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Imagineers Creating New Mouse Houses

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By TED JACKOVICS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

TAMPA - Disney Vacation Club announced two time-share projects Tuesday, a 15-story tower under construction near Disney World's Magic Kingdom and a 60-unit "treehouse living" development at the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa near Downtown Disney.

The projects follow a trend in Disney time-share facilities that has more than doubled membership since 2004, to 350,000 individuals from about 100 countries, a company release said.

The projects, devised by Disney Imagineers who create the rides and buildings for Disney theme parks, are:

•Bay Lake tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, scheduled to open in fall 2009 with 295 two-bedroom villas. The rooms sleep up to nine people, although some can be divided into one-bedroom villas that sleep five and studios that accommodate four.

Some villas will offer views of the Magic Kingdom theme park, and others face undeveloped stretches of Bay Lake.

Sales will open Sunday to Disney Club members and later to the public. The entry-level purchase is $17,920 for a contract for rooms used through 2060, plus other fees. The amount of annual use depends on the lengths of stay and the time of year the accommodations are used.

•Treehouse Villas of Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa near Downtown Disney, scheduled to open in summer 2009. It will become the newest phase of the largest Disney Vacation Club resort.

The 60 three-bedroom homes will be elevated 10 feet above ground on pedestals and beams designed to blend into a forest environment. Each unit will sleep nine.

No sales date or price has been set for the Treehouse Villas.

Participants in Disney time shares buy into a particular property, but can use all of Disney's international time share properties. Participants can convert annual "points" in their contracts to time-share stays elsewhere.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817.

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