Walkway between Shades of Green and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort to permanently close

[Brian]

keeps day guests from parking there for mk

I'm not sure that was a big problem for them, since SOG was pushing to maintain pedestrian access.

 

[WDWBigEd]

The decisionmaking behind the crosswalk, and the conflicting interests of Disney and Shades of Green, were covered in the CFTOD's 'Report on Past Practices of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.'

The relevant portion is quoted below, and the full version is available at this link.

This report is very one-sided and... I'm sure that comes as no surprise to anyone here.

There is a 4-lane highway being built in front of SOG and GF. If you have been watching this site and have seen the roadway plans there will be roundabouts with no left-hand turns. A traffic light or crosswalk would not go on a highway. Other solutions were offered, but financially the cost was too high.

SOG offers bus transportation and even expanded transportation after the closer of the sidewalk. Guest can simply take a bus to the TTC and them walk or take the resort monorail to the poly.

keeps day guests from parking there for mk

Yes, this was an issue. Many locals would even say they were going golfing... they would park in the golf parking lot and walk over. SOG did eventually add an additional gate on the sidewalk to try and deter this.

 

[Brian]

This report is very one-sided and... I'm sure that comes as no surprise to anyone here.

There is a 4-lane highway being built in front of SOG and GF. If you have been watching this site and have seen the roadway plans there will be roundabouts with no left-hand turns. A traffic light or crosswalk would not go on a highway. Other solutions were offered, but financially the cost was too high.

SOG offers bus transportation and even expanded transportation after the closer of the sidewalk. Guest can simply take a bus to the TTC and them walk or take the resort monorail to the poly.

But surely if Disney wanted to, they could get their yesmen elected representatives on the RCID board to build them an overpass with municipal bonds. Apparently, that wasn't something they were willing to do when it came to the only resort on property dedicated to armed forces veterans and their families.

 

[flynnibus]

Apparently, that wasn't something they were willing to do when it came to the only resort on property dedicated to armed forces veterans and their families.

OMG... did you know they actually make them pay for PARKING too?

I heard they have to pay for their rooms too!

We should be ashamed of what Disney asks of our veterans an their families!

 

[lewisc]

But surely if Disney wanted to, they could get their yesmen elected representatives on the RCID board to build them an overpass with municipal bonds. Apparently, that wasn't something they were willing to do when it came to the only resort on property dedicated to armed forces veterans and their families.

Did SoG make a formal request? How much of the construction costs did SoG offer to pay? It's kind of a one sided crossing. Guests of Disney resorts aren't allowed inside SoG. In other words such a bridge is, all but, exclusively for guests of SoG.

How much did SoG pay Reedy Creek? Property taxes? Fees in lieu of taxes.
.

 

[Brian]

Guests of Disney resorts aren't allowed inside SoG. In other words such a bridge is, all but, exclusively for guests of SoG.

That's a valid point. Though it's not entirely a one-sided relationship, as SoG guests provide Disney with plenty of revenue via the lease payments the resort makes to Disney, as well as their patronage of the parks.

 

[lewisc]

That's a valid point. Though it's not entirely a one-sided relationship, as SoG guests provide Disney with plenty of revenue via the lease payments the resort makes to Disney, as well as their patronage of the parks.

How much $$$ do SoG guests spend in POLY restaurants and gift shops? Enough to justify the expense of building and maintaining a pedestrian bridge?

 

[Brian]

How much $$$ do SoG guests spend in POLY restaurants and gift shops? Enough to justify the expense of building and maintaining a pedestrian bridge?

That's irrelevant, as most SoG guests who utilized the crosswalk weren't exclusively going to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian. Maybe they stopped in for a meal, but that wasn't the main purpose of their crossing the street; they were continuing on to MK (mostly).

 

[Stripes]

The decisionmaking behind the crosswalk, and the conflicting interests of Disney and Shades of Green, were covered in the CFTOD's 'Report on Past Practices of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.'

The relevant portion is quoted below, and the full version is available at this link.

The land Shades of Green sits on is owned by Palm Hospitality, a Disney subsidiary. In terms of representation, Shades of Green had zero voting power in the district as they are not a landowner.

The military owns the buildings and hotel itself, but as the landowner of both Shades of Green and Polynesian Village, I believe that Disney’s opinion on the matter should be given far more weight. Especially, since Shades of Green also doesn’t pay property taxes.

I think if Shades of Green was willing to pay for the pedestrian bridge or even pay half of the cost, it may be been pursued.

 

[flynnibus]

That's irrelevant, as most SoG guests who utilized the crosswalk weren't exclusively going to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian. Maybe they stopped in for a meal, but that wasn't the main purpose of their crossing the street; they were continuing on to MK (mostly).

Did you stay there often?

 

[Brian]

Did you stay there often?

Your seemingly insatiable contrarianism never ceases to amaze me.

No, I did not stay there often, and you know that. Logic would dictate, however, that if there are 55-75 people crossing that road per hour (per the report), not every single of one of them consider Polynesian their final destination. One would think that the world's most visited theme park, just a monorail's ride away from the Polynesian, would be their destination.

Do you think that the guests of SoG want so badly to be at Polynesian that they fly to Orlando and stay at a different resort just to be near it?

 

[Figgy1]

Your seemingly insatiable contrarianism never ceases to amaze me.

No, I did not stay there often, and you know that. Logic would dictate, however, that if there are 55-75 people crossing that road per hour (per the report), not every single of one of them consider Polynesian their final destination. One would think that the world's most visited theme park, just a monorail's ride away from the Polynesian, would be their destination.

Do you think that the guests of SoG want so badly to be at Polynesian that they fly to Orlando and stay at a different resort just to be near it?

You'd be surprised at how many do to save money. Two night's price difference pays my Lapu bill for a week. Just mine but still

 

[Disstevefan1]

Probably 99 percent of the SoG guests who utilize the crosswalk use it to get to the MK or even EPCOT.

I don't care who's fault it is, the SoG guests need their crosswalk back.

CFTOD is constantly saying how much they love our veterans, if the CFTOD can do anything right, they should put in a pedestrian bridge for our military folks.

 

[flynnibus]

No, I did not stay there often, and you know that.

I didn't - that's why I asked. But your presumptions alluded to your inexperience with the resort.

Logic would dictate, however, that if there are 55-75 people crossing that road per hour (per the report), not every single of one of them consider Polynesian their final destination. One would think that the world's most visited theme park, just a monorail's ride away from the Polynesian, would be their destination.

Do you think that the guests of SoG want so badly to be at Polynesian that they fly to Orlando and stay at a different resort just to be near it?

Actually my issue was not with your characterization of the traffic to the poly - but instead your assumption that they are all going to the MK.

The walkway was commonly used to reach both the resort loop and the TTC for EPCOT. And before when more buses ran from the TTC, the other destinations too.. but sadly the TTC buses have been yanked.

The challenge with the Shades bus is the long interval between cycles and limited destinations. So that is what made it attractive to do the walk to the Poly. Resort loop to MK, deluxe bus stop, and TTC for EPCOT.

But honestly the buses have been so trimmed over the years that we shifted to driving all the time. If you get a room near the garage entrances you can be ultra close to your car.

Then Disney yanked the free parking at the parks for SOG guests Yes, things Disney made unobtainium for people staying at the only MWR facility on property long before debates about pedestrian bridges. So please spare us the trying to call out the 'veterans' bingo square...

 

[Angel Ariel]

Did SoG make a formal request? How much of the construction costs did SoG offer to pay? It's kind of a one sided crossing. Guests of Disney resorts aren't allowed inside SoG. In other words such a bridge is, all but, exclusively for guests of SoG.

How much did SoG pay Reedy Creek? Property taxes? Fees in lieu of taxes.
.

Guests of Disney are allowed to play golf at the 2 golf courses, though. So it's not accurate to say Disney guests aren't allowed on SOG property. I recall discussion at the time this was originally announced that Poly guests were annoyed they could no longer walk over to play golf as well.

 

[Angel Ariel]

How much $$$ do SoG guests spend in POLY restaurants and gift shops? Enough to justify the expense of building and maintaining a pedestrian bridge?

We would often eat at poly. And stop and get dole whips. It also made for an easy access monorail crawl to the other resorts , which was nice on rest days. We didn't love the SOG restaurants, so we were far more likely to eat at the nearby Disney hotel restaurants.

 

[lewisc]

That's irrelevant, as most SoG guests who utilized the crosswalk weren't exclusively going to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian. Maybe they stopped in for a meal, but that wasn't the main purpose of their crossing the street; they were continuing on to MK (mostly).

SoG no longer contracts with Disney for transportation. SoG offers bus service to the TTC.

Monorail access isn't a reason, from Disney's perspective, to pay for pedestrian bridge.

SoG doesn't pay property taxes and doesn't pay for monorail service. What % of the cost of the pedestrian bridge did SoG offer to pay?

 

[lewisc]

Guests of Disney are allowed to play golf at the 2 golf courses, though. So it's not accurate to say Disney guests aren't allowed on SOG property. I recall discussion at the time this was originally announced that Poly guests were annoyed they could no longer walk over to play golf as well.

Do you think there are enough POLY golfers to justify building a pedestrian bridge?

 

[Angel Ariel]

Do you think there are enough POLY golfers to justify building a pedestrian bridge?

I think there was enough use, and business that Disney got on either side, to make somehow allowing for access to continue worth it.

Or at the very least that if they were going to take it away, disney could at least have returned the benefit of free parking at the parks that shades guests had for many years.

But there's no reason to rehash the pages and pages of discussion that have already happened on this.

 

[Stripes]

Guests of Disney are allowed to play golf at the 2 golf courses, though. So it's not accurate to say Disney guests aren't allowed on SOG property. I recall discussion at the time this was originally announced that Poly guests were annoyed they could no longer walk over to play golf as well.

The two golf courses are not SOG property though. They are owned entirely by Disney.