The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[bhg469]

I know many here have complained about the lack of upgrades in the parks. However, to say the only investments have been NFL and next gen is wrong. Have you seen what is going on at Downtown Disney? How about the road improvments. Unlike other parks the internal roadways at WDW have to be paid by Disney. That comes out of the 55 billion too. I know I would like to see more improvements but the planning costs have been paid. The infrastructure is now in place. I expect the next 7 years to be amazing. We will get Pandora, Star Wars, upgrades of both Future World and World Show Case, Rivers of Light, and at least one other major addition to DHS and AK.

Future world "upgrade" is adding a theater to soarin to make up correctly capacity issues generated by lack of attractions in that park.

The new film will be good for one viewing for many guests because that is really an overrated attraction.

Imagination pavilion is wasting 2/3 of its space.

Wol is just sitting there and is not going to be used for anything except special events.

There isn't one pavilion in future world that has added things to do except the seas. Everything else has been reduced or completely closed.

World showcase....

Upgrades you say?
If your idea of upgrade is the frozen overlay, you're the enemy of epcot. It is the cheapening of the park plain and simple. Many believe the movie deserves it's own attractions, if that is true or not, movies do not belong in epcot especially world showcase.

Yes, upgrades are coming to the other parks but already Pandora is cut back, Star wars is a no Brainer but it has to be great... I don't think they're capable of great under the current bean counters.

 

[bhg469]

Remember when Universal used to draw crowds from Disney. Is the shoe on the other foot already?

By the time disney opens star wars land it will be. Universal is going to be a completely different multi day experience by then... IMO it already is 2 days at a vacation pace. Sure if you go soccer mom commando you can do both in a day.. I wouldnt dream of going on a vacation and excepting to enjoy myself that way.

 

[nor'easter]

Why are those larger parking lots needed in 2014 when Pandora doesn't open until 2017?

Considering how long it takes them to build anything these days, I'd say the paving should be just about finished by 2017.

 

[StageFrenzy]

Imagination pavilion is wasting 2/3 of its space.

What's the third that doesn't have wasted space?

 

[bhg469]

What's the third that doesn't have wasted space?

Gift shop.

 

[GLaDOS]

You think Fear Factor? I would place my bet on whats left of Lost Continent. No insider news...not trying to start rumors...my personal opinion. Already has a great show building for a Potter/Voldemort showdown.

Ministry of Magic is in London. Would need to either take over Fear Factor or Disaster

 

[Mike S]

Gift shop.

Of coarse. Rides are ok, but heaven forbid Disney should ever remove/downsize a gift shop

 

[bhg469]

Of coarse. Rides are ok, but heaven forbid Disney should ever remove/downsize a gift shop

And in the rare occasions that they refurbish one, it's open in record time.

 

[Goofyernmost]

No. I want you or someone else who claims to have a functioning cerebral cortex, an IQ above room temp in Alaska (even in summer) and common sense to come here and attempt to justify that price.

OK, here you go... Magic is not cheap. You want it you pay for it! You asked! You can, of course, get the same feeling with a couple of Vicodin.

 

[Reddog]

Of coarse. Rides are ok, but heaven forbid Disney should ever remove/downsize a gift shop

Aren't they getting ready to remove one in DHS?

 

[bhg469]

Aren't they getting ready to remove one in DHS?

The hat eyesore?

 

[flynnibus]

So you don't think a man in his 20s taking extraordinary lengths to visit and take photos with "princesses" by himself is by definition creepy? You didn't find his semi-public joke creepy either?

Without being elaborate... no. He covers the theme parks, and it's not like this is the only thing he goes out of his way to cover.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The UNI fanboi in me is still waiting (I have been since the 90s) for a dark ride based on their classic monster films ... this is such a no-brainer and I'd much rather this than Kong The Second.

I want a whole IoA island for them. Made to resemble the all-purpose European set that existed on the Universal backlot in the 1930s. All painted in black and white.

 

[seascape]

Disney controls about 24,000 hotel room and another 3,000 timeshare "two bedroom equivalents". After the opening of the 1,800-room Cabana Bay, Universal has 4,200 rooms.

In 2013, Disney's domestic occupancy rate was 79%. That number is inflated by DVC. Looking at just WDW's hotels, the occupancy rate was about 76%.

Taking it one step further, Disney designated about 4% of their rooms as unavailable in 2013. Rooms taken of inventory are not counted against the occupancy rate.

After putting it all together, about 72% of WDW's hotel rooms were occupied in 2013.

For Metro Orlando, WDW's hotel occupancy rate is average. It's actually below average for the immediate WDW vicinity.

Considering the tremendous advantages Disney has over the local hotel competition, Disney should be embarrassed by its poor occupancy rate.

Name Opening Date Theme Number of Rooms Area
Deluxe resorts
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
April 16, 2001 African Wildlife preserve 1,307 Animal Kingdom
Disney's Beach Club Resort
November 19, 1990 Newport Beach cottage 576 Epcot
Disney's BoardWalk Inn
July 1, 1996 Early 20th Century Atlantic and Ocean City 378
Disney's Contemporary Resort
October 1, 1971 Modern 655 Magic Kingdom
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
July 1, 1988 Victorian seaside resort 867
Disney's Polynesian Resort
October 1, 1971 South Seas 847
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
May 28, 1994 Pacific Northwest, National Park Service Rustic
729
Disney's Yacht Club Resort
November 5, 1990 Martha's Vineyard Resort 621 Epcot
Walt Disney World Swan
(partnership operated with Westin Hotels) January 13, 1990 Underwater & Seashore 756
Walt Disney World Dolphin
(partnership operated with Sheraton Hotels) January 1, 1990 1,509
Moderate resorts
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
October 1, 1988 Tropical Islands 2,112 Epcot
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
August 1, 1997 Mexico, American Southwest 1,915 Animal Kingdom
Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
May 17, 1991 New Orleans French Quarter 1,008 Downtown Disney
Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside
February 2, 1992 Antebellum South 2,048
Value resorts
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
January 15, 1999 Disney films 1,920 Animal Kingdom
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
November 22, 1994 Music 1,604
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
April 24, 1994 Sports 1,920
Disney's Art of Animation Resort
May 31, 2012 Disney and Pixar animated films 1,984 Hollywood Studios
Disney's Pop Century Resort
December 14, 2003 20th century American pop culture 2,880
Disney Vacation Club

Disney's Old Key West Resort
December 20, 1991 Early 20th Century Key West 761 Downtown Disney
Disney's BoardWalk Villas
July 1, 1996 Early 20th Century Atlantic City 583 Epcot
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
November 15, 2000 Pacific Northwest 136 Magic Kingdom
Disney's Beach Club Villas
July 1, 2002 Newport resort 282 Epcot
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
May 17, 2004 1880s Upstate New York resort 1,260 Downtown Disney
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas
August 15, 2007 African safari lodge 708 Animal Kingdom
Bay Lake Tower
August 4, 2009 Modern 428 Magic Kingdom
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa October 23, 2013 Victorian Seaside Resort 147
Cabins and campgrounds
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
November 19, 1971 Rustic Woods Camping 800 campsites
409 cabins Magic Kingdom
Hotel Name Opening Date Theme Number of Rooms Owner Area
Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel
November 21, 1972 None 325 Best Western
Downtown Disney
Doubletree Guest Suite Resort
March 15, 1987 229 Hilton Hotels Corporation

Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
October 15, 1972 626 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Hilton Walt Disney World
November 23, 1983 787 Hilton Hotels Corporation

Holiday Inn in the Walt Disney World Resort
February 8, 1973 323 InterContinental Hotels Group

Royal Plaza
October 1, 1972 394 N/A
Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa
March 10, 1983 1,014 Blackstone Group

Shades of Green a Walt Disney World Resort
February 1, 1994 Upscale Country Club 586 United States Department of Defense
Magic Kingdom

Totals 34634 rooms and DVC units plus 800 camp sites.

 

[flynnibus]

Have seen the name with the Twits. What's his schtick? A Blogger?

Show host for Attractions Magazine video podcast in Orlando.

 

[twebber55]

I don't think Cars Land has sustained the interest, allure and excitement of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade.


And how much did Disney pay to have the Hecks visit Walt Disney World and learn about MagicBands that go "boing?"

agree
go to any middle school across America, kids are still reading HP books like crazy

 

[themonkeyisthesultan]

Of coarse. Rides are ok, but heaven forbid Disney should ever remove/downsize a gift shop

They did it in AK when they turned Beastly Bazaar into Adventurers Outpost and rumors are they'll do it again when they turn Creature Comforts into a Starbucks.

 

[Mike S]

They did it in AK when they turned Beastly Bazaar into Adventurers Outpost and rumors are they'll do it again when they turn Creature Comforts into a Starbucks.

I know about those. There was a bit of sarcasm in my post. Also changing a gift shop into a Starbucks would probably end up brining in more money than the gift shop did, especially since I'm sure it was one of those shops that sold the generic uninteresting "DISNEY PARKS" stuff that can be found everywhere else.

 

[asianway]

Name Opening Date Theme Number of Rooms Area
Deluxe resorts
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
April 16, 2001 African Wildlife preserve 1,307 Animal Kingdom
Disney's Beach Club Resort
November 19, 1990 Newport Beach cottage 576 Epcot
Disney's BoardWalk Inn
July 1, 1996 Early 20th Century Atlantic and Ocean City 378
Disney's Contemporary Resort
October 1, 1971 Modern 655 Magic Kingdom
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
July 1, 1988 Victorian seaside resort 867
Disney's Polynesian Resort
October 1, 1971 South Seas 847
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
May 28, 1994 Pacific Northwest, National Park Service Rustic
729
Disney's Yacht Club Resort
November 5, 1990 Martha's Vineyard Resort 621 Epcot
Walt Disney World Swan
(partnership operated with Westin Hotels) January 13, 1990 Underwater & Seashore 756
Walt Disney World Dolphin
(partnership operated with Sheraton Hotels) January 1, 1990 1,509
Moderate resorts
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
October 1, 1988 Tropical Islands 2,112 Epcot
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
August 1, 1997 Mexico, American Southwest 1,915 Animal Kingdom
Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
May 17, 1991 New Orleans French Quarter 1,008 Downtown Disney
Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside
February 2, 1992 Antebellum South 2,048
Value resorts
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
January 15, 1999 Disney films 1,920 Animal Kingdom
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
November 22, 1994 Music 1,604
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
April 24, 1994 Sports 1,920
Disney's Art of Animation Resort
May 31, 2012 Disney and Pixar animated films 1,984 Hollywood Studios
Disney's Pop Century Resort
December 14, 2003 20th century American pop culture 2,880
Disney Vacation Club

Disney's Old Key West Resort
December 20, 1991 Early 20th Century Key West 761 Downtown Disney
Disney's BoardWalk Villas
July 1, 1996 Early 20th Century Atlantic City 583 Epcot
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
November 15, 2000 Pacific Northwest 136 Magic Kingdom
Disney's Beach Club Villas
July 1, 2002 Newport resort 282 Epcot
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
May 17, 2004 1880s Upstate New York resort 1,260 Downtown Disney
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas
August 15, 2007 African safari lodge 708 Animal Kingdom
Bay Lake Tower
August 4, 2009 Modern 428 Magic Kingdom
The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa October 23, 2013 Victorian Seaside Resort 147
Cabins and campgrounds
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
November 19, 1971 Rustic Woods Camping 800 campsites
409 cabins Magic Kingdom
Hotel Name Opening Date Theme Number of Rooms Owner Area
Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel
November 21, 1972 None 325 Best Western
Downtown Disney
Doubletree Guest Suite Resort
March 15, 1987 229 Hilton Hotels Corporation

Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
October 15, 1972 626 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Hilton Walt Disney World
November 23, 1983 787 Hilton Hotels Corporation

Holiday Inn in the Walt Disney World Resort
February 8, 1973 323 InterContinental Hotels Group

Royal Plaza
October 1, 1972 394 N/A
Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa
March 10, 1983 1,014 Blackstone Group

Shades of Green a Walt Disney World Resort
February 1, 1994 Upscale Country Club 586 United States Department of Defense
Magic Kingdom

Totals 34634 rooms and DVC units plus 800 camp sites.

SOG is no longer owned by Disney swolphin and hotel blvd are long term land lease deals-Disney has no control other than what is in the leases(Westin/Sheraton can't be used in marketing, etc)

 

[Hyperspace Hoopla]

I know many here have complained about the lack of upgrades in the parks. However, to say the only investments have been NFL and next gen is wrong. Have you seen what is going on at Downtown Disney? How about the road improvments. Unlike other parks the internal roadways at WDW have to be paid by Disney. That comes out of the 55 billion too.

You forgot about the new laundry facility