Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 MMC, I'm willing to bet LP is having some of its highest readership on these boards in a long time ... I recall days earlier this year where you might see four posts all day on the WDW board. I think many people (actually, I know it because they sure are talking about it elsewhere) are reading, but are afraid to post. I am actively trying to get more people to stop sniffing Pixie Dust on other sites and come talk about more serious stuff than whether or not you like the new Pooh queue (not that talk like that doesn't have its place here too). We've had a few new members join recently and I'll bet you'll see others soon! I'd like nothing better than for LP.com to be the Place where all these social media Disney fans come and talk ... too much splintering ... too many agendas ... too many people enjoy talking with six people on Twitter or FB who will always agree. Where's the fun in that? Where's the MAGIC?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Leo, I would put my order in but I have a feeling I will receive it as a gift from someone who thinks I need to feel magical again. All I can say is that I am expecting a very loving in memoriam spread on the Pete's Garage bathrooms>> I lovingly sent them out in February in Spirited style ...
Originally Posted By ReelJustice <<(actually, I know it because they sure are talking about it elsewhere)>> Passive-aggressively ;-)
Originally Posted By Bolna Sorry for continuing to keep this thread so off topic (I guess there isn't much to talk about the GF DVC yet), but I wanted to comment on that: <<I think many people (actually, I know it because they sure are talking about it elsewhere) are reading, but are afraid to post.>> Since I am still rather new around here, I very much understand why people are afraid to post. LP appears to be a very close-knit community with a lot of people who are extremely knowledgable. But once I dared to post I found out that they are actually quite friendly and mostly interested in any new point of view. So, I guess, what I wanted to say, in case anyone lurking out there, who is afraid of posting, reads this: don't be afraid!
Originally Posted By dagobert I'm also a newbie here and so far I think it is one of the best Disney forums. What I like the most, is that people here are very critical towards the Disney parks and that not everything that Disney does is fantastic. That's the reason why I joined here. Like Bolna said, first I was also a bit afraid to post here due to the knowledge all others around here have and I didn't want to ask stupid questions, but until now all my questions were answered and all members were very friendly. And sorry for keeping the thread oof topic.
Originally Posted By Pentacat Has anyone else seen just how low the price per point has fallen on some DVC resales? I've seen OKW with banked points for UNDER $60 a point. Even if you blame the bad economy for the depressed resale market at some point oversupply has to be an issue. I'd expect there to be more changes(restrictions) from DVC in regards to members that purchased their contracts second hand.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <a href="http://www.realtytrac.com/home/" target="_blank">http://www.realtytrac.com/home/</a> go ahead- plug any zip code into this and see what % of homes in your area in one of 3 stages of foreclosure. So DVC is supposed to be impervious to that ? Geez- c'mon. btw- $60 at OKW still more than many of us paid...before OKW sold out. Is your home worth what it was 10 years ago ? I think not. it's not only oversuppl;y- ity is also the fact that many people have lost their jobs and can't keep their first home let alone a vacation interest - to say it'snot the economy is disengenuous but hey DVC sucks I know...back to just lurking.. I knew I shouldn't have peeked today
Originally Posted By dshyates Vbdad, you are giving great reasons why Disney NEEDS 5 more DVC properties coming on line soon. But the MK is getting a C AND a D Ticket attraction soon. Be still me heart.
Originally Posted By Pentacat >>it's not only oversuppl;y- ity is also the fact that many people have lost their jobs and can't keep their first home let alone a vacation interest - to say it'snot the economy is disengenuous<< What I'm saying is that NOW you can blame it on the economy but at a point in the future the economy will recover. At THAT point if WDW alone has seen an additional 5 DVC properties...can they really sell that many? DVC is not an investment in the sense that the owner should ever expect to make a profit on the contract, that is not the issue. It just seems that they are determined to reach a point of having more than they can sell.
Originally Posted By ChiMike WDW was always ran to be recession proof. Especially during the oil embargo, the crash of 87, and the post Persian Gulf war period in the early nineties. Their expansion of DVC has been good for their bottom line, but I don't understand how anyone would argue that it was up until now TOO much even with a good economy. AKL, SS, BLT, GC-Anaheim, Hawaii. That's a lot of points to sell even in 2006. Management during those earlier economic struggles weren't pigs at the trough. The current team has been, so much so, that they ignore current economic realities that were blinking with big red lights.
Originally Posted By ChiMike ^ And while I bring up the Grand Californian, that one was certainly justified. Crikes, another one at DLR probably would be.
Originally Posted By dshyates I sounded pretty harsh earlier. I am just frustrated at TDO's obsession with resorts. Everyone keeps mentioning how they are a cash cow, but if they only keep building more resorts with the money, who cares? And I should clarify. I actually like the FLE, but it is a drop in the bucket for what WDW needs. Years on no additions and sliding maintenance has left a bad taste in my mouth considering that they keep spending money like crazy in areas that most guests will never see.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>Everyone keeps mentioning how they are a cash cow, but if they only keep building more resorts with the money, who cares?<< Man Dshyates, thank you so much for bringing up a point that has not been discussed in a long time.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 As a business Disney goes where the money is and at the moment that would be DVC. I'm not saying that is good or bad but that is the reality. I am not a DVC member and I really wouldn't want to be one but during our recent stay at Bay Lake Tower we were impressed enough to say that BLT would make me rethink that for a second...but only a second. Personally I think Disney has their cart before the horse. You build world class attractions to entice people to come to the property and want to stay there. You shouldnt ignore the reason people come to the property in the name of making lots of money on the resort end. I understand why people are DVC members including those on this list. For me I havent bought into the DVC idea because of my concerns not only for the ongoing quality issues I see in the parks, but I wonder if 10 or 20 years down the road I would still want to be doing yearly Disney vacations. I am sure someone on this list knows the answer to this...which of the current DVC resorts still have space available in Disney's own sales centers. I am not curious about resales...though that would be the route I would go...I mean first run sales?
Originally Posted By ChiMike From what I understand, Saratoga Springs, Hawaii, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and I keep hearing they are close to selling out BLT if they haven't yet. Might as well as GF to the list.
Originally Posted By Bolna << Everyone keeps mentioning how they are a cash cow, but if they only keep building more resorts with the money, who cares?>> The one that makes me always wonder whether TWDC isn't by now addicted to building DVC's for financial reasons. The way I understand that it works from the financial point of view is as follows: invest in building a DVC, sell at a pretty nice profit for a certain number of years - lots of money coming in, so it looks good on the bottom line. But once the resort is sold off, there isn't much revenue coming from DVC anymore. Certainly, people will buy park admission (however, if it is an AP with a nice discount) and will shop and eat at the parks - but once you go there regularly, you might end up with enough Disney merchandise and buy less and less in coming years. And due to having kitchens there are most likely more meals eaten overall in the villas. So in order to keep the profit which is now expected to come in at the same level (and they are actually expected to raise it by Wall Street it seems), they will need to build the next DVC resort.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 Yep. Thats been the problem for Disney for the last decade. Why do you think Michael Eisner built absurd things like a race track in the MK parking lot?
