DVC Treehouse Villas

[DMKEDM]

While I have no guesses (no expertise) on what will happen w/the THVs, I can hope-hope-hope they become part of SSR. As a very very happy SSR owner who loves the resort, and as one who's "drooled" over the THVs ever since I first saw them as a cash guest at Dixie Landings (now Port Orleans Riverside) a decade (or more) ago, I am really excited by the prospect--no matter how remote--that I might be able to book a vacation in a THV in the near(ish) future...

So...should those of us who find the prospect of THVs added to SSR every bit as thrilling as the possibility of CRV start our own "wish for it" thread?

I have to admit: Hawaii, California, even CRV don't tempt me to open the wallet to buy more points--but THVs sure do!!!!

Please, Mr Disney, Mr Mouse, Mr DVD...please? I'd LOVE to see the THVs added to my home!

 

[BroganMc]

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

That depends entirely on whether you have a manual vs. power wheelchair (and how proficient you are with the controls). Personally, I love the winding entry queue for Living Seas because it has so many twists and turns. It makes for a fun obstacle course.

The only time it would suck [for me] is if I got caught in bad weather (torrential downpour, freezing rain, ice-cold wind, etc.).

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

Now that's an idea. And by the satellite photos it looks as if several are close together. The only difference would be a canal vs. golf course view. If ADA requires views be equally dispersed I'd think they'd need to put units on either side of the resort.

But a master complex of connecting walkways would be fun in that Swiss Family Robinson sort of way.

Hang some swings underneath and you can have a cool kids playground area as well.

Here's another thought I had. If the THV are to be 3 bedroom/2bath suites does that mean they'd be priced like Grand Villas? So SSR would end up being the resort with the most GVs. Considering the layout and isolation of the area, I think they could give OKW GVs a run for preference.

 

[robinb]

by the satellite photos it looks as if several are close together. The only difference would be a canal vs. golf course view. If ADA requires views be equally dispersed I'd think they'd need to put units on either side of the resort.

Would they really have to be dispersed by VIEW? If DVC charged more for one view over the other I could see that, but what if they are all the same price?

I don't know if this has any bearing on things, but I booked at Standard View Studio at BWV last NYE and we were given a HA studio which was a Preferred View instead. We were the first set of units off the lobby area to the left and we overlooked Leaping Libations. This leads me to question if there are any HA Standard View rooms of if all the rooms are PV with a certain number of them set aside as "SV". Do you know?

Here's another thought I had. If the THV are to be 3 bedroom/2bath suites does that mean they'd be priced like Grand Villas? So SSR would end up being the resort with the most GVs. Considering the layout and isolation of the area, I think they could give OKW GVs a run for preference.

Oh, I think they'll be popular all right! BUT they will not be a GV and shouldn't be priced that way. They will only sleep 8 people (2 in each bedroom and 2 on the couch) so I think they will be pricier than the 2-BRs but less than the GVs.

 

[UConnJack]

Here's another thought I had. If the THV are to be 3 bedroom/2bath suites does that mean they'd be priced like Grand Villas? So SSR would end up being the resort with the most GVs. Considering the layout and isolation of the area, I think they could give OKW GVs a run for preference.

They make have 3 brs, but they only sleep 8 (assuming a pull out couch) with 2 baths. I'm pretty sure they'd have to be priced similar to a 2-br because of the number of people it would sleep.

If THV are added to SSR, I wonder if they would be their own room category (e.g., studio, 1br, 2br, GV, and treehouse villa) for purposes of pricing and booking, or if they would be treated as a 2-br (due to occupancy limit) but allowed to be a guaranteed booking. If its the latter, I wonder in Disney would start making other areas of SSR guaranteed bookings too.

 

[TisBit]

They make have 3 brs, but they only sleep 8 (assuming a pull out couch) with 2 baths. I'm pretty sure they'd have to be priced similar to a 2-br because of the number of people it would sleep.

If THV are added to SSR, I wonder if they would be their own room category (e.g., studio, 1br, 2br, GV, and treehouse villa) for purposes of pricing and booking, or if they would be treated as a 2-br (due to occupancy limit) but allowed to be a guaranteed booking. If its the latter, I wonder in Disney would start making other areas of SSR guaranteed bookings too.

I think if they were part of SSR they would HAVE to be a seperate booking category. I think it is safe to assume that they would be priced at or just above a two bedroom unit.

As for them having problems with point allocation, I don't think they would...if it is its own class of room. DVC would merely add that class, with whatever point basis they determined appropriate and than they would have that many more points to sell for SSR. I think they would have a harder time if they called it a 2 bedroom unit, but wanted to charge more points for it. Maybe that is why they decided to make it three seperate bedrooms, so there would be no confusion to it being its very own class of room.

 

[SueM in MN]

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

That's the correct rise, 1 foot of length for every 1 inch it goes up. That's the steepest a ramp should be. Better is 10 inches of length for every 1 inch it goes up.
If the ramp is longer than 30 feet, there have to be level landings every 30 feet (to give people a chance to rest while going up or down).

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.

I'm sure they have looked at which treehouses would be easiest. There may be some that are easier because of the 'lay of the land' around them.
They could do something with a central elevator or a shared ramp that is longer, but leads to a shared upper walkway.

One other thing I thought of that would make DVC more likely than hotel is housekeeping. Someone (could have been the bartender at OKW) had told my DH that one of the 'problems' with the Treehouses when they were hotel rooms was the difficulty doing daily cleaning given how far apart they were. DVC eliminates the daily cleaning of most of the units.

 

[tjkraz]

They could do something with a central elevator or a shared ramp that is longer, but leads to a shared upper walkway.

That's a good thought. If they built a single ramp to service two very close treehouses, it would further minimize the impact. Some of these locations appear to be pretty close together...particularly when you consider a 70+ foot ramp could be constructed between them:

One other thing I thought of that would make DVC more likely than hotel is housekeeping. Someone (could have been the bartender at OKW) had told my DH that one of the 'problems' with the Treehouses when they were hotel rooms was the difficulty doing daily cleaning given how far apart they were. DVC eliminates the daily cleaning of most of the units.

That ties into another reason I think they could be DVC. DVC members are already accustomed to reduced services in comparison to cash guests. We know we won't get daily room cleanings and that we can't have rollaway beds delivered.

In a similar manner, DVC could educate members on the limitations of the treehouse villas. Via the DVC website and even member-to-member interaction like this, most people would quickly learn what to expect from a treehouse stay: The treehouses are remote...having a car is a great benefit...the nearby pool is mediocre...that sort of thing. If the issues are deemed important enough, DVC could even draft some quick bullet points for Member Services to read at the time of booking.

If the treehouses open as cash rooms, guests staying there are going to have MUCH higher expectations for their visit. I imagine there would be a lot more complaints over the distance between SSR amenities and the treehouses, and more complaints about the pool. Most DVC members would be educated enough to know about these limitations before they even book.

 

[liznboys]

I have to share this about the Treehouses...

I was chatting with my neighbor just the other day and she said she and her husband honeymooned in WDW in 1994. I asked where they stayed and she said they had booked "Port Orleans" but upon arrival they were "upgraded" to a "condo type place" nearby. After asking her more questions I figured out that they were put in the treehouses. She said they had wished they stayed in the original place they booked. They "walked/took a boat" there and loved that the food/bar areas were all close to the rooms. They didn't like staying in the treehouses "away from everything".

 

[TisBit]

The treehouses are remote...having a car is a great benefit...the nearby pool is mediocre...that sort of thing. If the issues are deemed important enough, DVC could even draft some quick bullet points for Member Services to read at the time of booking.

If the treehouses open as cash rooms, guests staying there are going to have MUCH higher expectations for their visit. I imagine there would be a lot more complaints over the distance between SSR amenities and the treehouses, and more complaints about the pool. Most DVC members would be educated enough to know about these limitations before they even book.

Also....having the THV pool considered a "quiet pool" with the option of using SSR's main pool would definitely be a good alternative if they were considered part of SSR. I think SSR members could get upset if a seperate facility had access to the themed SSR pools, without some type of returned benefit.

Also, putting either a CS or TS restaurant at the THV clubhouse would also give more options both to THV and SSR guests....reducing the never ending "we don't have enough restaurants"....even though DTD is 10 minutes away complaint.

I think a case could be made for DVC.....and I don't think we will have to wait near as long for an announcement as CRV....lol. I am sure this is something that as soon as they get it into motion they will put it out. Approval just happened about 60 days ago...so they still have some work to do before they can really "break ground", but I would think they would tell DVC members if this was going to be part of the system!

 

[BroganMc]

I think a case could be made for DVC.....and I don't think we will have to wait near as long for an announcement as CRV....lol. I am sure this is something that as soon as they get it into motion they will put it out. Approval just happened about 60 days ago...so they still have some work to do before they can really "break ground", but I would think they would tell DVC members if this was going to be part of the system!

I agree. An adjunct to an existing resort is not as controversial as putting one in a popular CRO hotel. I doubt CRO would be duking it out with DVC over ownership rights, for one.

I did have another thought though. If THV does come to be and they add any sort of restaurant there, they really need to improve their signage around SSR. The pathway out of Carriage House and AP to the ferry is very poorly done. And the pathway down to the golf course/OKW/West Side path is nonexistent. It looks like you're headed into a backstage golf cart lot area. Just one dinky little sign at the bridge well into the pathway.

As for my "pathway to nowhere", there are absolutely no signs even telling you it exists. I just stumbled onto it by walking around the building as far as I could.

 

[UConnJack]

.

 

[kerickson]

I was just reading about this on another site. I'm not familiar with the Treehouse area. Those who are, what about them is inviting? I love this SSR speculation!

 

[John VN]

I was just reading about this on another site. I'm not familiar with the Treehouse area. Those who are, what about them is inviting? I love this SSR speculation!

1980 we stayed in TH 408 and it was GREAT! Our DD and DS loved it so much we went back for another stay in '82.

Remote, quiet, nature and peacock pooh always on the steps and decks. Washed-off every day by CM. It was GREAT.

 

[BroganMc]

I was just reading about this on another site. I'm not familiar with the Treehouse area. Those who are, what about them is inviting? I love this SSR speculation!

Imagine your childhood dream of that fully-furnished, air-conditioned, electrical-powered playhouse in the trees of the backyard. THV gives you that with a location in walking distance of the DTD area and upscale SSR resort center.

That and they are 60 individual bungalows in the trees which feel like a Grand Villa for privacy though not as expensive.

Downside is that the nearest pools are tiny and you have at least a 15 minute walk to the nearest cafe/drink station at the resort center.

 

[summergolf]

Last year I played golf twice at LBV....I wouldnt want anyone I know sitting on the porch near those fairways. Those treehouses are close to where the majority of golfers will slice the ball.

 

[simzac]

Instead of adding THV to SSR, why can't it be added to OKW?

 

[castleri]

It probably could be and depending on the colors used it might fit in more with the buildings at OKW. According to one thing I read it seems the land is part of the SSR lease hold or whatever it is they call it. I can't find my copy of the POS at this point to look at it myself. If it turns out to be DVC I will be happy since I own contracts at both OKW and SSR and would not mind being on the phone at 9am 11 months out to reserve there.

 

[BroganMc]

Last year I played golf twice at LBV....I wouldnt want anyone I know sitting on the porch near those fairways. Those treehouses are close to where the majority of golfers will slice the ball.

FOUR!

Actually, being a regular attendee at MLB games and sitting in the foul ball and homerun territories, I'm used to "bats and balls will hurt" warning.

Isn't this also a threat some villas at OKW share? Not to mention the Grandstand buildings. Fairways cross between the two sections.

Instead of adding THV to SSR, why can't it be added to OKW?

Offhand, I'd say distance. While it is .4 - .8 miles from THV to SSR's resort center, it is 1 - 1.4 miles to OKW's resort center.

 

[surfer_ed]

Sorry folks, do not think that they are going to be DVC of any resorts. On Feb 8th, Mainstreet Gazette reported that these units were being demolished. Too bad, always thought it would be cool to saty in one of these.

 

[tjkraz]

Sorry folks, do not think that they are going to be DVC of any resorts. On Feb 8th, Mainstreet Gazette reported that these units were being demolished. Too bad, always thought it would be cool to saty in one of these.

They are going to be demolished....and then re-built in accordance with the permits posted in this thread.

This isn't a rumor. Unless Disney alters its plans, the treehouses will be are being torn down and rebuilt. The approval was granted by the South Florida Water Management District just over a week ago. This isn't some pie-in-the-sky project like Beastly Kingdom or the fifth theme park. It is a work in progress.