Docmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2013
- Messages
- 255
Visited the Poly models today and talked over the details with a guide (new "land" guide since our guide is on one of the cruise ships).
The good:
1). I was surprised that I did like the decor and size of the studio. It looks really nice, somewhat retro 60's-70's tiki room feel (or at least American version of a tiki room feel lol). More spacious than I expected. The rooms are wider than GF studios so pull out bed isn't up against the Queen bed.
2) we have December UY and would get 2014 points. My understanding is June and later UY would get 2014 points.
The meh:
1) they had connecting studios in the models. Seems like they were more focused on selling points for studios and we barely talked about the bungalows. Don't know if it was the guide, our lack of enthusiasm for the high bungalow point cost or a combination.
2) most of the studios will be std view. And when I asked if the lake view would have a MK view her response was "it's guaranteed you'll see part of the lake. You may or may not see the MK and fireworks from those studios". I asked because years ago DH and I had stayed in Moorea and had a great view but I suspect now most of the view will be of the bungalows with perhaps the exception of the top floor.
The bad (IMO):
1) no 1 bedroom units and no official plans for them. We bought DVC for the space of the 1 bedrooms. Had they at least put a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom it might have swayed DH a smidgen. But as it stands, no 1 bedrooms = no Poly. No reason for us to spend that amount of money for something we wouldn't want to stay in on a regular basis. It probably doesn't help their sales (or at least in our opinion) that we also looked at the Aulani 1 bedroom. It's really hard to be wowed by the Poly studio after seeing that LOL!
2) cost. $160/point until Feb 9th when it increases to $165/point. And $6.02 MF/point/year. I know that's been rehashed on here so won't go into it more but...yikes! I thought VGF had a high price point at $145 when they opened less than 2 years ago. That's $15 per point more increase in less than 2 years.
Miscellaneous stuff:
Phase 1 will open April 1.
Phase 1 is: Moorea studios - 70 std, 72 lake; Pago Pago studios - 76 std; and Bora Bora bungalows 20
Phase 2 will open July 1st. Phase 2 is Tokelau studios - 142 std
So only 72 lake view studios. It really seems like they are marketing this more for Poly lovers and people who prefer std view studios. The point cost she kept pushing was for std view (and in Adventure season).
For anyone wanting to finance guide said DVC members in good standing for at least a year get an automatic 11% interest rate (note...I thought I'd seen 11.9% written somewhere and didn't think about it until we left). So for 100 points that's about $200 a month payment (for 10 years) and $50 a month for dues.
Current DVC members who add on can start booking February 11. New members who buy Poly can start booking February 18. Members who don't own Poly can start booking February 25 - so Poly owners only have a 1-2 week window booking advantage over non-members within the 7 month time frame (and of course always the 11 month window). Guide made it seem it would be impossible to book Poly if you aren't an owner. I liked it enough to want to stay there eventually but DH really has limited interest because they are all studios.
Overall I think the studios are nice and I'd stay there at least once. Where I think they blew it (again, for our style of vacationing) is in having no 1 bedroom villas, not putting a jacuzzi tub in the studios (which they could have easily done with the size of both bathrooms), and the very high point cost for the bungalows. My gut feeling is these won't sell as quickly as VGF and that they won't book as quickly as the guide expects (granted that could be a selling point also). I could be wrong because the Poly does have a huge fan following. I'm a bit disappointed because I love the Poly and had wanted to add on there when I heard they were converting rooms to DVC, but it just doesn't make sense with only studios (the bungalows are so out of our price range I won't even consider them...for the same points I'd rather stay in a grand villa somewhere if I wanted to blow through points). As it stands now PVB really isn't for people who want all the amenities of the 1 bedroom (or even the 2 bedrooms that are reasonably priced). But if you prefer studios then I think they would work nicely for a family of 4 or 5 just because of the wider space of the room.
The good:
1). I was surprised that I did like the decor and size of the studio. It looks really nice, somewhat retro 60's-70's tiki room feel (or at least American version of a tiki room feel lol). More spacious than I expected. The rooms are wider than GF studios so pull out bed isn't up against the Queen bed.
2) we have December UY and would get 2014 points. My understanding is June and later UY would get 2014 points.
The meh:
1) they had connecting studios in the models. Seems like they were more focused on selling points for studios and we barely talked about the bungalows. Don't know if it was the guide, our lack of enthusiasm for the high bungalow point cost or a combination.
2) most of the studios will be std view. And when I asked if the lake view would have a MK view her response was "it's guaranteed you'll see part of the lake. You may or may not see the MK and fireworks from those studios". I asked because years ago DH and I had stayed in Moorea and had a great view but I suspect now most of the view will be of the bungalows with perhaps the exception of the top floor.
The bad (IMO):
1) no 1 bedroom units and no official plans for them. We bought DVC for the space of the 1 bedrooms. Had they at least put a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom it might have swayed DH a smidgen. But as it stands, no 1 bedrooms = no Poly. No reason for us to spend that amount of money for something we wouldn't want to stay in on a regular basis. It probably doesn't help their sales (or at least in our opinion) that we also looked at the Aulani 1 bedroom. It's really hard to be wowed by the Poly studio after seeing that LOL!
2) cost. $160/point until Feb 9th when it increases to $165/point. And $6.02 MF/point/year. I know that's been rehashed on here so won't go into it more but...yikes! I thought VGF had a high price point at $145 when they opened less than 2 years ago. That's $15 per point more increase in less than 2 years.
Miscellaneous stuff:
Phase 1 will open April 1.
Phase 1 is: Moorea studios - 70 std, 72 lake; Pago Pago studios - 76 std; and Bora Bora bungalows 20
Phase 2 will open July 1st. Phase 2 is Tokelau studios - 142 std
So only 72 lake view studios. It really seems like they are marketing this more for Poly lovers and people who prefer std view studios. The point cost she kept pushing was for std view (and in Adventure season).
For anyone wanting to finance guide said DVC members in good standing for at least a year get an automatic 11% interest rate (note...I thought I'd seen 11.9% written somewhere and didn't think about it until we left). So for 100 points that's about $200 a month payment (for 10 years) and $50 a month for dues.
Current DVC members who add on can start booking February 11. New members who buy Poly can start booking February 18. Members who don't own Poly can start booking February 25 - so Poly owners only have a 1-2 week window booking advantage over non-members within the 7 month time frame (and of course always the 11 month window). Guide made it seem it would be impossible to book Poly if you aren't an owner. I liked it enough to want to stay there eventually but DH really has limited interest because they are all studios.
Overall I think the studios are nice and I'd stay there at least once. Where I think they blew it (again, for our style of vacationing) is in having no 1 bedroom villas, not putting a jacuzzi tub in the studios (which they could have easily done with the size of both bathrooms), and the very high point cost for the bungalows. My gut feeling is these won't sell as quickly as VGF and that they won't book as quickly as the guide expects (granted that could be a selling point also). I could be wrong because the Poly does have a huge fan following. I'm a bit disappointed because I love the Poly and had wanted to add on there when I heard they were converting rooms to DVC, but it just doesn't make sense with only studios (the bungalows are so out of our price range I won't even consider them...for the same points I'd rather stay in a grand villa somewhere if I wanted to blow through points). As it stands now PVB really isn't for people who want all the amenities of the 1 bedroom (or even the 2 bedrooms that are reasonably priced). But if you prefer studios then I think they would work nicely for a family of 4 or 5 just because of the wider space of the room.
4 in a studio and still no where to put cloths. Come on 
