News Round Up 2016

[sachilles]

Of course if you are going that far, you just move the monorail line to shadow Seven seas drive and Timberline drive past the Wilderness resort.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I totally understand and believe that to be true as well. Where do you see MK parking ending up?

Also, do you see the shrinking of "Deluxe Rack" to be = to growth of DVC families? In other words, I have stayed Deluxe many times but so far have not been DVC (although my first grandchild , a tink by the way is due in a little over a month and I wouldn't bet DVC isn't in our families future) Do you think for every so many new families that exit rack and go to DVC it evens out?

They SEEM to want to put in a second or even main entrance off the upper end of the property and the could lead to a massive redesign or flexibility to do so going forward.

The seven seas lagoon parking lot is beyond obselete at this point. It was built for a different time: where the world was less interesting, attention spans were longer, and everyone drove. The monorail or paddle wheeler to this elite, one of a kind park was majestic then...
...now it's a waste of prime, saleable real estate to DVC.

It's too good for them to resist.

As far as the hotels and DVC?

We already see the answers in puzzle pieces here or there.

Deluxe hotel occupancy is reported to be lagging big time. Why? They've outpriced their market.

Wilderness lodge is reportedly at 50% occupancy. Never was before...
Why?
2002 - $140 a night
2015 - minimum $350

So now it's all but certain it gets a massive DVC convert. Convenient.

We often talk around here about "kohls pricing"...as in you're guaranteed a 30% discount on deluxe prices nearly any day of the year...

Is Disney into coupons and sales? Hell no! They just acknowledge that there price point is 25% above what is sustainable for full occupancy. And they don't sell ticket and plushes without people in the rooms.

It's not a marriot...the Disney hotels are high overhead and are a direct feeder to the attractions. That's the only way they make the profits they have over the years.

So now DVC - guarantee business with lower overhead - is gonna be the norm, not the outlier.

The die is cast.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Of course if you are going that far, you just move the monorail line to shadow Seven seas drive and Timberline drive past the Wilderness resort.

Honestly...there are far more scenarios where they eliminate the monorail altogether than reroute/expand it.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I can't get worked up over "Five years ago it used to be this price versus now." As long as people are paying it is what it is - you just have to decide if you are a willing to pay it.

What I am more concerned about is what this actual discount IS - and whether it is "worth" it.

So - based on current rates - this is what I see:
The Multi-day ticket offer savings is $10 per ticket for the addtional day - Or $10.65 with tax. As others have pointed out - UT prices however are basically the same as this discount - I checked out a 6-day park ticket - and it would cost 47 cents more through UT. That's a 0.1% savings on a $335 ticket.

The "WP&M" deal is the difference between a $64 upgrade to the combined hopper/WPM deal, and the normal $90 cost - so this savings is a little bit better - it's a $26 savings ($27.69) - but really only does you any good if you intend to USE the WPM option - which is really only WP anymore anyways. And again - looking at UT - the difference between a discounted ticket and what you can get on that site is about $18 for a $420 ticket or roughly 4.5%. A little better, but not worth upgrading to this if you weren't already planning on it.

Clearly not the greatest of deals - it's essentially a throwaway, and they know it. It goes back to one of the reasons that I originally hesitated to join DVC - once they have me "locked in" what real motivation is there to give me extra incentives to go - I'm going anyways. This is just an example of that - a deal that's BARELY a deal. Honestly any perks you get as DVC member should be considered a "bonus" and a good thing - and that's how I feel - I don't expect them to give me anything and I'm rarely disappointed. The events are a nice idea if you can be there for them. (Looks like we can't as we are going in October). The lounge might be nice to check out at Epcot. TO me my "perk" was staying at the Poly for about $180 a night.

Back to the ticket deal: I guess I don't get why not make it a "true" incentive. To me what they should do is something along the lines of a free hopper add on. The fact is the hopper costs them ZERO to add, some people would pay for them - but others might not. It might get people spending more time in the parks than they otherwise would. I definitely would be buying the ticket at that point.

Jesus, Pete...

You bothered to type all this out?

A simple "plan X is cheaper" would have been more than enough.

I mean...$10 is not worthy of consideration at a place that's costs thousands a week even with DVC.

It's regular price...lets just call it that and make an informed choice.

 

[soniam]

Concept art for new DVC lounge in Epcot

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/01/conce...lion-at-epcot-to-reopen-as-dvc-member-lounge/

I'm jealous. However, the DVC owners have forked over the money. I think they deserve some special treatment at least sometimes.

 

[disneymath]

Concept art for new DVC lounge in Epcot

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/01/conce...lion-at-epcot-to-reopen-as-dvc-member-lounge/

I like the idea of a DVC lounge ... and the concept art looks good ... but doesn't it seem really small given the number of DVC members families that are likely at Epcot at any given time? There seems to be seating for about 50 people plus a smallish kids area.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Deluxe hotel occupancy is reported to be lagging big time. Why? They've outpriced their market.

This shows how broken the economy is. If you can't rent someone a hotel room for a few nights at $X per, with full housekeeping and no contract, no commitment, no lock-in, all perks known up front, and no anxiety over future perks.

But you can sell them the room for 50 years into the future, at $X minus a little bit per night, plus 50 years of arbitrarily determined maintenance costs, practically zero housekeeping, future perks unknown but on a definite downward trend, no guarantee of resale market, interest rate vulnerability, and potentially a big whack on your credit rating.

So how come rack rate has out-priced the market, but "rack loans" haven't?

It's a screwed up, fake economy driven by fake loans of fake money, that's why.

Look out for more towers and more conversions ... because nobody can afford to stay in luxury hotel rooms any more.

 

[Tigger's ally]

This shows how broken the economy is. If you can't rent someone a hotel room for a few nights at $X per, with full housekeeping and no contract, no commitment, no lock-in, all perks known up front, and no anxiety over future perks.

But you can sell them the room for 50 years into the future, at $X minus a little bit per night, plus 50 years of arbitrarily determined maintenance costs, practically zero housekeeping, future perks unknown but on a definite downward trend, no guarantee of resale market, interest rate vulnerability, and potentially a big whack on your credit rating.

So how come rack rate has out-priced the market, but "rack loans" haven't?

It's a screwed up, fake economy driven by fake loans of fake money, that's why.

Look out for more towers and more conversions ... because nobody can afford to stay in luxury hotel rooms any more.

unless they exploit the DVC owner and rent points so that they stay at a Deluxe DVC for the price of a mod.....

 

[skier_pete]

I'm jealous. However, the DVC owners have forked over the money. I think they deserve some special treatment at least sometimes.

Make friends with some DVCers - we'll bring you in!

 

[Bay Max]

Concept art for new DVC lounge in Epcot

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/01/conce...lion-at-epcot-to-reopen-as-dvc-member-lounge/

It looks like it'd be very hot in there.

 

[skier_pete]

So not a lot of news on this thread about DLR - but with us having an upcoming trip I've been paying attention to closures over there, and there are BUNCH coming up - of course the big one being the Rivers of America closure, but anyone going in the next few months should know about these:

In Disneyland:
01/11/16 - 2018? - Disneyland Railroad
01/11/16 - 2018? - Mark Twain Riverboat
01/11/16 - 2018? - Sailing Ship Columbia
01/11/16 - 2018? - Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island/Rafts
01/11/16 - 2018? - Fantasmic!
01/11/16 - 2018? - Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes
01/11/16 - Unknown - Autopia
01/11/16 - 01/21/16 - Haunted Mansion (To remove overlay)
01/11/16 - April(?) - Jungle Cruise (Long refurb)
01/25/16 - 02/04/16 - it's a small world (To remove overlay)
02/08/16 - Unknown - Splash Mountain (Winter refurb)

In Disney's California Adventure:
Still no date for the official return of Luigi's Flying Tires / Dancing Cars
01/04/16 - 01/22/16 + Mon-Thurs each week until further notice - Soarin' Over California - prep for new film
01/11/16 - 01/14/16 & 2/15/16 - Unknown - Grizzly River Run (Winter refurb)
01/13/16 - 01/21/16 - It's Tough to be a Bug!
01/19/16 - 02/01/16 - World of Color-Celebrate!

 

[rteetz]

Micechat Disneyland photo update

http://micechat.com/118031-disneyland-rivers-of-america/

 

[rteetz]

So not a lot of news on this thread about DLR - but with us having an upcoming trip I've been paying attention to closures over there, and there are BUNCH coming up - of course the big one being the Rivers of America closure, but anyone going in the next few months should know about these:

In Disneyland:
01/11/16 - 2018? - Disneyland Railroad
01/11/16 - 2018? - Mark Twain Riverboat
01/11/16 - 2018? - Sailing Ship Columbia
01/11/16 - 2018? - Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island/Rafts
01/11/16 - 2018? - Fantasmic!
01/11/16 - 2018? - Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes
01/11/16 - Unknown - Autopia
01/11/16 - 01/21/16 - Haunted Mansion (To remove overlay)
01/11/16 - April(?) - Jungle Cruise (Long refurb)
01/25/16 - 02/04/16 - it's a small world (To remove overlay)
02/08/16 - Unknown - Splash Mountain (Winter refurb)

In Disney's California Adventure:
Still no date for the official return of Luigi's Flying Tires / Dancing Cars
01/04/16 - 01/22/16 + Mon-Thurs each week until further notice - Soarin' Over California - prep for new film
01/11/16 - 01/14/16 & 2/15/16 - Unknown - Grizzly River Run (Winter refurb)
01/13/16 - 01/21/16 - It's Tough to be a Bug!
01/19/16 - 02/01/16 - World of Color-Celebrate!

Looks like Luigis has been delayed due to rain. I believe the closures are until 2017 not 2018.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm starting to get a little antsy about openings at Disney springs...
...now that it's 2016 they SHOULD be dropping the hammer and getting it done

 

[rteetz]

I'm starting to get a little antsy about openings at Disney springs...
...now that it's 2016 they SHOULD be dropping the hammer and getting it done

The second parking garage should be done in the spring. STK should be done in a month or two. Edison probably closer to the end of the year. Town center will probably open in sections as it finishes.

 

[rteetz]

Hong Kong Disneyland iron man update

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2016/01/hong-kong-disneyland-iron-man.html?m=1

 

[rteetz]

Mickey and the magician opens at DLP in July

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2016/01/new-show-mickey-and-magician-will-start.html?m=1

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The second parking garage should be done in the spring. STK should be done in a month or two. Edison probably closer to the end of the year. Town center will probably open in sections as it finishes.

As much as I like parking garages...it's the town center part I was referring to...

As they say in construction: "this job is getting stale"

 

[rteetz]

As much as I like parking garages...it's the town center part I was referring to...

As they say in construction: "this job is getting stale"

Well they finally put water in the springs so I'd assume town center is coming along and at least part of it should be open in the next couple months.

 

[rteetz]

As a runner this doesn't effect me this year but Disney couldn't have put this out any later. People have or are leaving for marathon weekend already and have costumes ready. Bad communication on their part.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/events/walt...-this-weekends-walt-disney-world-marathon.htm