Certainly there are many thing that Disney CAN legally do, but I don't see any real signs that they are interested in building a "Value DVC" location.
The current product is very simple to explain. Even the RCI trading options--which are more troublesome than a salesperson will typically let on--have the same concept at their core (points = room.)
But when you start to introduce DVC Deluxe, DVC Value, different owners paying different rates for the same accommodations, some owners can trade and others cannot, potentially different booking windows...the entire program suffers due to the complexities. Some people would walk away simply because they cannot immediately grasp all of the except/but conditions involved with booking certain destinations.
A Value/Moderate DVC may allow them to attract new customers. But they would lose business via some buyers choosing to purchase the Value DVC rather than the Deluxe DVC. Disney wants to use DVC to up-sell people to Deluxe accommodations--not just to give them a cheaper way to maintain their current Value or Moderate habits.
From a marketing standpoint, it costs about the same to complete a sale regardless of whether the buyer purchases 160 points or 1000 points. In other words, selling 500 Deluxe contracts of 160 points each is FAR more profitable than selling 1000 Value contracts of 80 points each.
Additionally, in today's economy lending has come under greater scrutiny. DVC is requiring greater downpayments than they did a couple years ago, and in some cases they are even withholding incentives until buyers complete several months worth of payments (the recent AP incentive.)
With that in mind, to be blunt I don't see Disney going to great lengths to offer 10-year mortgages to people who can't even afford the $250 monthly payment required to buy 160 points at the current Deluxe locations.
They don't have the space for the sleeper chair in most of the older villas. The rooms at Kidani, BLT and VGC were built wider than previous resorts. The sleeper chair fits between the queen sofabed and the TV/armoire.
Old Key West villas are more spacious and will be getting the sleeper chairs also. But the other resorts just don't have room. I had hoped perhaps they would add the fold-down Murphy Beds that have been included in the design at VGC, but the fact that BWV did not get them speaks for itself. Perhaps the walls are not reinforced enough to mount the Murphy Bed frame or the space is still too narrow for even that addition.
Those who bought into Old Key West when DVC was in its infancy will tell you that Disney initially positioned the program as being truly elite destinations. The One Bedroom villas were presented as being more suitable for just two occupants (given the presence of just one legitimate bed), while the sofabed was still available in a pinch. Two Bedroom villas were portrayed as being best-suited for 4-6 occupants.
The desire to grow the program and increase sales have driven DVC to expand that occupancy, particularly with the sleeper chair.
In most cases, even that is just a temporary solution for families. In theory, it sounds great to buy into DVC--book One Bedroom villas--and put the kids ages 4, 6 and 8 in the living room. Even in the older resorts, you put two on the sleeper sofa and a third in a sleeping bag or air bed. But good luck staying in that One Bedroom when those kids are ages 12, 14 and 16...especially if you only have one bathroom. :dazzle:
Which is of course why we own at the BLT @ CR (Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort)!!!