News Yacht Club Convention Center Expansion

[Biff215]

View attachment 155784
Edit: I don't think they'll clone BLT, but I think a similar sized building would fit just fine where the South Garden Wing is now.

This, to me, would be a no brainer, even if the Contemporary got to keep some cash rooms in the new tower to compensate for losing another garden wing.

This just seems more likely than using the convention center land, but it would still help with room views on the lower floors if it us indeed removed. Thanks for the visual.

 

[Disone]

View attachment 155784
Edit: I don't think they'll clone BLT, but I think a similar sized building would fit just fine where the South Garden Wing is now.

Except that the original a frame completely blocks the mk view and main selling point of the BLT. I would be very surprised if this occurred. Turn south gardens wing into a low rise parking structure for the resort. Great photo edit!

 

[Chrissie1]

Does anybody have any idea when this maybe happening going on holiday for two weeks at the end of November and staying at the yacht club

 

[danlb_2000]

Does anybody have any idea when this maybe happening going on holiday for two weeks at the end of November and staying at the yacht club

When a notice of commencement is filed it means work is about to begin, so I would expect that this will be well under way by November.

 

[Chrissie1]

When a notice of commencement is filed it means work is about to begin, so I would expect that this will be well under way by November.

Thank you for your reply do you think this will be really noisy we are coming from England so will be spending time at the resort especially in the first few days because of jet lag and the need to rest in the afternoon. We have already had to move from Wilderness lodge because of the construction works there.

 

[COProgressFan]

The area being developed is an existing parking lot, which is near the bus station and a bit of a walk from the resort itself. It will abut the existing convention center, and there are no guest rooms in the immediate vicinity. I suppose if you had a room right above the porte cochere in front of the resort (or maybe some of the DVC rooms way on the other end of the lot, toward the left of the resort as you enter) you might hear a bit of noise, but I honestly think you'd be ok, and wouldn't hear much of anything at all, since you're still maybe 500 feet away. If your room faces the lake or is on the backside of the DVC building, it wouldn't be a problem at all as these areas would be completely removed from any type of equipment.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it at all. Enjoy your trip!

 

[dreamfinder]

I guess I'm both surprised and not surprised by this. Both DVC and the convention businesses are highly lucrative, but I guess Disney sees more money from DVC. But are they forgetting about all the ancillary income that comes with conventioneers and their families? Or that they may be getting to a point of hitting the limit of people that will buy in to DVC?

DVC = Short term guaranteed (-ish) cash infusion.
Convention = Long term potential (Vegas could become popular again) cash flow.

So even though the convention center may have higher returns over its lifespan, Wall Street (and conversely Disney) doesn't really care two toots about long term, they like the short term wads of cash that DVC brings.

 

[Biff215]

Thank you for your reply do you think this will be really noisy we are coming from England so will be spending time at the resort especially in the first few days because of jet lag and the need to rest in the afternoon. We have already had to move from Wilderness lodge because of the construction works there.

As stated above, I wouldn't be concerned about the construction affecting your trip. Nothing like what's going on over at WL. I had to walk to the YC convention center once to claim a package, and it felt like an eternity. Most probably don't even realize it's there.

It is going to eat into some parking especially with construction vehicles on site, so if you're driving, I'd just be prepared to search for a spot and possibly park further away.

 

[asianway]

DVC = Short term guaranteed (-ish) cash infusion.
Convention = Long term potential (Vegas could become popular again) cash flow.

So even though the convention center may have higher returns over its lifespan, Wall Street (and conversely Disney) doesn't really care two toots about long term, they like the short term wads of cash that DVC brings.

Maybe. Maybe not.

DVC is now 25 years old. In 25 years, they can begin marketing for resale the OKW contracts that didnt extend plus I believe VWL, BWV, HHI, and Vero.

They have yet to develop, Contemporary South, Contemporary Convention Center, Ft Wilderness/River Country, Caribbean... these are just the rumored projects.

And do it all again.

 

[deix15x8]

Is there a reason we are assuming they will develop a large DVC tower instead of a low rise? The current convention center is probably about the height of a 3 story building. What's stopping them from building a 3 story structure? You wouldn't have the views like BLT, but you would still have a nice view. The land on the other side of World Drive is also suitable for a hotel. They could sink the road and build it over top of that allowing them to build their new favorite thing, private huts right along the lake edge. Imagine if they built a structure between the coast and World Drive starting at the tunnel and extending to the access road and then angling back toward world drive a little. A third angle could then extend from the tunnel end toward the Contemporary with a sky bridge completing the connection. It would be like a skewed arrow. The land to the west of the access road could be used for the small private huts. On the other side of World Drive the large open space next to the new resort could be used to create it's pool area and even an outdoor shopping and dining area for the whole hotel. This would give them private huts, theme park room views, lake views, monorail views, and pool views. That seems to match the makeup of many of the DVC resort views. Now that they've crossed World Drive this also opens up more options for a nicer walk to the Magic Kingdom that doesn't involve crossing any roads or even a large firework viewing area for parties. I'm sure an elaborate walkway (similar to Downtown Disney in Disneyland) would be a big selling point vs a sidewalk and crosswalk.

 

[Biff215]

Is there a reason we are assuming they will develop a large DVC tower instead of a low rise? The current convention center is probably about the height of a 3 story building. What's stopping them from building a 3 story structure? You wouldn't have the views like BLT, but you would still have a nice view. The land on the other side of World Drive is also suitable for a hotel. They could sink the road and build it over top of that allowing them to build their new favorite thing, private huts right along the lake edge. Imagine if they built a structure between the coast and World Drive starting at the tunnel and extending to the access road and then angling back toward world drive a little. A third angle could then extend from the tunnel end toward the Contemporary with a sky bridge completing the connection. It would be like a skewed arrow. The land to the west of the access road could be used for the small private huts. On the other side of World Drive the large open space next to the new resort could be used to create it's pool area and even an outdoor shopping and dining area for the whole hotel. This would give them private huts, theme park room views, lake views, monorail views, and pool views. That seems to match the makeup of many of the DVC resort views. Now that they've crossed World Drive this also opens up more options for a nicer walk to the Magic Kingdom that doesn't involve crossing any roads or even a large firework viewing area for parties. I'm sure an elaborate walkway (similar to Downtown Disney in Disneyland) would be a big selling point vs a sidewalk and crosswalk.

I like your idea, but it sounds way too ambitious for DVC. Low rise would mean less units, and less views they can charge more for. You're certainly right that they currently prefer small units on the water that demand big points. I'm just not sure it really works here.

Who knows, YC expansion doesn't mean the Contemporary loses their space for sure, and DVC is always the assumed culprit. Might be a non-story.

 

[dreamfinder]

Is there a reason we are assuming they will develop a large DVC tower instead of a low rise? The current convention center is probably about the height of a 3 story building. What's stopping them from building a 3 story structure?

I'd say money/greed. I'm not an architect, nor am I in construction, but I'd be shocked if adding floors doesn't get cheaper as you go along. You have already done the site prep, already going to be installing elevators, etc. Kinda like a MYW ticket, the sunk cost is up front, then adding on gets cheaper. Admittedly there will be a point where that flips, bigger cranes, more expensive elevators etc, but I don't think that they would hit that within the 6-10 floor range.

 

[danlb_2000]

Construction permit was filed for this today. Work is being done by H*O*A*R construction with an expiration date of 3/31/2019 which seems like a long time even by Disney standards.

 

[Rteetz]

Construction permit was filed for this today. Work is being done by H*O*A*R construction with an expiration date of 3/31/2019 which seems like a long time even by Disney standards.

You think there is more than just a convention expansion here due to the date?

 

[danlb_2000]

You think there is more than just a convention expansion here due to the date?

Not sure. The work area is pretty large but it appears to just be related to the convention center and parking. Maybe they are going to build a parking garage? It may also be a case of having to work around conventions that are using the current convention center. The previous permit expires August 2017, so I am not sure what is up with this one.

 

[MKeeler]

With this increased space at the Yacht club, could WDW be moving closer to holding a D23 expo, spread out between the Epcot area resort convention centers?

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

With this increased space at the Yacht club, could WDW be moving closer to holding a D23 expo, spread out between the Epcot area resort convention centers?

That idea has popped up before and I want to say that, when the numbers were analyzed, WDW's total convention space is significantly smaller than what the Anaheim Convention Center can offer. Plus, there's the convenience factor in California of having everything within the same building (across the street from Disneyland, too) versus spread across 4 or 5 different resorts that are miles apart.

Even if the floor area was comparable (which, again, I don't think it is) it would be a much harder logistical lift at WDW.

 

[WDWdream97]

View attachment 155784
Edit: I don't think they'll clone BLT, but I think a similar sized building would fit just fine where the South Garden Wing is now.

I'm a big fan of symmetry, so I would prefer the clone, or near clone of BLT where the South Garden Wing is now. Putting BLT2 where the convention center is now would shift the focus from the main A-frame building.

 

[danlb_2000]

A South Florida Water Management District permit was filed for this today. I have highlighted the area that are changing in yellow on the plans from the permit...

 

[Dr.GrantSeeker]

Photos as of Friday April 28, 2017