Older Studios Changing from 4 to 5 People

[Sur]

Bunk bed DCL style- drops down from the ceiling!

 

[Deb & Bill]

There isn't enough room at either VWL or BWV to add either a sleeper chair or a drop-down bed to the 1BRs. Take a look at the 1BR's living area in this floor plan for a BWV 2BR (from DVCrequest's website). The connecting door in the BWV and VWL 1BRs is at the far end of the living area so there isn't enough wall space across from the sleeper sofa for a drop-down bed. I don't think they can add a sleeper chair either because it would block the connecting door.
...If you look at the studio side, you can see why we're ending up with that camper-style bolt-on table because the new drop down bed will take up all of the space currently occupied by the dresser/TV stand and the original table.

So for BWV and VWL, I don't see how they could add an additional bed into the living area. They could potentially replace the current chair in the bedroom with a sleeper chair or just say that the king bed sleeps three. The way things are going with DVC, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to do that.

Just as long as they don't remove the armoire in the master bedroom and replace it with the murphy bed/table combination and call it good.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Bunk bed DCL style- drops down from the ceiling!

Yep. Since Poly is going DCL style why not the rest of the resorts?

 

[circhead]

We purchased VWL in 2001 - we are a family of 5 and had to purchase enough points for a 2 bedroom unit because we were over capacity for the studio and 1 bedroom.

What sense does it make that a studio sleeps 5 but a 1 bedroom only sleeps 4?

A studio would have been half the points I had to purchase. Not happy at the extra cost we had to absorb but am now so spoiled that I can't go back.

Still hoping that BWV. VWL and BC will be offered the expanded termination date like OKW owners were.

 

[MsAmerica]

The reason they are now making studio's sleep 5 is quite simple, money!

When so many of us bought a decade or so ago, they convinced you that you needed to purchase more points because your family of 5 couldn't fit in a studio or even a 1 bedroom. Now that they have all your vacation dough and most resorts are sold out if bought through Disney, they are making accomodations fit more guests.

Why only allow 4 in a studio when you can change the furniture so it fits 5? Doing so can increase your profits by 20% by changing nothing but the armoire.

More people in a room equates to more money in food, admission tickets, souvenirs, etc. with almost zero expansion.

I love Disney as much as any other DVC owner but I don't have blind faith in them and understand the bottom line is always about money, always!

 

[OKW Lover]

Is it also possible that they are doing this because the DVC members themselves are asking for the ability to put 5 in a studio?

 

[wdrl]

Is it also possible that they are doing this because the DVC members themselves are asking for the ability to put 5 in a studio?

Its also possible that DVC members won't always be putting 5 people into a studio, but will still make use of the three separate sleeping arrangements. Families with two children can put one in the sleeper sofa and another in the pull down Murphy bed.

 

[OKW Lover]

Its also possible that DVC members won't always be putting 5 people into a studio, but will still make use of the three separate sleeping arrangements. Families with two children can put one in the sleeper sofa and another in the pull down Murphy bed.

Good point!

 

[beer dave]

There isn't enough room at either VWL or BWV to add either a sleeper chair or a drop-down bed to the 1BRs. Take a look at the 1BR's living area in this floor plan for a BWV 2BR (from DVCrequest's website). The connecting door in the BWV and VWL 1BRs is at the far end of the living area so there isn't enough wall space across from the sleeper sofa for a drop-down bed. I don't think they can add a sleeper chair either because it would block the connecting door.

If you look at the studio side, you can see why we're ending up with that camper-style bolt-on table because the new drop down bed will take up all of the space currently occupied by the dresser/TV stand and the original table.

So for BWV and VWL, I don't see how they could add an additional bed into the living area. They could potentially replace the current chair in the bedroom with a sleeper chair or just say that the king bed sleeps three. The way things are going with DVC, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to do that.

So they change the chair in the living area to a sleeper chair, and you turn it sideways to open it. Doesn't block the door.

Things will drastically change in the future if the studio sleeps more than the one bedroom. You know how over the years they have adjusted the points to make the weekend nights much closer in points to the week days, due to people not coming for long weekends because the points were about double on the weekends? I am really happy they changed this. What do you think will happen when the low point studio sleeps 5 and the one bedroom sleeps 4? They will adjust the points to bring the studios closer in points to the one bedroom, to even out the bookings. People will say " OMG-- remember when you could get a studio for 13 points? now there are none under 20." And it is just 28 for a 1 bedroom, but you can only sleep 4 unless you bring your own bedding. It could happen.

 

[LisaS]

So they change the chair in the living area to a sleeper chair, and you turn it sideways to open it. Doesn't block the door.

The sleeper chairs are large and very heavy. You can't really move them. And even if you could, if the only way to open them up was by blocking the sliding door, that sounds like a fire code violation.

 

[Minniesgal]

So they change the chair in the living area to a sleeper chair, and you turn it sideways to open it. Doesn't block the door. Things will drastically change in the future if the studio sleeps more than the one bedroom. You know how over the years they have adjusted the points to make the weekend nights much closer in points to the week days, due to people not coming for long weekends because the points were about double on the weekends? I am really happy they changed this. What do you think will happen when the low point studio sleeps 5 and the one bedroom sleeps 4? They will adjust the points to bring the studios closer in points to the one bedroom, to even out the bookings. People will say " OMG-- remember when you could get a studio for 13 points? now there are none under 20." And it is just 28 for a 1 bedroom, but you can only sleep 4 unless you bring your own bedding. It could happen.

I think this is a fire safety concern. However they could add a sleeper chair to th Master

 

[beer dave]

I think this is a fire safety concern. However they could add a sleeper chair to th Master

Fire code requires an egress window in any bed room... must open a minimum of 6 square feet and be a maximum of 44 inches off the floor. No requirements on walking space or where you place furniture. . Regardless, we could debate what they could and could not do all day long, but the truth is they will do what they want, and if they are restricted by regulations, there is always a way around them.

And unless it is bolted down, all furniture is easily moved. A sleeper chair is half of a sleeper sofa.

 

[LisaS]

And unless it is bolted down, all furniture is easily moved. A sleeper chair is half of a sleeper sofa.

It is not easily moved.

 

[beer dave]

It is not easily moved.

I guess ease is relative. It is not easily moved by you.

 

[CarolMN]

I agree with LisaS. Even if one can bench press above the average athlete, the existing sleeper chairs are not moving easily. They are not made to move!

I am personally very disappointed to see the table / pull down bed combination come to the BWV. For a couple, it makes the studios much less comfortable. How do you use the table if someone wants to watch TV?

I don't want the sleep chair added to the BWV 1 bedroom villas either.

Has anyone calculated the impact on dues? If official occupancy increases, so does the proportion of shared amenities (for the BWI/BWV) paid for by BWV owners.

 

[DenLo]

. . .

Has anyone calculated the impact on dues? If official occupancy increases, so does the proportion of shared amenities (for the BWI/BWV) paid for by BWV owners.

I think the dues could be impacted in the years where the resort has more studios sleeping five than those that sleep four. But whether it would be a significant difference remains to be seen. I expect the first year could be extra high in numbers whereas in future years people revert to larger villas as they want the extra space. The uniqueness of being able to save some points often is attractive until the kids just outgrow the villa.

 

[DenLo]

I know I'll get flamed for this, but they could take points from the one bedrooms and make the studios higher. That would even out the demand. I know I would be more willing to spend a few more points for a 1BR, but we usually go with a studio because of the almost double points for a 1BR.

That might actually make sense in a couple of ways. Since after the change you will be able to sleep more people in a studio than a one bedroom, raising the number of points for a studio stay could help to offset the costs to owners...

All they have to do is add the sleeper chair to the one bedroom and it is equal to the studio again. And the two bedroom lock off could go up to 10....

I think it is the fact that the 1 BR has a kitchen, living room and bedroom is why it costs more points, not how many it sleeps. All that square footage has a cost in points.

 

[beer dave]

I think it is the fact that the 1 BR has a kitchen, living room and bedroom is why it costs more points, not how many it sleeps. All that square footage has a cost in points.

That is certainly why it costs more points. The one bedroom unit takes twice the space of a studio.

That aside, which room is hardest to book a studio or a one bedroom? The answer is a studio because it sleeps the same number of people and is half the points. If the studios increase capacity to 5 people in the older resorts, the people who had to book a larger room for their family can then book a studio for lesser points a d get a longer stay. The studios will become even more desirable to a large group of owners, and consequently they will become even harder to book, leaving the one bedroom to become even less booked due to the double point cost and the lower occupancy.

As history shows us, DVD can and will adjust point amounts within the resort to balance the booking. They want full occupancy. When the owners showed that they would book greatly fewer weekend nights due to their almost double point cost, DVD changed the point values, increasing weekdays and decreasing weekends until the bookings balanced out. If they increase the occupancy of the studio but not the one bedroom, and the booking adjusts as logic would say it is going to, eventually the point values of the rooms will change, making them closer in point value. I think the majority of owners purchase the amount of points needed to get their trip each year or every other year in a studio due to the lower cost. (especially now that the buy in is 165 per point) If the point values raise for studios due to further increased booking preference, a lot of people will not be happy.

 

[LauraLea]

Has anyone calculated the impact on dues? If official occupancy increases, so does the proportion of shared amenities (for the BWI/BWV) paid for by BWV owners.

Wow, did not think of that one.

Like I said, I would really like to see the data of how many owners wanted this arrangement. I bet more of the units sit unopened each night, while the majority of us have to look at and walk around that awkward thing.

Laura

 

[beer dave]

Wow, did not think of that one.

Like I said, I would really like to see the data of how many owners wanted this arrangement. I bet more of the units sit unopened each night, while the majority of us have to look at and walk around that awkward thing.

Laura

Yeah I would like to know also-- I base any of my info mostly on what people say on here-- I do know that most of my res are one bedroom, and I have never had a problem with getting one at 7 months. I typically go 4 times a year, jan, may, september, october. October I do at 11 mos to get BWV or BCV. I hear the difficulties of getting studios, especially the standard view. I would love to know the percentage of smaller contract owners to those with larger. I just think the vast majority are buying just enough to squeek that trip out. I recall on my first purchase buying based on my family size in order to go a week every 2 years.--- I have 4 kids. I think the dynamic of purchases will change if the families with 3 kids can now purchase just enough for a studio to get their needs. I really think this can change our whole deal. For me I see it as potentially a positive for more ease of booking a 1 bedroom. ( my kids have gotten older and we rarely get the 2 bed any more. maybe once a year.