OKW pool slide

[d-r]

I think this is GREAT news, for the following reasons:

1. It makes OKW a more attractive resort option to many guests.

2. In my experience, if you find yourself making a last minute reservation, it is probably going to be at OKW. We had to put some of our party there once despite the waiting lists. There weren't enough rooms at our home resort BCV. And the truth is, OKW does have a thing or two going for it - cheaper on the points, and the studios have two beds and so can are more flexible. Now if we find that OKW is the only place with openings, at least the pool will have a slide.

3. With the addition of SSR, they really needed to do this - OKW would be the ONLY of all the resorts not to have a slide. This will level out the playing field some.

4. I think that there are several OKW owners who stay at other resorts - maybe this will make it more attractive to stay at home, and so the last minute availability of the resorts may balance out more.

Bravo, DVC, for having the guts to make a tough decision for the best interest of ALL of DVC. I think the previous posters are right that there will be some whining - but I suspect that the whining will subside quite a bit when OKW owners see that DVC is paying for the construction rather than putting it in to OKW owners' dues. I look at it as DVC paying to fix the situation to the way it should be - I wonder if it comes from "construction" funds, or from dues from all DVC owners - I don't even care. If they pass along some portion of the cost to me as a BCV owner, I will pay gladly because it helps all of DVC and I may find myself staying at OKW, and because it may make it easier to book at my own home resort within the 7th month window (our first stay at DVC was at BWV we couldn't even get a room at our home BCV because it was all booked up - and that was when less than 50% of the BCV points had been sold! That's two trips, one where we couldn't get a room at BCV, another where we couldn't get a second room for our family!)

I agree that akl/wl area of size is probably best - the SSR slide will be really big, not storm along bay big, but in that direction.

Again, WAY TO GO DVC!!!!

DR

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by pirateparrot
Just out of curiousity, what was OKW before it was OKW?

As Horace says, it was Disney Vacation Club (and that's still the name for the budget "Disney Vacation Club Condominium Association, Inc.). The "inside" of the resort....as the theming story played out....was called "Conch Flats". When Disney realized they would build more Disney Vacation Clubs at WDW, they decided to come up with a new name. They didn't want to call the resort Conch Flats so they came up with OKW.

 

[DeeP]

Originally posted by Richyams
Too bad, its going to make a nice peaceful pool loud and unpleasant.

I guess they must be doing this in spite of the pole they took that shot down the pool idea. I guess it was due to some minority of whiners. Disney seems to bend over backwards for whiners all the time, too bad.

 

[DeeP]

I think that there are several OKW owners who stay at other resorts - maybe this will make it more attractive to stay at home, and so the last minute availability of the resorts may balance out more.

I sincerely hope....................Your mouth to God's ear!!!!!!!

 

[MAC3]

Originally posted by d-r
OKW does have a thing or two going for it - cheaper on the points

Humm wondering if points per stay will go up?

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by MAC3
Humm wondering if points per stay will go up?

No. That's the beauty of DVC -- the points are set in stone (except for the possibility of adjustment). If something goes up, something else goes down.

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by MAC3
Humm wondering if points per stay will go up?

It has only happened once in 12 years at OKW. And even then they just re-allocated some weekday vs weekend pts. Weekly amounts stayed the same back then even.

 

[childsplay]

Has DVC made an "official" announcement regarding the slide?
I'm interested to hear the explanation of why the decision was made to add a slide (not that I'm against it) ...It just seems odd to add something that surveys indicate the majority of members don't want. I realize the surveys were done several years ago, but without a new one (which to my knowledge hasn't taken place) then the best information we have says the majority of members don't think OKW needs a slide.

 

[Desperado]

Originally posted by d-r
I think this is GREAT news, for the following reasons:

1. It makes OKW a more attractive resort option to many guests.

2. In my experience, if you find yourself making a last minute reservation, it is probably going to be at OKW. We had to put some of our party there once despite the waiting lists. There weren't enough rooms at our home resort BCV. And the truth is, OKW does have a thing or two going for it - cheaper on the points, and the studios have two beds and so can are more flexible. Now if we find that OKW is the only place with openings, at least the pool will have a slide.

3. With the addition of SSR, they really needed to do this - OKW would be the ONLY of all the resorts not to have a slide. This will level out the playing field some.

4. I think that there are several OKW owners who stay at other resorts - maybe this will make it more attractive to stay at home, and so the last minute availability of the resorts may balance out more.

Bravo, DVC, for having the guts to make a tough decision for the best interest of ALL of DVC. I think the previous posters are right that there will be some whining - but I suspect that the whining will subside quite a bit when OKW owners see that DVC is paying for the construction rather than putting it in to OKW owners' dues. I look at it as DVC paying to fix the situation to the way it should be - I wonder if it comes from "construction" funds, or from dues from all DVC owners - I don't even care. If they pass along some portion of the cost to me as a BCV owner, I will pay gladly because it helps all of DVC and I may find myself staying at OKW, and because it may make it easier to book at my own home resort within the 7th month window (our first stay at DVC was at BWV we couldn't even get a room at our home BCV because it was all booked up - and that was when less than 50% of the BCV points had been sold! That's two trips, one where we couldn't get a room at BCV, another where we couldn't get a second room for our family!)

I agree that akl/wl area of size is probably best - the SSR slide will be really big, not storm along bay big, but in that direction.

Again, WAY TO GO DVC!!!!

DR

Outstanding post, thank you for sharing!!!!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Has DVC made an "official" announcement regarding the slide?

It was reported at the annual BWV meeting. See this thread:

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=476802

HBC

 

[WDWMom]

Just broke the news to our kids. I see elbows going up & down and the words " Yes " & " Sweeeett ". Sounds like good news to this family.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Keggy
I think a slide is a great idea! Any word of when construction will start? Most likely it will be right smack in the middle of our vacation so the pool won't be open!

Kelly

I was told by friends that work there, construction will begin early next year. Hopefully that means it will be done by Spring Break or at least by early summer.

Also as stated lifeguards will be added due to the slide. And it is definitely going to built at the main pool.

 

[FredS]

As an owner at OKW I have no desire to see my dues increase for a slide and lifeguards. We get plenty of pool time in at home and never really cared that much for the slides when we've stayed at Beach Club, Boardwalk, Wilderness Lodge or Old Key West. I don't see going down a slide a few times a year to be worth the anticipated increase in cost and the added noise at the pool.

Personally feel that the cost will outweigh any real value for us.

 

[lenshanem]

Just told hubby. He was happy to hear about it. I think now with the slide, larger rooms, plus the two beds in the studio instead of the sofa we will stay here, where before I was concerned about the lack of a fun pool. We got a plain ole' neighborhood pool here. My daughter looks forward to the slides!

 

[Desperado]

Originally posted by PamOKW
Maybe if you had set up a discussion about the pool as I suggested three times in the other thread you might have had a chance to talk things over, not just make assumptions that you know how I think.

 

[mom2rb]

With all the great things I have read on this board about OKW I was sad that my boys would never stay there until they were older. (They tell everyone about our new Disney home with the rock slide). I am so glad that they are putting in a slide. Our first trip will be to our home SSR but now I want our second to be at OKW.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

I posted this over on the poll thread but thought it might be more appropriate here on this thread.

Originally posted by SleepyatDVC
Just voted yes.

Although we don't really use any pool slides right now, I could see us using it sometime in the future when the kids are older.

While I would have been prefectly fine if DVC never added a pool slide at OKW, I think that it is just GREAT that DVC is constantly looking to improve and maintain the attractiveness of the resorts.

It just proves to me that DVC is in good hands for the next 38 to 50 years and will look as good if not better at the end as it did in the beginning!!!

 

[floridafam]

I will pay gladly because it helps all of DVC

I agree.

 

[docbrown]

Originally posted by lenshanem
KNWVIKING, I have more typos than that I can assure you.

MTTAER OF ITNREEST...

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer
in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the
frist and lsat ltteer is at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and
you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey
lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

There you go!!!

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by d-r
I think the previous posters are right that there will be some whining - but I suspect that the whining will subside quite a bit when OKW owners see that DVC is paying for the construction rather than putting it in to OKW owners' dues.

Is this information accurate? Did I miss this somewhere?

I thought that capital improvements, like all other operating and maintenance costs associated with the resort, would be covered by member dues.

3. With the addition of SSR, they really needed to do this - OKW would be the ONLY of all the resorts not to have a slide. This will level out the playing field some.

Well, even without the addition of SSR, OKW was still the only DVC resort to not have a slide.