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Post by tomandrobin on Oct 27, 2023 9:23:04 GMT -5
Back in September, we received an email from DVC inviting us experience a new Program being developed for members. Below is a copy of the email....
Welcome Home Family,
We are excited to share that Disney Vacation Club® is piloting an all-new Member Experience Specialist Team designed to enhance your Membership. You’re invited to participate in this new program before arriving and during your upcoming stay at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, where you will have the chance to experience an elevated approach to Member Services.
Our goal is to make sure your next welcome home is set up to be truly magical! Along with existing pre-arrival and on-site support, the Member Experience Specialist team will help manage your vacation requests in a proactive, personalized way. To ensure that you arrive with ease and while on-property, this dedicated team can assist with:
By email correspondence, we can assist with:
- Dining reservations requests and wish lists
- Searching for recreation availability
- Resort reservation requests
- General questions
- Making Theme Park Reservations with previously purchased tickets
By calling us and speaking to one of our Cast Members, we can also assist with:
- Confirming dining reservations with a Credit Card
- Purchasing park tickets and special event tickets
- Organize your special events
- Setting up your My Disney Experience app
- Disney Magic Mobile Digital Wallet Pass for Membership benefits
Your booking day for dining, recreation, and tours will open on 10/27/2023. If you would like our assistance in booking, so you don't have to, please send us your Wish List no later than 10/22/2023 so we can be prepared. In the event we are unable to secure a request, we will continuously search on your behalf.
We called and talked to the Specialist Team and followed up with emails. We gave them all our ADR and Tour requests for our Christmas-NYE trip. This year we are a party of 7 and any ADR over four people is a hassle to book, especially that time of the year. This morning was our 60 day window to make our reservations. At 6:48am we received the following email from the Member Experience Specialist.....
Welcome Home Family,
We were reaching out to let you know we were able to secure the following reservations for your upcoming trip:
12/27 – The Hollywood Brown Derby at 11:10 AM
12/28 – Tusker House Restaurant at 9:50 AM
12/28 – Caring for Giants at 1PM
12/28 – Monsieur Paul at 6:15 PM
12/28 – Teppan Edo at 6:20 PM
12/30- The BOATHOUSE: Great Food, Waterfront Dining, Dream Boats at 11:00 AM
12/31 – Space 220 Restaurant at 6:25 PM
At this time, we are still searching for availability at Narcoosee's and for Magic Kingdom area fireworks cruises for 12/30. We have added these requests to our Keep Looking list, which we will check daily through 12/29. Should these opportunities become available, we will advise you by a separate email.
JR
Member Services |Member Experience Specialist
Disney Vacation Club
Overall, they did pretty good with the reservations. We did not think we could get narcoosee's ADR. And we had doubts about obtaining a fireworks cruise because Club 33 is hosting an event that same night with the Fireworks cruise. We will be adding and modifying some of the reservations, but not having to search and book the reservations was great!
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Post by tomandrobin on Oct 27, 2023 9:25:24 GMT -5
If this becomes a permanent perk, it will be a huge hit. The question becomes will it be free or have an upfront cost? I suspect it will be a cost on roll-out and have two price increases before one year has passed.
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Post by a1000monkeys on Oct 27, 2023 9:28:04 GMT -5
That's cool. We will also be a party of 7 going Dec 27-Jan 4 and frankly I'm finding the process a bit overwhelming. It took me hours to link tickets, DVC reservations and make the correct park reservations. Next up is dining reservations and I know it's going to be frustrating. How does one get reservations to Le Cellier???
The last time we went to WDW was in 2019 and I knew the system back then. Now I have to learn it all over again.
Our dining reservation opens tomorrow. Are we able to make reservations for our entire stay to do I need to do it one day at a time?
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Post by a1000monkeys on Oct 27, 2023 9:32:19 GMT -5
How come you were able to book Dining Reservations? I'm also arriving on Dec 27th and the DME will only allow me to book reservations through Dec 26th.
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Post by tomandrobin on Oct 27, 2023 9:45:52 GMT -5
That's cool. We will also be a party of 7 going Dec 27-Jan 4 and frankly I'm finding the process a bit overwhelming. It took me hours to link tickets, DVC reservations and make the correct park reservations. Next up is dining reservations and I know it's going to be frustrating. How does one get reservations to Le Cellier??? The last time we went to WDW was in 2019 and I knew the system back then. Now I have to learn it all over again. Our dining reservation opens tomorrow. Are we able to make reservations for our entire stay to do I need to do it one day at a time? When your ADR window opens at the 60 day mark, its for the length of stay.
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Post by tomandrobin on Oct 27, 2023 9:46:25 GMT -5
How come you were able to book Dining Reservations? I'm also arriving on Dec 27th and the DME will only allow me to book reservations through Dec 26th. I arrive December 26th.....tomorrow is your 60 day booking window. |
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Post by Eeyorelover22 on Oct 27, 2023 10:13:10 GMT -5
We had 6 in September and I was worried, but I didn’t have any trouble, but December is a different beast of course. Maybe search 4 and 4 but then you need two accounts and don’t put any of the guest names in there or it won’t let you book it. 4 seems to always work better than 2 or 3. As soon as I attached names to the reservation besides the lead guest it won’t let you “double book”. Of course, you aren’t double booking, you just need more than 4.
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Post by Eeyorelover22 on Oct 27, 2023 10:14:50 GMT -5
I am not sure this is true for everyone, but I seem to have to start with log in right at 6:00. If I’m already in and trying to search, the system doesn’t recognize that I have a reservation.
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Post by brp on Oct 27, 2023 10:15:50 GMT -5
Certainly nice to add perks. Not much of it is valuable to us, with the exception of tickets to special events. We don't do them often, but having an avenue to getting them more efficiently would be nice. The rest is of limited value and would be great if free, or cheap. But not enough value to pay much for.
We shall see.
Cheers.
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Post by nickys on Oct 27, 2023 10:21:46 GMT -5
So this has been being offered randomly to both DVC and non-DVC guests at Deluxe Resorts / DVC Villas, on and off it seems, for around 18 months. And each time it’s touted as a “trial”, one heck of a long to E! But then I think allowing dogs to stay at certain resorts is also still officially “under trial”.
IIRC it has at various times appeared (from people reporting it on the DIS and WDWMagic) to be offered to:
- guests staying at Riviera (different room types)
- guests who were booked at GVs at various DVC resorts
- apparently random other guests, both frequent visitors and occasional repeat visitors
However yours looks like a truly impressive success in terms of what they got booked. Fingers crossed for Narcoosees and the cruise, my guess is the cruises haven’t been loaded yet.
My question has always been whether they have any extra booking advantage over anyone else, either in terms of booking window or special access. If they are planning to offer this at a cost they really need to be able to get most of the requested reservations, but without any special privileges that will be hit or miss - especially early on in a trip.
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Post by tomandrobin on Oct 27, 2023 10:55:10 GMT -5
So this has been being offered randomly to both DVC and non-DVC guests at Deluxe Resorts / DVC Villas, on and off it seems, for around 18 months. And each time it’s touted as a “trial”, one heck of a long to E! But then I think allowing dogs to stay at certain resorts is also still officially “under trial”. IIRC it has at various times appeared (from people reporting it on the DIS and WDWMagic) to be offered to: - guests staying at Riviera (different room types) - guests who were booked at GVs at various DVC resorts - apparently random other guests, both frequent visitors and occasional repeat visitors However yours looks like a truly impressive success in terms of what they got booked. Fingers crossed for Narcoosees and the cruise, my guess is the cruises haven’t been loaded yet. My question has always been whether they have any extra booking advantage over anyone else, either in terms of booking window or special access. If they are planning to offer this at a cost they really need to be able to get most of the requested reservations, but without any special privileges that will be hit or miss - especially early on in a trip. Like I mentioned, Club 33 has a Fireworks cruise event schedule on the 30th. The Club already had a sign-up and awarded the boats out to members, prior to the 60 day booking window.How many boats did Club 33 have per-allocated, I do not know. But I do know that were plenty of members who had registered for the event and boats were already full. |
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Post by nickys on Oct 27, 2023 11:22:50 GMT -5
So this has been being offered randomly to both DVC and non-DVC guests at Deluxe Resorts / DVC Villas, on and off it seems, for around 18 months. And each time it’s touted as a “trial”, one heck of a long to E! But then I think allowing dogs to stay at certain resorts is also still officially “under trial”. IIRC it has at various times appeared (from people reporting it on the DIS and WDWMagic) to be offered to: - guests staying at Riviera (different room types) - guests who were booked at GVs at various DVC resorts - apparently random other guests, both frequent visitors and occasional repeat visitors However yours looks like a truly impressive success in terms of what they got booked. Fingers crossed for Narcoosees and the cruise, my guess is the cruises haven’t been loaded yet. My question has always been whether they have any extra booking advantage over anyone else, either in terms of booking window or special access. If they are planning to offer this at a cost they really need to be able to get most of the requested reservations, but without any special privileges that will be hit or miss - especially early on in a trip. Like I mentioned, Club 33 has a Fireworks cruise event schedule on the 30th. The Club already had a sign-up and awarded the boats out to members, prior to the 60 day booking window.How many boats did Club 33 have per-allocated, I do not know. But I do know that were plenty of members who had registered for the event and boats were already full. Sorry, I missed that. Hopefully there will be some availability left. Are you able to modify the reservations they’ve made for you? I know that has sometimes been an issue when Signature Services have made them for guests. But if not you can always book yourself and then ask them to cancel the one they made. |
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Post by helenabear on Oct 27, 2023 11:31:41 GMT -5
I've been reading about this perk. It's definitely a lovely thing and something Id pay for now and then if ever offered. Normally though we don't need that level due to iur small numbers and time of year we go.
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Post by tomandrobin on Oct 27, 2023 12:00:10 GMT -5
Are you able to modify the reservations they’ve made for you? I know that has sometimes been an issue when Signature Services have made them for guests. But if not you can always book yourself and then ask them to cancel the one they made. Yes.... Time and number of people
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Post by a1000monkeys on Oct 28, 2023 11:11:45 GMT -5
Made my reservations today. Didn’t do as well as you but got pretty much what I needed. But since we are doing a split stay I’ll need to do this again in a few more days.
I definitely would have like to have used this service. It should be a complimentary perk for deluxe resort stays.
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