DVC Treehouse Villas

[BroganMc]

By the way, here are the photos I took of that "pathway to nowhere".

Front of building 85xx from the walkway, followed by the walkway and a morning jogger. (He came back a minute later still jogging. The dead end is not apparent from this vantage point in the walkway.)

This is where the "pathway to nowhere" ends. As you can see the bridge needs some rebuilding.

And this is the view from the walkway at the point where we passed the jogger. Behind us was the 85xx building (as snapped above) and in front was the golf course and THV. You can see several of the Treehouses hidden in the trees. It's really fairly close. Well, close to SSR enthusiasts who aren't put off by the resort's size.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Thanks for the pix Brogan! That is quite the curious pathway, isn't it! I remember when you posted about this after your trip- I thought it was really interesting about this mysterious path- and I have always been intrigued by the treehouses and was hoping there would be some interesting turn of events related to this path and the treehouses.

 

[BroganMc]

I must say I am intriqued to try a THV. They seem to have that Fort Wilderness mystique to them. And several do border the canal to Port Orleans.

The only issue for car-driving guests would be the entry/exit. As of now the only way to get to THV via car (or bus) is to drive out the SSR gate, down Vacation Club Way and into the THV gate. I wonder how they'd do the bus route.

 

[tomandrobin]

Actually that is preciselly what ADA requires, an equal representation of accessible units in sizes and locations. But as said earlier, there only needs to be a handful of accessible villas. The question I have is whether a non-fully accessible unit (i.e. not with roll-in shower) would need a ramp or other accessible entry to the second floor. Maybe only one unit needs that.

 

[DVC Mike]

I am doubtful that the treehouse villas will become part of SSR.

 

[tjkraz]

I can't think of a single benefit to DVC that would suggest it might be a stand-alone DVC resort. They would incur thousands of dollars in added filing fees, not to mention the annual costs of setting budgets and so forth. Any difference in point sales would be negligible--there isn't a large contingent out there thinking to themselves "I would buy the treehouses if they were a separate resort but NOT as part of Saratoga Springs."

As a separate resort DVC would also forfeit any boost otherwise given to the sale of the remaining SSR points. And, thinking more big-picture than that, the treehouses would have a positive impact on resale demand which helps keep DVC out of the ROFR business.

IMHO, the only realistic options are for them to either be added to SSR or offered as cash rooms to the general public.

WDW doesn't run at 100% occupancy so there's no immediate benefit from adding more rooms. If someone decides to pay cash to stay in a treehouse instead of connecting rooms at WL--Disney still has the two WL rooms sitting empty.

I've seen the treehouses compared to the WL cabins. I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. While the WL cabins sleep a good sized family, they have only one private bedroom and are fairly sparse in their design. The treehouses have three private bedrooms, dining area to seat 9, a full elevated porch, and all of the modern amenities.

The treehouses are going to retail for 2-3 times the Disney's current nightly rate of $300-400 for the FW cabins.

In the past I've said that I can see some justification for adding cash suites / villas at the Contemporary, right at the gates of the Magic Kingdom. That site combines first class accommodations with an in-demand location. I'm not sure the same can be said for riverfront cabins sandwiched between OKW and SSR.

But, only time will tell. It's Disney's call.

 

[RobDoc]

While from the aerial view it does appear that the Treehouse area is as close to the Carriage House as the Carousel and Congress Park areas - that may be a bit deceiving since it is "as the crow flies" and not based on existing walkways unless they were to create a bridge across the golf course.

Access to the Treehouses from the main resort was on the DD side of the Trumbo Canal. You had to cross the canal twice - once just before the practice green and again where the canal divides to go to OKW and PO. There are two existing bridges in those locations. The first is shared by golf carts and the second is currently closed to any traffic.

When the Treehouses were actively in use by guests, most would travel from that area to the main resort area by golf cart and the walkway is wide enough to accommodate the cart traffic. Unless SSR would plan to reinstate the use of carts for this purpose, it is a pretty good walk from the farthest Treehouses to the Turf Club - unless you drive (which would involve two gates).

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

 

[DVC Mike]

I can't think of a single benefit to DVC that would suggest it might be a stand-alone DVC resort.

I agree. I don't think they will be DVC at all.

I think the treehouse villas will be offered as cash rooms to the general public.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I am doubtful that the treehouse villas will become part of SSR.

Indeed.. Why would they?
I mean, they don't fit into the Saratoga theme.

MG

 

[BroganMc]

Unless SSR would plan to reinstate the use of carts for this purpose, it is a pretty good walk from the farthest Treehouses to the Turf Club - unless you drive (which would involve two gates).

Umm, perhaps you missed my pictures earlier of the walkway in Grandstand. This leads directly to the THV side of that walkway. You could see their entrance in the distance from that bridge.

 

[RobDoc]

Umm, perhaps you missed my pictures earlier of the walkway in Grandstand. This leads directly to the THV side of that walkway. You could see their entrance in the distance from that bridge.

Ummm - I saw your photos and still chose to post my comments above. It's still a long way from the farthest Treehouses to Carriage House and still needs to cross the golf course.

Are you suggesting that there will be a walkway created across the middle of the fairway in the photo posted?

As I already stated - "It will be interesting to see how this develops."

 

[TisBit]

I agree that the only real options are for it to be stand alone, cash only rooms, or included in SSR. I think it would be very difficult to sell THV as stand alone, there is only one room type (no GV's or studios, etc)....MF's could get expensive for such a small resort and the existing lobby/pool are not DVC material (although renovations could come later).

I don't think the theming would be a huge obstacle to them being included in SSR. One, as they stand now, no they don't fit the them, but they are being redone, so maybe they could do something to incorporate the theme. Or, it might be the first sub-themed resort within a resort. Maybe they would not require there to be a complete connection with SSR, but rather it be its own stand alone sub resort.

I am not sold on it being DVC....but who knows...its Disney and they will do what they want.

 

[Brenle]

Ummm - I saw your photos and still chose to post my comments above. It's still a long way from the farthest Treehouses to Carriage House and still needs to cross the golf course.

Are you suggesting that there will be a walkway created across the middle of the fairway in the photo posted?

As I already stated - "It will be interesting to see how this develops."

WOW!! I agree time will tell what happens. But please, doc, as quoted on SNL - "Simma down now. Simma down."

 

[Brenle]

By the way, here are the photos I took of that "pathway to nowhere".

Front of building 85xx from the walkway, followed by the walkway and a morning jogger. (He came back a minute later still jogging. The dead end is not apparent from this vantage point in the walkway.)

This is where the "pathway to nowhere" ends. As you can see the bridge needs some rebuilding.

And this is the view from the walkway at the point where we passed the jogger. Behind us was the 85xx building (as snapped above) and in front was the golf course and THV. You can see several of the Treehouses hidden in the trees. It's really fairly close. Well, close to SSR enthusiasts who aren't put off by the resort's size.

Brogan, loved the photos. I'll be sure to check out this path when we're there in the spring. Funny we didn't see that last year. We could see the treehouses from our deck, though. Didn't know what they were at first. Reminded me of stomething I saw in Star Wars.

 

[BroganMc]

Ummm - I saw your photos and still chose to post my comments above. It's still a long way from the farthest Treehouses to Carriage House and still needs to cross the golf course.

Are you suggesting that there will be a walkway created across the middle of the fairway in the photo posted?

Oops. You know what, you're right. I got my buildings mixed up. That pathway is in front of building 91xx. It crosses between the two holes on that side of Grandstand. If you blow up the satellite photo you can just see the remnants of the bridge I photographed. It takes you to the closest THV. That's how I envisioned people walking over there from Carriage House). The distance according to Google pedometer is:

Carriage House to nearest THV - .4 miles
Carriage House to furthest THV - .8 miles
Carriage House to DTD Marketplace is .69 miles to DTD World of Disney .8 miles

Mind you, I like SSR's distances so am not afraid in anyway of these numbers. It makes for a nice (st)roll for me. The only distance I found long at SSR was the pathway to OKW. That I credit to it being mostly the back woods and barren canal ways. It felt very barren to me.

Here it is on the satellite. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

Carriage House to furthest THV - .8 miles

Exact same distance from OKW Building 39 to the OKW Hospitality House pool -- but don't tell that to anyone who thinks SSR somehow magically encompasses the entire 47 square miles of WDW property with accompanying distances between anything.

 

[SueM in MN]

I read your comments in that thread too. My only concern from an accessibility standpoint is the use of elevators. They are notoriously temperamental and prone to breaking in homes. Or so says my stairlift provider. A switchback ramp seems the most reliable (read: "idiot proof") solution for accessibility. I'd hate to be the one staying in the fully accessible unit and stuck in my lift at 1am hoping maintenance would find me.

I actually know 2 people with home elevators. They don't have any problem that I know of.
That said, I think there is a big difference between an elevator in the home and one in a resort. The resort elevator would have to have regular inspections/maintenance, a phone to contact someone in case of trouble, etc.
It would be less trouble to just have a switchback ramp though (less expensive too). So, I think that would be what they would do.

The groundskeeper told me they made the walkway for "further expansion of the resort".

I'm not positive, but I know the bridge is a leftover from the 'old days' and I think that the path is probably also.

Here's an overhead I put together showing the current resort and the treehouse plot. Note that the treehouses are only little bit further away than Congress Park--and that's just the most distant villas. Some are just outside of The Grandstand.

Interesting map.

I'm wondering...if they simply add them to SSR's inventory, can't they get around ADA compliance?

I think the ADA compliance law says something like a certain % of rooms must be ADA compliant NOT that specific % of a specific KIND of room must be ADA compliant.

So if the treehouses were, in fact, simply made to be SSR inventory, the # of ADA compliant rooms already AT SSR would count toward the % required to satisfy the law. The treehouses being complaint would be a non-issue.

Anyone out there more well versed in the ADA that can comment?

This is what an ADA document called Common ADA Problems
at Newly Constructed Lodging Facilities says:
In order to provide persons with disabilities the same range of options that are available to other persons at the facility, lodging facilities must disperse accessible guestrooms/suites among the various classes of guestrooms/suites available at the facility. Factors to be considered in dispersing accessible guestrooms among different classes of rooms include room size, cost, amenities provided (e.g., smoking and nonsmoking rooms, suites, kitchenettes, rooms with preferred views, connecting rooms), and the number of beds provided. ADA Standards 9.1.4.
I would say that the Treehouses would be a different enough view and type that they would be required to have some.

The question I have is whether a non-fully accessible unit (i.e. not with roll-in shower) would need a ramp or other accessible entry to the second floor. Maybe only one unit needs that.

No; there would have to be at least 4 that had accessible entries. Only one of those would have to be fully accessible, but the others would have to be accessible to people who might be using walkers, crutches, etc.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Apparently a wheelchair accessible ramp would have to have no more than a 1" rise for every 1' of length. As a result, if the ramp goes up 6' (72") it will need to be at least 72 feet long (plus landings)! Of course, if it wraps around the villa (which appears to have 8 12' sides), this should be doable.

-- Suzanne

 

[robinb]

Apparently a wheelchair accessible ramp would have to have no more than a 1" rise for every 1' of length. As a result, if the ramp goes up 6' (72") it will need to be at least 72 feet long (plus landings)! Of course, if it wraps around the villa (which appears to have 8 12' sides), this should be doable.

Oh man. Can you imagine being the poor wheelchair user going round and round the villa to get into it?

Are the treehouses close to each other? Maybe they can put in one central elevator and connect the treehouses with an upper walkway.

 

[TisBit]

Apparently a wheelchair accessible ramp would have to have no more than a 1" rise for every 1' of length. As a result, if the ramp goes up 6' (72") it will need to be at least 72 feet long (plus landings)! Of course, if it wraps around the villa (which appears to have 8 12' sides), this should be doable.

-- Suzanne

I am sure Disney has already planned on the ADA compliance issues....by the design drawings these are obviously going to be for public use. Disney has done enough planning/constructing not to fall into a trap of not figure out ADA compliance issues. I am sure it will be a combo of switch backs (as was mentioned here or on the other THV thread), wrap around ramps or some other type lift.

If they continued to use them for interns etc, there would be no reason to do such a large upgrade plan, or put in a master bedroom setup. The question merely remains....how will they be offered....DVC or Cash.