Treehouse Villas part of Saratoga Springs?...Maybe!

[winjos]

We took the water taxi (9/23) from OKW to DTD and our "Captain" said that they were going to rehab the treehouses and use them for housing for the College interns.

They definitely need some TLC. I would hate to be the first person who opens the door....stinky!!! I look at the curtains and just shudder!!

 

[smjj]

For the life of me I can't understand why people find these buildings attractive. I think the poster who said they look spooky is right. LOL.

In there current condition, they do kind of. Try to imagine them after 15 years of neglect has been erased and they are back to their original state. I would love to stay in one..smjj

 

[esulerzy]

I stayed at SSR last week and one day played the Lake Buena Vista golf course. While on the golf course, I saw several workers/inspectors? walking in and out of some of the tree houses. They had clip-boards and were pointing, talking and taking notes. Something is going on....just not sure what.

 

[spiceycat]

spooky - hey halloween is just around the corner.

okw and SSr kids could go treat and tricking in them - you listening Disney....

 

[NMW]

spooky - hey halloween is just around the corner.

okw and SSr kids could go treat and tricking in them - you listening Disney....

Haunted Treehouses...I like it!

 

[bicker]

our "Captain" said

I'm not sure which group gets the prize for the most fanciful fabrications: Water launch pilots, monorail drivers, or bus drivers.

I stayed at SSR last week and one day played the Lake Buena Vista golf course. While on the golf course, I saw several workers/inspectors? walking in and out of some of the tree houses. They had clip-boards and were pointing, talking and taking notes. Something is going on....just not sure what.

I saw the same thing happen, a few times during a week-long stay five or six years ago, on the land between the Contemporary and the Polynesian. Unfortunately, no work has yet started on the prophetized Venesian Resort that was supposed to have been built there.

 

[uicbear]

I can't see the treehouses demanding as many points as a grand villa. Yes, there were three bedrooms(all were realtively small), but there were only three beds, a king, a queen and double in the lower level. There was a small couch, but it wasn't a sleeper, so this would be a 6-person accomodation.

We liked the secluson(had no security issues) and the atmosphere(the peacocks were cool). There were a couple maintenance issues (I remember one of the burners on the stove didn't work) but the cleanliness and basic upkeep of the area was good. We had our own car, so buses weren't an issue, but I think this was one of the main issues when staying here and I think when we made our reservations it was actually recommended to us to rent a car. Also from what I remember, there were like 6 pools, but they were smaller, like what another poster said "backyard sized" pools. We went at the end of Jan, ours was closed for maintenance.

So, I would imagine if these became available once again, that I would see them going for slightly less than a 2 bedroom unit. But, personally as an SSR owner, I wouldn't want them as part of my property. One of the nice things about buying into a new property, at least for the time being, is the lower maintenance fees. Even though my family had a positvie experience on our trip way back when, there really is no particular draw now.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I like the "Gazebo" suggestion, and think that would be a good fit for the SSR theme.

 

[PinotFan]

I can't see the treehouses demanding as many points as a grand villa. Yes, there were three bedrooms(all were realtively small), but there were only three beds, a king, a queen and double in the lower level. There was a small couch, but it wasn't a sleeper, so this would be a 6-person accomodation.

So, I would imagine if these became available once again, that I would see them going for slightly less than a 2 bedroom unit. But, personally as an SSR owner, I wouldn't want them as part of my property. One of the nice things about buying into a new property, at least for the time being, is the lower maintenance fees. Even though my family had a positvie experience on our trip way back when, there really is no particular draw now.

I agree with your points conclusion (between the 1 and 2 bedroom villas), but concerning wanting them as part of our SSR property, we don't have much choice. They are already part of SSR. Take a look at your closing documents. The Treehouse Villas are Parcel 3.

 

[bicker]

I'm not sure that means that they necessarily must be sold as part of the timeshare. I suspect that, at the least, DVC can elect to do nothing with them. Beyond that -- I don't have the SSR papers (I own at BWV and VWL only), but is there any language that would allow DVC or Disney to develop those properties as day rentals, though still part of DVC? That might be the only viable alternative, given the disparity between the cost of rehabilitation and on-going maintenance and what would people would consider a "fair" number of DVC points per night for the units.

 

[PinotFan]

I'm not sure that means that they necessarily must be sold as part of the timeshare. I suspect that, at the least, DVC can elect to do nothing with them. Beyond that -- I don't have the SSR papers (I own at BWV and VWL only), but is there any language that would allow DVC or Disney to develop those properties as day rentals, though still part of DVC? That might be the only viable alternative, given the disparity between the cost of rehabilitation and on-going maintenance and what would people would consider a "fair" number of DVC points per night for the units.

You're right about your first statement. Section 18 of the Declaration of Condo document talks about Phase Development and says "DVD reserves the right not to submit any or all of the property described in Exhibit A to the Condominium". But I saw no language that would let them make the Treehouses part of the Condo and rent them differently from the rest of the property (however, I'm not a lawyer, and I could have missed that provision).

 

[Pluto 2]

if they do do something with them expect our maintenance fees to skyrocket

 

[cobbler]

if they do do something with them expect our maintenance fees to skyrocket

Oooh, now I am not sure if I like that idea.

 

[bicker]

Precisely why I suspect they left themselves an out -- it would look something like the wording in the BWV papers that basically allow Disney to retain 4% for rentals. If it isn't there, I suspect we'll never see the Treehouses back in service until the environmental laws change (or they're waived).

 

[CharlesTD]

We also own at SSR and I hope they do rehab the tree houses we would stay there every trip likeley and I don't care what the dues were they are one place we have always wanted to stay. The dues couldn't be any worse than those at VB that we pay.

 

[Pluto 2]

We also own at SSR and I hope they do rehab the tree houses we would stay there every trip likeley and I don't care what the dues were they are one place we have always wanted to stay. The dues couldn't be any worse than those at VB that we pay.

i do not want to pay the high maintenance fees like vb

 

[DrTomorrow]

C'mon, folks, this is getting too dry and legal. Let's use our imagination!

Disney knows how to market, and few are better at selling sows' ears at Cinderella's Silk Purse Emporium. So how about this: with an eye towards the enviromental / outdoors enthusiast market (which is growing and has loads of disposable income), let's brand this as The Wetlands Adventure at Saratoga Springs Resort? Leave those Treehouses just as they are, and sell the chance to experience first-hand Nature undoing what Man has done! You want wildlife? Well, at TWA@SSR there's wildlife swimming, slithering, scurrying and crawling both outside and inside your Treehouse!

And think of how much bottled water, insect repellant and mosquito netting they can sell at the SSR store!

 

[CharlesTD]

C'mon, folks, this is getting too dry and legal. Let's use our imagination!

Disney knows how to market, and few are better at selling sows' ears at Cinderella's Silk Purse Emporium. So how about this: with an eye towards the enviromental / outdoors enthusiast market (which is growing and has loads of disposable income), let's brand this as The Wetlands Adventure at Saratoga Springs Resort? Leave those Treehouses just as they are, and sell the chance to experience first-hand Nature undoing what Man has done! You want wildlife? Well, at TWA@SSR there's wildlife swimming, slithering, scurrying and crawling both outside and inside your Treehouse!

And think of how much bottled water, insect repellant and mosquito netting they can sell at the SSR store!

They could have somone on a golf cart come around selling the stuff just like they do up here with the golf courses. We have the young ladies driving around selling you beer and pop and snacks. Just think it could be like a goldmine all teh people buying up the essentials like DrT said LOL.