I am sure it is a rumour but ....

[drakethib]

anyone hear the rumor of a DVC Port Orleans?

Our family would love that one.

 

[Chuck S]

Probably not, at least not at this time, as POR is a moderate resort, and Disney has, so far, built DVC with Deluxe resorts.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Not intended as a putdown, but adding a moderate or value to the current DVC system would devalue the whole system IMO. If they created a lower scale system, call the current one DVC I and then DVC II for Moderate style resorts and DVC III for Values and each one is seperate and cannot be traded into each other (or would require a large conversion rate).

All the same though, I think it is HIGHLY unlikely at this point that this would happen.

 

[oakmanner]

I have not heard this and agree with PP's that it is highly unlikley.

-Dennis

 

[Muushka]

anyone hear the rumor of a DVC Port Orleans?

Our family would love that one.

We would love it too. But it would have to be called VDL (I am a sentimental fool!)

 

[MIannie]

Wasn't Old Key West a moderate before it went to DVC? I would love a Port Orleans Dvc. Its still my favorite resort. Give me a shady quiet pool anyday.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Wasn't Old Key West a moderate before it went to DVC? I would love a Port Orleans Dvc. Its still my favorite resort. Give me a shady quiet pool anyday.

No, OKW was the first Disney Vacation Club resort, built in 1991 and originally under the name Disney's Vacation Club Resort for a very short time before being rebannered, opening as OKW in late 1991. It was never a non-DVC resort for all intensive purposes.

 

[Chuck S]

No, OKW was the first Disney Vacation Club resort, built in 1991 and originally under the name Disney's Vacation Club Resort for a very short time before being rebannered, opening as OKW in late 1991. It was never a non-DVC resort for all intensive purposes.

Actually, OKW wasn't rebannered OKW until 1996, when Boardwalk came online. Until then, it was the Disney Vacation Club Resort...and is still listed that way in legal documents.

Wasn't Old Key West a moderate before it went to DVC? I would love a Port Orleans Dvc. Its still my favorite resort. Give me a shady quiet pool anyday.

It was never a moderate, was built from scratch and opened as DVC. There was nothing on the site prior to to 1991.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Question for the early DVCer's...
What was the significance of the name "Conch Flats"?

MG

 

[drusba]

If I recall correctly, Conch Flats is an area in Key West Florida and the OKW resort was based on it.

 

[Chuck S]

Conch Flats is part of the back story to the theme. Originally the theme was that the resort was like a little town or community, and the town's name is Conch Flats. Remember, in 1982 as a protest, the real Key West "playfully seceeded" from Florida as a micronation and named itself the the Conch Republic.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Thanks drusba and Chuck...
I never heard about the OKW seceeding thing. I assume it was a symbolic gesture. I think I'll go educate myself on that one.

MG

 

[Dean]

Conch Flats is part of the back story to the theme. Originally the theme was that the resort was like a little town or community, and the town's name is Conch Flats. Remember, in 1982 as a protest, the real Key West "playfully seceeded" from Florida as a micronation and named itself the the Conch Republic.

They succeeded and when the military showed up they surrendered and asked for foreign aid or so the story goes.

 

[Dean]

I do seem to recall that there was originally a moderate planned for the location where OKW sits just like the WL was originally planned as a moderate. There has been extensive talk on this boards about converting certain existing locations including Pop century and some talk about converting PO was included if I recall correctly. Let me simply say it's possible but unlikely and if it were to happen as a conversion, it'd likely be a separate system from DVC though it could be closely linked.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

OK. I'll throw this out there.

Just because a hotel is a moderate (or a value, for that matter), what part of that precludes DVD from building there at the same standards they build to today? Why couldn't Port Orleans become a "mixed use" hotel with the addition of DVC?

I guess it's a rhetorical question and I know it's never been done but there's certainly no reason DVD couldn't build at one of the moderates and not maintain the standards they have right now.

 

[BlakeNJ]

I think this rumor has been floating around a while. I can't imagine it coming to light.

 

[Dean]

OK. I'll throw this out there.

Just because a hotel is a moderate (or a value, for that matter), what part of that precludes DVD from building there at the same standards they build to today? Why couldn't Port Orleans become a "mixed use" hotel with the addition of DVC?

I guess it's a rhetorical question and I know it's never been done but there's certainly no reason DVD couldn't build at one of the moderates and not maintain the standards they have right now.

It doesn't preclude new contruction at a moderate but I think practicality does preclude making a conversion an equal part of the current DVC and any option that shares amenities with a value would likely not be up to par from an overall resort standard. There are many issues but they include the type of unit, overall theming and the demand of a given resort within DVC. From a practical standpoint I don't see any way to make it workable having a moderate or value DVC as an equal partner. OTOH, it does make sense to try to have a parallel system that has some crossover. Say the chance to reserve the other at 6 months rather than 7 months. I could I see making separate DVC component at a moderate that was purpose built and on an equal footing though not a value, but what has been thrown around has been conversions and I can't see that as a regular DVC component at all for a moderate or value.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

From a practical standpoint I don't see any way to make it workable having a moderate or value DVC as an equal partner.

I may be missing something, but why couldn't they just adjust the point charts to reflect a less expensive resort?
Don't they do this to a certain degree already where the moderates are listed in the Disney Collection?

MG

 

[chalee94]

Remember, in 1982 as a protest, the real Key West "playfully seceeded" from Florida as a micronation and named itself the the Conch Republic.

i didn't know this, but just read the wiki for the "military" history of the conch republic.

hysterical.

 

[Chuck S]

I may be missing something, but why couldn't they just adjust the point charts to reflect a less expensive resort?
Don't they do this to a certain degree already where the moderates are listed in the Disney Collection?

MG

They could, but remember, the more points on the charts per room, the more $$ DVC makes on sales. For instance, BLT has relatively high point charts..people buying take this into consideration if they want to stay for a week in a one bedroom.

If a newer resort comes along with say 1/2 the number of points required, people will buy fewer points.


While nothing precludes that from happening, DVC also has brand "image" to maintain, it is what helps drive sales.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with building at the moderates, or even at POP...but I think DVC would have to build them/market them as separate free standing resorts, rather than as "DVC additions" to the existing resorts. For instance, for POP, they could retain the original theming of decades for the buildings, but replace the giant POP culture icons with more upscale and subtle themes, like changing the themes of the building to match the decade. There could be Victorian style buildings, art deco style buildings, etc. The existing food court/check-in building, if still structurally sound, could easily be modified to include a nice Table Service restaurant. A full featured pool could be added to the plans. Upscaled furnishings. Even the existing unused building that was supposed to be POP rooms could be modified into nice larger studios by combining to rooms together, though it may be cheaper and easier to tear those rooms down and start fresh.'

But they are still left with problem of "perception" for the buyers. No matter how nice they made a POP DVC, would potential buyers still see it as a "value resort addition" in their minds? First impressions die hard. I'd probably actually really like the POP location as a condo style DVC similar to OKW, but I'm not sure it would sell well. It also should not be named anything like Pop Century or even Decades, maybe the Timeline resort, American Ages, or something.