PHOTOS - Sight-line test balloons up over Disney's Polynesian Resort

[GoofGoof]

I just feel that DVC is a plague that has been unleashed upon WDW.

I know DVCers are not going to like this, but as DVC has expanded, the quality around the resort has steadily gone in the other direction and the more DVC has become a priority, the less the parks have.

On the flip side, without the profits being propped up by DVC sales how many more cuts would they have made to the parks? We may find out soon as DVC has to run out of steam eventually. They better find something to replace the profits soon.

 

[asianway]

On the flip side, without the profits being propped up by DVC sales how many more cuts would they have made to the parks? We may find out soon as DVC has to run out of steam eventually. They better find something to replace the profits soon.

I think it's the opposite, since Dvc has such a high profit margin, they expect Wdw to hit the same numbers.

 

[MichWolv]

Yep, that place is phenomenal.

Getting there sucks, unfortunately.

I went there 10 years ago on a five hour flight from honolulu. That was OK.

 

[GoofGoof]

I think it's the opposite, since Dvc has such a high profit margin, they expect Wdw to hit the same numbers.

Maybe so. I have seen it suggested on here that WDW profits have generally been down or flat recently, but they were being propped up by DVC and DCL and more recently DL. I think that probably seems logical based on flat or down park attendance and hotel occupency rates. Cutting costs at WDW has been the primary business model for the past decade to maintain a profit margin. My thought was that if they didn't have DVC profits would they have cut more expenses from the parks?

Maybe they are canabalizing their deluxe resort room income with DVC. I can buy that argument. At the end of the day, a lot of DVC owners are loyal customers and were loyal customers before they bought in. They would be returning regularly whether they bought in or not.

 

[puntagordabob]

That is the glaring omission from anyone who says that DVCers will become the WDW version of DL's local AP crowd who demand quality in the parks... DL's AP crowd could easily (and sometimes do) decide not to renew and opt for Uni or SeaWorld or Knott's instead each year. DVCers have already bought their Disney hotel rooms for the next 40 years.

True...but then again UNI is only a few minutes up the interstate from all these DVC resorts... and I think this is happening a lot more than is widely reported already.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

True...but then again UNI is only a few minutes up the interstate from all these DVC resorts... and I think this is happening a lot more than is widely reported already.

True. I have also heard of people staying at DVC but not going to the parks. Disney still gets your money for the hotel, though. It's either that or you get a bad deal with the points to do a cruise or stay at a non-Disney hotel somewhere else. I'm not sure how it would affect them if lots of people did that. If people don't renew their AP's at DL, you probably won't see them all year; the effect is much more pronounced.

 

[dvcnut]

I was told by someone who works for DVC that the permits have already been filed for the DVC expansion to the Polynesian.

 

[redfive13]

I was told by someone who works for DVC that the permits have already been filed for the DVC expansion to the Polynesian.

Your friend isn't a bus driver, is he?

 

[jt04]

I was told by someone who works for DVC that the permits have already been filed for the DVC expansion to the Polynesian.

I can believe this but expect no action until the new wing is open at the Grand Floridian. Or close to it.

 

[GoofGoof]

True. I have also heard of people staying at DVC but not going to the parks. Disney still gets your money for the hotel, though. It's either that or you get a bad deal with the points to do a cruise or stay at a non-Disney hotel somewhere else. I'm not sure how it would affect them if lots of people did that. If people don't renew their AP's at DL, you probably won't see them all year; the effect is much more pronounced.

This is a common argument on these boards. DVC owners are forced to go to WDW so the quality will suffer. Here are a few things to consider:
First, DVC is still a small portion of the overall hotel rooms on property (around 10%). There are lots of off property hotels as well plus WDW still does a decent locals business. Total park visitors who are staying at DVC resorts is probablyaim the ballpark of 5%. While that is still a significant amount of money it makes no sense to say the parks can slip because we are guaranteed that 5% of our customers are coming back.
Second, there are many more alternate options to WDW parks in Orlando then there are in CA. I don't think a large portion of the people who own DVC use the points for anything other than staying at WDW but the option is there just like it is in CA.
Third, even if the owners did not buy DVC most would be going to WDW anyway. Look around these boards, the most vocal critics of WDW are still going (sometimes multiple times a year). People talk about the dramatic decline over the last 10 years but that doesn't stop them from going back (I'm not saying it should). The argument that by buying into DVC you are a captive who has to go back while the "savvy" guests can just stop going would hold water except that most people haven't stopped going anyway. If 70% of the attendance came from DVC and most other regular visitors had stopped going then the argument would be very valid. That's not the case. Sure, things could get worse and you could stop going but you haven't yet (I know there are some on here that have stopped going and that is why I did say most). I guess my point in all of this is your assumption is that DVC owners have given up their ability to just stop going while non-owners have not, but if both groups keep going despite the huge decline what is the difference.

The real reason Disney loves DVC is because they make a huge profit on selling them. There was another thread on here where someone pointed out that the physical building costs are only around 25% of the sales revenue. BLT Cost $140M to build and they had 5.6 million points to sell so assuming a $110 average price that's $616M in revenue. The cost is around 23% of the total construction cost. Take away some costs for the sales people and overhead costs and your are looking at a massive profit margin. Any ancillary benefit from getting guests to come back for 40 years is secondary to the original profit. Where this thinking is short sighted is it will canabalize the profits from hotel rooms for the next 40 years since these people will be staying at DVC. Since its only 10% of the rooms I guess that is not as big of a deal.

 

[jt04]

Your friend isn't a bus driver, is he?

Too much evidence something substantial is happening for this just to be a rumor.

 

[tikiman]

I went there 10 years ago on a five hour flight from honolulu. That was OK.

Yeah not a bad flight but there is always someone who has to complain.

 

[tikiman]

Too much evidence something substantial is happening for this just to be a rumor.

Its not a rumor, just a fact that some don't want to believe until Disney says its true. The designs have been done for a while now.

 

[jt04]

Its not a rumor, just a fact that some don't want to believe until Disney says its true. The designs have been done for a while now.

I understand people's fear of loosing what makes the Poly so special. But there are so many possible justifications for a complete overhaul of the area. One of those being that the infrastructure is very dated and possibly no longer maintainable cost effectively.

The can "go green", increase capacity, reduce maintenance costs per unit, add up charge content/ammeneties etc etc etc.

It is all about getting the most out of that real estate I think.

 

[tikiman]

I understand people's fear of loosing what makes the Poly so special. But there are so many possible justifications for a complete overhaul of the area. One of those being that the infrastructure is very dated and possibly no longer maintainable cost effectively.

The can "go green", increase capacity, reduce maintenance costs per unit, add up charge content/ammeneties etc etc etc.

It is all about getting the most out of that real estate I think.

There have been maintenance issues and interestingly enough the building with the most issues is the newest (Tahiti). But they are not taking down the resort, just expanding and rehabbing the buildings. There is actually quite a bit of work that will go into the buildings with removal of most of the materials in the common areas and all new room interiors including plumbing, electrical and I believe some work to the HVAC along with the new room design, expanded and redesigned bathrooms where all rooms will get a double sink with a larger counter area so hopefully this will reduce any chronic maintenance problems. The Great Ceremonial House will be even more extensive but the structure will not come down as they once thought would have to happen. Basically the heart of the resort will be the same with updates and the DVC stuff will be added in phases around it only affecting about 25% of the existing resort. I wish I could jump 5 years into the future to see it all done.

 

[alissafalco]

There have been maintenance issues and interestingly enough the building with the most issues is the newest (Tahiti). But they are not taking down the resort, just expanding and rehabbing the buildings. There is actually quite a bit of work that will go into the buildings with removal of most of the materials in the common areas and all new room interiors including plumbing, electrical and I believe some work to the HVAC along with the new room design, expanded and redesigned bathrooms where all rooms will get a double sink with a larger counter area so hopefully this will reduce any chronic maintenance problems. The Great Ceremonial House will be even more extensive but the structure will not come down as they once thought would have to happen. Basically the heart of the resort will be the same with updates and the DVC stuff will be added in phases around it only affecting about 25% of the existing resort. I wish I could jump 5 years into the future to see it all done.

Do you know if the DVC will be built as long houses also? and if so, will it be multiple long houses or just 1 big one?

 

[tikiman]

Do you know if the DVC will be built as long houses also? and if so, will it be multiple long houses or just 1 big one?

All I can say right now is the buildings will not be like the longhouses that are there now.

 

[Slowjack]

Speaking of Polynesian prices...so the other day I'm watching an episode of the original "Hawaii Five-O," and there's a scene outside of the Ilikai Hotel (the show used this hotel a lot during the series). I used Bing Maps to figure out where Jack Lord must have been standing, then decide to check the prices there.

Okay. Let's pick a date at random. January 12, 2013. A lagoon view room at the Poly that night will cost you $619. For the record, I love the Poly--and let me take a moment to give a salute to Tikiman, because if it wasn't for his site I don't think I would have been able to convince my wife to stay there. But the rooms are small (though large by WDW standards). An ocean view room at the Ilikai Hotel is 600 square feet, and right across from Waikiki beach, and is $219.

I know this is an apples-and-oranges comparison, and I don't really have a point to make with it. But my family won't be getting to WDW this year, and the more prices go up, the more I feel like a sucker for missing the place.

 

[tikiman]

Speaking of Polynesian prices...so the other day I'm watching an episode of the original "Hawaii Five-O," and there's a scene outside of the Ilikai Hotel (the show used this hotel a lot during the series). I used Bing Maps to figure out where Jack Lord must have been standing, then decide to check the prices there.

Okay. Let's pick a date at random. January 12, 2013. A lagoon view room at the Poly that night will cost you $619. For the record, I love the Poly--and let me take a moment to give a salute to Tikiman, because if it wasn't for his site I don't think I would have been able to convince my wife to stay there. But the rooms are small (though large by WDW standards). An ocean view room at the Ilikai Hotel is 600 square feet, and right across from Waikiki beach, and is $219.

I know this is an apples-and-oranges comparison, and I don't really have a point to make with it. But my family won't be getting to WDW this year, and the more prices go up, the more I feel like a sucker for missing the place.

I know the feeling. My 4 night trip at the end of the month will be over $2000 just for myself. I took my wife to Oahu for Valentine’s day and it was $1500 for two including flight and car. Maybe that is why we switch off each year between Hawaii and WDW. We need a break from the cost..haha
By the way those rooms in the Ilikai are huge and not your normal Waikiki size rooms. It was built in the 60s when they knew how to build a room instead of these 300 sqft closets they build now. If the Polynesian had not been build at the begining it would have rooms the size of the AKL instead of 415 sqft. I am surprised that the last phase of the Polynesian built rooms even bigger (476 sqft). I figured that they were going to take down the longhouses so they could build smaller rooms but it looks like they are keeping most the existing rooms.
I still think Hawaii and many of the other Pacific islands are a better value than WDW. How about $200 a night for a ocean front room in Tahiti.
Thanks for the kind words about the site Slowjack. Maybe they are trying to price me out of the Polynesian so I will stop writing about it

 

[redfive13]

Too much evidence something substantial is happening for this just to be a rumor.

Yes, I know. Just being silly.