So... Where is the next DVC resort going to be?

[mnra]

LOL, I'm glad you're OK with fees that are generally 30-40% higher than other timeshares of the same quality.

According to my guide there are no other timeshares anywhere that are the same quality as disney

 

[Dean]

According to my guide there are no other timeshares anywhere that are the same quality as disney

Then I'd get a new and honest guide. Obviously it depends to a degree on how you're comparing and what's important to you. Ignoring the on property issue (I know you can't totally separate it but you must somewhat to compare resorts), there are a number of resorts that are at or above the level of the DVC resorts. If you compare off property making the issues even more comparable, the 2 Marriott's just south of VB and the 3 top Marriott's on HH are generally considered superior to the DVC resorts in many areas. For Orlando, the Hilton's, 2 or 3 Marriott's and possibly The Fountains are at least equal if not better resorts in many areas than are the DVC resorts. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder but as a minimum there are maybe a good 100 resorts (mostly Marriott's, Hyatt's, Hilton's, Westin's, Royals and a few others) that are at least comparable and some would say above. Then there's the Ritz and Four Seasons that are clearly above in most areas.

Besides the obvious flexibility of the system, Themes and on property location for some; I'd also look at location, room size, furnishings, activities, appearance and the like. In these areas DVC tends to lag behind many of the others I'm referencing other than the location for Theme parks.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Do you suppose there is any pressure to keep a certain ratio of off-property: on-property points? I mean, if lots of resorts are built outside the world, theoretically it could become extremely difficult to get a reservation at one of the WDW resorts if you didn't own there. And, honestly, isn't part of the allure of owning a DVC resort anywhere the option of staying at WDW at least now and then?

F'rinstance, will they need to follow Aulani with another on-property resort, just to keep WDW accessible to owners at HHI, VB, and Aulani?

Personally, I don't really see the DC project as likely to be part of the DVC, except as the "Disney Collection." Yes, there are people that love the city, but I'm not sure there is really a huge market for it as an annual vacation property. Unless there's somebody on the Board who's still so married to the old "Disney's Great America" concept that they're insisting on keeping part of it alive.

I do agree, too, with the general consensus that a new on-property resort needs to be one of two things:

1. Either very convenient to the parks -

There are the famous "resorts that never were," after all, and one wonders if any of those bits and pieces could be salvaged:
land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/07/hotels_that_never_were_at_walt_1.html

The ever-popular suggestions of DVC additions at the Poly or GF. (Last Dec it seemed that the Poly was looking a wee bit faded.. would refurb time be a good time to move some of the hotel rooms into villas?)

I've heard it suggested that there are some potential sites on the EPCOT monorail loop.

The hubs keeps hoping for a 30's/40's Hollywood themed hotel near DHS. ;-) I'm thinkin' he's dreaming.

2. - So elaborately and exuberant themed as to be nearly an attraction unto itself. I know a lot of people like SSR - but just stopping in for a tour we were a little floored by the distance, the inconvenience (Well, it WAS raining - all day long), and the fact that it seemed more a like a hotel anywhere than at Disney specifically. I can see it for those who often don't do the parks or don't do them much. I can really see it for golfers. AKV, OTOH, seems to have more of an appeal for BOTH park-goers and people who want to just stay at the resort and soak up the atmosphere. One wonders, however, how they would top that, in a manner of speaking. OK, we've done live animals.... now what?

After all, the rest of the resorts in the system are all based on a real time and place.... so, what time and place could allow them to build something whose internal attractions (dining, pool, theme, activities) might outweigh inconvenience due to location?

Hee. It's a favorite topic at home.

While I'm fairly sure that the upcoming webcast portion featuring the Imagineer discussing the future of WDW is going to be on the Fantasy Land expansion... one can't help sort of hoping it's a new resort, instead!

I've thought that it would be interesting to have an off-property site with an on-site component. I don't know how it would work exactly. I'm thinking you would get even years in Gatlinburg for instance, and odd years at the new "X" resort at WDW, or vice-versa. That particular setup, I think, would be popular to people in the Southeast who enjoy both Disney and a destination near home. Maybe that was what Disney was thinking about when they set up the 7-11 month windows. The Disney collection points charts have not been a good option for off-property owners since I've owned. Another thought would be to allow ownerships that add up to 160 points that have points for 2 different resorts.

 

[tgropp]

My thinking would be that they will go to the Grand Floridian. Just a hunch as that would be my dream spot.

 

[mnra]

Then I'd get a new and honest guide. Obviously it depends to a degree on how you're comparing and what's important to you. Ignoring the on property issue (I know you can't totally separate it but you must somewhat to compare resorts), there are a number of resorts that are at or above the level of the DVC resorts. If you compare off property making the issues even more comparable, the 2 Marriott's just south of VB and the 3 top Marriott's on HH are generally considered superior to the DVC resorts in many areas. For Orlando, the Hilton's, 2 or 3 Marriott's and possibly The Fountains are at least equal if not better resorts in many areas than are the DVC resorts. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder but as a minimum there are maybe a good 100 resorts (mostly Marriott's, Hyatt's, Hilton's, Westin's, Royals and a few others) that are at least comparable and some would say above. Then there's the Ritz and Four Seasons that are clearly above in most areas.

Besides the obvious flexibility of the system, Themes and on property location for some; I'd also look at location, room size, furnishings, activities, appearance and the like. In these areas DVC tends to lag behind many of the others I'm referencing other than the location for Theme parks.

Dean, It was a joke again. Sorry if it didn;t come off that way.

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

I vote for a cruise ship DVC. Higher points but I think it would sell very quickly.

Imagine the MF's on that.

 

[podsnel]

According to my guide there are no other timeshares anywhere that are the same quality as disney

I don't particularly want to own anything besides DVC because of my ongoing Disney obsession, but that's really funny!