Disney Vacation Club Trip Report May 1993 Michael Morizio We bought our share of the Disney Vacation Club during the summer of 1992, after receiving a brochure in the mail. Since the last time my family had been down there was 1991, we had never actually seen the place until this May, when we had reserved a two-bedroom unit for one week After arriving at Orlando on Sunday, May 23, we rented a car for the week (a good move - I'll explain why later), and drove to the Vacation Club, which is located not far from the tree houses, in the Northeast quadrant of WDW. Having bought our membership sight-unseen, My wife and I were just a little apprehensive. Of course the place looked great in the brochure and video tape that the Disney Corporation sent us, but... Instant relief! The place is beautiful. The concept is that this is the small village of Conch Flats, settled in 1991. The center of town is a promenade/boardwalk that features a group of eateries and other amenities, a wharf (complete with working lighthouse) that overlooks a large pond and creek, and the main pool (there are three pools so far). The Disney Corporation is a master of developing a theme and following it up to the smallest detail. Nowhere in WDW is this done better than in the Vacation Club resort. (For example, all of the trash bins are silk-screened "Please help keep our town clean", followed by the Conch Flats logo). As a result, the little village of Conch Flats feels as much like a real small town as is possible in a luxury resort. I half- expected to see Jessica Fletcher ride down the boardwalk on her bicycle and wave! The restaurant in town is called Olivia's, and is a decent place with moderate prices. Most of the entrees were between $8.00 and $12.00 when we were there. The first page of the menu shows a picture of Olivia and tell the story of how she opened her little place in the Key West-styled Conch Flats. Speaking of the Key West theme, the library/sitting room in the Hospitality House is (subtly) named Papa's Den, and it's the only reference to Hemingway in the resort. The main pool is a fairly large free-form design with a bridge crossing the middle. There are two sandy "beach" areas at either end. One of these has a children's playground with giant sand castles and sand toys for climbing. There is a spa with a capacity of about 20, and a sauna in the base of the lighthouse. Around the pool there are plenty of lounge chairs, tables, and cabanas on the beaches. While we were there, the main pool never seemed to be very busy (we could always get a cabana). The other two pools, located in other parts of the resort, are smaller, but very nice, and even less busy. One has only vending machines, the other a snack bar. The boardwalk area (downtown Conch Flats) also has a snack bar, wet bar, gift shop/general store (with a limited, but well selected line of groceries and provisions), rental office (bikes, boats, sports equipment), arcade, exercise room, and a community center. The community center holds various events such as movies and Ping-Pong tournaments, and also has board games. Hank's rentals will loan guests videotapes free of charge (every guest unit has a VCR). Our check-in was supposed to be 4:00pm, but the unit wasn't ready until about 4:30pm. Judging from the grumbling we heard in the lobby, this is a common problem. We did get exactly the kind of unit we requested, however (no smoking, downstairs). Since we had a rental car, we didn't need to avail ourselves of a bellman. We just drove over to building 15, and parked in one of the spaces that were right in front. The sales brochure's promise of beautifully landscaped gardens and picket fences is certainly fulfilled. We entered a small fenced-in courtyard made up of flower beds, walks, and benches, and found our front door. The doormat in front of it said, "Welcome Home". As we pushed open the front door, I literally gasped. This is the first resort accommodation I've ever had that appears smaller in the brochure than in real life! Beyond the entrance foyer was a combination living room/dining room/kitchen, and in the pack a porch (patio) that overlooked a pond and golf course. The master bedroom suite had a two-person spa , dressing room, and bathroom. Both bedrooms and the living room had TVs, and there was a VCR in the living room. The kitchen is very well equipped, with a fridge and ice maker, toaster, blender, mixer, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and coffee maker. Glasses, dishes, and cooking utensils were stacked in the cabinets and drawers. The unit had a half-weeks worth of towels and napkins, which were replenished half-way through our stay. While we were hanging out at the pool and waiting for our unit, another family told us about the Crossroads Shopping Center, which is just a few minutes away. Crossroads seems to be situated on or at the edge of the Disney property, near the Lake Buena Vista section. It's a very upscale strip mall, with a variety of stores, including Goods, a very attractive supermarket (the only supermarket I've ever been in with a fountain). The prices at Goods, while not really low, are a little better than the General Store at DVC, and of course, the selection is far better. My Wife and I stocked up on snack foods and stuff for cold breakfasts, as we planned on eating all our lunches and dinners out. Eating a simple breakfast in our unit turned out to be not only economical, but very convenient, and a great time-saver as well. A tip: If you buy coffee, don't forget to buy filters like we did! (Don't worry, they sell them at the general store.) By the way, there is a great family restaurant called Jungle Jim's at Crossroads. It's basically burgers, but a great place. One problem that is developing at DVC, and of which the Disney Corporation is already aware, is the ever-increasing size of the resort. While it's true that there is a pool and bus stop within easy walking distance of any unit, a visit to the main pool and village would be a formidable stroll for many of the newer units. One of the questions in the member survey we were given asked if we would be in favor of a tram network to shuttle guests around, and how much we would be willing to have added to the annual maintenance fee to pay for it. Although building 15 is a fairly short walk to Conch Flats, we would still use the rental car to drive there when we were too tired or lazy to walk. Since the parking spaces all seem to be very close to the units, having a car at DVC is a great convenience, not only for the reason above, but because it is usually faster and more convenient to drive to Epcot and the Disney-MGM Studio than it is to take the bus. Going to the Magic Kingdom is pretty much a toss-up, since you have to drive to the parking lot, take the tram or walk to the TTC, than take the launch or the Monorail to the park. If you take the bus, you go directly to the entrance. All in all, we are very pleased with our membership at DVC, and we can't wait to go back.