Rumor: Top of the World Lounge Not Reopening?

[CarolMN]

My things is this: Don’t raise blue card minimums and try to encourage direct purchases with smoke and mirrors and then give nothing. Every time I’ve been on the phone with a DVC sales rep, they’ve pushed the blue card minimum and told me that it’s what I need to get perks. Don’t talk perks on one hand and give nothing with the other. I can handle no perks - just let me know that’s your approach and I’ll go buy resale. It’s that game they play that drives me nuts.

Perfect opportunity to ask them, "What perks?", and then ask how they justify the large cost difference from resale. About all they have to offer in response right now is the ability to stay at Riviera.

 

[Sandisw]

My things is this: Don’t raise blue card minimums and try to encourage direct purchases with smoke and mirrors and then give nothing. Every time I’ve been on the phone with a DVC sales rep, they’ve pushed the blue card minimum and told me that it’s what I need to get perks. Don’t talk perks on one hand and give nothing with the other. I can handle no perks - just let me know that’s your approach and I’ll go buy resale. It’s that game they play that drives me nuts.

But there are perks. I am still getting that my DVC priced AP because I had one in 2020. I am still getting my food and merchandise discounts and getting a chance to visit Epcot Lounge. There are discounts on water parks, and they just offered the free two days with ticket purchases,

Now, not everyone will find those worth it, and there are ways to get some discounts other ways but to say there are none is simply not true.

The two suspended right now...Moonlight Magic and AP new passes..are a direct result of Covid and what happened.

Now, everyone has to weight pros and cons and for many, direct benefits don’t make sense. But, everyone needs to decide that for themselves.

If you want to be eligible for whatever perks there are, you buy direct. If you don’t care, don’t need them, and don’t mind restricted points from RIV and DLH...and whatever comes down the line...then resale is for sure the way to go.

 

[Leight19]

But there are perks. I am still getting that my DVC priced AP because I had one in 2020. I am still getting my food and merchandise discounts and getting a chance to visit Epcot Lounge. There are discounts on water parks, and they just offered the free two days with ticket purchases,

Now, not everyone will find those worth it, and there are ways to get some discounts other ways but to say there are none is simply not true.

The two suspended right now...Moonlight Magic and AP new passes..are a direct result of Covid and what happened.

Now, everyone has to weight pros and cons and for many, direct benefits don’t make sense. But, everyone needs to decide that for themselves.

If you want to be eligible for whatever perks there are, you buy direct. If you don’t care, don’t need them, and don’t mind restricted points from RIV and DLH...and whatever comes down the line...then resale is for sure the way to go.

I guess where I differ is I don’t see covid as and safety as the reason to not sell annual passes. They absolutely could sell annual passes now even with reduced capacity by dropping the number of day passes they sell. Their decision is to not sell because they make more off day ticket then annual passes. It’s financial decision that says they can get people to fill park with the limits on capacity without offering ap so they aren’t offering them.

 

[Sandisw]

I guess where I differ is I don’t see covid as and safety as the reason to not sell annual passes. They absolutely could sell annual passes now even with reduced capacity by dropping the number of day passes they sell. Their decision is to not sell because they make more off day ticket then annual passes. It’s financial decision that says they can get people to fill park with the limits on capacity without offering ap so they aren’t offering them.

And I do see it differently because I see it beyond DVC owners. We represent a small group of AP holders in the scheme of things.

Selling an AP that limits how often one can use them would have caused issues,

Assume you buy one and then the AP bucket is full and you don’t get to use it. Can you imagine how upset people would be?

Now, if they don’t go on sale by 2022, assuming we continue in the direction we are, and capacity levels are continuing to rise, then my opinion will change.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Most buyers are not well researched. I think that needs to be considered. They can be sold on breathless rumors of restriction beyond current (and likely not possible), wide eyed "owning a piece of the magic!" and promises of "using your points all over the world not just at Disney!"

The perks don't need to be substantive or even real to sell that crowd.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

This is not cool.

 

[TLPL]

So is the Lounge not open right now?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So is the Lounge not open right now?

Hasn't been since March 2020.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Well I almost forgot about the TotW.... it does have incredible sunsets. I guess the Wave closing for interior update will create further delays . If they plan to make substantial change, the time to do it is now .They won’t re-open with former access, etc... and then decide to announce a new policy .

 

[DL1WDW2]

I am confused about what is part of yearly due budget operating fees.
For example AK DVC has to budget for animal care but DS DVC Resorts do not pay anything towards the Sassagoula Steamboat Transport (supposedly not open now because the Disney business pay for this) (?) but Monorail DVC Resorts partially pay for monorail transportation?

Is there anywhere that breaks this down Resort by Resort?
Or maybe nobody is curious. .. should I actually read my yearly notice from DVC ?

 

[supersnoop]

DVC ownership is becoming more and more a scam everyday.

It's terrible. Imagine buying a timeshare and only having access to ... the thing you actually paid for.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It's terrible. Imagine buying a timeshare and only having access to ... the thing you actually paid for.

That isn't what DVC wants the full story to be though. The perks! The trades!

 

[Leight19]

It's terrible. Imagine buying a timeshare and only having access to ... the thing you actually paid for.

I just want access to what is specifically listed in contract. Despite not being offered for over a year, the contract still states annual pass as a perk. If they had amended new contracts and stopped claiming this as benefit I wouldn’t be as upset because they do have language that perks are subject to change. However, the “subject to change” language isn’t a free pass to misrepresent current benefits and is fraudulent at this point imo.

 

[kes601]

But they do offer discounts on APs if you currently have one. They are not the ones responsible for selling them, that is a different division. So, they are holding up their end of the bargain.

 

[Sandisw]

I am confused about what is part of yearly due budget operating fees.
For example AK DVC has to budget for animal care but DS DVC Resorts do not pay anything towards the Sassagoula Steamboat Transport (supposedly not open now because the Disney business pay for this) (?) but Monorail DVC Resorts partially pay for monorail transportation?

And the budget for refurb . And the delay at SSR creating a delay at BRV.... and the increase surge in costs for building supplies and labor ...
Will that increase Maintenace Yearly Dues?
Is there anywhere that breaks this down Resort by Resort?
Or maybe nobody is curious. .. should I actually read my yearly notice from DVC ?

The annual dues document that is under the Condo Association notices in your account will give you an outline of the line by line items that our dues cover,

It doesn’t break down each line…for example, it stays transportation but includes all types.

While we pay a shared of that, the control of those operations lies with WDW so if they suspend service...as in the example about the boat..then any project cost billed to us will not happen.

But, as mentioned TOTWL is a commercial unit at BLT but Disney was given the rights to staff and run the lounge. Exactly what and how that works I am not sure.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

I would visit TotWL more regularly if parking to visit TotWL from other DVC properties seemed easier. Maybe it is easy, but I have the general impression that parking is difficult at the Contemporary unless you have a dining reservation. I assume that "I want to go to the lounge" doesn't get me parking. Making it easy to access the lounge would inspire me to vising more often. Frankly, I also assumed it was crowded with BLT members and that going all the way over there might be a wasted trip if we couldn't get it. So maybe have a "wait time" option like for rides or a color scheme to indicate how full the lounge is at any given time - if it's green or no wait when I'm leaving my resort, I'll drive over.
We've only been for paid events because that allows us to park and to get it - the above is why we don't visit more regularly to buy drinks and snacks FWIW.

 

[JETSDAD]

I would visit TotWL more regularly if parking to visit TotWL from other DVC properties seemed easier. Maybe it is easy, but I have the general impression that parking is difficult at the Contemporary unless you have a dining reservation. I assume that "I want to go to the lounge" doesn't get me parking. Making it easy to access the lounge would inspire me to vising more often. Frankly, I also assumed it was crowded with BLT members and that going all the way over there might be a wasted trip if we couldn't get it. So maybe have a "wait time" option like for rides or a color scheme to indicate how full the lounge is at any given time - if it's green or no wait when I'm leaving my resort, I'll drive over.
We've only been for paid events because that allows us to park and to get it - the above is why we don't visit more regularly to buy drinks and snacks FWIW.

Parking is not allowed for visiting the lounge....you have to take Disney transportation.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Parking is not allowed for visiting the lounge....you have to take Disney transportation.

And that's why we don't regularly visit the lounge - too hard to get there. I can't speak for those who already staying at BLT, obviously - just giving our perspective.

 

[supersnoop]

the contract still states

Where does it state this in the "contract?" I've only seen it in promotional material.

 

[Leight19]

Where does it state this in the "contract?" I've only seen it in promotional material.

A family member just purchased last week and annual passes are specifically mentioned in the membership extras and disclosure statement portion of the closing documents. This subsection has its own place for signatures so clearly is part of the “contract”. It not only mentions the discount on annual pass it goes at length in terms of how to purchase.

In fact, the language gets even so specific to state new annual passes can be purchased through disneyvacationclub.com. This exact page has revision date of jan 11 2021 which means it was definitely false at time of last revision without modification.