Old timers..

[nydizfan]

Lets hear from all our long time members when it still was THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB.......dave'92

 

[Patricia]

We joined in 93 when it was the Vacation Club too, Dave. I was convinced to join by my husband and I haven't regretted it for one second. It was the best idea he has ever had. I most love the true feeling of excitement I still get when I see the sign for OKW as we drive up. Leaving in 14 days!!!

 

[Sims]

We joined in early '93 and got all 50 years at OKW.
Our children were so excited! They are now adults and they still love to come with us as their job and school schedules permit.
We thought long and hard before making the DVC investment and we think it is one of the best we've made.

We old timers can remember staying at OKW as each section began and ended construction. Each time we came down we could ask for a brand new unit. Olivia's was much smaller. The area beside the Gurgling Suitcase was an outside area. The family pictures on the wall were just starting to go up. There was an herb garden beside the doors to Olivias. There was a stuffed life size dummy who always sat in the last booth (what was his name?) There was a greeter at the door. His name was Bill and he introdiced us to Wanda. There were permanent models set up in a building that was torn down and replaced with more units. We wondered when there would actually be a person at the guard shack.

 

[PamOKW]

Very nice recollections, Sims. I still can't believe it will be coming up on 10 years of membership next year...and years filled with great memories.

Does anyone else remember feeling a bit puzzled when they talked about the "home resort" priority we would have when and if other resorts were built in or outside of WDW? I wonder if Disney had any idea of how DVC would grow, especially right at WDW?

 

[Regina]

We signed up in 12/91, and our membership started with our use year of 2/92.

Sims, isn't that Captain Wahoo? I think he's still a fixture in the lounge area.

I remember that our buses used to pickup/dropoff at the Treehouse and Fairway Villas. I don't miss that.

I remember finding little goodies in our room.

I don't know if it's still there, but they had the Mickey Topiary holding the Disney Vacation Club sign. When we joined, Mickey had a Santa hat on. We took a picture and used it for our following year's Christmas Card.

 

[Richyams]

Oct '92, I actually had to go searching for Disney's version of a timeshare. We had done a presentation in St Maartan the previous year, we were turned off by the high pressure and our lack of knowledge about timeshares. When we went to Disney we were very interested in buying a timeshare. The first three castmembers we asked said "Disney has no timeshare, I don't think they would get involved in that kind of thing", The next person we asked was at the entry to the magic kingdom, he got on the phone and a little while later that cool "Vacation Club" mobile came by and took us too "The Vacation Club"

The cloth place mats, peach towels, salt and pepper shakers, I am sure there are more, all these things were taken away from us....

Then came the kicker, I am not sure if it was in a budget we could have had a say in or not, but they did it, we almost sold our membership over it, they cutback one mountain and now the DVC logo only has two mountains

 

[Caskbill]

June 1993.

My brother had first told me he heard about it the year before, but we didn't bother to check it out on our 1992 trip. So the next year, I remembered that my brother had told us a little about it, and we went over to the sales office (Commodore house if my memory is correct) and looked at the models.

We purchased then and there, and stayed that night.

Wow, free passes, total versatility compared to any other timeshare I knew anything about, and on Disney property itself with bus service everywhere. What else could you ask for?

Memories: How about the old room door locks that had the plastic card keys with holes punched in them instead of similar cards with magnetic strips as used today.

And the little shelf inside the entrance door with the key symbol printed on it, where you were asked to leave your keys when you vacated the room at checkout.

 

[nydizfan]

I remembered those card keys.. and the shelf with the key on it.. we lost the cloth place mats ....thanks guys.................any more?.........dave

 

[Uncleromulus]

September 1992!!
I had sort of "heard" about the Vacation Club but heck--we always stayed at Poly concierge and were happy. But then, in Feb. of 1992 my parents went to WDW. My mother could not eat meals out (medical reason) and they needed a place to cook meals inside. Turned out nothing available at the Village, but Disney reservations suggested the Vacation Club. Back then, there were few owners and lots of renting going on.
To make the long story short-my parents went on and on about OKW (er-I mean the Vacation Club) and simply badgered us to see the place. To humor them, we went on the tour the last day of our vacation in Sept. 1992. We bought that same afternoon!!
We haven't looked back since.
I also remember when Olivia's walls were almost devoid of pictures.

 

[Richyams]

I remember when our family's picture was right in the middle of the wall in the front vestibule at Olivia's. It was easy to spot, an incredibely good looking, Errol Flynn type of rugged hansomeness man, with a stunning Jacqueline Smith like wife and a dopey looking kid, most of you probably remember it.

Since the re-hab, our picture has vanished. We have scoured the walls high and low. I mean everywhere, its gone.

I am thinking that Ripleysmom swiped it so she could sleep with it under her pillow.

 

[Happy@OKW]

I recall the large artificial plant between the couch and chair, 6 throw pillows on the couch/loveseat, 2 potholders and magazines (Disney? computer magazine?).

 

[Margie J]

I miss those big, fluffy peach towels.

How about the first time walking into your OKW unit. I went down with friends that first time and they insisted that I walk into the "house" before anyone else. Wow, what a feeling.

 

[CarolAnnC]

We were great Dixie Landings fans, but when we took the Vacation Club tour, we were totally impressed! The model home at OKW was just spectacular to us, and at the time was nicer than the place we were living in!! LOL!

 

[sgtdisney]

We joined in early 1992. Purchased sight unseen based on the recommendation of a close relative who had been to Disney World and seen the resort and called up and said, you have got to do this. We were wowed by the price, and the free passes. I still think that 8 years of free passes pretty much paid for our initial investment. We always travelled with family and because of this had been to the treehouses and vacation villas (townhouses) at what was then the Disney Village resort. As nice as those were, we were still dazzled by our first visit to a 2 bedroom at OKW. What luxury!

I remember too the imitation plant between the chair and the couch. I think there was one on the serving counter by the kitchen table as well. I remember the peach towels and all the other little things that they had to phase out in one way or another. I remember the commodore house and being able to get 'free ice cream' there... I also recall the original Olivias where the had the ourside dining on what is now the porch. The times (and some minor details) have changed over the years, but OKW is still magical to us...

 

[PamOKW]

'free ice cream'

Yeah, they slipped something into my sundae that had me going from "just looking" to signing on the dotted-line.

 

[sgtdisney]

Originally posted by PamOKW
Yeah, they slipped something into my sundae.....

LOL, I think that's what they call 'Disney Magic!'

 

[Towncrier]

We joined in 1995 just before "the change". Our kids' picture must have been hanging somewhere near Richyams', right there in plain site as you entered Olivia's. We have managed to locate our photo. Our children are now hanging on the wall in the Gurgling Suitcase!

By the time we joined, the artificial plants were showing signs of wear. I don't know if we ever experienced the fluffy peach towels. I suppose that I would have remembered that. Ahh, the good old days.

 

[Richyams]

I have scoured the entire area. I mean thoroughly. Leaning over dining guests, standing on chairs, kneeling in an ice cream sunday, that was messy, I looked everywhere. I think they got some flack about having such goodlooking people that everyone figured we were just models and not real owners.

Or maybe some one thought it was a new frame, you know, when they have the real goodlooking family picture when they are sitting on the shelf in the store.

Or maybe one of my admirers took it off the wall to have a momento......Ripleysmom????

 

[padisneyfan]

We have been members since March 1993 and have never regretted it. My husband wanted to look at it in summer of 1992, but I wasn't interested at that time. So next trip in March 1993, we took the tour and bought that day. In 1994 we bought more points and have restrained ourselves from buying additional points since then. I agree that the free passes more than paid for our initial investment. We have always stayed at OKW and enjoy sitting on the balcony watching the golfers. I still have some of the orginal items including my favorite denim jacket that have the 3 mountains on it and say Disney Vacation Club. The way people sell things on ebay, if I ever want to buy more points maybe I can just sell them to make extra money. Leaving in 5 for Florida, first DCL Wonder for 4 day cruise (on points) and then staying at CBR first time not at OKW since 1993. Will take some getting used to not being home, will miss sitting on the balcony.