Deluxe villas are owned by DVC members with a small percentage owned by Disney. I didn't include them because Disney can't just book them for cash reservations. There's a reason why Disney is converting 200 hotels rooms at GF to DVC, why 2 Poly longhouse were converted, and why part of Wilderness Lodge became Copper Creek Villas. It's because Disney can't fill their deluxe resort rooms.
I don't think current Disney leadership will prioritize APs over "once in a lifetime" guests due those out of state guests spending way more money than APs do. They're the ones more willing to buy Memory Maker, Genie+/ILLs, merchandise, food, hotels, other extras, etc. I have an AP and so do my parents. My parents are the type of APs that go to Epcot for a few hours, buy 1 drink and maybe ride 1-2 things and then leave. Current Disney management doesn't like APs like my parents.
The more they convert to DVC, the happier we'll be. And yes, you can absolutely book DVC Deluxe Villas as cash rooms. I used to do that for many clients when I was a Disney travel advisor.
I agree. Disney management doesn't feel that Passholders as a group are as profitable as the daily ticket holders. They visit more often, therefore reducing their per-day cost to below the price of the least expensive multi-day ticket. They also tend to purchase less merchandise than the visitor who rarely visits. They tend to dine in the parks and resorts less often than other visitors. That's not speaking to individual passholders but as a group in general.
They can only be booked for cash IF DVC members do not book them. Disney only has so many ways that they can sell DVC rooms for cash. They cannot take inventory to sell for cash just because they want to.
Yes, of course. I know the rules quite well. I would book them many months in advance for clients, so Disney wasn't waiting around to see if a DVC member booked them. Maybe it's the seven month window, I can't recall exactly. Anyway you can argue all you want, but anyone can book a villa if it's available on DisneyWorld.com. Period.
I agree. My parents are the exact AP holders you're describing. They don't buy merchandise, they don't dine in the parks or at the resorts and they tend to leave to eat at home as they only live an hour away. On the flipside, I am an out of state AP that stays on property and eats at their dining locations when I am in town. Disney would much rather have an AP like me or other out of state DVC APs than a local. An out of state non AP guest, especially those from outside of the US that stay for 2+ weeks, are the ones they want the most in the parks.
this is an absolutely horrible idea, the most overpriced rooms in Disney are DVC rooms. I find it ridiculous that all Disney focuses on are DVC buildings its terrible.
Good points. I live abroad and so have never and will never have an annual pass. I admit I have no idea how they work but I do sympathize with those who have purchased them and may not be able to get their money's worth because of reservations not being available. I think aph should be able to at the very least get their money's worth...but not automatically entitled to go as many times and whenever they want to the detriment of those who aren't aph. There has to be a balance there somewhere.
As DVC owners, we love it. They are presumably following their revenue streams by converting and building DVC, which is sort of how this string all started (Disney should charge more because that will make the parks less crowded and increase their per-guest revenue). Disney is presumably focusing on the high-return high-revenue guests. No public business wants an overabundance of low revenue customers.
Like I said, there are so only so many ways that Disney can offer DVC rooms for cash. Circling back to my original point: There's absolutely no way that they can offer all 5300+, which is why I didn't include them in total number of Deluxe Resort rooms.
I see your point. You're coming at it from what's available for booking as inventory. I'm coming at it from the total room capacity that Disney is putting effort into from a guest-return-revenue perspective.
Direct DVC purchases put large sums of money directly into Disney's hands while redirecting operating costs of a resort to the owners. But once that cash cow has been milked, the revenue stream begins to slow.
They are.
IMO that contributes to the identity crisis it feels like Disney has been going on for several years including leading up to the pandemic. Are they primarily a timeshare program? Or an encompassing resort with a side dabbling into DVC? Because it sorta feels like they focus much more on the DVC side as far as building new resorts, turning normal rooms into DVC rooms and the like. They are starting to do refurbs of rooms but that felt very much an afterthought.
We are all very different. We are definitely not remotely as you described as a generalization. I am not going to engage the troll any longer. Have a nice day.
Troll? I though we were having a meaningful discussion. I'm not trying to bait, nor debate you.
