figure out how this is different than before. Is it different because they are blocking their own customers who are staying at their lower tier resorts? If that's the issue, then I do think they are blowing it. I think selling their low end rooms at the prices that they charge and then excluding those customers from benefits of staying onsite is a poor choice. I'd rather see them upsell tickets for early/late park hours. Then, it's free game for everyone who wants to pay.

In CA Disneyland, early entrance has always been for those staying in the Disney hotels only. They did have some ticket option that included one early entrance to DL, but as far as being able to enter a park early on each day of your stay - that's only been for those staying in the 3 hotels that they have.

Yes, multi-day passes came with at least one early entrance for us at DL.
 

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But now every park will be open early every day for all on-site guests. That is a huge improvement over having only one park open early on most days. All on-site guests win with this measure??
 

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Universal has had 2 tiers of benefits based--early access to all, but only express ride passes for higher priced hotels. Many will still stay at lower tier WDW hotels for early access (to all parks is a BIG plus), bus system, and theming. Those with small kids maybe won't care as much about PM EMH due to bedtimes. I've been glad they never went to paid fastpass+, etc. But, who knows what's in the future??
WDW has been $$$ for 20 years. My boss took her kids and stayed at Poly on dining plan, extras 15 years ago and it cost more than her 2 week honeymoon in Hawaii. IMHO, it's still reasonably priced for staying off-site and bringing some food/drinks in. Many theme parks don't allow food/drinks, not even water. My son spends almost $50/day at local theme park on food/drink. Onsite hotels are a luxury, but not necessary. If you carve out WDW hotel and extras (sit down meals, character encounters, dessert parties, etc.) then the big expense is tickets (which are high-but a 5 day base ticket is within reach or most middle class families for a "big" vacation-no more than skiing, sporting events, etc.). The tickets are more than other theme parks, but we all feel we've gotten our "value" out of them when WDW is fully operational (not Covid-lite), esp. with the shows like Beauty/Beast, Lion King, etc.
 
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cbyrne1174

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I just think this is wrong. We own 500 Disney points and have the blue DVC ownership cards, all of us, including our three kids. It's not like I don't get the value of the ownership and the accommodations, that is not it at all, but I do believe that people who cannot afford the expensive rooms should get some perks for staying onsite. I just don't get how Disney can talk about being inclusive, which they are bragging about currently, and then they do something like this.

I get to stay at Disney resorts with RCI. I guess that is what the $190 is for now. Someone asked on another thread, and I guess this is the answer we can give.

Look for Max Pass to be offered at Disney World. Could have a different name, but the intent is there.

This reminds me of the rich folks who were hiring people in wheelchairs to go with them to Disney to skip all of the lines.

Disney has always been like that. It goes actually deeper than that. I teach at a 85% free/reduced lunch school within an hour of WDW and maybe 1/3rd of my kids have actually ever been there. I teach the advanced classes too (Chemistry and Anatomy). Most actually do have annual Busch Gardens passes because prices are reasonable. Disney sets their pricing to only cater to the upper middle class. Even the pricing to stay at the value resorts is catered to the upper middle class.
 

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You are all misunderstanding. The DELUXE resorts are the only ones who will be able to use evening EMH. No longer can value resorts (or whatever they call them) be allowed to take advantage. The more expensive resorts will have better benefits. You can gloss it over however you like, but DVC members are having a big argument on the Facebook group I belong to about getting rid of the riff raff. Some are talking about selling their DVC points because of the exclusivity.
 

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@cbyrne1184 - Until this last post, I was pretty sure that you worked for Wyndham. :-D You bought a Marriott? Was it in Orlando? The Grande Vista? Those are lovely places. Isn't Bonnet Creek a Wyndham? I've heard lovely things about it.

I do understand the frustration. We've stayed on-site at Disney several times both in the timeshares and in the budget/moderate/deluxe resorts. I came close to buying Disney about 20 years ago, but now, I just don't trust them not to change the program so significantly that it will hurt anyone that buys Disney points. SSR is kind of like the budget version of DVC, and it's the one found the most often on the RCI boards. Disney has its charm to stay on-site.

What I'm finding on staying in any vacation destination is the uneven presentation of the accommodation. The room size and amenities of the resort are fine, but the cleanliness and the bed comfort leave a lot to be desired. With the entire world jumping into AirBnB, I've found that the few that I've engaged have been really uneven and dicey on comfort. It's a relief to stay in a chain that has 1) comfortable beds, 2) decent hot water pressure in the bathroom, 3) nice amenities like a good pool. But it seems that it's harder to find. I stayed at a Hilton in Myrtle Beach that was a condo owned by someone and rented through the front desk. I checked in expecting a Hilton with the comfortable beds and shower, and found myself in an aging condo that really needed updates and some plumbing work. I didn't realize it wasn't a corporate owned property.

I'm searching for a timeshare in Myrtle Beach (or just bite the bullet and buy a beach condo) that would work to let me have my comfortable week or so every year without a lot of worry about it or effort to snag it.
 

rhonda

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You are all misunderstanding. The DELUXE resorts are the only ones who will be able to use evening EMH.
But all on-site guests receive the newly expanded morning EMH. Isn't this a gain?
 

rickandcindy23

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Already Disney has limited the new Riviera resort's benefits via resale. If you buy resale Riviera, you can only book Riviera. If you buy developer, you can stay in any resort with the points.

The funny thing about DVC owners is they don't consider the losses of benefits to a buyer on their Riviera points, should they sell their ownership. They only think about the benefits they get as the retail purchaser. You have to look at the other side because the inability to use the points for any resort is a downgrade of your value on the resale market. My DVC FB group just sees the one side. I don't get it because if you have a death in the family and do not want the points any longer, the resale value could eventually really matter to you.
 

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But all on-site guests receive the newly expanded morning EMH. Isn't this a gain?
It's always been that way, but EMH in the evenings were also always a benefit of staying at any DVC resort. Covid changed things.

My only point is that Disney claims to be more inclusive than ever:

 

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Here is another article in the link below.

There are 8 hotel resorts that Disney calls deluxe, and all 12 DVC resorts. Every DVC resort is considered deluxe.

Also, it doesn't matter how you got into the DVC resort, whether you are a DVC member, RCI trader, points renter, cash guest, whatever. If you are on the reservation at a DVC resort, you are considered a guest of a deluxe resort. This is enough to give access for the evening hours.

 

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It's always been that way, but EMH in the evenings were also always a benefit of staying at any DVC resort. Covid changed things.

My only point is that Disney claims to be more inclusive than ever:

I didn't read everything, but I doubt if Disney's intent is to be inclusive at every income level. They are measuring inclusivity by many standards, but income and ability to spend on vacation are not two of the standards.
 

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It's always been that way, but EMH in the evenings were also always a benefit of staying at any DVC resort. Covid changed things.
Ah, I guessed I missed the "sameness." Last time I visited WDW the Early Morning hours rotated to only one park. Coordinating my "touring plan" around that specific early morning made for a hassle in my game. I didn't realize it had already opened, before Covid, to all parks, everyday.
 

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I didn't read everything, but I doubt if Disney's intent is to be inclusive at every income level. They are measuring inclusivity by many standards, but income and ability to spend on vacation are not two of the standards.
But what other standards are there when it comes to vacations? With Disney ticket prices being so high, accommodations that have all benefits are much more expensive, and the food is expensive, where are they being inclusive. It's a joke.

But I am one of the lucky ones, and so are people here on TUG, apparently, because most of you don't see it. I own Disney points (didn't pay the prices of today) and I have enough money to pay for tickets and food while at the parks. I am blessed. I just am one who sees the garbage these business are spewing out without even thinking about what their policies look like to those who cannot afford Disney. I see it and feel fortunate to see that their words do not even closely resemble what they charge.
 

rickandcindy23

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Ah, I guessed I missed the "sameness." Last time I visited WDW the Early Morning hours rotated to only one park. Coordinating my "touring plan" around that specific early morning made for a hassle in my game. I didn't realize it had already opened, before Covid, to all parks, everyday.
No, you are right. The only other park that was opened every day for early hours was always Animal Kingdom. So you are right and I am wrong on that.
 
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