Member Perks

[rsinj]

Call it a rant, a suggestion, a wish...

As DVC Members, we get Member Perks for discounts at shops, discounts on food, etc. Over time, the perks change. There are some that we know about because we frequent them often and have been in place a long time - like Earl of Sandwich and restaurants in the Swan/Dolphin. However, on our last trip, we were surprised when the cashier at one of the stores in Disney Springs asked if we were DVC members and that there was a discount.

What would be nice, for all places where you can use your room card/Magic Band for charging, is if it would automatically apply the DVC member discount if one is offered. We know that the information is available in that the card indicates DVC membership on it, and certainly the info is available electronically.

What is an annoyance is that currently, I have to ask for the membership perks pamphlet each time we check in - and on a couple of our recent trips the folks checking us in did not even know what I was talking about. The alternative, which gets monotonous is asking every cashier if they offer DVC discounts.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Yes I agree. There is a lot they could add to the MB like also the AP discount. Even though the AP is on my magic band I have to get out the AP ticket from my wallet each time plus ID and get the discount. Why? Why not just have it on the MB automatically applied as you suggest.

 

[goofy4tink]

Do NOT get me going on this subject!!!! I was at WoD a year ago. I am a DVC owner as well as holding an AP. So, I get to the cashier, with about $200 worth of stuff. I tell her that I'm an AP holder and she asks to see my discount card. Well, I don't have one. She says I need one to get the discount. Well, I had been told, not once but twice, that I didn't need one, and this was at Guest Services!!! They said it was all on my MB. The poor girl was really confused, and repeated that I really do have to have the card. I, for one of the few times in my life, kind of melted down and asked to speak with a manager. I wasn't yelling or nasty. The poor manager came over, I explained what had happened. At one point she asked if I was a DVC member, I said yes, she then asked if I had my blue card. I always have it with me! So, I got the same discount. But, I told the manager that it was just nutty that everything that was on my MB couldn't be seen at shops. She said it was an entirely different system. Well....I replied...that 'system' can charge back to my room, so why can't it see that I'm an AP holder? She did agree that it was a pretty stupid thing. But that I really should go to GS and get that gold discount card. That's when I mentioned to her that I had been told, twice, by GS that I didn't need one anymore. She said she would bring that up at some meeting!!
So, long story short? The first thing I'll be doing in Sept is heading to GS to get my AP discount card!! But, I just might wait to buy stuff when my dd is with me. She'll have the CM discount shortly after!!!
Stupid Disney systems!!!!

 

[freediverdude]

And, get this, this year they discontinued the gold discount cards, lol. But you do need your annual pass ticket card for the discounts, the actual ticket, the magic band won't do for some reason. But yes they need to make it so you can waive the band over the Mickey and they can see the annual pass designation on it. I realize the cash registers can't access the ticketing system, but they should be able to tie in an annual pass flag for that magic band that can show up on a cash register. And they should be able to do a DVC flag as well.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

And, get this, this year they discontinued the gold discount cards, lol. But you do need your annual pass ticket card for the discounts, the actual ticket,

How do I get this? About 2 years ago, when I activated my last annual pass ceritifcate, guest services would not give me an actual ticket. They said it was linked on my magic band, and I did not need it. I like having an actual AP ticket, and a hard plastic room key card too, in addition to my magic band. I don't like always wearing a magic band or relying on it for everything. I was sent a gold discount card in the mail, after I was back from the trip I activated the AP certificate, and was able to use it on my next trip. Now you say those are discontinued. Do I need to really insist, ask to speak to a manager, to get an actual AP ticket when I activate a new AP certificate this upcoming trip?


(Also the CMs at the resort check-in don't want to give room key cards. Same drill--it is on your magic band, why do you want it? The WDW info about the magic bands explains the active RFID features, and says you can request a key card with passive RFID if you wish. But the resort CMs apparently are not trained on it, and have never read it, seen it, or even know it exists.)

 

[freediverdude]

Yes, this year any ticket window will give you your actual plastic card ticket for your AP, since the discount card was discontinued. I can understand why they did what they did last year, since the discount cards were only sent through the mail. But now you should be able to get one, and don't let them tell you no, because you need it.

At the resort, no they will not give you the card key anymore unless you really insist.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney/DVC wants to advertise that you can get a discount if you buy an AP or DVC interest, they really don't want you to use the discount.

Disney/DVC wants to advertise that you can use your DVC points all over the world to get you to buy direct, they really don't want you to use your points away from Disney.

Disney/DVC wants you to buy DVC direct so you can be entitled to membership extras, but many of those extras requires that you pay for them.

I see a pattern here.

Bill

 

[ScubaCat]

That's when I mentioned to her that I had been told, twice, by GS that I didn't need one anymore. She said she would bring that up at some meeting!!

At least you weren't basically accused, by the manager, of trying to defraud the shop out of about $5.50 in discounts by using a printout of the digital membership card. ("That's just a piece of paper, ma'am.") DW was less than thrilled about that, to say the least, and Paul and I almost had a serious problem. Luckily I'm not 25 anymore and was somehow able to calmly walk out of the store.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Do NOT get me going on this subject!!!! I was at WoD a year ago. I am a DVC owner as well as holding an AP. So, I get to the cashier, with about $200 worth of stuff. I tell her that I'm an AP holder and she asks to see my discount card. Well, I don't have one. She says I need one to get the discount. Well, I had been told, not once but twice, that I didn't need one, and this was at Guest Services!!! They said it was all on my MB. The poor girl was really confused, and repeated that I really do have to have the card. I, for one of the few times in my life, kind of melted down and asked to speak with a manager. I wasn't yelling or nasty. The poor manager came over, I explained what had happened. At one point she asked if I was a DVC member, I said yes, she then asked if I had my blue card. I always have it with me! So, I got the same discount. But, I told the manager that it was just nutty that everything that was on my MB couldn't be seen at shops. She said it was an entirely different system. Well....I replied...that 'system' can charge back to my room, so why can't it see that I'm an AP holder? She did agree that it was a pretty stupid thing. But that I really should go to GS and get that gold discount card. That's when I mentioned to her that I had been told, twice, by GS that I didn't need one anymore. She said she would bring that up at some meeting!!
So, long story short? The first thing I'll be doing in Sept is heading to GS to get my AP discount card!! But, I just might wait to buy stuff when my dd is with me. She'll have the CM discount shortly after!!!
Stupid Disney systems!!!!

When your daughter gets the CM discount, she'll have to pay. You can't pay for it. She'll have to show her CM card and pay either with cash that you give her away from the register or pay with a card with her name on it. My son and husband have the same name so my son can use his dad's credit card to pay at a meal where we get his CM discount.

If your daughter is staying on your reservation, she can use her magic band to pay.

 

[Sammie]

I guess, I am easy to please. This bothers me nothing at all. I really think as much as discounts come and go it would be hard for them to electronically add it to the magic bands. Disney operates many different systems and I think it would cause more issues than solve problems.

The membership perks brochure is always in our check in materials so I just reference it and I use the listing on the Member site often.

My AP discount card came with my AP magic band.

 

[CarolMN]

.....(snip).......My AP discount card came with my AP magic band.

We each got one from Guest Services when we activated our APs last December. Not sure if it is a hard ticket AP ticket or just a discount card, though. We only used our MBs for park entrance and used DVC discount for our purchases.

 

[rsinj]

I guess, I am easy to please. This bothers me nothing at all. I really think as much as discounts come and go it would be hard for them to electronically add it to the magic bands. Disney operates many different systems and I think it would cause more issues than solve problems.

I disagree with your conclusion. I know that we can go back in the forum history (assuming it goes back to mid-2000s), and I can show you posts from some very well-known folks here (some who claimed to be very computer/system knowledgeable) making similar points saying DVC reservations could/would never be made available online.

The membership perks brochure is always in our check in materials so I just reference it and I use the listing on the Member site often.

As I mentioned in the original post, it is not always the case. We stayed at Bay Lake Towers last year, I had to ask for it, the CM looked at me like I was from Mars, had to ask others, look around and after 15 minutes found one...it was definitely not in the check-in packet.

We live in a world of automation, and it is only going to increase over time. The move towards Magic Bands and providing more digital development through all the parks, resorts and company are steps in the process and more and more things will be tied in over time. It is as obvious to me today, as online DVC reservations were 10+ years ago, that the Member Perks for DVC, AP, and any other company benefits/affiliations should/will be tied in at some point in the future - you are going to have the Disney equivalent of an FBI profile that knows everything about you and has the ability to bill/discount instantly across all their systems.

 

[Sammie]

I disagree with your conclusion. I know that we can go back in the forum history (assuming it goes back to mid-2000s), and I can show you posts from some very well-known folks here (some who claimed to be very computer/system knowledgeable) making similar points saying DVC reservations could/would never be made available online.



As I mentioned in the original post, it is not always the case. We stayed at Bay Lake Towers last year, I had to ask for it, the CM looked at me like I was from Mars, had to ask others, look around and after 15 minutes found one...it was definitely not in the check-in packet.

We live in a world of automation, and it is only going to increase over time. The move towards Magic Bands and providing more digital development through all the parks, resorts and company are steps in the process and more and more things will be tied in over time. It is as obvious to me today, as online DVC reservations were 10+ years ago, that the Member Perks for DVC, AP, and any other company benefits/affiliations should/will be tied in at some point in the future - you are going to have the Disney equivalent of an FBI profile that knows everything about you and has the ability to bill/discount instantly across all their systems.

And those same very well-known folks are probably also the ones that complain about how the online booking system never works. Does the technology exist somewhere for this to be accomplished, probably. Will it happen at Disney, I don't think so. Just because guests want something, does not mean it always feasible or even practical for Disney to do it.

As to your experience at BLT that is why I personally do not like staying at mixed DVC/ nonDVC resorts. Many of the cast have no knowledge or even want to of DVC. I much prefer the resorts such as SSR and OKW for that reason.

 

[MsTessP]

When your daughter gets the CM discount, she'll have to pay. You can't pay for it. She'll have to show her CM card and pay either with cash that you give her away from the register or pay with a card with her name on it. My son and husband have the same name so my son can use his dad's credit card to pay at a meal where we get his CM discount.

If your daughter is staying on your reservation, she can use her magic band to pay.

And to continue with the craziness, the person at the register should not "witness" you handing over the cash to your CM daughter. The last time I bought something with my CM son, I simply handed him some bills so he could pay. The person at the register made a cute turn-around with a whistle as said "I didn't see anything". When I looked at my son quizzingly as we were walking away, he told me that the official rules are that he literally has to pay with what is assumably his money, meaning the money should come out of his wallet. I knew we couldn't use my credit card and still get his discount, but I was surprised they really would find the fact that I handed the money to my son to be a problem. What if he had actually loaned that money to me earlier in the day, and I was paying him back?

Anyway, just a heads-up on that funny quirk. With CMs, rules are rules, so just do whatever is needed to follow them.

 

[ErinC]

I purchased our AP's online and never had a paper ticket/card. They tell you that you don't need one. Then you ask for the discount and they tell you that you do need one. It's very frustrating. I too feel like in the digital age, it's ridiculous that they can't add this info to your magic band. They did however in several places log in to my MDE app and show them my ticket on my phone. It says DVC AP, so they gave it to me with that proof.

 

[drusba]

Also believe they should allow discounts via the MB without the need for a either a member card or an AP ticket.

I am little confused, however, by references to gold discount cards and members having AP's mailed to them. Have been getting AP's for years including both new ones and renewals in last four years during the entire MB era and just got another one (renewal to actual Gold pass) in Jan. Every time I have purchased before going. Every time in the modern era for both new and renewal, no AP card was or could be sent in the mail (long ago they sent renewals in the mail but ceased doing that some years ago). Moreover, although attached to MB for purposes of doing FP+, I could not use the AP from the MB for park entry until I went to guest services after I arrived or a ticket booth and had them activate my AP and its use on the MB, and give to me actual AP cards, which for last four years have been gold in color. There has not been a separate "gold discount card" because what I received was in fact an actual AP card, gold in color, usable for entry into the park and also usable for all discounts. Moreover, when getting the MB activated and actual cards, there has never even been a discussion about what was needed and whether I should get the card because they just automatically gave me the cards.

Thus, this is the first I have ever heard of anyone being given the option of not getting the AP card or anything about some separate discount card, or being mailed anything other than a voucher card which is just a receipt for the purchase of the AP, usable only to pick up the real APs at the parks.

 

[kbeam]

At the very least, each store that's participating can have a placard at the registers. I also hate asking...and too often, forget to do so.

 

[HM2012Butler]

What if he had actually loaned that money to me earlier in the day, and I was paying him back?
.

If that truly is ever the case, just don't pay him pack in front of a CM. The discount is intended for the CM not for their family and friends. Obviously everyone buys stuff for their family and friends but that's the rule. Sometimes is can be annoying and silly

Just last week I was in line with a fellow CM friend and he made a purchase at WOD. The cashier looked at me and then looked back at my friend and said "now, this is for you and being purchased with your money, correct?" and he said yes and she still questioned some more. At that point I just pulled out my blue ID and she was like "oh... ok...". It all depends on who the CM is who is working. Some press harder than others but its easier just to be discrete.

 

[Gillyrose779]

I don't know- I ask everywhere I go and make sure to have the card and my ID to prove it. It's like that in the "real world" too. If you want a senior discount you usually have to ask and you technically are suppose to show proof.

 

[ILoveMyKellen]

Also believe they should allow discounts via the MB without the need for a either a member card or an AP ticket.

I am little confused, however, by references to gold discount cards and members having AP's mailed to them. Have been getting AP's for years including both new ones and renewals in last four years during the entire MB era and just got another one (renewal to actual Gold pass) in Jan. Every time I have purchased before going. Every time in the modern era for both new and renewal, no AP card was or could be sent in the mail (long ago they sent renewals in the mail but ceased doing that some years ago). Moreover, although attached to MB for purposes of doing FP+, I could not use the AP from the MB for park entry until I went to guest services after I arrived or a ticket booth and had them activate my AP and its use on the MB, and give to me actual AP cards, which for last four years have been gold in color. There has not been a separate "gold discount card" because what I received was in fact an actual AP card, gold in color, usable for entry into the park and also usable for all discounts. Moreover, when getting the MB activated and actual cards, there has never even been a discussion about what was needed and whether I should get the card because they just automatically gave me the cards.

Thus, this is the first I have ever heard of anyone being given the option of not getting the AP card or anything about some separate discount card, or being mailed anything other than a voucher card which is just a receipt for the purchase of the AP, usable only to pick up the real APs at the parks.

This has also been my experience as well.