Island Tower at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

[OKW Lover]

Someone may know the answer to this. If I book a cash reservation and then buy points (I'm thinking they will go for sale when the current offers expire) I guess the ability to transfer to a points reservation will depend on availability, right?

Yes, it would depend on availability of an actual declared room. It would be a totally different reservation, so I doubt you would be able to switch them.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

With a BLT contract (resale) and VGF (direct) I'm still looking forward to try the original PVB, hoping the Tower will take some of the demand off of those as I haven't successfully booked one yet and with the refurb soon to be going on at BLT, will want more options. Then someday get to try the Island Tower too! The art looks beautiful and calming, a contrast from the frenetic Poly lobby.

You're having trouble booking the PVB longhouse studios at 7 months? For what dates? I've never known the PVB studios to be a tough booking.

 

[CarolynFH]

Any thoughts on how many “penthouse 2BRs”?

Seems like half would be lagoon view and half standard view.

Why? At BWV the GV are all BW view, and the villas across the hall are P/G view.

Someone may know the answer to this. If I book a cash reservation and then buy points (I'm thinking they will go for sale when the current offers expire) I guess the ability to transfer to a points reservation will depend on availability, right?

They will be two separate inventories just like points and cash are now. No transferring from one to the other, just booking on points if you can and then canceling the cash reservation.

 

[princesscinderella]

I think the lobby looks beautiful and can't wait to book here with my resale poly points! The name is a little bland however.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I personally have zero issues with no Grand Villas. Coming from a big Scottish family, we grew up with the house stuffed full of family (and "family") at every holiday, birthday, you name it. It was just how things were in a very close but very large extended family (mom had 9 brothers and sisters). Having said all of that, and being perfectly comfortable surrounded by relatives, there is literally zero chance I am spending a vacation in the same dwelling unit with 11 other people. Doesn't matter if it's a timeshare in Orlando, a VRBO in Banff, or a bungalow over a lagoon in Tahiti. I'll vacation with them all, but get your own room and I'll stick to my room. You can knock when you come over.

 

[Sandisw]

I personally have zero issues with no Grand Villas. Coming from a big Scottish family, we grew up with the house stuffed full of family (and "family") at every holiday, birthday, you name it. It was just how things were in a very close but very large extended family (mom had 9 brothers and sisters). Having said all of that, and being perfectly comfortable surrounded by relatives, there is literally zero chance I am spending a vacation in the same dwelling unit with 11 other people. Doesn't matter if it's a timeshare in Orlando, a VRBO in Banff, or a bungalow over a lagoon in Tahiti. I'll vacation with them all, but get your own room and I'll stick to my room. You can knock when you come over.

I would never put 12 in a GV either…but having sleeping surfaces for them means our group of 8 would have a lot more options for who sleeps where outside of the living room! lol

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

I personally have zero issues with no Grand Villas. Coming from a big Scottish family, we grew up with the house stuffed full of family (and "family") at every holiday, birthday, you name it. It was just how things were in a very close but very large extended family (mom had 9 brothers and sisters). Having said all of that, and being perfectly comfortable surrounded by relatives, there is literally zero chance I am spending a vacation in the same dwelling unit with 11 other people. Doesn't matter if it's a timeshare in Orlando, a VRBO in Banff, or a bungalow over a lagoon in Tahiti. I'll vacation with them all, but get your own room and I'll stick to my room. You can knock when you come over.

Yeah I feel the same. Conceptually, I love the idea of the grand villas, they’re stunning but mostly a pipe dream for us. If we’re lucky, we’d book one maybe once in a decade if we want to eat up a ton of points for a single trip. I think most of us have studio and 1bdrm points, many have 2bdrm points but I imagine very few have GV points. If I had to choose between more duo studios and 2bdrms v. a GV or two, I’d take the former any day.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

Welp...As I said...
https://www.disboards.com/threads/lets-speculate-about-polynesian-some-more.3931241/post-65367001

 

[JackosinDIS]

I personally have zero issues with no Grand Villas. Coming from a big Scottish family, we grew up with the house stuffed full of family (and "family") at every holiday, birthday, you name it. It was just how things were in a very close but very large extended family (mom had 9 brothers and sisters). Having said all of that, and being perfectly comfortable surrounded by relatives, there is literally zero chance I am spending a vacation in the same dwelling unit with 11 other people. Doesn't matter if it's a timeshare in Orlando, a VRBO in Banff, or a bungalow over a lagoon in Tahiti. I'll vacation with them all, but get your own room and I'll stick to my room. You can knock when you come over.

Agree! There’s only so much time I can take in close quarters with family (I can just about tolerate my DH and kid for a week )

That aside, provided the 2br penthouse points aren’t too crazy, the lack of GVs should in theory mean that competition for the studios is less, as they won’t be selling as many points for rooms that no one can afford to book (ala cabins etc). Still have the bungalows obviously but should hopefully balance things out a bit more.

 

[BL2020]

You're having trouble booking the PVB longhouse studios at 7 months? For what dates? I've never known the PVB studios to be a tough booking.

Usually I'll book a split stay with my home resorts, then waitlist others. Waitlist for others usually come through, such as BWV pretty consistently, but not the PVB studios. I've tried stalking too, without luck. Different times of year, but not peak dates. I did have one PVB booking, but had to cancel that trip. I know they are not supposed to be super high demand, just haven't worked yet for me.

 

[wnielsen1]

I still think we will see it start at VDH, base $239 with incentives…even though it will be a 40 year vs 50 year contract.

I think it will be the same $225 as the existing WDW active resorts (unless they decide to raise them all), but they'll get to where they need to be with a nutty point chart and smaller incentives out of the gate. It will be interesting to see who is right. Probably neither of us

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

As a current PVB owner, I was excited at the potential of booking the new tower at 11-mon as I love all things new. Today’s release of the concept art has me saying goodbye longhouses! Tower here I come!

It's going to be beautiful in the modern tradition of Hawaiian resort hotels.
For me & my Don Ho LP's, we're happy our longhouses are still there too.

 

[DanCali]

I think it will be the same $225 as the existing WDW active resorts (unless they decide to raise them all), but they'll get to where they need to be with a nutty point chart and smaller incentives out of the gate. It will be interesting to see who is right. Probably neither of us

$160s for 150 points after MB, or bust...

(not a prediction, just wishful thinking!)

If they do that I'll definitely have to renegotiate the "I'm done" pact I made at home...

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

Tom Bricker’s blog referenced the first “all electric kitchen” restaurant at IT.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Tom Bricker’s blog referenced the first “all electric kitchen” restaurant at IT.

Yep, the kitchen was referenced in the press release, and the early concept art very clearly showed restaurant seating. Excited to start seeing more places incorporate all-electric kitchens as well.

 

[BayTower2010]

The exterior design is still very uninspiring in my opinion. But I have to say the interior looks like they hit a home run. To me the make or break is the point charts, I treasure my points way too much to have to over pay to stay at the newest resort on property.

 

[kilik64]

Can we get a new poll regarding start price before incentives? I'd love to be right again like I was when voting on the last thread that it'd be the same association 100%.

Id bet its $250/pt before incentives, regardless of whether they move the price on the other for sale properties. This is going to sell like hot cakes and they'd be dumb to start lower than $250/pt before incentives.

 

[DVC Doctor]

I think this is a great addition to Poly as the addition of 1 and 2 bedrooms is wonderful, but the lack of 3 bedroom GV is a little shocking as they certainly could have added 4-6 of them and would have been a really good addition.

 

[kilik64]

The exterior design is still very uninspiring in my opinion. But I have to say the interior looks like they hit a home run. To me the make or break is the point charts, I treasure my points way too much to have to over pay to stay at the newest resort on property.

Dont think its gonna be that hard to guess.

Tower deluxe studio will match the longhouses for standard and lakeview, there will be a theme park view level most likely that will probably be 5-10 (mayybeee 15!?) more than lakeview.

As that starting point, double it for your 1 bedrooms. For your normal 2 bed rooms, add up a studio and a 1 bedroom, and multiply that by like .9 and youll have your 2 bedroom ballpark. Those couple of penthouse 2 br do the same but instead add 20-30% premium.

Duo's are probably 75% of the points for a normal studio would be my guess on those.

Wont be exact with that they come out with, but I bet really close to what it will be.

Sept would look like this for standard on a Sunday

Duo 11
Deluxe 14
1 bed 28
2 bed 38
2 bed president 55

Oh man thats definitely going in the marketing, rooms from as little as 11 points per night!

 

[RamblinWreck]

I think it will be the same $225 as the existing WDW active resorts (unless they decide to raise them all), but they'll get to where they need to be with a nutty point chart and smaller incentives out of the gate. It will be interesting to see who is right. Probably neither of us

I don't think there's any reason to think the point chart would exceed that of VGF. I wouldn't even expect it to match it.

I don't think the demand is currently there to try to squeeze people on either price or point charts. They will want to get the points moved.