*sigh* even DVC is not immune... About This Page:

[Goofy'sGal]

Received an email from DVC earlier this week offering reduced cash rates for family and friends interested in staying at OKW or Saratoga. However, in order to take advantage of the reduced rate, they must take a 90 minute DVC info tour. I missed that nugget of info when I first read the email but Alan "enlightened" me. Do you think it's still a good deal? I think I'd rather have a friend "subjected" to a mandatory DVC tour than any other company's. I wonder if the DVC tours are still as low-pressure as they were when we first took it. Here's part of the email:


"Your friends & family do so much for you, so why not give them something that can do so much for them!

When you share this limited time offer with your friends they can enjoy the fantastic accommodations of the Disney Vacation Club, like the comforts of Disney's Old Key West Resort or Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.


$199* per night (plus tax)—
for stays most nights 8/30 - 10/1/09
in a One-Bedroom Vacation Home
that's a savings of over 45%!

Your friends can also learn about all the other benefits of Membership when they experience a Disney Vacation Club Open House Tour during their discounted stay. (Tour required for special rate.) See details below.

Offer valid most nights from 8/30 - 10/1/09. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required.

Open House Tour must be conducted on or before October 1, 2009, and must occur during your stay. You must stay between August 30, 2009, and October 1, 2009, and book travel prior to October 1, 2009. All accommodations are subject to availability. Advance reservations required and reference booking code must be given at time of booking. In order to take advantage of the offer, attendance at a 90-minute Open House Tour prior to check-out is required or the full value of the accommodations will be charged ($390 per night, plus tax for a One-Bedroom Vacation Home). Other room types may be available at other rates. If married, both spouses must attend the Open House Tour together. Participants must be at least 25 years of age and show valid photo ID. Any cancellation of a reservation requires notification 5 days prior to check-in date to receive a full refund. Disney Vacation Club Members are not eligible. First night's deposit by credit card is required to secure the reservation. Gratuities, meals, Walt Disney World® tickets, other expenses incidental to the use of the accommodations, and transportation to/from the Walt Disney World Resort are not included. Restrictions apply. Offer not combinable with any other offers or discounts and terms, along with prices, are subject to change or termination without notice."

[tjkraz]

Yeah, DVC is just one of many $20,000 luxury purchases that is not immune to the economy. They aren't exactly on the verge of going belly-up, but with four resorts nearing completion they had hoped that the economy would be more cooperative.

I'm sure DVC execs have had to make a number of concessions in this economy. If the sales aren't there, staff cutbacks could be the next move. You don't need as many salespeople or back-office staff if there aren't any contracts to purchase. And if those villas they are offering for $199 sit empty, you have the potential for park hours to suffer, staff to get fewer hours, hiring freeze, etc.

Slow sales could also impact other projects in the pipeline. If they can't sell the AKV and VGC points they have now, they'll put a halt to any plans for another DVC at Disneyland, DVC at the Grand Floridian or Poly, Lake Tahoe, Washington DC, etc.

By all indications the DVC sales presentation is still very low-key. Every so often you'll hear of someone who thinks they were getting the "hard sell." But then every salesperson is different. Management still encourages a very laid-back approach. It's not like other timeshares where folks are virtually held hostage for 3 hours while the price keeps changing.

[angiek1024]

Not sure how I feel about this. I can see why in this economy that they may need to do this type of thing but it just sounds so much like all those other time share deals out there requiring you to sit through a presentation. I honestly think Disney does their selling very well. We bought over the phone but when we added on onsite they treated us like kings. I never felt pressured at all.

I guess it just seems weird to hear of DVC doing this but maybe that is just me.

[rescuesk]

Originally Posted by angiek1024

Not sure how I feel about this. I can see why in this economy that they may need to do this type of thing but it just sounds so much like all those other time share deals out there requiring you to sit through a presentation. I honestly think Disney does their selling very well. We bought over the phone but when we added on onsite they treated us like kings. I never felt pressured at all.

I guess it just seems weird to hear of DVC doing this but maybe that is just me.

I agree. One of the points of DVC was that it wasn't the type of hard-sell that other time shares are. While I'm sure this won't be hard-sell, it's certainly not the DVC we are used to.

[GRUMPY1]

I honestly do not think this is a bad thing just something different for them to try to move unused inventory that CRO has

I rented points to see if DVC was for me. This is a safer way to do the same thing. I know even though I had no problems when I rented I would of probably done this instead of it was an option.

Trusting strangers esp in this economy is a hard thing to do.

[tjkraz]

Originally Posted by GRUMPY1

I honestly do not think this is a bad thing just something different for them to try to move unused inventory that CRO has

I rented points to see if DVC was for me. This is a safer way to do the same thing. I know even though I had no problems when I rented I would of probably done this instead of it was an option.

Trusting strangers esp in this economy is a hard thing to do.

That's an interesting way of looking at it.

I was a little surprised to see this but upon further reflection, I'm not sure that it's much different than what DVC has been doing for years. They've been giving perks like $100 gift cards, free meal vouchers and free FastPasses in exchange for touring for as long as I can remember. Is that any different?

Sales are undeniably slowing. In addition to folks struggling with the economy, you've also got a lot of WDW guests visiting on "buy 4 get 7" and "free dining" offers. It can't be easy to sell them on the DVC concept when they see such great bargain offers currently available. It's much easier when folks are paying near Rack Rates for their rooms.

But like I said, I think this is a much more sensible move than simply accepting lower sales as being the inevitable. When sales slow, people lose their jobs. Future projects get postponed--and the contractors who would work on those projects are left out of work that much longer.

Better to try sensible ways of increasing sales than just cutting staff and accepting what's happening.

[lesabrowning]

I also think it is reasonable. Honestly, it is still miles away from the "come stay free in Vegas and listen to a timeshare pitch!"

[wyominnie]

We just joined DVC in June after going to the on-site presentation during our visit to WDW. I thought it was VERY low-key (offered to pick us up in a van behind Buzz Light Year and drop us off anywhere we wanted) and we got six fast-passes which made our last two days very enjoyable. For us, the fast-passes were definately worth sitting through the presentation and I would think a room discount on top of that would be great.

Personally I thought our guide was very laid back about the whole thing. Sold!!

[chezp]

I don't think it's odd, given the current rate of expansion the DVC is undergoing - and no doubt Disney didn't exactly foresee the depth of the economic slowdown when they started on this path.

So long as the sales pitch remains as low key as it always has done (and by the sounds of it, that is the case, which is good to hear), then I don't have a problem with it. I'd have a problem if the sales tactics changed at all....

[theJordans]

I think its a good idea and if I had friends thinking about DVC I`d reccommend they do it. I would have no fears about them getting the "hard sell".
Disney is just like any other business - including my own - the $$$ have to keep rolling in to keep going.
I hope it helps sales.

[DVCBird941]

I agree that it is a very different approach but the times warrant this kind of change. As long as its still low-pressure sales pitch, I'm fine with it. Once they turn into the "other" timeshare pitches then there would be a negative view of DVC.

[GaryB]

It was last Sept that we took the tour. There was definitely no hard sell and we didn't make up our minds until our guide left us alone. Looking forward to our first trip home!

[saremca]

My brother and SIL bought into DVC in May while we were there together (and we get $200 knocked off of our dues this year - yeehaw!). They said the presentation was very low-key and low-pressure. Hopefully it will stay that way.