News New Polynesian Resort DVC villas building to open 2024

[GoofGoof]

But are you guys the outliers or the majority?

And even if it’s more close to even…who is Disney selling to now?

They’re certainly not angling DVC to the “kitchen crowd” these days

The 1 bedroom villas are much less popular than the studios (same number of people accommodated) so I think that there are likely more owners who prefer the prepaid studio hotel room vs a true condo. The fact that they keep building DVC resorts with studio, 1BR and 2BR units means some portion of the buyers must be looking for villas at least some of the time. I would agree we are not the majority but also probably not just a few outliers either.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Many may know that the BLT was built on completely cleared ground that had been the site of the previous north garden wing. The north garden wing building was entirely demolished and removed prior to construction of the BLT. To say that the BLT was "built over" the north garden wing may leave some with the incorrect impression that there are remnants of the north garden wing that still exist and/or that there are portions of the north garden wing hidden and/or buried in the BLT. No such remnants exist of the building that served as the North Garden Wing. YMMV

BLT was built over one of the garden wings but it still added more guests.

 

[GoofGoof]

Many may know that the BLT was built on completely cleared ground that had been the site of the previous north garden wing. The north garden wing building was entirely demolished and removed prior to construction of the BLT. To say that the BLT was "built over" the north garden wing may leave some with the incorrect impression that there are remnants of the north garden wing that still exist and/or that there are portions of the north garden wing hidden and/or buried in the BLT. No such remnants exist of the building that served as the North Garden Wing. YMMV

Sorry I wasn’t trying to imply the garden wing is still there. BLT was built over the land formerly occupied by one of the garden wings so my point is that the demolition of the garden wing reduced the number of guest rooms at CR using the monorail and then the addition of BLT increased the number. It was a net increase in rooms which really hasn‘t had a major impact on the monorail. For Poly this new tower isn’t replacing hotel rooms so it’s an increase in guests.

 

[correcaminos]

But are you guys the outliers or the majority?

And even if it’s more close to even…who is Disney selling to now?

They’re certainly not angling DVC to the “kitchen crowd” these days

Honestly I'd guess more want at least a kitchenette but for quick trips some won't care. Back in 2015 they did PVB with over 300 studios and 20 bungalows. Not having 1 or 2 bedrooms really made people angry. DVC head guy at the time, Ken Potrock, even made mention of how they made a mistake in doing so when talking about CCV. That they listened to feedback.

I don't do all meals at Disney because of money at all. I can easily afford it. I just don't want to. We arrived at noon on Monday and had a quick meal at Captain Cooks before heading off to Epcot. Then dinner at Contempo Cafe before heading back for extra hours. Tuesday morning had breakfast again at Capt Cook and lunch at the Plaza. By dinner I was done and bought bagels and had some fruit at the room. It was just too different from normal for me

So next morning I had a bagel while my kid had eggs which was actually kinda gross. Huge lunch at WCC. Dole whips later and he got a light meal himself from QS. I had left over corn bread for dinner lol

It's not always about a full kitchen. But ability to be more like home

Outside of the studios Disney is very much angling to the kitchen crowd. CCV, RR, and this announcement for Polynesian all point to that. Yes VGF is an outlier but I cannot guess what they think changed from 2015 ... VGF points aren't cheap nor are costs for rooms...

 

[correcaminos]

Sorry I wasn’t trying to imply the garden wing is still there. BLT was built over the land formerly occupied by one of the garden wings so my point is that the demolition of the garden wing reduced the number of guest rooms at CR using the monorail and then the addition of BLT increased the number. It was a net increase in rooms which really hasn‘t had a major impact on the monorail. For Poly this new tower isn’t replacing hotel rooms so it’s an increase in guests.

It will be an increase but BLT was a much bigger tower than this should be. Depends on who you talk to on room gestimations as well. I don't think this will be as large as even VGF was which also added guests to GF without much issue.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Of course you are right, GoofGoof. Some others may not know that the north garden wing was eradicated from the face of the earth so that enough land existed for the BLT and its associated pool are could be built. Net rooms were added at the loss of the north garden wing rooms for a larger and taller tower to occupy land that previously had a two story building and some tennis-courts on it. Merely trying to add clarifying detail to your post which undoubtedly correctly notes the same location being re-used. To our knowledge, entirely new footers were poured so none of the footprint of the north garden wing remained.

 

[GoofGoof]

It will be an increase but BLT was a much bigger tower than this should be. Depends on who you talk to on room gestimations as well. I don't think this will be as large as even VGF was which also added guests to GF without much issue.

Agreed. If they add a restaurant or 2 plus another pool I don’t see any issue with the resort amenities being overrun. They can always add more buses or use the bigger boats for the MK launches.

 

[correcaminos]

Agreed. If they add a restaurant or 2 plus another pool I don’t see any issue with the resort amenities being overrun. They can always add more buses or use the bigger boats for the MK launches.

Absolutely! They were doing bigger boats this week at points anyway due to bigger crowds. Buses are pretty easy to call in too. That part doesn't stress me at all Polynesian is an every growing and changing resort really. A lot has happened continually since it opened.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Honestly I'd guess more want at least a kitchenette but for quick trips some won't care. Back in 2015 they did PVB with over 300 studios and 20 bungalows. Not having 1 or 2 bedrooms really made people angry. DVC head guy at the time, Ken Potrock, even made mention of how they made a mistake in doing so when talking about CCV. That they listened to feedback.

I don't do all meals at Disney because of money at all. I can easily afford it. I just don't want to. We arrived at noon on Monday and had a quick meal at Captain Cooks before heading off to Epcot. Then dinner at Contempo Cafe before heading back for extra hours. Tuesday morning had breakfast again at Capt Cook and lunch at the Plaza. By dinner I was done and bought bagels and had some fruit at the room. It was just too different from normal for me

So next morning I had a bagel while my kid had eggs which was actually kinda gross. Huge lunch at WCC. Dole whips later and he got a light meal himself from QS. I had left over corn bread for dinner lol

It's not always about a full kitchen. But ability to be more like home

Outside of the studios Disney is very much angling to the kitchen crowd. CCV, RR, and this announcement for Polynesian all point to that. Yes VGF is an outlier but I cannot guess what they think changed from 2015 ... VGF points aren't cheap nor are costs for rooms...

I’m gonna let you in on a secret: they want you buying their food.

Don’t think we need to debate motives on this one.

But there’s room for everyone.

A fridge/sink/microwave is advantageous to most I think. Beyond that? Maybe not so much

 

[GoofGoof]

Absolutely! They were doing bigger boats this week at points anyway due to bigger crowds. Buses are pretty easy to call in too. That part doesn't stress me at all Polynesian is an every growing and changing resort really. A lot has happened continually since it opened.

Yep, when we were there in August and the monorail station was still closed they used the bigger boats a lot.

Small

Large

 

[correcaminos]

Yep, when we were there in August and the monorail station was still closed they used the bigger boats a lot.

Small
View attachment 628059
Large
View attachment 628060

They were using the ones you see from WL too in addition to these. Or so I saw from afar as I only went to MK one day.

 

[correcaminos]

I’m gonna let you in on a secret: they want you buying their food.

Don’t think we need to debate motives on this one.

But there’s room for everyone.

A fridge/sink/microwave is advantageous to most I think. Beyond that? Maybe not so much

Again it depends on who you are. Having laundry on site is big for some. Not for us with small trips but it's nice to come home to clean clothes.

There is room for all. And yes Disney does want you to buy their food hence mini marts on site. They also cater to who will buy.

They made mistakes with PVB and seem to want to rectify it. What they are doing with VGF is an anomaly again and a bit puzzling. But we'll see how it shakes out. The cost per point is a lot for those with small contracts. The $32k for a hotel room is a but much to swallow too.

They do take lots of types but IMO with the borrowing restrictions in place as well as the minimum buy in, I'm wondering if more purchases will be add on vs new. I'll be interested to see how it shakes out. It gives me hope that PVB is just an addition to the original though much like AKL and SSR.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

The 1 bedroom villas are much less popular than the studios (same number of people accommodated) so I think that there are likely more owners who prefer the prepaid studio hotel room vs a true condo. The fact that they keep building DVC resorts with studio, 1BR and 2BR units means some portion of the buyers must be looking for villas at least some of the time. I would agree we are not the majority but also probably not just a few outliers either.

I'm in the "prefer a 1-bedroom over a studio" camp. A real fridge and freezer to keep our drinks cold and a washer and dryer for our clothes are both nice features. Add in real utensils, mugs, and glasses for when we bring our Mobile Oder meals back to the room and a dishwasher so we don't have to wash those dishes by hand and I'll take the Villa every time it's available. For a quick stay, a studio is fine, but I like the extra space the Villas offer.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm in the "prefer a 1-bedroom over a studio" camp. A real fridge and freezer to keep our drinks cold and a washer and dryer for our clothes are both nice features. Add in real utensils, mugs, and glasses for when we bring our Mobile Oder meals back to the room and a dishwasher so we don't have to wash those dishes by hand and I'll take the Villa every time it's available. For a quick stay, a studio is fine, but I like the extra space the Villas offer.

Statistically…however…they always have had a hard time booking 1 bedroom as opposed to the others. I always thought they missed on a bedding configuration there somehow…for double the points, you should be able to sleep at least 1 more person comfortably

 

[doctornick]

I definitely find discussions about "what DVC owners want" to be amusing. Anyone who tries to speak for the entirety of the group... isn't doing so. Because at this point, DCV owners are extremely varied in what they want with the product. Some want a vacation home with space, full kitchen, laundry etc. Others want just a cheaper pre-paid hotel room in a prime location. Some prefer having two queen beds for more people to be comfortable; others prefer the folded couch allowing for more living space when not sleeping. Some prefer separate buildings that are more isolated and quiet; others prefer to be in a tower and able to walk indoors/directly/quickly to resort services. Some go every year or multiple times a year and always have an AP in hand; others bank and borrow and only go every 2 or 3 years.

The one conclusion I will say is that the number of DVC owners who use it to get cheaper hotel accommodations and aren't looking for "extras" (like kitchens, washing machine, etc) has got to be somewhat significant (I'm not saying a majority) since the lowest point category (Standard or in DAK's case Value) studios are pretty much the quickest things to fill at any DVC resort.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Statistically…however…they always have had a hard time booking 1 bedroom as opposed to the others. I always thought they missed on a bedding configuration there somehow…for double the points, you should be able to sleep at least 1 more person comfortably

Sure. I know I'm not representative of the majority on that preference, but I don't think it's some tiny group, either. For some people a studio is their preference and for others it's a matter of not having enough points for a Villa (or maximizing their length of stay by optingfor the cheaper room). Before we added on a couple smaller contracts we only booked studios. But having more points now, we're more likely to choose a Villa unless we're running low on points. A short trip (2-3 nights) could go either way. If it's before a cruise I want a Villa so I can get laundry done without having to deal with the community laundry room. If it's just a long weekend I could go with a studio or splurge for a more expensive room that would normally eat up too many points on a longer stay.

 

[doctornick]

I know this won’t happen, but they should really build a new and much larger Trader Sams in this new building and then convert the current location to either another lounge or expand the quick serve.

I would love this. Trader Sam's is awesome but too small for how popular it can get. In particular, it really needs more bar seating which is better for smaller groups (or individuals) to pop in an get a drink and enjoy the ambiance. Would allow for more turnover I would think.

I get that part of the appeal is having a tight knit space where everyone can witness and enjoy the effects but I think have a place that is (say) 20-40% larger without losing that intimacy.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I would love this. Trader Sam's is awesome but too small for how popular it can get. In particular, it really needs more bar seating which is better for smaller groups (or individuals) to pop in an get a drink and enjoy the ambiance. Would allow for more turnover I would think.

I get that part of the appeal is having a tight knit space where everyone can witness and enjoy the effects but I think have a place that is (say) 20-40% larger without losing that intimacy.

I don’t think that’s impossible.

They could probably use the existing one for swing space and then have a better one built in the new construction as a sales draw.

I hope this didn’t involve another half-hearted attempt at a roof top? They haven’t done wonders trying that.

 

[correcaminos]

Sure. I know I'm not representative of the majority on that preference, but I don't think it's some tiny group, either. For some people a studio is their preference and for others it's a matter of not having enough points for a Villa (or maximizing their length of stay by optingfor the cheaper room). Before we added on a couple smaller contracts we only booked studios. But having more points now, we're more likely to choose a Villa unless we're running low on points. A short trip (2-3 nights) could go either way. If it's before a cruise I want a Villa so I can get laundry done without having to deal with the community laundry room. If it's just a long weekend I could go with a studio or splurge for a more expensive room that would normally eat up too many points on a longer stay.

You're not alone. There are some different camps. Those who commando the parks and only want a place to sleep. We did 3 nights in a studio for 2 of us. I was itching for a 1 bedroom after the 2nd night. We do 2 bedrooms for 3 because many still have sleeper sofas. Hate those things. I prefer 1 bedrooms to studios for sure.

1 bedrooms are pletniful though and don’t mind that they are easier to get.

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm in the "prefer a 1-bedroom over a studio" camp. A real fridge and freezer to keep our drinks cold and a washer and dryer for our clothes are both nice features. Add in real utensils, mugs, and glasses for when we bring our Mobile Oder meals back to the room and a dishwasher so we don't have to wash those dishes by hand and I'll take the Villa every time it's available. For a quick stay, a studio is fine, but I like the extra space the Villas offer.

This is exactly how I feel. We did a split stay with a majority of the time in a villa at BCV and 4 nights at Poly in a studio. Longer stays I definitely prefer a villa.