Do you want Eagle Pines?

[Dean]

Unfortunately, there will be no more non WDW DVC resorts. If EP doesn't happen, and I doubt it will, there will be no other DVC resorts period. In many ways, EP and SSR are very similar. I think the expansion to 552 units for SSR was the final nail in the coffin. I hope I'm wrong and we will see. Remember it will take some 6-8 years minimum and as many as 10 years to sell SSR.

 

[timC]

Unfortunately, there will be no more non WDW DVC resorts. If EP doesn't happen, and I doubt it will, there will be no other DVC resorts period. In many ways, EP and SSR are very similar. I think the expansion to 552 units for SSR was the final nail in the coffin. I hope I'm wrong and we will see. Remember it will take some 6-8 years minimum and as many as 10 years to sell SSR.

Dean. Why are you so pessimistic about the future of DVC? I know you've stated this position a number of time, but I don't recall reading the reason you believe this to be true. I certainly respect your knowledge of the timeshare industry. What leads you to this conclusion?


If you look around WDW, it seems that the only construction that's been going on post 9/11 has been DVC resorts. If DVC can weather 9/11, someone in Disney management believes in the product.

 

[mickeys#1fan]

I was disappointed when they decided to move on SSR first. It does make economic sense for Disney to reuse as many of the old DI facilities as they can. I realize there will be alot of units at SSR, some not complete for awhile; but they'll pre-sell alot of those. I have to disagree with Dean on the 10-year outlook. DVC's growth curve seems to be pretty steep, with memberships increasing at an increasing rate.

That said, new development can't be far off. DVC has demonstrated the sustainability of its business model. I would like to see resorts at all the locations mentioned. Being a golfer, Eagle Pines tops the list for me. The Florida theming would be a plus. I've never worried about location, because we always drive. Room size isn't much of a factor, either. We're hardly ever there.

I would have to say, though, that I would change that priority if I ever heard of a property being developed on the monorail line. A group of villas at the GF would be wonderful. DW and I often ask ourselves why WDW hasn't extended a monorail spur to WL. How is it that they can charge deluxe rates at a hotel that doesn't have monorail service? Sure, it's a fabulous resort, and it does have water taxi access to the MK; but monorail service makes more of WDW accessible to guests. But I digress.

Here's the priority list for me:

SSR (want to stay here first and assess any noise)
HHI resale (we go there at least once a year)
BCV (DD loves this place)
VWL resale/add-on (home resort)
EP (would increase in priority if ever a reality)
GF, Poly, CR (would launch to top just for monorail service)
Fill in the lagoon at 20,000 leagues and build there (wacky, yes, but who wouldn't want that.?)
Tear down the old Odyssey in Epcot and build a tower there (also far-fetched, but really cool.)

 

[PamOKW]

I saw a post elsewhere the other day from someone who had just purchased DVC. Their guide indicated that there are plans for continued DVC expansion. This is the first I have heard in some time about a guide talking up future plans.

I don't think SSR will be the end of DVC at WDW. There is still a lot of property and a lot of time to think it will come to a halt with SSR. They may take a break if overseas tourism does not pick up but I don't think they'll cease building. Second homes are popular and DVC serves that function for many folks.

 

[nezy]

Just after reading WebmasterDoc"s post about over 75,000 DVC members, I have a feeling that EP will become a reality somewhere down the line.

I hope that there is an EP. The more DVC resorts there are available means that our next visit home will always have something new and exciting. Also w/ more choices it seems to make it less difficult to get a ressie at my first choice at the 7month window.

RE: Disney opening a 5th park-I can't see this happening yet. I feel like there is room for improvement yet in AK and DS(MGM). As families get older I think the teens look for a little more than what is being offered.

 

[tinkgrl]

Originally posted by Granny
The proposed 600-unit ownership development is slated to occupy a 61-acre site along the award-winning Disney’s Eagle Pines golf course at Walt Disney World Resort

This would be in the area along Bonnet Creek, north of Port Orleans and east of Fort Wilderness.

Granny,

Thanks!!

Allison an associate
Offically DVC 7/23/03
Home: BCV

 

[floridafam]

Would EP be on or near any body of water?

The first thing I thought of when I read Doc's post about an announcement in the next 60 days was EP. I could be way off base.

 

[timC]

You'd have to think that the the entire WDW property has already been "zoned", so they'd know where it makes sense to build a resort and where to build a park.

There's master plan I'm sure. Wouldn't it be fun to see what Disney thinks WDW would look like 10 years from now, or what WDW City would look like when it's done?

 

[vernon]

The DVC member in me says I'd like this resort, I like the artist renderings and I'm certain they'd do a great job. I'd certainly stay at it, but I doubt I'd buy an "Add on".

The golfer in me hopes they don't, IMHO one of the beauties of the Bonnet Creek golf courses ( EP + OR) is that they, unlike the other WDW courses, are away in the wilderness and it's a really nice change to be able to play in the woods and wilderness forgetting you are in an "urban development". Playing in and out of a timeshare development isn't quite so much fun as seeing a couple of deer cross the fairways.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by timC
Dean. Why are you so pessimistic about the future of DVC? I know you've stated this position a number of time, but I don't recall reading the reason you believe this to be true. I certainly respect your knowledge of the timeshare industry. What leads you to this conclusion?


If you look around WDW, it seems that the only construction that's been going on post 9/11 has been DVC resorts. If DVC can weather 9/11, someone in Disney management believes in the product.

As I said earlier, I hope I'm wrong both on the off site and on site issues. Here's my thinking. DVC is all that is expanding at WDW, everything else is holding steady and even contracting to a certain extent.
While BCV and WLV sold well, HH and VB did not. I don't expect SSR to sell that well either, though better than HH and VB. I'd expect closer to 10 years to sell out, even with the extended life.

While obviously different, EP has many similarities to SSR in function. Large resort, hopefully less points, somewhat isolated and the like. DVC is expensive and that eliminates a certain segment of the population from consideration. I think to a certain extent DVC has reached some measure of saturation of the sales market. I think SSR sales will lag recent experiences and that will be that. Heck, even BCV lagged behind what many expected. Even if SSR kept to the pace of BCV, which won't happen, it would take around 5-6 years to sell. If you just looked at sales after BCV opened, you'd project SSR at more like 6-7 years.

No way SSR will sell nearly as fast as BCV. If you look at even the talk on these boards, you don't get the same excitement for adding on that BCV generated. The talk on BCV was standard view rooms at preferred view costs but there was a lot of people saying they were going to add on or had been waiting to buy until BCV come on board. While there are a few with that flavor for SSR, it is not nearly as much so.

Therefore it is my feeling that SSR will sell slowly compared at least to many's expectations, likely 8-10 years. If that happens, I don't think we'll see much excitement from Disney for expanding the program. I do hope i'm wrong, time will tell.

 

[mbhoxsie]

Personally, I am not too excited to see any more WDW DVC resorts...

My DW and I love WDW, but we already own enough points to stay at WDW for two weeks out of the year... The expense of purchasing more points for another onsite resort just doesn't have the same appeal of buying points offsite like Vero or HH...

Unless DVC does another offsite resort, and I doubt they will, we won't be purchasing any more points...

I would probabily look at another timeshare like Marriot or Hilton before purchasing EP...

Just my two cents..

 

[JimB.]

I'd much prefer to see more off-site resorts.

It's nice to go somewhere and get the magic without being surrounded by the frenzied theme park pace.

 

[gtrist4life]

Eagle Pines certainly does look attractive from the drawings, but I doubt that I would purchase there (not a golfer). If we do an add-on in a few years it will either be SSR, BWV, HHI, or VB.

Not sure if it will get built, but I do think that at least one other property will be.

My reasoning is that since they offered 50 year contracts for SSR, they will be pressed to offer at least one other DVC property to those owners with the same length of contract. JMHO.

Peace,
G4L

 

[CaptainMidnight]

While many say there will not be any more off site resorts, I would like to see better point values for the DVC resort alternatives and cruises. The greater the availability of onsite resorts, the less trading power these resorts have for other hotels to provider off site vacation experiences.

I'm not really looking forward to an Eagle Pines. At some point I hope DVC expansion stops and we gett better training power for hotels and cruises. Just my $0.02.

 

[PamOKW]

The original Eagle Pines plans included a hotel and some other ideas that led me to believe that Disney might be trying to build up WDW as a golf resort destination. They've got the courses, but I bet there's a large portion of the golfing public that don't give it much consideration. The plans looked like the Boca Raton Resort or an exclusive country club. That may be a plan down the road to expand the segment of the population that comes to WDW. Making it a golf destination with or without the kids.

The resort would be on the golf course rather than on any water. However, I think we discussed that it might possibly be able to access Bay Lake and have water transportation to MK. I'm not sure whether we determined whether or not that was possible.

If additional offsite DVC's are not in the cards (and I don't think they are), I would like to see DVC expand the Concierge Collection options. I prefer this to the weekly trades of II since long weekends would be a better non-WDW option for me.

 

[joepoe]

Originally posted by timC
Although I'm sure Disney would do a spectacular job with this resort, do we really need another WDW-based resort, now that SSR construction is cranking up?

I mean, how many resorts can WDW really handle? What would WDW do with all those guests? I'd be concerned that too many DVC resorts in such close proximity might being a difficult system to manage, not to mention clogging the FastPass machines.

Sure looks like it would be a beautiful resort, though.

Fair question. If all 75,000 DVCers and their families came down at the same time, they would themselves fill the theme parks for one day. Really, we are a drop in the attendance bucket.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by PamOKW
..... I would like to see DVC expand the Concierge Collection options. I prefer this to the weekly trades of II since long weekends would be a better non-WDW option for me.

Agreed, great idea. And some more reasonable point values for the use of those Concierge Collection options, some of them require a substantial amount of points for a hotel room.

 

[nezy]

Yes! Capt. Midnight I agree RE: the high points for cruise and Concierge Choices. Some places are 53 points per night!! If we were to base it on $10 per point that would be the equivalent of $530 per night. Yikes!

More Concierge choices would be nice, although the ones we have are great-I would just like lower point values. How are those determined and by whom?

 

[Kick it up a notch!]

I'm all for new resorts as long as they add another theme park!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

More Concierge choices would be nice, although the ones we have are great-I would just like lower point values. How are those determined and by whom?

This is somewhat determined by the resort the points are being used at. There is a cost to DVC, and that cost determins how many points it will cost for you to stay there per night.