Disney Vacation Club's new member referral program appears to be getting an overhaul.
For many years, Disney Vacation Club supported a program called "Sharing the Magic" which rewarded existing members for referring new business to the timeshare outfit. Owners could refer up to five new buyers per calendar year, earning escalating reward bonuses which started at $200 and went as high as $1000.
However eligibility for the program varied greatly, with many state laws limiting or disallowing any form of compensation related to a timeshare purchase. Owner frustration was also evident with many referrals seemingly not acknowledged properly by DVC.
On December 31, 2013, Disney Vacation Club quietly discontinued the "Sharing the Magic" promotion.
However, a note has appeard on the old "Sharing the Magic" informational webpages, indicating that a replacement program may be in the works. The text reads:
"NOTE: Disney Vacation Club is busy turning Member feedback into a new collection of tools that will replace our previous Sharing the Magic program, which ended on December 31, 2013."
In 2010, former Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis told owners that they were working on a new program which would provide additional perks and benefits to owners based upon a number of factors including number of points owned and completed referrals. Less than a year later, Lewis was fired from his post as DVC chief and this concept has not been spoken of again.
It remains to be seen what sort of "collection of tools", perks or benefits DVC may use in the future to encourage owners to promote their timeshare product.
