News Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge (Project 89 - Development near Fort Wilderness)

[rle4lunch]

That's one of the best, and most accurate, things I've read in a long, long time. Throw in a hand-made flannel shirt using fair trade family grown organic cotton to top off all the buzzwords the hipster and millennial crowd use these days.

I think there's zero chance that if a resort is built on this site that it's anything but high-end, deluxe accommodations. After SW:GE opens, "value" resorts will be considered off-site, the Pop/AoA/All-Star resorts will become $250/night minimum, the current moderates will likely hit $400/night minimum, and deluxes will continue their climb towards a grand a night.

This is no longer your, or your father's, Disney World. Walt would be livid.

Ah yes, the flannel! I was going to add that but got too wrapped up in keeping my internal hatred tamped down while typing it up and forgot to. lol

for us, we'll continue to stay at Shades of Green for the foreseeable future, unless an insane deal drops for us at GF or Poly (it did last year, so we stayed at GF). that's the only reason we go so much anymore is because of the military salute park hoppers and the discounts that we get. the ROI at staying on the grounds is getting lower and lower, but I'll acknowledge the fact that the Star Wars resort really has me intrigued.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I agree. Camping isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I see and know of a lot of people, young and old, who were not in to camping, but now thats all they do for a vacation. Heck, if I had a pop-up, that's where I'd stay. Only $55 a night!

Yep. Look at the overcrowding issues the National parks are dealing with. I have heard the sites in the State parks by me are quickly taken each year as well. Given the current Disney philosophy and airline prices, a camp site is all middle class individuals like myself are going to be able to afford soon. And I don't even have kids yet. Makes me think this whole fear of everything just being a house of cards at WDW may have some truth to it.

 

[rle4lunch]

Yep. Look at the overcrowding issues the National parks are dealing with. I have heard the sites in the State parks by me are quickly taken each year as well. Given the current Disney philosophy and airline prices, a camp site is all middle class individuals like myself are going to be able to afford soon.

I've always wanted to rent an RV and try that out for a summer vacation. maybe one day...

BTW, after you ride IASW, POTC, BTM and SM at DL, don't feel bad knowing that you've been getting the bargain-end basement versions of them at MK for 25 years. The only one that comes close to beating the DL versions is BTM, just because its longer (not because of the new tech they refuse to install that DL's version BLOWS them away with).

 

[HauntedPirate]

I've always wanted to rent an RV and try that out for a summer vacation. maybe one day...

BTW, after you ride IASW, POTC, BTM and SM at DL, don't feel bad knowing that you've been getting the bargain-end basement versions of them at MK for 25 years. The only one that comes close to beating the DL versions is BTM, just because its longer (not because of the new tech they refuse to install that DL's version BLOWS them away with).

Once you ride Pirates at DL... You'll never see WDW's version in a favorable light again. And this from someone who LOVED the Florida version for decades. I still like it, particularly the queue, but it doesn't have the same luster as it did after I visited DL.

I'm expecting TDO to add a digit to that $55/night rate at Ft. Wilderness in the next few years, particularly if they end up building something next door.

 

[rle4lunch]

Once you ride Pirates at DL... You'll never see WDW's version in a favorable light again. And this from someone who LOVED the Florida version for decades. I still like it, particularly the queue, but it doesn't have the same luster as it did after I visited DL.

I'm expecting TDO to add a digit to that $55/night rate at Ft. Wilderness in the next few years, particularly if they end up building something next door.

Ain't that the truth. Went to WDW a dozen times growing up, never once to DL until I was 26 years old. Man was I mad. It's was almost unthinkable how I didn't feel like I was looking at the cheap, dumbed down version of FL/TM/AL until I visited DL. After that first visit, all my trips to WDW we've taken I try not to focus on them and remember that there's 3 other parks with great offerings that DL doesn't have.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I plan on visiting DL and enjoying it for what it is just like I plan on visiting WDW in the future and enjoying it for what it is.

I also plan on keeping this thread on topic and not repeating these tired, unproductive debates and comparisons.

 

[seascape]

yea disney is no longer a destination for the middle class, disney only wants the rich

Disney was never a resort for the middle class. It was always aimed at those in the upper middle and above. Everyone keeps harping about ticket prices and hotel costs but leave out how family sizes have shrunk leaving a higher percentage of income available for fu

 

[rle4lunch]

I plan on visiting DL and enjoying it for what it is just like I plan on visiting WDW in the future and enjoying it for what it is.

I also plan on keeping this thread on topic and not repeating these tired, unproductive debates and comparisons.

Whatever floats your boat, bud. Not trying to derail a thread, even if there's no meat to it yet.

 

[Minthorne]

Maybe it will just be Deluxe Camp sites?

 

[tl77]

Not to give the Mouse any ideas but I am honestly surprised they haven't consider filling in the area between River Country and Discovery Island to create more land to build on.

(Ducks flying bottle)

If they're going ahead with the resort plan from a few years ago, they'll be filling in the small river country lagoon (which was man made), and then building a pool on top of it

Discovery Island is apparently one of the things Walt Disney liked about the property when they were scouting out locations to build Disney World, it's a shame they don't use it for anything. I guess they could build a bridge over to it, but this is how it looked from helicopter ride Walt took in the mid 1960's

 

[Master Yoda]

If they're going ahead with the resort plan from a few years ago, they'll be filling in the small river country lagoon (which was man made), and then building a pool on top of it

Discovery Island is apparently one of the things Walt Disney liked about the property when they were scouting out locations to build Disney World, it's a shame they don't use it for anything. I guess they could build a bridge over to it, but this is how it looked from helicopter ride Walt took in the mid 1960's
View attachment 268975

Discovery Island is one of those times where creativity and reality butt heads.

Sure, the island is cool and having something on it would be awesome, but the logistics of doing so are very cost prohibitive.

I don't think guests will every set foot on it again unless it goes ultra luxury with a price tag that will make all of the issues it has worth it to deal with.

 

[Walt d]

Disney have filed a SFWMD permit today to do geotech boring for "project 89". You can see in the image below that this is near Ft Wilderness of both sides of the old River County site. These borings are done to determine the soil structure in a area where they plan to build.

View attachment 268624

 

[Walt d]

Discovery Island is one of those times where creativity and reality butt heads.

Sure, the island is cool and having something on it would be awesome, but the logistics of doing so are very cost prohibitive.

I don't think guests will every set foot on it again unless it goes ultra luxury with a price tag that will make all of the issues it has worth it to deal with.

So i hear that a lot of ,snakes and gators have been put, on notice over at river country. A lot of pink slips gave out...

 

[SeaCastle]

Don't you worry, I'm sure the bearded millenial hipster idiots will find a way to popularize/urbanize/decamperize and ultimately ruin the camping experience to fit their warped view of past through the introduction of propane powered faux campfires with composite logs to 'simulate' the 'true' camping excursion. Couple that with their mesquite grilled locally sustainable sourced sushi kebobs and roasted kale, lightly salted with kosher sea salt with a demiglaze and raspberry chutney on the side. Paired of course with an ice code Pabst Blue Ribbon, for that 'genuine' outdoorsman appearance to the other nearby campers. All the while, making sure that the song Renegade is playing softly in the background by the X Ambassadors on repeat.

Hell, I could see the people running Disney putting something together like this in an upcharged packet to sell to them. Cha-ching boys, we've got a winner!

That's not a millennial hipster trait, that's a Yuppie/GenX/Baby Boomer trait. You would be hardpressed to find an outdoorsy millennial that fits that stereotype, as cheap as it is to make. For one, millennials have a lot less money than their cohort generations before and glamping is much more expensive than the real thing.

It's very convenient to create some wealthy, snooty millennial stereotype to fit what you dislike about them but there are plenty of market studies and milennials that wouldn't fit that characterization.

 

[rle4lunch]

If they're going ahead with the resort plan from a few years ago, they'll be filling in the small river country lagoon (which was man made), and then building a pool on top of it

Discovery Island is apparently one of the things Walt Disney liked about the property when they were scouting out locations to build Disney World, it's a shame they don't use it for anything. I guess they could build a bridge over to it, but this is how it looked from helicopter ride Walt took in the mid 1960's
View attachment 268975

Ahh good times in that pond... I almost died there in 1982. My dad had to swim out and get me before I drowned.

 

[raymusiccity]

technically they do cool and light them as they supply the power, though dont give them any ideas or electicity might become an upcharge at fort wilderness

Well, they might go to a system similar to the Staterooms on their cruise ships. No room lights will function until a key card is inserted into a slot inside the room.

 

[MikeyK72]

Ahh good times in that pond... I almost died there in 1982. My dad had to swim out and get me before I drowned.

Funny, me too. Fell off that zip line slide thing pretty much as soon as it started. The CM gave me a little push on the back and my hands slipped off immediately. I fell from pretty high up into deep water and wasn't a strong swimmer. Luckily my dad, who was waiting at the tire at the end, was a strong swimmer and was there in what I remember as nearly immediately. Yep, good times.

 

[Tom P.]

yea disney is no longer a destination for the middle class, disney only wants the rich

Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation destination in the world and averages over 52 million visitors annually. There must be WAY more rich people than we are being told.

 

[rle4lunch]

That's not a millennial hipster trait, that's a Yuppie/GenX/Baby Boomer trait. You would be hardpressed to find an outdoorsy millennial that fits that stereotype, as cheap as it is to make. For one, millennials have a lot less money than their cohort generations before and glamping is much more expensive than the real thing.

It's very convenient to create some wealthy, snooty millennial stereotype to fit what you dislike about them but there are plenty of market studies and milennials that wouldn't fit that characterization.

Sorry, I should've added more context. The 32 year old bearded hipster who finally moved out of their parents house after they came to the realization that their Psychology degree isn't going to get them a $100k a year job their first year out of college and didn't feel they ever have to work at an entry level job or work their way up the ladder. Better?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Sorry, I should've added more context. The 32 year old bearded hipster who finally moved out of their parents house after they came to the realization that their Psychology degree isn't going to get them a $100k a year job their first year out of college and didn't feel they ever have to work at an entry level job or work their way up the ladder. Better?

It's the fault of the Boomers who failed at parenting. Which is the fault of The Greatest Generation...