CR DVC resort a no-go

[nuts]

Very disappointing!!

We were in WDW Dec. 1-10...we had a CM inform an entire group of people that an announcement had been made to staff that DVC was indeed coming to the Contemporary. These ups & downs really stink!

Don't be discouraged. My source (who has been very reliable) said that it was dead...BUT, she also acknowledged that Disney (all of Disney, not just DVC) constantly re-evaluates ideas. Who knows...enough pixie dust and it could happen

 

[tjkraz]

Don't be discouraged. My source (who has been very reliable) said that it was dead...BUT, she also acknowledged that Disney (all of Disney, not just DVC) constantly re-evaluates ideas. Who knows...enough pixie dust and it could happen

I agree.

Now that Disney has shown a willingness to convert existing cash rooms to DVC units, it wouldn't surprise me to see the refurbished North and South Garden Wings turned-over to DVC someday. With every family that buys into DVC the cash resorts lose a customer. Ideally they will continue to attract new business to maintain occupancy rates, but often that leads to lower margins (via higher room discount levels or giving away piles of "free" food to attract hotel guests.)

If DVC ownership continues to grow as it has over the last 5+ years, it will make more and more sense over time to reduce the number of cash rooms at deluxe resorts in favor of DVC accommodations.

 

[dumbo71]

I agree.

Now that Disney has shown a willingness to convert existing cash rooms to DVC units, it wouldn't surprise me to see the refurbished North and South Garden Wings turned-over to DVC someday. With every family that buys into DVC the cash resorts lose a customer. Ideally they will continue to attract new business to maintain occupancy rates, but often that leads to lower margins (via higher room discount levels or giving away piles of "free" food to attract hotel guests.)

If DVC ownership continues to grow as it has over the last 5+ years, it will make more and more sense over time to reduce the number of cash rooms at deluxe resorts in favor of DVC accommodations.

This is a great point tjkraz. I'm sure many DVCers were previous deluxe resort fans. I know we were.

Have we reached the point where DVC has started to hurt the occupancy at moderates and deluxes?

Maybe this is a slippery slope DVC has created. They've taken away from the deluxes so now they will NEED to flip those rooms over to DVC units to fill them.

Very interesting. That quick infusion of cash they needed may end up hurting in the end. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[bigsmooth]

Very interesting. That quick infusion of cash they needed may end up hurting in the end. Thanks for the thoughts.

I've wondered about that. I do think it may be fair to say that DVC owners previously were more frequently to stay in Deluxe resorts than the general mix of guest. But I also don't think they lose out by converting someone to being a DVC owner. To say they gain upfront cash and lose the higher hotel rates down the road assumes that DVC owners who leverage their investment at least once every year would in absence of that ownsership would frequent a deluxe resort at least once a year. I'm betting the DVC ownership ends up increasing the number of trips a person would normally take. So they may lose someone from a deluxe who would make 3 to 5 trips every 5 years, but gain someone who instead makes 5 to 15 trips every 5 years (based on the fact that DVC is pretty much a use it or lose it type investment, and by not paying for hotels on each stay it may be easier to budget more frequent trips). So they gain attendence at the parks on top of their original infusion of cash. But yes, they would still need to make up that deluxe hotel capacity, either by recruiting new markets or decreasing capacity. But I don't think they are hurting by any means.

But will be interesting to see if they can keep increasing the DVC population (will they ever reach the saturation point?) and what impact that increase has on hotel capacity.

 

[lenshanem]

Ah, the conspiracy zealots will claim that this manager used you to spread disinformation!! They figure they can use the DIS Boards to squash the CRV rumors so we'll all buy AKV points...and then spring CRV on us later and claim that it "just occurred to them"!

That's my conspiracy and I'm sticking to it!!

I guess I'm a conspiracy zealot then!

 

[Bribrittmom]

I REALLY want a DVC at the Contemporary! The STOL location would be good too, but you can't beat that walk to the MK!

What is STOL? You guys on here sure know a lot of abbreviations!

 

[rkwells]

What is STOL? You guys on here sure know a lot of abbreviations!

I was wondering the same thing???

 

[lisareniff]

I guess I'm a conspiracy zealot then!

This conspiracy theory did cross my mind too!
...but I was too emarassed to admit it.... and then be wrong!
... some of our friends have friends in high places

 

[Bribrittmom]

Does anyone know what STOL means?

 

[3DisneyKids]

Short Take Off and Landing. There is a small air strip near the CR which is where some folks think a DVC could possibly be built. This air strip is designed for small plans that do not need a long runway for take-offs and landings.

Hope this helps!

 

[Bribrittmom]

Thanks 3Disneykids!

 

[Longhairbear]

I agree.

Now that Disney has shown a willingness to convert existing cash rooms to DVC units, it wouldn't surprise me to see the refurbished North and South Garden Wings turned-over to DVC someday. With every family that buys into DVC the cash resorts lose a customer. Ideally they will continue to attract new business to maintain occupancy rates, but often that leads to lower margins (via higher room discount levels or giving away piles of "free" food to attract hotel guests.)

If DVC ownership continues to grow as it has over the last 5+ years, it will make more and more sense over time to reduce the number of cash rooms at deluxe resorts in favor of DVC accommodations.

Converting cash rooms to timeshares is going on at other companies as well. The Del Coronado in San Diego is doing it. The local news did a story on it a few months ago, and said it is an industry trend. More vacationers are buying timeshares instead of booking hotel rooms, according to the report. The Del Coronado wants to keep it's regular customers coming back, hence the timeshares.

 

[dumbo71]

CRV is going to happen despite Caskbill's info. I'm sure he was told what he was told but that doesn't mean anything. I've been lied to, and given misinformation many times from people at the "world".

Fact is this, CR is a tired, dumpy resort with a joke of a pool that also has one of the lowest occupancies of any WDW Resort. It needs DVC. Fact also is that plans were released for this resort. AKV first, CRV second... well maybe third after CA DVC.

It's happening folks.

 

[tjkraz]

Fact is this, CR is a tired, dumpy resort with a joke of a pool that also has one of the lowest occupancies of any WDW Resort.

It's also a resort that Disney has been systematically renovating for more than 18 months now. Do you have any hard evidence regarding occupancy rates post-rehab or are you just speculating?

Fact also is that plans were released for this resort.

Actually plans were leaked, not released. And within hours of being discovered the information was removed from the website in question. Eagle Pines was further along in development and yet it never came to pass. I could think of a half-dozen other Disney resort projects that were announced and never came to be.

I think there are a lot of reasons to believe that DVC is coming to the CR, yet curiously with each day that passes the list of reasons why there may NOT be new DVC construction seems to get longer.

 

[lenshanem]

This conspiracy theory did cross my mind too!
...but I was too embarrassed to admit it.... and then be wrong!
... some of our friends have friends in high places

Lisa, I told DH last night about this and he said - Oh, they just want us to buy AKL thinking CRV isn't coming, then when it is close to being sold out they'll announce CRV! And he doesn't even read these boards!

 

[3DisneyKids]

It's also a resort that Disney has been systematically renovating for more than 18 months now. Do you have any hard evidence regarding occupancy rates post-rehab or are you just speculating?



Actually plans were leaked, not released. And within hours of being discovered the information was removed from the website in question. Eagle Pines was further along in development and yet it never came to pass. I could think of a half-dozen other Disney resort projects that were announced and never came to be.

I think there are a lot of reasons to believe that DVC is coming to the CR, yet curiously with each day that passes the list of reasons why there may NOT be new DVC construction seems to get longer.

I agree...we have all seen and read about a variety of resorts that never came to pass, so the fact that we saw plans for DVC at the CR doesn't mean much. I would love to see a DVC at the CR, so I continue to hold out hope. However, there do seem to be at least as many things on the "not gonna happen" list as there are on "it HAS to happen...look at this construction premit..."

And I also agree with Dumbo71 (a rareity for us, right dumbo? ) that the Contemporary needs DVC. I would think that the best of both world would be to make the North Wing for DVC...just as the 5th and 6th floors of AKL are DVC. Just have parts of existing resorts set aside as DVC accommodations...makes sense to me.

 

[RobDoc]

... Fact also is that plans were released for this resort. ...

Where and when were these plans released? I can assure you that DVC has not released ANY plans about a DVC resort at CR.

Feel free to provide the a link to wherever your "facts" were released.

 

[Chuck S]

As of a couple of days ago, the STOL site had some plumbing going in, and also had a hole dug directly under the monorail track. They appear to be digging up parts of the runway itself. Something fairly permanent is going in. Of course, there are several possibilities. Maybe a central check-in site for convention people, some sort of support facility for WDW in general, maybe a central bus dispatch center? It could also be site work for a new resort, but if it is a resort, I would bet it is a "combined" WDW/DVC resort. It would be an easy location to build a new monorail station. If it is a resort, I doubt there will be any announcement until work progresses a little further, and it will take a few years to be completed, giving AKV a chance to sell.

 

[dumbo71]

Where and when were these plans released? I can assure you that DVC has not released ANY plans about a DVC resort at CR.

Feel free to provide the a link to wherever your "facts" were released.

Ok, let me re-phrase a little. Plans were uncovered then after they were posted here on the Dis they were removed from the architecture site.

 

[RobDoc]

Ok, let me re-phrase a little. Plans were uncovered then after they were posted here on the Dis they were removed from the architecture site.

Ahh- thanks for clarifying. It would appear there is a HUGE difference bewteen a "fact" and an internet rumor. Can we also assume then that your other statement -

Fact is this, CR is a tired, dumpy resort with a joke of a pool that also has one of the lowest occupancies of any WDW Resort. It needs DVC.

- is actually just your personal opinion and not really a "fact" that can be substantiated with any real data ?