Thought I'd give a small update on some of the park going-ons. No, I will not be discussing the new Fantasyland plans as all of that is still in-company and being formulated. The only thing I will say about the monorail is that you can expect not to have riders in the front cockpit for at least the next six months. Everything else is being formulated. Now, onto what I can say =)
Refurbishment work on the Polynesian Resort is ahead of schedule, Bay Lake Tower is finished and ready for its grand opening, Kidani Village has been open for some time (and yes, we're getting ready to do more and better pemanent signage at AKL to help with some confusion), and the Grand Floridian is even receiving some exterior work... all in all, it's going to be a very nice few years at Walt Disney World Resort for on-property guests. And I say all of that to get to the tidbit of information, that yes, the company is looking at providing even more incentive for park guests to stay on-property. Some of these incentives include reduced golf rates for guests of Deluxe Resorts, a more casual Wishes Cruise for guests of the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge Resorts, a more casual Illuminations Cruise for guests of the Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk Resorts (Swan and Dolphin are possibilities at this point), and even semi-personalized phone calls / messages from your favorite Disney characters in your room. All of these are still on the table, and they are all in relation to the future rollout of RFID cards.
Also in relation to the way tickets are being upgraded in the future, plans are being made to change the way Options work on tickets. We're currently looking at changing them to a point system where many extra activities take a certain number of points (1-2). Guests would be able to add additional points to their tickets should they need to do so. Some of the categories we're looking at right now are:
Gold (2 Points):
- Walt Disney World Water Parks
- DisneyQuest
- Oak Trail Golf Course
- Moderate Watercraft Rental
- Horseback Riding
Silver (1 Points):
- Walt Disney World Miniature Golf
- Small Watercraft Rental
- Bicycle Rental
- Arcade Freeplay
The goal is to streamline these activities more so that guests are more aware of these opportunities and take advantage of them. It's much more enticing and convenient to participate in many of the extras offered at WDW besides just the theme parks, if they can be bundled on your ticket rather than having to be reserved and purchased separately.
Refurbishment work on the Polynesian Resort is ahead of schedule, Bay Lake Tower is finished and ready for its grand opening, Kidani Village has been open for some time (and yes, we're getting ready to do more and better pemanent signage at AKL to help with some confusion), and the Grand Floridian is even receiving some exterior work... all in all, it's going to be a very nice few years at Walt Disney World Resort for on-property guests. And I say all of that to get to the tidbit of information, that yes, the company is looking at providing even more incentive for park guests to stay on-property. Some of these incentives include reduced golf rates for guests of Deluxe Resorts, a more casual Wishes Cruise for guests of the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge Resorts, a more casual Illuminations Cruise for guests of the Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk Resorts (Swan and Dolphin are possibilities at this point), and even semi-personalized phone calls / messages from your favorite Disney characters in your room. All of these are still on the table, and they are all in relation to the future rollout of RFID cards.
Also in relation to the way tickets are being upgraded in the future, plans are being made to change the way Options work on tickets. We're currently looking at changing them to a point system where many extra activities take a certain number of points (1-2). Guests would be able to add additional points to their tickets should they need to do so. Some of the categories we're looking at right now are:
Gold (2 Points):
- Walt Disney World Water Parks
- DisneyQuest
- Oak Trail Golf Course
- Moderate Watercraft Rental
- Horseback Riding
Silver (1 Points):
- Walt Disney World Miniature Golf
- Small Watercraft Rental
- Bicycle Rental
- Arcade Freeplay
The goal is to streamline these activities more so that guests are more aware of these opportunities and take advantage of them. It's much more enticing and convenient to participate in many of the extras offered at WDW besides just the theme parks, if they can be bundled on your ticket rather than having to be reserved and purchased separately.