Disney Vacation Club Continues Unprecedented Growth With Two New Development Projects
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Future
accommodations are rooted in Walt Disney World history
(September 16, 2008) � Two highly anticipated resort developments announced today will expand the Walt Disney World experience and continue the rapid growth of Disney Vacation Club, Disney�s innovative vacation-ownership program:
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the 15-story Bay Lake Tower at Disney�s Contemporary Resort is scheduled to join the Disney Vacation Club family of properties in fall 2009, while
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the Treehouse Villas at Disney�s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, scheduled to open in summer 2009, will become the next room category offered at that resort
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Disney
Vacation Club also announced that
�Our founder, Walt Disney, was well known for having one foot in the past and one in the future,� said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. �These new resort developments share that dynamic sensibility, blending modern luxury and design with the nostalgic spirit of two of the most storied resorts in Walt Disney World history.�
The
announcement comes during an unprecedented era of growth for Disney Vacation
Club, established in 1991 to give families decades of affordable vacations at
Disney destinations and beyond. Disney Vacation Club membership has more than
doubled since 2004, expanding to include more than 350,000 individuals from
approximately 100 countries and every
That
membership growth has also driven Disney Vacation Club expansion, inspiring Walt
Disney Imagineers to dream up new vacation home opportunities. In addition to
�What
excites me most about this tremendous growth is that we�re not only creating new
accommodations, but new experiences,� Lewis said. �Each of the projects we�ve
undertaken at Disney Vacation Club is unlike anything previously available in
our resort portfolio, and both
Bay Lake Tower at Disney�s Contemporary
Resort
The
new, curvilinear
The
tower�s crescent shape, hugging lush landscaping, planned recreation options and
a lakeside pool, promises to deliver some of the most dramatic views available
anywhere at the Walt Disney World Resort. Some villas face scenic, undeveloped
stretches of
The
views promise to be equally appealing inside the tower�s 295
two-bedroom-equivalent villas, where visionary design meets Disney chic to
define the vacation experience. As the closest resort to the
Most
of the rooms in this iconic resort will feature innovative touches, such as
modern artwork designed specifically for
�These vacation homes will be furnished with some amazing custom pieces that are works of art unto themselves,� said Imagineer Brian McFarland. �It�s all about maintaining that feel of clean lines and open spaces, with plenty of Disney touches.�
Add
to the plans a spacious lobby filled with woven woods and glass-wrapped columns,
sweeping views from a rooftop lounge and fireworks viewing deck, and the
convenience of a sky bridge linking families to shops, restaurants and the
monorail station, and you have a Disney Vacation Club destination that is both
practical and fashionable.
Treehouse Villas at Disney�s Saratoga
Springs Resort & Spa
Meanwhile,
nestled in natural forest glens just around the river bend from the bustling
Downtown Disney area, the Treehouse Villas at Disney�s Saratoga Springs Resort
& Spa will mark the newest phase of what has become the largest Disney
Vacation Club resort. Phase one of the idyllic lakeside community debuted in
2004, and phase three sold out earlier this year.
This new phase will revive Walt Disney World �treehouse living,� a cherished tradition from 1975-2002. While crews are replacing villas of the �70s with brand-new vacation homes, Imagineers took special care to honor the original octagonal design.
The construction process itself is unique as each stand-alone Treehouse Villa will come together like a giant 3-D puzzle to ensure both superior quality and environmental sensitivity.
All 60 three-bedroom homes, elevated 10 feet off the ground on pedestals and beams designed to blend into the forest environment, will sleep nine and are planned to offer modern luxuries such as cathedral ceilings, granite countertops and flat-screen TVs, all presented in a style dubbed �cabin casual.�
�I was lucky enough to have a treehouse as a kid, but it was certainly nothing like this,� said Imagineer Todd Thomasson. �In developing this resort, we�ve all learned a new word, �glamping,� which apparently means glamorous camping. The Treehouse Villas will be glamping at its absolute best.�
Disney Vacation Club is owned by Disney Vacation Development Inc., part of the magic of The Walt Disney Company. To learn more, visit www.disneyvacationclub.com.
-- Posted September 16, 2008