We did have permits already filed for work regarding this project. I am more surprised at the fact there was no Disney Parks Blog announcement but only a WDWnews press release.
Just the permits for the drilling are all that I have seen. That permit approval was in April but of course ridiculous 2021 end date. Yep announcement packaging didn't seem for the average Disney consumer mostly. The aggregated 1,700 room number and just the way the press release read was interesting to me.
...well...since you asked...
I’m not really thinking about how forced this looks...or the preliminary bad design...or the continued trend to add DVC with no theming/imagination...
I’m thinking about the 900 rack rooms.
Why? Or to be more specific: how do you selll them?
As is pointed out often...the “deluxe” rooms are a hard sell and have been for at least 10 years...so why build more? The existing rooms have been steeply discounted through travel agents...like 50%. That’s not a fluke. Wilderness lodge was Half gutted for DVC in large part because they could no longer sell the rooms at $350 a night...
So why build more?
My theory is they’re changing the price...that could be why this thing looks so bland. I think the experiment is going on right now at Caribbean...
Build DVC and make the attached moderate “sub-deluxe” in the $300s.
Just a theory.
As far as announcement timing goes - they have to continue to announce new DVC...have to. Iger makes promises and then figures out how to cover up for them. No more apparent than with DVC.
I mean we have heard the rumors of dissolving the value, moderate, deluxe monikers. And perhaps this is a more gradual and longer term play over time to do that. However don't they usually hesitate to announce the next possible DVC prior to the opening and usually prior to getting the sales going on the most recently opened DVC right? Just seems interesting. Perhaps it is just hopefully that they cobbled together some early concept art to under promise and over deliver. However, as my favorite quote says, "hope is not a plan."