Polynesian Bungalow

[ghertz]

I'm looking into what the best way is to stay in a bungalow for a few nights, probably the week after Thanksgiving 2017. I'm not a DVC member. Looks like I could go through a DVC rental site and pay for someone's points or book through WDW direct if anything is available. Looks like DVC can start booking 11 months out, how far out can I book direct with WDW? What is the availability of the bungalows and are they typically hard to reserve?

 

[Donna M]

Since they require such a large number of points, they are slower to book. You might have a hard time finding a single person with enough points to rent for a few days. You're looking at 160 points a night during the week and 187 points per night for weekends. 480 points for 3 nights midweek is a lot. You probably would need multiple people willing to rent.

 

[sgtdisney]

Since they require such a large number of points, they are slower to book. You might have a hard time finding a single person with enough points to rent for a few days. You're looking at 160 points a night during the week and 187 points per night for weekends. 480 points for 3 nights midweek is a lot. You probably would need multiple people willing to rent.

It makes you wonder, how many members are there out there that have enough points to stay in a bungalow for one week during the summer without banking and borrowing. I am sure there are some certaintly, but I wonder what the percentage is of the total membership.

 

[jerseyduke]

It makes you wonder, how many members are there out there that have enough points to stay in a bungalow for one week during the summer without banking and borrowing. I am sure there are some certaintly, but I wonder what the percentage is of the total membership.

It is irrelevant. If there are 0 people in the world willing to stay in the Bungalows, then the (about) 1,000,000 points that constitute the bungalows will be sold to people planning on using them for the studios.

Numbers are approximate:
Poly Studios - total 3 million points
Bungalows - 1 million points
Total 4 million points.

If NOONE buys points with the intention of using them in the Bungalows, Disney would declare total victory! That would mean they sell 4 million points, for 3 million points worth of studios, which means 1 million points going into breakage every year, then Disney rents out the Bungalows for cash, DVC-Poly members pay for their upkeep. That would be pure profit for disney, as Poly-DVC members would basically have paid for the construction of the Bungalows, and then handed them right back to Disney. They(Poly DVC people)did not finance the construction of the Bungalows, they outright paid for it!

Now of course, DVC people will stay in the Bungalows, so the above is the extreme case, but from Disney's perspective, they would love it if no dvc member ever stayed in them! From a business point of view, those bungalows are BRILLIANT!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Allegedly several fixed weeks have been sold... for bungalows.

 

[DougEMG]

It is irrelevant. If there are 0 people in the world willing to stay in the Bungalows, then the (about) 1,000,000 points that constitute the bungalows will be sold to people planning on using them for the studios.

Numbers are approximate:
Poly Studios - total 3 million points
Bungalows - 1 million points
Total 4 million points.

If NOONE buys points with the intention of using them in the Bungalows, Disney would declare total victory! That would mean they sell 4 million points, for 3 million points worth of studios, which means 1 million points going into breakage every year, then Disney rents out the Bungalows for cash, DVC-Poly members pay for their upkeep. That would be pure profit for disney, as Poly-DVC members would basically have paid for the construction of the Bungalows, and then handed them right back to Disney. They(Poly DVC people)did not finance the construction of the Bungalows, they outright paid for it!

Now of course, DVC people will stay in the Bungalows, so the above is the extreme case, but from Disney's perspective, they would love it if no dvc member ever stayed in them! From a business point of view, those bungalows are BRILLIANT!

Disney liked the bungalows so much they are building more at VWL II.

I wonder what member survey indicated that members had a big desire for these bungalow!

 

[Donna M]

I think they ruined the shoreline view. Poly was so pretty before the bungalow.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Disney liked the bungalows so much they are building more at VWL II.

I wonder what member survey indicated that members had a big desire for these bungalow!

I doubt members had anything to do with it. The breakage points calculation above is pretty compelling.

If you can sell the bungalows as fixed weeks, or points enough to one person for the bungalow? Profitable. If you sell that million points in studio-size chunks to people and then end up selling the bungalows as CRO? Profitable. There's no way to lose.

 

[sgtdisney]

They look beautiful inside, but to me are too small for the cost of the points IMHO. (And just too expensive for my tastes overall..) You could get a Grand Villa in any number of locations and still save a lot of points.

 

[jerseyduke]

Disney liked the bungalows so much they are building more at VWL II.

I wonder what member survey indicated that members had a big desire for these bungalow!

The P&L member survey.

I am sure people bought fixed weeks at the Bungalows. I am sure people bought enough points to stay there for a week or so, no doubt.

What is going to be the real test is WL2. Will it be just bungalows? Will they be as point expensive? My money is on some hotel rooms being converted like AKV, so potential buyers have a cheap option, and Disney repeats the Poly tactics.

It is like this:

You have a nice beachfront piece of property.
I tell you I want to build 10 ocean front houses. Construction costs will be about 200$ per square foot, but I am going to pay you 600$ per square foot to build them.

Then when I am done, you can rent them out a great majority of the time, and you can keep the money from those rentals. When I rent them out I will keep the money.

Oh, by the way, I will pay for 100% of the upkeep of the houses, and I will lease the land from you!

That is what the Poly Bungalows amount to. TOTAL risk free property development.

 

[disneynutz]

The P&L member survey.

I am sure people bought fixed weeks at the Bungalows. I am sure people bought enough points to stay there for a week or so, no doubt.

What is going to be the real test is WL2. Will it be just bungalows? Will they be as point expensive? My money is on some hotel rooms being converted like AKV, so potential buyers have a cheap option, and Disney repeats the Poly tactics.

It is like this:

You have a nice beachfront piece of property.
I tell you I want to build 10 ocean front houses. Construction costs will be about 200$ per square foot, but I am going to pay you 600$ per square foot to build them.

Then when I am done, you can rent them out a great majority of the time, and you can keep the money from those rentals. When I rent them out I will keep the money.

Oh, by the way, I will pay for 100% of the upkeep of the houses, and I will lease the land from you!

That is what the Poly Bungalows amount to. TOTAL risk free property development.

Disney liked the numbers so much, they are building 25 cabins at WL.

Bill

 

[DougEMG]

Disney liked the bungalows so much they are building more at VWL II.

I wonder what member survey indicated that members had a big desire for these bungalow!

That was suppose to be sarcasm..guess it never came across that way.

Yes, I think DVC is screwing us over with those bungalows.

 

[Deb & Bill]

That was suppose to be sarcasm..guess it never came across that way.

Yes, I think DVC is screwing us over with those bungalows.

Exactly. The millions of points sold to cover those monstrosities and that means owners there won't be able to book something at 11 months out that isn't a bungalow or waterside cabin.

 

[DougEMG]

Exactly. The millions of points sold to cover those monstrosities and that means owners there won't be able to book something at 11 months out that isn't a bungalow or waterside cabin.

Another scenario is that if the majority of POLY owners are buying to stay in POLY studios there are going to be a lot of disappointed owners who are 7 months are going to be looking to book at other resorts. If the entire DVC system doesn't have enough owners to stay at those bungalows, sure DVC will be making lots of free money through breakage, but there is also not going to be enough rooms in the system for owners to book. I think availability throughout the system is going to get a lot worst. My advice, book as early as possible.

 

[dizfan]

Allegedly several fixed weeks have been sold... for bungalows.

There are 12 fixed week bungalow purchases that have shown up on the county web site through 2/18/16.

 

[MickeyBobby]

Not that my opinion is better than anyone else's, but after staying in a bungalow, my advice would be to stay in the VGF Grand Villa instead. The bungalow loses its appeal after a night when the novelty wears off. It would feel a little claustrophobic for several days with a large party traveling with you.

 

[beer dave]

There are 12 fixed week bungalow purchases that have shown up on the county web site through 2/18/16.

out of about 1000........

 

[beer dave]

Not that my opinion is better than anyone else's, but after staying in a bungalow, my advice would be to stay in the VGF Grand Villa instead. The bungalow loses its appeal after a night when the novelty wears off. It would feel a little claustrophobic for several days with a large party traveling with you.

I think it would feel COSTrophobic.....

 

[spencerbomar]

20 bungalows times 52 weeks=1,040 weeks- 12 fixed week bungalow purchases 12/1040= .0115 Not a very large percentage huh. So, Disney selling fixed weeks for the bungalows hasn't been very successful.

Did an open "bungalow" walk-through. They are very claustrophobic.

As far as paying upkeep on both bungalows and studios, only about 30-40% of the studios have been declared into inventory so far. This means only that amount of upkeep costs is being paid for so far by members. Percentage of sell-out percentage = percentage of the upkeep costs that is coming from members to pay for the upkeep. Other costs is coming from the rental costs of the units where the points haven't been sold thus far. If there are 1,000,000 points to be sold (hypothetical amount) for a new property, and only 300,000 points have been sold to date, then members who have purchased those points will only be paying for the 30% of the points that have been sold (30% of the unit percentage declared into inventory). Members' dues don't pay for units where the points haven't been sold. If that happened, it would be a violation of laws regulating time share properties.
The same thing goes for the build cost of units. The amount of points you purchase times the per point costs =total costs you pay only pays for that portion/percentage of the total costs it took to build the unit(s). Disney (DVC) floats the costs they invested in the property to be built until they sell all points associated with it. Yes, there may be some percentage of those investing costs included in your purchase costs, but that can be said for all real estate developments.

Wilderness will 25 cabins. Probably equivalent size to Poly bungalows but called cabins to stay in theme with Wilderness. Would have to think all will not be waterfront- 2 categories- lakeside and not- still expensive none the less.

 

[wdrl]

As far as paying upkeep on both bungalows and studios, only about 30-40% of the studios have been declared into inventory so far.

Wilderness will 25 cabins. Probably equivalent size to Poly bungalows but called cabins to stay in theme with Wilderness. Would have to think all will not be waterfront- 2 categories- lakeside and not- still expensive none the less.

To date, 60% (218 out of 360) of PVB's studios have been declared for the DVC inventory. In addition, 16 of the 20 bungalows have been declared.

There will be 26 cabins at the new Wilderness condo association. According to the plans filed by Disney with the South Florida Water Management District, all 26 cabin will be along the shoreline facing the lake. I doubt the cabins will have more than one view category.