Or any of the Marvel ones!
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
The Spirited Sixth Sense ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
Or any of the Marvel ones!
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Guys... Marvel Half Marathon coming this fall to DLR. Don't forget DISNEY OWNS MARVEL!! DISNEY OWNS MARVEL!!
http://runnersworld.com/races/rundisney-adds-super-hero-themed-races
Longhairbear
Well-Known Member
I just read an interesting development. DVC is now offering the AoA, BC, Contemporary, and AK on points for members. Up until now, the only resort one could book points at any resort with a DVC wing, was Grand California. It was assumed that was because there are only 50 villas at GC. It's also interesting that the number of points needed to book at the regular rooms cost twice as much as for the villa studios. ( I haven't checked this info myself, just repeating what I read on another site.)
Sped2424
Well-Known Member
Barebones as in completely redoing the attraction? or just shoving the characters in their with the lowest possible budget?
Next Big Thing
Well-Known Member
The extra options are at least nice to have, but would never be among my first choices considering the $95 reservation fee and higher prices.
Obviously they aren't just doing this because someone got out of bed one morning and thought it would be a good idea. That's where the real interest is. Why now?
Well, as @ParentsOf4 has stated in a few posts recently, hotel occupancy is down about 10% from a few years ago.
DVC Members staying in these hotels is what keeping occupancy from falling below a respectable level in many ways right now.
I'm just theorizing here, but given that info, i'd say that this move is to try and entice DVC Members to not only stay at other resorts that maybe they've wanted to, but haven't because they couldn't use points, but Disney is also making more money because of what they are charging when you do the conversion.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
Heck yes WDW is in the hotel and timeshare business. Theme parks are ancillary.
Since the last theme park (DAK) in 1998, WDW has added 7756 hotel and 3066 timeshare rooms. For anyone who's counting, that's 10,822 rooms in addition to the almost 23,000 on-property rooms and 800 campsites they had before.
DLR has 2500 hotel and 100 timeshare rooms in total.
Even with the opening of 1800-room Cabana Bay, Universal has 4200 rooms in total.
WDW's "best kept secret" is not DVC; it's that WDW is no longer in the theme park business. It's in the hotel and timeshare business.
Is it any wonder the theme parks have stagnated?
There isn't anyone left at WDW with any influence who gives a hoot about the theme parks anymore.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
Since DVC rooms run at much higher occupancy rates than cash rooms, DVC does pull the overall occupancy rate up a bit, around 3%.
It's rather complicated because Disney counts DVC units as "2-bedroom equivalents". Physically, that's the same square footage as 3 Deluxe Resort rooms. As most DVC members know, DVC has "lock offs". That means turning a 2BR villa into a 1BR villa and a Studio. These units more often than not are booked separately. So you'd think Disney would want to count them separately to improve the occupancy rate even more, right?
No, because if they do that, then it kills the supremely important "Per Room Guest Spending" number, which is one of the key metrics monitored both internally and by Wall Street. Counting a 2BR lock-off as two separate units would bring down PRGS.
What you have to remember is that WDW averages over 5000 empty rooms per night. In addition, DVC members have been exchanging their points in increasing numbers for non-WDW uses. Offering high-priced exchanges for empty hotel rooms is one way to get these DVC members to stay at WDW.
It also frees up those DVC rooms for exchanges by non-DVC members (e.g. RCI). DVC is a very popular exchange in the timeshare community.
"Let's get DVC members to pay a lot for cash rooms and then let's get non-DVC members to pay a lot for DVC rooms."
DVC has them coming and going!
P.S. One more thing. The new program (which appears on the DVC home page and so is confirmed) also reveals where occupancy rates are weakest. DVC members can now book at all Deluxe Resorts and the 2-room "Family Suite" at Art Of Animation.
Interesting. I guess that rush of offsite guests that were supposed to flood WDW Resorts because of the allure of MagicBands hasn't materialized yet.
And it looks like AOA's almost $400/night "value" suite at AOA isn't particularly popular among value-conscious consumers. What a surprise!
Last edited:
lebeau
Well-Known Member
It's such a shame. When AOA was announced, it seemed like exactly what Disney World needed. An answer to the Nickelodeon Suites. A convenient place for families of 5 or 6 to stay at a reasonable price. It was classified as a Value, so I certainly didn't expect pricing to line up with a Deluxe room.
We actually stayed at AoA last trip for one reason. My mom came with us. So it was either get two rooms or share a suite. The price was roughly equivalent. And if we had gone the two rooms route, we might not have been adjacent. So it made sense to get the suite. But unless you are splitting the cost with someone else, AoA makes no sense at all.
The shame of it is that families of 5 still don't have a good, affordable option on site (and no, I don't consider the trundel bed at Port Orleans a "good option") and families of 6 (as I'm sure you well know) are really out in the cold.
We stopped having kids because a third child just didn't fit into a Disney World vacation budget.
Soarin' Over Pgh
Well-Known Member
I got the packet in the mail on Saturday- and for the first time- they spelled my name correctly *AND* it's my address. Previous correspondence with Disney (whether print mail or their MDE website) has left me with either a new name, or an address that isn't mine.
So in that regard, I'm impressed. Apparently it doesn't take much.
The advertisement itself is on heavy cardstock paper with shiny (ooh, shiny!) MM+ logos and Mickey heads. The Incredibles characters stretch across the double fold out/open design.
Really, it's very well designed, but it's all pretty and shiny, and little substance. There's not much in regards to information on how the system works, just what it could do (and that is rather vague as well).
I'll photograph it for you, @WDW1974 if you would like to see it.
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
Lol
PeterAlt
Well-Known Member
I tried but couldn't figure it out. By the way, I appreciate everyone's efforts in explaining it.
I think I understand what it is now, but it sounds almost like a stalker personality, except its a corporation being stalked, not a person...
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
You can blame management for not being more transparent about the refurb schedule and its constant changes, but the problem itself is a series of unfortunate events that unfolded at the same time.
1. DLR always has an aggressive winter refurb schedule.
2. Big Thunder was supposed to be ready in October 2013, but has been delayed big time, keeping it from coming back online.
3. The lawyers have pursued a tight timetable for making all of DLR meet current OSHA/DOSH standards. With a large number of older attractions that were grandfathered into older standards, DLR has a large number of projects going on simultaneously to get everything up to current standards. This includes taking down attractions like Small World for a longer period of time than normal and even working on the facade of Space Mountain during the day, which typically is reserved for third shift.
4. If Micechat is to be believed many of the projects they had planned were delayed due to money being frozen to deal with MM+ overruns, leaving them scrambling to adjust the schedule on the fly.
All in all they were dealt a bad hand with several departments tugging at them from all directions. The only attraction that could argued is down for purely cost cutting purposes is Nemo, but it is in dire need of a refurb anyway and actually closed a day earlier than expected due to the show building literally falling apart.
All that being said, DL still has more attractions up and running right now than MK at 100%.
Soarin' Over Pgh
Well-Known Member
Highlighted the interesting part. I haven't heard anything about this. The building is falling apart?
maxairmike
Well-Known Member
I can see how they might have structural issues and problems fully addressing them. Remember, three other attractions (one no longer operating) all sit on top of at least portions of the show building for the subs, plus a lot of landscaping. Not exactly easy access if there are issues beyond what can be addressed from the ride path/show areas.
Soarin' Over Pgh
Well-Known Member
That being said, will they have to shutter and/or demolish the rides that overlap as well, if they're to ...uh, cleanse the pond of the clown fish attraction?
maxairmike
Well-Known Member
They might, to a point. If they have no plans for the parts that Autopia/Peoplemover/monorail all go over, then all they need to do is drain the lagoon, reinforce (fill in?) the show building, and seal it off. If they have either use for the show building, or larger plans for the area also occupied by the other three attractions, then yes, larger modifications would be made requiring their closure and modification/demolition. I think the first is more likely at this point in time, as you can also do the second later on.
I don't think you wanna screw with your natural "good cop/bad cop" dynamic.
muteki
Well-Known Member
I thought Nemo is essentially closed for good and isn't planned to be reopened?
WildcatDen
Well-Known Member
Well, not sure who this "Dan" fellow is of who you speak, but you never know, he may just know the 'truth'
DisneyDad1977
Well-Known Member
Very painful to like this because I hate this. But you are just backing up what we already know.