Disney Considered Building Hotels Inside Magic Kingdom, Court Records Reveal
Disney Considered Building Hotels Inside Magic Kingdom, Court Records Reveal
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News Disney Considered Building Hotels Inside Magic Kingdom, Court Records Reveal
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
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nickys
Premium Member
I’m sure there were discussions around this at the time. Can’t remember if that was a rumour or if there were permits that suggested it was possible.
@wdwmagic , I think the description of guests “walking through the lobby” of the Disneyland Hotel in Paris is stretching things. There are walkways and ticket gates under the hotel. I think the lobby is one floor up, although it’s possible it’s adjacent to the park entrance.
@wdwmagic , I think the description of guests “walking through the lobby” of the Disneyland Hotel in Paris is stretching things. There are walkways and ticket gates under the hotel. I think the lobby is one floor up, although it’s possible it’s adjacent to the park entrance.
The lobby is off to the side and as of last year only accessible to hotel guests
One of two possible reasons I can think of why they put it on the shelf.
Any hotel would command a substantial price premium. The failure of the Star Wars hotel is a stinging reminder of what happens when price exceeds customer expectations, especially if it is either a boutique style hotel or the level of service is not on par with the price. While I'm sure it would have been exceedingly popular to start (because it's new), longterm it could fail to deliver, which unlike the Star Wars hotel, because it is directly interfaced with the park, would be a hard thing to ignore.
The other reason is, they didn't want to spend the money. A lot of these expansions start off grand and get whittled away as the development of the project progresses.
Any hotel would command a substantial price premium. The failure of the Star Wars hotel is a stinging reminder of what happens when price exceeds customer expectations, especially if it is either a boutique style hotel or the level of service is not on par with the price. While I'm sure it would have been exceedingly popular to start (because it's new), longterm it could fail to deliver, which unlike the Star Wars hotel, because it is directly interfaced with the park, would be a hard thing to ignore.
The other reason is, they didn't want to spend the money. A lot of these expansions start off grand and get whittled away as the development of the project progresses.
Smiley/OCD
Well-Known Member
I wonder how many rooms they can fit where Stitch was…lol
ManicMillennial
Well-Known Member
I agree. The convenience of walking into Magic Kingdom from the hotel would be a neat thing to do once but would ultimately be the least interesting way to get there. The monorail is fun because it’s like already being on a ride and arriving by boat and seeing the castle get bigger as you approach is an amazing way to start the magic of the day.
Purduevian
Well-Known Member
Previous discussions here: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/potential-new-magic-kingdom-area-hotel.983888/
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
Actually walking directly into the park would be amazing.... more than a once and done for me....and those I know. DLP hotel that spans the entrance is out of the way, and beautifully designed.... I am sure an in-park hotel would be extremely popular...and the prices they would charge would be extremely high... The Star Wars Hotel had lots and lots of other problems... Price was one of them, but it looked completely underwhelming in almost every way... Fun Idea, but the realized vision did not match customer expectation....on most levels.
A beautifully designed Luxe hotel with direct access into the park would be a win on many levels... and why not a bespoke VIP Tour guide hotel....specifically for those that travel at that level... It doesn't need to be a thousand rooms... A smaller hotel where they could actually provide services of a real 5 star hotel would be a nice addition...
A beautifully designed Luxe hotel with direct access into the park would be a win on many levels... and why not a bespoke VIP Tour guide hotel....specifically for those that travel at that level... It doesn't need to be a thousand rooms... A smaller hotel where they could actually provide services of a real 5 star hotel would be a nice addition...
Also said hotel would still need a bus depot to access half the parks. If Disney was smart, they would focus on building a non bus public transportation system to connect all parks. Light rail, Peoplemover, you name it. People feel like they are getting a more premium experience when transportation is not a bus. The skyliner should have taught them that, imagine if every hotel and park was integrated into a transportation system such that onsite guests would never have to travel on a road once they checked in.
Disney's hotels have been able to make money because of the scale and uniformity of operations. All of their deluxe resorts operate identically with minimal variation designed to maximize profitability.
I would suspect that they just couldn't find an economic justification to go down the route of a boutique style luxury hotel. This type of hotel would certainly command a price premium, but also incur a significant operational expense. Restaurants, Shops, Amenities, Recreation would all need to be commensurate with the price. To put it simply, the market may not be there, and even if it was, it wouldn't not be able to make as much money a comparable deluxe hotel.
Spectro shire
Well-Known Member
Technically, Universal does not have a hotel inside their parks either. The hotel is not fully inside the park.
HRH might as well be, it’s parking lot stretches from ET adventure to Hollywood.
Splash4eva
Well-Known Member
Probably the best idea ive heard for this space in awhile.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
The actual lobby is to the right side, but many of the services are one flight up. Gift shop, restaurants etc. - fortunately when I was there (new years 2025) it was still open for all guests to enjoy. I would imagine new years is as busy as it gets and the lobby was not over crowded at all - so not sure why they needed to change anything unless it gets worse over the summer.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
I still want Disney's Mediterranean Resort.
Long visualized as a new jewel in the crown of resorts surrounding Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney's Mediterranean Resort will occupy a prime location on the monorail line between Disneys Contemporary Resort and the Transportation and Ticket Center. Its 1,000 deluxe rooms and suites will capture the romance of the sunny resorts of the Greek Islands. It will also provide a luxurious new convention facility with more than 65,000 square feet of meeting space and outstanding recreational facilities including a marina.
--from the company's press materials in the 90s.
Long visualized as a new jewel in the crown of resorts surrounding Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney's Mediterranean Resort will occupy a prime location on the monorail line between Disneys Contemporary Resort and the Transportation and Ticket Center. Its 1,000 deluxe rooms and suites will capture the romance of the sunny resorts of the Greek Islands. It will also provide a luxurious new convention facility with more than 65,000 square feet of meeting space and outstanding recreational facilities including a marina.
--from the company's press materials in the 90s.
ManicMillennial
Well-Known Member
Logistically that is a nightmare because of how far away everything is from each other. If the extended the Skyliner to Magic Kingdom the ride from Art of Animation would take forever and probably have 4 or so switch overs at various locations.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
So you're saying Helios isn't inside the park? What defines it technically?