Expansion Planned for Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

[Figment!]

Environmental Resource permits filed with the South Florida Water Management District on March 7 & March 16, 2011 have revealed plans to expand the Grand Floridian Resort.

According to the site plans, a new 3-wing building is planned to be built on a plot of land bounded by the existing resort grounds to the north, the Seven Seas Lagoon to the east, the Wedding Pavilion to the south, and the monorail track to the west. The new building is planned to be connected to the Grand Floridian Main Building/Monorail station by a covered walkway.

In addition to the new building, two new parking lots are planned to be built between the existing Grand Floridian health club and Floridan Way. The larger 125 space parking lot is presumably for the new resort building; however, the smaller 111 space parking lot is marked as "Proposed Gated Wedding Pavilion Parking Lot".

The site plans can be found per the links below:

110307-4_site plan86186.pdf

110307-4_plans_2011022286188.pdf



The use for the planned expansion has yet to be announced, but it is speculated to be for the long rumoured Honeymoon Suites mini-resort or the Disney Vacation Club.

[plutosnana]

AWESOME!

[Ian]

Sounds like the Grand Floridian DVC villas we've all been waiting for.

[faline]

Sounds like the Grand Floridian DVC villas we've all been waiting for.

If so, I'll bet it will use some additional points to stay!

[waymickey]

MNOP???? Still can't figure it out driving me a bit nutty!

[Basket Mommy]

Sounds like the Grand Floridian DVC villas we've all been waiting for.

Except I don't see a separate DVC pool with a slide that always accompanies a DVC property?

[Goofster]

Looks kind of small to be a DVC resort. Maybe Honeymoon suites?

[BrerGnat]

I'm calling DVC.

I'm really not sure there is that much demand for a honeymoon suite wing, is there? Do most people on their honeymoons currently splurge on suites at the Deluxe level? It seems to me that would be taking a big risk. When they build these things, they expect a specific level of capacity, and I just don't see how they could expect that many people on their honeymoons to choose, first the GF, then the specific honeymoon suite wing within that property. Seems like too narrow a demographic.

What I can envision is a premuim sort of "exclusive" property, with a higher level of more personalized service, and perhaps an "all suite/all club level" setup, similar to how many Vegas resorts have axuillary properties that fit this description, to cater to a more exclusive clientele. Perhaps this is Disney's answer to the competing Four Seasons?

[SBETigg]

Sounds like the Grand Floridian DVC villas we've all been waiting for.

Oh my gosh, wow. I would be so in for that! So in!

[Victor Kelly]

The more I read the more concerned I get depending on where they are building.

BLT looks very nice and all. No DVC is not in our price range or even on our priorities list right now since we just got married.

But as a person who understand why Walt bought the huge chunck of property in Florida, it seems as if the current Disney company is ok letting guests see build up around it's parks while you are in the parks.

Seems like it is ok to build high rises that you can see from inside a Disney park, as long as they are Disney owned.

I am by no means a purist, and understand things have to change sometimes. But with the amount of land surrounding Bay Lake, and there are even land areas intended for resorts that were never built around the Seven Seas lagoon, could they not just build there instead?

[DizneyRox]

The more I read the more concerned I get depending on where they are building.

BLT looks very nice and all. No DVC is not in our price range or even on our priorities list right now since we just got married.

But as a person who understand why Walt bought the huge chunck of property in Florida, it seems as if the current Disney company is ok letting guests see build up around it's parks while you are in the parks.

Seems like it is ok to build high rises that you can see from inside a Disney park, as long as they are Disney owned.

I am by no means a purist, and understand things have to change sometimes. But with the amount of land surrounding Bay Lake, and there are even land areas intended for resorts that were never built around the Seven Seas lagoon, could they not just build there instead?

They need to leverage the infrastructure already in place at the Grand. Adding a whole new resort or location will require significantly more resources than leeching off what's already in place. Also, guests don't want to travel too far when you're spending the amount of money you're spending to stay at the Grand. It doesn't appear to be a huge addition (compared to AKL and BLT) that would necessitatetoo much change to what's already in place.

[wildernesslady]

I like the idea of it becoming DVC. Hopefully the points wont be too high.