Home with news and rumors!

[starbox]

We're just back from two wonderful weeks at BWV, VB and SSR! We also are new owners at AKV with reservations for 5 nights SV in July!!

Minor DVC-related news and rumors. The marketing for AKV has really stepped up - there's an 100% AKV kiosk at EPCOT with garden statuary of the Lion King figures and AKV stickers. We were told that the final phase of SSR is complete and is over 80% sold and expected to be sold out by September.

I also had an interesting conversation with an insider @ DVC (not a guide) that went something like this:

DVC - Are you enjoying your vacation?
Me - Yes, we just love it here.
DVC - How many times have you visited?
Me - Lots, I grew up in Florida. We love DVC.
DVC - Have you been to Disneyland in California?
Me - No, but we'd love to go someday.
DVC - It's exciting news about the property DVC just acquired in Anaheim. You all will love visting DL.
Me - I'm sure we will.
DVC - I actually like DL better than WDW.

Hmmmmmm.

I'll post trip reports soon . I'm still wading through my billion digital pictures.

Animal Kingdom Villas Marketing/Kiosk in EPCOT (the speaker between Rafiki and Simba plays African music)

 

[Longhairbear]

...DVC - It's exciting news about the property DVC just acquired in Anaheim. You all will love visting DL.
Me - I'm sure we will.
DVC - I actually like DL better than WDW.
.
Wow, interesting conversation. We've been hearing of Disney approaching individual property owners about selling. I wonder which lot they've picked up?

 

[starbox]

I almost forgot to add one tidbit to the rumors - we were in the Grandstand at SSR and had a unit that faced the golf course and Treehouse Villas (Villas were clearly visible). There is what looks like a new and very well-landscaped walking path connecting the Grandstand to the Treehouse Villas.

Hmmmmmm. Perhaps they are keeping their options open about the future of that property after all. I could see them turning it into a community of GV-style "cottages" if there continues to be enough demand for GVs. It may explain why Grandstand got such a nice pool/barbeque pavilion/laundry facility/pool-bar/drink station when it's pretty close to the main buildings.

 

[BCV23]

I almost forgot to add one tidbit to the rumors - we were in the Grandstand at SSR and had a unit that faced the golf course and Treehouse Villas (Villas were clearly visible). There what looks like a new and very well-landscaped walking path connecting the Grandstand to the Treehouse Villas.

Hmmmmmm. Perhaps they are keeping their options open about the future of that property after all. I could see them turning it into a community of GV-style "cottages" if there continues to be enough demand for GVs. It may explain why Grandstand got such a nice pool/barbeque pavilion/laundry facility/pool-bar/drink station when it's pretty close to the main buildings.

Very cool rumor fodder! Your daughter is so cute. Congrats on AKV.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I almost forgot to add one tidbit to the rumors - we were in the Grandstand at SSR and had a unit that faced the golf course and Treehouse Villas (Villas were clearly visible). There is what looks like a new and very well-landscaped walking path connecting the Grandstand to the Treehouse Villas.

I would LOVE it if the treehouses were somehow refurbed and incorporated into SSR. I am pretty sure the college program residents are in there now and the treehouses are in kind of bad shape on the outside (overgrown weeds...). Does anyone know how big they are? They are totally cool looking!

 

[starbox]

I would LOVE it if the treehouses were somehow refurbed and incorporated into SSR. I am pretty sure the college program residents are in there now and the treehouses are in kind of bad shape on the outside (overgrown weeds...). Does anyone know how big they are? They are totally cool looking!

Here's a photo of the Treehouse Villas and the path. You can see the nice, new and landscaped walking path clearly as it runs along the outside of our Grandstand Building. On the other side of the golf green you can see one of the visible villas. To the left, you can see the walking path again as it rounds directly to the villas.

Zoom of connected path running to Treehouses:

 

[BroganMc]

Hmmmmmm. Perhaps they are keeping their options open about the future of that property after all. I could see them turning it into a community of GV-style "cottages" if there continues to be enough demand for GVs. It may explain why Grandstand got such a nice pool/barbeque pavilion/laundry facility/pool-bar/drink station when it's pretty close to the main buildings.

That's pretty much the gist of the conversation I had with the Groundskeeper one morning when I discovered the walkway. (It ends at the bridge to Treehouse Villas. Marked with a traffic cone and a pile of overgrown weeds.)

I did a little more questioning over the next day. Currently, they are using the villas for the college students. Mostly international students who are working at EPCOT. They have a bedroom on the first floor with laundry, then 3 bedrooms upstairs along with the kitchen, living room and deck. So they bunk 5-6 students per villa. The students didn't give it great ratings though. Apparently Disney doesn't provide them any direct bus service to work so they have to take some ridiculous form of switching to get there. It takes some well over an hour just to get to EPCOT. The ones staying at the complexes off Vineland liked it much better. (Busses run every 10-15 minutes and the complex is newer.)

None of those Villas are wheelchair friendly (like the old OKW buildings). I doubt there's enough space to comfortably fit the current Grand Villa size (12-13). They seem more befitting a two bedroom unit. That is unless they do some major remodeling. It may just be easier to tear them down and start fresh.

But with that walkway, I expect eventually they'll get to it. The location is perfect as an adjunct to OKW or SSR.

 

[byoung]

Thanks for the info.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

They seem more befitting a two bedroom unit. That is unless they do some major remodeling. It may just be easier to tear them down and start fresh.

You know- I heard they almost tore them down to rebuild something there years ago- but they are built on wetlands. A no-building-on-wetlands law had been past since the treehouses were originaly built. So it seems they can't tear down and rebuild, but only refurbish what already exists on the wetlands.

 

[halld6479]

When we were down there last week I ask what those paths were for and they said you can walk them now, but once the golf coarse reopens those are cart paths for the golfers. When riding the boats one day you could see the tree houses well and a couple had the curtains open and lights on and they looked old inside and needing updated but alot of promise if Disney would decide to be creative with them. One morning I was setting drinking coffee on the patio and runners were running the path that day.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

We also are new owners at AKV with reservations for 5 nights SV in July!!

I am soooo jealous... new owners of AKV? You didn't even give a hint of that. Are you holding off on VB? Congrats...

 

[deej696]

I've played golf at LBV several times in the last few years and I can attest that the Treehouses are in ssaaaddd shape. As particular as Disney is, I am suprised they have been allowed to stay standing, even if they are housing students. The area they are in is fairly "swampy" so that could be an issue, but my guess is that if Disney wanted to develop it, the district would find some way to make that happen. I would love to see them reopened some day however, even if they do seem to get in the way of errant tee shots on #16

 

[starbox]

I am soooo jealous... new owners of AKV? You didn't even give a hint of that. Are you holding off on VB? Congrats...

I was on a waiting list for VB, but all the contracts of the right size (we wanted 75-100) were stripped of points, which was not cool with me.

Then, the fact that DD and DS can have seperate sleeping accomodations in the AKV 1-bedroom was really attractive to DH - so we decided to go ahead and do AKV before the price increased. It made the most sense since I'm stuck with traveling the first of June or last of July for the forseeable future, and the 7 month window really is not an issue at that wildly hot and unpopular DVCer time of year. I am happy about AKV, but sad about not owning my favorite resort.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I was on a waiting list for VB, but all the contracts of the right size (we wanted 75-100) were stripped of points, which was not cool with me.

Then, the fact that DD and DS can have seperate sleeping accomodations in the AKV 1-bedroom was really attractive to DH - so we decided to go ahead and do AKV before the price increased. It made the most sense since I'm stuck with traveling the first of June or last of July for the forseeable future, and the 7 month window really is not an issue at that wildly hot and unpopular DVCer time of year. I am happy about AKV, but sad about not owning my favorite resort.

I understand... we are not ready yet to sell BWV and buy VB. It is still a pretty easy ressie to get.

Sounds like you all had the best of times...

 

[Snookies]

I've played golf at LBV several times in the last few years and I can attest that the Treehouses are in ssaaaddd shape. As particular as Disney is, I am suprised they have been allowed to stay standing, even if they are housing students. The area they are in is fairly "swampy" so that could be an issue, but my guess is that if Disney wanted to develop it, the district would find some way to make that happen. I would love to see them reopened some day however, even if they do seem to get in the way of errant tee shots on #16

My understanding is that any refurbishment, demolition, or construction with the villas would have to be ADA compliant, but also consistent with wetlands development legislation enacted since original construction. In other words, I don't think it is simply a matter of WDW or DVD deciding to do something with this property. With respect to the pictured path, isn't this the path connecting OKW to Downtown Disney? I have jogged a lot around OKW and it seems like this is the path that runs from OKW, past the blocked bridge tothe Treehouse Villas, ending at the LBV cart paths and clubshouse at SSR. In other words, I'm not sure the path suggests much, if anything, about the future of the Villas. I've also been told that some of the Villas sustained significant hurricane damage that has not been reparied, but the latter in only hearsay.

 

[starbox]

With respect to the pictured path, isn't this the path connecting OKW to Downtown Disney? I have jogged a lot around OKW and it seems like this is the path that runs from OKW, past the blocked bridge tothe Treehouse Villas, ending at the LBV cart paths and clubshouse at SSR. In other words, I'm not sure the path suggests much, if anything, about the future of the Villas.

If you look at the first picture, you can see a new path that is running right along the exterior of SSR's third Grandstand building. It loops past the end of the golf course and connects with the older existing path in the 2nd picture. It connects the villas to the main pool/laundry/bus facilities in Grandstand, and it's definately a new and intentional path.

I was surprised to see that they built a path. I'm not saying that they'll do something with the villas (and I think it would involve a very major rehab to bring them in line with the design of SSR), but I do think that they must be keeping that option open. After staying in Grandstand, all the facilities seem just a little too nice for such a small section that is really very close to the main buildings already. It seems like it would make sense for them to intend for them to be shared by the villa area one day.

 

[momba#9]

Congratulations on the great trip. Sounds like you guys had a blast!

The SSR sell out date you mention is contrary to what my guide told me this week. I called with some AKV questions and I asked about SSR sales. I was told sales were good but has slowed since AKV was announced. He also stated that it would likely be sold out NEXT summer.

When I asked what was next after SSR the phone suddenly got quiet. No comments from him.



Mike

 

[Simba's Mom]

Animal Kingdom Villas Marketing/Kiosk in EPCOT (the speaker between Rafiki and Simba plays African music)

That sales kiosk looks beautiful. Is it where it was before-on the walkway under the "arch of lights" in FW? If not, where is it?

 

[starbox]

That sales kiosk looks beautiful. Is it where it was before-on the walkway under the "arch of lights" in FW? If not, where is it?

It's near the Outpost where the African storytelling takes place - right in the middle of the WS.

 

[crazywig]

that Kiosk was there during Flower & Garden festival, it's very cool, I'm glad they kept it up!