The 2015 Disney Vacation Club Condominium Association Meeting yielded substantial information on upcoming resort refurbishment projects and a few other details highlighting changes planned for 2016.
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Beach Club Villas refurbishment concept
As in prior years, the condo assocation meeting is largely a scripted affair with several legally-required tasks completed. Disney Vacation Club Senior Vice President and General Manager Ken Potrock hosted the affair for the third consecutive year.
Following opening remarks, Potrock and other members of the Disney Vacation Club Board of Directors approved the resort budgets and annual dues amounts for the 2016 calendar year. Treasurer Terri Schultz noted that 2016 dues increases for all condominium associations are "generally lower" than the prior year. Labor costs and employee benefits continue to be the primary driver of increases, however 2016 dues benefit from an expected reduction in lower utility prices.
Animal Kingdom Villas refurbishment concept
Property taxes--which are based upon assessed property values as determined by Orange County--have risen dramatically. Schultz indicated that DVC has paid the assessed taxes in order to avoid any interest and penalties--and even take advantage of some savings. However they are actively challenging the assessed values. If the challenge is successful, overpayments will be recovered.
Among the other formalities completed during the meeting were re-election of board members and ratification of an annual motion to move any excess dues collections from 2015 in the the resort's capital reserves fund.
Potrock briefly addressed the new condominium assocation planned for Disney's Wildnerness Lodge. Unfortunately, Disney Vacation Club has not completed the necessary regulatory filings in order to discuss details regarding this new timeshare project, so Potrock could only promise to share additional details at some future date.
Vero Beach refurbishment concept
Moving on to room renovations, Treasurer Terri Schulz previously noted that Disney Vacation Club has has decided to accellerate the full renovoation schedule which was put into place at DVC's inception. The original intent was to completely renovate all villas within a resort every 24 years. This full renovation would transform the accommodation into essentially a brand new room.
DVC has increased the frequency of these full renovations from every 24 years to every 14 years. According to budget projections, making this change resulted in an impact to member dues of less than 1%.
Between these full renovations are lesser updates to "soft goods" and "hard goods" which are scheduled about every 7 years. Soft goods typically consist of design materials including bedding, wall, window and floor coverings and upholstery. Hard goods refurbishments include updates to appliances and furniture.
Treehouse Villas refurbishment concept
Among the refurbishment projects on tap for 2016 are:
- Disney's Beach Club Villas - project was delayed from 2015 to allow designers additional time for planning. Renovations to bathroom were not originally planned, but have since been added to this project. Bathroom renvoation will include new tile work, showers and a soaker tub. Scheduled to begin in January 2016.
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - soft goods refurbishment starting at Jambo House and immediately followed by Kidani Village.
- Disney's Vero Beach Resort - soft goods and hard goods refurbishment.
- Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel - soft goods refurbishment in late 2016; still in design phase, no concept was shown.
- Treehouse Villas - emhphasis on lighter and brighter; new draperies in the room
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort - soft goods refurbishment with design still under development; note window sheers in concept, addressing a common member complaint.
New room designs will reflect lighter, brighter color palattes as requested by members, along with other design changes intended to bring the rooms in-line with changing industry trends and member expectations.
Bay Lake Tower refurbishment concept
Other in-room changes members should expect to see during refurbishments include the addition of more power outlets and USB charging ports, lighting enhancements designed to make rooms brighter, lighted makeup mirrors, larger televisions--ranging from 55" in Deluxe Studio villas up to 65" models in larger rooms--and larger in-room safes designed to accommodate average size laptop computers. Sleeping accommodations for a 5th guest will also be added when feasible.
Note that Disney Deluxe resorts are current experimenting with removal of clock radios from guest rooms. According to Sonya Deese-Byrnes, General Manager of Disney Vacation Club Resorts, the move is a "trial", and was prompted by guest feedback. Recent renovations to Disney's BoardWalk Villas added a power block to nightstands with two electrical outlets and two USB charging ports, with many guests using bedside tablets and smartphones to fill the role once performed by dedicated clock radios. Resorts will continue to monitor guest feedback to this change.
Within the next few weeks, all members will be receving new DVC identification cards.
New DVC Member ID card
2016 represents the 25th anniversary of Disney Vacation Club and DVC has a number of special events and promotions planned. Details are scheduled to be released in January. No concrete details were provided during the meeting but Ken Potrock made reference to "enhanced services, both human and digital, expanded exchange options, special access and a plethora of other great experiences."
(Note: Photos used in this story have been subjected to some digital clean-up in order to present a more accurate rendering. Slight perspective shifts may be noted as a result of our adjustments, along with inaccuracies in color and lighting due to the enviornment in which the images were captured.)
