Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[flynnibus]

You also have to realize the double standard here that if Disney were to let another company build hotels on their property, then they are just giving up, not being creative, etc. But Universal allowing Loews to build/run hotels on property is perfectly fine.

It's not a double standard.. you're looking at the outcoming and missing the real point which is how they got there.

Disney was known for stepping into a new market.. and then doing things BETTER than everyone else. The admiration was their ability to pickup a new market and then dominate it. Simply by partnering... Disney is no longer doing that, and basically retreating and admitting someone else can do it better.

Uni never had that expectation that they would pickup new capabilities and redefine the market like Disney would. That is what the comparison about partnering is about... not so much about who the hotel is ran by.

 

[RyenDeckard]

I think it would take less then a 10% drop to be catastrophic.

I pulled that number right out from under my back but above my thighs, so I didn't want to overdo it. But you're probably right. Their infrastructure is gigantic and already aging badly, the resort has become incredibly bloated and based entirely on the thinking that they will always be #1.

Without the improvements to back it up, however, we are already seeing that might not be the case. Seeing them scale back, hypothetically of course, their transportation infrastructure would be very interesting as long as I'm not relying on it.

 

[Computer Magic]

While I was at the Poly last week the front desk professionally and happily handled all my requests. They even knocked off half the cost of my rented cabana without me asking due to a rainy morning, but I guess at Portofina they would have given me a free cabana and drinks.

Lucky you, In Feb, Disney didn't even acknowledge the fact they overflowed my Beach Club toliet and 3 others on the same floor.

 

[Funmeister]

To me it would almost make more sense to transform WDW parks into entertainment "clusters."

For instance re-imagine the current TTC into a small nighttime entertainment complex. This complex would not only service entering and exiting guests but guests staying at the MK resorts.

Turn EPCOT into the new TTC.

Expand the Boardwalk offerings to stretch between Epcot and Studios so both parks could feed off of the Baordwalk restaurants and clubs. Not to mention the surrounding resorts. Add a people mover to tap into CB, POPC and Art of Animation guests.

Some of the space at Downtown Disney could be re-purposed for a new resort or >gulp< DVC.

 

[RyenDeckard]

Lucky you, In Feb, Disney didn't even acknowledge the fact they overflowed my Beach Club toliet and 3 others on the same floor.

Magic Juice!

 

[RyenDeckard]

To me it would almost make more sense to transform WDW parks into entertainment "clusters."

For instance re-imagine the current TTC into a small nighttime entertainment complex. This complex would not only service entering and exiting guests but guests staying at the MK resorts.

Turn EPCOT into the new TTC.

Expand the Boardwalk offerings to stretch between Epcot and Studios so both parks could feed off of the Baordwalk restaurants and clubs. Not to mention the surrounding resorts. Add a people mover to tap into CB, POPC and Art of Animation guests.

Some of the space at Downtown Disney could be re-purposed for a new resort or >gulp< DVC.

That's a bad business plan, as it discourages people from traveling and exploring the entire resort. Disney has built itself to try it's best to keep you on site for your entire vacation, and to go to all the parks and resorts they have to offer. Doing something like your plan would discourage that.

 

[WDWDad13]

No, that would be over the top. Current honest discussion in multiple threads shows how deep issues run.

that is if people like us waste enough time digging through all the negativity in multiple topics that get off topic lol

 

[marni1971]

that is if people like us waste enough time digging through all the negativity in multiple topics that get off topic lol

Such is the way of an Internet forum. Off topic? You ain't seen nothing yet!

 

[Computer Magic]

Magic Juice!

I guess I should be glad they didn't charge me extra...

 

[RyenDeckard]

that is if people like us waste enough time digging through all the negativity in multiple topics that get off topic lol

You don't have to, if you click on any topic within that page it will be on display for everybody to see. People are upset with how the company is being run, and with very good reason.

It's made even more obvious when you look up the road.

 

[WDWDad13]

You don't have to, if you click on any topic within that page it will be on display for everybody to see. People are upset with how the company is being run, and with very good reason.

It's made even more obvious when you look up the road.

FunSpot?


look... we all hold Disney to a higher standard than any other... I get it... but there is no need to jump ship and yell Armageddon

 

[WDWDad13]

if Disney built Transformers and it had as many problems as it does right now at Uni... everyone would be upset and thinking Disney is going to shut the doors and go under

 

[Funmeister]

That's a bad business plan, as it discourages people from traveling and exploring the entire resort. Disney has built itself to try it's best to keep you on site for your entire vacation, and to go to all the parks and resorts they have to offer. Doing something like your plan would discourage that.

Um...I hate to say it but waiting for a bus for hours on end is already deterring guests from exploring the entire resort. The "spread out" WDW model no longer works. If it did then DLP, HKDL, TDL and Shanghai would all have adopted it. Look what all of those resorts have in common with each other including all Universal resorts world-wide. They are all compact one-stop shops. Sorry...that business model WORKS!

It may not be able to transfer to how WDW is currently set up but the days are gone of 26,000+ acre theme park resorts.

 

[Funmeister]

if Disney built Transformers and it had as many problems as it does right now at Uni... everyone would be upset and thinking Disney is going to shut the doors and go under

What problem is Transformers currently experiencing after its one millionth rider? Just curious.

 

[WDWDad13]

Uni is like Apple these days... it could sell a pile of dog poo and people would go crazy over it and think it was the best thing in the world! lol

 

[WDWDad13]

What problem is Transformers currently experiencing after its one millionth rider? Just curious.

how do we know they have loaded 1 million riders... uh oh... data mining... they are collecting data... how dare they... we should boycott... I blame NextGen

 

[DougK]

I've heard some great things about the Portofino and it certainly looks nice in photos (actually reminds me a bit of the MiraCosta), but this really has me intrigued. Wonder what kind of rate I can find on it in the fall...

Tom, make sure you check into their Annual Passholder rates. You can save up to 40% off of their already reasonable (especially compared to Disney) room rates. And remember Universal's annual passes are very reasonably priced, it can pay for itself just with the savings on your room. You know, like it used to be at WDW.

We stayed at Portofino last year for something like $170 per night with the AP rate. More than what Spirit pays, but still pretty good. The only thing I didn't like was there was no refrigerator in the room, but there was a mini bar. I'd prefer an empty fridge for my water! But everything else was excellent and I had a great talk with the manager at the front desk about how we used to stay at the Poly but now we can no longer afford it. He said he has heard that a lot lately!

 

[afar28]

38 pages already. I'm not to great at following this huge threads, so did I miss anything important? Besides the constant bashing of NGE? (which probably is justified)

 

[afar28]

Uni is like Apple these days... it could sell a pile of dog poo and people would go crazy over it and think it was the best thing in the world! lol

The only difference is that 99% of the things UNI has been doing lately hasn't been dog poo.

 

[afar28]

if Disney built Transformers and it had as many problems as it does right now at Uni... everyone would be upset and thinking Disney is going to shut the doors and go under

What problems?