Interesting Rumors for WDW

[mjstaceyuofm]

WoL = Wonders of Life in Epcot. You probably couldn't come up with it because:

a) it's been closed for a while.
b) it was never maintained properly over the last few years it was open and thus completely forgettable.

[Speedy1998]

WoL = Wonders of Life in Epcot. You probably couldn't come up with it because:

a) it's been closed for a while.
b) it was never maintained properly over the last few years it was open and thus completely forgettable.

I thought it was completely forgetable when it first opened.

[DREAMADREAM93]

I'm fine with the wand, too, but wouldn't care either if they took it down.

Now the hat is another story ...

Im glad somebody said THAT before i did.
I dont care about the wand. I think its nice, but it wouldn't kill me if they took it down.
But, the hat !? Its annoying.

And wow, i ADORE Disney-MGM Studios. Since i was little it has been one of my favorite parks and i love the whole Hollywood design.
I hope they dont completely re-do the layout.
[ although it is desperatly in need of a few more attractions. ]


Im still all for BK. Fersure. If not, i'll just go to AK for EE, and KRR. Maybe ITTBAB, but other than that, i get bored when im forced to spend an entire day in that park. ADD SOMETHING.


BrerGnat- your right. it IS about the Pirates these days. I would be ALL for having a PotC Water Park... As long as Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom were present in the park 365 days a year :]

[and i dont usually like water parks for the very reason that they ARE crowded. So adding one to eliminate crowds would be great!]

JOrdan :]

[BigDisneyDad]

As for what Disney themselves are doing, we have the progression of the DVC units being build near the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the new addition to the Contemporary that some have dubbed: the Watergate Tower. While I may not be estatic about the look of the tower, I don't take as much offense as other to the design. The Animal Kingdom DVC expansion is something I absolutely love, on the other hand.

There are two other properties being looked at for DVC opportunities, but it's in the early phase and will likely not see any announcements until late 2009.

Will the new DVC opportunities involve new construction or will they be converting existing rooms? With the apparent move to more and more DVC units, what does this mean for the rooms that are available to the general public? Will there be fewer rooms available for those that either can't join, or choose not to join DVC? Will this have any effect on rack rates for the general public?

Okay, that's enough questions for now.

[Jeff G]

Great article.

I didn't have time in the past few days to read through it until today. As a Disney World fan the changes are excellent news. A fifth park would be great in the future but from reading through the article WDI is more intent on getting things back up to WDW standards at the rest of the parks.

MGM used to be my favorite park but over the past decade it's slowly drifted in a downward spiral. The attention the rumors mention could really get this park back in the right direction.

I'm excited to here that the wand may be coming down, I can live with it but having it down restores the original intended look. I hope they do a little more at EPCOT to make it family friendly. The majority of Future World rides are not geared towards those under 5(ie - TT, MS, Soarin and Universe of Energy).

And at AK the thought of BK is great. To me AK feels like a park that was started but never completed. I also hope it's true that they work on the carnival feel at Dinoland, it doesn't fit at all with the natural feel of the park.

All the buzz and possible changes have me excited and reminds me of the 90's. Heres to hoping most of these rumors come true.

[Ian]

Will the new DVC opportunities involve new construction or will they be converting existing rooms? With the apparent move to more and more DVC units, what does this mean for the rooms that are available to the general public? Will there be fewer rooms available for those that either can't join, or choose not to join DVC? Will this have any effect on rack rates for the general public?

Well most of the DVC work is scheduled out probably at least through 2011, with well-known but yet-to-be-officially-announced addition of DVC to the Contemporary.

They're still selling SSR ... they have VAKL going at least through 2009 ... and then they'll start selling Contemporary.

My best guess, though, is that you'll see most of the new DVC rooms being added to existing resorts. I really don't think Disney wants to be in the hotel business to the extent they are in WDW right now. Going DVC means less cleaning staff, lower expenses, etc. I've already heard pretty solid rumors that, after Contemporary, at least one building from the other two MK area resorts (i.e. Poly and Grand Floridian) will go DVC.

As to what it means for non-DVC guests ... the laws of supply and demand will apply. More DVC rooms = fewer rooms available = higher prices.

[mjstaceyuofm]

...I've already heard pretty solid rumors that, after Contemporary, at least one building from the other two MK area resorts (i.e. Poly and Grand Floridian) will go DVC.

As to what it means for non-DVC guests ... the laws of supply and demand will apply. More DVC rooms = fewer rooms available = higher prices.

I agree with your supply and demand analysis. A more general question I have deals with total rooms on property. Granted those rooms at converted buildings will be taken out of "hotel stock" on Disney property, but will the buildings/rooms be converted one to one or will something similar to what's going on at Contemporary take place? Will it be a room for room deal or will the DVC units on those properties actually add to the total number of rooms at WDW? DVC members will often bank or exchange their points for other things (cruise, non-WDW hotels, etc.) thus freeing up rooms. I don't think this will compensate for the reduced supply at highly desirable locations like the CR, Poly or GF - but it may help to offset it.

[pshokie]

Hold the phone......
WDWacky, are you saying you "heard a rumor" that the DVC was going to expand to Poly and GF?

For real???

Man, if this is the case, I would buy points at either of those places without even thinking about it. We love the Poly, and that it is what is holding us back from doing DVC at the moment.

[Ian]

Hold the phone......
WDWacky, are you saying you "heard a rumor" that the DVC was going to expand to Poly and GF?

For real???

Yes, for real. It's certainly not confirmed or anything, but from what I've read and heard their next two DVC projects will most likely be room/building conversions at the Poly and GF. Supposedly, it would be GF first then the Poly.

... will the buildings/rooms be converted one to one or will something similar to what's going on at Contemporary take place? Will it be a room for room deal or will the DVC units on those properties actually add to the total number of rooms at WDW?

I would assume it would be more like what they're doing with VAKL right now. Redoing the existing buildings into some combination of studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom space.

Which, to me, seems like it would end up with less overall rooms, right?

[pshokie]

That's so cool! Thanks WDWac...er, Ian.

By chance did your "source" or what ever you want to call it give some kind of projected timeframe? 2011 or beyond?

[Dsnygirl]

Thanks for all the great info, Ian... quite a lot to look forward to in the years to come!! Thanks for sharing!

[Ian]

That's so cool! Thanks WDWac...er, Ian.

By chance did your "source" or what ever you want to call it give some kind of projected timeframe? 2011 or beyond?

No ... some of it will depend on how fast VAKL sells out.

Our guide when we bought was telling us that the reason they're converting existing rooms at VAKL (and one of the reasons the VAKL announcement sort of came out of the blue) was because they originally planned to just add the new Kidani Village rooms for DVC. Then SSR started selling out so quickly that they needed something else to sell before 2009, when Kidani will be done, so they decided to convert existing rooms to DVC so they could sell those first.

The same could happen with the other MK area resorts. If VAKL and SSR sell out faster than they expect, they might have to do something similar.

[mjstaceyuofm]

Ian is now Ian and he bought into DVC????

[Ian]

Ian is now Ian and he bought into DVC????

Yep ... proud owners at SSR, Matt!

[HallandNash]

Sounds like a lot of cool stuff on the horizon. This bodes well for our next trip which won't be until 2010 at the earliest.

[lockedoutlogic]

I think the rumors about DVC conversions around the MK make a ton of sense....and you can see the overall picture if you think about it:

I spent awhile working in operations at the GF...and the pink elephant in the room there was that they simply could not deliver on their service standards that they attempted to meet. The GM was actually cuffed and escorted form the property while I worked there... a throroughly amusing little andectotal...but I'm off track....

Disney doesn't have the kind of specialized staff (by training and pay) that you need to run a 4 star type hotel. Disney's construction skill and subsequent magnificent picturesque facilities hide a secret in locations like the Grand, yacht and beach, and animal kingdom lodge: they just don't have the employee caliber to make the service remarkable and bring the high end business clientele back that they strive too....

The light went on when the new Four Seasons was announced and the huge value based Western Way expansion....

You can only come to the conclusion that Disney is...in fact...retracting it's committment to resort operations.

And why not? It is painfully clear that DVC is a tremendous money maker for them. Not in the actual DVC sales...but the guaranteed repeat business and all the merchandise that flies off the shelf with it. So why not DVC-ize more hotels? Remember something about DVC: it's expensive. By and large, very few people without above average incomes would ever buy it. So you are guaranteeing a recurring client base with more disposable cash than the traditional WDW guest of the 70s and 80s...by that I mean the savers who may go once every few years or maybe only once or twice in their lifetime. And with the new value rooms on Western Way, there will be more rooms available for them as well.

The values operations....while still good for the reason stated above....undoubtedly operates at a very fine line of profit. By outsourcing that....Disney can guarantee the continued high profit business (make no mistake...that's merchandising) while pulling back from the huge overhead involve in running 2000+ room hotel locations. Think about it: how much more does it cost to run allstars than all the chain budget hotels that sit just a few miles away on 192 and charge similar rates?
I wouldn't be surprised to see the values outsourced for operations and the moderates either follow...or significantly increase in price to yield greater profits (mods are already horribly overpriced as it now stands)

The Four Seasons was the big kicker though. Nobody does service like them...and unlike Disney, they are willing to pay for it in the longterm to cater to their very selective (and by default...fully loaded clients). This is no risk for Disney. The kind of service they have failed to provide without any operational costs. A sweetheart deal straight out of the textbook.

What's the result of the 4 Seasons? The "deluxes" are now going to move away from the business traveler and service areas that they have struggled with and become more Disneyfied....
you better beleive it. The Contemporary is an aging hotel that people once payed $29 dollars a night for....
...now people pay 450 to look out at the Astro Orbiter....what a raquet.....seriously.

Why not load all three MK properties with DVC? The sure as heck will be occupied...and the corporate business that will now be going to 4 Seasons will leave more space available.

This is something like a 50 win plan.

[Jeany031]

maybe in the Magic Kingdom park in Mickey's Toontown fair. Maybe a Rescue Rangers Dark Ride and Rescue Rangers and the guest are coming to his rescue of Mickey Mouse from the cluches of Fat Cat and his gang.

[Sharon1026]

No way it should stay. Are you kidding me?

I heard that the wand will be turned into a salami to honor the new Italian restaurant that will be opening... This is 3rd or 4th hand info, so I don't know how accurate it is.

[Sharon1026]

thanks for the great info.

DVC is a great way for Disney to annuitize it's business and get the dvc owners to pay for the upkeep of the property. It's win/win for the owners if they use it as intended.

I would like to see some parts of MK rehabbed. The galaxy theater is NEVER open. Put an attraction there! I am not a fan of COP - I wouldn't mind seeing it taken down.yes, it was walt's baby, but walt was all about improving things. B/W cartoons to BW cartoons with sound, to color cartoons to full length cartoons. He improved things and didn't look back.

[iceicebritney]

who doesnt like a good disney rumor??hehe

i was just curious where you all think the new waterpark would go... i wonder if it would be closer to the main resorts by the MK?

also - have ya'll seen the "master plans" on other disney fan websites? i've never seen them before.. but stumbled upon them while searching yahoo. very interesting stuff. i remember seeing something similar during ... i think it was walt's b-day celebration... when they had that special area next to Tonys Town Sqaure in MK decked out in all things Walt Disney. its interesting to see how things were planned out in walt's mind so far ahead of his time... he really was an incredibly intelligent and creative man!