Disney Club's demise dismays the Mouse's devotees (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/orl-bizdisney01100102oct01,0,6111045.story?coll=orl%2D business%2Dheadlines) - Orlando Sentinel, 10/1/02

QuikQuote: Die-hard Disney fans say they are being short-changed by the company's decision this week to shut down a discount club inspired by the company's founder.
The latest dispute between fans and Disney's corporate managers centers on the Burbank entertainment company's decision to shut down the Disney Club by next year. The club, which at its peak a year ago had a half million members, gives 10-percent to 20-percent discounts off Disney Store merchandise, theme-park admissions, car rentals and hotel packages at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Disney said Monday it will replace the Disney Club with a "co-branded" Disney/Visa credit card in which customers will be able to accumulate points that can be redeemed toward discounts on Disney merchandise and vacations.

earn points to be used for...discounts?


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

hee hee hee ho ho ho.....(sigh).... okay, I'm (snicker) calm now. Okay, let me get this straight - they want me to spend money (high interest money at that) in order to earn points, and then those points only get me... a discount? :eek:

Hee hee hee hee......:p

I used to do this with a Universal/Discover card.

I earned 5,000 points each year and got two free tickets to Universal. Of course, I was attending classes at a University in Boston at night and my company would reimburse me for the tuition, so it was easy to make a large charge and pay it off right away.

Although I can't even imagine how many points you would need even just for a discounted ticket at Disney!

Looks like I may be going back to school!:p

all i know is they'd better not be making the new Disney Visa a card that has an annual fee.
grrr...

The reports that I have read have all indicated that there will be NO annual fee!:)

Annual fee or no - why should anyone have to have a great credit report just to get a Disney Card???? Before anyone - even families who may have had financial problems in the past - could still get a Disney Club card.

Now many of those people who really could use the discounts won't be able to because they don't fit a certain credit profile, or have a high enough FICA score, or may have had a bankruptcy in the past, or may have had marital problems that ruined their credit....pick a reason!

I speak from experience. For reasons I won't go into here, my wife and I filed bankruptcy back in 1991. It's cleared now, and we've reestablished credit. But I know how hard it was during those years. We still managed to squeeze in a few trips to WDW and Disneyland, but if it hadn't been for the MKC, we never would have been able to go.

I tend to put on the rose-colored glasses when most of the news comes in from Disney. I try to see their side and just go along with it. Reduction of park hours, increased tickets prices, closing of attractions, even reduced cleaning (ok, that one still bothers the heck out of me...) However, I just can't see a silver lining here! We are PAYING for the card, guys! Let us have the discounts! I can't imagine we're not spending way more than the discounts give back!

sigh.....Walt, where are you when we really need you?.... :crying:

Originally posted by marklodi
We are PAYING for the card, guys! Let us have the discounts! I can't imagine we're not spending way more than the discounts give back!

i know, right? when i was a DC member, my bf was always making fun of how hard i would try to justify the membership fee.

me: "hm... let's see... okay, we just saved 30 cents on that Mickey antenna topper, so i'll add that to the list of DC 'savings' and... wow look, we've almost 'made back' the $29.95!"
bf: :rolleyes:

Oh, we've made back the cost big time already. Since we're going to be at WDW for 11 days, we purchased Annual Passes for all of us - 3 adults and 1 child - and used the DC for the discount. And we'll be using it for the discount at the Hoop-Dee-Doo and Polynesian Luau as well.

But had we not had the card, and the discounts, we probably would have spent more time at other area attractions or not booked those dinner shows. If approximately 8 days is the break-even point for the pass, we probably would have split the two weeks with Universal, instead of the only 3 days we'll be at USF and IOA as it is.

I'm sorry for ranting earlier, but please! PLEASE! Disney don't do this.

What Would Walt Do here folks?

Originally posted by marklodi
What Would Walt Do here folks?

Honestly? If they are eliminating the Disney Club because it is losing money (which is probably the case), I suspect Walt would do the same thing.

-Jeff

I cannot believe they are losing money with DC. If they think they are, they will probably see more losses once they get rid of it, unless they come out with a great rewards program with Visa.

The discounts on the rooms with DC are not anywhere near deep as they have been with the Annual Passes, and truthfully save little more than the tax on the rooms. If DC is getting people into the parks, and moving merchandise through it's stores, and getting people to eat at it's restaurants, or dinner shows, which I think it is, then isn't it serving it's purpose?

I'm disappointed to see it go, but I'm hoping it's only because Disney is coming up with something more attractive to lure people to it's parks and stores.

Originally posted by JeffG
Honestly? If they are eliminating the Disney Club because it is losing money (which is probably the case), I suspect Walt would do the same thing.

IMHO, I believe that is what Roy might have done, but not Walt - at least not without pressure. Again, IMHO.

Honestly, why not introduce the credit card first and then encourage us current DC members to switch over? Make it attractive to us. Then after a year or so, phase out the card, once all the discounts match or beat the existing ones and it's clear that the new card would be available to EVERYONE (perhaps including a version that has a small annual fee but no credit priviledges - yes, in other words a regular DC card....)

Just seems to me that if you're going to introduce something like this and want people to take advantage of it, why not make it a positive instead of including it with a negative (cancelling the DC).

Now for a separate but related question - what will this new card do to those people who have The Disney Card credit card? I still have mine and when I checked a few weeks ago, I still had available credit on it and would assume it's still okay to use for purchases at Disney Stores and WDW. Anyone know anything about it's current status and future?

I totally agree with Marklodi---- that was what Roy would do not Walt.

In a way what is described seems to be in the works for Disney. The Disney Club card is NOT going away until 12/31/03. Current members can renew to extend their membership through that date before 12/12/02 at the regular price, however there is no pro-rating if your card expires say in August.

(I've been wondering if Disney is looking for a shot in the arm before the end of the year?)

Anyhow, IMO this is probably going to be Disney's way of giving us time to accumulate reward points on the Disney Visa in order to get discounts (hopefully equal to if not better than DC) in 2004.

I also have the Disney Credit Card, and I must admit I will be all too happy to keep it in my drawer and make it a keepsake only. A $10 fee for a payment that was 1 day late (crossed in the mail) is a little steep if you ask me. There really was no incentive to do business with this bank by using this card, and I think the only one it may have benefited may have been Disney.

I think Disney is smart to enter this venture with Visa. I loved it when Universal did it with Discover, unfortunately that relationship ended two years ago......but I still have 3 free tickets to Universal to use!:)