staying in "Treehouses" ????

[sillysassy]

A co-worker of mine says that DW had "treehouses" that you could actually stay in many years ago.
I was wondering if anyone else ever heard of, or knows if this is true. I personally find it hard to believe that any resort would take a chance that someone would fall out of such a thing.
She insists it is true but I really don t believe her.

any pictures if it is true??? I would really like to see them.

 

[spiceycat]

yea - they still exist. Disney doesn't rent them to guests any longer. They are still in use by the international students at times.

if you ride the boat to DD from POF or POFQ - look to your left - they are still there.

they are between OKW and SSR.

Disney can't tear them down and build again - because they are now part of the wetlands. but they can fix it up.

 

[mill4023]

Yes, they have treehouses. Although they're really more like condos, not actual treehouses. And you can't stay in them. Many of them were damaged in hurricanes a number of years ago and there was some reason they couldn't repair them. I think it had to do with environmental issues. Last I heard, some of them were being used to house college program employees. If you take the boat from Port Orleans to DTD, you go right past them.

Doh!!!, you beat me to it.

 

[mericletwins]

It is true, at least the existence of the treehouses. I think you could stay in them as a guest. I also thought at one point CM's stayed in them.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Walt-Disney-World-234/Treehouse-Villas.htm

This site has a tiny bit of info. Guests could rent them and CM's did use them for a time.

 

[baldegle78]

I don't have pix but it is true. as the fell into disrepair they were used for international housing for the college program. If you go to Old Key West and take the ferry to Downtown Disney You can see what is left on the port side of the boat.

 

[mill4023]

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/4_Accommodations/VDI_photo_tour_treehouse_villas.htm

 

[bradk]

that is correct, it's protected land, they cannot destroy or create and if they opt to repair them, they have to make them ADA compliant.

they were last part of the disney institute when they were available to guests.

 

[CanadianGuy]

My understanding is .. if Disney wants to rent these out.. they would have to now be ADA compliant.. which they clearly are not.

That would be:

a) prohibitively expensive

b) difficult if not impossible to accomplish the construction in a protected area and also this would add to the costs even further.

So.. for now.. they do house CM's in the international program, at least they did as of June 3rd.

Knox

 

[marlower]

if you go on youtube.com and type in disney treehouse they have actual video of the outside and inside of the treehouses, it is pretty cool, have never seen them in person but hope to this upcoming trip in Aug.

 

[spiceycat]

you can only see them from a distance.

they use to let OKW guests run or walk in that area - but they put up a fence with a lock on it - and some privacy signs.

there was always a gate entry on the front.

 

[Hopefully]

We stayed in the Treehouse Villas in the 80's and we loved them. I know I have "old" photo's, but none I can upload.
They are Octagonal shaped with a ramp up to an Octagonal deck with table and chairs. You continued up a ramp to the Main entrance. They had a big living room, eat in fully stocked kitchen, a Master bedroom suite, and second bedroom and a full hall bath on the main level. On the lower level was another double bedroom with a door to the outside and off of the bedroom a full laundry room. You accessed the lower level on a circular metal stairway from the Living Room.
Each treehouse is free standing and well separated from its neighbors by thick foliage. It was quiet and we frequently saw peacocks roaming on the sites. When you sat on the elevated deck it was like being up in the trees.
We loved them there and are sorry they are no longer available.

 

[Kathy5]

Our very first stay, ever, at Disney was at the Treehouses. This was back in the 80's. Looking back, we certainly didn't realize what a gem of a place we had picked to stay in. At this time, there was the Magic Kingdom and maybe Epcot. There was an upper level with two bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen -living room area, and a lower level with a bedroom and a laundry room.

There was no pool close by (we were told where we could go swimming if we wanted to, but we didn't, so I don't remember where we were told). We did spend a day at River Country.

A great vacation.

Kathy

 

[Elitravelor]

We stayed at the Treehouses a long time ago. For our first on site trip--about 15 years ago--I booked a suite type room from the teachers room at my school because a coworker told me about great Disney deals. We really didn't do planning like we do now . Our DS--now 21--saw the Treehouses in books and begged us to stay there. We explained we couldn't--too expensive. When we checked in, the CM told us there was a problem--they were over booked due to a conference--would we mind moving to a TREEHOUSE. DS started dancing in the lobby, saying "a treehouse, a treehouse!" DMI asks--is that a good thing? It is one of our favorite DS memories.

The Treehouse was great! Full kitchen, two full baths, master suite with a circular tub, living room and a lower level too. The pool was right down a short path and it was like our own pool! Peacocks greeted us at our door everyday. We drove past the Mickey sand trap on the golf course on the Disney buses on our way in/out each day. It was magical.

 

[MichiganMomto4]

I had heard of them but never saw any pictures - thanks, Mills!

Too bad they aren't feasable to fix, they look awesome.

 

[spiceycat]

here are some more comments
http://allearsnet.com/aa/aa010807.htm#ques3

http://allearsnet.com/aa/aa061107.htm#ques2


somebody here had pictures of the Treehouse. Hope they post them

 

[Southernson]

I have that site will post it soon http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=48

Hope this work pics are at the bottom of the page at this link

 

[Kim&Chris]

What about the townhouses, villas, and bungalows? Are they still used & rented?

 

[spiceycat]

What about the townhouses, villas, and bungalows? Are they still used & rented?

no they got torn down for SSR! the orginal SSR was to cover that area - but it was such a success that DVC added on to it twice!!!