On the phone with DVD: True or False?

[erikthewise]

I asked two different DVC representatives about the square footage of the new BCV rooms, and got two different answers.

One said "410-415" for the studios, "about 800" for one-bedrooms.
The second said the rooms were clones of BWV rooms (i.e. 359 for studios and 712 for one-bedrooms, according to www.wdwig.com).

I suspect the latter is correct, but perhaps someone knows?

The second representative also told me that 98% of DVC rooms are rented on a point basis, and only 2% are available for cash rentals. I find that very hard to believe, as that would correspond to about 4 units per resort.

He may have been referring to ownership (or what passes for ownership in DVC), perhaps meaning that the resorts are 98% subscribed and that DVD itself only retains a 2% membership. Even that I'm not sure I believe.

But surely more rooms than that must be available on a cash basis, or it would be pointless for Disney to even release room rates to the general public for DVC resorts as they do. Can someone give me the straight story on this?

 

[DisneyCrazy]

I can't comment on the size of the rooms, but if memory serves me DVD holds 4% of the points - that does not necessarily mean 4% of the ROOMS. Also DVD gets more points from exchanges with the Disney resorts and DCL.

The 4% is once the resort is SOLD OUT. Before that they can reserve all unsold points on a cash basis.

 

[chris1gill]

Hi,

You are correct about the room size, it was the latter of what you said... the rooms are almost completely identical to BWV's, I think the studio is 4sq. ft larger (yes, just 4)....

As for the resorts, when a resort is completely sold out (OKW, BWV's), DVD owns 96% & Disney keeps 4% for cash or repaired rooms...

Currently BCV's are 25% sold of that 96%.... HH & VB are close to sellout, and Wilderness only has a couple of points for current owners to buy...

Hope this helps!

 

[KNWVIKING]

The biggest difference we saw between the studios was the location of the lock off door,it's at the room enterance rather then in the middle of the room.Looks much nicer.

 

[princess angel]

just confirming that the latter square footage is the correct one!

that is the same as BWV!

Laura

 

[DisneyCrazy]

Originally posted by erikthewise
Thanks for your responses!

Re the second question, if the units are not fully utilized by DVC members on certain dates, don't they at some point release the unused rooms for cash reservations? In other words, if BWV is only 70% full during a slow week, wouldn't the other 30% be available for cash rather than just 4%? Or do they just let them sit empty?

Yes, I beleive this is what they call 'breakage' or something like that.

 

[erikthewise]

Thanks for your responses!

The point of my second question (which I forgot to mention!) was that the representative was telling me that making a cash reservation may be difficult due to the small number of rooms available.

But if the units are not fully utilized by DVC members, don't they at some point release the unused rooms for cash reservations? In other words, if BWV is only 70% full during a given week, wouldn't the other 30% be available for cash rather than just 4%? Or do they just let them sit empty?!

 

[DebbieB]

When a member trades out of DVC (such as for a cruise or conceirge collection) a room becomes available for cash. So that opens up alot of rooms. DVC then uses the income to pay for the member's tradeout.

Breakage occurs 60 days before when a room has not been rented for points. It then becomes available for cash. Income from breakage rooms come back to the members in the form of a dues credit ("breakage income" on the dues statement).

 

[Richyams]

I believe there was a change in the 4%. I seem to remember that figure being changed for later resorts. I believe OKW and BWV are 4% and the others 2%.

Anyone else remember this???

Doc???

 

[Lhargus]

Rich,
I believe you are right it is 2% for the newer resorts.

Lloyd
(VWL & BCV Owner )

 

[Crissup]

As for the resorts, when a resort is completely sold out (OKW, BWV's), DVD owns 96% & Disney keeps 4% for cash or repaired rooms...

Uhh, actually, that is slightly backwards. Once a resort is sold out, "DVC" owns 96% (or whatever the correct figure is these days), and "DVD" owns the remaining 4%. We are DVC, Disney is DVD.

 

[wdwsos]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
The biggest difference we saw between the studios was the location of the lock off door,it's at the room enterance rather then in the middle of the room.Looks much nicer.

That's what my guide told me - that the square footage was the same as the BWV, but that the location of the door created a small "foyer" and made the kitchen slightly smaller.

Can't wait to see for myself.

 

[KathyK]

I'd bet that the dimensions are identical to BWV, rather than larger. However, when DH and I looked at the model, at the BWV sales center, DH told me that he thought it looked much smaller than the room we were staying in - especially the kitchen and LR area. I think that perhaps the furniture or the difference in the size of the foyer is what made the difference.

 

[drtpaper]

We went through the model one bedroom and studio arrangement and were very impressed. They are using granite for the countertops and have changed the room arrangement. There is a new kitchen table design with a bench. A desk in the bedroom and lock off is at entrance rather than family room. Overall dimensions appear very similar, but the change in kitchen table make is appear different. The resort is about 30% soldout and is moving quite quickly due to the coming price increase. I think it will slow down until the stock market and travel markets pick up. Hard to buy into BCV at $80 when a resale is only $60.

I do have one concern. The rooms with the best view of EPCOT also have the best view of the road around the resort area. Evenings on the deck are going to have lots of road noise. Does anyone else have this concern.

 

[Richyams]

I do have one concern. The rooms with the best view of EPCOT also have the best view of the road around the resort area. Evenings on the deck are going to have lots of road noise. Does anyone else have this concern.

The last time we were ther I noticed exactly that.

One stay at OKW was building 15? It was the first building on the far side of the new buildings from the HH. It was near the corner(sorry I don't know the names of the roads), the corner of OKW,DI,TV road(community??) and the big main road. This was the only negative I have ever had in an OKW stay in any location. The noise on our deck was bad, not unbearable, but bad.

What I did notice, and I hope it stays that way, is that it seems that this will be a much, much smaller road with slower traffic. If the traffic is slow, I don't think noise will be that big of an issue. But I think it is a definite concern. We will have to wait and see.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by KathyK
I'd bet that the dimensions are identical to BWV, rather than larger. However, when DH and I looked at the model, at the BWV sales center, DH told me that he thought it looked much smaller than the room we were staying in - especially the kitchen and LR area. I think that perhaps the furniture or the difference in the size of the foyer is what made the difference.

I looked at the model 2 weeks ago and thought the same thing. We've stayed at BWV twice and I thought BC looked smaller, maybe it's the darker colors. I also thought maybe it was because we were staying at OKW at the time and their rooms are larger, maybe that's why it seemed small.

I liked the colors, but I didn't like the bathroom, there is less counter space and with the toilet in a separate room it made the bathroom seem small. I was toying with the idea of buying a small add-on at BCV to stay there every 2 or 3 years but decided to stay with the BWV standard view, I didn't think it was worth the extra points.