Do you think that the VGF and the Poly might share 11 month booking windows?

[kristenrice]

Humor me as I go out on a bit of a tangent...

With the studios being the most popular booking category at VGF (presumably because the buy in price was so high and people bought/added on with the intention of only staying in studios), does anyone think that there may be an adjustment in the points chart, sooner vs. later? Perhaps increasing the cost of studios and decreasing the cost of the 1BR's? I love the look of the VGF, but I choked when I saw the points chart. I am 100% happy when we stay at AKV and there is no way I would cough up 228 points for the GFV when I can get the same nights at Kidani for 148. It's nice...but not nice enough for me to pay 50% more points for a 5-night stay.

 

[wdrl]

I would doubt the even can make a change like this.

I do not know the law, but it seems like they would have to keep the rooms intact. If they can change one room, what is to say they can not change them all (such as changing all dedicated to lock offs). Or making all lock offs dedicated. I only have enough points for a studio for one week...I would then have a virtually useless(to me) real estate interest

Plus, it is really is no longer Disneys', its ours. Good legal question though....

At Aulani, DVD removed from the Condominium Association a Residential Unit containing one Grand Villa and modified another Residential Unit by removing the one-bedroom portion of a lock-off two-bedroom. In exchange, DVD added a Residential Unit containing eight hotel rooms.

DVD told me that in making the exchange it tried to maintain the relative size of Aulani's real estate interest. Since the exchange wasn't exactly equal, it ended up adding 603 points to Aulani's overall size. No attempt was made to replace the original accommodations with the same type of accommodation.

How does this relate to VGF? I haven't a clue. I just thought I'd post it to show that timeshare developers may have more flexibility than we think.

 

[easyd]

Another frusterated VGF owner here... I like the idea of adjusting the points at VGF so the 1BR and Studio are closer. Spread the demand around!

I also think DVD thought more folks would buy big contracts a VGF, but it didn't happen. Why build so many 2BRs if there's no one booking them?

 

[Dean]

Technically they could add it as part of the VGF and make it one resort just like they did for THV or AKV Kidani. They won't in this situation of course.

 

[Minniesgal]

Humor me as I go out on a bit of a tangent... With the studios being the most popular booking category at VGF (presumably because the buy in price was so high and people bought/added on with the intention of only staying in studios), does anyone think that there may be an adjustment in the points chart, sooner vs. later? Perhaps increasing the cost of studios and decreasing the cost of the 1BR's? I love the look of the VGF, but I choked when I saw the points chart. I am 100% happy when we stay at AKV and there is no way I would cough up 228 points for the GFV when I can get the same nights at Kidani for 148. It's nice...but not nice enough for me to pay 50% more points for a 5-night stay.

Agree. What we did it buy just enough points for two nights in a 1 bedroom lake view or 3 nights is we bank or borrow so we could end a trip there and visit out favourite restaurants easily

 

[disneynutz]

VGF is a very small resort, probably due to available space to build.

Disney knew that booking studios there would be a problem and they know that if people love VGF, they will buy more points to stay in a larger room.

Disney also knew that the Poly studio village would be going on sale a short time after VGF. If members want a studio, they can book at the Poly.

Bill

 

[chalee94]

With the studios being the most popular booking category at VGF (presumably because the buy in price was so high and people bought/added on with the intention of only staying in studios), does anyone think that there may be an adjustment in the points chart, sooner vs. later? Perhaps increasing the cost of studios and decreasing the cost of the 1BR's?

yep, this is definitely one alternative.

Plus, it is really is no longer Disneys', its ours. Good legal question though....

kind of...but i'm still convinced that to a certain extent, "it's the Mouse's world and we're just lucky to live in it." never forget that mickey has a lot of leeway to make changes...

 

[beer dave]

As a frustrated VGF owner, I was kinda thinking about the "VGF dilemma" last night. Rather than combining Poly and VF into one booking window, I'm wondering if they would convert some of the dedicated 2 bedrooms to lock offs. Helps increase the number of studios but also increases 1 bedrooms, which I'm not sure they want. I have never stayed in aything except a studio so not sure how hard that would be to do or what effect it may have on the point charts.

I think the biggest hurdle in converting would be adding an access door to the hallway. As far as I know the dedicated rooms only have one door.

 

[beer dave]

Humor me as I go out on a bit of a tangent...

With the studios being the most popular booking category at VGF (presumably because the buy in price was so high and people bought/added on with the intention of only staying in studios), does anyone think that there may be an adjustment in the points chart, sooner vs. later? Perhaps increasing the cost of studios and decreasing the cost of the 1BR's? I love the look of the VGF, but I choked when I saw the points chart. I am 100% happy when we stay at AKV and there is no way I would cough up 228 points for the GFV when I can get the same nights at Kidani for 148. It's nice...but not nice enough for me to pay 50% more points for a 5-night stay.

Hmmm.... sounds strangely familiar. This is one of the possibilities I see involving the increase in capacity of the older studios to 5 and leaving the 1 beds at 4........ Eventually they will adjust points to even out the bookings. As they did with the weekends several years ago......

 

[chalee94]

I think the biggest hurdle in converting would be adding an access door to the hallway. As far as I know the dedicated rooms only have one door.

not mention carving out room for a kitchenette. i think it's a pretty different set-up...that would be a big undertaking.

 

[jerseyduke]

I see the best possible solution being to adjust the points some.

I think disney may have misjudged things a tab, who knows. The GF is the Flagship property, for the affluent, yada yada.

they have 47 2 bed room lock offs. My guess is they though that a chunck of these would be booked as a two bedroom lock off. I would bet that the reality is it quickly becomes 47 studios and 47 one bed rooms on 98% of the days.

If disney were to redesign and make 47 DEDICATED studios, do you think they would use the remaining room for 47 One Bedrooms? Or lower the number, and add some 2 bed rooms? One BR, to my understanding, are the slowest booking category in DVC

 

[chalee94]

Or lower the number, and add some 2 bed rooms? One BR, to my understanding, are the slowest booking category in DVC

turning a bunch of 1BRs into 2BRs sounds like it would mean knocking down walls and messing with a lot of plumbing.

adding more dedicated studios is unrealistic IMO, but that would be even more unlikely.

 

[DougEMG]

With the studios being the most popular booking category at VGF (presumably because the buy in price was so high and people bought/added on with the intention of only staying in studios), does anyone think that there may be an adjustment in the points chart, sooner vs. later? Perhaps increasing the cost of studios and decreasing the cost of the 1BR's?

I bet this might annoy a lot those VGF owners who bought to stay in studios because of the high buy in and point costs. Given that there aren't enough studios to meet the need of current VGF owners, what's the chance of DVC converting a GF hotel building or two to VGF studios similar to what is happening at the Poly?

 

[disneynutz]

I bet this might annoy a lot those VGF owners who bought to stay in studios because of the high buy in and point costs. Given that there aren't enough studios to meet the need of current VGF owners, what's the chance of DVC converting a GF hotel building or two to VGF studios similar to what is happening at the Poly?

If conversion was a possibility at GF, Disney would have done that first before building a more expensive new stand alone building.

The need of the owners isn't as important, as the need to increase profits.

Bill

 

[Dean]

I bet this might annoy a lot those VGF owners who bought to stay in studios because of the high buy in and point costs. Given that there aren't enough studios to meet the need of current VGF owners, what's the chance of DVC converting a GF hotel building or two to VGF studios similar to what is happening at the Poly?

I'd say it's very possible but who knows. Another possibility is an addition across the street or an addition where the current parking lot is with a parking deck with villas above. They'd have to work out parking either way but that's not a big hurdle other than the costs involved. Obviously if these were planned up front, they would have done things differently. I also wonder what the remaining lease is for SOG and possibilities there. DVC has many many options from building at park lines similar to VGC, to adding on at moderate or value locations to starting fresh at any one of a number of locations that are near or far. The FW location already planned to some degree is especially intriguing.

 

[Snurk71]

Just wanted to add a comment as A VGF owner of a relatively small contract (75 points), we've stayed in a studio once but actually want to stay in a 1br on our next trip there. When we tired the 1brs they looked so good.

So we'll use couple years points for our Oct trip.

 

[Dean]

not mention carving out room for a kitchenette. i think it's a pretty different set-up...that would be a big undertaking.

I feel the studios are under equipped. The similar Marriott studios have a king and have silverware, cookware, etc. It wouldn't take a lot to make the studios far more functional. I've stayed in a couple of Wyndham studios that were much closer to a DVC 1 BR than a DVC studio. Both Wyndham and Bluegreen have gone to a large 1 BR and smaller 1 BR for their lockoff's at many locations. All preferable to a glorified hotel room IMO.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

i feel the studios are under equipped. The similar marriott studios have a king and have silverware, cookware, etc. It wouldn't take a lot to make the studios far more functional. I've stayed in a couple of wyndham studios that were much closer to a dvc 1 br than a dvc studio. Both wyndham and bluegreen have gone to a large 1 br and smaller 1 br for their lockoff's at many locations. All preferable to a glorified hotel room imo.

Amen!

 

[dsnydaddy]

I feel the studios are under equipped. The similar Marriott studios have a king and have silverware, cookware, etc. It wouldn't take a lot to make the studios far more functional. I've stayed in a couple of Wyndham studios that were much closer to a DVC 1 BR than a DVC studio. Both Wyndham and Bluegreen have gone to a large 1 BR and smaller 1 BR for their lockoff's at many locations. All preferable to a glorified hotel room IMO.

Yep. Been in a Marriott 1 BR and the Welk Studio that I'm staying in right now. Both really make the Disney rooms look pretty small. The Welk studio has a full kitchen, King Bed in its own room. If Disney wants to sell at their high rates they'll need to be more competitive not less. Location only gets you so far.

 

[Dean]

Yep. Been in a Marriott 1 BR and the Welk Studio that I'm staying in right now. Both really make the Disney rooms look pretty small. The Welk studio has a full kitchen, King Bed in its own room. If Disney wants to sell at their high rates they'll need to be more competitive not less. Location only gets you so far.

Obviously Disney has been successful and I'd point out that rooms at other company resorts in high demand real estate locations tend to be small as well. I simply feel that Disney missed a very low cost opportunity to do a much better job, one that hurts no one and would help many. Another concept I've seen that I think would have been a good choice, esp at VWL, AKV,VB & BCV, is a double lockoff making a 3 BR.