On September 16, 2008, Disney Vacation Club made two very important announcements. While the Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Villas has garnered most of the attention, thousands of Saratoga Springs owners were thrilled to hear that the Treehouse Villas were being resurrected as part of the resort they already call Home.
Details of the Treehouse Villa project have been a little harder to come by. Eight months ago we took an early look at the Treehouse Villas before we even knew they were destined to be DVC accommodations. Now it's time for a second look to summarize what we have learned in recent days.
History
For years the Treehouse Villas were regarded as off limits. Wetlands restrictions in the area limit the type of construction that is permitted. The commonly-held belief was that while the existing Treehouses could be refurbished and maintained, new construction was prohibited.
Turns out those creative-thinkers at Disney found a way around the wetlands restrictions. The Treehouses are being rebuilt, but the footprint of the structure (amount of the building that actually touches the wetlands) is smaller than in the original Treehouses. Problem solved.
The Treehouse Villas are considered a new phase of Saratoga Springs construction--the fourth phase for anyone counting. Demolition and site prep work began in March 2008. The buildings themselves--60 in all--are being constructed by a manufactured housing supplier and will be trucked to the site for installation around October 2008.
The Rooms
Disney describes the rooms in the following manner:
Elevated 10 feet off the ground, these villas will offer three bedrooms and two baths while comfortably accommodating up to nine Guests. An open kitchen will boast an island sink and a counter area offering seating for three, while a separate dining table will seat up to six. In addition, flat-screen TVs will be found in the living room and each bedroom, giving Guests an opportunity to catch up on the day’s latest news stories or favorite TV shows while relaxing after a fun-filled day at Disney’s theme parks. Throw in cathedral ceilings and granite countertops for a treehouse that surpasses every childhood expectation.
Below is an enhanced image of the Treehouse floorplan taken from construction permits filed with Orange County. Now let's take a tour of the villa.
An exterior stairway leads up to the porch which is elevated 10' off of the ground. The porch substantially larger than what is found at all other DVC resorts. This floorplan depicts a rectangular table and eight chairs, however the concept artwork suggests that designers may have scaled-back to a round table and four chairs. A shortwalkway to the left leads to the main villa entrance.
The front door leads directly into the dining area. To the right is a small storage closet with the stackable washer/dryer and storage space. In front is a rectangular dining table with six chairs. Beyond is the kitchen which includes an island with additional seating for 3 more guests. The floorplan shows three straight-back chairs along the island, but updated concept artwork actually shows three round stools.
The other side of the island features counter space and the sink. Along the back wall are additional cabinets and counters plus the refrigerator and stove (note the sink, stove and refrigerator are shaded dark blue while counters and other surfaces are light blue.)To the left of the dining room is the living room. At the center of the living area is a queen-sized sleeper sofa. Flanking the sofa are two round end tables. To the far right of the sofa is a fold-out sleeper chair, and to the left is a writing desk and chair. Directly in front of the sofa is a small coffee table and flat panel TV hung on the wall bordering the kitchen.
Continuing to the left is the master bedroom (yellow.) Despite the appearance of this image, the master bedroom will feature a queen-sized bed. Dual nightstands sit beside the bed.
On the opposite side of the master bedroom is a pocket door leading into the master bath (pink.) Just inside the door is a single vanity (right) and large oval whirlpool tub (left.) Beyond the tub is what appears to be a large shower (the rectangular area with an "X" through it.) At the back of the room is a privacy door for the toilet.
Returning to the kitchen area we find entry doors to two additional bedrooms (light green and red.) One of these bedrooms will have a queen-sized bed while the other will have twin bunk beds. At this time it is unclear which bedroom is which. Each bedroom appears to have its own small dresser and storage closet.
Finally we have a second full bathroom (dark green) which is not linked to either of the bedrooms, rather it's accessible via the hallway. This bathroom contains a single vanity, toilet and bathtub/shower.
In all, the Treehouse Villas are designed to accommodate a maximum of 9 guests. That would include two guests in each of the three bedrooms, two on the sleeper sofa and on on the sleeper chair. The Treehouses cannot be locked-off into any smaller villa sizes.
Despite their rustic name and appearance, the Treehouse Villas will feature state-of-the art fiber optic connections for telephone, Internet and cable TV service. Four of the Treehouse Villas will be handicapped-accessible using a ramp system rather than stairways.
Amenities
Guests staying at the Treehouse Villas will have access to all of the standard amenities at Saratoga Springs: High Rock Spring pool, Artist's Palette, The Turf Club, Lake Buena Vista golf course, etc. But the Treehouse area will also add its own selection of amenities including a quiet pool & hot tub, boat dock and two bus stops.
Artwork distributed by Disney depicts a barbeque grill outside the villa.
In the Treehouses' prior life guests were able to rent golf carts to better facilitate movement around resort property. However, at this time there are no plans to offer golf cards or similar vehicles to guests staying at the Treehouse Villas.
Administration
Since the Treehouse Villas are being added as an additional phase at Saratoga Springs, all SSR owners will be eligible to book a stay at the Treehouses 11 months in advance of the arrival date. Owners at all other resorts can book the Treehouses 7 months in advance of arrival.
According to DVC the Treehouse Villas will be open to guests in the summer of 2009. June 1, 2009 is one opening date being reported, but it has not yet been confirmed by DVC. Once the date is known, Saratoga Springs owners will be given a special priority booking period in which they can reserve stays at the Treehouses up
to 11 months out. After that 1-2 week special booking window has
passed, owners of all other resorts will be eligible to reserve the Treehouses for stays within 7 months of arrival. DVC is reportedly eyeing February 8, 2009 as the starting day for SSR owners wishing to book the Treehouse Villas, but that date is unconfirmed.
The Treehouses will be placed in a special booking category so that members will know at the time of booking that they are guaranteed a stay in one of the Treehouse Villas.
The points chart for the Treehouse Villas is identical to the chart for existing Two Bedroom Villas at Saratoga Springs.
Sales
At this point it is unknown exactly how or when DVC will approach sales for the Treehouse Villas. This development gives them a significant number of points to sell at Saratoga Springs. That's in addition to points currently available at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas and the Bay Lake Tower. Sales for Disney's Villas at Grand Californian Resort are also expected to begin in a few months.
Pricing and promotional offers also remain unknown.
