Tree House Villas

[DIS-NH]

Does anyone know what's going on with the Tree House Villas? We stayed at OKW a few weeks ago and there seemed to be a lot of activity in the area. There were mattreses on the porch....Cars in the driveway and lights on in many of the units (visible from the water way and Vacation Club Rd.).

 

[momof2minnies]

I heard they were redoing them for housing for the Disney intern program.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) They have been leased for one year to the College Program.
2) They continue to bring in more and more CPs.

 

[CNMooner]

We stayed in the treehouses when I was a kid, and I FREAKED OUT when we passed by them on the way to our tour at SSR. I thought they were long gone. We were told that if they demolish them to build something new, the land has to go back to the state of Florida, so right now they are evaluating the possibility of rehabbing them.

 

[beccasmom]

I think they are so cool! We never stayed there, but friends did and loved them! And we also heard interns will be housed there.

 

[Disney Doll]

A couple of years ago we asked about them and at the time were told that they were not in use, but could not be demolished because of protected wetlands. Apparently, they would not be able to bring the heavy equipment onto the property to demo the buildings because of the collateral damage that the heavy equipment would do to the land.

They must be renovating them without using heavy equipment other than that which will fit on the roadway through the property.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We were just at WDW last week, and I was told that they're being used by International CMs, who work in Epcot, as well as CMs who have th Advanced Internships.

 

[RobDoc]

At the SSR meeting yesterday, Jim Lewis was asked about future plans for the Treehouses. His response was that there are indeed plans in the works for that area, but he was not at liberty to discuss those plans at this time. He did allow Sonya Deese-Byrnes (GM of SSR and OKW) to explain their current usage by International CP CMs, but no further plans were divulged.

Stay Tuned!

 

[nezy]

How many are there aof these Treehouse Units?

Are they like hotel rooms or more like the condo type room w/ kitchen facilities and BR and common areas?

 

[Nanax3]

They are three bedroom, two bath , two story round individual "houses" . They have a spiral staircase, really neat furniture made from small trees and round bathtubs that I read Walt actually designed. They are small but cozy and rustic. They have a large porch outside and you could also rent a golf cart to keep at your treehouse.


We loved staying there!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Pictures of the Treehouse Villas (from back when they were part of the Villas at Disney Institute):

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

 

[DisFlan]

We were just at WDW last week, and I was told that they're being used by International CMs, who work in Epcot, as well as CMs who have th Advanced Internships.

I am SO glad they're planning to do "something" with the Tree Houses eventually. I've always thought it would be a real shame to do away with them entirely. We stayed at the DI for years prior to most of it being torn down. Loved those golf carts! I was hoping they'd make them available at SSR.

Our son is planning an Advanced Internship for next year. It would be cool if he gets to stay in a Tree House. He's currently on the CP recruiting team at his school.

DisFlan

 

[Doug Wolfe]

If I am not mistaken, weren't a few of the old Tree House Villas damaged in the hurricanes in 2004?

I wonder if they could be renovated and made into DVC units?

 

[bicker]

There's been a lot of speculation about that. Brining those units up to code (including ADA) would be extremely expensive. I'm not sure how they're getting around that with the CP, but perhaps because it is an employment situation, there is a bit more leeway. (They're able to prevent folks in wheelchairs from going out for jobs as Mickey, for example.)

 

[SueM in MN]

They'd only need to make a few of them wheelchair accessible. I think there were less than 60 units, so they would have to make about 3 of them accessible to wheelchair (there is an ADA formula that amounts to about 4% of the rooms). I think from the formula, only 1 would have to be fully wheelchair accessible (with a roll in shower).

There are wasys to make accessiblity without it being tremendously expensive - I know people who have replaced a closet with an elevator in their house or built a "tower" next to their house to put an elevator in. They could make an elevator go from ground level to deck without changing the "footprint" of the unit.
And the ADA doesn't kick in as long as they are only doing upkeep or costmetic renovations.

 

[bicker]

However, they're not only subject to the ADA, but also to various wetlands protection acts. My understanding is that bringing the units up to standard to satisfy ADA would violate the environmental regulations.

 

[DisFlan]

I think there are about 70 original Tree Houses. I've long thought it's well worth Disney's effort and money to keep the Tree Houses, even if they have to tear down a few of the damaged units. They're special and unique in their own right - there's nothing else on site like them. They could be updated to look like gazebos to fit in with the "Saratoga" theme, including a few ADA units.

If they're left to deteriorate into safety hazards, they'll HAVE to be removed. If that happens, the land can't be used for anything else and won't generate a dime. Disney would be far better off updating and renting them out as high end accommodations or DVC "Semi-Grand" Villas.

DisFlan

 

[bicker]

Okay, I finally got a chance to go back in the archives and find the information about this that I know I've seen posted before. Here's the link:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885371

Here are the highlights:

Disney would ultimately like to tear down the Treehouses and replace them with another phase of Saratoga Springs, but they can't. The Warren S. Henderson Wetlands Protection Act of 1984 prohibits most new construction in any area designated as wetlands. ... Disney has begun the long permitting process required to renovate the property.

So apparently, this is going to be a very long process, as Disney works its request through the halls of government. There's no sense in putting any big money into the treehouses until government approval for renovation is secured. Until then, the treehouses will likely stay just as they are, with the bare minimal maintenance applied to keep them habitable and safe.

 

[DisFlan]

... Disney has begun the long permitting process required to renovate the property.

Disney usually gets what it wants - or close to it. I wouldn't foresee a problem or a long wait for a go-ahead if they just want to rehab or bring up to code what's already there.

But if they want an okay to tear down the Tree Houses and extend SSR - that might be a problem and take time - which is what I have a feeling is happening. They're probably trying to negotiate a set-aside of an alternate wetland area so they can use the Tree House land for new construction.

DisFlan

 

[bicker]

Sounds reasonable. Past history would indicate that something like that could take two or three years.