Originally Posted By gardenrooms Very interesting! I assume (you know what they say, though) that the hotel that wouldn't sell is the Anaheim Plaza, and I am both surprised and glad - surprised as I would think they could have made a bundle, much more than they must be making on the hotel with its very low rates (especially as they don't seem to have much to invest in keeping the facilities "fresh") though maybe I'm wrong, and glad because after Hojo's it is actually my favorite off-site place to stay - bright, 2-story buildings, great lawns, large pool, conviently located to DL, and inexpensive, though a little inconsistent in quality. As for DVC off site, the only reason I would invest in DVC would be to buy my own little piece of the magic. Otherwise, why not buy a timeshare with a bigger network (and possibly less expensive). If I have to leave DL and Mickey etc. and walk past garbage and street people to get to my DVC it wouldn't be worth it. No matter how clean an area of a city can be made (and the area around DL has improved in recent years - keep in mind in the 50's it was fine and cute and unique, didn't get bad till much later - but it has a long way to go to come close to DLR standards), it can and will never be as clean as DL, being private property, can be kept.
Originally Posted By jonvn DVC timeshares expire. Regular timeshares don't. Even if you are crazy enough to buy into ANY timeshare, the DVC ones are particularly bad.
Originally Posted By gardenrooms And I would walk. I don't want to stay anywhere where I can't control when I get to DL! No waiting for busses for me! Monorail would be fun, though even that Disney would have to maintain the station up to their standards. Many a pleasant morning I spent sipping my (Monotrail Cafe) coffee watching the DL cast members spiffing up the DL Hotel Monorail station for the day from my "Garden Room" balcony while I let DH and DS sleep in a little longer. It wasn't spotlessly clean by accident!
Originally Posted By gardenrooms Interesting (that they expire). And I figured out that with the number of times I can get to WDW, it would be way cheaper for me to just stay in a hotel room (especially since I enjoy eating out - cooking in isn't part of my vacaion plans!) Though when I win the lottery, first thing I am going to do is buy a Beach Club timeshare - lol!
Originally Posted By gardenrooms Interesting (that they expire). And I figured out that with the number of times I can get to WDW, it would be way cheaper for me to just stay in a hotel room (especially since I enjoy eating out - cooking in isn't part of my vacation plans!) Though when I win the lottery, first thing I am going to do is buy a Beach Club timeshare - lol!
Originally Posted By gardenrooms Oops - I hit stop when I saw my typo, it didn't look like my first post went through, but it did. Sorry!
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "I actually ate at the one on top of Macy's!" The one and only San Francisco location.
Originally Posted By jonvn There is also one in Palo Alto, too. I've not eaten there. I don't ever go to Palo Alto if I can help it.
Originally Posted By jonvn It doesn't meet my very high and exacting standards. And mostly, it's a bit snooty. I've never met more unfriendly people in the bay area than in Palo Alto.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Funny that you say that because the city is nice, but nothing remarkable. There are certainly more affluent areas in the Bay Area. Maybe the attitude has something to with Stanford and its lofty educational goals.
Originally Posted By juicer Marin has a Cheescake Factory too - Actually its in Corte Madera (near Sausalito) - This area can be snooty also I know because I live there
Originally Posted By bean "What type of transportation system are we talking about here?? I would love to see more monorails, or even a people mover-type system. Really, almost anything would be cool -- just as long as we're not talking buses!!" The most effective mode of transportation would be a continuous peoplemover system. That was the original plan in '91. As a matter of fact the original plan called for the elimination of the tram system which would have been replaced by a peoplemover system that would have run fromt he parking structure to DTD.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 "This thing would not be built in that particular spot if Disneyland Resort was not around the corner." Yeah, I guess I should have been more specific about the "tourist" comment. I mean that Disneyland attracts WAY more local tourists than out-of-towners, so I think that GardenWalk is aimed at the local "tourist" crowd rather than the out-of-towners (except the convention people). Oh, and the comments about Palo Alto are funny! I lived in the town right next to it (Menlo Park), and yeah, I have to agree about the vibe there. Even the mall (although they did have a good Disney Store) was a bit snobby. It could have been the Stanford crowd, I don't know...but it was there.
Originally Posted By jonvn "Funny that you say that because the city is nice, but nothing remarkable." Which is why the snooty behavior is all the more annoying. I think it is a noveau riche thing, where all the dot com rich kids aspire to live. It also seems that the further south you go, the more plastic it becomes around here. Palo Alto starts getting a bit plasticy, and by the time you hit San Jose, Sunnyvale, you might as well be living in the San Fernando Valley, it's so awful.
Originally Posted By ResortGuru I think for those of you who feel that it is just another mall with ordinary resturants.That might be exactly what the area needs considering when it is finished it will be surounded by hotels on and off its property plus over the course of the next couple of years there is going to be over 5,000 homes and lofts built less then 1/2 a mile up Katella in the platinum triangle project. As far as the anaheim plaza hotel not selling they didn't miss out on any money at all in the begining the project had lots of money problems and could not pay what the property owners wanted for their choice location. But after the project is compleat and all that tourist money is coming in I don't thing their will be any problem paying what is nessesary for that vital phase 2 property.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "I mean that Disneyland attracts WAY more local tourists than out-of-towners, so I think that GardenWalk is aimed at the local "tourist" crowd rather than the out-of-towners (except the convention people)." From what I understand the ratio was around 40% tourists before the resort expansion in 2001, which is not a small number. And with the additions since then we can assume that the number of overnight stays have increased resulting in increased demand for shopping, places to eat, and hotels. Yes, there are more locals visiting DLR, but the large number of tourists visiting the place cannot be ignored. Especially considering that tourists spend more than locals do. "Palo Alto starts getting a bit plasticy, and by the time you hit San Jose, Sunnyvale, you might as well be living in the San Fernando Valley, it's so awful." So true.
Originally Posted By pitapan16 The line-up is quit impressive. Downtown Disney to me is also quit spectacular, but needs to offer more everything, especially now. Bulk up a bit.
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<From what I understand the ratio was around 40% tourists before the resort expansion in 2001, which is not a small number. And with the additions since then we can assume that the number of overnight stays have increased resulting in increased demand for shopping, places to eat, and hotels.>> Not unexpected given how so many new and large hotels have opened in the resort area these past 5 years or so. Given the horrendous waits at most DtD restaurants, I expect to see some pretty brisk business at the Garden Walk, especially during the busier months at DLR.
