Disney tree house villas ????

[All Aboard]

Mitros,

Yep, I made that trip a few times when I needed some things at Goodings. Exactly as you describe, I don't recall seeing any Villas. Are you sure that you could see them (if they were there) along that route? Based on this map:
Link to Map
The Fairway Villas would have been visible from Community, but not likely from that other road (the one that the fire station is on.)

The SSR buidlings stretch along where the townhouses were and maybe parts of it are back where the bungalows were. But, I don't think there is any construction going on around the area where the fairway villas were (are). The golf course is still open.

 

[welcomehome!]

First of all I think that a few of you need to get your facts straight. Some of you say that the Fairway villas are still there, others don't. Look if you can't see them where you usually could THEY ARE NOT THERE!
Also, personally I think that there is no way that the Disney corp. will get the treehouses torn down, I mean they are so old soon they could be historical and if they can read these boards they'd know the big mistake they would make in getting rid of them!!
Finally please try to not contridict eacother so much I am biggining to become confuzzled! !






Oh, GCURLING
Por favor mantegas de alejado de las puertas means please stand clear of the closing door and it is my favorite phrase in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

[mitros]

Yes, they are really gone. The only thing left in that area as I mentioned are the tree houses, and the buildings put up for the Disney Institute. Fact is, they did not tear everything down at exactly the same time. It was done in stages, as they needed the space for the new buildings for SSR. As I said earlier, I will be going down tomorrow and I will once again check the area out. I'll let you know what I see.

 

[mitros]

I blame old age. I guess I did not look as close as I thought the last time I went by. Just got back about an hour ago, and son of a gun, The Fairway villas are still there, right next to the Tree Houses. I could not tell from the street as to whether or not they were open, but the only access that I could find was through the SSR front gate. I tried to get in there to take a look around, but , would you beleive it, public access is not allowed until Friday the 14th, tomorrow! I can't beleive I missed it by one day! I guess I'll have to wait until we go back on the 26th. I'm going to take a copy of the map that you supplied from that web site and really check it out. I'll get to the bottom of this yet!

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by mitros
The Fairway villas are still there, right next to the Tree Houses.

Thanks for the on-site report. It's nice to know I'm not completely losing my mind, and even better to hear those villas have survived (so far, anyway). Wonder what future plans, if any, actually exist for these buildings? Again, the total area of all the resort villas seems rather large for just Saratoga Springs.

Perhaps I place too much emphasis on historical preservation, but it would have been nice if Disney had saw fit to retain something of the Vacation and Club Lake Villas; maybe one structure each, as a useful element of the new resort (even if not open to guests). I still hope at least the Treehouses eventually reopen; also preserving something of the Faireway Villas would be better still.

 

[mitros]

Yea! Kind of like a vacation resort museum, with one of each of the old style resorts on Disney property. They could probably charge a dollar and a half so people could come an' see 'em.{ From that 60's Joanie Mitchell song} Seriously though, that would be a great idea. I'll bet folks would really like to see some of the places they stayed at years ago. It does seem a shame to remove great old stuff. {Like Horizons} Fat chance, right?

 

[All Aboard]

mitros, you've reminded me of the "resort room graveyard". I've never actually seen it, but have read about it and have seen pictures posted on the web. There is, aparently, some place on WDW property where prototype rooms (standing alone) for nearly all the WDW resorts sit, in a group. If I recall correctly, it's located somewhere near CBR.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

I believe it is next to the fireworks test facility. It is in a secluded corner of the property but I have never heard exactly where.

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by gcurling
mitros, you've reminded me of the "resort room graveyard". I've never actually seen it, but have read about it and have seen pictures posted on the web. .

If you can find a link to those pictures, would you please post it here? I have heard about this place but never seen pictures.

 

[mitros]

Wow, that's a new one on me! I know there is a shell of an old monorail train sitting around somewhere on property, but I never heard of the old rooms. It would be great to check that area out!

 

[SueM in MN]

A couple of years ago they were renovating some of the treehouses that you could see if you were on the "river" going between OKW/DD/PO. We actually saw the progress of the revamping over 2 years of trips to OKW. They stripped them down to bare framing and renovated them. I don't know if they did all of them or just some that you could see from the river, but the construction involved a fair number of them. Now, looking at them from the river, they look just the same as they did before. So no one would guess they were renovated recently.
I'm the one who posted about the college program because that was what the bartender at OKW told my DH when he asked about the renovation a few years ago. She also told him they were being used/going to be used for people who were coming for training and would be staying fro longer periods of time. I don't know if that was rumor about why they were renovating them or if plans changed, but it was what my DH was told.

 

[KNWVIKING]

The Treehouses will NEVER be torn down. The land they are on is now considered wetlands. If they are torn down, Disney can do nothing with the property. The Treehouses are currently " Grandfathered" in. As long as they remain, Disney can use this resort.

We walked thru a section of the Treehouse Villas a couple days ago. Came across a pool that was in pristine shape. Pool house totally refurbed, spa & pool water crystal clear, lounge chairs out, flowers planted. There was a CM there spraying pesticide so we asked him what the deal was with the resort. He stated that since the check-in area for SSR was now open, the Treehouse resort would reopen in '05.

 

[ztbz]

Just to let everyone know that Disney has resumed Bus Service to Saratoga Springs from the Theme Parks and Downtown Disney, there are 3 stops (one stop has just an A-Frame sign and is use for Drop off only for the Saratoga Springs Check In/Out area.

There are only 70 units currently open in the area where the Townhouses were located, but there is Lots of Construction as the area where the Bungalows were have just started building those new Buildings and this area is just across the street from where the new units have just open.

Also because of the Construction the walkway to Downtown Disney has NOT Opened yet, so the only way to go from Saratoga Springs to Downtown Disney is to take a Bus or drive your own Car.


Z

 

[Mooobooks]

The Treehouses have all been refurbished and will be turned over to Saratoga Springs sometime during the coming year. They will become part of that development.

 

[RadioNate]

As best I recall, the College Program participants were supposedly being housed in the Fairway Villas

Just to follow up on this. The Fairway Villas were used as overflow college program alumni advanced internship housing. There were a small number of CPAIs housed there before the SSR construction took over.

 

[ragbunch]

We stayed there in 80 or no later than 82 when I was a preteen. I remember there was a lot of wildlife around. Daily a peacock came to be fed and they were all over. I remember thinking "what tacky decor" but it was very interesting with a ton of room. Large room at the bottom with washer and dryer down there that wasn't very useable since most living was upstairs with the deck. We were there on a large family vacation, renting two by each other.
My best memory was this round bathtub with a seat in it. It was very deep and small. Seemed like there was a separate shower which seemed very luxurious to me at the time. My thrifty grandmother wouldn't let me fill it all the way up to my neck like I wanted to. I've never seen a bathtub like that ever again.
I was glad to see this thread because I couldn't remember the names of these places. We also stayed in the Fairway Villas which were very roomy but all of this was so far from Magic Kingdom!

 

[deanvm]

Does anyone have a picture of what these look like??

 

[juniorbugman]

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/4_Accommodations/VDI_photo_tour_treehouse_villas.htm

 

[kweaver]

Just a quick update. We stayed at SSR last week (lovely!). According to the folks at the front desk, the fairway villas will be torn down and phase III of SSR (an additional 6 buildings for a total of 18) will be built on that property.

No word about the treehouses.

 

[mitros]

We were there yesterday for the day, and we were told that the tree houses can be taken down to the bottom section, and the top can be rebuilt, but there is no word as to what they are actually going to do and when. We also discussed the size of the "restaurant" there, and were told by CMs that a number of people have been complaining about the size of the eatery, and they are saying that once the resort is completed that they may add a restaurant there because of the size of the place upon completion. A lot of folks are saying that they would like to stay on site at the resort for a sit down meal as opposed to going to DTD. But that's another thread subject.