A week has passed since news of the Treehouse Villa rebuild began to break. Since then one of the most hotly debated topics is whether these reconstructed villas will be Disney Vacation Club units--more specifically, whether they will be added to Saratoga Springs Resort.
(This editorial is the first in a two-part series examining whether or not the treehouses are being rebuilt for sale as Disney Vacation Club accommodations.)
The Treehouse Villas WILL be part of Saratoga Springs Resort
by Tim Krasniewski
I happen to think that the treehouses will be added to Saratoga Springs. It seems natural to me--the Treehouse Villas were part of the Disney Institute, which is now Saratoga Springs. They will rely on SSR for many resort services: front desk, general store, restaurants, housekeeping and maintenance, and so on. Disney doesn't really have a need for additional cash guest rooms since they don't currently operate at 100% occupancy and the experience offered in the treehouses is probably not sufficient to drive cash guests to make trips they would not have otherwise made.
But perhaps the best way to examine this subject is to look at--OK, dispute--some of the opposing viewpoints that have been offered over the last few days.
"The Treehouse Villas will be too far from the the Saratoga Springs resort center" - Not any moreso than rooms already available at the resort. Take a look at this overhead map of the grounds:
The Treehouse Villas are actually visible from some guestrooms in The Grandstand (the area under construction in this image), with the entire complex being no further away from the Carriage House than rooms in Congress Park.
"The treehouse area will not provide expected modern amenities to guests" - According to the permits, there will be no increase in the pool or clubhouse amenities near the treehouses. The existing pool is a simple, in-ground rectangle with few frills--comparable to one of the current "quiet pools" offered at other DVC resorts. The quality of nearby amenities does appear to be one of the weaker aspects of the project.
However, consider this: Who is likely to be more tolerant of Disney's design limitations--DVC members or cash guests?
If these treehouses were being refurbished for use as cash accommodations, they would certainly be rented for as much as $1000 per night during peak seasons. Guests paying that type of money per night for their guest room will expect first-class amenities immediately adjacent to their guest room--an experience that the treehouses simply are not equipped to provide.
DVC members tend to be more accepting of the limitations which accompany timeshare ownership. Going in, we know that we will not get daily housekeeping services. We know that we cannot request rollaway beds and we cannot simply pay extra fees to increase the room occupancy. We know that there is a cost associated with having extra towels or laundry detergent delivered to the room.
A stay in the Treehouse Villas will certainly carry its own set of inconveniences. It will represent one of the longest walks to the resort front desk, main pool and restaurants. The immediate resort "neighborhood" will have no general store or feature pool. But even with these limitations, DVC will have little trouble filling 60 Treehouse Villas with members every night of the year.
"Disney could be refurbishing the Treehouses to continue using them as housing for College Program participants" - If that were true, the design would not include a king-sized bed and two queen-sized beds. They would have more of a dormitory style configuration--probably with bunk beds to maximize the number of occupants.
"The treehouses are not compliant with current ADA guidelines" - There appear to be two schools of thought on this matter. The first is that, as part of Saratoga Springs, there may be no obligation to provide treehouses which are ADA compliant. Given that there are villas at Saratoga Springs which are handicapped-accessible, that fact alone may be sufficient to deem the entire resort as compliant with the ADA regs.
Even if that were not the case, Disney would need to make no more than four of the treehouses wheelchair-accessible. These modifications could range from small elevators to lift mechanisms to lengthy access ramps. Each treehouse is unique in how it interacts with itssurrounding environment. The terrain rises and falls differently around each structure. Selecting the four sites most condusive to the ADA modifications is no great challenge.
I cannot see this issue standing in the way of a project like the treehouse rebuild. With a number of solutions readily available, Disney is not going to simply shelve the project because they have to spend a little bit more to retrofit a handful of the new villas.
"The room configuration doesn't really fit in the current DVC mold--it is somewhere between a Two Bedroom villa and a Grand Villa" - Actually it's right on par with the Two Bedroom villas. Just like current "dedicated" Two Bedroom villas, the treehouse design features a king-sized bed and two queen-sized beds. One can also surmise that there will be a queen-sized sleeper sofa in the living room, along with the twin sleeper chair which is being added to other new DVCs.
With those sleeping accommodations, the total occupancy would match the figure for other Two Bedroom villas: 9 occupants. This figure is corroborated by the presence of interior dining facilities for 9--note there is a table with 6 chairs and a small breakfast bar near the kitchen with 3 more chairs or stools.
The only real difference compared to other Two Bedroom villas is that the treehouse actually has three bedrooms. In reality, I suspect the nightly costs would be somewhat higher than the cost of a Two Bedroom villa at SSR. Given the small number of rooms, unique configuration and added amenities (three bedrooms, full deck), these rooms will cost a little bit more per night.
"The treehouses don't fit the theme of Saratoga Springs" - When it comes to Disney, everything begins with a story. How these rebuilt treehouses fit the existing theme of Saratoga Springs depends on the story that Disney wraps around the development. Perhaps Disney will take Saratoga Springs Resort a bit further north into New York's Adirondack Mountains.
Also consider that we have yet to see the exterior design of the treehouses. For a moment, imagine these octagonal-structures with slate gray roofs, lime green or yellow siding and white porches.
The treehouses are virtually buried within a forested area of Walt Disney World. Whatever the exterior design of the units, they will not stand out any moreso than other thematic transitions within the "World." As much as I respect Disney's ability to create cohesive themes for its theme parks and resorts, I don't see this issue as a deal-breaker.
"Disney wouldn't be adding MORE villas when there is a recession coming?" - Two comments:
1. In the past, DVC has proven to be fairly recession-proof. The last big downturn in our economy came in the 2001-2003 timeframe, during which ownership at the Beach Club Villas sold-out in record time. Even now, Disney's financial report for the first quarter of 2008 indicates an increase in bookings from the same time a year ago.
2. I cannot think of a better way to jump-start sales than with a flashy new offering like this one. In the last few days I have lost count of the number of people who have said something along the lines of "if this happens it will finally give me a reason to want to stay at Saratoga Springs."
With 60 treehouses set to be rebuilt, this project is a little smaller than the size of 1.5 of the buildings (18 total) already constructed at Saratoga Springs. Assuming a point schedule a little higher than the current SSR Two Bedroom villa, the treehouses would add no more than a year on to the projected sell-out date for the resort--perhaps much less depending upon demand for points.
Without the treehouses, SSR is likely to sell out in late-summer 2008. With the treehouses it would probably be summer 2009. An announcement that the Treehouse Villas are being rolled into SSR would be a big shot in the arm as DVC is looking to sell the last few units and start looking sales of the Grand Californian and Contemporary in late 2009.
