Membership Magic Beyond

[Unclelude]

I'm all in. Totally gonna use my CFW points to buy an annual pass... sah-weet!!!

I can't wait to be in Epcot this summer, sipping on a Coke Zero, while getting a sandwich hug from Micky and Minnie from the top of the ImaginAtrium ... looking down on all the poor blue cards outside in the heat, just waiting for a spot to open up ... DVC-BY baby!!!

 

[TinkAgainU]

I mentioned this to a (Direct) owner friend who said she'd already deleted the email. Said what someone else mentioned above - Disney has gotten too complicated, and is frankly, no longer a relaxing trip for their family group. Adding another "paid" benefit where she'd need to learn all the tricks and uses kinda pissed her off lol. As a lowly white-carder (with Direct, but below minimums), I have no horse in this race

 

[J-Dog]

So, if we are out sweating in the sun as just a peon DVC-Y member, waiting to get into the lounge, can we just call MS right there, pay $99, and suddenly be whisked to the front of the wait list?

Or will there be a specific date-window that we need to decide whether we want to be royalty, or just stay as a member of The Great Unwashed?

 

[DanCali]

Is that really what DVC is striving to emulate then? Crappiott? I guess I should have saved a ton of money and bought into that timeshare system then, if that’s our future.

No - I think charging $99 annually is a lot more clever when it comes to member tiers, and virtually guaranteed to generate millions in extra profits annually regardless of how sales go

 

[Sandisw]

All good, I'm not complaining about what perks I do or don't get as a resale member, living where I do it would be difficult to even use perks if I had them. My point is just that people twist themselves in a knot to explain why these marketing decisions make sense. Personally if I were a direct member I'd be worried that this Beyond thing is just the start of a paid perks model, but as someone said earlier, while some of us might expect blowback, what we see instead is many people cheering on the paid model.

It might be because some of us did understand that perks are just that and a bonus to the program.

So, if they offer to enhance the program with some paid extras it works for those who see it as a benefit. If they all disappeared tomorrow expect as a paid option, then it means I have to weigh it’s benefits against fee.

We have saved about $7K so far by having access to Sorcerer, so not quite at the extra spent to sell BWV and replace with RIV. If that stops, we didn’t quite get that back, but we have points valid everywhere, and a long contract,

I guess my point is that benefits are given by DVD to their customers, and those buying resale are not customers of DVD…but even those buying direct need to realize that one should never by because of perks, but rather because the use of points everywhere has benefit to them.

 

[Sandisw]

Because…OTU points are ONLY GOOD for 7month NEW ressies - you can’t use them to ‘replace’ points from your original booking…but if those limitations work for you - then yup - it’s a good deal!

Yes and no. You can buy OTU points for a pretend booking, cancel it and then use them to book a night at the beginning or end of your trip that might still be available an free up your home resort points.

I do this all the time with my SSR points. I rebook days at 7 months and cancel out the home resort booked nights. So, sometimes you can make it work.

 

[zavandor]

Apparently MS has informed another owner (not me) that APs will be 95 points, or 80 for a renewal. Complete hearsay, but if true it is obviously terrible value.

That's about what I would expect.
That's slightly better than using points for cruises, that are valued around $8 per point. Terrible value and yet people book cruises with points, I'm sure people will buy the AP with points as well.

 

[TCRAIG]

Yes and no. You can buy OTU points for a pretend booking, cancel it and then use them to book a night at the beginning or end of your trip that might still be available an free up your home resort points.

I do this all the time with my SSR points. I rebook days at 7 months and cancel out the home resort booked nights. So, sometimes you can make it work.

Right- because those begin/end days are a NEW ressie and you can then modify your original reservation to drop the day(s) you were able to book and then call MS to show continuing stay…but again, this ONLY works if those begin/ends dates are available at 7 months…

 

[Sandisw]

Right- because those begin/end days are a NEW ressie and you can then modify your original reservation to drop the day(s) you were able to book and then call MS to show continuing stay…but again, this ONLY works if those begin/ends dates are available at 7 months…

I guess I was trying to explain for others that you can buy OTU points, cancel that night, and potentially use for the same nights you booked by being strategic in watching for 7 month availability and allow you to free up your own points as would now have them in your account.

 

[Sandisw]

Apparently MS has informed another owner (not me) that APs will be 95 points, or 80 for a renewal. Complete hearsay, but if true it is obviously terrible value.

That’s much lower than I thought and could be something that would benefit me…if it really is that low.

To me, if I don’t need to take $1K out of my pocket one year and can use borrowing if I run short, I see it as a great value.

Which is why we all view this from a different lense.

 

[TCRAIG]

I guess I was trying to explain for others that you can buy OTU points, cancel that night, and potentially use for the same nights you booked by being strategic in watching for 7 month availability and allow you to free up your own points as would now have them in your account.

Agree - sometimes it works and sometimes the room you want never becomes available for ‘new’ booking…

 

[TCRAIG]

That’s much lower than I thought and could be something that would benefit me…if it really is that low.

To me, if I don’t need to take $1K out of my pocket one year and can use borrowing if I run short, I see it as a great value.

Which is why we all view this from a different lense.

same - I’d gladly use 80 points from my SS contract to renew my AP…

 

[davidhr]

Honestly not surprised about the price of the AP. Wasn’t expecting a great value.

But, for a lot of people it’s more difficult to pay $1,000 out of pocket for a pass than trade 90 points that you have in your account, fully paid and probably dues fully paid for the year. It just doesn’t feel the same.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I mentioned this to a (Direct) owner friend who said she'd already deleted the email. Said what someone else mentioned above - Disney has gotten too complicated, and is frankly, no longer a relaxing trip for their family group.

This!

Also IMHO, Disney’s announcements this week could be a case study in marketing fatigue. I barely had a moment to decipher LLP before they rolled right into MMB.

It’s just too much all at once - even for someone who is squarely in their target demo.

Really question their overall strategy…

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Class wars? Are you referring to the difference in perks if you buy direct vs resale? I’m sorry, there is several thousand dollar difference between the two, your perk is saving 10k. My perk is having access to moonlight magic, lounges, paying an upgrade fee, etc.

DVC marketing (propaganda) has achieved its goal….

Members now consider “the opportunity to purchase an upgrade” a perk.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

It's definitely a terrible value relative to renting them out at $17+ per point. However, for those that don't want to deal with renting, it could be close to the right price. I value my points at roughly $11 per point (initial buy in + dues), which works out to $1045. Sorcerer Pass is $999 + tax. Not a discount in any way, but if you have extra points that you've been banking it might be an option. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm not loving the precedent that this pay-to-play system sets. I also agree that we are likely to see the price go up annually and quickly for these 'perks' depending on how many people jump on board. However, if the discounts for park tickets are as good as some of the local weekday passes that DL and WDW have offered previously, I would consider it. Since the pricing and restrictions of when they'll be offered are still unclear, I'm in no hurry to join the purchase.

Also unclear, is this something that needs to be purchased by a certain date (e.g., Jan 12, 2025) or if we decide we want a trip and need OTU points later can we add it at any time?

I guess I see 95 points for the sorcerers pass decent and if that is the case plan to buy 2 of our 5 passes that way for next year with points. Sure renting can be better but the last two times we tried to rent we got crickets..we have rented successfully in the past though plus you don't get all the money right away.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

That’s much lower than I thought and could be something that would benefit me…if it really is that low.

To me, if I don’t need to take $1K out of my pocket one year and can use borrowing if I run short, I see it as a great value.

Which is why we all view this from a different lense.

Yep I see it as good too

 

[Cfabar1]

80 for a renewal seems like actually a pretty good rate…. I fully acknowledge there are better uses of points, but particularly for those who have large number of points, that could not be too bad…

For a family of four to buy 320 points just to renew passes, that I question… But for folks who are maybe now empty nesters, and don’t need as many points as they did before, it could be a great use!

 

[BrianLa]

Question on OTU points. Do i need to be out of points before I can buy OTU points? If so, does that include borrowing as well?

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Question on OTU points. Do i need to be out of points before I can buy OTU points? If so, does that include borrowing as well?

Nope, you definitely don’t need to be out of points. But you do have to call in to MS and have a date in mind to book within the 7mo window. Usually, I book a throw away night somewhere with at least that many points and then cancel after they book it for the real reason I need it.