Do the VGF2 Resort Studios appeal to you? Poll

[peabody58]

Great poll and excellent categories, thank you. Interesting to see how it is shaking out with those in the know.

Fellow DVC'ers, let's all remember that nobody is right or wrong regarding these VGF2 changes. They are all personal preferences/opinions, and we do have choices. Due to our dietary restrictions and vacation style, we choose not to go to WDW and stay in a room that doesn't have a microwave. Personal choices, and I've become rather spoiled in my maturing age. I vote with my dollars and booking. We added on last month to BWV instead of waiting for the VGF2 final details/sale simply due to the 11 mt window, amenities and point chart. We can still try to get a VGF1 villa at 7 months should we choose, but at this time still have no interest in VGF2 Resort Studios.

I believe at the core of these new Resort Studios is potential impacts on the VGF point chart, booking patterns and 11-8 month availability of VGF1 units to the current owners. We can predict till the sun burns out, but only real time data will tell if there are positive, negative or neutral impacts. The current VGF owners have the biggest risk/gain for the Resort Studios addition. IMO, I think the rest of us non-VGF owners may actually benefit at the 7 month window, as I'm sure many members will modify their reservations to try something new (DVC Bucket List), which then may free up some previously harder to book locations/categories.

Full disclosure - I was the OP who stirred the pot with the VGF2 Microwave email Campaign. Your welcome! Stay classy all and always carry your towel.

 

[gregskellington]

If the points chart is right, I'll probably buy here for these. Otherwise, I'm excited for the possibility that they won't be too hard to book at 7 mos. The microwave/kitchenette is not on my radar at all. I actually think the big drawback of the room is two beds in all of them. A mix of king/Murphy and queen/queen would have been preferable for me.

 

[CarolynFH]

Reading various posts in this thread, I've been reminded of posts I've read on the cash resorts boards from guests who were planning to keep breakfast foods and snacks in their rooms and were wondering what size bottle of milk and how many cartons of yogurt or whatever they could fit in the fridge. Occasionally one asks about microwaves in the room and is told they can use the one in the food court. I'm thinking these Resort Studios are designed to appeal to them, as DVD could truly present ownership as prepaying for their hotel rooms for however many years VGF has left at the time. And also, when looking for RCI exchanges for the other TS we own, I've seen a number of TS resorts that offer hotel rooms without kitchens, along with more traditional TS accommodations.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

We've been going to VGF as owners since 2015 and we have yet to use the microwave. We rarely use the kitchen, except for the refrigerator - when we stay in the 2BRs. The thing I love about VGF is some of the best restaurants on property, including one of the best Quick Services. My wife can cook at home.

 

[brazzledazzler]

My biggest problem is that the rooms do not have a refrigerator, only a beverage cooler. (It is not cold enough to keep anything perishable.) We bought DVC for a "home" away from home, not a hotel room away from home. But, for some people, the location of VGF is more important than amenities they don't use. This will work for them. Overall: I don't like that Disney is getting away with providing less and getting more $$$.

 

[Nabas]

Some people said they preferred the location. (I just double-checked, only 1 so far). Is there anyone who prefers the location of the VGF? I do-I liked that it was closer to the Poly, as I went to Captain Cook's for all my meals.

The walk to the parking lot is significantly shorter for VGF1. We always have a car so this is an important consideration for us.

 

[nuhusky123]

The walk to the parking lot is significantly shorter for VGF1. We always have a car so this is an important consideration for us.

View attachment 627824

Parking yes but vgf2 is closer to mk and the walkway

 

[havoc315]

Great poll and excellent categories, thank you. Interesting to see how it is shaking out with those in the know.

This poll is VERY unscientific. Further, as people CAN make multiple selections, there is overlap.
Finally, this board over-represents certain types of DVC owners -- the more committed owners, who go more often, have longer contracts, stay longer. Casual DVCers are less likely to be on this board.

With those caveats -- We can start to draw some conclusions based on 65 people who have participated thus far.

1. The loss of a kitchenette is a BIG deal for a SIGNIFICANT number of people... but..
2. Not the majority. The majority of people either actually prefer the new units OR are indifferent OR are ok with the loss of the kitchenette if the point chart is right. While at least 22 people claim they won't stay without a kitchenette, at least 15 people prefer the new rooms, 13 are indifferent either way, and 14 "if the point price is right."
3. The microwave isn't the breaking point for very many people -- For just as many people, the lack of a Murphy bed is the breaking point. And then there are people who prefer the 2 real beds. But simply adding a full time microwave won't appease the people who want a full kitchenette-- a sink for dishes, a real fridge/freezer, toaster. Speaking solely for myself, when I do use a DVC kitchen/kitchenette, I'm far more likely to use the toaster than the microwave. I'm just not a microwave person. Even at home, I only use it for re-heating soup and some foods.
4. We can see there likely will be healthy demand for both types of studios. This poll simply isn't scientific enough to to know whether the overall demand will skew in one direction or the other. But it's clearly not a situation where every DVC guest will be clamoring for the Deluxe studio, or every guest will be clamoring for the Resort Studio. Much will depend on the point chart, but it's likely there will be strong demand for all the studios.
5. Not part of the poll -- But I suspect the skewed demand issue will become a problem for 1BR+ bookings. Fact is, 200 studios are being added, but no larger units. Among current owners -- people who always stay in 1-2-3 BR units aren't going to suddenly shift to the new resort studios. And for those that do shift, there will be plenty of studios to absorb them. But there may be some new buyers into GFV, who do want to occasionally stay in 1-2-3 BR units. And no 1-2-3 BR units are being added to accommodate them. So where for most DVC, there is lots of 1 BR availability at 7-months, GFV might go in the opposite direction -- lots of studio availability, but 1-2-3 bedrooms book up quickly.

 

[The Jackal]

We are a family of 4, so we like the 2 queen sized beds like OKW has. For them to be DVC aka home away from home, they should have a kitchenette. No kitchenette, seems to feel like they are just getting cheap. I understand there are a lot of people who do not use it and do not want it. DVC should start a new timeshare DVC2 and move on. I don’t foresee them adding a second shower in the room, it will be too much work. So it will just be a hotel room which is fine, but that is not what DVC is.

 

[CarolynFH]

But there may be some new buyers into GFV, who do want to occasionally stay in 1-2-3 BR units. And no 1-2-3 BR units are being added to accommodate them. So where for most DVC, there is lots of 1 BR availability at 7-months, GFV might go in the opposite direction -- lots of studio availability, but 1-2-3 bedrooms book up quickly.

There may be (probably will be) new buyers who specifically want 1-2-3 BR villas routinely. So the impact on those larger villas is definitely something to watch since, as you say, no villas that size are being added.

 

[JETSDAD]

There may be (probably will be) new buyers who specifically want 1-2-3 BR villas routinely. So the impact on those larger villas is definitely something to watch since, as you say, no villas that size are being added.

As a bit of a counter point, there may also be people who currently get stuck booking a 1BR because they can't get a studio who will instead be happy to book a resort studio instead of a 1BR.

 

[La2kw]

Reading various posts in this thread, I've been reminded of posts I've read on the cash resorts boards from guests who were planning to keep breakfast foods and snacks in their rooms and were wondering what size bottle of milk and how many cartons of yogurt or whatever they could fit in the fridge. Occasionally one asks about microwaves in the room and is told they can use the one in the food court. I'm thinking these Resort Studios are designed to appeal to them, as DVD could truly present ownership as prepaying for their hotel rooms for however many years VGF has left at the time. And also, when looking for RCI exchanges for the other TS we own, I've seen a number of TS resorts that offer hotel rooms without kitchens, along with more traditional TS accommodations.

These rooms have beverage coolers, not refrigerators. Not sure if they would appeal to those people.

 

[CarolMN]

There may be (probably will be) new buyers who specifically want 1-2-3 BR villas routinely. So the impact on those larger villas is definitely something to watch since, as you say, no villas that size are being added.

I agree, but fully expect this to be mostly an issue at 7 months, and not much of a problem for owners who book during their priority period.

 

[Skywalker3]

We do not stay in studios, except at the Poly, so these do not appeal to me at all. We don't cook full meals, but always make a lot of use of the 1 bedroom full sized fridge, real dishes, microwave, and laundry. Not having a mircowave is not a complete deal breaker on where we stay in general, but it's something we make great use of when traveling.
just stayed at Portofino at Universal, and while it was fabulous, it didn't have a microwave, and I really missed that, but there was the option to rent one. When we stay again, we'll do that. We often have leftovers, or snacks, or breakfast items to store in the fridge and heat up.
Our future travel habits will most likely change soon, kids will be in college, and we might be doing shorter visits ,and will try studios.

 

[CarolynFH]

These rooms have beverage coolers, not refrigerators. Not sure if they would appeal to those people.

The cash resorts are being converted to beverage coolers too, and in any case, for marketing purposes it doesn’t matter.

 

[CarolynFH]

I agree, but fully expect this to be mostly an issue at 7 months, and not much of a problem for owners who book during their priority period.

For the sake of the existing VGF owners who routinely book 1-2-3 BR villas, I hope you’re right!

 

[kanerf]

I have been adding on more points of late so that I can stay in one bedrooms more often. That said, I could see a short stay at VGF in one of the new studios, so long as I was bracketing it with one bedrooms on either side. Still don't like the lack of a kitchenette, but what are you going to do?

 

[peabody58]

Still don't like the lack of a kitchenette, but what are you going to do?

Ummmm.... buy more points of course!

 

[nuhusky123]

I have been adding on more points of late so that I can stay in one bedrooms more often. That said, I could see a short stay at VGF in one of the new studios, so long as I was bracketing it with one bedrooms on either side. Still don't like the lack of a kitchenette, but what are you going to do?

I thought the new studios were no better than motel 6?

 

[kanerf]

I thought the new studios were no better than motel 6?

A Motel 6 next to the Magic Kingdom is still better than anything outside the boundary. It all depends on what the points schedule is. I am hoping it will be low enough to make a stay worthwhile.