Poly Lakeview- what will be seen?

[Kebby]

We are new PVC owners who are booking tomorrow for the end of Aug. I am debating between the lakeview and standard. Do we have any sense what the lakeview rooms will be of in DVC? Any chance of seeing fireworks from these rooms??

 

[dizfan]

We opted to book lake view last week. In a few years, when the resort is sold out, there will be 4 standard view studios for every lake view studio. Pure specualtion on my part, but it may mean lake views will be more difficult in a couple years.

I believe most ground floor rooms will not see the castle. However, the fireworks are higher up, so they may be seen. 2nd floor may have the best perspective, because they can see over the bungalows and may not have the tree tops blocking MK and the fireworks. Some third floor rooms will have part of the view blocked by the top of the Palm trees.

You may want to ask on Tikiman's Facebook page. He knows far better than most about the rooms and views.

Good luck with your decision and good luck booking tomorrow.

Aloha!

 

[ziravan]

Spoke with my guide today about Poly points. He said the guides were told to downplay a fireworks view from the lake view rooms.

Specifically, I was told that the Poly Beach or a monorail ride to BLT was recommended for a view of fireworks.

Despite that warning, it is my understanding that most of these rooms should have a decent view, except perhaps ground floor with obstructed view by the bungalows. Request an upper floor.

 

[Kebby]

Thanks for the replies! I just don't see how they would NOT have a tPV. Nothing was done to the actual building and it was the one with the most TPV rooms next to Hawaii. I wonder if they were told to downplay just so they could sell more standard? Or if in the long run they feel they will be obstructed by something and didn't want a lot of angry buyers down the road. I think I am going to book LV and ask for second floor and see what happens.

 

[ziravan]

I was interested in Poly, but after buying 252 BC points last year, I figured I'd pick my battles and not say anything to my wife.

SHE approached me about it!

We researched it and she's convinced that a guaranteed week is going to be the only way to consistently get a lake view during F&W. PVB will essentially be an EPCOT resort since it's a skip and jump from the EPCOT monorail. I think the TTC monorails are a closer walk than the Poly monorail. The only real difference in time is being dropped off at future world instead of international gateway. Even then, I'll just burn two quick FP on the way in, and the last one going home...

So. We are moving funding around to buy an early Nov fixed week lake view. We're looking at the "sweet spot" between F&W and MVMCP each year. We are hoping to have things ready to buy before the Feb 25 open season.

Even though only two rooms in that week sold as guaranteed at the Grand Floridian, we think Poly will be different, for several reasons.

1. "Bungalow" points chasing studios. A quarter of Poly points are Bungalow. A quarter of Poly point holders almost certainly won't be staying there. That's going to translate to very high 11-7 month demand.

2. Poly is going to sell like crazy. It's the Poly. Beloved theming, monorail, significant investment, etc.

3. The Bungalow points might (and should be) reallocated to make them more affordable. If that happens, and it might, then the studios will go up in points. That will make a guaranteed week an even better deal: it will eat into the 10% premium - plus that 10% will now be a hedge against a future reallocation.

4. Once DVC figures out that reserving connecting studios isn't some optional request, the Poly will sell even better. Two rooms sleep 10 for about 40 something points a night. Even without the kitchen or washer/dryer, that's not a bad deal. And, it's the Poly. This will open up options for more people. But But - a connecting room category means possibly only 36 lake views avail instead of 72. It will eat up the inventory. Everybody thinking there are 360 Poly studios so there will be plenty of availability has it wrong, I think. There are really only 180 connecting rooms. And, if DVC figures it out, a washer/dryer in every other room in the shower room (new point category for extra amenity, means each connecting would have one and singles can decide if they want to pay a point or so more a night to have one ), then they'd really have a unique product that answers every need in a connecting room except a stove. I love one bedrooms, but I've yet to use the stove...

We think that getting a lake view at 11 months is going to be as difficult as getting a studio at the Grand Floridian at 11 months can be. Rather than take our chances, we're going to buy a fixed week. My wife approached me about the Poly, and she's insistent that a fixed week is going to prove to be necessary. If not, we'll rebook each year at 11 months and pocket the difference in points. Win-win.

Congrats on your purchase and good luck booking today. I hope to be right behind you sometime before Wed.

 

[Kebby]

Congrats!! Good luck to you! We also bought a fixed week- win/win situation. I love knowing we have that week every year if we want it, but if we don't we still have all the flexibility of regular points. I think most ppl don't understand fixed weeks, but as people start to learn more about them it will become more popular!

 

[wdrl]

Thanks for the replies! I just don't see how they would NOT have a tPV. Nothing was done to the actual building and it was the one with the most TPV rooms next to Hawaii. I wonder if they were told to downplay just so they could sell more standard? Or if in the long run they feel they will be obstructed by something and didn't want a lot of angry buyers down the road. I think I am going to book LV and ask for second floor and see what happens.

I think DVD and the Guides are being overly cautious when they talk to their clients about what can be seen from the Lake View villas at PVB. Given the Moorea Longhouse's location and orientation, I'm positive the Lake View villas will offer some views of the fireworks. However, if a Guide were to say "Yes, you'll be able to see the MK fireworks", what some people hear is "I'll be able to lay on my bed and see Cinderella's Castle and the fireworks just as if I'm on Main Street."

I would be shocked if you couldn't see fireworks from the balconies of the Lake View villas. Will it be as dramatic as watching from in front of the Castle on Main Street? No, but you will definitely be able to see fireworks up in the air from the Lake View villas.

 

[DenLo]

Who knows what kind of view the first floor and possibly second floor in Moorea will have with the bungalows right in front of them? Between the bungalows and the trees on the island in the Seven Seas Lagoon the castle could be blocked from view except for most of the rooms on 3rd floor--and that would be, what, 24 studios? I expect DVC did not want to have so few villas be labeled as theme park view. It is easier to label them all as lake view and hope the members complain less.

 

[rfc0001]

Anyone have a map of the Moorea room numbers? Also, anyone have a map of the old Tahiti rooms and know which were Themepark and Lagoon view? Obviously there are additional obstructions with the Bungalows, but would still be nice to know where the "Theme Park" (formerly "Magic Kingdom") views used to be. Thanks!

 

[wdrl]

Anyone have a map of the Moorea room numbers? Also, anyone have a map of the old Tahiti rooms and know which were Themepark and Lagoon view? Obviously there are additional obstructions with the Bungalows, but would still be nice to know where the "Theme Park" (formerly "Magic Kingdom") views used to be. Thanks!

If anyone has this information, it will be Tikiman and his tikimanpages.com.

 

[rfc0001]

If anyone has this information, it will be Tikiman and his tikimanpages.com.

Yeah, checked there first. He didn't have either, surprisingly. This is what he does have:
http://www.tikimanpages.com/poly/Tahiti

EDIT:
OK, part of the solution is on that page (I missed it):

• Lagoon view rooms: 1015,1016,1019,1020,1025,1026,1029,1030,1037,1038,2015,2016,2019,2020-2024,2029-2032,2037,2038,3015,3016

• Theme Park view rooms: 1017,1018,1021-1024,1027,1028,1031-1036,2017,2018,2025-2028,2033-2036,3017-3038

Here is a room map that these correspond to.

The piece I'm still missing is whether the room numbers stayed the same with Moorea?

EDIT: reluctant to post the secret decoder ring, but someone is going to figure this out eventually, so might as well be me:
The rooms in Tahiti corresponding to Theme Park views are the rooms on either side of the elevator, with the higher floors having more rooms without obstructions. Therefore a check-in preference of Upper Floor and Near Elevator should correspond to Theme Park View -- for Lake View category obviously. Looks like 2020-2024,2029-2032 (using the old room numbers/above room map) are an exception to this rule, although entire third floor near elevators is theme park view.