Am I a member, or not?

Disney Vacation Club
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With the relatively recent changes to DVC making it so that resale members are second-class citizens when it comes to “perks”, I’m finding it confusing what benefits you do or do not actually get.

So, for example, while “officially” in park discounts on merchandise isn’t supposed to apply to resale (white card) members, I know that anecdotally, most people are still being given the discount.

But here’s another one. So I just got an email from Disney offering me, as a DVC “member”, access to the Sorcerer Pass. (To be clear, I’m not in the market to actually buy an AP, but that’s beside the point.)

Is it offering me the chance to buy the Sorcerer Pass, because a white-card member is allowed this perk? Or is it offering me the chance to buy the Sorcerer Pass, but if I then go in and attempt to buy it (if I were planning to do such a thing) I’d be told I don’t qualify?

This use of “member” applying to DVC owners conditionally is confusing me. I’m a member…except when I’m not. (But even then, maybe you still are…wink wink.)

When I look at the website, it sounds like I’m a “member”, but not eligible for “Membership Extras”. Trouble is, what is considered a “Membership Extra”? There is a Member Benefits page…but is everything on that page considered a “Membership Extra”?

I don’t really have a question at all. Merely pointing out the frustration that Disney is very lax about their definition of things. I don’t see anywhere that calls “Member Benefits” and Membership Extras" meaning the same thing. Rather, there is a footnote on the Member Benefits page that explains that “Membership Extras” only apply to those who buy direct from Disney, without calling out which of the benefits are “Extras” and which aren’t. I would probably assume they mean the same thing, EXCEPT that Disney actually calls them out as being separate!

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And while I’m complaining…how hard is it for them to NOT send me an email each time I log back into my account from the same devices I’ve used repeatedly???

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Probably B.

I was invited to register for midnight madness a couple of times before I was blue card. Each time I tried - because why not try, right? - but each time I was denied.

Pretty much the only perk you get as a white-card holder is access to Top Of the World.

Nothing else. No discounts, no AP purchases, no other lounge access, no special events, etc etc etc

Otherwise you are a member with rights to book at your home resort at 11mos and other resorts at 7 months. That’s all you get.

You’re a member but you’re not part of the “in crowd” unless you’re blue card.

Blue card benefits, aside from TOWL and booking rights, can go away at any moment. Never buy for the benes, and also it would take most people a super long time for the cost to cover the benes if that’s the goal. I bought direct this July for other reasons, at a time when there were literally zero blue card benes. It’s not why I went direct at that time so I’m okay with it. I was also quite fine being a “second class citizen” as I knew that’s what I was getting with my resale and that was worth it to me.

That said, it never hurts to try if you have the time. The worst they can say is no and then you’re no worse off than you were before.

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I can’t remember: do you need to buy a certain amount of points direct in order to qualify for blue card? Or could you buy a super small contract and qualify?

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According to the website, you must have at least 125 direct points.

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You used to be able to buy a wicked small direct contract to get them

But the problem is, the small contracts are the biggest contributor to the struggles folks face with booking.

And, let’s face it, Disney wants the bigger cut of the financial picture that previously was going more exclusively to the resale market.

If you want that “exclusivity” of being a blue card holder, you have to fork over some decent moolah to do it.

I didn’t go direct for blue card benes or exclusivity. OKW direct for a 2057 contract was not that much more than OKW resale on a (very hard to find, especially in the right use year) 2057 contract. So that’s the only reason we did it. Blue card benes are “meh” to me (though I will say that the DVC AP option is pretty appealing as compared to the out of state AP)

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Literally the only reason I might consider paying the premium pricing….

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BUT know that that’s never promised and can go away at any moment (and did, through all of covid except for renewal purposes only)

Think about how many years of owning you would have to complete before you would make up that cost difference of ~$400 per person.

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Yeah. My conversation with the DVC cast member was painful…

Me: So what is the benefit I get for spending 1.5-2x more dollars direct for the same contract I could acquire resale?

CM: Well, the membership extras are only for folks who buy direct.

Me: Right. But you also just told me they are never guaranteed. So that’s not really a benefit. So again, why would I spend twice as much money?

CM: …

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This is harsh but- it’s a timeshare expect nothing except a room…

I hate to say it but resale point contacts are experiencing more and more restrictions

Seems the lastest is not being able to borrow points online- and having to call MS since the last online update

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Well, yes and no

There are restrictions on where you can use points if you buy resale today (my resale points are good everywhere, including Riviera and any future-built resorts because I am grandfathered due to timing of that resale purchase)

And at certain resorts (ahem, Riviera) you can’t use them anywhere but there if purchased resale

But there haven’t been any changes or increased restrictions on resale points and their usage in a couple of years now.

It’s not just resale that is having the borrow issue (though it is more commonly reported by resale). It’s a function of Disney IT being crap. No greater restriction on the borrow than on direct purchasers

I firmly believe that in most cases resale is still the better option for people. But you do make (indirectly) a good point that a person has to be really, really clear about what they are getting when they go that route. Just as they should be really, really clear that blue card benes are no guarantee.

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This is kind of the reason I made the post.

I knew, going in, not to expect ANY benefits since I’m buying Resale. I was fine with that. But when the email came to directly to ME about buying a Sorcerer Pass, which is for DVC Members, it struck me just how inconsistent Disney is with their language, even on their website.

I would think they would want to make it PERFECTLY CLEAR what benefits apply ONLY to those who buy direct, since clearly THEY prefer people buy direct instead of resale.

On the other hand, maybe the are being purposely nebulous about it to get resale people to call in so that they can then make the sales pitch to buy direct???

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That’s just disney IT not being good at using their sorting hat (oops, wrong park)

They don’t make a sales pitch to you when they get you on the line. They tell you you aren’t eligible and that’s it. It’s a completely different part of the company

As far as making it perfectly clear what applies only to direct ---- super hard to do when there’s nothing :wink: Which is why they probably don’t call it out like that. Because then it would feel like a guarantee to some people (yes even if they say it’s not a guarantee) and it never is.

You’re a second class citizen. Enjoy your points :slight_smile: That’s why you bought anyway.

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Sorry under caffeinated so maybe I wasn’t as clear -

Membership or not - it’s still just a timeshare- that said I never expect more than a room.

When I bought in (direct 1st) it was to stop praying for pin codes and room discounts…my thought process was slow the room price increases…

I went direct because at the time smaller contract pricing for OKW - didn’t make financial sense as far as expiration dates and closing costs. The bulk of my points are resale added later.

The perks are less important for me than room cost-
Our next big DVC trip is 2br VGC for 5 nights- to my knowledge there has never been much to “perks” at DL. I compared the cost of the current promotion to 25% off a standard hotel room in February the cost per night is more than half my annual dues for the year!

This is to me the benefits of owning a DVC.

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Oh hey congratulations and welcome home!

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I also got that email and I also used to get the Moonlight Magic emails which was frustrating! They can easily tell that I’m second class. I never actually tried to reserve Moonlight Magic though.

I had already been wondering (purely theoretically) if I could maybe buy the Sorcerer Pass though. It keeps saying DVC Members and doesn’t really reference it as a membership extra. You would think they would be obnoxious about ONLY BLUE CARD DVC MEMBERS to make the white card people and prospective DVC buyers really take notice. It really is the only true perk left.

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I get frustrated for the opposite reason - we never get the DVC or AP emails! I (used to) stalk so many websites so we wouldn’t miss out.

The bulk of our points are resale. We did buy a super small contract for the benefits when that was doable and at the time it was worth it to us. Platinum AP for the price of gold passes, Moonlight Magic (only once but it was magical!) and Top of the World access (we got told a big fat no before we had the blue card but it was ages ago) made the small one worth it to us. We definitely wouldn’t bother now, and we would be happy with our contracts for what we bought them for - to enjoy the resorts we love most more often (with laundry!!)

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Yup to both of these! I get them inconsistently.

Maybe that new guy that just got promoted yesterday will do something about it

:laughing:

I kill me…

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Did you get that email??? :rofl:

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I was just going to say that’s literally the first email I got in years.

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I did get that one

I’m curious Pete Werner’s thoughts on the ousting of Terri Schultz (though she was actually promoted so his rant may be even more enjoyable)

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