Refurbs bumped to 2025

[Maistre Gracey]

IMO, refurbs should be done before they are needed.

If you put it off until it looks shabby, you have waited too long.

I power wash my house when it still looks clean. I don’t wait until it looks dirty.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Bummer that the BLT and AKL refurbs are bumped to 2025.

I won’t be staying there until they are done.

BLT needs new mattresses badly. I hope the 1 bedroom units get Murphy beds, that would be great.

 

[tjkraz]

IMO, refurbs should be done before they are needed.

If you put it off until it looks shabby, you have waited too long.

I power wash my house when it still looks clean. I don’t wait until it looks dirty.

They have to balance it with the cost.

We stayed at BLT last week and the room was clean and in good repair. However it was also looking a little dated. No USB ports, smallish TV with none of the newer interactive TV services, shower was very basic (no rain shower, etc), carpeting throughout.

There will never be universal agreement on the proper balance of cost vs frequency. This isn't 2 hours power washing siding on a Saturday. It's gutting a room down to the studs. The original estimate with OKW and other resorts was 12 years for a refresh and 25 years before a of major refurb. (That would put BLT more than a decade away from its first hard goods refurb.) Fortunately they accelerated it to 7/14. Going even more frequently would drive up dues.

 

[Sally524]

At BLT do you think they will be taking out an entire floor at a time? I'm wondering about the 3 bedroom units because if they take out an entire floor that can take out all the theme park view or all the lake view or even all the 3 bedroom units if they take out the 15th floor.

 

[kboo]

At BLT do you think they will be taking out an entire floor at a time? I'm wondering about the 3 bedroom units because if they take out an entire floor that can take out all the theme park view or all the lake view or even all the 3 bedroom units if they take out the 15th floor.

My experience w VGF - keeping in mind it was a much smaller resort - was they went top down and did a floor at a time. We got lucky - always request a "high floor" there and got a refurbed room on the 5th ? 6th? floor. It was strange to go out the balcony and see a whole floor below us taken out, with lots of stuff in progress. I get with the layout of BWV why that wasn't possible, though.

If they took out the whole 15th floor at once, hopefully they'd do it at a super low time frame.

 

[skier_pete]

I believe DVCNews story mentioned they will start on BLT in 2024 and finish in 2025. Guessing they did a follow up question after the meeting. If I remember correctly, the story indicated the tower makes the rehab more difficult so it will take longer than other resorts.

Yes - tower refurb expected to take 12 months. Part of the issue is turning off the water to the various floors without affecting other floors. I'm guessing this makes this a hard refurb.

 

[RanDIZ]

AKV does need the refurb but...you think they're gonna screw it up and ruin the ambiance and charm that makes AKV...AKV? Right now BWV is so bland and themeless and I know DVC is hearing it from the owners. I almost feel like it's better to have it pushed back because maybe by then whoever is in charge of making hotels look like a Marriott will have been replaced by someone who "gets it"? Just trying to be positive about this one as AKV is a home resort.

I hope they keep AKV theming. Do we know if Murphy beds will be added? This is a much needed upgrade.

 

[sndral]

I hope they keep AKV theming. Do we know if Murphy beds will be added? This is a much needed upgrade.

I follow AKV news closely & we know nothing, not even when in 2025 things will happen. I’d assume they’ll go w/ the Murphy beds, I’m not sure on the sleeper chair v. pull down under the TV bed. I fear they’ll abandon jetted spa tubs in favor of cheaper ’soaker’ tubs. I expect I’ll dislike the decor they settle on since that’s my reaction to most of the recent redos - I swear whomever is making these design choices is color blind & favors things that look tacky & cheap to me .

 

[maui22]

Yes - tower refurb expected to take 12 months. Part of the issue is turning off the water to the various floors without affecting other floors. I'm guessing this makes this a hard refurb.

We own there are will be happy if it is a hard refurb.

 

[ajiuo]

AKV didn’t get bumped. This is the first time they have ever mentioned a referb for that resort.

VGC got bumped. It was originally announced for 2024 back in 2021… I dont think it actually got bumped though. That referb is technically starting in October 24 and will probably end in spring/early summer of 2025.

 

[Judique]

Right now BWV is so bland and themeless and I know DVC is hearing it from the owners.

Haha, owner here! I hope everyone who wants to stay next fall will drop their 11 month reservations and move somewhere else that is themed the way they envision.

That may allow me to get a reservation at my home resort.

Stayed there for 4 nights in a Boardwalk View studio with the new decor and other than there being no more table and chair to sit on to eat, I found it lovely.

I did not love it in online photos or videos.

Wait, you are correct! It's bland and themeless! Go somewhere else!

 

[Beachmom0317]

Murphy beds for CCV Please!!!

 

[DebbieB]

Some of these are long overdue. I’m surprised how slow they are taking these, given the fact owners pay for them and there isn’t a lot of other major investment happening in the parks that we know about.

It used to be every 10 years, they reduced it to 7 years. They have to build the money in the dues reserve fund, so investment in the parks isn’t a factor.

 

[Cfabar1]

It used to be every 10 years, they reduced it to 7 years. They have to build the money in the dues reserve fund, so investment in the parks isn’t a factor.

Yes exactly. So if they moved to a seven year cycle, they should be able to have this move on the timeframe.

My comment about the parks simply meant, it’s not like there aren’t enough Disney construction crews available because they’re building the next tower of terror.

 

[tjkraz]

The idea that DVC members would be better off if Disney took the approach of "the refurb needs to be done by (date) no matter what" is rather ridiculous. These projects involve a very lengthy process of design work, refurbishing and evaluating model rooms, with multiple passes typically required before the design is finalized. Then materials have to be procured and all of the construction activity coordinated across a variety of disciplines. It's difficult to build a 2400 sq ft residential home on time and on budget, much less refurbishing a thousand hotel rooms. Cut corners to meet deadlines and it's going to show in the finished product.

 

[CarolynFH]

It used to be every 10 years, they reduced it to 7 years. They have to build the money in the dues reserve fund, so investment in the parks isn’t a factor.

Yes exactly. So if they moved to a seven year cycle, they should be able to have this move on the timeframe.

My comment about the parks simply meant, it’s not like there aren’t enough Disney construction crews available because they’re building the next tower of terror.

Actually, the original schedule was soft goods at 12 years, hard goods at 25! They changed it for the 25th anniversary in 2016. So they were already behind, in a way, and then Covid came along and caused more delays. I’m with Tim, I’d rather have them do a good job on the BWV refurb now (there’s a lot to be done fixing plumbing and other things, not just making everything pretty) than rush through it just to keep to an arbitrary schedule.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Universal Studios Orlando and Loews Resorts would be a good place for Walt Disney World / Disney Vacation Club / DVC to aspire to have higher standards.

 

[RichVIII]

Can the studios in BLT even accommodate a Murphy bed? No problem in the 1BRs but the studios don’t seem big enough unless the rework the kitchennette.

 

[ED9]

Bummer that the BLT and AKL refurbs are bumped to 2025.

I won’t be staying there until they are done.

Blt desperately needs a refurb. Definitely needs more outlets as well as new beds.

 

[Cfabar1]

Universal Studios Orlando and Loews Resorts would be a good place for Walt Disney World / Disney Vacation Club / DVC to aspire to have higher standards.

I have stayed in Loews, but not at Universal.

Are the ones at Universal true luxury products?

Also, I think DVC has always been marketed more as a "home away from home resort", and less of a true luxury resort. I think early on, DVC was marketed as a premium time share, but I think that quickly the messaging changed to "stay at the parks every year and cheaper". Now, I'm not exactly sure what the messaging is, other than "stay magical year after year". For us, the message was "you can own a piece of the Grand Floridian!" sign me up!