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Another year has passed, and we attended the Disney Vacation Club Annual Condominium Association Meeting at the Contemporary Resort to connect with fellow DVC members, reflect on the past year, and enjoy some complimentary cookies!
As part of the rules and regulations outlined in the DVC bylaws, this meeting is held yearly so the association can conduct required business, like electing and re-electing board members, approving last year’s minutes, and approving resort budgets for the upcoming year. Members also get to hear about upcoming events and plans for the next year and have a chance to ask the board questions.
2023 Year In Review
This year’s meeting was themed around the 100th Anniversary of Walt Disney Animation Studios and continued to celebrate the magic of Disney Vacation Club ownership. The meeting started with a screening of the short film, “Once Upon a Studio,” which celebrates 100 years of Disney animation. If you haven’t seen it yet head over to Disney+ to see this short video featuring all your beloved animated characters (No, we’re not crying!).
The order of business was quite the same this year with an opening greeting from senior executives, including the current Vice President of Disney Vacation Club, Bill Diercksen. We heard a recap of highlights from the past year, which included the opening of the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, and the opening of Star View Station member lounge at Disneyland.
The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) executive team then spoke about various topics emphasizing Disney’s ongoing efforts to enhance member satisfaction. They expressed gratitude to the members for sharing valuable feedback. DVC plans to continue improving its services by expanding resort and travel options, introducing new member experiences, and offering additional Membership Magic benefits. During this time we also got a sneak peak at the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness, expected to open in late 2024 as the 17th DVC property.
Member Experiences
Shannon Sakaske, Vice President of Member Experiences, expressed again the importance of member feedback as it shapes the offerings they plan for upcoming years. Members are encouraged to go online to: disneyvacationclub.com/feeback and let them know what is working, what isn’t, and what you’d like to see.
They plan to offer 9 more Moonlight Magic events in the next 9 months to accommodate the popularity of these events and the growing amount of members. DVC is also going to continue Attraction Previews (like Tron), complimetary advance movie screenings (like Guardians 3), member nights, holiday gatherings, and member cruises.
Resort Updates
There are two type of refurbishments: a full refurb and a refresh. The full refurb includes everything from new floors to new furniture and design. A refresh is typically just “soft goods” like bedding, curtains and carpets. Full refurbishments currently come around 14 years, and a refresh comes at 7 years.
A full refurbishment has just finished at Boulder Ridge, providing fresh and beautiful new rooms. A refresh is still underway at Beach Club which includes the public spaces as well.
A room refresh is currently underway at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort which includes the addition of the ever-popular murphy bed! A complete room refurbishment is underway at Disney’s Hilton Head and will include the addition of elevators in one more building to accommodate guest needs. Both enhancements are set to be completed by mid-2024.
Starting in 2024, Bay Lake Tower is due for a full refurbishment, with other resorts on schedule for full or refreshes in 2025.
In addition to room modifications, there are plans to improve in-room wifi at all resorts and enhance food & beverage offerings. Just this past year we saw a new cafe at Boardwalk, Caurasel Coffee, and upgraded Kona Cafe at the Polynesian, and a refreshed Narcossee’s at Grand Floridian. Disney’s goal is to “wow” you each time you visit with new offerings and updated designs.
Fans of the H2O beauty products at DVC resorts will be happy to hear that Disney has acquired the exact formula and will be producing it under the Disney brand. (No news on if the mini bottles are coming back!)
2023 Dues Presentation and Approval of Budgets
This part of the meeting it the official business of the board to present the budgets and approve them for the upcoming year. The board also discussed reasons for the increases in member dues and officially approved the 2024 resort budgets and Maintenance and Taxes.
Member dues contribute towards various expenses required to operate the resort. 67% of the budget is allocated to Operating & Administrative Expenses such as housekeeping, transportation, front desk services, maintenance, utilities, and others. 16% is allotted for Reserves, which are used for refurbishments and enhancements, and 17% goes to Property Taxes. Each resort has a distinct budget and member dues that vary based on factors such as size, number of units, age, number of staff members, theme (aka animals!) and more.
Increases this year were mainly due to: higher general liability insurance for the properties, higher wages, increased value of the property as determined by the counties, and more reserves for refurbishment.
As usual, the annual dues and resort budgets were approved by the board and owners can expect bills in the upcoming weeks. You can view the budget for your particular resort online under your member account.
To conclude the meeting in a fitting celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary, attendees were entertained with a live musical performance by Kissy Simmons, who holds the record for the longest-running Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King. The performance featured Disney Vacation Club’s latest song “Where We Belong,” a theme song created to embrace the magic of DVC membership. The event was made even more special with a surprise appearance and greeting from none other than Mickey and Minnie!
Stay tuned to our website for more exciting DVC news as 2024 unfolds. Happy Holidays, everyone!
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