Question on Rumor of OKW Slide

[disneyokw]

On the AOL DVC thread someone stated that someone went to the OKW meeting on December 10 and at the meeting it was mentioned that OKW will be getting a slide. Disney picks up the construciton costs but the Finance department will run $.03-$0.4 per point to pay for liability insurance and lifeguards. Has anyone else heard of this rumor?

I hope it is NOT going to happen. A slide was voted down once before (we voted no).

 

[Werner Weiss]

Several people who attended annual meetings confirmed that they heard that Disney Vacation Development would pay to build the slide, and that the OKW operating budget (our annual dues) would pay the ongoing costs.

See http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=476628 — as of now, there have been 7211 views and 264 replies!

 

[DebbieB]

I attended the BWV annual meeting the same day and the OKW slide was announced in the section of the meeting regarding upcoming DVC changes. They said it is in the design phase and construction would start in 2004.

I was reading through some old Vacation Magics the other day and the question on the survey was would you support adding a pool slide at an initial cost estimate of .05 per point plus an annual cost estimate of .02 per point (issue #1/2000). At the meeting, they said DVC was paying the initial cost, so it doesn't match up with the survey question that was voted against.

 

[PamOKW]

DVD/DVC is not bound by any vote of the members regarding adding recreational facilities. It's true that the survey results a few years back did indicate members did not want a slide. And it's true that DVC announced that they are now planning to build one.

 

[gdulaney]

Do you guys mind if I ask why you wouldn't want a slide at OKW?

Thank you!
Ginny

 

[Chuck S]

gdulaney,

I'm sure reasons vary OKW owner to OKW owner. When we purchased in 1992, there, of course, was no slide. I like the themed pool at OKW as is, it is relatively QUIET, yet nicely themed. Not needing a lifeguard at OKW helped keep our employee costs in check. A slide just isn't something that I will use, and no, I don't pool hop. With pool hopping available, I always figured if a slide would make or break someones vacation, they could simply go to another resort pool or a water park.

Not having a lifeguard encouraged parents to BE parents and watch their children in the pool areas, rather than drop them off and let the lifeguard babysit. On the rare occasions that I traveled with young family members, I was responsible for them, and accompanied them to the pools. NOTE: I am NOT implying that all parents are irresponsible, but it is a case of a few careless people - like the ones that share their progeny with other diners in an upscale restaurant by letting them run around .

However, it may indeed be that Disney would like to discontinue pool hopping in the future, and they feel the need to add a slide.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by gdulaney
Do you guys mind if I ask why you wouldn't want a slide at OKW?

I think there are many OKW owners who don't want to pay for something that they are unlikely ever to use, and that is likely to change the ambience of OKW's feature pool area. They don't consider the slide to be an improvement, just an expense. There was a beautiful feature pool at OKW when they bought — and it didn't have a slide, and it didn't need one. The OKW feature pool — with its lighthouse, freeform shape, bridge, tropical setting, play areas, and proximity to Turtle Krawl — is a delightful place.

As the thread that I referenced earlier shows, there are others (some of whom are OKW owners and some of whom are not) who think the slide is a great idea, that it's long overdue, and that the lack of a slide makes the OKW feature pool boring and unthemed. These folks can't imagine why anyone would not welcome a slide.

I'm somewhere in the middle. My family and I will probably use the slide, unless it's just a liitle kid slide. And I don't think a slide will ruin the feature pool, as long at they build something to Disney standards. And if they can really limit the additional costs to 3 or 4 cents per point each year, the additional dues won't hurt too much.

But I think that those who oppose the slide have the stronger case. A timeshare management company has a long-term obligation to control operating expenses and to maintain a property more-or-less as it was originally developed. Disney hasn't presented a case that the overwhelming majority of OKW owners want this change. In fact, as noted in this thread, a survey several years ago concluded the opposite. So now DVD is paying the upfront costs — but those costs are tiny compared to the yearly costs from now until 2042.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just to verify, yes, I was the one who originally posted that info. It was about 15 minutes after the meeting-just long enough to ask someone for directions to the nearest Internet, then get logged on. Certainly not long enough for even this aging 50+ mind to forget. Chuck S and JudithM were also there, along with probably about 150 fellow DVCers who heard it too. Initial building costs aren't going to be charged to members, but (I think credit for this thought goes to Chuck S) what about the cost of lifeguards once there's a slide?

 

[DebbieB]

From what they said in the BWV meeting, DVD will pay the INITIAL cost of the design & construction of the slide. They emphasized INITIAL. I took that to mean that OKW members will pay for lifeguards, additional insurance plus any FUTURE maintenance.

I think the pool hopping issue wasn't the only driver. I think they want to make OKW more competitive with the other WDW resorts. They have the points they own to rent rooms plus the points members use for tradeouts. As far as I know, it's the only non-value resort without a slide. Lets face it, for them to spend the money to construct this, there has to be a financial gain in it for them. Especially when the OKW members have indicated they don't want it.

 

[Caskbill]

Let's see now. OKW is a sold-out resort, meaning everyone who purchased there did so knowing there was no slide at the pool. Now they want to put in something that wasn't there originally, something I don't want, and charge me between $350 and $500 (at just a few cents per point over 31 years) for having it there.

Talk about not listening to your members!

 

[jaysue]

Let me be upfront by saying we do not own at OKW and we do like OKW - not sure why anyone is surprised that OKW is getting a slide since all the other DVC resorts do have a slide plus the moderates and deluxe resorts as well - from WDW perspective it does not make sense that OKW does not have a slide.

Having said that, I think this is a clear case of WDW/Disney telling DVC what to do.

thaks
jaysue

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by jaysue
Having said that, I think this is a clear case of WDW/Disney telling DVC what to do.

...........

 

[Chuck S]

Originally posted by Caskbill
Let's see now. OKW is a sold-out resort, meaning everyone who purchased there did so knowing there was no slide at the pool. Now they want to put in something that wasn't there originally, something I don't want, and charge me between $350 and $500 (at just a few cents per point over 31 years) for having it there.

Talk about not listening to your members!

And for folks that own 2000 points (I am not one of those), the cost at 5¢ per point will add up to nearly $4000. If you figure 5¢ per point (which I realize is a little larger than DVC estimates) times approx 40 years left on our contracts, it will cost each of us roughly $2 per point over the years. Or take your number of points, double it, and that is our costs. For me it is about $700, for something I will likely never use, nor will most of my guests, as they rarely are young people. In fact most of my guests rarely do pools at all.

 

[jcodespoti]

Don't forget though that DVD owns a percentage of the points at OKW, so they might feel in order to get more bang for their buck, they will add the slide. We technically don't OWN a thing. Its DVD building and grounds and the will do what they want.

Joe in CT

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've always felt (well, since the meeting) that this is the first step to eliminating the pool hopping privilege. This way, when they do away with pool-hopping, hopefully it will take the "sting" out of it for those OKW members who want access to a slide.

 

[dianeschlicht]

First off, I agree with Caskbill and others, that I did not and do not want a slide at OKW...BUT...I too think it is a signal to the end of pool hopping, which I also don't use. Ill accept the pook, because I have no choice, and I can see DVD's reasons for putting it in, but I too am afraid it will change the feel of both OKW and the main pool area.

 

[DeeP]

Originally posted by Simba's Mom
I've always felt (well, since the meeting) that this is the first step to eliminating the pool hopping privilege. This way, when they do away with pool-hopping, hopefully it will take the "sting" out of it for those OKW members who want access to a slide.

I agree.

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
Ill accept the pook, because I have no choice, and I can see DVD's reasons for putting it in, but I too am afraid it will change the feel of both OKW and the main pool area.

Diane
I didn't know about the "pook". What is it and when are they installing it?

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by Simba's Mom
I've always felt (well, since the meeting) that this is the first step to eliminating the pool hopping privilege.

The speculation about the possible end of pool hopping is interesting discussion, but it's really a side issue.

The real issue is that OKW owners will now pay year after year for something that wasn't there when bought and that the majority don't want.

I just hope it's a fun slide and that it fits in nicely with the OKW theme. (But I would have been perfectly happy if the OKW feature pool remained without a slide.)

So far, the coming of the slide has only been communicated at the DVC annual meetings. DVD/DVC management owes all OKW owners the full story as soon as possible.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Originally posted by Nick@ VB+OKW
Diane
I didn't know about the "pook". What is it and when are they installing it?

LOL, Nick! or is that NicL?