I gotta say it: THV decor is AWFUL!

[CheapMom]

I am an SSR owner and was hugely excited about THV but after seeing photos and the scale model... not so much. The colors and decor looks exactly like Arcie Bunker's living room.

Please don't take this as a bash thread- I do so LOVE SSR and I am hoping that it is a case of the pictures not doing the decor justice. I don't mind rustic decor at all- in fact I like earthy colors, etc.. but something very 1973 is happening at the THVs. Is that faux wood grain panelling on the kitchen island? The dining table/chairs and sofa look cheap and then add the "avacado" colored carpet with rust colored flecks and lines??? ewww. (I guess it is supposed to look like branches but it is yucky looking IMO. The only thing that I have seen that looks good is the 2nd bathroom. That does look really nice. What do you all think?

PS: I will still try the THVs and I hope I am wrong!

[WilsonFlyer]

I think I'll reserve judgement until someone actually sees the real deal and posts some pictures. Just MHO.

[CheapMom]

I am just going from the pictures on about.com and the scale model.

http://hotels.about.com/od/disneyworld/ig/Disney-s-Treehouse-Villas/
scale model courtesy of DVCMike:
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee26/DVC_Mike/20090318_0543.jpg

[CheapMom]

http://z.about.com/d/hotels/1/7/u/U/2/kitchen.jpg

[Starr W.]

Wow a really table that you could actually eat dinner at !

The colors from the model are not my taste, but who knows what it will look like in "real life", plus I could suck it up and live with it for a week. ;)

[Cee]

I have high hopes and can't wait to see it in person in Sept. :goodvibes

[AnnaS]

It does seem appropriate for the setting it's in.

I will added to my list of DVC resorts to stay in - as I have always said. I can't wait to try them all.

[BWV Dreamin]

I am an SSR owner and was hugely excited about THV but after seeing photos and the scale model... not so much. The colors and decor looks exactly like Arcie Bunker's living room.

Please don't take this as a bash thread- I do so LOVE SSR and I am hoping that it is a case of the pictures not doing the decor justice. I don't mind rustic decor at all- in fact I like earthy colors, etc.. but something very 1973 is happening at the THVs. Is that faux wood grain panelling on the kitchen island? The dining table/chairs and sofa look cheap and then add the "avacado" colored carpet with rust colored flecks and lines??? ewww. (I guess it is supposed to look like branches but it is yucky looking IMO. The only thing that I have seen that looks good is the 2nd bathroom. That does look really nice. What do you all think?

PS: I will still try the THVs and I hope I am wrong!
I am so glad you posted this.....my thoughts exactly!!! I saw that paneling in the kitchen....awefull! So much brown....no flames please, the decor looks cheap. :laughing: Looks like we have the same taste....:wizard:

[WALTSAGOD]

That paneling doesn look really, really dated!:scared1:

[ClarabelleCow]

Don't feel bad, I was so excited waiting for the BLT, was going to sell VWL for them! When we went in February, I took a hard look! YUCK! Too me, just a huge highrise, I am sure it will be beautiful, but just not my cup of tea. And I loved the "old" contemporary feel. All the hype over the monorail, I honestly thought they were going to build it so it was a "stop" but it seems like it would be quicker to walk from the MK than to use the monorail!

[BWV Dreamin]

Don't feel bad, I was so excited waiting for the BLT, was going to sell VWL for them! When we went in February, I took a hard look! YUCK! Too me, just a huge highrise, I am sure it will be beautiful, but just not my cup of tea. And I loved the "old" contemporary feel. All the hype over the monorail, I honestly thought they were going to build it so it was a "stop" but it seems like it would be quicker to walk from the MK than to use the monorail!
Not to get into a BLT vs. Townhouse debate....but at least BLT has upscale retro decor....that paneling reminds me of our basement decor growing up in late 60's-into 70's! Times are tough for the DIS right now, and its showing.

[CheapMom]

I do love the looks of this guest bath though-
http://z.about.com/d/hotels/1/7/s/U/2/guest_bath.jpg
http://z.about.com/d/hotels/1/7/t/U/2/guest_shower.jpg

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

You know why? I think a lot of the designers are young 20 somethings who think these colors are hip and fresh because in their short lives nobody has used them.

Those of us, ahem, with a little more worldly wisdom under our belts, remember the avocado and harvest gold refridgerators, and the shag rugs (they call them "flokati" rugs now lol), and wouldn't be caught dead decorating with them.

I won't wear clogs, either. Did that when I was 12, not going there again :laughing: .

[stopher1]

We thought the exact same thing - about BLT... awful, in our opinion. Just another part of the beauty of DVC though - there are various options to enjoy. Some of us really love the darker, African feel at AKV - and some don't. Some really like the "Jetsons meets the Jeffersons" feel of BLT and some of us don't... it's all okay and good. Some love the tropical feel of OKW and some don't... some like the condo feel of SSR and some don't...tomato, to-mah-to...

Personally I think the decor choices for THV and BLT both fit into their indiviudal settings as designed. I like one and not the other - and I grew up in a house of that awful shag carpeting - ORANGE no less - horrible beads on the living room windows and avocado green drapes in the dining room and a bright YELLOW refrigerator in the kitchen with faux bricks all over the place a la the Brady Bunch - what WAS my mother thinking?!?!? ... it's been said that you can't go home again or back in time... well apparently for a short time each year now I'll be able to! :rotfl: Seriously - to each his own.

[CheapMom]

You know why? I think a lot of the designers are young 20 somethings who think these colors are hip and fresh because in their short lives nobody has used them.

But you know, they used the same colors in BLT- oranges, browns, earthy greens but they pulled it together nicely- it is retro but updated. Certainly the THVs should not have a contemporary design- but they could have done a treehouse in earthy retro colors and made it very appealing. The dining chairs- OMG- they look like they came from Salvation Army. Also, what happened to the cute "slice of tree trunk" table top in the artist renderings? That was a cute touch. Also, in the midst of green, orange and brown- why in the name of Walt would they choose blue tone marble countertops.

To end on a positive note- I think the high ceilings will do a lot to enhance the space and you just can't get that from the pictures. Also, I am recalling quite a few folks who hated the BLT decor from pictures, but then loved it when they saw the actual models. Fingers crossed that this is the case.

[stopher1]

Also, I am recalling quite a few folks who hated the BLT decor from pictures, but then loved it when they saw the actual models. Fingers crossed that this is the case.

Count us as some of those same folks - hated the pictures, felt the model was better, even though we still aren't in love with BLT. Will we stay there? Someday sure, that would be nice, just not over and over again.

For us, the THV represents something more too - the wilderness. We both grew up camping in wonderful forests in the mountains of California. We also grew up really enjoying Disneyland, and since we married have really enjoyed going to WDW every year (something neither of us did in our youth - not until our early 20's) - and never were able to stay in the original Treehouses), but don't have any desire to stay at the Fort, even in those tiny cabins. Now we get to combine them both (wilderness and Disney), without actually having to sleep in a tent :lmao: and still enjoy the queen size bed and flat panel tvs! :) There's just something nostaglic and kitschy about it all that appeals to us in these units. WAY different than our AKV units, that's for sure... but in the end, we'll leave that decor at WDW when we go home each time, and won't have it all around us the rest of the months of the year!

[disneymomof2boyz]

I think that the BLT and THV's both have a 70's Brady Bunch kinda feel to them. Which I find is weird, to me Disney is supposed to be about time periods and nostalgia. BLT i can see, because of "contemporary", but to have them both be like this, i dunno know. For sure they both had the same design team.

[disneymomof2boyz]

And I COMPLETELY agree with a PP who said that the THV's should have a more "wilderness" feel. When I think about THV, I think of Swiss Family Robinson, that's an idea that Disney could've gone with!

[tvwalsh]

I have never seen factory-built homes that looked exactly like sight-built homes. Some aspects of construction favor one or the other, but most people will be able to identify which type of construction it is by their unique qualities. :goodvibes

[btrim]

until I actually see the THV. I know everyone said the BLT pictures made everything look cheap and personally, I don't care for the decor, but to each his own. I want to see the actual homes before I pass final judgement. What can you tell from a small model. They aren't going to put real wood in a model. I also agree factory built homes are just different and they had to use this type because they had to be careful with the woodland around the villas. I personally can't wait to stay there in December. I agree it is fun to try all the resorts and then you can tell what you like and what you don't like about each one. It is great that Disney tries to make each resort different.

[cheezNE1]

Not to get into a BLT vs. Townhouse debate....but at least BLT has upscale retro decor....that paneling reminds me of our basement decor growing up in late 60's-into 70's! Times are tough for the DIS right now, and its showing.

must have gotten it from that "70's show".:lmao:

[bobbiwoz]

Well, it was the '70s-'80's when we vacationed in my DP's trailer in Wildwood and I'm fine with the look of the treehouses, and hope to stay there with my extended family sometime. Of course, I don't own at SSR, so that may be a pipe dream.

Bobbi:goodvibes

[DisFlan]

The old Treehouses were a lot of fun, but even in the early 80's, we never thought they were anywhere close to a "4 star". They had their cheesy aspects - the bathrooms in particular. I had higher hopes for the new ones, but expectations may have been raised a bit too high. We'll know what they're really like soon enough.

DisFlan

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

And I COMPLETELY agree with a PP who said that the THV's should have a more "wilderness" feel. When I think about THV, I think of Swiss Family Robinson, that's an idea that Disney could've gone with!


ITA!

They could have even had little baskets on ropes that you lower down to the ground like at the attraction in adventureland.

Sometimes I think the imagineers are required to think on such a huge level that they miss some of the charm and details and quirky originality that is what I love about Walt's Vision.

[mickeys girl 52]

I think maybe they were going for what they thought was "The dark , woodsy Theme" LOL :confused3 :confused3

But I thimk that is what is so great about DVC, there are so many differant choices. You here so many extreme opinions on the decor of BLT. But as my Dear mom used to say' ":flower3: "Thats why God made vanilla and chocolate,

[TagsMissy]

I hope my waitlist goes through so I can see in person and pass judgment then :)

[nunzia]

You know why? I think a lot of the designers are young 20 somethings who think these colors are hip and fresh because in their short lives nobody has used them.

Those of us, ahem, with a little more worldly wisdom under our belts, remember the avocado and harvest gold refridgerators, and the shag rugs (they call them "flokati" rugs now lol), and wouldn't be caught dead decorating with them.

I won't wear clogs, either. Did that when I was 12, not going there again :laughing: .

LOL! I agree..where's the orange shag carpet???
Actually I kind of like the tacky retro look..

[Chuck S]

From the photos, it looks like they are trying to be true to the original "woodsy" theme of the treehouses. They do look "70s," which is appropriate, even though it isn't a style I'd choose for my home, I think it is fine for the villas.

[disneychic]

Um, yeah....that kitchen photo is a bit disappointing.

[BEASLYBOO]

It was a childhood dream to stay at the Treehouses, all of those years that we drove by them going to Disney, back in the days when we would go to Disney for the day and then drive home.

I was happy when they decided to rebuild them, however I never thought that they would be rebuilt to look the same, I had hoped they would jazz up the outside a little.

As far as the inside decor, a liken it to BLT, I wouldn't live in either but I think a vacation in both would be fantastic!:banana: :yay: :dance3:

[tjkraz]

It's not my favorite decor but I can certainly live with it for a week. ;) Actually I'm more disappointed in the exterior than the interior.

But as for the interior, I don't think the scale model does it justice. Check out the hanging light fixtures in the kitchen. In the model they have some sort of metallic gold finish with a reddish lens. In the photo of an actual room they are simple black fixtures with a frosted lens.

In the model the kitchen counter looks purple. In the actual room it looks like more of a stone tint.

On that basis, I suspect all of the furnishings will be different shades and variations of what is in the scale model.

And I doubt the wood highlights used in the rooms will be 70s-era basement paneling. It appears to be very high-quality solid wood highlights--very trendy these days.

It's definitely not how I would decorate my own home, but I don't think I'm going to get the heebie-jeebies staying there for a few days, either. :rotfl2: I'll let you know for sure on June 7th. :thumbsup2

[La2kw]

Pictures never do justice to how the rooms really look. I think AKV rooms look really tacky in the pictures. However, when I visited the models, they looked very, very nice. Too dark for my tastes, but they were far from tacky.

THV look like cabins to me. They are modular buildings, so keep that in mind. I'm sure the reality looks better than the photos do.

[jade1]

Decor deschmor, can you walk to MK or EPCOT? :tiptoe: If not, I'm out.

[BWV Dreamin]

Decor deschmor, can you walk to MK or EPCOT? :tiptoe: If not, I'm out.
So true! I really don't want to remember the 70's....(well maybe a couple of concerts!). Maybe the photographers got it all wrong. I'll take the IKEA look over THIS END UP look any day!:rotfl2: Sorry folks, I really want to like these treehouses. But the recent phototours on the MOMS website really changed my opinion. Sorry, I just can't go that far back in time!!:hippie:

[Disney MAINEiac]

OMG say it ain't so? I saw these photos the other day and seriously thought it was pictures of the original tree houses!!:eek:

the 70s called and they want their paneling back:rotfl2: :rotfl2:

we made THV reservations for next February to take BIL & Family down for their first trip, now I am thinking we should change to a different resort...yuck!! :rolleyes1

we head down in 4-weeks, anyone know if we can get a tour while we are down?

[stopher1]

we head down in 4-weeks, anyone know if we can get a tour while we are down?

Currently no tours available (doubtful in 4 weeks either), but they will show you the "dollhouse" model...

[dtheboys]

I flashback to the 70's...the photo's make it look like an OLD cottage interior...
I sure hope they are better in real life than the pictures?

[JimMIA]

In all honesty, I've never been overwhelmed with the decor in ANY DVC resort. I think they all more or less reflect the "theme" of the resort, but I find them neither inspiring nor repulsive.

Nor do I care much. Frankly, most of the time I spend in my villa, I'm asleep!

What I do like about THV is the setting! I plan on loving the woods, and the balcony is going to be amazing...for me. (YMMV)

THV is going to be like Fort Wilderness, but indoors and air conditioned. How bad can that be?

[pixie08]

You know why? I think a lot of the designers are young 20 somethings who think these colors are hip and fresh because in their short lives nobody has used them.

Those of us, ahem, with a little more worldly wisdom under our belts, remember the avocado and harvest gold refridgerators, and the shag rugs (they call them "flokati" rugs now lol), and wouldn't be caught dead decorating with them.

I won't wear clogs, either. Did that when I was 12, not going there again :laughing: .


hahah well I am a designer in NY (who designs hotels- all hospitality), a DVC owner and 30 and I do not think these colors are "hip" :rotfl: I too remember the avocado and mustard kitchens of my childhood:scared: :rotfl2:

Retro is one thing if it is done with a fresh twist but this is plain ugly imo.Taste however, is such a personal thing so it is hard to please everyone and stay with a design intent/theme. Perhaps they were paying homage to the old treehouses or the campgrounds of a an era past? Not sure. Chances are the model is not too far off though.

[CheapMom]

I was really nervous to start this thread because I hate to be negative and some of the negative threads so easily turn into a bash session- But the funny thing is- NOBODY has chimed in and said- "I think it looks great". The most positive thing people can say is similar to "I can live with it" or "The decor isn't that important." That's pretty sad.
(At least with BLT- some people LOVED the 1st pictures that came out. I don't think there is any love for the asthetics of the THV)

TJKRAZ- you're right- the lantern fixtures in the real kitchen do look much nicer than the in the model.

[ClarabelleCow]

I flashback to the 70's...the photo's make it look like an OLD cottage interior...
I sure hope they are better in real life than the pictures?

haha - when I saw the pics of the treehouse, it reminded me of my old (born late 60's) fisherprice little people house! The one with the yellow roof and it folded in half!!!

I am sure both THV and BLT will be beautiful when they are complete, and I will probably stay in both at some point. But I agree, a Swiss Family Robinson kind of theme would have been great!

[Anal Annie]

Well I'm not going to agree with most of ya'll.

First, I think the photos that were taken & posted on that thread of the interiors were not very high quality and were probably not edited at all with any corrections for lighting or color so I'm not impressed so much with the photographer and will take them with a grain of salt. I mean, no offense to whoever took them, I just don't think they were very good photos.

Second, I would never, ever in a million years decorate my home like most of the DVC villas...especially SSR. That is SO-O-O not our "style" as it's a much more traditional or formal look or whatever but I can live with it for a week. It's vacation. It's not permanent and when we're on vacation we're not trying to feel like we're "at home" at home. I want something a little different. But just from these photos I can say that we would feel much more at home in a THV than in the regular SSR villas. I don't think they'll be as tacky as what some are thinking they will be. The wood look is already reminding me a little of VWL. I do not think that the paneling will be "faux" wood. They have to use something durable that will hold up to a lot of use.

Third, the fact that each resort has a different theme / decor is why we like to resort hop. We may go to the same basic destination everytime but at least we're mixing up the experience by staying in a different property each time we go. We will always have a soft spot for VWL and AKV...but have not finished trying each and every resort yet so hard to say how our "top 3 list" will end up as I'm sure by the time we're done we will have our fav's. We just have no intentions of ALWAYS staying at the same resort each time we go.

Anyway, I think until they're actually open and being used it's too early to get worked up over the decor...maybe I'm too much of child of the 60's & 70's but the "look" is nostalgic to me.:confused3 FWIW I think the paneling that's still in my parents basement is MUCH cheesier than this look.

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

In all honesty, I've never been overwhelmed with the decor in ANY DVC resort. I think they all more or less reflect the "theme" of the resort, but I find them neither inspiring nor repulsive.

Nor do I care much. Frankly, most of the time I spend in my villa, I'm asleep!

What I do like about THV is the setting! I plan on loving the woods, and the balcony is going to be amazing...for me. (YMMV)

THV is going to be like Fort Wilderness, but indoors and air conditioned. How bad can that be?

Spoken like a true straight guy :rotfl2:

My biggest beef with THV (and I just got the interesting promo materials in the mail yesterday), is that they're in the middle of freakin' nowhere.

I think if I want that, I'll stay at FW and bring my golf cart down so I can get to somewhere somewhat easily...

For us, if you can't walk to a pool in under 5 minutes, it's a no-go. The kids live in the pools when we're down there. I don't see a pool anywhere near THV, and I don't really want the kiddos jumping in the canal for a swim.

[5forDiz]

.....The colors and decor looks exactly like Arcie Bunker's living room........





omg too funny :rotfl2: !!!! Hoping it's not as bad as that :scared1:

Kickapoo iirc there will be a pool kinda (ETA) 2/3rds into THV neighborhood from main access road Vacation Club Way - thanks stopher 1 for posting map!

[stopher1]

Won't be too fancy, but there is a pool within the THV woods
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm34/stopher1_photos/WDW%20Misc/P3080301.jpg

[RLRDA]

It's not my favorite decor but I can certainly live with it for a week. ;)

In all honesty, I've never been overwhelmed with the decor in ANY DVC resort. I think they all more or less reflect the "theme" of the resort, but I find them neither inspiring nor repulsive.


This is how I tend to feel. I think the posters who strongly dislike a resort decor (recently people are critical of THV-70's & BLT-Ikea) are comparing it to how they would decorate their own homes and their own personal taste. I wouldn't let a resort's theme or decor keep me from staying there. :)

[bobbiwoz]

Is the chair a sleeper sofa? Will it sleep 9?
Bobbi:goodvibes

[stopher1]

This is how I tend to feel. I think the posters who strongly dislike a resort decor (recently people are critical of THV-70's & BLT-Ikea) are comparing it to how they would decorate their own homes and their own personal taste. I wouldn't let a resort's theme or decor keep me from staying there. :)

I agree. We haven't stayed at each DVC resort yet, but hope to accomplish that in the years to come...regardless of what the individual room decors look like. We stayed at BWV last fall - I love the location and proximity to 2 parks and Fantasia Gardens, love the theme, love the night time entertainment, etc - but found the room rather bland and boring - but that wouldn't stop me from staying there again in the future.

Personally I think the individual theming of the interior decor at both THV and BLT work for the overall theme of the resort - whether I like it or not really is not important at all in the scheme of things, but FWIW, I DO actually like what they're doing with the treehouses. Rustic. Forsesty. Natural. Eclectic. Those are all terms that both my DW and I came up with when looking at the photos. Nostalgic is another one that I throw out as homage to the originals, but also to the various rustic, woodsy, wooden cabins my parents, grandparents, brother and I used to rent in the Sierra Nevada mountains as a child... filled with eclectic woodsy type furniture that probably did come from the Salvation Army - but just added to the overall charm of the lodge. I think the same holds true with THV - it just adds to the overall charm. But that's JMHO.

[stopher1]

Is the chair a sleeper sofa? Will it sleep 9?
Bobbi:goodvibes

Yes, they will sleep 9. 2 queen beds, 1 queen sleeper, a pair of bunkbeds and 1 sleeper chair.

[Desnik]

OP I am so glad you posted this! I completely agree with you! We saw the model in person and thought it was so cute, looked good to us so we booked it for this coming Nov. Then I did more research, saw the real pictures of the kitchen, etc. I showed DH and we both felt the decor was just as the OP described. So the decor, the fact that it is far from the rest of SSR, the weird master bathroom configuration with the tub/shower and we will not have a car is making us think we will probably switch to another resort. The kids were excited to stay in a "treehouse". Then I showed them the pictures, and they were disappointed. I guess they thought they would be more "in" the trees!LOL;)

For me I like to stay at a resort that is different from my home decor but still to my liking. What a resort room looks like is important to me because we do spend a lot of time in our room and at the resort.

[DisFlan]

So far, they look sort of like a cross between AKL and WLV with a 70's overtone. Not bad, but not that "rustic" looking, either. But I live in a cedar house in the middle of a real forest, so this may skew my opinion. If I lived in a high rise or a tree-challenged house in the 'burbs, they'd probably look a lot more "rustic" to me. But they'll be fine for what and where they are. We've never gone to WDW for "real" theme-ing. The "fake" themes are what make it fun.

DisFlan

[nzdisneymom]

Was the shower curtain rod curved out like so many of the hotels are doing now? I sure hope so! We were at OKW last weekend and I was wishing the shower curtain rod was one of those just to give a bit more room in the shower.

We're staying at THV in September.

[zackspal]

these are in the middle of the woods in a swamp. we can not wait to visit, dated or not, bring it on:cool1:

[jade1]

I wouldn't let a resort's theme or decor keep me from staying there. :)

Agree completely-but location would keep us away for sure.

[aesalsa]

I am another DVCer who does not like the decor of the THVs, either. I especially dislike the stone on the bathroom floors :scared: .

I remember reading that there were a few themes from which the designers could choose, one of them being a whimsical, enchanted forest theme. I would have LOVED that since I would love to stay in "an enchanted forest" :cloud9: , and we spend a lot of time in our villa. I am fairly certain, however, that just as many would have not liked that, either :) .

I also agree with some previous posters about liking a Swiss Family Robinson theme for this section of SSR, but that might have been too tropical.

Additionally, it seems that there are too few bus stops in the THV section. And only ONE, plain pool for all the guests staying in the THVs!? The remoteness of it is also a turn-off for me.

Here's a good thing for those who like the THV decor or are simply just want to stay there: there will be NO competition from me and my 11-month booking window (at least if the decor remains as it is) :upsidedow !

Good luck to all who want to book them :thumbsup2 !

:wave2:

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I was going to grump and say that my personal style and where I bought DVC aren't at all alike, then I looked at the outside of my house again and realized, yep, this latest house does most closely resemble VWL of all the DVC's.

But our last house looked like something straight out of OKW.

So are my housing tastes affected by DVC? I think they may be...

In which case I can NEVER stay at THV, lol...

Here's my house,

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x205/kickapoojoiejuice/7150RoundRoad1-1.jpg

Here's a view of VWL,

http://images.mouseplanet.com/wdw/compressed/Resorts/VWL/villas_building_exterior.jpg

I agree with a PP, though, I tend to choose where I stay each time based more on what the itinerary is, ie if it's Christmas or we're doing a lot at MK we'll be at VWL. This upcoming trip we wanted to spend a lot of time at DTD so we picked SS. This fall we're there for the F&W festival so we're at the beach club, etc.

I think my biggest beef with THV is that it's just...uninspired.