Imagineering a Disney Mountain Resort

[Heppenheimer]

Ooh! Cool Runnings!

Ah, yes, I can't believe I forgot that one.

There's more than one type of Sommerrodelbahn, though. Maybe Cool Runnings would be more appropriate to this type, which is more like a bobsled or luge ride, but in a metal half-pipe.

There's no reason our resort couldn't have both kinds.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Zip line rides are becoming ubiquitous as summer activities at ski resort, and our Disney resort will be no exception.

Theme it to either Peter Pan ("You can fly!"), or Soarin'.

Speaking of Soarin', parasailing could also be offered to the more adventurous guests.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I'm not sure if there's a single agreed-upon name in English for the next activity, but in German, they refer to it as a 'Kletterwald" which roughly translates to "Climbing Forest". I've seen it refered to as a Rope Course or Canopy Tour.

And maybe a safer net course for little ones.

For the theme-

Pirates of the Caribbean?

Or maybe even Tangled

 

[Miru]

I'm not sure if there's a single agreed-upon name in English for the next activity, but in German, they refer to it as a 'Kletterwald" which roughly translates to "Climbing Forest". I've seen it refered to as a Rope Course or Canopy Tour.

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And maybe a safer net course for little ones.

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For the theme-View attachment 424386 Pirates of the Caribbean?

Or maybe even Tangled

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The Jungle Book could work, or maybe Spider-Man if we put this in Alaska.

 

[Evilgidgit]

Just curious, but will the Country Bear Jamboree be showing up?

 

[Heppenheimer]

Just curious, but will the Country Bear Jamboree be showing up?

They could, but after the cancellation of the Mineral King ski resort they seem to have found a proper home in Frontierland. Perhaps keeping with our Alpine theme, their European cousins could entertain the guests. Make it Après-Ski mit den Tiroler Bären.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I previously mentioned holding outdoor light and fireworks shows. Nothing really to add, but I found this gorgeous picture online. Attempting something like this would be really cool, although probably easier in the summer than winter.

 

[Voxel]

I really love the idea of a mount resort. I need to book mark this to come back and read up on it.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Golfing as a summer activity is very common at most ski resorts, and seems to be a very intrinsic part of most Disney vacation properties.

I like the way that Jay Peak in Vermont and Bretton Woods in New Hampshire use the same parcels of land for nordic skiing in the winter and golf in the summer.

 

[Heppenheimer]

When the snow melts, some of the pistes can convert into mountain biking trails.

Like skiing, mountain biking involves accepting a fair amount of physical risk, so adding potentially distracting themes is probably not a good idea. But if we really wanted an immersive theme, how about this one?

 

[Heppenheimer]

The previously-mentioned Tricircle Northstar Ranch will also offer horseback excursions in the warmer months.

Or for those who prefer it, carriage rides.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Like Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, our resort lake we previously mentioned could offer a full range of aquatic activities.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Our aforementioned stadium at the top of the pedestrian village could host a summer concert series.

Maybe even outdoor performances of Disney's broadway musicals.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I'm stealing an idea from the Beastly Kingdom thread. We should also have a petting zoo at our Mountain resort, which can be based out of the Tricircle North Star Ranch.

I have another practical idea for the use of livestock that is very common at ski resorts in Alps, but I'll come back to that later.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Finally, like any mountain region, hiking along various trails and the ski pistes will be a prime activity for the summer and fall months.

The central chalet on the mountain, which I mentioned earlier, could serve as the focal point of the hikes, much like the castles function in the Disney parks.

(My photo... that's me).

And of course, if people hike all that way to the top, give them a place to eat.

 

[Heppenheimer]

One final feature that is common at European ski resorts, but I see used far less in North America. To maintain the slopes and keep vegetation from overgrowing, they use a traditional method (My pics).

The cows keep the slopes clear in the summer, and the resulting milk they produce can be made into delicious Alpine cheese, served at the resort's restaurants.

 

[Heppenheimer]

And that's about all I can think of for our Disney mountain resort, both for winter and summer. Next, a discussion about possible locations, then I'm completely finished.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Finally, where could Disney build this resort? Keeping in mind that zoning and conservation laws tend have become much more stringent since the days that Walt built his resorts and that conservationist concerns ultimately killed his Mineral King Ski Resort, the easiest way that the Disney company in the 21st century could avoid these barriers is simply to buy an existing ski resort (hey Bob, we have two resorts up here in Vermont that are in receivership and could be purchased for pennies on the dollar....). I'm going to limit the possibilities to North America, because I don't know Asia well enough and the sort of resort I described wouldn't work in Europe.

Because our resort will be so reliant on an extended winter season but have an adequate water supply for the water park and all the pools, it would need to be built in a location that has: 1) Large Mountains 2) Long, cold winters 3) Ample water supply. Being not too far from a large population center with good transport connections would also be a plus, mainly for the support logistics the resort would require.

We also would need to consider the unfortunate fact that the climate is warming, and given that some southerly locations that currently support high altitude ski resorts might not be skiable anymore in 50 years, our Disney resort should aim for a northern location that will still likely be cold enough in the decades to come.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I think two of the best locations would be the Adirondacks of NY.

And the Laurentians of Quebec.

Both have impressive mountains, pre-existing resorts, long winters, ample water supplies, and good road connections to nearby population centers. The Laurentians in particular are close to both Montreal and Quebec City.

 

[Heppenheimer]

The White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine and the Green Mountains of Vermont also provide most of the requirements, except easy access to large population centers (although the Whites are a little easier to reach from the greater Boston area).