Cons for THV please....

[disneyobessed]

Not to be negative but what are some of the issues people have had with the THV.. We are looking into trying to get into one in April 2013. WE RENT a car so busses will not be an issue...

 

[tjkraz]

Transportation is the biggest issue. Even if you rent, be aware that you can only park one vehicle.

My only other complaint is that you COMPLETELY lose the deluxe resort feel. In no way, shape or form will you feel like you are staying in a hotel. It's more like being away at summer camp.

The buildings themselves are very, very nice inside. No complaints there. But when you're walking the sparsely-lit pathways after sundown, it's a completely different feel from walking in the front door and down the air conditioned hallways of the BoardWalk or Beach Club.

 

[DVCconvert]

Cons for THV please....

nose bleeds and birds!



Seriously thou Tim has summed it up nicely...if you're not in a hurry transport wise...and/or if you're looking for a deluxe version of FW cabins...you'll be all set.

 

[tjkraz]

I'll add that there are some obvious cons to the villa layout.

* Master bedroom only has a queen-size bed (vs. king in all other resort masters.)

* Third bedroom has twin bunk beds which are not suitable for anyone over 6' tall, IMO.

* Only two bathrooms in the villa.

But they have their shares of "pros", too, like the three private bedrooms, large outdoor deck, each villa has its own BBQ grill, parking very close by, point cost identical to a Two Bedroom villa, etc.

 

[chrismass]

The villas themselves are absolutely beautiful, but SECLUDED, even with all of the units occupied we rarely saw anyone else. It's the definition of glamping (glamorous camping).

Transportation isn't a problem if you have your own car but be aware if you plan on using the SSR amenities you are either walking a minimum of 15 minutes or driving. And make sure you ask for a villa that's in the top half closest to SSR, regardless of view, the other half nearest the road has nothing but a bus stop, the pool, boat launch and pathway to SSR are all in the top half.

 

[Pakey]

Transportation is the major problem. Even with a car, it's a pain to drive to the SSR theme pool, store, etc. And the walk can be very long if you have a villa close to the main entrance, like we did.

We were there in May and had horrible mosquitos. It's a shame because the deck is very nice but we were unable to use it.

The living room is so narrow that with the sleeper sofa open, if you come out of the master bedroom, you have to walk through the kitchen, not the living area. And the seating is all facing one direction so it's definitely not set up to sit in the living area and have a conversation because all furniture faces the kitchen.

As PP said, bunk beds are short. I'd say anyone over 5'10" might find it uncomfortable. Our 6' son could not sleep in them.

While the master bathroom is gorgeous, the main bathroom is not all that large; I was glad that as the member, I didn't have to share that space with others because I was selfishly hogging my gorgeous master bath.

We could hear easily through the walls. We knew everytime someone got up at night to use the bathroom.

The pool.

I think these would be a nice place to stay if you enjoy the camping feel and you are a group with children. We were all adults and we all agree that it is our least favorite DVC property for our personal style of Disney vacationing.

 

[disneyobessed]

WOW Im learning so much here. THank you everyone... With all of this being said would all of you prefer a 2 bedroom at SSR over the THV depending on your party size...

 

[Carl'n'Ellie'sDad]

Tim and chrismass summed up the feel -- I'd describe it as similar to a vacation home rental, but on wdw property. You do have more of an on-your-own feel, which we really liked, but your mileage may vary. We split stayed starting at the Grandstand, and made next to no use of the SSR facilities during our Treehouse stay.

There are some quirks to the THs -- my wife and I bumped our legs on the posts of queen beds several times; they are low and protrude several inches from the bed. The rooms are very dark with the shades drawn. We only had my wife and I and our two pre-schoolers, but I'd concur with pakey that the layout doesn't lend itself to socializing with larger groups. The patio would be much more advantageous for this, but conditions aren't always comfortable for this. The cover to the keycard reader was a particular issue for me as well.

Having said all this, we absolutely loved staying there, and would love to add on via resale in the future to stay longer at the THs. The master bath is better than a spa to me, and the kitchen, while small, is both functional and modern. Kids will absolutely love the bunk beds. If you don't feel the need to be social on vacation (and have a car!), the THs will likely be a good fit for you.

 

[mikeweider1]

We thought about staying here with another family (4 adults and 5 young kids)

We know that is normally ok in a 2br deluxe. It seems like you all are saying that's a bad idea in the THV.

Any opinions on this size group in a 2br dlx verses THV?

 

[tjkraz]

We thought about staying here with another family (4 adults and 5 young kids)

We know that is normally ok in a 2br deluxe. It seems like you all are saying that's a bad idea in the THV.

Any opinions on this size group in a 2br dlx verses THV?

IMO it's perfectly suited for that group. Each of the adult couples gets their own private bedroom and you have 2 kids on bunk beds and 3 kids in the living room.

I don't have the treehouse square footage at my fingertips but IMO it's much better suited for that size group than any two bedroom villa.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

We absolutely loved our stay at the THVs. We didn't have much to complain about and look forward to booking one again. That said I do have to say I would have preferred a bit more privacy on our deck. Our THV was located close to two others and the large living room window of one of them was right next to our deck. I felt very exposed each time I sat out there. At one point the guest staying there waved at me from that window. It would have been nice to have a bit more trees and shrubs between the units. Also on our first night our DS and his DW and DS stayed in the living room and with the sleep chair in use we had to squeeze along the wall to the kitchen to get by. I really think the two chairs should have been switched when they placed the furniture. That sleeper chair was way too close to the master bedroom door. None of these issues were deal breakers and did nothing to make our trip less than wonderful. We had our own car so transportation wasn't a problem for us. The buss stop was right at the end of our walkway and it seemed the busses came quite regularly. We loved being in our own vacation home instead of a hotel. If you're looking for something a little different than the other DVC villas offer I think you may enjoy staying there.

 

[Mtnman44]

We loved it. It is slightly cozier feeling than a 2 BR unit, but the three full bedrooms really do make up for it. Plus, you really have the place to yourself, with no wall neighbors and such. It's like having your own house a WDW. The kids loved having their own bedrooms. I think you really need to put two 15 year olds or younger in the bunk beds however. The master bedroom is smaller and has a queen, but the bathroom and shower are great. I wish the lighting was better and had more lights on wall switches. It beats the snot out of a regular hotel room for a family of 5, that's for sure.

 

[dzorn]

WOW Im learning so much here. THank you everyone... With all of this being said would all of you prefer a 2 bedroom at SSR over the THV depending on your party size...

That may depend on the sleeping arrangments. Which would suit your traveling party better?

Denise in MI

 

[bz8bls]

We stayed this past August for 7 nights. We were a party of eight (family of 5 and family of 3). The 4 kids were 5-8...the bunkbed was ideal for the 3 girls (two could fit in one bed...that's what they wanted to do). Our grandson slept on the twin pull out.

We made use of the grill a couple of times. The walk to the main pool was not bad...we had a THV close to the walkway. We also used the small pool on location late at night (the kids loved it).

I am glad we are SSR owners...I think we will try to book at the 11 month as often as we can. Now, just to let you know, I am not a camping type of girl, but I loved the THV, I like being away from the parks.

 

[Greatfalls]

I just did a trip of one night in a THV (first time) before a Disney cruise followed by several nights at a VWL 2 BR. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the THV was. In particular, the kitchen/dining area and the master bath were very nice. On the other hand, the living room area is a bit small. I would say that the optimal set up would be two pre-teens in the bunks, either a teenager or couple in the second bedroom, and a couple in the master. The main drawback to me is that you don't get easy access to the full Disney resort experience that you get at places like VWL, AKV or BCV, like a nice lobby, a main shop, food options and a major pool. You really have to drive or take the bus to SSR, because it's quite a long walk. The THV pool is nice enough, but it's a basic rectangular pool with a hot tub. With that said, I'd definitely do a THV again, but most likely just for a long weekend.

 

[disneynutz]

We thought about staying here with another family (4 adults and 5 young kids)

We know that is normally ok in a 2br deluxe. It seems like you all are saying that's a bad idea in the THV.

Any opinions on this size group in a 2br dlx verses THV?

If you like camping, you will like THV, if you don't like camping, then a 2 bedroom at another resort would be better.

Bill

 

[kendzee94]

WOW Im learning so much here. Thank you everyone... With all of this being said would all of you prefer a 2 bedroom at SSR over the THV depending on your party size...

OP asked for cons of the resort. The stairs can be rough at the end of the day for those with mobility issues and there is a limited # of HA treehouses. Absolutely not! I would prefer here over a 2BR anyday!

TBH- We added on here because we love it here. We love the slower pace and not being right on top of each other as you are in the other villas. You are in your own little house. This Christmas will be our 3rd trip here and we're staying for 10 nights. Nowhere else I'd rather be!