Next DVC??

[nu2dvc]

I think it would be nice to see some DVC units included amongst the new rooms. We would love to visit DL in the next few years and not having priority window at VGC for a summer visit probably means a cash reservation unless some more options come along.

Plus, those VGC point charts are brutal!

 

[pditullio]

I agree with Deb. My family bought in February of 1992, when it was a whole new world and the guides were describing something unique and special and it sold itself without them having to be actual sales-suave. And the focus was on buying into the magic itself.

I don't know. It's just different now.

Granted, I'm still hooked. Added on another 100 at BLT last year, so maybe I'm a hypocrite.

But still. Not the same.

 

[brendasol]

OK, this is interesting!

We just returned from a Disney stay at Ft. Wilderness. On the boat ride to the MK we asked our captain about the old Discovery Island. He said there are rumors that they are planning to build special vacation homes for the DVC on THAT island!

IDK, that would be pretty neat!

 

[Deb & Bill]

OK, this is interesting!

We just returned from a Disney stay at Ft. Wilderness. On the boat ride to the MK we asked our captain about the old Discovery Island. He said there are rumors that they are planning to build special vacation homes for the DVC on THAT island!

IDK, that would be pretty neat!

Oh, yeah, I always get my best information from boat captains and bus drivers.

 

[RDP]

Agree, I would sell a kidney to buy GF DVC!

 

[brendasol]

Oh, yeah, I always get my best information from boat captains and bus drivers.

You know, you don't have to publicly laugh at my comment, that's just plain rude. I didn't say I would count on it. I just said it was an interesting idea.

If you are a DVC member, then why do you want them to stop improving and expanding anyway?

 

[lisareniff]

You know, you don't have to publicly laugh at my comment, that's just plain rude. I didn't say I would count on it. I just said it was an interesting idea.

If you are a DVC member, then why do you want them to stop improving and expanding anyway?

You must be fairly new to the boards. Don't take Deb's comment as a jab at you, more at the boat diver. It is a long standing joke about boat captains and bus drivers. In the past they have been notorious to passing on tall tales and fanciful facts.

 

[DebbieB]

What's the problem with more DVC construction?

More choice is surely better for every member.

It depends on the location. I think they built SSR too large and sold points with the line "buy points here, you can stay anywhere". Now the other resorts are filling up faster at 7 months and SSR has empty rooms. They are having problems renting those empty rooms for cash, having to sometimes give them away as upgrades from the values and moderates. I think that is causing the trade value to non-DVC locations to go down, resulting in point requirements to go up and less availability.(for example, the Disney Cruise). I don't think it was good for the DVC membership.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You know, you don't have to publicly laugh at my comment, that's just plain rude. I didn't say I would count on it. I just said it was an interesting idea.

If you are a DVC member, then why do you want them to stop improving and expanding anyway?

Like Lisa said, I thought everyone knew that the boat captains and bus drivers were the most incorrect gossip mongers around.

Plus I already said why I don't want any more construction. I don't see that they are improving with the addition of new resorts. I just see poorer treatment of members with a single concentration on building.

 

[Darkside]

DebbieB,
You have a very valid point. I own points at SSR, but don't usually stay there. for some reason the points for staying at SSR are high as compared to other DVCs. I think this is a real reason they stay vacant. Every time I do a last minute trip, SSR is usually the only one available, even over OKW. I certainly would stay at SSR more if they would redistribute the points better.

 

[Deb & Bill]

DebbieB,
You have a very valid point. I own points at SSR, but don't usually stay there. for some reason the points for staying at SSR are high as compared to other DVCs. I think this is a real reason they stay vacant. Every time I do a last minute trip, SSR is usually the only one available, even over OKW. I certainly would stay at SSR more if they would redistribute the points better.

SSR was set up slightly higher than OKW, but lower than BWV, BCV, VWL.

I don't see how they could redistribute the points better than they are other than to require more for a studio and less for a one bedroom.

 

[Darkside]

I think this all depends on when you go and what you like, but SSR is still has higher points than AKV BWV,OKW. I think that SSR has the most rooms available and more people like myself would try and stay there instead of the other resorts which do not have as much room, but have lower points per stay.

 

[sweetdana]

They could raise the THV 10 points, (Maybe even a little more, as they have an extra room over 2 bedroom, and yes Sq footage is similar, being all alone on your island is pretty nice for a family trip.) The THV don't even make it to the 7 month window most of the time, rumor they rarely make it to the 10 month window. Lower all studios/ maybe even 1 bed rooms by 1 point. They also could add a booking upgrade add 1-2 points per night for Congress Park, pool view, water view rooms, and Springs. ESPEICALLY CP, it is highly requested after. Allowing Padd. and Caras. 1 -3 a Value catagory. (Less points per room.) Look through room requests and see what is most popular. I would pay 1 point or 2 points more for garenteed Springs or CP. I would also consider staying there more if it had value rooms like AKV.

 

[Deb & Bill]

They could raise the THV 10 points, (Maybe even a little more, as they have an extra room over 2 bedroom, and yes Sq footage is similar, being all alone on your island is pretty nice for a family trip.) The THV don't even make it to the 7 month window most of the time, rumor they rarely make it to the 10 month window. Lower all studios/ maybe even 1 bed rooms by 1 point. They also could add a booking upgrade add 1-2 points per night for Congress Park, pool view, water view rooms, and Springs. ESPEICALLY CP, it is highly requested after. Allowing Padd. and Caras. 1 -3 a Value catagory. (Less points per room.) Look through room requests and see what is most popular. I would pay 1 point or 2 points more for garenteed Springs or CP. I would also consider staying there more if it had value rooms like AKV.

But there is no king sized bed in the THV. You only have real beds for four people. The bunk bed and the sleeper sofa and chair aren't real beds for normal sized people. The THV is more like the Family Suites than like a two bedroom villa or GV.

 

[hakepb]

But there is no king sized bed in the THV. You only have real beds for four people. The bunk bed and the sleeper sofa and chair aren't real beds for normal sized people. The THV is more like the Family Suites than like a two bedroom villa or GV.

You are correct, but I think the availability market is showing that many are willing to pay the points premium to get the seclusion, largest deck and experience that the normal DVC sizes do not provide.

I do wonder how THV average occupancy compares to other 2BR categories?

Also, there are Deluxe resorts (AKL and VWL?) with bunk beds. I think that is odd, too..

 

[Greysword]

I was going to post about the bus driver, too, but Deb beat me to the punch(line). This is exactly the reason I'd love to retire and drive a bus for WDW; you are in the know (or at least make stuff up that appears that way).

As for building new villas, I think the best I've seen are BLT, GCV, and THV. BLT served a long-time request for a monorail DVC. They also needed one in California. The best random acquisition was the Tree Houses into SSR, since they hold a lot of nostalgia for those who traveled to WDW in the 20th Century and were already there waiting to be renovated and loved again . SSR was a logical resort to assimilate them, based on location and how much they increase the value of that resort. Any other DVC at WDW will be pure fluff at this point, as I do not see an area that is lacking DVC access.

As for points at SSR, they are more than OKW and BWV statndard view rooms, but less that Boardwalk view rooms and less than almost all other DVC resorts. Since AKV was built after SSR, the NY themed resort can't be blamed if this is the case. I wonder if AKV is less due to location...

If they did build a new DVC resort at WDW as a stand alone, I would prefer it had a radical theme that would make it a place to go in itself. For instance, they could make a Future's Past resort with the old Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, 2001 Space Odyssey, and other visions of space travel theme. In fact, they could use the old EPCOT Horizons ride as a theme.

Another idea would be the Haunted Mansion, a four or five story building with smaller cottages (of one to two stories) around it based on the ride. The grounds could be patterned after those of royalty in the 18th century with faux graveyards, hedge mazes, and other creepy settings to complete the look. The place would have a 19th century gothic look.

Of course if they really wanted to get wild, they could find a way to build an undersea themed resort under one of the lakes! Enclosed within a dome, the resort would have several buildings and small grounds. Guests could take a Hydrolator (elevator in the old EPCOT Living Seas) to a surface platform, where a boat would pick you up. There could also be walkways (tubes) underground for evacuation and general traffic for those wishing to walk. The lake would need to be converted into salt water, unless they got a bunch of fresh water fish and sea life. Tell me the imagineers couldn't do it and it wouldn't sell like crazy!

If they do build a new DVC resort, those are my suggetions, not this wild west theme stuff...

 

[Deb & Bill]

......Of course if they really wanted to get wild, they could find a way to build an undersea themed resort under one of the lakes! Enclosed within a dome, the resort would have several buildings and small grounds. Guests could take a Hydrolator (elevator in the old EPCOT Living Seas) to a surface platform, where a boat would pick you up. There could also be walkways (tubes) underground for evacuation and general traffic for those wishing to walk. The lake would need to be converted into salt water, unless they got a bunch of fresh water fish and sea life. Tell me the imagineers couldn't do it and it wouldn't sell like crazy! ......

I can only imagine the dues for a place like that!

 

[Longhairbear]

Blue Sky is mentioning the 55th birthday of the Disneyland Hotel in CA. He mentions, as an aside, that he likes the Victorian/Micktorian hotel design rumored about a few years ago to be added to Disneyland, but that won't happen until the end of the decade.
I'd bet that may not be the next DVC location, but am sure it would include DVC villas once it's built, if ever.

 

[UConnJack]

But there is no king sized bed in the THV. You only have real beds for four people. The bunk bed and the sleeper sofa and chair aren't real beds for normal sized people. The THV is more like the Family Suites than like a two bedroom villa or GV.

Beyong just the "coolness factor" of THV, I think the THVs are more desirable than a standard, 2-br lockoff, and could command some point premium over a 2-br, particularly at SSR. No, they aren't GV's by any stretch, but having 3 seperate bedrooms with an overall unit square footage similar to a 2-br is very appealing, especially for families with kids. True, they don't have a king size bed, but I don't think that deters many people other than a (very vocal) minority. Its also true that the bunks are a bit short, but I think they are preferencial to the pull out sofas as the 5th and 6th sleeping arrangements.

 

[awilliams4]

DVC has lost sight of their customer and is focusing solely on new construction.

??????????

Wow. Think it through a bit. You may come up with a different perspective. Do you think they would build if no one is buying? If people are buying, don't you think that they are therefore focusing on the customer?