Membership Magic Beyond

[DVCsloth]

The weekday 5-day ticket might work for us. Been staying clear of the parks on the weekends lately and we usually go to one of the water parks for one day. Dropped our annual pass this year since we're not going back till late 2025. I didn't read all of the posts, and I don't see any mention of the price for the 5-day tickets. The FR Pirate pass is what we had, and it works pretty good for our travel times. Especially since it allows for park hopper. We like to visit Epcot in the evenings, mostly for the dining options, so park hopper is good for us and the ticket deal probably not include it.

 

[MICKIMINI]

From the initial poll numbers on the other thread, it's not a great idea to polarize half your member base.

Are we talking about the election or DVC? Sorry, couldn't resist...

My take is 1/3 are thinking about it. I do not think you will talk enthusiastic or even somewhat skeptical buyers out of buying. Geez, let people be happy if they want to be!

 

[Sandisw]

And if MMB members continue to arrive on a regular basis, the non-MMB member will NEVER get into the lounge.

ETA: Someone further down posted the FAQs about it and it may indeed be a jump the line.

So I removed my own speculations.

This only kicks in when it’s at capacity. So, if you arrive and there is no wait, you get right in.

 

[davidhr]

Not if MMB members are the only ones who can actually use the lounges because of the priority waitlist.

Im referring to this

Then DVC are effectively saying to foreigners that: We don’t want you as customers since we won’t provide any paid or non paid perks that we allow you to use or that you actually can use.

Wonder if that was the intention with the restrictions that only US residents can buy.

 

[PalmettoPath]

This is a bit of a stretch…

Not if you're one of those members, as we are. We have invested substantially in DVC (as have many U.S. residents) but this is the first time that an America first policy has been implemented by DVC, which effectively moves non-US-resident owners to a second class status (not eligible to buy-in to perks etc.) based solely on residency. We will see how it plays out and what response we hear back from DVC. But if this stands, international owners have essentially been downgraded to a lower status, with no prior warning or grandfathering. If you're in our shoes, it's worth exploring the legalities of it all. Certainly we feel that they value our business less, at the moment, given this surprise.

 

[Sandisw]

Not if you're one of those members, as we are. We have invested substantially in DVC (as have many U.S. residents) but this is the first time that an America first policy has been implemented by DVC, which effectively moves non-US-resident owners to a second class status (not eligible to buy-in to perks etc.) based solely on residency. We will see how it plays out and what response we hear back from DVC. But if this stands, international owners have essentially been downgraded to a lower status, with no prior warning or grandfathering. If you're in our shoes, it's worth exploring the legalities of it all. Certainly we feel that they value our business less, at the moment, given this surprise.

We do know that some things can’t apply to even all US citizens because of individual state laws

Some owners can’t get the referral reward. It is very possible that is playing a role here. It will be interesting to see what info you get!

 

[PalmettoPath]

We do know that some things can’t apply to even all US citizens because of individual state laws

Some owners can’t get the referral reward. It is very possible that is playing a role here. It will be interesting to see what info you get!

That may be the case...but we have purchased significant values of points remotely by phone, we buy our DVC APs remotely by phone, we buy DVC-discounted party tix remotely, so the likelihood of that being the case for an inane $99 purchase which is essentially a basket of things we have access to anyway (but not in this discounted format of course)...is low.

To dig into this more, I spoke with a CM Supervisor about this yesterday and this person was genuinely as confused as we are, saying it makes no logical sense at all. I have to say I appreciated his effort, as he offered and then spent a lot of time on the phone going through all of the legal minutia in the legal notes related to this on his end, and said he could find nothing at all that would indicate restrictions along those lines.

Comforting, if nothing else. He went the extra mile and I truly appreciated that.

He suggested writing and mentioning his comments and insights, which I did. We will see, but the biggest concern is that if this is the first of a new approach and int'l owners are always excluded from enhancement/upgrade opportunities, then they have devalued int'l ownership and created a second class based solely on residency. Do we have a legal footing in that case? We will find out if it comes to that.

 

[Gr8scott]

Correct me if I’m wrong and perhaps a dumb question, but I take the verbiage below to mean that if you don’t purchase into the Beyond Program you are not getting into the Epcot lounge at all during the character meet and mingle events. This looks to be more than just getting to front of the waitlist line if I’m interpreting it correctly and operating hours will “shift” to accommodate these events.

Program Benefits & Enrollment - Frequently Asked Questions​

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Q: How will this impact my access to the Member lounges at Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort?
A.In the event a lounge implements a waitlist, the Member who purchased the Membership Magic Beyond option will move to the top of the waitlist. Operating hours of the Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium - a Member Lounge at EPCOT may shift to accommodate the Membership Magic Beyond Character Experience.

 

[davidhr]

I keep reading this second class thing all the time and I think I bought DVC for the wrong reasons.

Not saying is wrong or right, I just find that term so weird.

 

[Sandisw]

Correct me if I’m wrong and perhaps a dumb question, but I take the verbiage below to mean that if you don’t purchase into the Beyond Program you are not getting into the Epcot lounge at all during the character meet and mingle events. This looks to be more than just getting to front of the waitlist line if I’m interpreting it correctly and operating hours will “shift” to accommodate these events.

Program Benefits & Enrollment - Frequently Asked Questions​

---

Q: How will this impact my access to the Member lounges at Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort?
A.In the event a lounge implements a waitlist, the Member who purchased the Membership Magic Beyond option will move to the top of the waitlist. Operating hours of the Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium - a Member Lounge at EPCOT may shift to accommodate the Membership Magic Beyond Character Experience.

Okay…that certainly does sound like they may shift some Hours to exclusive events. And seems to indicate the experience will occur at the Epcot lounge.

Lets see if this becomes additional hours or replaces them. We do have precedent in that they do this for one of the parties offered at TOTWL…lounge closes for it.

 

[New Mouse]

Plus, this only kicks in when it’s at capacity. So, if you arrive and there is no wait, you get right in.

Until they need another revenue stream. Don't forget, it's obvious the bigger picture marching orders at the moment are jack up the prices and charge for anything we possibly can.

Oh


And make the guests feel like we value them is a close second.

 

[Sandisw]

Until they need another revenue stream. Don't forget, it's obvious the bigger picture marching orders at the moment are jack up the prices and charge for anything we possibly can.

Oh


And make the guests feel like we value them is a close second.

We simply won’t agree this is a bad thing. I like options and there are going to be other DVC members who find value and will be okay with the change it could offer them.

Not sure why, again, everyone needs to view this with the same lense. If it doesn’t work, don’t buy.

If the worry is that this is the start of something else, then when that something else happens, each DVC owner will make a decision based on its impact on them and again, that should be okay.

 

[tx911]

We simply won’t agree this is a bad thing. I like options and there are going to be other DVc members who find value and will be okay with the change it could offer them.

Not sure why, again, everyone needs to view this with the same lense. If it doesn’t work, don’t buy.

If the worry is that this is the start of something else, then when that something else happens, each DVC owner will make a decision based on its impact on them and again, that should be okay.

I'm fine with: Buy this if you feel it improves your membership.

Not fine with: If you don't buy this, your membership will be degraded.

 

[J-Dog]

If the worry is that this is the start of something else, then when that something else happens, each DVC owner will make a decision based on its impact on them and again, that should be okay.

But if this happens, then those people are going to feel like they are de-valued by DVD. How can that possibly be argued as a good thing?

I guess it's a good thing from the perspective of filthy-rich DVC owners that want to be treated better than the masses....

 

[lowlight]

I keep reading this second class thing all the time and I think I bought DVC for the wrong reasons.

Not saying is wrong or right, I just find that term so weird.

I find you not understanding what is implied by that term equally weird.

 

[J-Dog]

I'm fine with: Buy this if you feel it improves your membership.

Not fine with: If you don't buy this, your membership will be degraded.

Yeah. Honestly, my only real problem is the lounge access. I don't really have an issue at all with paying to get discounts on other things.

But the people who do pay get to point-and-laugh at the non-payees as they walk right past them into the lounge. That bugs me....

 

[jennypenny]

I understand why people are upset if they bought direct to make sure they qualified for all of the benefits, and then DVC implemented another level on top of the 'direct' level that requires additional money. It feels like DVC is moving the goal posts.

If the result is that people who don't buy in can never get into the member lounges, then I do think that sucks (sorry, can't think of a nice way to phrase it). DVC has hyped the lounges a lot as a new benefit, so it's a bad look if it ends up requiring an additional purchase to get in.

 

[tx911]

Yeah. Honestly, my only real problem is the lounge access. I don't really have an issue at all with paying to get discounts on other things.

But the people who do pay get to point-and-laugh at the non-payees as they walk right past them into the lounge. That bugs me....

Right.

Don't take something that was previously equally available to all, and then put it behind this paywall.

Unless you want to piss people off.

If the lounges had never existed and were being brought online specifically as part of this program, I might feel differently about it. It's understand that's a fine line, but it makes a difference.

Not to mention the exclusion of international members, which is unconscionable.

 

[Sandisw]

I'm fine with: Buy this if you feel it improves your membership.

Not fine with: If you don't buy this, your membership will be degraded.

While some see the priority waitlist for the lounge a downgrade, not everyone will and again, why is that not okay?

Last year, we had one lounge…by next year there are three…who knows how many more might pop up… to me that is a big plus.

Now we have options for things that have real value to some members…and those of us who are happy should be allowed to be okay with that, shouldn’t we??

I get people are disappointed that waits may be longer, especially if you have experienced them… but Id venture that a lot of people outside the DIS will view this as a net positive gain for the program and not a net negative.

 

[J-Dog]

While some see the priority waitlist for the lounge a downgrade, not everyone will and again, why is that not okay?

Because in the current culture and media, Disney is being portrayed as greedy and unaffordable by the average family. DVC was a way for people to basically pledge their loyalty to Disney, and everyone who bought direct was treated equally. But now, Disney is making DVC the same thing - at some point as the price of MMB increases (and we know it will), it will cause class separation of DVC owners.

And (maybe this is melodramatic) but history tells us that class separation is bad.