Disney's Contemporary Resort 'Health and Wellness' suites canceled

[wdwmagic]

This has been mentioned in another thread, but perhaps is worthy of its own.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Resorts/Dis...ort-'Health-and-Wellness'-suites-canceled.htm

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Seems logical to me. I think it was an idea that sounded good on paper, but the costs were just too much for the niche market they were looking to serve. Glad they thought it through and canceled it before it went into practice and they were then paying for the mistake.

 

[bgraham34]

I got a survey a few months back asking if I was interested in these suites and I said no. So I would assume that there was not enough interest. This would attract a very limited audience and very expensive I am sure.

 

[lebeau]

I wondered how much interest there could possibly be in these. But then, I don't understand the things the super rich are willing to spend money on.

Maybe Disney should go the other way. An obesity suite with an all-you-care-to-eat buffet and a hot tub full of gravy.

 

[djkidkaz]

Im surprised by the amount of stuff Disney has been announcing lately and then going back and canceling it or changing it after its announced ( Wellness Suites, FLE, Hyperion Wharf ). It gives the impression they aren't thinking these decisions through.

 

[COProgressFan]

Maybe Disney should go the other way. An obesity suite with an all-you-care-to-eat buffet and a hot tub full of gravy.

I think these would be a hit!!!

 

[COProgressFan]

Im surprised by the amount of stuff Disney has been announcing lately and then going back and canceling it or changing it after its announced ( Wellness Suites, FLE, Hyperion Wharf ). It gives the impression they aren't thinking these decisions through.

I think they may be realizing that these little projects in which they were hoping for good returns just won't provide the revenue they would hope for.

So instead of constantly looking for new ways to get more money from their guests, perhaps they really need to focus on their core offerings and make significant improvements in the parks, which desperately need the help.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Maybe Disney should go the other way. An obesity suite with an all-you-care-to-eat buffet and a hot tub full of gravy.

And a hot cheese dispenser. I'll take that over free Wi-Fi.

 

[ChrisM]

I'm being a broken record here, but I really think Disney has irreperably damaged their brand as a premier entertainment destination.

Perhaps they never had much catchet in that space to begin with, and I've wrongly believed that to be the case for a considerable number of years, but their aggressive courting of down market offerings (Value Resorts, Dining Plan, etc) has led to the perception that Disney World is an exceedingly low brow vacation destination with the patronage to match.

The explosion of DVC plays into that as well, as the popular sentiment regarding timeshares in general is that they are largely financially detrimental arrangements bought into by rubes and the less-worldly.

Now, before anyone freaks out, I'm not saying any of this is true - but what's true is that this perception absolutely exists and likely is keeping away a certain population of folks who would otherwise spend a considerable sum at Disney World.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'm being a broken record here, but I really think Disney has irreperably damaged their brand as a premier entertainment destination.

Perhaps they never had much catchet in that space to begin with, and I've wrongly believed that to be the case for a considerable number of years, but their aggressive courting of down market offerings (Value Resorts, Dining Plan, etc) has led to the perception that Disney World is an exceedingly low brow vacation destination with the patronage to match.

The explosion of DVC plays into that as well, as the popular sentiment regarding timeshares in general is that they are largely financially detrimental arrangements bought into by rubes and the less-worldly.

Now, before anyone freaks out, I'm not saying any of this is true - but what's true is that this perception absolutely exists and likely is keeping away a certain population of folks who would otherwise spend a considerable sum at Disney World.

I don't know anyone who thinks Disney World is "low brow." Regardless of the decreased maintenance that we notice, most normal people think Disney still provides an exceptional experience that is a luxury.

 

[Master Yoda]

Im surprised by the amount of stuff Disney has been announcing lately and then going back and canceling it or changing it after its announced ( Wellness Suites, FLE, Hyperion Wharf ). It gives the impression they aren't thinking these decisions through.

I think they are just testing the waters. All they have to do is make a press release with some concept art and a bit of copy, both of which are fairly cheep, and see what happens. If the public goes nuts for it they know they have a winner and build it. If the reception is cold to luke warm they shelve the idea and are out very little capital.

 

[lebeau]

I don't know anyone who thinks Disney World is "low brow." Regardless of the decreased maintenance that we notice, most normal people think Disney still provides an exceptional experience that is a luxury.

Most people I know consider it kind of a low rent vacation at high rent prices.

I disagree, but it is a very commonly held belief among most people I know.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Most people I know consider it kind of a low rent vacation at high rent prices.

I disagree, but it is a very commonly held belief among most people I know.

Interesting. Clearly, we talk with different people. Most people I know still hold Disney in high esteem (needless to say, the average person doesn't know the yeti has been broken for 5 years).

 

[lebeau]

Interesting. Clearly, we talk with different people. Most people I know still hold Disney in high esteem (needless to say, the average person doesn't know the yeti has been broken for 5 years).

Most people I know are not Disney fans. I know a handful of people who like it. And I know an equal number who really hate it. But the majority think it's someplace you are obligated to take your kids at least once. They wonder why the heck I would want to go back.

My wife, unfortunately, is in this group of people. My dad swore he would never return again even at the cost of his immortal soul. (I believe a slight exaggeration on his part, but only slight.)

Even as a Disney fan, I wouldn't exactly describe it as a luxury vacation. For most people, it's a fancy theme park vacation at top-dollar prices. I'd tell most people looking for "luxury" to look elsewhere. I mean that in the sense that if you are looking for a relaxing get-away with fantastic accomodations, WDW is probably not the best bang for your buck.

Tying back into the super-pricey health suites, I always had a hard time imagining anyone coming to WDW for that sort of thing. Even if you have the money to burn, you're really going to spend it on a room within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom and a treadmill? :shrug:

 

[TP2000]

Im surprised by the amount of stuff Disney has been announcing lately and then going back and canceling it or changing it after its announced ( Wellness Suites, FLE, Hyperion Wharf ). It gives the impression they aren't thinking these decisions through.

BINGO!

It really is fascinating to watch this stuff play out. FLE 1.0, Flamingo Crossings, Hyperion Wharf, National Harbor, now these Wellness Suites. And it came up in another thread just yesterday, but I have a hunch Golden Oaks McMansions will be the next thing quietly shelved.

It's becoming a very odd pattern for an otherwise succesful division of a succesful company. And you can't help but notice that these are all things coming out of the executive offices in TDO/Celebration. This isn't a Burbank thing, this is an Orlando thing.

Thinking out loud while I type... this may be the reason why Al Weiss suddenly retired early this year. All of these decisions to greenlight and publicly announce what were obviously incomplete or poorly thought-out concepts pencil back to him and the TDO executive suites quite easily.

It doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the decisions being made in TDO. It also makes you wonder about the other big concept these folks have been shepherding through the design phase; Next Generation Queues/Experiences.

 

[ChrisM]

I don't know anyone who thinks Disney World is "low brow." Regardless of the decreased maintenance that we notice, most normal people think Disney still provides an exceptional experience that is a luxury.

Just sharing my experiences with folks in this target market. It's a real phenomena, and is likely one of the reasons why this trial balloon popped.

 

[CDavid]

And a hot cheese dispenser. I'll take that over free Wi-Fi.

Dole whip dispenser, all you can eat, right in the room.

There would be a waiting list for those rooms.

 

[wm49rs]

I think they are just testing the waters. All they have to do is make a press release with some concept art and a bit of copy, both of which are fairly cheep, and see what happens. If the public goes nuts for it they know they have a winner and build it. If the reception is cold to luke warm they shelve the idea and are out very little capital.

Indeed. Better to put out some trial balloons to gauge the public's reaction before actually committing large amounts of capital into a project. And Disney isn't the only corporation to work this way.....

 

[RSoxNo1]

BINGO!

It really is fascinating to watch this stuff play out. FLE 1.0, Flamingo Crossings, Hyperion Wharf, National Harbor, now these Wellness Suites. And it came up in another thread just yesterday, but I have a hunch Golden Oaks McMansions will be the next thing quietly shelved.

It's becoming a very odd pattern for an otherwise succesful division of a succesful company. And you can't help but notice that these are all things coming out of the executive offices in TDO/Celebration. This isn't a Burbank thing, this is an Orlando thing.

Thinking out loud while I type... this may be the reason why Al Weiss suddenly retired early this year. All of these decisions to greenlight and publicly announce what were obviously incomplete or poorly thought-out concepts pencil back to him and the TDO executive suites quite easily.

It doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the decisions being made in TDO. It also makes you wonder about the other big concept these folks have been shepherding through the design phase; Next Generation Queues/Experiences.

Jim Hill's track record in the last 2 years has been better than Disney's.

 

[COProgressFan]

BINGO!

It really is fascinating to watch this stuff play out. FLE 1.0, Flamingo Crossings, Hyperion Wharf, National Harbor, now these Wellness Suites. And it came up in another thread just yesterday, but I have a hunch Golden Oaks McMansions will be the next thing quietly shelved.

It's becoming a very odd pattern for an otherwise succesful division of a succesful company. And you can't help but notice that these are all things coming out of the executive offices in TDO/Celebration. This isn't a Burbank thing, this is an Orlando thing.

Thinking out loud while I type... this may be the reason why Al Weiss suddenly retired early this year. All of these decisions to greenlight and publicly announce what were obviously incomplete or poorly thought-out concepts pencil back to him and the TDO executive suites quite easily.

It doesn't instill a lot of confidence in the decisions being made in TDO. It also makes you wonder about the other big concept these folks have been shepherding through the design phase; Next Generation Queues/Experiences.

Never thought of it this way, but I think you're onto something. It continues to amaze me how differently things are run in Orlando than how they used to be, and how the other resorts are run. It seems like they're constantly grasping at straws, looking for an extra buck here and there, rather than really having a strong long term plan (10 years+) or looking at the big picture for the resort.