Originally Posted By DVC_dad Why is it just sitting there? What is going to happen? Does ANYONE REALLY know the truth behind this situation? I spoke with a CM in reservations that has been with Disney for 9 years, and she conviced me that she really doesn't know. She confessed that she has even tried to find out, but it is perhaps one of the last great secrets around WDW. She was even forthcoming with some inside info about Contempo DVC, so I think just maybe no one really knows. Maybe Iger doesn't even know. Maybe Michael Eisner is hiding out in there... But seriously folks, does anyone know the TURTH?
Originally Posted By WDWs Future >>Maybe Michael Eisner is hiding out in there...<< Bwhahahahaha..hey, who knows? I've tried asking for information before at POP, but I've never been told anything concrete. Ever. The truth is out there..where's Fox and Scully when you need them?
Originally Posted By dixielandings I had heard at one time that they were going to make that side of Pop all suites I wonder if there waiting to see how the suites at the AS Music will fill up ?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Here's the story ... the truth ... likely not as exciting as fiction, but here goes. Pop Century was slated to open in two phases when it was developed by Eisner and Weiss in the greed-filled 'let's buildout Walt's 30,000 acres with hotel rooms and timeshares' late 90s. First phase, Classic Years was supposed to open in 2001 with second phase (can't recall the name right now, think it was Legandary Years) but covering 1900-1940s opening a year later. But a funny thing happened on the way to this plan, the Millennium Celebration didn't have the staying power people expected and by Fall 2000 WDW was experiencing a significant downturn in rooms occupied (all the while construction continued on POP). Then came the recession of 2001 and 9/11 ... at that time Phase 1 was completed and the check in area/food court/retail of Phase 2 was about 90% as well. A few buildings were also built, just not furnished or completed. At that point Disney was closing resorts for months at a time (like CBR twice and FQ twice) because they had way too much inventory. POP Phase I was completed in 2001, but didn't open in late '01 as scheduled. Instead, it was mothballed and sat .. and sat ... and sat. In April of 2003, with the 9/11 travel lull starting to wane, Weiss announced POP I would debut in December 2003, which it did. No decision was ever made as to Phase II and none has as of yet. They just try and hide the buildings as best they can. There isn't the demand, even now, to double the size of the resort so that won't happen for the forseeable future. But Phase II 'could' open sooner as Family Suites, something major that's been missing from the WDW Resort Hotel lineup for people that don't want/can't afford to either buy into DVC or rent two-bedroom villas for $800 a night and would rather not get two standard rooms. Right now, a chunk of the All-Star Music has been transformed from standard rooms into two-room suites. If these are successful, POP Phase II 'could' be built as such. But, right now, that is NOT the plan. The plan is to add suites at Sports and then Movies first. So a decade from now, POP Phase II might well look like it does now or they might just bulldoze or repurpose the buildings that were constructed in 2000. That's the REAL story.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>At that point Disney was closing resorts for months at a time (like CBR twice and FQ twice) because they had way too much inventory.<< And to a large degree they still have too many rooms. They overestimated the number of familes that can either afford or are willing to pay thousands of dollars for a theme park vacation. It also can't help that there are so many hotels nearby just beyond the property lines.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^Yup. And that's why they are REDUCING room capacity by converting existing rooms to suites and DVC units. IMHO, WDW has a good 5,000-7,000 rooms too many right now. The fact that I haven't had to pay rack rate for a room since 1998 likely speaks volumes about that.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Okay then IF...IF...your story is right, why AK Lodge DVC, and Contempo DVC? There's no way DVC would come to a value resort like POP.......unless......they took over 100% of the resort which, with AK and Contempo on the horizon, I don't see that happnin'. Thanks Spirit for the truth. The Spirit knows.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^You misunderstood. I never said DVC would come to POP ... it won't. What may come is family suites like the converts at the ASMu. DAK Lodge DVC is largely due to them having too many rooms, especially deluxe savannah views, that they can't fill. People for some weird reason feel that the 10 minutes it takes to get to the MK is too much. Contemp DVC is simply a $$$ grab by Disney. There is no DVC on the monorail. Indeed, the only DVC in the 'Magic Kingdom Resort Area' is the WLV, which ar always booked. Disney looks at the cash cow and sees Kobe beef at the Contemp! <<Thanks Spirit for the truth.>> That's what I'm here for. <<The Spirit knows.>> Enough to write a book ... or three!
Originally Posted By DVC_dad Oh ok ok I got cha. I did misread that. You SHOULD write a book, and if you ever do, please bash Walmart somewhere. Certainly that warrants a whole chapter. One thing I don't get is why the DVC is building at AKL, and at the same time letting the cat out of the bag at Contempo. It seems to me that eventhough AKL is awesome, Contempo would kill sales for it. What am I missing here?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I think that varries DVC. Clearly with AKL room capacity being filled is a good indication that people want to stay at that location. Also many people would like a DVC in the the Magic Kingdom. The contempo is about as close as that will ever be. So the demand for either location is there. Some people want a DVC overlooking wild animals. Other people want a DVC overlooking the Magic Kingdom.
Originally Posted By tonyanton Not to go off topic, but I think the AKL would have been more popular with its own entrance into the park. As it stands now, it is the only deluxe property that requires a bus (or car) to get to all 4 parks. All the other deluxe resorts are either within walking distance, on the monorail line, or offer boat service, to at least 1-2 of the 4 parks.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Oh ok ok I got cha. I did misread that. You SHOULD write a book, and if you ever do, please bash Walmart somewhere. Certainly that warrants a whole chapter.>> Thanks. And you may one day read that book ... or books But they're more likely to be about Disney (and all its warts) and the entertainment industry than WalMart. I'm hoping that one day soon WalMart will just be a memory in retailing like giants Montgomery Ward, Grant and Woolworth that ceased to exist ...of course, people will have to get smarter with the Bentonville Devil, but I see hope in them pulling back USA expansion and in them pulling out of Germany and South Korea. <<One thing I don't get is why the DVC is building at AKL, and at the same time letting the cat out of the bag at Contempo. It seems to me that eventhough AKL is awesome, Contempo would kill sales for it. What am I missing here?>> You know what? I admit it. I'm totally clueless. I don't understand it unless Disney is just clearing the land for a Contemp DVC and not building in the near future ... but that will be an awful eyesore for folks staying there or just monorailing over the site to the MK. A CM pal told me he had heard thru the grapevine (which is often rancid) that Disney was forced to pull back and rethink its plans due to wetlands that exist on the site (kind of like them not being able to rebuild on the LBV Treehouses if they were removed). But I have no idea, really ... the DVC timeline appears to be finish Saratoga, build DAK Lodge, build Anaheim ... so who knows what's going on.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Some people want a DVC overlooking wild animals. Other people want a DVC overlooking the Magic Kingdom.>> Yep. And some of would prefer neither. We'd rather see DVC in SoCal ... in Paris ... in NYC ... in Vail ... in Scottsdale ... in Monterey. But the current WDC business model is to make WDW The Timeshare Kingdom of the World, which we can all agree isn't what Walt had in mind when he said 'We have enough land here for all the ideas we can possibly come up with.'
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Not to go off topic, but I think the AKL would have been more popular with its own entrance into the park.>> That's a good tangent to go off on ... and shows how even with an amazing park like DAK (one of the last great things to come out of the Eisner leadership), they still didn't show enough foresight. Imagine having DAK Lodge at the entrance of the park (like DLP or TDS or even the Grand Caifornian) ... where you pass under/thru the hotel ... or even have it out on a smaller savannah that connects to the major one with boats that took guests right into the park ... just imagine. Because if Disney invested a few hundred million more and did that, the park and the hotel would have likely been much more successful both creatively and financially.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I'm hoping that one day soon WalMart will just be a memory in retailing like giants Montgomery Ward, Grant and Woolworth that ceased to exist ...of course, people will have to get smarter with the Bentonville Devil, but I see hope in them pulling back USA expansion and in them pulling out of Germany and South Korea. < yep, they just bought the largest chain in China -- has to be their dream territory, billions of people....
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <We'd rather see DVC in SoCal ... in Paris ... in NYC ... in Vail ... in Scottsdale ... in Monterey. < and Chicago so you all can come visit and we can show you some real 5 star restaurants ( and some awfully good ethnic cuisine - a real hot dog, and the best deep dish pizza )
Originally Posted By Indigo What they're really using Pop Century phase II for? Bus Driver training. I drive by there all the time and see busses running through traffic cone courses. Disney is still holding job fairs every month. if you have any bus driving experience and want to move to Orlando, Disney has a job for you. (other Disney jobs are open too, some with hiring bonuses)
Originally Posted By tonyanton Spirit...I hope that info you heard about Disney having to re-think things at the Contempo DVC is correct...I still think that is the worst designed project at the resort ever. It makes the Beach Club Villas look well thought out and ideally placed.
