33 thoughts on “Disney's Polynesian Resort & Grand Floridian News + Updates! | Touring New Resort Studio Room & More”
Always seemed that DVC is a rip because it isn't an actual deeded property along with blackout dates and other limitations. I'd rather just pay for what/where I want.
Hey Tim, we have sat on the grassy patch at the Grand to watch the fireworks and it is a great view BUT… the bugs were TERRIBLE!!! Lots of mosquitoes so not really worth sitting in the grass 🙂
I feel like the poly tower will ruin the feel and theming of the poly. How sad. I need to stay there before they destroy it.
I did like the look of the Grand rooms, but like you said, as regular hotel rooms. I think I would enjoy theming like that throughout the grand. But I would never marry myself to a resort through DVC. I want to go wherever my whims dictate (within my budget of course lol).
Disney is getting so greedy. I hate to say it but but a building that massive is going to ruin the landscape of the resort, as well as add to the crowds you mentioned :/ but at least they'll make a ton more money eye roll
I've been a DVC member (Beach Club Villas) for almost 20 years. The DVC experience is not what it used to be. I feel like Disney does not treat DVC members they same as paying guest. They know they already have our money, the rooms are not updated as often, you do not receive the same housekeeping, garage removal, etc and you are expected to reuse your towels for days. I don't know if its Covid related or just the volume of people going to Disney lately, but its nearly impossible find availability at any DVC resorts, unless you book several months in advance. The DVC model is a win for Disney because they off set the cost of building the resort by selling "time" to people, and if there are available rooms, they can rent to as well.
When we purchased ours, the Disney sales pitch was "the the price of the Contemporary at $300+ per night you can save up to 70% on future vacations." With the prices of the hotel increasing recently, (Beach Club around $700-800 a night), DVC is a savings if you use it often enough. You can buy into other resorts that are no longer offered by Disney, ie, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Bay Lake, etc, from resellers. Price per point varies based on the resort.
Our Honeymoon at Aulani would have cost the same as I paid for 50 points in 2016. I really can’t believe with all the DVC properties you have stayed at you are saying it would be cheaper to pay rack rate. There’s no way that’s true.
You're wrong about the cost of DVC. YES, they do occasionally have promotions where they will take 30% off the rack rates, but if you are paying rack rate you're looking at a minimum of $438.10 with tax plus $37.00 a day for parking if you have a rental. When paying in points, it's as little as 9 points per night and the maintenance on that is $80.45 per night with tax and as a member there is no fee for parking. This means you're saving $357 a day. I see that your last trip was in December and while the points can be significantly more, anywhere between 12 to 24 points per day, pushing it to between $107.27 – $214.53 per night for a studio, the rack rate ALSO goes up, ESPECIALLY if it's Christmas Eve or New Years Eve. While it's true that there's also a buy in that in the resale market is around $120 per point, reality is that this goes up practically every year. Last year Aulani was selling for around $110.00 per point and the year before it was around $100.00 per point. What this means is that you can buy at Aulani and you pay your maintenance fees which are currently about $8.67 per point, up around 2.5% vs the previous year, usually it goes up around half the inflation rate of the rack rates for the room. Personally I bought at Disney's Vero Beach Resort around 10 years ago. I used it every year at different resorts. Boardwalk, Old Key West, Saratoga, Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Kidani and others. When I lost my job and couldn't pay the maintenance, I sold it for DOUBLE what I bought it for, though honestly I wish I would have just rented out the points to pay the maintenance fees, because to buy back in now it's around 20% more expensive than what I sold it for a couple of years ago. As an owner you can book at Aulani up to 11 months in advance which means you can get those hard to get rooms. If you want to use it at other DVC resorts you do have to wait for 7 months before your check in date before booking. The key takeaway is that depending on the night, maintenance fees spent works out to only 1/5th to 1/3rd what you would normally spend per night on a cash booking. If you bought enough points to stay 10 nights per year at an average of 12 points per night, your cost for that contract (120 points X $120.00) is around $14400. Since you're saving approximately $300.00 per night, that's $3K per year saved so it would take around 5 years to recoup the cost of the DVC contract, IF you're never going to sell the contract. If you sold it after 5 years and it went up just 5% per year you would end up with approximately $17K back after selling and paying commissions. Almost like getting 2 years worth of maintainace fees back, increasing your savings on your previous 5 years of hotel stays.
Tim, were you guys there the year the little boy was killed by an alligator at the beach area in the Grand Floridian resort? I think it was in May or June of 2016. We were there, at the very beach and it wasn’t too long after we got home that we heard about it. Videos were all over YT. So heartbreaking. That family will never be able to go there again I imagine. And every time they see anything about Disney, they will constantly be taken back to that time. So sad. 😢
As a DVC member, I like the options that these new and refurbished rooms will offer. A DVC room with 2 queen-size beds is a big deal. I’m not as excited about the Poly tower, it seems like an eyesore and, like you said, more rooms to cram more people into the parks. But I will reserve my judgment until it is completed. Thanx for showing this.
The Room John Lennon stayed in was 1601, the corner room looking out at the pool. I had the chance yo actually stay in that room. It was so cool to think that I was waking on and looking at, are the same thing he was waking on and looking at.
When we stayed at the Poly last month the shower stuff was all attached to the wall as here. In the new Moana rooms. Beautiful room and bathroom though. When we stayed at AKL nearly 3 years ago the stuff there wasn’t attached. Maybe it is now.
They don't need more rooms, I agree. But DVC is gotcha for 50 years. I doubt they care if the parks are filled to the brim and you wait 3 hours to ride haunted mansion. Disney has the upper hand right now because demand is so high, let's see how long it last.
Disney doesn’t care about how long the lines are and how packed the parks are, as long as their pockets are full. So they’ll continue building more rooms and taking in more people even if it means everything is a 2 hour wait because they’re making more money.
If they did care about guest experience they wouldn’t have this virtual queue for rise and now guardians, or genie plus, because no one wants to wake up before 7am on vacation to compete for a spot in line. It’s all about $$ now, not guests having an enjoyable experience.
Completely agree that they need to update, we recently stayed @ the Grand Floridian and our room was not a nice as the one shown, it was a dream of ours to stay there and it really didn’t live up to the hype.
Always seemed that DVC is a rip because it isn't an actual deeded property along with blackout dates and other limitations.
I'd rather just pay for what/where I want.
The new Poly tower should feature Trader Sam's Larger Tiki Bar
How tragic that all that beautiful greenery is being destroyed. Seems very far from the spirit of Polynesia to me.
This is a good video, but the description of DVC really needs some work.
Hey Tim, we have sat on the grassy patch at the Grand to watch the fireworks and it is a great view BUT… the bugs were TERRIBLE!!! Lots of mosquitoes so not really worth sitting in the grass 🙂
I feel like the poly tower will ruin the feel and theming of the poly. How sad. I need to stay there before they destroy it.
I did like the look of the Grand rooms, but like you said, as regular hotel rooms. I think I would enjoy theming like that throughout the grand. But I would never marry myself to a resort through DVC. I want to go wherever my whims dictate (within my budget of course lol).
Tim…. I feel you need to educate yourself more regarding DVC.
So they’re going to shoehorn in another bunch of rooms? Will they lower the rates on the poly stays during construction? Uh, doubt it.
If you don’t have a washer and dryer, stove then it’s not DVC to me. I would definitely not buy there. Sad they are ruining everything.
so sad “happy 50th dad!“ & that tile could potentially be gone forever. 🙁
I always heard it was at Grand Floridian where Lennon signed the papers
Disney is getting so greedy. I hate to say it but but a building that massive is going to ruin the landscape of the resort, as well as add to the crowds you mentioned :/ but at least they'll make a ton more money eye roll
I've been a DVC member (Beach Club Villas) for almost 20 years. The DVC experience is not what it used to be. I feel like Disney does not treat DVC members they same as paying guest. They know they already have our money, the rooms are not updated as often, you do not receive the same housekeeping, garage removal, etc and you are expected to reuse your towels for days. I don't know if its Covid related or just the volume of people going to Disney lately, but its nearly impossible find availability at any DVC resorts, unless you book several months in advance. The DVC model is a win for Disney because they off set the cost of building the resort by selling "time" to people, and if there are available rooms, they can rent to as well.
When we purchased ours, the Disney sales pitch was "the the price of the Contemporary at $300+ per night you can save up to 70% on future vacations." With the prices of the hotel increasing recently, (Beach Club around $700-800 a night), DVC is a savings if you use it often enough. You can buy into other resorts that are no longer offered by Disney, ie, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Bay Lake, etc, from resellers. Price per point varies based on the resort.
FYI years ago there were Koi fish in the outside ponds at the entrance to the GCH
Our Honeymoon at Aulani would have cost the same as I paid for 50 points in 2016. I really can’t believe with all the DVC properties you have stayed at you are saying it would be cheaper to pay rack rate. There’s no way that’s true.
Everything looks beautiful 😍
Please make a video on dvc… I’ve been thinking about dvc but have no idea how to go about it! That would be wonderful!
I hope that they find space to bring Spirit of Aloha back
You're wrong about the cost of DVC. YES, they do occasionally have promotions where they will take 30% off the rack rates, but if you are paying rack rate you're looking at a minimum of $438.10 with tax plus $37.00 a day for parking if you have a rental. When paying in points, it's as little as 9 points per night and the maintenance on that is $80.45 per night with tax and as a member there is no fee for parking. This means you're saving $357 a day. I see that your last trip was in December and while the points can be significantly more, anywhere between 12 to 24 points per day, pushing it to between $107.27 – $214.53 per night for a studio, the rack rate ALSO goes up, ESPECIALLY if it's Christmas Eve or New Years Eve. While it's true that there's also a buy in that in the resale market is around $120 per point, reality is that this goes up practically every year. Last year Aulani was selling for around $110.00 per point and the year before it was around $100.00 per point. What this means is that you can buy at Aulani and you pay your maintenance fees which are currently about $8.67 per point, up around 2.5% vs the previous year, usually it goes up around half the inflation rate of the rack rates for the room. Personally I bought at Disney's Vero Beach Resort around 10 years ago. I used it every year at different resorts. Boardwalk, Old Key West, Saratoga, Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Kidani and others. When I lost my job and couldn't pay the maintenance, I sold it for DOUBLE what I bought it for, though honestly I wish I would have just rented out the points to pay the maintenance fees, because to buy back in now it's around 20% more expensive than what I sold it for a couple of years ago. As an owner you can book at Aulani up to 11 months in advance which means you can get those hard to get rooms. If you want to use it at other DVC resorts you do have to wait for 7 months before your check in date before booking.
The key takeaway is that depending on the night, maintenance fees spent works out to only 1/5th to 1/3rd what you would normally spend per night on a cash booking. If you bought enough points to stay 10 nights per year at an average of 12 points per night, your cost for that contract (120 points X $120.00) is around $14400. Since you're saving approximately $300.00 per night, that's $3K per year saved so it would take around 5 years to recoup the cost of the DVC contract, IF you're never going to sell the contract. If you sold it after 5 years and it went up just 5% per year you would end up with approximately $17K back after selling and paying commissions. Almost like getting 2 years worth of maintainace fees back, increasing your savings on your previous 5 years of hotel stays.
That is my dream DVC Room because we need the extra bed and points wise a one bedroom is too pricey. We also always eat out on vacation. Love it!
Tim, were you guys there the year the little boy was killed by an alligator at the beach area in the Grand Floridian resort? I think it was in May or June of 2016. We were there, at the very beach and it wasn’t too long after we got home that we heard about it. Videos were all over YT. So heartbreaking. That family will never be able to go there again I imagine. And every time they see anything about Disney, they will constantly be taken back to that time. So sad. 😢
As a DVC member, I like the options that these new and refurbished rooms will offer. A DVC room with 2 queen-size beds is a big deal. I’m not as excited about the Poly tower, it seems like an eyesore and, like you said, more rooms to cram more people into the parks. But I will reserve my judgment until it is completed. Thanx for showing this.
Disney should add something for Pixar
The Room John Lennon stayed in was 1601, the corner room looking out at the pool. I had the chance yo actually stay in that room. It was so cool to think that I was waking on and looking at, are the same thing he was waking on and looking at.
More disappointing decisions by Disney… <sigh>
Nice job, Tim, as always. Very professional.
Ahh we stayed in the Poly for two weeks in April. It was wonderful. Been back a month and missing it all already. Realllllly missing Mickey waffles 😊
When we stayed at the Poly last month the shower stuff was all attached to the wall as here. In the new Moana rooms. Beautiful room and bathroom though.
When we stayed at AKL nearly 3 years ago the stuff there wasn’t attached. Maybe it is now.
What do you mean tore a dvc room?
They don't need more rooms, I agree. But DVC is gotcha for 50 years. I doubt they care if the parks are filled to the brim and you wait 3 hours to ride haunted mansion. Disney has the upper hand right now because demand is so high, let's see how long it last.
Disney doesn’t care about how long the lines are and how packed the parks are, as long as their pockets are full. So they’ll continue building more rooms and taking in more people even if it means everything is a 2 hour wait because they’re making more money.
If they did care about guest experience they wouldn’t have this virtual queue for rise and now guardians, or genie plus, because no one wants to wake up before 7am on vacation to compete for a spot in line. It’s all about $$ now, not guests having an enjoyable experience.
Completely agree that they need to update, we recently stayed @ the Grand Floridian and our room was not a nice as the one shown, it was a dream of ours to stay there and it really didn’t live up to the hype.