Just got back from the World and before I give a full report I will put this little diddy to you all. The family and I were being driven to SSR to buy more DVC and as we were driving past the Treehouse Villas, we asked the driver about them, the CM stated thet they were going to renovate them which we thought was great, they seemed to be overgrown, I had asked if they were going to become part of DVC, the CM stated no and the rumor is, "Quote" in his words were that they were going to be used for the CP, I am just relaying the rumor as it was stated to me. Which would be really good because some if not alot of the the college CM's have some problems with housing and this would make it less of a strain for them. No doubt Disney would charge them to stay there, but I think it won't be like what they would have to pay for housing off site.
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Treehouse Villas rumor
- Thread starter Craig & Lisa
- Start date
Soarinluvr
New Member
Interesting rumor but sadly completely false. The treehouse villa's are vacated and not under any rehab. they cant be torn town cause of the ecosystem and have structural problems. But besides that there are no plans to use them anytime soon. Although if they could fix them and open them to the public again that would be really great.
imagineersrock
New Member
Soarinluvr said:
Actually, I'm pretty sure it's true. Not sure where, but I recently heard the same thing somewhere on this site. Something about them being used in the near future to house international CP. (Mainly a large group coming from Brazil to help with the busy winter season.)
edit: Looks like two others beat me to it! :animwink:
niteobsrvr
Well-Known Member
raven said:
I would be very very suprised that they had structural problems. Here is the website for the company that built them. (For those of you who may not beleive it, please read the "about us" section where it specifically mention the project at Walt Disney World.)
www.topsider.com
tn1999
New Member
I, too, can attest that the treehouse villas, and the old disney institute villas (that will be knocked down soon for phase 2 of saratoga springs) have been used by the WDWCP. Recently (after sept 11, 2001) Disney has been accepting way more CP's than they have room for, because of the cheap labor. They have even rented out space at the Millenia Apartments near Millenia Mall for advanced interns. The Commons is exclusively international program, but if it is true that Brazilians used the treehouse, it is apparent the international program has expanded too.
Grantsdale
New Member
They don't have structural problems. The problem is that they aren't ADA compliant, and as such cannot operate as a hotel.
DisneyBuff
New Member
When I was a cp in fall 2003 they had just re-opened Chatham, we only had 4 buildings open. The Brazilians where also housed there, it caused alot of problems. I knew people who left the program do to the problems. I could see them housing them seprately. Also Commons is full most of the time so there is no room there to house more international program people.
The problem with the villas is not that they are structurally unsound (except for the ones rumored to be damaged by the hurricanes last year, maybe). The problem is that there isn't an elevator or wheelchair ramp to them, and thus they aren't ADA compliant, and can't be operated as a hotel without ADA compliance.
brertigger
Member
Last time I was at WDW (this past June), several CMs on the Riverside boat to Downtown Disney said that they will begin tearing several of the treehouses down, because Saratoga Springs will eventually take the place of all of them and become the largest Disney resort.
niteobsrvr
Well-Known Member
episode said:
The following are from the Q and A section of the US Department of Justice website regarding the ADA laws. Disney would not be required to retrofit the the Treehouse Villas. They offer a multitude of ADA compliant properties that allow a person with a disability to participate in the Walt Disney World experience.
Q. Are there any limitations on the ADA's barrier removal requirements for existing facilities?
A. Yes. Barrier removal need be accomplished only when it is "readily achievable" to do so.
Q. What does the term "readily achievable" mean?
A. It means "easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense."
Q. What are examples of the types of modifications that would be readily achievable in most cases?
A. Examples include the simple ramping of a few steps, the installation of grab bars where only routine reinforcement of the wall is required, the lowering of telephones, and similar modest adjustments.
Q. Will businesses need to install elevators?
A. Businesses are not required to retrofit their facilities to install elevators unless such installation is readily achievable, which is unlikely in most cases.
niteobsrvr said:
What you fail to take into account is that the treehouse villas are not a currently running hotel, and as such would have to meet all requirements when they reopened. But it was a nice effort. (In other words, they aren't classified as an existing facility because they weren't operating continuously.)
I do for a fact know that they still have power going to them because they leave the lights on at night, could see them from the shuttle boat from OKW to DTD this past wed., for something that isn't really used they seemed to be in pretty good shape, and did not look like they would need too much work to get them going again. And as for how much farther SSR is going to expand, when we bought into DVC we were told the land that is currently being worked on, meaning the land that is cleared is as far as they are going to go. Which is still a farely large area of land.
niteobsrvr
Well-Known Member
episode said:
If you have the time, please post the factual information on which you have made you assertion.
Taking the Villas out of Service and then reopening them at a later time does not change whether or not they were an existing facility. The ADA laws sperate buildings by "existing" or "new construction". It does not adress the issue of the business or accomodation being an "on-going concern".
