I haven't frequented the DVC boards in many years, but it's comforting to know the "whose is bigger" argument that used to go on between BWV and OKW owners has been expanded to fill the new resorts
I think that part of what is going on here is that back in the day, a lot of people would not DREAM of staying in a studio. and with the price point of DVC, why should they? $48 a point for OWK on initial buy in, $65 a point brought down to $55 a point with "magical beginnings" when I bought into BWV. The math really worked on staying in the bigger units and there were raging debates about how you were misusing your DVC if you stayed only in a studio, the whole point of it was the "home away from home" units and how some people would just DIE if they EVER had to stay in a studio, ESPECIALLY at BWV where they were SO MUCH SMALLER than OKW.
It was easy to have that debate at prices 20 years ago. But now with prices at nearly 3x per point and the trend toward the deluxe resort DVC and a bit away from the emphasis of "home away from home", a lot more people are comparing to a standard room for value. When a standard view undiscounted room at the Poly is over $500 a night going up to nearly $800 a night with theme park views topping over $1000 a night during the higher season, buying into dvc and booking a studio at the villas look pretty damn attractive and anything remotely resembling a 1-2br is an extreme luxury product... which is how they were built and marketed. I think most working people could not DREAM of staying at a multi-room suite in the Poly and their model for larger parties is 2 connecting rooms, not a luxurious 1-2 bedroom home away from home. I think most people who stay at the Poly stay there for location and theming and pool and restaurants. It's kind of like why people will buy a studio apartment right downtown in a big city rather than a large condo in the suburbs... and the Poly does seem to get booked up pretty quickly... I had to swap points with an owner during my last two trips to be able to stay there. It is not easy to get by any means at 7 months.
WL is the cheapest of the deluxe and has precedent for point pricing over there that closely resembles BWV pool view so I think yes, they had to offer something more jazzy, snazzy and upgraded to get people to want to buy there... ie the lure of larger units (and not just cabins). The location is not as prime as Poly (although the theming and amenities are as good as poly) and the rooms are smaller, but with precedent of an existing DVC there I think they could not have done anything other than what they did, which is provide a variety of units.
But still I think that with how high DVC prices are, unlike the good old days, a lot of people are buying with plans to be at a studio level... and if you check availability, studios are always the first to go with 1 and 2 bedroom units available sometimes right up until the last minute (I always get email about
DVC rental flash sales and what's available are generally the larger units). Even at BWV I have seen availability on a 1br standard view LONG after the studios were fully booked. At Copper Creek the studios sell out lightening fast but there is often plenty of availability in the larger units. So as stupid as you think Disney was for making the Poly all studios, I think they are still trying to figure out the right mix and I think it needs to be more studio heavy than what CCV is.
I stayed in a CCV 2 bedroom for one night with my parents and it was beautiful but not on my top 3 list for where I want to stay other than home resort. Poly is still at the top of that, and we stay in studios. As a single mother traveling with one child, the studios with the pull down murphy beds are PERFECTION so we tend to stay there.