What's the latest on the Tree Houses refurb?

[LuckyJack65]

In the summer of '05 I had some down time at WDW, so thought I'd take in the DVC spiel at Saratoga Springs. A wonderful DVC van driver picked me up at the Beach Club resort and filled me in on all the exciting future development projects for the property. Along the way he drove past the Tree Houses that were closed and in need of much TLC and said that the Tree Houses were going to be refurbished and become part of DVC. Does anyone have information on the current situation with the Tree Houses? I have friends who stayed there in the late '80s and gave it high praise. Hopefully my family will be able to stay there, as well!

[MickeyMania]

Tree Houses are open and running again. They house International Program students. A boat driver told us they started running again in November '05 and were shut down because they weren't disability-friendly. I suspect if your DVC driver was correct that this was the same reason why they would eventually decide not to loan them out to guests.

[LuckyJack65]

Tree Houses are open and running again. They house International Program students. A boat driver told us they started running again in November '05 and were shut down because they weren't disability-friendly. I suspect if your DVC driver was correct that this was the same reason why they would eventually decide not to loan them out to guests.

Thanks for the info!! I can't remember the entire conversation I had with the van driver, but he probably told me the fact that the buildings weren't open because they weren't disability compliant. Also, the hurricane had made a mess of things in that area and there was a lot of rubble and debris to clean up. Again, thanks for your info!! The Tree Houses are such an original and unique housing facility, I'm happy they are being used again!

[figment1986]

they were planning on demoing them, till they were found to be classified as protected as wetlands.. so thats why international program is using them...

or at least that the story i heard

[WDW1974]

^^That story is accurate, Figgy.

Disney had a choice: use them as is or tear them down for nothing.

They opted to use them for IPers. I never stayed in them but always wanted to as they looked kewl.

[Lizardking]

I'd be surprised if they were ever re-opened to guests.

No offence to anyone here, but. To get to them you need to climb a flight of stairs. Once inside to get to the bottom floor you go down a tiny spiral staircase, which is narrow and steep. That would need to be redone and they'd loose a lot of floor space as it is.

The walls are paper thin in there, you can hear talking in the next room.

But all the furniture in them is hand made and really nice.

There are two bedrooms upstairs (originally both double beds) but they've taken the beds out and replaced them with 2 singles in each room. They've left all the fittings as they were so they aren't in any use to a person on a single bed.

One's got an en-suite bathroom, with a plunge bath thing which is really bizarre.

The room downstairs is a double bed and has their own TV, (in themed tea chests).

It's still hooked up to the Disney tv network so you get all sorts of mad channels on it. Including good old Stacey.

All the IP who stay there work over at MK, (as it's the only place you can get to easily).

[MickeyMania]

All the IP who stay there work over at MK, (as it's the only place you can get to easily).

That doesn't make too much sense. I thought they were connected to DVC Drive?

[tloolgb]

/\ They are. They are one entry way down from the Old Key West entrance. You can get anywhere in WDW easily, except maybe AK. I mean they are closer than where any other CPs lived.

[Lizardking]

Not with the current buses. It's impossible for the IP's to get anywhere on them.

One bus runs to westclock, TTC is a request on the way back, the other goes to DTD, Chatham and Walmart.

[mikeland]

It's still hooked up to the Disney tv network so you get all sorts of mad channels on it. Including good old Stacey.

Who's Stacey?

[Lizardking]

Stacey is from the top million must see things to do at Disney. It's a complete cheese-fest and oh so quotable.

It's full of 'crazy' and 'wacky' camera work and it's been cut quickly she comes out with gems such as 'triple mountain, whammy, wham, wham, wham. It's all wham.' and 'fish, fish, fish fish' and who could possibly forget the classic that is. 'first the train freaks out, then your freak out and then the yeti freaks out' It's all so over acted and typically Disney, I love it.

[MickeyMania]

'triple mountain, whammy, wham, wham, wham. It's all wham.'

"France, Germany, Italy, Canada. Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy."
[random shot of her and some male CM in Italy, I think]
"Yummy."

I don't know where Disney gets these girls (apparently Samantha Brown of Travel Channel fame started the trend) to act like that, but they're so over-the-top giddy that it seems disingenuous.

[tloolgb]

Not with the current buses. It's impossible for the IP's to get anywhere on them.

One bus runs to westclock, TTC is a request on the way back, the other goes to DTD, Chatham and Walmart.

HAHA ok. That makes more sense, the whole EZ Bus system. Lol. As far as driving it is nice and centrally located.