Is DVC Getting too Big?

[tomandrobin]

When I bought, I can assure you I was unaware that Disney was building an 800-unit DVC bus resort (!) with no full-service restaurant so spread out that it required an internal bus system. .

Did you ask if DVC was going to build a large resort? Did DVC say they were not going to build any future large resorts? Would had mattered if they told you or not?

BWV, BCV and VWL do not have a full service restaurant. They restuarants located in the adjacent resorts or properties, but not in the resorts. SSR did not either, mostly cause of its close location to DTD and its restuarants. But they did add a full service restuarant at SSR.

And as far as bus service, tell me how you enjoy sharing your bus service to MK with Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Yacht, Beach Club and Beach club Villas. Not that is a nighmare.

Despite having all the space in the world, they built tiny rooms. I knew SSR was out there when I bought, but not the nightmare that it is in terms of size..

Rooms are basically the same size as all the other resorts, except OKW. And why is the resort a nightmare to you? The resort amenities are centrally located and a easy walk from all areas of the resort.

So my point is, I'm mad at the rules, not anyone who takes advantage of them. I plan to be taking advantage of these rule distortions soon because it is in my economic interest to do so. But I still think it's wrong and would much prefer that they be changed so that people could buy at the resort they like the most, and be given a really meaningful preference there, far beyond the 7-month booking window.

You complain about the system, yet you are becoming part of that stated dislike of the system. Can't have it both ways.

 

[tomandrobin]

Not to side track anything, but VWL does indeed have a themed pool.

MG

Where? It has a pool, but not a themed pool. There is a nice themed pool over at the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Where? It has a pool, but not a themed pool. There is a nice themed pool over at the Wilderness Lodge.

The pool is extremely themed, right down to the bubbling hot springs IN the pool. The rock deck and landscaping alone screams wilderness. The music is also piped in nearby.
I'm not sure how much more themed it could get..

MG

 

[crisi]

BWV, BCV and VWL do not have a full service restaurant. They restuarants located in the adjacent resorts or properties, but not in the resorts. SSR did not either, mostly cause of its close location to DTD and its restuarants. But they did add a full service restuarant at SSR.

I have to disagree with this - At Boardwalk the restaurants are as accessible to BWV guests as BWI guests - you have to go out on the Boardwalk to get to ANY of them - none of them are "in" the resort proper. BWV is perhaps the best "integrated" hotel/DVC resort - the DVC side got the theme pool and the lobby is shared - and closer to the DVC side. This isn't bragging OR bashing - its one of the things some people like about BWV, but other people don't like, the "hotel" feeling. BWV doesn't feel like a DVC "club" like OKW does at all. BCV has interior access to the Y&BC restaurants - it may be a little hike, but its probably less of a hike to get to Cape May from BCV than it is from the far end of the Yacht Club. Its the ONLY DVC resort where you can get food when its raining without risking getting wet. VWL is seperated - by about 20 yards of covered walkway (you probably won't get wet unless its a big storm). Since Y&BC/BCV and BWI/BWV are all in the same building, its hard to say that the resort amenities are not in the resort.

 

[tomandrobin]

I have to disagree with this - At Boardwalk the restaurants are as accessible to BWV guests as BWI guests - you have to go out on the Boardwalk to get to ANY of them - none of them are "in" the resort proper. BWV is perhaps the best "integrated" hotel/DVC resort - the DVC side got the theme pool and the lobby is shared - and closer to the DVC side. This isn't bragging OR bashing - its one of the things some people like about BWV, but other people don't like, the "hotel" feeling. BWV doesn't feel like a DVC "club" like OKW does at all. BCV has interior access to the Y&BC restaurants - it may be a little hike, but its probably less of a hike to get to Cape May from BCV than it is from the far end of the Yacht Club. Its the ONLY DVC resort where you can get food when its raining without risking getting wet. VWL is seperated - by about 20 yards of covered walkway (you probably won't get wet unless its a big storm). Since Y&BC/BCV and BWI/BWV are all in the same building, its hard to say that the resort amenities are not in the resort.

DTD restuarants are accesible to SSR guests. I will agree that BWV is the best "integrated" hotel/DVC resort. Boardwalk Hotel and the Villas was planned to be built together. But the key is Boardwalk was planned. BCV and VWL were added later to an existing resort. BCV in particular was queezed in behind the existing Hotel.

People post on here as to which resort has this and what resort has that. I am just stating facts as to what is actually part of the resort. SAB is not part of BCV. BCV guests are allowed to use the pool. Disney can sell DVC and thier resorts (they won't, but they can). If BCV was sold, SAB does not go with it. If VWL was sold, thier guests may not be allowed to use the WL pools. The fact is OKW, SSR and AKV are the closest to being complete, stand alone resorts. BWV is a very close second, depending how you look at the amenities located on the Boardwalk.

 

[LisaS]

When I bought I met a couple staying at BWV who owned at HHI. They encouraged me to buy HHI instead of some place onsite because "you can always stay here and the maintenance is cheaper".

Considering that HHI's dues are now the second highest, I'll bet you're glad you weren't swayed by that argument. It's interesting how much things can change in only a year or two!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Where? It has a pool, but not a themed pool. There is a nice themed pool over at the Wilderness Lodge.

I absolutely love the springs in the villa pool at VWL. My DM was with us one coolish December, she was sitting on the side, with just the feet in the hot tub there one morning, she looked around and said that she loved this place, so relaxing and beautiful...this was the villa pool area, certainly themed.

Bobbi

 

[LisaS]

The fact is OKW, SSR and AKV are the closest to being complete, stand alone resorts.

I'm not sure I would call AKV a "stand alone" resort since it relies on AKL to hold it up.

ETA: I understand you are referring to Kidani Village, but given what exists of AKV today, the phrase "stand alone" just struck me as very funny!

 

[tomandrobin]

I absolutely love the springs in the villa pool at VWL. My DM was with us one coolish December, she was sitting on the side, with just the feet in the hot tub there one morning, she looked around and said that she loved this place, so relaxing and beautiful...this was the villa pool area, certainly themed.

Bobbi

Yes it is nice, just not what some of the "others" were considering a "drop dead draw". SSR has four pools, two of then extensively themed areas, but if its not SAB, then its not considered drop dead.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Yes it is nice, just not what some of the "others" were considering a "drop dead draw". SSR has four pools, two of then extensively themed areas, but if its not SAB, then its not considered drop dead.

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but Stormalong Bay isn't a draw for me at all. It's nice to sit by, but not any nicer than any other pool in my opinion.
It's certainly not worth buying points just to use it. The only time we used it was when we stayed at the Yacht Club when Vero was closed for one of the hurricanes.

MG

 

[tomandrobin]

I'm not sure I would call AKV a "stand alone" resort since it relies on AKL to hold it up.

ETA: I understand you are referring to Kidani Village, but given what exists of AKV today, the phrase "stand alone" just struck me as very funny!

Yes, I was referring to Kidani Village. AKV is really an odd resort when you look at its final version. The new construction will be its own resort, with Jambo House being in the Lodge. Its like two different resorts with the same name.

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

I've seen mention of a value DVC resort.

I think this would really defeat the purpose of, and what attracted us to, DVC in the first place. the ability to stay at luxury accommodations for essentially the price of a value resort. If I wanted to stay value I could have banked the money I paid upfront for DVC and rented rooms using the interest at the value hotels on or off property. Just wouldn't make sense to me

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I think this would really defeat the purpose of, and what attracted us to, DVC in the first place. the ability to stay at luxury accommodations for essentially the price of a value resort. If I wanted to stay value I could have banked the money I paid upfront for DVC and rented rooms using the interest at the value hotels on or off property. Just wouldn't make sense to me

Again, I don't understand this...
You wouldn't have to stay there, and the folks that do want to stay there would get a bargain price as compared to a cash rate.

MG

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

Again, I don't understand this...
You wouldn't have to stay there, and the folks that do want to stay there would get a bargain price as compared to a cash rate.

MG

Well I am speaking only for "ME" hence the phrase "wouldn't make sense to me" the OP asked for opinions that was mine. It may differ with others, yet somehow I have the strange idea I am entitled to one, just as you are. I was simply stating that the draw for ME was the ability to stay in better accommodations than I normally would purchase when I vacationed.

 

[Mississippian]

You complain about the system, yet you are becoming part of that stated dislike of the system. Can't have it both ways.

I know people who support higher taxes, but it doesn't mean they send in extra money that they don't have to every year.

I personally think that people should have to pay a small surcharge to stay outside their home resort. But since that isn't the rule, I plan to buy some points at the cheapest resort (HHI) and use them when I can to book rooms at one of the most expensive ones.

There is nothing inconsistent in taking advantage of a policy that I disapprove of or would like to see changed. In fact, failure to do so would be economic folly.

So even as I plan to take advantage of what I view as a distortion in point values, I still think the rules should be changed to make it just a little harder to do.

 

[Donna]

I know people who support higher taxes, but it doesn't mean they send in extra money that they don't have to every year.

I personally think that people should have to pay a small surcharge to stay outside their home resort. But since that isn't the rule, I plan to buy some points at the cheapest resort (HHI) and use them when I can to book rooms at one of the most expensive ones.

There is nothing inconsistent in taking advantage of a policy that I disapprove of or would like to see changed. In fact, failure to do so would be economic folly.

So even as I plan to take advantage of what I view as a distortion in point values, I still think the rules should be changed to make it just a little harder to do.

I'd be careful with HH, their dues increase more than any other resort, consistently each year. Last year, they maxed out at the 15% increase allowable.

 

[Big J]

We joined years ago with our home resort being one of the "small" resorts. At the time, I did not care where our home resort was. We joined to stay at any resort that we wanted on each trip, includeing some of the non DVCs. This is how things worked until the last year or two. Now I feel very limited, and feel that this is not what we signed up for. When we joined, I thought the more resorts the better, I want as many choices as possible. But I have found that one very new very large resort can change the whole program. Bigger is not always worse, but bigger done slightly wrong can make a huge negative impact. At least IMO.

 

[Sammie]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but Stormalong Bay isn't a draw for me at all. It's nice to sit by, but not any nicer than any other pool in my opinion.
It's certainly not worth buying points just to use it. The only time we used it was when we stayed at the Yacht Club when Vero was closed for one of the hurricanes.

MG

It is impressive at first, but when you use it a few times it loses it's appeal. It is not user friendly and definitely not user friendly for parent's of multiple age children. I like the larger deck and more central pool like SSR's main pool where adults can enjoy the pool and yet keep the kids in view.

 

[Sammie]

I'd be careful with HH, their dues increase more than any other resort, consistently each year. Last year, they maxed out at the 15% increase allowable.

That has not been the case each year, last year it was mainly due to beach restoration.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Well I am speaking only for "ME" hence the phrase "wouldn't make sense to me" the OP asked for opinions that was mine. It may differ with others, yet somehow I have the strange idea I am entitled to one, just as you are. I was simply stating that the draw for ME was the ability to stay in better accommodations than I normally would purchase when I vacationed.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off sounding harsh.
My question is why would it defeat the purpose of DVC for you? You can still use your DVC for the exact reasons you bought it for... saving on deluxe accommodations. You could actually pretend the value DVC doesn't even exist, as it wouldn't affect you in any way.

Again, I'm just trying to understand, and I'm not trying to devalue your opinion..

MG