# OLCC Rennovations- check-in moved



## timetraveler (Aug 1, 2007)

Wanted to give TUG members and guests a heads up.

OL will be moving check-in across the road from the West Village Clubhouse in August.   As of August 20, 2007 you will check in across the parking lot from the clubhouse.  There will be signage directing you to the temporary check-in facility.   The entire West Village Clubhouse is going to be rennovated.  The new clubhouse atrium/check-in, check-out, etc will reopen in December.   The arcade will be closed as well, and will reopen in December.  The entire clubhouse update should be done by February 2008.


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## jbuzzy11 (Aug 2, 2007)

thanks Vickie,
  my family will be checking in on Aug 25th, ill give an update on how smooth it go's.
   Johnny


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## JLB (Aug 2, 2007)

As I recall, the parking lot over there, at the original Sales Center, is pretty skimpy.  That will make for a lot of walking across the fairly busy OL Blvd., from the big lot at the original (now West Village) clubhouse.


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## Holly (Aug 2, 2007)

*I'm there Thanksgiving*

In the West Village.  Is this construction going to really screw up my vacation?  I was hoping to get one of the renovated Golf Villas.


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## JLB (Aug 2, 2007)

How do you plan on doing that, getting one that is already finished?  Without asking or knowing someone, the odds are against you.



Holly said:


> In the West Village.  Is this construction going to really screw up my vacation?  I was hoping to get one of the renovated Golf Villas.


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## timetraveler (Aug 2, 2007)

JLB said:


> As I recall, the parking lot over there, at the original Sales Center, is pretty skimpy.  That will make for a lot of walking across the fairly busy OL Blvd., from the big lot at the original (now West Village) clubhouse.




LOL.....not to worry......no one is going to get mowed down.   Vehicles are not going to be blazing thru this area.  And it won't be a lot of walking either.  OL Blvd is not a 6 lane road.  And cars will be parking at the back of the clubhouse parking lot....or up against OL Blvd.   The temp check-in area will be just across the 2 lane road.

Since nothing will be going on inside the West Village clubhouse....the only cars parked in the back of the lot will be those checking in and or out.   You will, in all probability now be able to park closer to check-in than you did when it was housed in the clubhouse.

The Hertz rental desk and the disney planning center will also be temporarily housed across the road too.


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## timetraveler (Aug 2, 2007)

jbuzzy11 said:


> thanks Vickie,
> my family will be checking in on Aug 25th, ill give an update on how smooth it go's.
> Johnny




No problem Johnny.  I'm happy to help.    Have a great trip!  :whoopie:


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## timetraveler (Aug 2, 2007)

Holly said:


> In the West Village.  Is this construction going to really screw up my vacation?  I was hoping to get one of the renovated Golf Villas.



Absolutely not Holly.  The work is going to be going on inside the West Village Clubhouse.  I'll be there very shortly myself.  I'm not at all concerned that my trip is going to be screwed up or ruined because of it.   Relax and have a great time.


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## Holly (Aug 2, 2007)

I thought that 50% of the Golf Villas would be renovated by the Fall.  Did I misunderstand something?


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## lawgs (Aug 2, 2007)

Holly said:


> I thought that 50% of the Golf Villas would be renovated by the Fall.  Did I misunderstand something?



as always,  it depends on who you get your information from

why not go directly to the source and call "reservations" at OLCC and put in your request for "renovated golf villa" ( of course, it has been maintained that assignments take place at check in, which might mean they will not "entertain" requests ) but it does not hurt to try......no matter what anyone posts here, until you are actually standing at the front desk and your assignment has been made....you just do not KNOW what might happen

Absolutes are so relative

on the other hand, to the other part of this thread, if you are lucky enough to be checking into River Island, you "should" not have to put up with that "road way" in front of the old sales area, since River Island check ins take place on the main level foyer of the river island building, unless of course, this has changed ....

who knows with OLCC.....they do a lot on an ad hoc basis it seems....changes happen frequently at this resort without prior notice, not all owners are apprised of situations in the same manner, but, some seem to have "insider information"

 but then again, they might have really fine print in their mission statement which says.... *subject to change*


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## JLB (Aug 3, 2007)

Within the last week I posted a link to that article, the one in last September's enewsleter that said how much would be done and when.

So, now, you give me choices.  

1.  I could go through the process to find how to get to last September's enewsletter.  To do that go to OLCC website:

http://www.orangelake.com/

Play around until you find a link to the enewsletter.  Once you are there, select Archives and then last September.

2.  I could use the search feature here to find the post where I linked last September's newsletter.

3.  I could tell you what it said.

Opting for #3, with the caveat that I have thought of other things in the interim, so that exact information will likely not still be _saved_ in my memory, random access or otherwise, knowing that you could do what I can do and find the actual article yourself if you care to, as I recall it said that 20% would be done by then, or perhaps done by this past Spring, one or the other, with the remaining being done between then and 2009, I believe.

I'm 90% certain it said 20% by last Fall and another 20% by _first quarter_, 2007.

In any event, it figured out to 20%, maybe 25% per year, starting last Fall.

So, you probably got that 50% from that post, if you read it, but I am one of those you have been cautioned to be wary of, as I just repeat what OLCC has said, and have no direct line to the movers and shakers at the place.

(But they do recognize me from my email address, from the time I posed a question to them as Jose' Jiminez.  They called me (yup, they had my home phone number) and said, "OK, Mr. [real name]. How can we help you?"   )



Holly said:


> I thought that 50% of the Golf Villas would be renovated by the Fall.  Did I misunderstand something?


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## Mel (Aug 6, 2007)

"We began this project on September 1 _(2006), _and expect the first 200 villas to be completed by the first quarter. Over the next four years, we'll be renovating an additional 600 villas in the West Village, approximately 200 per year. "

http://www.orangelake.com/E_News/09_2006/Owners_14.html

These would be the original OLCC units, in the first HOA.  They were built in the early 80's and have reached the 24-year mark, which calls for major overhaul.  As an owner of one of these units, it is nice to know that our reserves will cover the cost of this  major renovation, and OLCC did not have a special assessment or a large increase in annual fees.


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## timetraveler (Aug 6, 2007)

Yeah baby!   I should have posted that info...but as an owner....I didn't want to toot my horn, Mel.    :whoopie:


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## lucillec (Aug 6, 2007)

I am curious about the units inside the clubhouse...if the Clubhouse is undergoing rennovations...will the studios still be available?   It is a moot point for me..I deposited the next two years already...so I won't be staying there..but it would be nice if they rennovated the studios too for future use!  Anyone have any information on that? 
Lucille


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## Mel (Aug 7, 2007)

I haven't heard any specific plans to renovate the clubhouse studios, but I would assume anyone exchanging in or using their own week will be upgraded to a 1BR somewhere else on property during the renovations.

It should only be a few months (maybe August to February), and many of those units are developer controlled from what I understand.  Of the 3 clubhouse unit types, the two bigger ones are only available as rentals.

Those units are also at about 24 years, so maybe they are being renovated as well, but I haven't heard anything.


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## lucillec (Aug 8, 2007)

Mel said:


> I haven't heard any specific plans to renovate the clubhouse studios, but I would assume anyone exchanging in or using their own week will be upgraded to a 1BR somewhere else on property during the renovations.
> 
> It should only be a few months (maybe August to February), and many of those units are developer controlled from what I understand.  Of the 3 clubhouse unit types, the two bigger ones are only available as rentals.
> 
> Those units are also at about 24 years, so maybe they are being renovated as well, but I haven't heard anything.


Thank you for your response..I didn't realize the bigger studios were rentals only. We do have the smaller studio.  Its not bad..and is very convenient to the pool.. i think i will send them a note and ask what the plan is. 
thank you, Lucille


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## lucillec (Aug 9, 2007)

i called Orange Lake today..they told me that several of the studios were being converted to 1 bedrooms..however the studios on the first floor where I own are not being rennovated..so I guess the developers studios are... they are planning to refurbish the 1st floor, but do not have a date set and will not be in line with the Clubhouse rennovations. 
thanks, lucille


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## JLB (Aug 10, 2007)

I've posted it several times and didn't have to toot anything.  

Oh, that's right, I don't own a tooter.

I still think a better plan would have been to bulldoze the Golf Villas (I know, I know, some folks really like them, waxing nostalgic back to when they were in style, the vacation Florida of old, when Mom and Dad saw the USA in their Chevrolet  and US 41 was the main road from Tampa to Miami  ) and convert the WV to modern midrises.  Owners of Golf Villas would wind up with brand spanking new units and by going up instead of out, OL would have gained valuable real estate, to put up more new buildings later on.  



timetraveler said:


> Yeah baby!   I should have posted that info...but as an owner....I didn't want to toot my horn, Mel.    :whoopie:


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## Mel (Aug 10, 2007)

JLB said:


> I still think a better plan would have been to bulldoze the Golf Villas (I know, I know, some folks really like them, waxing nostalgic back to when they were in style, the vacation Florida of old, when Mom and Dad saw the USA in their Chevrolet  and US 41 was the main road from Tampa to Miami  ) and convert the WV to modern midrises.  Owners of Golf Villas would wind up with brand spanking new units and by going up instead of out, OL would have gained valuable real estate, to put up more new buildings later on.


Yes, but that would be up to those very same owners of the Golf Villas, now wouldn't it?  Yes, if enough owners upgrade and covert to River Island units as part of Global Access, the development group could possibly gain enough leverage to redevelop, but otherwise, the developer has no say.  OLCC has 4 (or is it 5) distinct HOA groups, and the original Golf Villas have been sold out for a long time.  I suppose the HOA could propose to allow more units, in exchange for the developer footing the bill of redevelopment, but I don't see that happening. 

If and when it does, maybe you'll get your grills - that's up the the HOA members too!


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## timetraveler (Aug 11, 2007)

JLB said:


> I've posted it several times and didn't have to toot anything.
> 
> Oh, that's right, I don't own a tooter.



Uhmmm, I'm not sure what you posted several times.  I don't remember seeing several posts concerning the villa rennovation cost with respect to how it would or would not effect owners pockets. 

Sure I understand that you wouldn't feel the need to "toot" your horn over a huge rennovation that didn't effect you financially. 

But the owner's of the golf villas in particular, and really all OL owners.... have every right to be very proud of the phase 1 HOA for their outstanding management skills.

I like Mel, don't see the golf villas being bulldozed down and replaced with multi story buildings.  A possibility some day, some year way down the road.  But most likely a very remote possibility at best.


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## JLB (Aug 11, 2007)

I, too, am proud of them, for the way they have managed to keep those units standing all these years, for preserving a vintage view of Florida vacation heritage, sorta frozen in another time.  
- - - - - -
Also, Mel, you know I understand how associations work (or don't work  ), how the Golf Villas have been turned over to the owners.  Coincidentally, that is the same response that I got from the sales weasel at Wastegate last December.  When we looked out at the midrise Mr. Seagull is putting up, very similar to the RI building, and I said the same thing, about how it would make sense to go back and bulldoze buildings A through whatever, the only buildings that were there when we first saw that place, like the golf villas and the Clubhouse units were the only units when we first saw OL.  He said, "Mr. Seagull cannot do that because those owners own those buildings."

Has anyone ever known a Wastegate resort that Mr. Seagull could not get his own way for whatever he wanted to do?  Presented properly, say with free or reasonably-priced upgrades to a contemporary facility, I bet a lot of Golf Villa owners would have gone for it, and the developers could have gained ground, literally, for new development.

But, this is just one of those _what ifs_, meaningless and rhetorical.

Or it it?  Rhetorical or not, at some point in time the Golf Villas, in fact buildings at all resorts, will face the same consideration.  

Obselescence.  

It will not be feasible to put a band-aid over them, regardless of how nice the band-aid is.  The Golf Villas, buildings A through whatever at Wastegate, the physcial plant at all resorts, will have to be replaced, or the resort (association) dissolved.  This, perhaps, was a missed opportunity to do that at OL, but it will come around again, and I bet you will see bulldozers next time.   

Of course, all timeshare owners face this same situation, and I kinda shudder at the thought of owning in a 50-year-old building.  How prestigious would that be?  
- - - - - -
Mel, if someone wants the details of anything related to the WV, like the date that any building was sold and recorded, you know I always refer and defer to you.  You da man!   
- - - - - -
What I have posted before was the information from last September's enewsletter, the same quote Mel posted, about the rehab schedule.


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## timetraveler (Aug 11, 2007)

I know nothing of Mr. Seagull, or WV.  Buit I've been a tugger long enough to know that I wouldn't want any part of him or his organization.  

And from what I have read....I can say with confidence that OL and the HOA's do NOT operate in any way, shape, or form, like the above.

As far as the golf villas and the band aid reference.  Our rennovation is not a band aid.  The  units are being gutted to the concrete floor and walls.  These buildings could be 100 years old and be in better condition that alot of homes in other areas of the country are.   Mostly due to Florida building code standards, i.e. hurricanes.  LOL

Owning a 50 year old TS in a gorgeous resort like OL would not make me shudder in the least.  Especially when that unit has the most up to date appliances, furniture, fixtures, etc. that the market offers.



			
				JLB said:
			
		

> What I have posted before was the information from last September's enewsletter, the same quote Mel posted, about the rehab schedule.



Ok...that makes sense as to why you wouldn't "toot" a horn.  Mel's post was about the outstanding job the HOA has done with regards to management of reserve funds, not the schedule.  And that's what I was "tooting".


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## JLB (Aug 11, 2007)

As much as we can agree to dislike Wastegate and Mr. Seagull, one thing I will give him credit for is that CFI did that to our units at our ugly Wastegate _stepsister_ resort in Orlando *every five years*.   

Wow, did he say *every five years*?  Yes, *every five years! *  

We dropped by more than once when one of our units were back to, literally, concrete floors and bare walls.

That was their schedule, gut and replace *everything* *every five years*.  I don't know if they did the same at the rest of their resorts, but for the abuse a timeshare unit receives, and for the change in fashion and styles, etc., that is a sensible period to gut a unit rather than just piecemeal it. 

And sure, our association _owned_ the resort, but CFI Management ran the place and called the shots, with Seagull-friendly appointees!  Pretty much how it is at resorts still being marketed.  Stop the sales, get rid of all the marketing execs, and you have a truly independently-operated resort.

At some point in time, for every timeshare building now standing it will no longer be feasible to continue pouring money into it.  

It would have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall of the closed-door meetings when the Golf Villa rehab was being discussed, the meetings before the association meetings where the gameplan was announced, but I can't imagine that the age of those units and the feasibility of doing away with them instead was not discussed.





timetraveler said:


> As far as the golf villas and the band aid reference.  Our rennovation is not a band aid.  The  units are being gutted to the concrete floor and walls.


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## timetraveler (Aug 11, 2007)

We do total soft goods refurbishing i.e. carpeting, bedding, linens, drapes, paint, furniture, decorations  every 6 years.   

Our total gutting means plumbing, cabinets, tile and appliances, plus the soft goods.   

Our HOA boards have a very good working relationship with OL management.  But by no means controlled by it.


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## lawgs (Aug 11, 2007)

*Absolutely* amazing how "tootie" becomes "snootie"

 if the shoe "foots", you wear it


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## JLB (Aug 11, 2007)

Now that I think about it, for $1,250,000 in purchase money, plus $30000 per year M/L in maintenance money, there would be no excuse for a unit not to be in spectacular shape all the time, nor for there not to be ample rehabbing money when the time comes.  

If I had full ownership of one unit (and that is the price I was quoted two tours ago), I would certainly demand it.  Why should it be any different if it is divided among 50 owners?


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## lawgs (Aug 15, 2007)

most up to date renovations schedule

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
 CLOSING DATE 
 RE-OPENING DATE 

The Reserve/Crane’s Bend Pro Shop* The Legends Pro Shop (East Village)
 July 2007  
 October 2007 
re-opening as the new West Village Marketplace with a grocery store, pizzeria and retail & pro shop

West Village Clubhouse Check In*Directly across E. Orange Lake Blvd.
 August 2007  
 December 2007 

West Village Clubhouse Atrium
 August 2007  
 February 2008 

West Village Parking Lot
 August 2007  
 December 2007 

West Village Arcade
*Tower Arcade (North Village)
Treasure Cove (River Island)
 August 2007  
 December 2007 

SeaFarer
*Island Traders (River Island)
 September 2007  
 October 2007

West Village Fitness Center
*Mussels Fitness Center (River Island)
 October 2007 
 December 2007 

The General Store
*Island Traders (River Island)
 August 2007  
 December 2007 

Beachfront Bar & Grille
*Legacy Grille (East Village)
 October 2007 
 Mid-summer 2008 
re-opening as the new restaurant

West Village 
Stage Pool, Putt-Putt® golf and watersports rentals
 Will remain open


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## Mel (Aug 16, 2007)

JLB said:


> Now that I think about it, for $1,250,000 in purchase money, plus $30000 per year M/L in maintenance money, there would be no excuse for a unit not to be in spectacular shape all the time, nor for there not to be ample rehabbing money when the time comes.
> 
> If I had full ownership of one unit (and that is the price I was quoted two tours ago), I would certainly demand it.  Why should it be any different if it is divided among 50 owners?


I understand your thinking, but you know better!

Half of that purchase money ends up as the equivalent of a sales commission, so you can reduce your purchase price to 600,000.  And if you could manage to find all 51 weeks of a single unit to purchase, you could convert it to whole ownership.  I believe there is something to that effect in the bylaws.  If you could manage to do that, you could probably buy them for $250,000 or so (of course that last holdout could charge you a great deal if he realized what you were doing).  

Then for the maintenance money, that $30,000 annually pays for a great deal more than you would get in a whole-ownership condo.  It's less than some I know pay just for their Country Club membership.  OLCC has maintenance fees in the lower/middle range for Orlando resorts.   The lower ones are not much lower, but the higher ones are more than double!  Those fees include items you would not normally consider as maintenance of your home - weekly maid service, furnishings (hard and soft good), appliances, untilities.  Those all fall undr different line items in my household budget.

Yes, fees in Orlando are higher than many places, but when you consider what you get for those fees, and the price of local labor, $600 is reasonable.  I do sometimes wonder what the extra $4-500 gets at HGVC and some of the other resorts.


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## JLB (Aug 16, 2007)

OK, let's see, at Stonebridge I believe the POA fee is $60/month, maybe $90.

Then a golf membership is $2700, of course you get the pools, exercise room, etc.  So, $30000 would be a little steep for me.


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## Denny Crane (Aug 17, 2007)

I can never unbderstand why Americans are so obsessed with verything being "new".
You seem to want to destroy any form of heritage you have every ten years or so, yet one of the reasons you flock to Europe is for its old buildings????   

The Golf villas are very nice and yes, different, thats what gives them a charm.

Turning to the West Village renovations, I am concerned that the bar is being removed and does not seem to be being replaced. I don't want to have to drive to one of the other villages for a drink (Drink driving is frowned upon over here and is a big no-no) or have to wait for an infrequent shuttle.


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## JLB (Aug 17, 2007)

Denny Crane, Denny Crane:

I agree, it would be nice if things here were built to last, to endure, like in Europe.

But that does not seem to be the case.  

Yes, the WV does preserve the _charm_ of Florida vacations of two or three generations ago.  Of course, in Europe that would be new.  

Most would not guess it from some of my posts, but DW and I also like the old in some instances.  

We have had a very hateful, ongoing dispute with our neighbors concerning a community dock.  Three years ago others in the dock decided to rebuild it, just because they wanted new with all the bells and whistles.  Six of the 10 slips in it are of better construction than new docks, and will probably outlast the dock that has replaced it.  It is still being used at a resort.

We refused to just throw away a perfectly good slip.  We could have replaced the floatation, all the Corps required at that time, for $1100 per slip.  The others decided to rebuild it at $8000 per slip.

We wound up buying a lot and dock down the road.  The dock we bought is an old wooden resort dock, which we have restored.  Thousands of people have cleaned their fish on the cleaning station, thousands of kids have run and jumped into the water off the swim deck, and thousands of families have good memories on that dock.

As my brother would say, it has good Carmen.  

We call it the Margaritaville Dock, because we have painted it the Florida pastels from chips we got at the hardware store in Key West.  It's surprising how many come back into our cove--fisherman, boaters and jet-skiers, and gives us the thumbs up!

I don't believe they know it, and it is really ironic, but the new dock is deficient and unless they get a break, the Corps will not approve it the next time permit renewal comes around.  The problem with it is the flotation, the one item the Corps pointed out three years ago!  

So, perhaps OL should take advantage of the WV, give it some sort of nickname or slogan like "Preserving Florida Heritage."

My previous comments concerning the Golf Villas were based on practicality, that at some point it will be more prudent to teardown, economics, as land to build becomes more scarce at OL, and trends, that style being so out of date.  We will see in, like, another 25 years, and I'll be sure to let you know when the bulldozers arrive.  

To relate it specifically to OL, you don't see any of Mr. Wilson's original Holiday Inns any more.  Even some of the second generation Holiday Inns no longer are.



Denny Crane said:


> You seem to want to destroy any form of heritage you have every ten years or so, yet one of the reasons you flock to Europe is for its old buildings????


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## Denny Crane (Aug 17, 2007)

Don't get me wrong, your country is absolutley fantastic as is your way of life, space and friendliness of the natives.
I would gladly swap you USA for the UK
Any takers?? :rofl: :rofl:


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## JLB (Aug 17, 2007)

I'm sorry, but any response would likely violate the TUG taboo against political discussions.   



Denny Crane said:


> Don't get me wrong, your country is absolutley fantastic as is your way of life, space and friendliness of the natives.
> I would gladly swap you USA for the UK
> Any takers?? :rofl: :rofl:


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## Denny Crane (Aug 18, 2007)

JLB said:


> I'm sorry, but any response would likely violate the TUG taboo against political discussions.



ROFLMAO!!

We are old owners at OLCC, we had one of the golf villas, we went to florida for our honeymoon some 18 years ago. We stayed at Vistana and OLCC for the honeymoon and just loved OLCC over Vistana (Too dark the villas, yiu had to have the lights on all the time) so we bought a resale overlooking the lake with the golf hole in the middle.
This was the days of the large tennis arena being their and I am sure the pace was called OL Golf and tennis club??
Then when they knocked that down and built the tennis villas, we exchanged into a 3 bed (only 3 beds available on site at that time)

I would hate to get there one year and find the veiw from the top floor (where our villa is) instead of looking out over the bungalows was now look,ing at high rises.


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## timetraveler (Aug 18, 2007)

Denny Crane said:
			
		

> I would hate to get there one year and find the veiw from the top floor (where our villa is) instead of looking out over the bungalows was now look,ing at high rises.



I second that thought Denny.  We would hate that too.


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## JLB (Aug 18, 2007)

We were pretty close to being on the same schedule, only for us our first trip away, to Florida, was a delayed honeymoon.

I found a humorous irony in the fact that you enjoy the view of the Golf Villas from the top floor of your midrise.    And that you would not want the Golf Villas to disappear (so that others may enjoy the view from the top floor of their midrise, perhaps).   

Catch 22?



Denny Crane said:


> ROFLMAO!!
> 
> we went to florida for our honeymoon some 18 years ago.


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## Denny Crane (Aug 18, 2007)

JLB said:


> We were pretty close to being on the same schedule, only for us our first trip away, to Florida, was a delayed honeymoon.
> 
> I found a humorous irony in the fact that you enjoy the view of the Golf Villas from the top floor of your midrise.    And that you would not want the Golf Villas to disappear (so that others may enjoy the view from the top floor of their midrise, perhaps).
> 
> Catch 22?



Ah yes, BUT I also enjoyed the views from the Golf villas, ours had the lake one side, the course in front and to the right a small lake with ducks etc.. This would also dissapear if the area was "modernised"  

Tennis Villas did not replace any bungalows, just the unused large tennis court


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