Fact: BWV has more studios than OKW!!!

[Doctor P]

I was shocked when I read the multi-site POS. Because of the configuration differences between the resorts, BWV actually has more studios than OKW. OKW has no dedicated studios and 226 2BR lockoffs--which means 226 studios. BWV on the other hand has no dedicated 2BR (OKW has 274 dedicated 2BR according to the POS) but has 149 lockoff 2BR. Add in another 97 dedicated studios and that means BWV has actually 246 studios available/possible, while OKW only has 226. Even though it is a much bigger resort, OKW actually has fewer possible studios. Very interesting, I thought.

Don't have the numbers for SSR, but here are the possible numbers of studios at all other resorts following this same algorithm:

OKW: 226
BWV: 246
VB: 111 ("suites") + 36 lockoff studios
HH: 21
VWL: 65
BCV: 75

 

[jctwizzer]

Friend of mine refers to such things as: IBGUF's

Interesting But Generally Useless Fact

 

[dianeschlicht]

Friend of mine refers to such things as: IBGUF's

Interesting But Generally Useless Fact

Yep!

 

[tjkraz]

I don't know that a Studio would be any easier to come by at BWV, though. OKW could accept 274 reservations for a 2B before #275 starts cutting-into the Studio inventory. At BWV, the very first reservation for a 2B takes a studio out of inventory.

 

[Doctor P]

I agree, but it is also true that the first reservation for a studio takes a 2BR out of circulation. If it is true that studios are taken up faster than any other unit other than GV, this might be a more likely scenario. The only reason I made this post is that there have been at least two threads in recent days about the most difficult types of accomodations to get and the statement was made that there are many fewer studios at BWV than at OKW due to the relative sizes of the resorts. Also, there are assured to be a minimum of 97 studios available at BWV, whereas there could be none available at OKW due to the dedicated studios at BWV that do not exist at OKW. I had seen these numbers when I was trying to assess the chances for switching some reservations at the 7 month mark.

 

[lisareniff]

OKW: 226
BWV: 246
VB: 111 ("suites") + 36 lockoff studios
HH: 21
VWL: 65
BCV: 75

I think that you only have the 2 bdrm lock off number for BCV. There are also 36 dedicated studios. (I also have 76 for the 2 bdrm lockoff number - not sure which is correct)

 

[Doctor P]

Perhaps it has changed--I will look for a later POS. Mine says 53 lockoffs and 23 dedicated. Let me see if I can find a later POS, since I just grabbed the first one I could find. UPDATE: My numbers are correct according to the May 2004 POS. They also match up with the BCV POS itself.

 

[DebbieB]

I don't know that a Studio would be any easier to come by at BWV, though. OKW could accept 274 reservations for a 2B before #275 starts cutting-into the Studio inventory. At BWV, the very first reservation for a 2B takes a studio out of inventory.

But keep in mind that there are many dedicated studios at BWV (97). It also works the other way around, when the dedicated studios are gone, a lockoff studio reservation takes a 2 bedroom out of inventory.

I think the designers saw BWV as more likely to be a destination for couples, so they put in more studios. I think OKW would be used more for large families, thus more 2 bedrooms.

 

[lisareniff]

Perhaps it has changed--I will look for a later POS. Mine says 53 lockoffs and 23 dedicated. Let me see if I can find a later POS, since I just grabbed the first one I could find. UPDATE: My numbers are correct according to the May 2004 POS. They also match up with the BCV POS itself.

Hummm... First of all, I have no clue what a POS is!! My numbers are from the floor plans given to me in a document at time of purchase and pulling them up on the computer from the documents submitted to the county?? (I have forgotten the details of this now). I have checked this with room reports that InstImpres has collected, the room numbers on the doors that Doc had first reported in his walk through and the room map that Donmil had created for one floor. Everything seems to agree. I know, I need a life. It started out trying to find a room map of BCV - our home resort- and now I'm getting a bit obsessive. I need to finish finding all the 2 Q 2 bedrooms and the smoking units before I can rest.

 

[Doctor P]

POS is the Public Offering Statement, the legal document that describes the resort and the product being sold. Interesting if there are inconsistencies with the other sources. Don't know if this matters, but I know when we stayed at BCV last September there were many villas that were "not really villas", i.e., they were staff quarters or something of that kind. There was one right next to the studio in which we stayed.

 

[lisareniff]

So where do you find this POS? The document we got from Disney was called a 'Vacation Ownership Club Site Offering Plan'. Is this the same as a POS? Mine was dated July 18, 2002.

OK, I actually flipped though it and found a list of the number of units:
74 2bdrm lockoffs
78 2 bdrm dedicated
20 1 bdrm dedicated
36 studio dedicated

 

[Doctor P]

Hmmm...not sure what that document is. All of mine are either "Multi-Site Public Offering Statement" which is the POS for the entire DVC system and is updated fairly regularly. The other is either called a "Component Site Public Offering Statement" or it is called, in the case of Beach Club Villas, "Disney's Beach Club Villas Public Offering Statement". Mine is dated March 2002, but the information in the 2004 Multi-Site POS agrees with the information in the March 2002 BCV POS, and the specific chart has a footnote that says the numbers are accurate as of May 17, 2004.

 

[RobDoc]

...
Don't have the numbers for SSR, but here are the possible numbers of studios at all other resorts following this same algorithm:

OKW: 226
BWV: 246
VB: 111 ("suites") + 36 lockoff studios
HH: 21
VWL: 65
BCV: 75

SSR has 24 lock-offs (no dedicated studios or 1BR Villas) in each building. The original 12 buildings in the currently opening phases will have a total of 288 studios available. These should all be available by this fall. When/if the remaining 6 buildings are completed in 2007, the resort will have a total of 432 studios available. SSR also has 20 dedicated 2BR villas per building and will ultimately have 360 once all 18 buildings are completed.

Thanks for the report - it interesting to look at the numbers. In general, DVC has modified the resort layout and room configuration based on information gained from guests over the years. OKW was built using traditional timeshare standards for size and layout. (Take a look at other timeshares nearby in the Orlando area.) VB and HH were planned next and, based on the land available and expected utilization by guests, the rooms were desoigned and sized accordingly. By the time BWV was finalized, DVC recognized that guests were generally NOT using the kitchens and the way guests used their villas allowed for a general downsizing of the room sizes. The kitchens became more compact and square footage was minimized to allow for interior hallways. All DVC resorts built since have used a similar design formula. SSR has incorporated some other features, while eliminating the interior halls (no heating/cooling and minimal upkeep with no carpeting to mainatin)- but left a similar room size based on the successful "formula" popularized with BWV, VWL and BCV.

DVC (and Disney in general) does a lot of guest surveys. Some are formal, by CM's using those handheld PDA's, some ore done by survey letters sent after a recent stay, some are done by online invitation, some are done over the telephone after calls to MS and some a informal surveys accomplished by guest comments/complaints made at the resort. The compliation of information gleaned from these sources is used when future plans and being formulated. In some cases the plans may involve housekeeping issues and in other cases may modify plans for the next resort to be built.

IMO, all experiences with Disney are important to report - if you are happy with a policy/amenity it's just as important to report that as when we have a complaint.

 

[Alexander]

SSR has 24 lock-offs (no dedicated studios or 1BR Villas) in each building.

Interesting, because when I inquired with a guide, not mine, when touring last month, I specifically asked if there were any dedicated studios and 1 bedrooms and I was told yes. It seems like this was also brought up in another thread, I'll see if I can find it.

Edited I found the other thread and it was about dedicated two bedrooms. Now I'm wondering if the guide thought I was asking about only having 2 bedrooms as dedicated units or if she was telling me what I wanted to hear! We personally prefer dedicated units, not 2 bedrooms however, there are only 3 of us, due to the noisy neighbors we've had in the past. The doors just don't seem to block the noise that the solid walls do. Oh well, such is life!

 

[Doctor P]

DW and I had a dedicated studio on our last trip at BCV. I agree with you--what a difference it made in terms of noise and also the unit configuration (with no need for a connecting door).