I'm going to give Treehouse Villas a tentative thumbs down

[jjbescher]

Thank You very much for your trip report. I leave in less than two weeks for the Treehouse Villas. It will be me, my DW and my DD(7 months). Along with that, we will have DSIL and DBIL with their 2 DS(1 - 1 1/2)(1 - 6 Weeks). Then we will also have my other DSIL. I knew it was going to be tight with all the very young ones, but this was the only place we could get without anyone of the adults having to sleep in the living room.

We just got an umbrella stroller, for the sole purpose of this trip. We plan on using it on future trips also, but after this trip report I am very glad we bought a much lighter stroller.

We will have a car and will not be in commando mode(except maybe me in the morning hours).

One of the other reasons we picked the treehouses was to be isolated a little. With three little ones, hopefully not as many people will hear them in the middle of the night.

It is great to hear some of the issues that we may come across before we get there. Much better to be prepared for it, then to have it hit us in the face. Once again, thank you for your honest opinion on the treehouses.

jon

 

[LIFERBABE]

One of the other reasons we picked the treehouses was to be isolated a little. With three little ones, hopefully not as many people will hear them in the middle of the night.

It is great to hear some of the issues that we may come across before we get there. Much better to be prepared for it, then to have it hit us in the face. Once again, thank you for your honest opinion on the treehouses.

jon

That's a great point about the isolation and little ones! We stayed at THV over Christmas and we had large gatherings in the THV. It was nice to not worry about neighbors because at times we were loud. We stayed up at night and played cards and did not have to worry about that either or the coming and going.
We did have small children in the group and my nephew loved playing on the deck. He's just shy of 2. We kept him in the octagon part of the deck and watched him but he definitely loved playing out there.

 

[smjj]

Good review and I think well written. There were some very good points you brought out. To some minor, to others not so minor. That is why DVC has such a wide variety of resorts. People are different and so are their needs and wants....smjj

 

[lundve]

While I appreciate your comments as well - I disagree. I loved the treehouse villa. We pushed the limit having 7 adults. a 4 year old, and baby. (All legit as you could have a pack and play child and have a total of 9.) My MIL and FIL were in the master, my SIL and BIL on the sofa. Their adult son on the sofa chair and my 4 year old slept on the bottom bunk. The baby was in the 2nd bedroom with my DH and I.

Now we did have a lot of adults to help with children and gear but we always bring a deluxe umbrella stroller that can be folded and carried on your back while holding a child.

The isolation was a major plus for us too. Looking out at the water and listening to nature made us forget that we were right next to the Happy Place. It was phenomenal!

We almost always drove to the parks. If not, we always took the shuttle to the Springs to leave the resort, and took the walking path from the Grandstand upon coming home. No, transportation was not perfect, but no trip I have ever been on required no waiting for buses at all.

We loved having everyone together and never thought there wasn't enough space. Our bunk bed room had a lot of space we thought and most of the gear and suitcases went in there. There is to me 4 huge closets too sprinkled throughout. We have what seems like alot less room when we stay with each other at my MIL's house over Thanksgiving.

We actually stayed at ALL Star Sports on our last night and I could not get over how close the bed was to the door. We missed our stretching out room.

Just my two cents.

 

[nolanboys]

We are new SSR members and like the concept of the treehouse because we have 4 boys. When all of them are in the same room trying to go to sleep, it doesn't go well and usually leads to DH or myself screaming "We better not have to come in there again!" It will be nice to split them up. I can see how they may not work for more than 4 adults, but for larger families, I think they will work out well. My kids are also older and we no longer use a stroller - and like someone else said - I won't have to worry as much about the noise my kids make. I mean I have 4 boys, so quiet doesn't happen a whole lot!

 

[tidefan]

I think she meant for all intents and purposes. ??? I appreciate the honest review. I went to the open house at THV's and my biggest concern was getting the place cool enough in the summer with all those windows. It also felt small to me, esp. those little bedrooms and even the living space, IMO, wasn't really all that spacious. We've stayed before in a cabin at Ft. Wilderness and it is a hassle transferring busses or having a long hike everywhere. THV's really look like fun though, esp. for a family with children who are old enough to get up/down those stairs independently!---Kathy

See, I thought the complete opposite. We thought that the villas felt huge, especially with the high ceilings. Plenty of room for 2 families (4 adults and 3 kids - 6, 6, and 9).

 

[liznboys]

We are new SSR members and like the concept of the treehouse because we have 4 boys. When all of them are in the same room trying to go to sleep, it doesn't go well and usually leads to DH or myself screaming "We better not have to come in there again!" It will be nice to split them up. I can see how they may not work for more than 4 adults, but for larger families, I think they will work out well. My kids are also older and we no longer use a stroller - and like someone else said - I won't have to worry as much about the noise my kids make. I mean I have 4 boys, so quiet doesn't happen a whole lot!

We are also a family with 4 young boys and we stayed in the THV last June. We LOVED them. You should definitely try them out!!

 

[tmk0730]

Thank you so much for this review. We are considering a THV on our next trip and you bring up several very good points I hadn't thought of. Thanks again!

 

[BroganMc]

I was very excited about the THVs until I saw them. The accessible ones are all the way at the back, a full mile from the Springs.

The area is a nice one to walk to, but it's much more a specialty nook. I think my brother, with his 4 very active "love camping" kids would be a perfect fit for it, but older folks and babies not so much.

OP, I guess you're just gonna have to save up points and spring for a Grand Villa next multiple-family trip. Then you'll have lots of space for your stuff.

BTW your hubby is nuts. Someone will steal the car before they steal a stroller. Or is that his concern?

 

[skylynx]

One of the best things about Disboards DVC is how it can help you figure out if a resort is right or wrong for you BEFORE you go. Saying THV is too remote or BWV is too bustling is like saying Mickey Premium bars taste too good! That's why you get them! We were just at BLT and to us, it was like an airport Hilton filled with vinyl and veneer, but in a really cool location. We didn't expect it to be warm and soothing, as we find AKL and VWL, so we are happy to concede it to those who don't like AKL and VWL for the very reasons we love them! Since we have access to this marvel that is the Disboards, we should take advantage of at least trying to avoid disappointment by eliminating the element of (unpleasant) surprise.

If you have a baby (and all the stuff you have to drag along with a baby), don't pick a place that absolutely has lots of stairs. Nearly everywhere at Disney requires long walks, and a pack and play and strollers and carseats and diaper bags will quickly fill up nearly any room, no matter how big it started! Been there, done that, glad they are teenagers now (well, glad most of the time.)

If you won't be renting a car, you probably should avoid place that's remote, or you'll just get mad when the bus service gobbles up hours of your park days.

If you want to be part of the action, don't pick a place like the THV or OKW which are more remote, scattered, and cloistered by vegetation.

But...if you want to have the experience of having your own "house" at Disney with your own deck and grill for cookouts, you'll love THV.

If you want to get away from the happy chaos of the parks and throngs of people sweating and fighting for parade viewing spots, you will appreciate THV or OKW and the sense of calm. Parts of VWL and AKL have a certain hush to them, as well (just not Whispering Canyon Cafe ;.)

If you love the nightlife and sound and action, BWV and BCV are all over that.

Each resort has its own personality well-documented by the folks on this board. There's nothing you can't find out about in advance about parking, access to refillable drinks, length of walks, likelihood of catching a bus, and even what size coffee filters the machine in your room takes. No reason to be disappointed about your trip because you wanted your resort to be something it just isn't. They all have something to love about them!

Long live Disboards!

 

[Deemarch]

I know that the OP mentioned no shade...But I was wondering if there was a table and benches, like at the Wilderness Cabins?

 

[skylynx]

There is a large table with chairs on the deck. An umbrella would have been wonderful.

Here's what it looks like:

 

[Goofy's apprentice]

Thanks for the review. I do think that the THV's work wonderfully for some types of groups and not well at all for others.

We stayed there in March and loved it. For us, there was plenty of closet and drawer space in the rooms. The furnishings and fixtures are really well appointed. We hosted dinner parties for a group of DVC'rs from OKW two of the four nights and really had a great time.

Despite loving them, I have one more annoyance to add....

When out on the deck, you always have to take your room key unless you want to leave the door wide open (and let the bugs etc in) For regular DVC balconies, the slider doesn't have an automatic lock. In the THV's it is your room door so it automatically locks. I found that frustrating as we used the deck often and going in and out and always having to slide the KTTW through became annoying.

I also should add, our first impression walking in was not good because the unit is actually very dark. We walked in and felt claustrophobic. But once the curtains were all open and a few lights on (sometimes they would be on all day) it was just perfect. We love the THV's !

 

[twinklebug]

Just a thought, but is the deck area big enough to put up a canopy? (If SSR would allow it) I ask as this could be a solution for those decks exposed to sun all day. Since the area is octagon shape and I'm unfamiliar with the space needed for one I'm not sure.

 

[magicaldisney]

one of the best things about disboards dvc is how it can help you figure out if a resort is right or wrong for you before you go. Saying thv is too remote or bwv is too bustling is like saying mickey premium bars taste too good! That's why you get them! We were just at blt and to us, it was like an airport hilton filled with vinyl and veneer, but in a really cool location. We didn't expect it to be warm and soothing, as we find akl and vwl, so we are happy to concede it to those who don't like akl and vwl for the very reasons we love them! Since we have access to this marvel that is the disboards, we should take advantage of at least trying to avoid disappointment by eliminating the element of (unpleasant) surprise.

If you have a baby (and all the stuff you have to drag along with a baby), don't pick a place that absolutely has lots of stairs. Nearly everywhere at disney requires long walks, and a pack and play and strollers and carseats and diaper bags will quickly fill up nearly any room, no matter how big it started! Been there, done that, glad they are teenagers now (well, glad most of the time.)

if you won't be renting a car, you probably should avoid place that's remote, or you'll just get mad when the bus service gobbles up hours of your park days.

If you want to be part of the action, don't pick a place like the thv or okw which are more remote, scattered, and cloistered by vegetation.

But...if you want to have the experience of having your own "house" at disney with your own deck and grill for cookouts, you'll love thv.

If you want to get away from the happy chaos of the parks and throngs of people sweating and fighting for parade viewing spots, you will appreciate thv or okw and the sense of calm. Parts of vwl and akl have a certain hush to them, as well (just not whispering canyon cafe ;.)

if you love the nightlife and sound and action, bwv and bcv are all over that.

Each resort has its own personality well-documented by the folks on this board. There's nothing you can't find out about in advance about parking, access to refillable drinks, length of walks, likelihood of catching a bus, and even what size coffee filters the machine in your room takes. No reason to be disappointed about your trip because you wanted your resort to be something it just isn't. They all have something to love about them!

Long live disboards!

very well said!!!!

 

[franandaj]

We stayed there in January and had very mixed reviews. I loved it, the remoteness, the grill, the space. Granted it was me & my DP in the Master and my parents in the 2nd bedroom. We moved to Kidani later in the trip and had twice as much space and bigger beds, but I liked the THV.

DP did not, the darkness aggravated her depression, she hated being somewhere so remote that you never saw your neighbors or other people. Other than the darkness, I loved not seeing any other people. Of the five nights we stayed, we cooked our dinner two of those nights, and we had enough food to feed an army. We didn't need drink refills or CS (although we did have the mug from a previous stay) so we were pretty self sufficient and it was great.

We probably won't be back, but only because I'm not sure after this trip I want to subject anyone else to traveling with us. Crankiness and other factors, but that's our own personal problems!

 

[bookwormde]

While umbrellas for the tables would be nice, with the frequent thunder storms they would not last long without beng bolted down and of heavy commercial grade.

bookwormde

 

[jjbescher]

How bad are the bugs and mosquitoes? We are going in a week and just trying to figure out how much bug spray is needed. I know the treehouses are in a swampy area.

 

[stopher1]

We stayed in a Treehouse in January and absolutely loved it (can't wait to do so again), but I can and do totally see and get many of the OP's points. I don't necessarily agree about space & storage issues (we were there with my folks - 7 of us total), and had no real problems with where to put stuff. Granted our youngest is not an infant, so we didn't need to set up the porta-crib - but we did have a stroller for DD for those park days. But it was folded up neatly in the closet when not needed.

For us it was terrific to be able to have the living/dining room stay just that - all 3 bedrooms were occupied and the adults were able to stay up and talk/visit after the kids went to bed. Our eldest was on an air mattress in the bunk bed room - at his request, and all 3 loved it being together in their own space, with their own tv!

We had no car, just Disney transportation, but then it did also help that we were staying down by the pool, and just minutes from the Grandstand area. We had groceries delivered in, and included beverages in that, so we didn't need the refill stations for mugs. But walking over to the Springs was no biggie for us. We enjoyed the walks.

We grilled multiple times while there, and certainly enjoyed the deck, but I would agree that shade would be nice - but based on the fluctuation of the weather regularly, any kind of portable shade (umbrellas, awnings, etc) would be difficult to maintain.

We really enjoyed the overall peace and quiet of the area. It was a huge plus for my folks who have limitations on being in large crowds. While they really enjoyed later staying at Kidani Village for the animals - staying there at THV was their absolute favorite part of the trip.

BUT - just because we enjoyed it - doesn't mean everyone else has to. Everyone has their own opinions & experiences, and that's what is so great about DVC - multiple choices!

 

[MrsNick]

We grilled multiple times while there, and certainly enjoyed the deck, but I would agree that shade would be nice - but based on the fluctuation of the weather regularly, any kind of portable shade (umbrellas, awnings, etc) would be difficult to maintain.

Quick question...were grilling utensils provided and does mousekeeping clean the grills? TIA!