Disney halts sales and fires executives amid financial issues with Hawaiian resort
August 15, 2011 | Orlando Sentinel
Financial issues with a new Walt Disney Co. resort scheduled to open this month in Hawaii prompted the company to suspend all time-share sales for the project and force out three executives, including the president of its Celebration-based time-share business, according to several people familiar with the events.
Disney on Friday fired Jim Lewis, president of Disney Vacation Club, the company's time-share division. The company also dismissed Jim Heaney, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Disney Cruise Line and travel operations, and Lawrence Smith, a former director of finance for Disney Vacation Club who was most recently with food-and-beverage operations for Walt Disney World.
The dismissals followed an internal investigation into problems surrounding Aulani, an estimated $850 million hotel and time share scheduled to open Aug. 29 on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Plans call for the resort to have 460 Disney Vacation Club time shares and 359 conventional hotel rooms.
Disney said Monday evening it had appointed Claire Bilby, a 23-year company veteran who had most recently been senior vice president of distribution marketing and Asia Pacific sales, to run its time-share business. Bilby's title will be senior vice president of Disney Vacation Club.
According to the people familiar with details of the investigation, it focused on the annual dues that Disney Vacation Club plans to charge buyers of Aulani time shares. Those yearly fees are used to cover ongoing expenses such as the resort's maintenance and repairs.
Those people said Disney concluded that Vacation Club executives had calculated dues amounts so low that they would not generate enough money to cover the cost of maintaining Aulani. The inadequate dues amounts were included in legal-disclosure documents submitted to the Hawaiian government.
Disney said Aulani's operating costs were underestimated, leading to the inadequate annual dues. It said the mistake was unintentional.
The low fees prompted concerns within the company that Aulani would eventually face a significant operating shortfall, the people familiar with the investigation said. The company also feared the possibility of a brand-damaging backlash from Hawaiian regulators or consumers should Disney attempt to significantly raise Aulani's annual dues in future years to plug any deficit.
All of the people familiar with the events spoke only on the condition that they not be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Disney suspended Aulani sales on July 9, a little more than one year after it started selling the project to consumers. The company says it is accepting "deposit reservations" in the interim from buyers who wish to lock in current Aulani prices, though there is no penalty for consumers who cancel such reservations.
Rena Langley, a spokeswoman for Disney, said the company is now in the process of changing the registration materials submitted to the Hawaiian government and that it expects to file the updated documents this week. She said the changes involve "adjustments to our annual dues forecast for Aulani."
Disney's initial sales materials stated that the 2011 annual dues for Aulani would be $4.31 for every "point" purchased, or $689.60 a year based on 160 points, which Disney says is the minimum amount for new Vacation Club members. (Disney Vacation Club sells points, rather than specific time periods, which allows buyers to redeem them at various times and destinations.)
Langley said buyers who have already purchased points in Aulani will get a credit toward their annual dues equal to the difference between the original quoted amount and whatever higher price Disney sets now. She declined to say how many people have bought into Aulani so far.
All time-share developers face pressure to keep maintenance fees as low as possible in order to drive sales. While such fees may seem a trifling issue when compared with the upfront sticker price of a time share — which can cost $50,000 or more — they can nonetheless be a significant deterrent for buyers.
A 2009 survey for the American Resort Development Association, the time-share industry trade group, found that one in four recent time-share buyers cited annual maintenance fees as a top reason they had been hesitant about purchasing a time share.
Tammie Kaufman, a professor in the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, said many buyers are wary because dues are a recurring expense that can increase from year to year.
"It's because of the unknown. People have heard horror stories" about dues, Kaufman said.
Aulani's performance is being closely watched by Disney investors. The project is the first test of the company's strategy to build standalone hotels and niche parks in secondary markets away from its massive theme-park resorts in Orlando and Anaheim, Calif., as Disney's parks division searches for new sources of growth in North America.
None of the three executives fired Friday received a severance package, according to a person who spoke with one of the men.
The dismissal marks a shocking fall for Jim Lewis, once considered a rising star within Disney's executive ranks and a leading candidate to become president of Walt Disney World, the company's biggest and most profitable theme-park operation.
Lewis joined Disney in 1996 from PepsiCo as a director of planning and finance for Disney's sales unit. He was tapped to oversee Disney Vacation Club in 2003, and under his watch the unit became the fastest-growing business within Disney's global theme-park division. At its peak before the global recession, Disney Vacation Club generated an estimated $190 million a year in operating income.
Lewis did not return phone messages Monday.
Disney's decision to force Heaney out in addition to Lewis stunned several company followers. The finance executive was highly regarded both inside and outside of Disney; he had earned the nickname "The Brain" from some fellow executives.
Error leads to 33% fee increase for Disney's Aulani time shares
September 22, 2011 | Orlando Sentinel
The Walt Disney Co. has been given permission to raise its fees by 33 percent for those who buy time shares at its new, $850 million resort in Hawaii, as the company attempts to fix a financial error that cost three Central Florida executives their jobs.
The approval, granted Thursday by Hawaiian state regulators, clears the way for Disney to resume time-share sales at Aulani, a massive hotel and time share that opened Aug. 29 west of Honolulu on the island of Oahu.
"We have resumed closing sales for Aulani in Hawaii and hope to follow suit in our other sales locations shortly," said Rena Langley, a spokeswoman for Disney Vacation Club, the company's Celebration-based time-share arm.
Disney must now submit updated consumer-disclosure materials to regulators and other states. The company will begin with Florida, California, New York and Illinois, its most-important sales markets.
Disney suspended Aulani time-share sales on July 9 after an internal investigation found that executives had underestimated the annual dues it needed to charge time-share buyers to cover the resort's operating expenses. The discovery sparked concerns within Disney that Aulani would eventually face an operating loss or would have to jack up its dues in later years, potentially alienating customers.
Disney said the error was the result of an unintentional miscalculation. Still, the company fired three people over the mistake: Jim Lewis, the former president of Disney Vacation Club, and two finance executives who had previously worked in the time-share unit.
Documents approved Thursday by Hawaii revealed for the first time the magnitude of the error. Disney initially set dues at $4.31 for every time-share "point" purchased by a customer. (Disney Vacation Club sells points that can be redeemed at various times of the year and at different destinations, rather than specific units and time intervals.)
Now, however, Disney will charge $5.73 per point — a 33 percent increase.
The increase works out to about $180 more per year for someone who buys just enough points to spend a week in a studio unit at Aulani during the slowest time of the year. It would add almost $850 more a year for someone who buys enough points for a week in a two-bedroom, ocean-view room during the busiest parts of the year.
Disney won't say how many buyers have already purchased points in Aulani, which first went on sale in July 2010. The company says those buyers will get an annual credit towards their dues to account for the new price discrepancy. The resort will have 481 time-share villas and 359 hotel rooms.
Aulani is a hugely important project for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and the division's hopes for future growth in North America. If it is successful, the company hopes to build more such standalone resorts or smaller, niche theme parks in secondary markets away from its world-famous, multi-park resorts in Central Florida and Southern California.
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DVC Mike
Fort Wilderness DVC?
September 30, 2011
Disney considers developing a DVC resort at Fort Wilderness. Rumors started leaking out in October 2010 that this might be the next DVC.
Plans dated September 30, 2011 for "Project 2011-2" at Fort Wilderness were created, but the plans never came to fruition. Only time will tell if DVC turns its attention to a Fort Wilderness DVC.
Below are the site plans.
The drawing below showed the overall layout of the buildings.
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DVC Mike
Disney World building time shares next to Grand Floridian hotel
December 8, 2011 | Orlando Sentinel
The Walt Disney Co.'s time-share business said Thursday it will build an addition to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the highest-priced company-owned hotel at Walt Disney World.
The project, which will add approximately 147 time-share units in a separate building next to the posh hotel, is the first new Disney Vacation Club resort to begin construction since the global financial crisis sent sales tumbling across the time-share industry.
Disney said the resort is expected to open in late 2013. The new building will be exclusively time-share units and will include a children's water-play area, among other amenities.
The project should inject some high-demand inventory into Disney Vacation Club, which was one of Disney Co.'s fastest-growing businesses before sales ebbed during the recession and the anemic recovery that has followed. The Victorian-themed Grand Floridian is Disney World's most luxurious hotel and is adjacent to the Magic Kingdom, the busiest theme park on the planet with more than 17 million visitors a year.
It will be the second time-share property Disney has built along the Magic Kingdom monorail, joining Bay Lake Tower, an addition to Disney's Contemporary Resort that opened in August 2009.
"We continually look for ways to expand Disney Vacation Club by creating resort experiences that our members will love," Claire Bilby, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club, said in a prepared statement. "With the continued popularity of Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, we are thrilled to offer our members and guests a new resort option along the monorail system with easy access to the Magic Kingdom Park, as well as a variety of shopping, dining and recreation experiences."
Although Disney does not report specific financial results for its time-share business, the company said sales of Disney Vacation Club units fell during its most recent quarter, which ended Oct. 1. Disney is currently peddling interests in four resorts: Bay Lake Tower, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, all of which are at Disney World; and Aulani, a hotel and time share the company opened this summer in Hawaii.
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DVC Mike
VGF UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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DVC Mike
DVC CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Celebration, Fla.
December 20, 2011
From the Winter 2011 Disney Files:
1991: The original Disney Vacation Club Resort (renamed Disney’s Old Key West Resort in 1996) welcomes its first Members home.
1992: Walt Disney World golf courses begin offering Member discounts and the first Member magazine mails to all 2,700 Members, delivering 12 pages of news and information.
1993: Accommodations at the Disneyland Resort in California and Disneyland Paris in France join the collection of options available to Members.
1994: Disney Vacation Club begins allowing Members to borrow 100 percent of their next use year’s vacation points (previously 50 percent), further enhancing the flexibility of Membership.
1995: Disney’s Vero Beach Resort opens
1996: The number of Disney Vacation Club Resorts in the neighborhood doubles with the addition of Disney’s BoardWalk Villas at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina. Disney Theatrical Productions introduces a Member discount, the first in a series of periodic Disney On Broadway perks that continues today.
1997: Disney Cruise Line bookings begin as the voyages join the growing collection of options available to Members. DVCMember.com launches.
1998: The Richard Petty Driving Experience and Sammy Duvall Watersports Centre are among the recreational operations at the Walt Disney World Resort that begin offering Disney Vacation Club Member discounts.
1999: Disney Vacation Club establishes sales operations on Disney Cruise Line ships, paving the way for Member celebrations to be part of Disney Cruise Line voyages.
2000: The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge opens.
2001: Disney Vacation Club begins celebrating its milestone 10th anniversary.
2002: Disney’s Beach Club Villas opens and Members sail on the first S.S. Member Cruise, a half-charter voyage.
2003: The S.S. Member Cruise becomes an annual, full- charter event and Members gather for a summertime “Member Day” event at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort.
2004: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens and hosts a grand Member Homecoming event. In other spa news, our friends at Nikki Bryan introduce their Member spa and fitness center discount. Members enjoy the first Disney Vacation Club holiday party at the Walt Disney World Resort.
2005: Members begin enjoying an enhanced discount on select Walt Disney World Annual Passes, Disney’s PhotoPass Service introduces a Member discount, a variety of Member Perks debut at the Disneyland Resort in California as Disney Vacation Club establishes operations in Anaheim, the Member magazine adds Disneyland news and expands to 28 pages, and Disney Vacation Club debuts two new Member events at the Walt Disney World Resort – “Spring Swing” with the Atlanta Braves and “Summer Block Party” at Pleasure Island (both events returned in 2006).
2006: Adventures by Disney trips join the collection of options available to Members, the Member magazine expands further to 32 pages, Members attend the first “Welcome Home Wednesdays” event at the Walt Disney World Resort (replacing “Member Updates”) and the Member community grows to exceed 100,000 families. Members see their community on national television as Disney Vacation Club provides the grand prize on the hit ABC series “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
2007: Member Services expands its operating hours, the Disney Dining Plan becomes available to Members, Disney Vacation Club’s Disney Doorway to Dreams store opens near Chicago and Members celebrate the announcement of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas by attending a “Summer on the Savanna” event at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Market Metrix Hospitality Index ranks Disney Vacation Club No. 1 among timeshare-industry accommodations.
2008: Disney Vacation Club Resorts begin waiving Members’ daily high-speed Internet charges and our community grabs even more national television spotlight as Disney Vacation Club awards a prize through the syndicated series “Live with Regis and Kelly,” lands its own Travel Channel special and partners with ABC on three episodes of the inspirational hit series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
2009: Members enjoy the broadest expansion of Disney Vacation Club Resorts in our community’s history, growing to 10 resorts with the addition of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas-Kidani Village, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and – our first West Coast property – The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Members’ accommodation options grow further this same year with the addition of the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Disney Vacation Club opens a Disney Doorway to Dreams store in New York and launches an online broadcast series called “Disney Traveler,” which would welcome travel guru Samantha Brown as its host in 2011.
2010: Disney Vacation Club opens a Model Showroom at the Tokyo Disney Resort and a preview center on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu. “Disney Storybook Vacations,” a Disney Vacation Club broadcast special starring real Member families, begins airing in select television markets. Reflecting Members’ ever-growing visibility on the Disney radar, Walt Disney Pictures screens its inspirational lm Secretariat on the S.S. Member Cruise, weeks before the lm hits theaters. The American Resort Development Association honors Disney Vacation Club with its ACE Employer Award for being an outstanding place to work.
2011: Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai‘i opens as the 11th resort in the neighborhood and Disney Vacation Club introduces a new logo as our community begins celebrating its milestone 20th anniversary
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DVC Mike
BILBY TO STEP DOWN
POTROCK IS REPLACEMENT
Celebration, Fla.
January 9, 2013
Claire Bilby is leaving her role as senior vice president and general manager, Disney Vacation Club, to relocate to Paris as senior vice president, Sales & Marketing Disneyland Paris and Europe, and Disney veteran Ken Potrock will lead Disney Vacation Club effective February 1.
In his new role as senior vice president and general manager, Disney Vacation Club and Adventures by Disney, Potrock will report to Karl Holz, president of New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line.
"Ken brings vast experience and knowledge to his new role, including a deep understanding of our global travel and leisure businesses and a passion for creating one-of-a-kind Disney experiences," said Holz. "Claire's emphasis on delivering outstanding member service leaves a solid foundation, and Ken's strong and decisive leadership will be invaluable as we look to the future of Disney Vacation Club."
Throughout his Disney career, Potrock has been a leader in a wide array of Parks and Resorts businesses, and has become known as a creative catalyst with deep experience in marketing and operations. Most recently leading both the sports and Downtown Disney organizations, his leadership abilities have been apparent with the sports business and the unprecedented growth of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.
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DVC Mike
Disney Vacation Club Members Can Now Own a Piece of Victorian Splendor Within View of Magic Kingdom Park
Sales Begin Thursday for The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
May 20, 2013 | Celebration, Fla.
The grandeur of one of the premier properties at the Walt Disney World Resort will meet the family vacation style that only Disney Vacation Club can provide when The Villas at Disney’s Grand FloridianResort&Spa opens this fall.
Beginning Thursday, May 23, current Disney Vacation Club members will be able to purchase real estate interests at what will be Disney Vacation Club’s 12th resort. General sales will begin June 19.
“We are absolutely thrilled to add this casually elegant new resort to our Disney Vacation Club portfolio," said Ken Potrock, senior vice president and general manager, Disney Vacation Club. "This resort will welcome families home with modern luxury and style, in a location that can only be described as spectacular. Within walking distance of a monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will serve as an ideal setting for family vacations and create truly cherished memories for our members.”
Disney Vacation Club is building 106 two-bedroom equivalent villas on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon as part of a previously announced expansion of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa that will also include a lively children’s water-play area and other amenities.
Once opened, the new property will feature deluxe studios and one-bedroom villas that sleep five guests, as well as two-bedroom villas that sleep nine guests. Additionally, expansive grand villas will sleep 12 guests and will feature multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a media room with a home theater system, all designed to bring families closer to create memories that last a lifetime. All of the deluxe studios and villas will feature décor reminiscent of the Victorian era, made playful and relaxed with classic Disney touches.
“When Disney Vacation Club members and guests stay at our newest resort, they will have access to all of the wonderful amenities available nearby at the jewel in the crown of Disney’s vacation kingdom – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – including spectacular pools, award-winning dining, extensive recreation options, and transportation to all of the amazing theme parks at Walt Disney World,” Potrock said.
Scheduled to open in October 2013, this Disney Vacation Club property will be nestled on the picturesque shores of Seven Seas Lagoon between the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Conveniently located nearby is Senses – A Disney Spa, as well as Disney’s Palm and Magnolia Golf Courses.
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DVC Mike
Disney to add time shares to Polynesian hotel
September 17, 2013 | Orlando Sentinel
One of Walt Disney World's oldest hotels is getting a time-share addition.
Disney Vacation Club, the time-share arm of the Walt Disney Co., announced Tuesday that it is building new units at Disney's Polynesian Resort, the 42-year-old, tropically themed hotel on the Magic Kingdom monorail line.
Disney did not say how many time-share units it will build at the hotel. Construction, which began this month, is expected to be completed sometime in 2015.
The Polynesian will become Disney Vacation Club's 13th property and its ninth at Disney World. With the completion of this project, the company's time-share business will have inventory at all three hotels along Disney World's iconic monorail, including the roughly 300-unit Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, which opened in 2009, and the roughly 150-unit Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which is scheduled to open Oct. 23.
In addition to the time shares, Disney said it would renovate other guest areas in the Polynesian hotel, though it did not provide further details.
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DVC Mike
Disney Vacation Club Announces New Development Project at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Disney Vacation Club will have three resorts along the monorail system
September 17, 2013 | Celebration, Fla.
Today, Disney Vacation Club announced that its planned next location will be at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, located on Seven Seas Lagoon at Walt Disney World Resort. When this resort is completed, Disney Vacation Club will have destinations at all three resorts on the monorail system, allowing easy access to Magic Kingdom Park.
The planned development project at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, when completed, will join Disney Vacation Club’s 12 other properties, including The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, scheduled to open Oct. 23. Construction on the Polynesian project began this month, and completion is estimated to be in 2015. In addition to the Disney Vacation Club project, other guest areas within Disney’s Polynesian Resort will undergo refurbishment. More information and project details will be shared at a later date.
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DVC Mike
PVB UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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DVC Mike
Disney's Villas at Grand Floridian open with Victorian flair
October 23, 2013 | Orlando Sentinel
The newest property of Disney Vacation Club mixes Victorian architecture, modern technology and a spoonful of "Mary Poppins."
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which opened to guests Wednesday, also sports a prime location — one monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom, the most popular theme park in the country.
Being that close "is about as big of a show-stopper as you can get," said Ken Potrock, senior vice president for Disney Vacation Club.
Disney has been increasing its lodging along the monorail route, which links guest parking, three hotels and the Magic Kingdom. It opened Bay Lake Tower, adjacent to the Contemporary Resort, in 2009, and is planning a property next to Polynesian Resort in 2015.
"I like to say this is the second jewel in our monorail crown," Potrock said.
Disney Vacation Club is the time-share arm of Walt Disney Co. Members make a one-time real-estate investment and pay annual fees to gain access to resorts near Disney theme parks and other locations. The average up-front payment for a 374-square-foot studio studio at the Villas is $24,000, a Disney Vacation Club spokeswoman said.
The 106 units of the new Villas range from the studio to a 2,800-square-foot "grand villa," which includes three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a dining table that seats 12 people and a separate media room with home-theater system.
Televisions appear inside bathroom mirrors, Evil Queen style, the first of their kind at Walt Disney World. That contrasts with the turn-of-the-century styling of the Grand Floridian, said Debbie Petersen, executive creative development for Walt Disney Imagineering.
"In the bathroom is the most amazing floor. It's beautiful, it's classic, it's Victorian marble. … And then right there you have a mirror with a TV in it," she said.
"Things that are classic, we kept, and the elegance we kept. But then we added these new amenities," Petersen said. The 25-year-old Grand Floridian area has also had recent upgrades to its swimming pool, snack bar and spa, Potrock said.
Also new in the Grand Floridian scheme is the use of Disney characters.
" 'Mary Poppins' and 'Alice in Wonderland' took place at the turn of the century, and we thought we could have a lot of fun with these storylines, combining them with this experience," Petersen said. Antique-looking artwork inspired by those animated films — plus Florida-based "Dumbo" — are used throughout the Villas' décor, starting in the atrium.
A fountain with seven brass penguins serves as a salute to the "Jolly Holiday" song from "Mary Poppins," Petersen said.
"If you kind of look around the lobby, you'll see other touches of 'Jolly Holiday' in the artwork on the walls and the carousel horses," she said. "It just takes our Disney branding to a whole new level."
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DVC Mike
New Details Announced for Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows
December 11th, 2014 | Disney Parks Blog
We hope you are getting as excited as we are about the next Disney Vacation Club Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows! Today, we released new details about the resort, which will open phase one in 2015. We are making history with the debut of the first Disney Bungalows. These beautiful accommodations are directly on Seven Seas Lagoon and will sleep up to eight guests and feature a plunge pool that offers views of fireworks over Magic Kingdom Park.
Check out this just-released rendering of the new Disney Vacation Club Bungalows, the first of their kind on any Disney property. The 20 Bungalows will sleep up to eight guests each in a home-like setting reminiscent of the South Pacific. My favorite feature though has to be the plunge pool overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon, and the view of the fireworks over Magic Kingdom Park.
Adding to the excitement, we are opening the largest Deluxe Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. The 360 Deluxe Studios will sleep up to five guests each and have the ability to connect to another Deluxe Studio, the first time we have done this at a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Similar to Disney Cruise Line ships and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the rooms will each have a bathroom separated into two areas, one with a shower and sink and the other with a sink and tub/shower. Plus, they also will have kitchenettes and enhanced storage space for convenience and comfort.
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DVC Mike
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows to go on sale next week
January 7th, 2015 | Celebration, Fla.
Disney Vacation Club will begin initial sales for its newest resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, next week. Current Disney Vacation Club Members will be able to purchase real estate interests beginning Jan. 12, and general sales will begin Feb. 9. When the first phase opens, scheduled for April 1, the resort will introduce unique Disney accommodations, including Bora Bora Bungalows and connecting Deluxe Studio Villas.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming families to this enchanting new resort, located just a quick monorail ride from Magic Kingdom Park,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club. “At Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, both the young and young at heart will enjoy a truly unique, enhanced and memorable vacation getaway, one that combines completely new Disney elements with the iconic and beloved experiences found only at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.”
The 20 Bora Bora Bungalows on the Seven Seas Lagoon will sleep up to eight guests each in a two-bedroom, home-like setting reminiscent of the South Pacific. The Bungalows have two full bathrooms, a kitchen, washer and dryer, and large dining and living room spaces for gatherings. Décor combines modern style with the tropical and enchanting look and feel of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort that guests love.
Private decks will feature a plunge pool where Members and guests can view fireworks over the Magic Kingdom, complete with the soundtrack that can be heard through an individual sound system. They will also have front-row seats to the Electrical Water Pageant, a playful nighttime water parade in the Seven Seas Lagoon.
The new resort also includes 360 Deluxe Studio Villas, the largest at the Walt Disney World Resort. These villas sleep up to five guests each and feature a kitchenette, enhanced storage space for convenience and comfort, and two separate bathroom areas, one a full bathroom with a tub/shower and another one with a shower and sink. A pull-down armoire bed showcases painted artwork from the popular Disney film, Lilo & Stitch.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, where Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows is located, began a multi-year reimagining project in 2014. This year, the resort will debut dramatically enhanced feature and leisure pools, as well as a new children’s water play area for Members and guests to enjoy. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is also slated to open and, like Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland Resort, will feature exotic cocktails and Polynesian-themed small plates in an imaginative setting only Disney could create.
Last year, new additions included Pineapple Lanai, a quick service location that offers popular Dole Whip treats, and Lilo’s Playhouse, a whimsical activity center where young guests can enjoy supervised play while their parents spend quality time out on the town.
The much beloved Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort opened in 1971 and is one of the two original Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Disney Vacation Club debuted in 1991 with a flexible, vacation points-based system, and when this new resort opens, Disney Vacation Club will have 13 resorts total, nine of which will be at Walt Disney World.
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DVC Mike
Polynesian Villas Opens
Celebration, Fla.
April 1, 2015
The first phase of Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, the newest resort in the growing Disney Vacation Club portfolio, opened today. Offering 360 Deluxe Studio accommodations (opening in phases through summer 2015) and 20 over-the-water Bungalows, the new resort delivers the spirit of the South Pacific along with fun Disney touches to create a vacation experience that only Disney can provide. Nestled along the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon, the resort is a quick monorail ride from the enchanting Magic Kingdom Park and steps away from the world-class amenities of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, one of the original Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
“This is truly a stunning addition to the Disney Vacation Club portfolio,” said Ken Potrock, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Vacation Club. “Research has told us that Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of our most beloved Walt Disney World Resort hotels. As a result, we integrated a new Disney Vacation Club resort that stays true to the original character of this spectacular and iconic property.”
The Deluxe Studios at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are the largest at Walt Disney World Resort, sleeping five guests each. Each features tropical décor complete with striking prints, bamboo-style fixtures, a whimsical hidden pull-down bed and a split bathroom perfect for families. The Deluxe Studios also offer the flexibility of connecting to an adjacent room.
The resort’s Bora Bora Bungalows are the first such accommodations ever created by Disney. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom Bungalows transport guests to a tropical haven filled with Disney touches. Each Bungalow sleeps eight guests and offers a view of the Magic Kingdom Resort area. Inside the Bungalows, modern luxuries with an island touch add life to the already exquisite design. Amenities include a full kitchen, two bedrooms complete with flat panel televisions, split bathrooms, washer and dryer, two hidden pull-down beds featuring playful artwork, a private plunge pool on the back deck, and many other special touches.
Premiering with Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows is its newly re-imagined sister resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which now offers more dining and recreation experiences with signature touches for guests to enjoy. Arriving guests are greeted in the Great Ceremonial House, with its dramatic new décor and signature chandelier. Also new is a large Tiki statue that welcomes guests with his outstretched arms.
The resort’s newly redesigned Lava Pool will feature a highly themed children’s water play area, Kiki Tiki Splash Play Area, and an enlarged deck for poolside seating. An enhanced supervised childcare option, Lilo’s Playhouse, allows parents to enjoy an evening date night together.
Guests in search of tropical snacks and libations will find them at new dining locations, including Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, a tiki bar that features exotic cocktails and Polynesian small plates. The nearby Pineapple Lanai serves the world-famous Dole Whip soft serve ice cream and floats.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort was one of the original Walt Disney World resorts that opened in 1971. It has provided guests with superior accommodations, entertainment and dining experiences for more than 40 years.
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DVC Mike
DVC announces 14th development
Celebration, Fla.
September 22, 2015
Today, Disney Vacation Club announced its next planned project will be at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, located on Bay Lake at Walt Disney World Resort.
The planned project at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, when completed, will be the 14th Disney Vacation Club development and the second at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Current plans call for the resort to feature deluxe accommodations, including waterfront cabins. In addition to the Disney Vacation Club project, other guest areas within Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are scheduled to undergo substantial enhancements and refurbishment, including new recreation and food and beverage options. More information and project details will be shared at a later date.
Disney Vacation Club debuted in October 1991 with a flexible, vacation point-based model rather than the traditional fixed-week timeshare model. Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, Disney Vacation Club has grown to include member families from all 50 states and approximately 100 countries who have discovered the joys of membership. Earlier this year, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows opened as the third jewel in the Disney Vacation Club monorail crown, offering Disney Vacation Club members and guests the opportunity to stay in Deluxe Studio villas and over-the-water Bora Bora Bungalows, which have been very well received by both Disney Vacation Club members and guests.
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DVC Mike
