Warning - Treehouse Villas

[jjk1107]

Hello,

I just wanted to provide everyone with a few warnings about the THV. While the rooms are beautiful, they have a few things that you should be prepared with if staying.

The first and biggest is that there are no locks on any of the doors to the bedrooms or the bathrooms. Please make sure people know to not open a closed door or they may be surprised.

The other item is that because you are on swamp land, the mosquitos are horrific, please bring bug spray.

If staying during the summer, the room is extremely hot. The air conditioner will not run while you are in the parks or sleeping due to the sensor.

Also, you are only allowed one car per villa.

If you come prepared for this, you will enjoy your visit. The room is very beautiful and the area is very quiet.

Overall, I would stay again, just not in the summer time due to the heat.

 

[JoQuo711]

Hello,
If staying during the summer, the room is extremely hot. The air conditioner will not run while you are in the parks or sleeping due to the sensor.

If I'm not mistaken, this is true of all new construction at Disney? They may even be retrofitting some of the old rooms with the sensors, we were at a 2BR in SSR last month (at Carousel), and it definitely had those sensors. I don't think it turned the AC off completely, but it always reset to about 74 degrees even though we had the thermostat set to around 70 when we left. I assume BLT will be the same since it's new also.

What's up with no locks on the bathrooms though? That sounds... unusual

 

[florep1]

The no locks part sounds like someone forgot to do a walk through before releasing the rooms for guests. Isn't that why they have CMS stay in these rooms prior to actual hotel guests?
The mosquito probleis not surprising, neither is the AC. Hopefully someone will figure out a bypass like they did with the other resorts.
The 1 car problem, I don't understand. How many cars have room for 8-9 people (what's allowed in a THV). How many cars are allowed for 2BR and 3BR villas?

 

[OrlandoMike]

I had the opportunity to stay in one and the AC shut off every time I ran outside to the car to get something. It did seem to run at night, so maybe it detects your body heat?

The locks on doors didn't bother me, if a door is closed, don't open it!

Now the toaster right under the paper towel dispenser? That set off a huge safety issue for me!

As for the mosquitoes, you have to understand, we got about 2 feet of rain in the past two weeks, its just something that you are gonna have to deal with till Disney gets it under control.

 

[JimMIA]

Also, you are only allowed one car per villa.

Is there not room to park more than one car at your villa (but an overflow area to park extra vehicles)?

Or are they actually limiting you to ONE vehicle, period. For example, by only giving one parking pass?

Either way, it sounds like a nightmare in the making. One vehicle won't work for most groups of 8-9. In addition, no matter what the rules say, folks are going to park multiple vehicles even if it takes their neighbor's parking place. Some things never change, unfortunately.

And we all know how the Mouse is about actually enforcing their rules!

 

[JimMIA]

Now the toaster right under the paper towel dispenser? That set off a huge safety issue for me!

Nope.

According to Jim Lewis, it is an "enhancement to the ownership experience in response to owner feedback."

The purpose is actually to incorporate a "unique and exciting wildfire experience" into your stay...which is entirely consistent with the woodland theme of THV.

 

[jade1]

If I'm not mistaken, this is true of all new construction at Disney? They may even be retrofitting some of the old rooms with the sensors, we were at a 2BR in SSR last month (at Carousel), and it definitely had those sensors. I don't think it turned the AC off completely, but it always reset to about 74 degrees even though we had the thermostat set to around 70 when we left. I assume BLT will be the same since it's new also.

Yea I think they are all getting this. I think the resorts with halls (like BWV) that are kept at about 42 degrees for some reason, tend to help a little. The smaller the stand alone structure (like a car), the faster it will heat back up.

 

[BCV513]

The air conditioning thing is all over now. Buy a balloon and leave it bouncing around the room. The sensor will think there's a person there.

 

[Disney_Villain]

Here's a tip about overriding the air conditioning sensors, posted several times on DIS:

"On the thermostat push the power button and the down arrow (that adjusts the temp) at the exact same time. If you do this correctly there will be the letters "bp" where the temp numbers usually are. You are now bypassing the sensors in the room. You can then set the temp to whatever you want and it keeps the room that cold whether you are in it or not. The maintenance man said that you might have to do this once a day as the thermostat tends to go back to sensor mode after 24 hours. We found that it stayed on bypass for a couple of days at a time. It was great to come back to a cold room or not wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat again. The CM that did this for us said it was not a problem doing this as they do it for people all the time. Guess they get a lot of complaints."

 

[kathrna]

The air conditioning thing is all over now. Buy a balloon and leave it bouncing around the room. The sensor will think there's a person there.

What a brilliant idea!!

 

[GuySmiley]

Nope.

According to Jim Lewis, it is an "enhancement to the ownership experience in response to owner feedback."

The purpose is actually to incorporate a "unique and exciting wildfire experience" into your stay...which is entirely consistent with the woodland theme of THV.

Nice.

 

[BlakeNJ]

The air conditioning thing is all over now. Buy a balloon and leave it bouncing around the room. The sensor will think there's a person there.

Nice idea! Now I have a reason for the kids to get the balloons they always ask for! No reason to say "no" anymore!!

 

[5forDiz]

Nope.

According to Jim Lewis, it is an "enhancement to the ownership experience in response to owner feedback."

The purpose is actually to incorporate a "unique and exciting wildfire experience" into your stay...which is entirely consistent with the woodland theme of THV.

OMG too funny !!!

 

[PurpleTurtle]

Here's a tip about overriding the air conditioning sensors, posted several times on DIS:

...

Thank you! This is great to know. We actually keep it cooler in our house at night b/c we can't sleep in the heat. Daytime we're fine with it 80 or so. Last thing I want to do is go on vacation and be stuck sweating all night long.

 

[Disney_Villain]

Nice idea! Now I have a reason for the kids to get the balloons they always ask for! No reason to say "no" anymore!!

One problem: A balloon can eventually get stuck in a corner of the room and stop moving. When that happens, the A/C will shut off.

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

I would assume the reason for allowing only one car is a lack of parking at the units themselves. Perhaps they would allow you to park an additional car over by Grandstand or The Springs.

 

[Anal Annie]

Here's a tip about overriding the air conditioning sensors, posted several times on DIS:

"On the thermostat push the power button and the down arrow (that adjusts the temp) at the exact same time. If you do this correctly there will be the letters "bp" where the temp numbers usually are. You are now bypassing the sensors in the room. You can then set the temp to whatever you want and it keeps the room that cold whether you are in it or not. The maintenance man said that you might have to do this once a day as the thermostat tends to go back to sensor mode after 24 hours. We found that it stayed on bypass for a couple of days at a time. It was great to come back to a cold room or not wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat again. The CM that did this for us said it was not a problem doing this as they do it for people all the time. Guess they get a lot of complaints."

Awesome!! Thanks! I was wondering what was up with the thermostat in our studio at SSR last weekend!! I'm another one who likes it a bit cooler when I'm sleeping. I kept setting it down to like 71 or 72 before we went to bed & then I would wake up feeling all stuffy like no air was moving & it would be back on 74!!! I'll forget between now & when we go again in August so I am printing this out to take with us!! THANKS!!

 

[DVC Mike]

The other item is that because you are on swamp land, the mosquitos are horrific, please bring bug spray.

I was wondering if that was going to be a problem.

 

[evedein]

My big fear is snakes. I've seen them before at WDW near the water. If you're in a tree house in the woods, near the water, won't there be snakes nearby? They really scare me. Has anyone seen any near their tree house?

 

[tea pot]

The air conditioning thing is all over now. Buy a balloon and leave it bouncing around the room. The sensor will think there's a person there.

Here's a tip about overriding the air conditioning sensors, posted several times on DIS:

"On the thermostat push the power button and the down arrow (that adjusts the temp) at the exact same time. If you do this correctly there will be the letters "bp" where the temp numbers usually are. You are now bypassing the sensors in the room. You can then set the temp to whatever you want and it keeps the room that cold whether you are in it or not. The maintenance man said that you might have to do this once a day as the thermostat tends to go back to sensor mode after 24 hours. We found that it stayed on bypass for a couple of days at a time. It was great to come back to a cold room or not wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat again. The CM that did this for us said it was not a problem doing this as they do it for people all the time. Guess they get a lot of complaints."

This is what I love about the DIS. Two Great Solutions... All Disney problems solved and passed on.

Thanks for the heads up Anal AnnieWe will be staying there in Nov and will have 2 cars for 6 adults, 1 lives in Tampa and we will have a rental... I'll be watching the boards also looking for report on the transportation...