Island Tower at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

[OKW Lover]

But DVC should also be thinking about how this is the biggest DVC travel season, and the other 99.9% of Members who visit this time of year, I'm sure, would be easy sells for an add-on with the tower.

The "biggest DVC travel season" is more about how the points/night thing works, isn't it? How about attracting new DVC owners though?

 

[pkrieger2287]

The "biggest DVC travel season" is more about how the points/night thing works, isn't it? How about attracting new DVC owners though?

New owners are one thing... but I think they have a tremendous opportunity for add-on sales with the tower. This is an area where they've not had what I would imagine to be significant sales since Grand Floridian.

 

[maui22]

I mean... I guess I should say they are assumed to begin by that time. I think we will all be pretty surprised if DVC doesn't have this thing churning cash by October. We are all aware of the excitement regarding Island Tower here and in the broader DVC community. But DVC should also be thinking about how this is the biggest DVC travel season, and the other 99.9% of Members who visit this time of year, I'm sure, would be easy sells for an add-on with the tower.

IIRC, @wdrl direct sales data over the years shows Oct-Dec have not been good sales months. If you think about it, spending thousands on travel, park tickets, meals, and souvenirs for the trip. Also, Christmas presents are already being bought.

 

[maui22]

There have been many posts about issues the original PVB had with timeshare license approval in various states. Back then, California was the last state to approve the PVB timeshare license. Most states were 1-2 weeks after Florida. I think New York and possibly one more required about 4 weeks after Florida.

Also, on DVC website for Island Tower at PVB, they show it is not approved in all jurisdictions. Delay in sales may be because they want to avoid the fiasco they had the last time with PVB. I think we started seeing DVC releasing a lot more news about Island Tower in early August so perhaps that is when they submitted amendments to all states?

I found a website that I believe shows California Timeshare licensing/amendments.
https://www.dre.ca.gov/Licensees/CurrentTimeframes_3LicenseChanges.html

If this is the correct web site AND it's a "Sales License Change", here is what they show as current processing times.

 

[Cabius]

There have been many posts about issues the original PVB had with timeshare license approval in various states. Back then, California was the last state to approve the PVB timeshare license. Most states were 1-2 weeks after Florida. I think New York and possibly one more required about 4 weeks after Florida.

Also, on DVC website for Island Tower at PVB, they show it is not approved in all jurisdictions. Delay in sales may be because they want to avoid the fiasco they had the last time with PVB. I think we started seeing DVC releasing a lot more news about Island Tower in early August so perhaps that is when they submitted amendments to all states?

I found a website that I believe shows California Timeshare licensing/amendments.
https://www.dre.ca.gov/Licensees/CurrentTimeframes_3LicenseChanges.html

If this is the correct web site AND it's a "Sales License Change", here is what they show as current processing times.
View attachment 891821

That's interesting!

It's still strange to me, though, that the CFW website states that they are "Not yet registered in all jurisdictions" and yet they are actively advertising and selling it. Maybe that matters more for some jurisdictions and not others -- like New Hampshire doesn't care if you're not registered, but try pulling that crap in NY or CA? Or maybe the regulatory environment is more relaxed on the issue than in 2015?

 

[mkatsy]

Well I consider the money they make on all of the other things (food, merch, tours, tickets) to be part of the DVC revenue. DVC locks people in to taking their vacations at a Disney owned property (WDW, DL, Cruise, Adventures). Clearly they like the value proposition or they wouldn't keep making DVC resorts or converting units.

If you want a direct points to profit exchange after contract close then I would again mention the expired/unused that happen every year. Disney still has the points sold but can allow others to book the room instead - thus profiting twice on any unused but previously sold points.

You could also point to the fact that they advertise exchanging points for cruises and Nat Geo adventures. They market those options as good alternatives to staying onsite, offering flexibility, but if you have ever read about the exchange rates or done research on it then you will know that in most cases (and certainly in the case of a direct buy situation) the guest is on the losing end of those exchanges. The DVC point to cruise exchange is a clear profit line for them.

This year we have done MNSSHP, we have tickets to the Christmas party, my son in law is running the marathon in January, and we just keep telling my husband the room is “free” Oh … they’re making money

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

Wailulu doesn't seem to be an actual Hawaiian word? A search for "Wailulu -Disney" returns few hits, several of which seem to be related to other Polynesian islands altogether.

But... "Wai" means "water" and "lulu" means something like "calm", so I imagine it's meant to mean "calm water" (hence the fish design motif). This would be opposed to the more common Hawaiian word "Wailuku," which means "destroying water".

(I have an interest in the Hawaiian language, but do not speak more than a handful of words, so this could be one of those "Butter + Fly = Butterfly" traps, but it's the best I can come up with for what Disney is thinking here.)

I vote for Calm Water...Especially given the water feature in the restaurant.

 

[Brian Noble]

Please explain to me how they are making money on the DVC points we have already purchased as the PP had mentioned.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: they are able to redeploy the development capital much more quickly than if it were for a hotel---and those new uses of capital themselves are profitable. For example: they might be able to accelerate the construction of the latest and greatest cruise ship.

 

[CastAStone]

That's interesting!

It's still strange to me, though, that the CFW website states that they are "Not yet registered in all jurisdictions" and yet they are actively advertising and selling it. Maybe that matters more for some jurisdictions and not others -- like New Hampshire doesn't care if you're not registered, but try pulling that crap in NY or CA? Or maybe the regulatory environment is more relaxed on the issue than in 2015?

I believe for CFW it’s international jurisdictions that are still pending.

As someone who works in an industry where every country needs to individually approve each of our products for sale, I can tell you it’s fairly easy to wall off countries when you need to.

 

[2010dvcfan]

I feel confident that PIT will sell out quickly, anytime you have an add on to an existing resort it seems to do very well, members have already had a chance to enjoy it or worse yet have tried and realize they can't without 11 month booking window. I think their are current members chomping at the bit to get their contracts secured for these new accommodations at an undoubtedly loved classic resort. The value on buying direct is very high now if you want to try to stay at RIV, CFW and VDH, you have to own there or have direct contract.

I also think these points will be more sought after then the RIV if they won't hold the resale restriction to just one resort, they will be available to book all of the "classic" resorts before the resale restrictions were enacted.

What I am really basing my opinion is my family and friends, every time I say I'm booking a trip anyone want to join me the first thing out of their mouths is "Got any POLY points left" except my nephew he always says "Are you going where the giraffes walk around outside our room" LOL

Either way this excitement about a new offering is contagious!

 

[supercarrie]

Disney has given me soooo much time to mull over buying Poly direct that I think I’ve come to my senses and don’t want/need to buy.

I am still in the "perhaps I'll add on" mode but would like to see how 1 bedroom availability ends up shaking out. Studios are already fairly easy to come by, and with the projected limited number of 1 bedrooms, I'd hate to pay a premium (esp for direct points) and have a fight 10-11 months out most times of the year for a 1 bedroom.

And even with adding on, it would most likely be via resale and not direct.

 

[tx911]

I am still in the "perhaps I'll add on" mode but would like to see how 1 bedroom availability ends up shaking out. Studios are already fairly easy to come by, and with the projected limited number of 1 bedrooms, I'd hate to pay a premium (esp for direct points) and have a fight 10-11 months out most times of the year for a 1 bedroom.

And even with adding on, it would most likely be via resale and not direct.

That's kind of where I am too. Contemplating Poly resale or more RIV direct.

(Actually, no, that's the devil on my left shoulder talking, I have enough points)

 

[tjkraz]

I feel confident that PIT will sell out quickly,

Define "quickly"....

 

[DebbieB]

The resort monorail should be for poly only given you can easily walk to mk from the other two resorts, who’s with me ha?!

Not everyone can walk that far, plus what about coming from Epcot?

 

[davidhr]

In my opinion the tower will sell very good for the first 2-3 months. Then it’s all about the price.

After those 2-3 months, the resort with better incentives between RIV and PIT will sell better. We have a lot of historical data to expect that.

 

[eticketplease]

Define "quickly"....

Do we know how many points this tower will have to sell yet?

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

... Contemplating Poly resale or more RIV direct.

(Actually, no, that's the devil on my left shoulder talking, I have enough points)

 

[tx911]

Yep, that's him

 

[tjkraz]

Do we know how many points this tower will have to sell yet?

No. Island Tower about 60% of the size of Riviera, which has 6.7 million points. IT will skew toward smaller rooms, with greater ratio of Studio and Duo rooms. But also I'd expect the baseline rate to be slightly higher for Poly, albeit with 3 different view categories.

Unless I'm missing some important element, let's conservatively estimate somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 - 3.5 million points?

 

[maui22]

If I added @wdrl DVCNews sales numbers correctly (July 2010-July 2024), here are the numbers I come up with for each months sales. (I rounded up/down based on .5) NOTE: that's 15 years of data for July and 14 years of data for the other months.

Month	Total Points	Monthly Avg Sales	Ranked by month
January	2,468,100	176,293	3
February	2,123,018	151,644	10
March	2,410,637	172,188	5
April	2,570,796	183,628	1
May	2,247,009	160,501	7
June	2,348,927	167,781	6
July	2,703,434	180,229	2
August	2,432,186	173,728	4
September	2,166,702	154,764	8
October	2,155,008	153,929	9
November	1,840,221	131,444	11
December	1,857,186	132,656	12