Originally Posted By ChurroMonster Does anyone else think that the GCH expansion should be integrated into the park? With it being so close to the edge of the park it actually could become the edge of the park in that area. Imagine the bottom floor being used for a restaurant or shops or even a dark ride. And because the expansion will block much of the view of the rest of the hotel, the park-facing facade of the expansion could actually be themed differently than the rest of the hotel. It could look like a seaside resort in that area, further enhancing the theme of Paradise Pier. What do ya think?
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think it's a good idea, and probably inevitable considering how close it is to PP.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig They didn't care one wit what the visual impact of the GCH would be on Condor Flats. They didn't care one wit that the parking lot and now all of the expansion of the hotel is directly viewable from, and therefore impacts the theme and feel of, the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. And you think they care now how the huge new, tall expansion is going to impact the park?? Witness how close it is to the park. Witness how tall and massive it will be. WDI lobbied for years to expand the park into that precious available land. The DVC folks instead won out over WDI, and is it any great shock? I'm very afraid how that expansion is going to affect the park adjacent, and I won't be surprised if its affect is more bad than good. From day one, the interests of the park took a far receded back seat to the interests of the hotels, retail, and dining. And if they figured they could still fill the hotel rooms and the DVC condos without the park at all, they'd scrub DCA to bare earth in a New York second and build more hotels, shops and restaurants.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster Right. As far as I can tell it's the park that is getting far more investment in the next few years than the hotels. But the two could be more connected. That's all I'm saying.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Yeah, for me (an out of towner) the experience of the hotels and the parks are one and the same. From that standpoint it only seems logical that they integrate the new wing with whatever changes are going to happen at that end of PP.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Is it my imagination ... Or is this whole DVC thing a bit of an over-rated concept? I mean .. how many people can really afford it? Or willing to pay the supposed ridiculously high prices for it? I can see in the vacation kingdom of them all: Florida. But in heavily suburban Orange County ... why bother with an expensive "second" home .. when the real home is a 15 to 60 minute drive away (?).
Originally Posted By oc_dean Those interested most likely are from out of town. So ... I guess I kind of answered my own question ... this is not something locals are going to give a hoot for.
Originally Posted By bean its also only a small amount of rooms that will be available for DVC purchase. The majority of rooms being added are for the hotel use
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I would like to see something similar to what they did with the Mira Costa as part of the Mediterranean Harbor in TDS. The first floor is shops and restuarants in the park, and the second floor is shops and restuarants for the hotel. Above that is the actual rooms that look out into the park. The lower floors are very highly themed with lots of details to fit into the theme of the area. The higher floors are less detailed, but still in theme (tromp lleoi paintings of a building). If they did something like that in DCA, I don't think it would be as big of a wast of space. Right now, it just seems like they are taking away what little land DCA has to begin with.
Originally Posted By 2001DLFan <<Ioc_deans: it my imagination ... Or is this whole DVC thing a bit of an over-rated concept? I mean .. how many people can really afford it? Or willing to pay the supposed ridiculously high prices for it? I can see in the vacation kingdom of them all: Florida. But in heavily suburban Orange County ... why bother with an expensive "second" home .. when the real home is a 15 to 60 minute drive away (?).>> I really wonder how the current mortgage debacle is hitting the vacation club market. I would imagine that similar loan problems would be popping up with them too.
Originally Posted By jaybee They could have made the expansion blend in with the plans for the new look pier. From everything I've read so far, they made literally no attempt to do that. So not only does the PPH look like a too tall eyesore, the GCH expansion is going to look like an Craftsman style hotel is looming right over the Victorian age pier.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I guess that would be no different than a Swiss mountain looming over a tropical coral reef.
Originally Posted By socalkdg <<<I can see in the vacation kingdom of them all: Florida. But in heavily suburban Orange County ... why bother with an expensive "second" home .. when the real home is a 15 to 60 minute drive away (?).>>> How many people in Southern California stay in hotels by the resort? Lots. Imagine you live in SoCal and already own a AP for yourself and family. You decide you want to take a vacation, but airfare is too expensive for your family of 4, so what to do? Well, you could stay at the Grand Californian for 5 days for approx. $1500, but thats steep. Or, if you are already a DVC owner you can use 65 points for those 5 days (approx. cost of $7.5 per point over life of contract) so you get 5 days at the Grand Californian for under $500. Makes a great first class family vacation for thousands less traveling elsewhere (Hawaii, WDW, Mexico, Europe, etc). By the way, you can get a DVC contract for as little as 50 points via resale for approx. $4500. Doesn't take that many days at the Grand Californian to get your money back. You would be amazed at how many existing DVC members are looking forward to using their points at the Grand Californian, with many waiting to buy points there once they are available.
