What is wrong with SSR?

[mb168]

While walking through DD this weekend and looking across to finally see SSR for the first time without a wall around it, I began to wonder about their decision to make the points/night less than the other "new" resorts. I was just down during Halloween and saw the model at BWV so I know it's the same size as the newer resorts. So why did DVC think they needed to make the points less per night? Is it merely because its further away from the parks but yet is newer than OKW so it had to be somewhere in the middle? The thing that bothers me about that is that means that they are commiting to a forever price, well 50 years, at a lower point schedule. Do they think no one would stay there if they made the points the same as BWV/BCV/VWL? Is there something else missing other than direct park access? Is it being built more "cheaply" or to lesser standards than the others? I know it'll have a food court instead of a sit down restaurant ala Artist Point, Spoodles, Flying Fish, Yachtsman, or even Cape May(that ones a stretch.) They will even have a cool pool and a slide.

Not that I'm complaining about using less points if I decide to stay there, but I was just wondering about their reasoning. If I want to stay on less points and park access isn't a concern, OKW almost always has room. I would like to try SSR and like not having to use as many points. A friend of mine owns 100 pts there and is staying this summer when I'm at OKW and if pool hopping is allowed I will try the pool there but will visit regardless.

Maybe thats what DVC is thinking, SSR will be a 2nd choice? I just have a hard time thinking that they would not build the best and it would cost it.

 

[stacy6552]

It seems well "priced" to me. IM sure they did all kinds of homeowrk. It seems comprobably priced. They cant over "price' the resort or noone will buy in, there. I even think you can see how they have adjusted the points from what they ave learned. Like the "price" of a grand villa..............

 

[tjkraz]

I think the location would have to be pegged as the driving force behind the lower point schedule. If you start splitting hairs on other amenities, I think you'll find just as many "pros" for SSR as the other resorts. For instance, no SSR doesn't have on site table service dining, but it will have the full spa and golf course.

 

[Lisa F]

I, too, think it's priced right based on location. The resorts that have direct access to a major park are the most expensive. A "deluxe" resort that isn't walkable/boatable/monorailable (nice new words, huh?) to a major park will NOT carry as high a cash price... what you basically have with SSR is something that is like a deluxe but without the location, so somewhere in between OKW and the rest in price. (I'm not saying that OKW isn't a good resort, just that it has fewer "deluxe" type amenities that cost more, like a feature pool... but it really is a category on its own as opposed to the other DVC units which have a "deluxe resort" complement to them).

 

[PamOKW]

You don't actually buy points. You buy a real estate interest and are given points to use as "currency". I'm not 100% sure of all the factors that go into setting the price and the representative points but I do know there are many factors. Basically, I think they take the construction costs and set a number of points and at what price will cover the costs and turn a profit.

You have to also keep in mind that SSR is the first DVC resort to be selling its points at a higher price than any other resort (because of the extension). Let's say BWV takes 10 points per night and points were $80 apiece. That's $800 per night to cover the costs of building and profit. SSR sets their points at 10 per night but they are charging $100 per point. That's $1000 per night to cover the costs of building and profit. DVC realizes that price may be too high to quickly sell the resort and is more profit than they scheduled. They can set the per night points at 9, take in $900 per night and still be ahead of the game while keeping the price competitive.

This resort is also going to be much larger than any other DVC to date. It can spread the costs of things like the pool across a greater number of buyers, also reducing their costs.

 

[mb168]

It just seems that the fact that it is newer and of supposedly equal size and quality to BWV/BCV/BCV, it should cost the same points to stay there. If you build something thats the same as something else, especially if it costs them the same or more to build SSR it should cost the same in points. Is it costing them less to build it? In some ways I think having direct access to DD is a plus because people will head over there after doing the parks instead of sitting in their room. Thats one of the few things I don't like about VWL. Once you go back there, you don't want to leave to go eat cause its too far to drive or go ride on a bus after walking the parks. But a stroll or boat ride from SSR will get you to the REAL food court Downtown Disney!

Also, don't confuse $$$ price per point with what I'm talking about which is the number of points to stay per night.

 

[DrTomorrow]

To me, SSR has a lot more in common with OKW than with the B's and VWL. Larger, self-contained resort with no direct access to one of the Big Four theme parks. The fact that the room size and layout are similar doesn't tell that much about the 'value' of a resort; if the AllStars were within walking distance of the MK, I bet it'd cost a lot more than it does today. But SSR will have a spiffier pool and it does have Second Tier park walking access - DTD, so it does make sense that it's priced a bit higher than OKW but a little less than the B's and VWL.

 

[crisi]

Here are the things that, in my mind, contribute to a lower point cost per night....

1) Location - this is a big one. BCV and BWV have walking access to two parks. VWL is considered a MK resort, and has a boat to the MK.

2) Attached to a hotel. BCV BWV and VWL are all part of Deluxe hotels and guests can take advantage of those amenities. Things like room service. Restaurants. Valet Parking (will SSR offer valet service?) Plus being attached to a hotel makes it really easy to book rooms at the hotel for friends. Want to take Aunt Polly but don't have enough points - book at the BW and have Aunt Polly stay in a BWI room.


Now, the lack of these things doesn't make OKW or SSR "lesser resorts" they just make it possible for Disney to charge a premium in points at BWV, BCV and VWL

 

[PamOKW]

I realize we are trying to determine how they come up with the points per room chart and why it came out less than the most recent resorts. I also know that I may not be explaining myself clearly. LOL!

I think the lower points may be due to the resort being larger...the cost is spread around more. (Using all ficticious numbers). Let's say the pool at BWV cost $20,000. They determined that BWV would sell a total of 5,000 points. Everyone is kicking in $4 toward the cost of the pool. The SSR pool costs a bit more because costs have gone up. It's $22,000. SSR is 4 times the size of BWV so they started out saying let's make it 20,000 points. Everyone is kicking in about a $1 toward the cost of the pool. Disney is making $3 more per person selling the pool. If they cut down the number of points to 18,000, they are still making a good profit. I'm just guessing that if they set the number of points at the same level and increased the price per point, possibly they would be pushing the limits of taking a profit on building.

 

[Lisa F]

Pam,

With all due respect (and I do respect your opinions and agree with you most of the time), I believe that if Disney thought they could get the same number of points per night without the perception that SSR was overpriced, they would. I don't buy that disney is capping their profits on that resort because they figure it's enough with the number of points they have to sell. I think they sat down and crunched some numbers and determined with that location that they had to offer some incentives to get people to buy. It's not a BAD location, but it just doesn't compare to BWV, BCV and VWL... if it did, they wouldn't have had to tear down the Disney Institute and their rooms in the first place.

Proximity to DTD is just NOT as valuable as proximity to a major park. I think most people would not want to spend monorail resort or Epcot resort prices to stay near DTD. It's just not the same. That doesn't mean it won't be a perfectly beautiful resort with wonderful amenities and bonuses all its own, but to be realistic it is missing that "wow" factor in regard to location, and I believe that to be the driving force behind the lower price. It's certainly a great value for people who PREFER that location.

Lisa

 

[dyingtodisney]

I agree with everything Pam has written, it just makes sense that with more rooms available = less points needed to cover same income for Disney.
Secondly I think location is probably the #1 reason overall!
Do we know if we'll have valet parking at SSR?

 

[Disney Doll]

My guess would be that since it is not attached to a resort, or located within walking/boating distance to a major park(although the way I shop, DD could be considered a major park, but that's another story ) figured into the point determination.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some folks don't like BCV,BWV because the location is busy, tohers folks love that "in the middle of it" feel. Some folks feel that VWL is "too far out", other folks love that serene feeling. Some folks don't like the OKW "pull up to your door" thing, and others love that.

I think SSR is a beautful resort, and I don't think point pricing is a reflection that it's not "as nice" as the others.

 

[pmcpmc]

Maybe it was priced for younger people like me to buy and enjoy all the happenings at westside

 

[CRSNDSNY]

It just seems that the fact that it is newer and of supposedly equal size and quality to BWV/BCV/BCV, it should cost the same points to stay there.

Did I misread or misunderstand something? -- I thought SSR (when all is said and done) is supposed to be the largest DVC Resort to date? Is this correct?

 

[dyingtodisney]

Melody- It is going to be the largest resort, I think they were talking about room size

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by dyingtodisney
Melody- It is going to be the largest resort, I think they were talking about room size

Ahhhh....I see.

So, which DVC Resort is the largest?

 

[crisi]

I thought about that more rooms thing too, but I wasn't sure. The press release said only 192 units (or something). Is that per building and how many buildings? How many units does OKW have.

I know that comparatively BCV and VWL are tiny, and BWV, although a little larger, isn't exactly huge (Number of Rooms, not Room Size, Richyams. We all know the rooms are the size of shoeboxes compared to OKWs palatial units). Makes sense that a rarer commodity costs a littler more points wise than one that isn't so rare.

 

[Dean]

SSR will not have the location or amenities of BCV, BWV or VWL. Is is more like a moderate in location, just as OKW is. It should not be the same points just because the rooms are the same size. Most people would never stay there if it were the same points. The other factor is that SSR is far more like OKW in many ways and the points structure had to at least compete with that of OKW.

 

[DVCPAT]

Disney built WDW around its theme park attractions so I would list location as the number one reason. A second reason could be its size. Many people don’t like huge resorts. They can get crowded and sometimes make you wait for the amenities they provide. I’m not saying SSR will have these problems, Disney does a great job providing service.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by crisi
I thought about that more rooms thing too, but I wasn't sure. The press release said only 192 units (or something). Is that per building and how many buildings? How many units does OKW have.

That is the number of rooms total in the first four buildings which will be open in 2004. The full development calls for an additional eight buildings, projected to open throughout 2005, which will bring the count to nearly 600. OKW is a bit smaller than that.