Some thoughts about Western Way

[travelskip]

Walking to work today I had some thoughts about the direction Disney is taking recently in Florida.
With the recent annoucement of Universal snapping up Harry Potter for IOA, it made me think aobut the most recent announcements Disney has made, in which they take their most precious commodity, their land and offer it up for non-attraction usage.
Don't get me wrong, Four Seasons is great, yet it isn't a draw to Central Florida.
Western Way is my focus however. Creating essentially a second Downtown Disney area, this one with lower-cost, non-disney hotels. Once again, not something people will flock towards.
This is a loss to Disney not only revenue in terms of hotels, but also spends their construction capital on a project that isn't marketable.
I have an idea to change that.

Put a permanent production of Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast in the new Western Way area.
This will give a marketable, Disney feeling to the new area and will serve as an anchor for the expansion.
This also will all for the closure of the Beauty in the Beast stage show at MGM Studios, opening up land for a new attraction.
I might reccomend a copy of the nicely-themed Cars Race Rally from Disney Studios Paris in order to increase the number of C tickets.

Seeing that the soon to close Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast will not be touring and have it's large expensive sets either sitting around or demolished, it seems to me a cost-effective idea that will provide a Disney-ish stopgap measure until WDI figures out how to battle The Boy-Who-Lived.

Your thoughts?

 

[SpectroMan]

The reason Western Way is not going to be part of the true Walt Disney World is that it is not officially inside the Disney gates. If you go out in that area you have the horticulture department and backstage Animal Kingdom, not to mention the waste facility. It is probably a good thing that Disney is not actually building there, but it still is going to make them a ton of money.

The Broadway Theatre is a big thing being discussed all over property right now, and many cast members I know talk about why this hasn't been done yet. There is ample space next to Cirque for a great theatre.

The problem with the whole theatre thing is that it will end up not doing much. In fact, it would probably subtract business from La Nouba, and Disney pays Cirque for two full shows a night. If Disney builds a theatre next door, then La Nouba attendance will drastically fall costing Disney money. La Nouba, right now, makes much of their money from repeat audience members. If you bring in something new, that audience will move to the Broadway show.

The only thing that would work out would be to close La Nouba and replace with a Disney musical or close La Nouba, bring in another Cirque show, and build the Broadway theatre.

 

[kcnole]

This is a loss to Disney not only revenue in terms of hotels, but also spends their construction capital on a project that isn't marketable.
I have an idea to change that.

You couldn't be more wrong. Do you know how many people visit Disney yet don't stay on property because its too expensive? Here's a hint, its more than actually stay on property. All of those people are spending their money on other hotel chains, eating at restaurants outside of the Disney berm, and basically giving their money to other people aside from Disney. This development aims to change that.

Now I may have some qualms with the idea that cheap should be in at the WDW, but it will definitely bring in more money. Its just more of the plan to keep people on Disney property for as long as possible and spending more and more of their money there. This will bring even more people onto property who couldn't afford it before, who will choose to just stay on property and take the buses to either DTD or to this new development and eat and shop there. This will definitely be a financial plus for them.

Again I don't like the idea from purely an ideological perspective, but to say it will be a financial loss is shortsighted to say the least.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I think a Broadway-style show would be very successful at Disney. With the number of guests that come to WDW every year, the new show and La Nouba would likely do fine (Cirque could use a refresher, anyway). Of course, MGM needs a Broadway-style show before anywhere else. Enclose the Hunchback theatre, add more seating, and get some quality entertainment to MGM STAT!

 

[Krozar]

I think the affordable accommodations for working class families opens up more doors by Disney. All kids should see WDW. Where I am from, few people will ever go to WDW in their entire lives. It's either due to costs in many cases or do to the fact that self-employed people (trades) often can't even take a day off, let alone enough for a trip. Nothing WDW can do about the latter, but I love the idea of people not having to stay in N. I Dr. or in Kissimee. I just hope it's easier on the eyes than All Star.

 

[kcnole]

As for the broadway theatre, I know there was some discussion at one point of putting something in at MGM that would be a special paid entrance of broadway stuff.

 

[ToTBellHop]

As for the broadway theatre, I know there was some discussion at one point of putting something in at MGM that would be a special paid entrance of broadway stuff.

that wouldn't be a bad idea (put it where Magic Underground was to go), but there should also be something in the park, along the lines of Aladdin or Nemo, included in the price of admission.

 

[shoppingnut]

If there was a broadway musical there, I would definitely go. However, it would have to be a full production, not snipets of various productions and not something that they already have on broadway for me to attend.

I do not believe they would do a Nemo show since they have one in AK now.

 

[culturenthrills]

You couldn't be more wrong. Do you know how many people visit Disney yet don't stay on property because its too expensive? Here's a hint, its more than actually stay on property. All of those people are spending their money on other hotel chains, eating at restaurants outside of the Disney berm, and basically giving their money to other people aside from Disney. This development aims to change that.

Now I may have some qualms with the idea that cheap should be in at the WDW, but it will definitely bring in more money. Its just more of the plan to keep people on Disney property for as long as possible and spending more and more of their money there. This will bring even more people onto property who couldn't afford it before, who will choose to just stay on property and take the buses to either DTD or to this new development and eat and shop there. This will definitely be a financial plus for them.

Again I don't like the idea from purely an ideological perspective, but to say it will be a financial loss is shortsighted to say the least.

The question about this development is will they offer bus transportation and will you get any benefit from staying there. If they don't offer bus transportation and the same benefit as staying at the hotel plaza hotels than there is no point staying there.

 

[travelskip]

Do you know how many people visit Disney yet don't stay on property because its too expensive?

I'm not sure how the Hotel Circle resorts work, but I don't believe Disney is getting the revenue from those hotels. I think they just pay a (million dollar or so) rental fee for being on-property. I can't believe that adding a Super 8 on-property would generate extra revenue directly to the company. Not unless there was a Disney location nearby to spend your money on (like my Broadway show idea).
Now if the EHM and transportation were offered, that may entice more people and generate more revenue. Keep in mind, I are guessing these "budget" hotels will very likely be priced close to the All-Star/Pop Century pricing, if you give a bit of proximity bump to the budget hotel pricing from off-property.

Marketability is still a concern to me in terms of capital being spent on this instead of something to counter Harry Potter.

 

[kcnole]

Disney would be leasing out the land to people to build on as I understood it. They may not get the money directly in their pockets for people staying there but you can bet they'll make a good bit of money off the leasing fees. That's more money than they were getting from the people before.

And I agree, it needs to have bus service to the parks at least, and better than the service from the DTD hotels for it to be very beneficial.

 

[jedimaster1227]

The possibility for a broadway theatre within Disney is definitely there and I have heard many things...

It wouldn't be on Western Way, but it would be closer to that area... The theater would not be built around one show, but be built so that Disney can constantly switch its shows, utilizing each of their hit broadway's unique sets, stages and acrobatic hardware- the theater would be easy to modify during transitions between shows. Disney has been looking at a way to show its musicals on property for years and the option is still there- it is the execution that is holding them back...

 

[Champion]

Don't forget the staffing issues at WDW when considering why Disney wouldn't want to have the hotel rooms be all theirs.

 

[goalman43]

I am in agreement in that I dont want to see WDW turn into Disneyland, where you can look out and see the junk encroaching. However, I do see Disney's point. It costs a lot of money to not only staff and operate a hotel (in the Disney Style) but to develop it. Some of the hotels are theme parks in themselves. It does make sense for Disney to let other people pay them to develop their land. It gives them revenue, essentially without having to front any costs themselves.

Hopefully, and I'm pretty sure it will, Disney will keep the outsiders to a minimum.

 

[kcnole]

And keep in mind that while this area is techinically Disney property its really outside the berm of what we traditionally think of as WDW property so its not going to encroach on any of the theme parks unless they were to build something right next to it in the future.

 

[Champion]

And keep in mind that while this area is techinically Disney property its really outside the berm of what we traditionally think of as WDW property so its not going to encroach on any of the theme parks unless they were to build something right next to it in the future.

In which case they are controlling the aspects of the property so that it would not create a visual intrusion into whatever they built nearby.

 

[Giraffe Lounge]

The theater would not be built around one show, but be built so that Disney can constantly switch its shows, utilizing each of their hit broadway's unique sets, stages and acrobatic hardware- the theater would be easy to modify during transitions between shows.

Wow, that's the most aggrandizing description of a "Road House" that I've ever heard.

 

[jmuboy]

" And keep in mind that while this area is techinically Disney property its really outside the berm of what we traditionally think of as WDW property so its not going to encroach on any of the theme parks unless they were to build something right next to it in the future. "

.....and really this is the only redeeming quality of the Western Way project in my eyes.

 

[jedimaster1227]

" And keep in mind that while this area is techinically Disney property its really outside the berm of what we traditionally think of as WDW property so its not going to encroach on any of the theme parks unless they were to build something right next to it in the future. "

.....and really this is the only redeeming quality of the Western Way project in my eyes.

There is a point to the approach Disney has taken with the Western Way Development Project... There are plans for this area that go beyond the next ten years. Grand change will come once some other minor issues are fixed.

 

[shoppingnut]

The possibility for a broadway theatre within Disney is definitely there and I have heard many things...

It wouldn't be on Western Way, but it would be closer to that area... The theater would not be built around one show, but be built so that Disney can constantly switch its shows, utilizing each of their hit broadway's unique sets, stages and acrobatic hardware- the theater would be easy to modify during transitions between shows. Disney has been looking at a way to show its musicals on property for years and the option is still there- it is the execution that is holding them back...

I would hope that they wouldn't duplicate the shows that they currently have on broadway because for me and many other people in the NYC area, that would hold no appeal as we can go to NY. And, yes, I realize that while not everyone could get to NY for the plays, they do have to consider the amount of people that could get to NY that also visit WDW on a regular basis and therefore might not be potential customers in FL.