trainplane3
Well-Known Member
BLT was built and open in about 2 1/2 years. This thing could be tossed up quicker then that.
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News New Polynesian Resort DVC villas building to open 2024
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
GoofGoof
Premium Member
The problem I saw is that it’s an attraction by itself. We were staying at Poly and really couldn’t get in and it was a very empty time at WDW. One night we got drinks from the outside bar at Trader Sams and sat on the Captain Cooks patio next door since even the outdoor seating was all full. That night I saw 2 different bachelorette parties complete with a bride-to-be wearing the veil thingy (is that what it’s called???) and while we were waiting for drinks the guy next to me was a CM who was hanging there with friends on his night off. I’m not saying it shouldn‘t be open to anyone and for all I know the brides could have been staying at the resort and getting married next door, but as a paying resort guest it was disappointing I couldn’t get in there for a drink.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
No doubt, but if they want this open for guests in 21 months (by Dec 2024) they have to get started on demo soon. BLT is a larger structure and the demo work was more substantial. Grand Floridian is probably a better comparison. That project broke ground in Dec 2011 and the DVC tower opened Oct 2013 so around the same timeframe as this project is projected to take.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
That’s the problem I see a lot as well, and it’s hard to balance resort guests with day guests. It would work here because they don’t take reservations but I always thought resort guests should get an earlier booking window for restaurants at their home resort. Maybe allow guests with confirmed room reservations to start booking at 90 days out instead of 60. It’s kind of ridiculous that you have no advantage of securing dining at your own resort. Take it one step further and allow anyone staying on property to start booking 90 days out, make it a “perk”.
I don't think it's so much a reservation issue as it is a capacity issue. Trader Sams barely holds 100 people at a time. If anything they should move it to the old restaurant (and unused) space by the DVC buildings now.
OR - redo the Luau AS a Trader Sams with outdoor patio seating that overlooks the lake! (or think even bigger and put up a new Ohana/Trader Sams location there and redo the space in the GCH as an entirely NEW restaurant concept!
Instead of just building an entirely new, OUT OF THEMED, building over there they should've redone the GCH DVC outhouses completely and added a 4th story.
But all this takes money, time, effort and, dare I say, IMAGINATION!
pdude81
Well-Known Member
It doesn't appear to be substantially smaller than Trader Sam's at DLH. So in this case the long lines are because that's the only way you can get in. You have to show up at opening time (or before) and wait to see if you get in, or how far out your are on the text waiting list.
But if they turned it into Trader Applebees, there would be no lines. They could do something more themed at the Tiki Terrace and perhaps that is a good middle ground.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
They can definitely build faster when it's closer to a standard building without the intricate theming/unique features.
Although the concept art for this does have a few unique features, unlike Bay Lake Tower.
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21 months? Either my math or my sleep doesn’t agree with you?
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
The speed is more because it directly generates revenue, not the complexities of construction.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
Here's a thought: I could see them moving the parking lots across the street and creating a resort "City-Walk" like area around the lake. Shopping and dining all around the lake would give people something to do while staying at the resorts and maybe ease the crowds of the parks as people left to go take a break and shop/dine.
The one area between the TTC and the Contemporary that they've been trying to build on for years: It doesn't sound like it'd hold a huge hotel but maybe it'd hold single-story buildings (dining/shopping). Something like that encompassing that lake could be very cool / very walkable. It may relieve some of the stress on the Ferries/Monorail (and make money as people bought more items).
The one area between the TTC and the Contemporary that they've been trying to build on for years: It doesn't sound like it'd hold a huge hotel but maybe it'd hold single-story buildings (dining/shopping). Something like that encompassing that lake could be very cool / very walkable. It may relieve some of the stress on the Ferries/Monorail (and make money as people bought more items).
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Yeah..l missed a year
It’s 33 months. Based on the GF timeline they could probably wait until Summer or even Fall to break ground and still easily be ready to open late 2024
GoofGoof
Premium Member
I agree it would also work to move Ohana to the new building, then they could move Captain Cooks upstairs to a much larger space where O’hana was and expand Trader Sams into the whole first floor including both patio areas. Solves Trader Sams size issues, and also solves the need for a larger QS location.
When staying at the Poly I’d like to see an additional lounge to go to and grab a drink which it looks like maybe from zooming in on the concept art there is something on the 2nd floor front with indoor/outside seating….maybe. Trader Sams is a novelty, we had drinks several nights upstairs by Ohana just because you could actually get in and get a seat rather easily. If Trader Sams will be filled with people not staying at the resort that’s fine but they need to have enough lounge space for guests too. I hope they address that.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
DVC news has a pretty good write-up with speculation based on the concept art. I think it’s ok to post this here:
dvcnews.com
Early Look at Polynesian Villas Expansion | DVCNews.com - The essential Disney Vacation Club resource!
Disney Vacation Club was short on details in announcing its expansion at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Nevertheless, here are some thoughts on what we know to be true, what we believe to be t
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I know -- almost everything Disney builds could be done much faster if they wanted to.
I was just speaking in general. It's faster/easier to build something essentially standard than anything that's going to require ordering/fabricating special materials etc.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
Especially now but hopefully they've figured this out early.
Disney tends to move at snail paces. I am hopeful this will come to light soon what the exact details are going to be. The DVC news was one of the better write ups though I am not sure we really have a clue on if this will be PVB or something new. I'm prepped to go either way including selling my PVB or just adding on maybe 70 points.
I hope they don't drag their feet. But having a rough opening date says this might be further along in their works than we realize. Unlike Reflections that was swamped lol
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
I was thinking the same thing. Would be curious to see their long term plan around this lagoon. I like the idea of being able to walk around the lagoon and ship and dine as you go, and like you said it gives resort guests a non park thing to do to help spread crowds. I really hate the look of the building but I really love the idea of new dining and lounges to check out.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I don't really see this working as an idea -- all of the dining options will be fully booked months in advance, so it's not like it'll be easy for people to just wander around and choose to eat somewhere on a whim (absent QS places, although they could end up with long waits), and there isn't really any shopping. I guess if they could add shopping, but that would run into the problem I mention below re: Disney Springs.
More importantly, I don't think they have much (if any) interest in drawing people away from Disney Springs and the offerings there.
Beyond that, I'm not sure guests at the resorts would be overly happy with a ton of random guests wandering around at all times and making everything even busier than it is already.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
joking I guess I’m not picturing Disney Springs style, I’m not sure how to describe it. Plenty of people already do the monorail bar crawl, in fact Disney made their own “highway in the sky dine around” a few years ago, so there’s a market there. so I’m picturing just adding a few more things along the way to “plus it up”. I’m assuming the new tower will have a lounge, restaurant, maybe a shop, so now you have an interesting way to spend the evening. Can start at tambu lounge or tiki terrace, look at the shops, move on down the promenade to new tiki tower and stop at whatever thing they have, continue your walk to GF, browse the shops, go to enchanted rose etc. I’d much rather spend my night doing that than going to MK.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
If they were going to go all in on that plan they could setup kiosks like food and wine and/or food trucks along the lake. Then make a bunch of seating areas in between and move the night time entertainment out of the park and around the big lake. Get everyone moving towards the parking lots at the end of the night and sell a bunch of booze and snacks in the process. Keeps the hub and Main Street less congested too.View attachment 628154
I guess I’m not picturing Disney Springs style, I’m not sure how to describe it. Plenty of people already do the monorail bar crawl, in fact Disney made their own “highway in the sky dine around” a few years ago, so there’s a market there. so I’m picturing just adding a few more things along the way to “plus it up”. I’m assuming the new tower will have a lounge, restaurant, maybe a shop, so now you have an interesting way to spend the evening. Can start at tambu lounge or tiki terrace, look at the shops, move on down the promenade to new tiki tower and stop at whatever thing they have, continue your walk to GF, browse the shops, go to enchanted rose etc. I’d much rather spend my night doing that than going to MK.
pdude81
Well-Known Member
I think they actively try to keep people from plugging up the monorail resorts if at all possible. Now if they wanted to plus up an area like that, I'd assume it would be the boardwalk.View attachment 628154
I guess I’m not picturing Disney Springs style, I’m not sure how to describe it. Plenty of people already do the monorail bar crawl, in fact Disney made their own “highway in the sky dine around” a few years ago, so there’s a market there. so I’m picturing just adding a few more things along the way to “plus it up”. I’m assuming the new tower will have a lounge, restaurant, maybe a shop, so now you have an interesting way to spend the evening. Can start at tambu lounge or tiki terrace, look at the shops, move on down the promenade to new tiki tower and stop at whatever thing they have, continue your walk to GF, browse the shops, go to enchanted rose etc. I’d much rather spend my night doing that than going to MK.