Disney is apparently taking steps to improve both the quality and quantity of merchandise which would appeal to Disney Vacation Club members. Numerous items sporting both the new DVC logo and resort-specific imagery are in the process of being rolled-out. But unknown is how members will respond to the new items. Do members feel compelled to buy clothing and collectables to show-off DVC membership or favored resorts? Are the items priced appropriately?
Some members use Disney Vacation Club ownership as a means of increasing the frequency of trips to Walt Disney World. Others may simply view it as a more economical way to continue existing vacation patterns.
After several years of development, Disney Vacation Club's online reservation system debuted last week. Among its noteworthy features are near 24/7 access, realtime inventory display and reservation capabilities, allowances for waitlist requests and more.
When buying into Disney Vacation Club, members place a great deal of trust in Disney's oversight of the program. They trust that dues will be set correctly and that point charts--including occasional changes to charts--will be representative of member demand. Members trust that future changes to program policies, perks, etc. will be in their collective best interests.
Annual Dues increases for 2012 were generally higher than most members expected with several resorts seeing greater than 8% increase over 2011. Part of the reason for the higher fees is additional resort staffing. Specifically, resorts have supposably increased the number of housekeepers, housekeeping supervisors and room assigners to increase quality and member satisfaction.
