Contemporary replies from Disney last week

[julia & nicks mom]

I am not sure where to put this and I tried to find a thread but my search is not working...

we were down last week and asked every DVC guide we saw -

"so when is the Contemporary opening?"

a lot of them laughed and said they had no idea what was being built there and they knew nothing more than the rest of us....

one had a VERY convincing argument that there was no way it was DVC - he said that if they built it they would sabotage all the other propeties they are currently building - that people would quit buying anywhere else and that current members would sell their contracts for the Contemporary and that with an aggressive project like Hawaii they could not afford to build a resort that would stop sales of Hawaii....he said 2011 would be the earliest date that they could even consider a monorail resort and that they were just updating the contemporary b/c it is so popular and they need more rooms and the old ones were in bad shape...

could that mean that the North wing is going to be a hotel and after they finish it - they will build the south wing to open in 2011?

but then on the other hand...my mom had to go to the doctor from the MK after a bee sting - the guy driving the med van (not a disney employee) drove her past the contemporary and said - "that is the new timeshare disney is building" she said I thought that was a big secret - and he said "Really - cause everyone knows that is what it is"

 

[TisBit]

That is a good reason not to announce CRV, because it could stall current sales, for people waiting to for it come available, but I don't think it is very convincing for it not being DVC. I highly doubt existing members would sell everything off to buy there, instead they would do add ons, as they already do!

I personally think they are not announcing for the above reason, as well as if they suddenly have trouble selling DVC due to the economy, etc they can always claim "it was never supposed to be...."

It would be a huge PR nightmare to announce and then pull out of a resort, that would hurt DVC more.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

one had a VERY convincing argument that there was no way it was DVC - he said that if they built it they would sabotage all the other propeties they are currently building - that people would quit buying anywhere else and that current members would sell their contracts for the Contemporary and that with an aggressive project like Hawaii they could not afford to build a resort that would stop sales of Hawaii....he said 2011 would be the earliest date that they could even consider a monorail resort and that they were just updating the contemporary b/c it is so popular and they need more rooms and the old ones were in bad shape...

Doesn't convince me. The only thing I like about the Contemporary is parking there. I own at the VWL, and that is enough of a MK DVC resort for me. It will have people interested in it and it will have others that aren't.

I don't see a stay at the Cont. as in any way being comparable to a stay in Hawaii. Don't know how that would have an impact on sales. It would have a much bigger impact on the other DVCs on property I'd bet.

 

[spiceycat]

still think the management is fighting over it.

it was the first WDW resort opened.

until they finally decide what it will be - they aren't telling us anything.

although since the plans look exactly like what Tony10 found - and those plans say DVC - before DVC changed the name on the next set of documents.

really believe it will be a CRV - now annoucement might happen this May.

but don't think the selling of it will start until 2009. I hope - would like it to be late 2009 or 2010 - my budget would work much better then.

on the other side - if it wasn't to be a CRV - then they would annouce it - just because anyone that has looked at these boards - know it will be announced - so why buy somewhere else - if CRV is what you want.

that is hurting sales NOW.

 

[Chuck S]

It would be a huge PR nightmare to announce and then pull out of a resort, that would hurt DVC more.

Not necessarily, it has happened several times before.

Newport Beach & Eagle Pines come to mind, both were officially announced and the never built. Newport Beach property was sold to Marriott, who did develop a timeshare there.

Eagle Pines, of course, was abandoned and SSR built instead. Eagle Pines location is currently slated to be a Four Seasons timeshare.

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

Not necessarily, it has happened several times before.

Newport Beach & Eagle Pines come to mind, both were officially announced and the never built. Newport Beach property was sold to Marriott, who did develop a timeshare there.

Eagle Pines, of course, was abandoned and SSR built instead. Eagle Pines location is currently slated to be a Four Seasons timeshare.

Yeah but in this case Chuck, if DVC anounced that CRV was happening and then built it and then found they were having a tough time selling it at $125 point (just a made up number), that would impact DVC's overall reputation in a negative way. For the record, I think that once they announce that it will be a CRV that it will eventually sell out but it won't be immediate and depending on the economic climate and the price, it may even take a little time to finish selling the last units.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I think you all would be pretty surprised at the number of DVC owners who have NO INTEREST in CRV. I'll visit and take a look, but there is absolutely no draw for me. First of all, the whole big high rise thing doesn't appeal to me at all, and MK is the park we visit the least. Just plain not interested. I think they will test the waters a bit with a non/DVC portion to this new tower first, and then decide if it will be DVC or not.

 

[DBorges]

Flordia has that 70% rule and it is not 70% completed yet..

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

Well... DVC better announce something soon... I already gave in a few days ago and bought an add-on at my home resort with money we were going to use for CRV points. I'll still buy CRV if/when it's announced, but not as much now. Frankly, this 'no comment' policy is starting to bother me...

 

[Dean]

Flordia has that 70% rule and it is not 70% completed yet..

I believe that changed about 2-3 years ago allowing DVC to sell units prior. AKV didn't have a single room 70% complete when they offered units for sale. At the time I asked about COO and was told the state rules had changed.

 

[CPTJAK]

I agree that CRVs have no interest for me as well, just don't understand the draw at all. A Monorail runs through it....for crying out loud...

 

[jbrowna]

I believe that changed about 2-3 years ago allowing DVC to sell units prior. AKV didn't have a single room 70% complete when they offered units for sale. At the time I asked about COO and was told the state rules had changed.

I don't think the 70% rule has changed -- although I could be wrong. However, when they began to offer units for sale at AKV, ALL the rooms in Jambo were obviously more than 70% completed. Since those rooms were merely conversions from existing rooms, they could be sold right away. I believe they haven't sold or offered for sale anything from Kidani yet -- only units located in Jambo.

In fact, one reason they may be moving so quickly on construction for Kidani is that they may run out of units in Jambo to sell before any units in Kidani are 70% complete. That would mean that sales would have to be suspended temporarily -- and I doubt they want that to happen!

 

[Dean]

I don't think the 70% rule has changed -- although I could be wrong. However, when they began to offer units for sale at AKV, ALL the rooms in Jambo were obviously more than 70% completed. Since those rooms were merely conversions from existing rooms, they could be sold right away. I believe they haven't sold or offered for sale anything from Kidani yet -- only units located in Jambo.

In fact, one reason they may be moving so quickly on construction for Kidani is that they may run out of units in Jambo to sell before any units in Kidani are 70% complete. That would mean that sales would have to be suspended temporarily -- and I doubt they want that to happen!

As I noted, DVC said it had changed but didn't say how other than it allowed them to sell earlier. I did review FL 718, 719 & 721 and the only references I could find were that the developer had to deposit to an escrow type account for sales prior to completion.

 

[simzac]

Flordia has that 70% rule and it is not 70% completed yet..

But it doesn't have to be 70% completed to announce what it's going to be

 

[tomandrobin]

I think you all would be pretty surprised at the number of DVC owners who have NO INTEREST in CRV. I'll visit and take a look, but there is absolutely no draw for me. First of all, the whole big high rise thing doesn't appeal to me at all, and MK is the park we visit the least. Just plain not interested. I think they will test the waters a bit with a non/DVC portion to this new tower first, and then decide if it will be DVC or not.

Just wait for the complaints to start rolling in about how long the elevator wait times are at the CRV.

 

[DBorges]

I believe that changed about 2-3 years ago allowing DVC to sell units prior. AKV didn't have a single room 70% complete when they offered units for sale. At the time I asked about COO and was told the state rules had changed.

In fact they did that is why they used the hotel rooms as a convert..

70% of the outside structure not inside

 

[TLSnell1981]

I want a monorail DVC.

 

[CarolA]

Lets see... I am supposed to believe that the guys and gals working the sign up booths for DVC have INSIDER information...

Yeah, the CEO calls them directly to tell them the company's long term strategy because he KNOWS they can keep a secret.


Folks, all these people know are the rumors they read on the internet. Disney is NOT that STUPID! Until then it's rumor. (Although I will give the Orlando Sentinel article a little more credit then rumor....)

 

[llmurphy17]

I just don't understand why it's such a BIG secret. I don't think it will hurt california or hawaii sales since they are on the west coast. As far as AKV or SSR I don't think their sales will decrease since those dvc's have a different theme and charm than crv and probably also a different price (cheaper). I also agree with the op that all this secrecy is a negative.

I also tend to believe that it may be a dvc from the other thread which an op stated that disney had a filing with the sec which stated the number of dvcrooms that are currently being constructed which was greater than the number at akv. So maybe it is a dvc. or not

 

[AnimalPrincess]

I think you all would be pretty surprised at the number of DVC owners who have NO INTEREST in CRV. I'll visit and take a look, but there is absolutely no draw for me. First of all, the whole big high rise thing doesn't appeal to me at all, and MK is the park we visit the least. Just plain not interested. I think they will test the waters a bit with a non/DVC portion to this new tower first, and then decide if it will be DVC or not.

You took the words out of my mouth. Dh and I have NO desire to own or stay at MK. We like the ability to walk to MK but I really don't like the contemporary as a hotel, just not my style. I personally can't wait for Hawaii!!