A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Nemo14]

The opening rates at Sports and Music from 1994-95 was $59 a night (that was before any discounts ... I believe I once paid something like $26 on a CM rate). Oh, and when CBR debuted in 1988, rack rate began at $64 per night. And when it opened, it wasn't classified as a moderate resort either. I don't recall exactly how it was referred to, but it was more upscale (rooms had mini-bars, island with live parrots living on it, all food was fresh -- from pizza to burgers to sandwiches and made from scratch at food court). But it was pricey at times due to supply vs. demand. I recall spending $99 plus tax to stay there in summer of 1990. That also was when summer was a peak season unlike today.

I'm pretty sure we paid $89 a night to stay there in the summer of 1990. The food court was amazing - so many great choices (and lifetime refillable mugs!), we had our own coffee pot and mini-bar in our room, and there was so much to see and do at the resort itself that we knew we'd return. We stayed there several more times in the 90's (even saw Michael Eisner there once), then moved on to bigger and better things thanks to a CM's discount.
I might add that we went back there a few years ago and were absolutely disgusted with how much it had changed.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

WDW has become increasingly susceptible to recessions because of its current business strategy.

I think that this is where our fundamental disagreement ultimately lands. I believe Disney's current model has them extremely well positioned for a recession (or a boom for that matter) because they've built a flexible pricing model. You need to remember that Disney releases rack rates knowing full well that they're above market rate. The discounts are planned well in advance, but they maintain the flexibility to either pull back on discounting or increase discounting in response to market fluctuations. This flexibility, combined with a focus on DVC, makes WDW relatively recession proof.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Only agree to a point as both Walt and Michael desired making money (and really ... what's wrong with that?) But Michael wanted to be the showman every bit as much as Walt.

That is the Eisner I liked. Arrogant, vain, an egomaniac, a showman.

I remember when DHS opened, there was a documentary about it, Eisner was interviewed. As he looked down Hollywood Boulevard he said, speaking out loud more than directing his words to the camera, "Do you know what would look good here? An aircraft carrier."

I hate how somebody could associate Disney with military equipment, but otherwise it is brilliant in its insanity. It shows such ambition, love for the grand gesture, mad lus_t for sheer scale and largeness. For all his faults Eisner knew show. Wanting to dazzle your audience is still putting the guest experience at the centre of your thought, and beats giving centre stage to the spreadsheet, or the sharp-suited brand peddlers.

 

[bhg469]

not everyone likes to cook.
Plus you cant be your own waiter.

Prime beef is also unattainable in a grocery store, you have to get it from a specialty shop. That's not saying there aren't ways to make a choice cut taste as good as prime but it involves some techniques that most people don't have the equipment for. Myself, I use a sous vide water bath. You vacuum seal the meat in a bag with herbs or sometimes a liquid, then cook it in a specific temperature for an hour. When it's done I pat the steak dry add a little more salt and pepper and throw it on my grills infrared burner Or in an extremely hot cast iron Pan To give a nice crust to the meat.

it's really time consuming but I'd put my steak up against most middle of the road places any day.

When it comes to "cheaper" restaurant steak, imo not much beats carabbas. Decent quality and a nice grill. I don't like italian food typically but their steak is really good.

 

[ford91exploder]

I agree it is high but as others have pointed out very few pay if anyone the rack rate.
it is a cheap promotional ploy by companies to let everyone think they get a deal.

I take it you have never been to a place which hosts major events like a NASCAR race, I assure you rack rate is charged its when the Hampton inn in town gets 450 night

Take a peek at that card on the hotel door sometime you will be amazed

 

[FigmentFreak]

It seems like Disney may have bought a hotel in Anaheim across from Disneyland

http://m.ocregister.com/articles/disney-659941-hotel-inn.html

My daughters and I love staying at the Carousel. Always got a great rate and nice rooms with that rooftop pool for fireworks viewing.

 

[gmajew]

I take it you have never been to a place which hosts major events like a NASCAR race, I assure you rack rate is charged its when the Hampton inn in town gets 450 night

Take a peek at that card on the hotel door sometime you will be amazed

I have seen them and I know all about it just like Superbowl rates or NCAA Final four hotel prices. But again that is a simple supply and demand equation and price is going to be determined based on that.

If Disney has rooms as they do 95% of the time I would say you can get some type of discount or free dining these days to help offset the cost.

 

[Katie G]

So an Easter 2020 opening date, for an enormous innovative new theme park. Meanwhile at WDW, that's about the same time that (optimistic) estimates suggest a Star Wars land of some kind could open at DHS. Nice to see Disney leading the way (ROFL).

Everything sounds bad when you say it with that attitude Keep in mind that when Disney builds Star Wars, they will only be building when the park is closed and will have to keep the construction contained. Very different than building most of the day on an entire plot of land that no Guest will visit until the construction is finished.

 

[Lee]

Everything sounds bad when you say it with that attitude Keep in mind that when Disney builds Star Wars, they will only be building when the park is closed and will have to keep the construction contained. Very different than building most of the day on an entire plot of land that no Guest will visit until the construction is finished.

Absolutely no indication that Disney will "only be building when the park is closed."
They will build every day...once they get started.

 

[Rteetz]

I hope that was a way to protest the current state of the monorails.

If you look at Monty the monorails (yes that's the monorails name) Facebook page he was visiting his children that he hasn't seen in 20 years...

 

[Lee]

I view you as a real hillbilly as opposed to @Lee who can only fake it!

Yep. Ain't even trying too hard...

 

[choco choco]

You've got to zoom your Google Earth image out just a bit, and reference an article Al Lutz/Miceage wrote a year ago, plus be following the political drama in Anaheim City Hall over their contentious streetcar plan, and also gab it up at a Villa Park cocktail party with the right real estate insiders, and then the Carousel Inn becomes an obviously valuable piece of property for Disneyland and its near future.

The Carousel Inn connects the business park that Miceage says Disney bought a year ago to Harbor Blvd., perfectly sized for a sky bridge over Harbor connecting a 8,000+ space parking structure to the Resort.

The original plan was for Anaheim to take the Park Vue Inn and IHOP property a block south via eminent domain, and have Anaheim use the ground level for a streetcar station and maintenance facility, while Disney built a sky bridge overhead that connected the Resort to the structure. But the recent re-routing of the Anaheim streetcar to Disney Way would derail (pun intended) that plan. This Carousel Inn purchase would appear to be a way for Disney to get the planned sky bridge over Harbor to connect to the new parking structure, while avoiding the Anaheim streetcar drama and any nasty eminent domain lawsuits and bad press.

What's also nice is that this land grab and parking plan would appear to save the Pizza Press. The Pizza Press is the location with the best custom-made pizza for miles around and dozens of local craft beers on tap, open daily until 1AM, and just a 5 minute stroll from Main Street USA. http://www.thepizzapress.com/

Couple things about your post. One is that the business park you are talking about is actually split into two parcels, the large building in the northern part of the site, and the smaller building in the southern part. Indications are that Disney only owns the land with the smaller building in the southern part (currently being used by US Immigrations Services, I believe), and the Carousel Inn only connects to the northern part. As people on Miceage already noted, the northern portion is currently being used by the Odetics company.

The plan for the 8,000+ space parking structure only needed the current Pumbaa lot and that southern building (Lutz mentioned this, I've done the math. At around 6-8 levels and factoring about 320 square feet per car space - the industry standard - you'll only need those two parcels). If you build that structure, it still won't connect to the Carousel Inn piece without going through the northern part somehow.

Also, you can't build a pedestrian bridge over Harbor on that site, because the monorail occupies the same airspace directly across the street. That monorail juts right up against Harbor there, meaning they have exactly no space for a ramp to bring the guests back down from an elevated bridge. Their options would be to build a bridge that would cross Harbor diagonally to connect to the pedestrian sidewalk farther south (unlikely and terrible for streetscape sightlines), or to re-route the monorail (something Disney avoids like the plague, and anyway might be hard because it would require the monorail to make a tighter turn when coming out of Tomorrowland. The monorail requires a pretty wide turning radius and I'm not sure it can get any tighter than the one it is already traveling).

 

[Cardinals314]

Has anyone seen this article that came out today. I am not surprised that Disney is starting to rely more on foreign workers than local ones. I wonder what @WDW1974 thinks of this

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...es-at-disney-over-use-of-foreign-workers.html

 

[Funmeister]

Has anyone seen this article that came out today. I am not surprised that Disney is starting to rely more on foreign workers than local ones. I wonder what @WDW1974 thinks of this

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...es-at-disney-over-use-of-foreign-workers.html

This is nothing new. This has been going on for a long time.

 

[wm49rs]

Has anyone seen this article that came out today. I am not surprised that Disney is starting to rely more on foreign workers than local ones. I wonder what @WDW1974 thinks of this

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...es-at-disney-over-use-of-foreign-workers.html

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...nd-replaces-them-with-foreign-workers.898776/

 

[Cardinals314]

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...nd-replaces-them-with-foreign-workers.898776/

Oh my bad then

 

[Fe Maiden]

Off topic a lot but...

anybody else going to see the Stones June12 at the citrus bowl orlando?
my bro scored us some nice presale tix

Take a trip back in time with the Stones and Van Halen at the Tangerine Bowl October '81.

http://www.vhnd.com/2014/10/29/a-weekend-with-van-halen-and-the-rolling-stones/

 

[Fe Maiden]

I take it you have never been to a place which hosts major events like a NASCAR race, I assure you rack rate is charged its when the Hampton inn in town gets 450 night

Take a peek at that card on the hotel door sometime you will be amazed

When we drive down from Philly to WDW we usually make it to Daytona around 11:30 at night and grab a room at the Hilton Garden Inn or Residence Inn. You can see the grandstands from the room. A 1BR suite in August runs about $130. Same room on race weekend is $800-$1000.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

Everything sounds bad when you say it with that attitude Keep in mind that when Disney builds Star Wars, they will only be building when the park is closed and will have to keep the construction contained. Very different than building most of the day on an entire plot of land that no Guest will visit until the construction is finished.

Absolutely no indication that Disney will "only be building when the park is closed."
They will build every day...once they get started.

Building during the day? Why haven't they tried that in the Golden Goose Park that is the Magic Kingdom and the Hub refurb? Oh, right... it's because it's the golden goose and they can't have their precious entertainment offerings be interrupted. I think Park Ops saw their shadow, definitely 6 more months of refurb there.

Star Wars land in Orlando will get build by whichever means is cheaper. Which not getting built at all is currently the cheapest. If they can keep stringing us along with promises of Star Wars land to come... they will until Pandora's bump is exhausted.

 

[ULPO46]

Lets face it the only reason why Disneyland was ever built was because Walt Disney was crazy enough to do it. He was a genius in his time. Ahead of his time and was extremely Organized. Unlike most four tune 500 companies today. Disney had to go against his brother and the rest of the Walt Disney Company in order to build thus WED Enterprises was founded. The park was built with all the imagination and ingenuity that Walt had. The magic Kingdom only was a success because Walt had planned it all out. Everything after wards just slowly faded as the visionary left. The Problem with the Walt Disney Company and any company now a days is that there is no more creativity, no sense of Organization theres just the Six Sigma crap invented by the Japanese that simply doesn't help a company build a successful product anymore. Disney is ran by a bunch of egocentric Billionaires whom don't care about the Company Walt Built, don't care about the quality of their films or the quality of their Parks.