Breaking: Disneyland allowed to reopen 4/1 to CA residents only

[_auroraborealis_]

https://apnews.com/article/mlb-base...geles-angels-232762937266a61e8febf307c9a7e6b8
Becomes an interesting issue for Disney with VGC bookings.

 

[GNG2WDW]

I am very upset about this restriction.
I am a VGC owner and part of our ownership includes technically owning real estate there and paying property taxes. So unless there is some exception for owners, I pay property taxes but I can’t step foot inside Disneyland.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I am very upset about this restriction.
I am a VGC owner and part of our ownership includes technically owning real estate there and paying property taxes. So unless there is some exception for owners, I pay property taxes but I can’t step foot inside Disneyland.

The rule is via state of California; Disney didn't write it. Since your DVC contract precludes using your ownership to establish residency, you would not be considered resident for this as I understand it.

Disney may try to request an exception but it gets complicated. Would it be VGC owners staying on points at VGC only? What if a Saratoga owner got a VGC villa on points, would they qualify? A lot to manage for Disney, because they will undoubtedly be subject to a lot of documentation when they open on compliance.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

The rule is via state of California; Disney didn't write it. Since your DVC contract precludes using your ownership to establish residency, you would not be considered resident for this as I understand it.

Disney may try to request an exception but it gets complicated. Would it be VGC owners staying on points at VGC only? What if a Saratoga owner got a VGC villa on points, would they qualify? A lot to manage for Disney, because they will undoubtedly be subject to a lot of documentation when they open on compliance.

It shouldn’t be that complicated. If you OWN a VGC home resort contract, then you can stay there and enter the park. If you are a DVC member from another home resort, you don’t get to stay at VGC.

 

[Sandisw]

The rule is via state of California; Disney didn't write it. Since your DVC contract precludes using your ownership to establish residency, you would not be considered resident for this as I understand it.

Disney may try to request an exception but it gets complicated. Would it be VGC owners staying on points at VGC only? What if a Saratoga owner got a VGC villa on points, would they qualify? A lot to manage for Disney, because they will undoubtedly be subject to a lot of documentation when they open on compliance.

I assume the VGC contracts include the same line about not guarantee acess to DL?

I am going to bet that Disney is not going to try to get the state to allow different rules for such a small number of people, regardless of whether or not they are VGC owners or other DVC.

Id love to be wrong.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It shouldn’t be that complicated. If you OWN a VGC home resort contract, then you can stay there and enter the park. If you are a DVC member from another home resort, you don’t get to stay at VGC.

Disney would have to drop VGC from the association to bar anyone who doesn't own VGC from staying there. Which would also bar VGC owners from staying at other resorts.

They cannot otherwise restrict on that basis unless the government of California bar out of state residents from using timeshares in California, which they haven't throughout the pandemic and it is hard to believe they add that restriction at the state level now.

 

[montreid]

I can see DLR and DVC do this: State of California restricts to CA residency - The way to prove that at the gate -- Driver's License. No CA DL, or Utility bill -- no entrance.

DVC and DLR may soften the blow by doing the Galaxy Edge thing and guarantee entrance be part of the stay --

DVC may get fancy and produce partial utility bills for timeshare owners of VGC - are they part time residents of California?

 

[nikerbokers]

Aren't we all jumping the gun? Orange County hasn't hit the red tier yet. Plus they have Touch of Disney going on until mid-late April. I suppose they could cancel those events for a 15% opening, but that's doubtful. They sold tickets to probably thousands out of state people (me included who will be going to the April 19th event). I said this in another thread but I don't see Disneyland opening until much closer to the VGC opening date of May 2nd.

 

[Sandisw]

I can see DLR and DVC do this: State of California restricts to CA residency - The way to prove that at the gate -- Driver's License. No CA DL, or Utility bill -- no entrance.

DVC and DLR may soften the blow by doing the Galaxy Edge thing and guarantee entrance be part of the stay --

DVC may get fancy and produce partial utility bills for timeshare owners of VGC - are they part time residents of California?

No residency comes with DVC ownership The issue is not staying at VGC. It’s the right to enter DL when it opens. And if the state limits that to residents only, then no matter who stays at VGc, you will not have entry in the park.

Budget For VGC has already been established for 2021. Given it remained closed for 4 months, I assume a credit will happen like it did for 2020.

But once VGC opens, they can not stop people from out of state staying there as already mentioned, there has been no restriction to using timeshare. Only projected limit right now is the park.

 

[vacay77]

We have a trip booked for the end of May, using our points to stay at our home resort VGC. We are also Arizona residents, so that would preclude us from going inside the park. I know it's out of Disney's control, but this is ridiculous. What's the point of being a DVC member if we can't even get admission into the park?

 

[drusba]

Disney will likely provide in-room virtual Disneyland tours to all non-residents staying in VGC (probably for only half the price of a park ticket).

 

[DVCSunDevil]

What's the point of being a DVC member if we can't even get admission into the park?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe in the POS it specifically mentions that there’s no guarantee of parks even being available. The decision to buy into DVC should be solely based on the resort. I know in reality that’s not the way most people made their decision to buy into DVC, but it does state that one day the parks may not even be there. So based on that, your question probably isn’t going to hold much water with DVC or Disney.

 

[Wakey]

Well we are meant to be coming from overseas in July. Adults will be vaccinated by then. Suck it and see I suppose, like the last 12 months.....

 

[montreid]

All true. There's no legal obligation between DVC and DLR; and the CA restriction will be verified at the gates.

What I'm wondering if DVC will go through the trouble to try to even pretend timeshare ownership gives right to claim residency -- doubtful. If I were Disney, wouldn't poke the bear

Will DVC and hotels (if opened) go through the trouble of allowing reservation guarantees like it did for GE entry (but not admission guarantee as still needed ticket).

Like everywhere it says on websites now for WDW, a reservation doesn't guarantee admission, a valid ticket is needed for entry. We know that those aren't tried as folk have removed tickets and resort stays yet the reservation for parks remain.

I did reach out to DVC since we had VGC expired during the closure and they verified -- no plans to reopen earlier than current May 2 at this time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What I'm wondering if DVC will go through the trouble to try to even pretend timeshare ownership gives right to claim residency -- doubtful.

They can't. The contracts say explicitly that it doesn't. Trying to claim otherwise goes against their articles of incorporation in California, which is a bad look.

That said, I wouldn't expect DL to open anytime before Easter, and probably not until early May.

 

[vacay77]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe in the POS it specifically mentions that there’s no guarantee of parks even being available. The decision to buy into DVC should be solely based on the resort. I know in reality that’s not the way most people made their decision to buy into DVC, but it does state that one day the parks may not even be there. So based on that, your question probably isn’t going to hold much water with DVC or Disney.

I get your point, but we didn’t become DVC members for that reason. And I don’t think this is within Disney’s control at all. But how about the park tickets that I paid for pre-COVID that I held on to for all that time? Is that on me, too?

 

[Brian Noble]

But how about the park tickets that I paid for pre-COVID that I held on to for all that time? Is that on me, too?

Why would this be any different now than it normally is? Tickets have always been non-refundable, but you can use them before expiration, or apply their value to new tickets if they have expired.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I get your point, but we didn’t become DVC members for that reason. And I don’t think this is within Disney’s control at all. But how about the park tickets that I paid for pre-COVID that I held on to for all that time? Is that on me, too?

Listen, I’m right there with you. If WDW did not have the parks we would not have bought into DVC either. I think the vast majority of people buy into DVC because of everything that WDW offers, including the parks. It’s all part of the “package”. However, DVC made sure everyone was aware of the risk when they incorporated that wording into the POS. You acknowledged the risk of not being able to access the parks when you bought into DVC. No one ever realistically thought there would be a time when they could not access the parks as a DVC member, but lo and behold those times did actually come in the form of COVID. And again, every DVC owner acknowledged that risk. So, IMO, DVC owners can’t now complain about not being able to go to the parks (as it relates to their DVC ownership). People can’t complain about something they agreed to.

 

[vacay77]

Why would this be any different now than it normally is? Tickets have always been non-refundable, but you can use them before expiration, or apply their value to new tickets if they have expired.

Because I can’t use them as a non-California resident. Period. When I initially purchased them, COVID did not exist. When COVID happened, it was announced that when DL reopened, only those who currently held existing tickets could get park reservations. As a result, I chose not to get a refund and chose to keep my tickets. Now we are hearing that even if we have tickets, we can’t go into the parks because we are not California residents. Yes, I can apply the face value of the ticket towards new tickets. But how is that possible if we can’t go into the parks since we aren’t CA residents? Look, I’m not mad at Disney. I’m just expressing frustration with the situation. Everything is in constant flux.

 

[vacay77]

Listen, I’m right there with you. If WDW did not have the parks we would not have bought into DVC either. I think the vast majority of people buy into DVC because of everything that WDW offers, including the parks. It’s all part of the “package”. However, DVC made sure everyone was aware of the risk when they incorporated that wording into the POS. You acknowledged the risk of not being able to access the parks when you bought into DVC. No one ever realistically thought there would be a time when they could not access the parks as a DVC member, but lo and behold those times did actually come in the form of COVID. And again, every DVC owner acknowledged that risk. So, IMO, DVC owners can’t now complain about not being able to go to the parks (as it relates to their DVC ownership). People can’t complain about something they agreed to.

I’m not going to keep arguing about this because I really don’t think it’s productive. I’m well aware of the contract I signed. I’m simply expressing frustration with the situation.