DVC Policy on FAA Shutdown

[gscott8075]

We are -still- planning on leaving Saturday.

If we cannot make it, does anyone know if DVC is working with us on not losing our points?

 

[PamOKW]

They are generally reasonable in emergency situations. I think someone yesterday was told they'd get the points back but I'd call and check with MS. Maybe they've posted something on the site?

 

[gscott8075]

Nothing has been posted on the site.

My wife was unable to get through today.

 

[LisaR]

We were suppose to fly out this morning. My points were to expire on Dec 1st, 2001. MS has banked the points and they will now be available on Dec 1, 2001 and I have one year to use them. I also had 2 rooms at AKL conceige booked using cash. I have been given a full refund on both rooms. We plan on going in January instead. Disney and DVC has handled this situation in a wonderful way. We were very pleased, considering the circumstances.

Lisa

 

[Dennis the WDW Menace]

I must give MS a big "thumbs up" for helping those DVC members that are caught in this tragety. A positive note about MS and how DVC does help it's members.
I will pray for those DVC members that have been injured by this attack and for all of those people who have lost family and friends in NY, DC, and Penn. I have been feeling so bad and helpless because of these events and it does make any problems that we have seem so small in comparison.
God bless America, and God bless the people of NY, DC, Penn, and throughout the world who have been affected by this senseless act of murder.

 

[bicker]

I think that this is the correct move, but it begs the question vis a vis what impact does this move have on availability? Conceptually, wouldn't this mean that there are more points available for use than there are available for reservation?

Also, is DVC granting any extension vis a vis that validity of these points? or do they still expire when they were supposed to expire? (or something in between -- members can use their one-time exception?)

 

[rugratsmom66]

I am not a DVC member but bought the points from someone else. I called anyway and was told that I could not change the reservation nor could the points be refunded (or whatever they do with them). I had the DVC member also call yesterday and they were told that if the points were not used they would be lost. I guess we both talked to the wrong guy. My reservations are for Sunday and I'm hoping that I can get there as I certainly do not want to lose my money. I was originally flying out tomorrow but that flight was cancelled and I was able to change to Sunday without penalty.

 

[LisaR]

Bicker,
To be honest, I am not 100% sure what you are asking. However, as for your comment about this effecting availability, I can not see why there should be concern. First of all, many people who were driving to WDW will still go. Even some people who had flights cancelled decided to drive. I do not think we are talking about thousands of people changing their reservations. I was able to get through to MS on two different occassions over the past two days with less then a 2 minute wait each time. They do not seemed to be swamped with people making changes.

DVC and WDW seem to be doing exactly what the airlines are doing. They are allowing you to cancel and reschedule over the next year. However, this is only for people that were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. I do not think 4 days of cancellations are going to have any impact on DVC availability especially since not everyone cancelled. JMO

Lisa

 

[stlrod]

I understand Bicker's comment, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. I have been told more thna once by DVC guides that DVC "reserves" points at each of their resorts for their own use. My guess is that if demand becomes higher than would normally be allocated, they would simpy "surrender" use of their own points.

 

[treloarf]

I called MS today about my family who was suppose to leave Sunday and they are afraid to fly - MS told me - no problem - they will reinstate my points!

 

[bicker]

Originally posted by LisaR
However, as for your comment about this effecting availability, I can not see why there should be concern. First of all, many people who were driving to WDW will still go.

I was referring to the people who would NOT still go, and the points associated with those "cancellations."

DVC and WDW seem to be doing exactly what the airlines are doing.

Uh, DVC and WDW are two COMPLETELY different animals. WDW is a commercial enterprise, with full discretion to do whatever they feel is appropriate to achieve their overriding goal, even if that means changing their pricing structures and polices and terms and conditions. DVC is a real estate timeshare, which is constrained by law to operate within certain parameters no matter what. That's why I was asking the questions I was asking.

They are allowing you to cancel and reschedule over the next year.

So, assuming you're right in what you wrote there, they're allowing people to extend the validity of points beyond the expiration date of those points. Again, while I agree that that is exactly the right thing to do, I wonder based on what tenet of the legal requirements are they permitted to do that. I could imagine that DVD is actually covering the "cost" of this gesture -- that would surely be permitted without any legal action whatsoever, and if so, I think DVD should be lauded for their remarkably gesture of good will to folks who they really have no such obligation to.

I do not think 4 days of cancellations are going to have any impact on DVC availability especially since not everyone cancelled.

That could also be the case, but, as I said earlier, it begs the question: How many "extra points" are there in the system? I thought that there were just as many points available each year as were sold. So the only "slack" would be abandoned points (which is yet-another potential source for covering this gesture, perhaps?)

 

[LisaR]

Life is way too short. What happens to DVC, our points, extra points in the system, the cost of the whole thing, etc just does not matter to me. I honestly could care less right now.

Lisa

 

[PJMPA]

I agree with Lisa. At this time, who cares about points, future impact. Once we all have a chance to recover from this, if we will find that DVC is not being reasonable, I am sure that members will react.

 

[bicker]

I'm more interested in knowing whether DVD should be given some credit for being generous or not. At times like this, it is still important to recognize the good things folks do.

 

[PamOKW]

Bicker it may be that they will use the 4% if necessary. Somehow this is being worked out so that members are not penalized because of travel problems related to one of the most horrific events in our history. There have been similar things worked out by DVC in the past for major snowstorms and hurricanes.

Rugrats, unfortunately, once a member has sold their reservation to someone else it really becomes their responsibility. Bicker is pointing out that the special circumstances provision for members could potentially impact other members use of points next year.

The member who has made the reservation for you could pursue it with a supervisor. Possibly they could work out something involving changing dates within the Use Year.

 

[msdis]

If anyone cares I have a real life scenario of what happened to my points this past week while at VWL as we left 2 days early after hearing the news Tues. Ms gave me back my points in "holding status". Not in my best interest but like someone else said "who cares!". After driving home for 25+1/2 hours straight, along with all the other terrified motorists in the unknown, passing right through ALL the cities affected by Tuesday's horror, my points mean so very little to me right now that I'm not sure I will ever travel again. Somehow the happiest place on earth will never be the same to me again as it will be a reminder of that days events as we awoke and being "into the news" we turned the tv to CNN to witness the whole ugly event unfold from the start. I still feel sick inside to think of all the tragedy this has caused! I know anyone who was there this week had to share in some of the same experiences and feelings as well as ANYONE stranded in the US this week. I am not complaining of my experience as I know it is but nothing compared to others but I just feel that because of it, I will probably sell my DVC. I am sorry to sound so negative and I don't want to influence anyone else but I just had to let this out somewhere.

 

[cj2]

I called Member Services Friday afternoon ... we were due in to Vero next weekend. No questions asked they said they would do whatever I wanted ... change vacation dates, cancel entirely and bank to next year ... whatever I wanted. Our son is a Washington DC firefighter and has been at both the Pentagon and NYC so we weren't too comfortable leaving home quite so soon. We pushed our vacation out 2 weeks (10/6) hoping things will be a little better. We are driving, however, so that does give us more flexibility as opposed to those flying.

Say lots of prayers for our brave firefighters, policemen and women, and EMTs.

 

[PamOKW]

MsDis -- Like with any tragedy, don't make too many important decisions too soon. I agree you have to get out your feelings. It must have been so scary for you on that ride home.


cj2 -- Your son and all those heros are in my prayers.

 

[cj2]

PamOKW ... just a quick thank you for thinking of my son and all the other rescuers. He is home now ... had to report for duty at his station.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Got the 411 first hand!

Disney will return all points reserved for current trips. They explained to us that they did not want anyone to feel that they had to come and did not feel safe or comfortable.

We cancelled our trip this month. Since we are going again in October-November and then again in December. They did not ask if we wanted to re-schedule.