Disney tree house villas ????

[magicmouse2]

A CM on the Boat to PFQ informed us that the Disney Tree top Villas would be open to guests within a year.... Is that true ? he said they would be completely renovated and a DVC property with a timescale of 11 months ahead bookable to guests at Saratoga Springs......We love them as to us they are like the Ewok homes from Star Wars movies and I am betting they are surrounded by gators and wildlife.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

I didn't realize they were closed.

 

[All Aboard]

I had not seen them in years. But, we stayed at OKW the week before last and I made a couple of trips to Goodings and passed them. You can see one or two from the road. We stayed once in them in the late 1970's. I remember disliking that we were not in the Contemporary, it seemed kind of like camping to me. Now, I think I would stay in one again, just to see what it was like.

By the looks of Saratoga Springs, they must have demolished much of the townhouses that were once part of the Villas. Does anyone know how much of the Villas still remains?

 

[DC7800]

As far as I know, only the Treehouses and Fairway Villas survive. The Vacation Villa area is, of course, the location of Saratoga Springs, and those buildings are completely gone. I failed to take a close look last summer, but the development appeared to have claimed part or all of the Club Lake Villas as well. I hadn't realized razing that section was part of the plan; the SS structure itself doesn't occupy that area.

I would also like to know the fate of the former Grand Vista Suites. Anyone?

 

[All Aboard]

If the Fairway Villas survived, then the Grand Vista Homes must have survived as well since they are in the center of the Fairway Villas.

It's clear the townhouses are gone. But, I'm with you, wondering if any of the Bungalows survived. I've not yet found a map on the web, but from driving by it seems like the development stretches back pretty far.

 

[Lebjwb]

I was at POR in Feb. Took a few boat rides past the "Treehouses". It was the first time I had seen them.The Boat Captain told us they were currently vacant and was unaware of any plans for them in the immediate future. They did have a few of them set up with furniture and there were lights on in some of the buildings but that was for effect only. I think they are great!

 

[manning]

Didn't someone post here before that the land the tree houses are on are somehow protected. Something about they can be renovated, but if they are torn down nothing else can be built on the land.

 

[Chuck S]

The SSR/DVC Resort is to be built in several "phases", like OKW was. OKW opened in 1991, but was not fully completed for several years. No "official" word on the fate of the treehouses. At this time they are not included in any SSR/DVC planned construction phase. Fairway Villas will probably eventually be replaced by SSR villas. I haven't heard whether the bungalows will be replaced or simply continue to operate separately from from DVC. Aren't the treehouses currently being used to house the college program participants?

 

[ztbz]

The Bungalows have also been torn down as well only Fairway & Treehouse's Remain.

 

[Humphrey Bear]

For what it's worth, we were talking to a salesperson from DVC last week and asked about the Treehouse Villas. She said that Disney was in the process of trying to get the protected status removed from the land so that they could tear down the Treehouses and build other accommodations there that would be part of SSR.

 

[BobH]

My wife and walked the path from OKW to Downtown Disney in Feb of 2003 and you pass on the other side of the canal from the Tree House Villas. the ones we saw were all closed and in pretty shabby condition.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Will you only be able to stay in them if you are DVC?

 

[mitros]

The only thing remaining in that whole area between OKW and the Marketplace{making a right hand turn out of the OKW entrance,} are the tree houses. All the original stuff, bungalos, town houses, are all gone. The major new buildings from the Disney Institute are still standing and will be renovated as part of SSR.

 

[caseymaureen]

Chuck S,
Not that I've heard...The CP students live in 3 apartment complexes, Chatham Square, The Commons, and Vista Way just off Disney property near the Crossroads. I don't think they'd trust the students as far as they could throw them having all of those tree houses to themselves! (But, oh, the parties they could throw )

 

[All Aboard]

mitros, you're saying that the fairway villas and grand vista homes are gone as well?

Come to think of it, I couldn't see any of them from Community Drive either. But, then again, I don't remember if you could ever see them from there - it's been a loooong time since I made that drive until the week before last.

 

[DC7800]

As best I recall, the College Program participants were supposedly being housed in the Fairway Villas, not the Treehouses. I'm fairly certain the Treehouses are indeed empty, and currently reside on protected land. However, when I asked some random CP cast members about the Fairway Villas last year, they had never heard of anyone being housed there. So who knows - maybe this was a temporary thing, or maybe just a handful of "overflow" rooms are being utilized there.

I hadn't heard about Disney possibly removing the Treehouses' protected status, something I'd really hate to see occur. Anyone know what type(s) of development Disney might have in mind here? The combined Vacation, Club Lake, and Treehouse Villa areas is quite a chunk of land for just one resort (making me wonder if some rumors are possibly getting mixed here). The Treehouse villas are unique accomodations, and certainly interest in them remains. Indeed, this has come up before in at least one Rumors board thread. Operated as part of an adjacent resort (OKW, Saratoga Springs, or even French Quarter), Disney could still fill those rooms.

I could swear the Fairway Villas did survive, until recently if not still around, but then I wasn't exactly looking for them last time either. I'm thinking a little exploration may be in order come the end of June .......maybe a round of golf or a boat rental.

 

[Humphrey Bear]

The CM we talked to said that Disney feels that the Treehouses do not fit in with the theme and level of furnishings found at SSR and that is why they want to tear them down. She said the area would be future development for SSR.

During the same trip a CM on the boat to POFQ said that they would be torn down, but another one said that they would be reopen soon, so who knows?

 

[sweet maxine]

We stayed in these 2 years in a row many years ago. I remember I had called and asked for a AAA rate for something that would sleep 7 or 8 people and I was told about the Fairway villas. I asked if there were any specials and was told we could have the villa for $150 per night. I was thrilled! This place was HUGE and had a washer and dryer, full kitchen, loft bedroom with walk-in shower. I think we stayed there 10 nights the last time as my daughter came down with appendicitis and had emergency surgery. Thank goodness we were in a villa, as my mom had to stay with my twins and their company.

We loved this place, and have always wanted to stay in the treehouses. As I remember though, the treehouses didn't seem to have a high occupancy rate when we were there. I wish we would have tried it then, especially if they are just going to tear them down.

 

[mitros]

Yea, everything is gone except for the new buildings they put up for the Disney Institute. If you go out of the front gate of OKW {now undergoing some sort of of construction} make a right hand turn, go past the tree house entrance, past the SSR front gate and when you get to the next stop street, turn right. {I'm so bad with street names} As you are traveling along that road, keep your eyes to your right, and you can see that everything is gone. When you get down to the construction entrance, you can see that the only visable buildings are the new SSR buildings. The only thing I'm not completley sure of, is if they took down what used to be the Pompano Grill. I seem to recall they made a few changes on the building and used it as a restaurant when it was the Institute. It may have been called Seasons restaurant to the best of my recollection. I'm going down tomorrow, and I'll get a closer look.

 

[Cris]

The Fairway Villas were for only Alumni and Advance Internship CP only.