Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad It really is a service Disney is lacking. There are no reasonably priced spaces for families larger than 4 unless you can use a trundle. I know a family of 6 who use 2 rooms at a value b/c its cheaper than a cabin. We've stayed off property when the grandparents went b/c we could all stay together and it was alot less expensive. I hope they are finishing POP, maybe now we can coax the grandparents down again.
Originally Posted By dshyates Disney puroposely designed their facilities to require larger families to pay for 2 rooms. One more way to suck the money out of peoples pockets. Disney by design. Money grubbing as an art form.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad While some may choose 2 rooms, I think many just stay off property and Disney loses out. I know when we stayed off property we would wait to eat supper till we were outside the parks and we ate breakfast before arriving so they missed 2 chances at getting some meal money out of us. Maybe they figure the parking fee makes up the difference. We also did other things (like airboat rides) when we stayed off property which we don't do when we stay on.
Originally Posted By dshyates My guess is the sharp pencil boys have crunched the numbers and figured out that twisting peoples arms into buying a second room is starting to not work as well because all the local suite type hotels are more than willing to accommodate larger families.
Originally Posted By u k fan I think cheaper family accommodations will make a difference to the number of UK guests who stay on property. When you're staying for 14 nights the cost of 2 rooms really adds up so a lot of large families choose to rent villas or stay offsite. When we stayed offsite we spent a lot more money on food outside of WDW than when we stay onsite so getting those guests onsite could make good financial sense in the long run!!!
Originally Posted By brotherdave One interesting point is that I had read somewhere that the POP was going to possibly be rethemed to Disney animated movies. If so, is it possible that if they do start work again on the unfinished section into family suites, might that possibly be the theme instead of early 20th Century icons? And possibly at a later date, the current POP might get the 'toon' theme redo?
Originally Posted By u k fan My sister has said in the past that when she takes her family over she would probably want to stay at the values because her daughter(4) would enjoy the themes better somewhere like ASMo. At the age of 4 what do the themes at the other resorts really mean? The only exception to this might be AKL. She's often said that staying at the Nickelodeon Hotel would be preferable for my neice, so a hotel themed to Disney icons would work well, IMHO. To keep in with the POP theme they could start at one end with Oswald, Mickey and Co. and work through to Toy Story 3!!!
Originally Posted By brotherdave It is curious with the POP that they sort of do this already. 1950s has icons of Lady and the Tramp, 1960s has Baloo and Mowgli from Jungle Book, and 1980s has Roger Rabbit. My guess is that it wouldn't be real hard to retheme the rest to the appropriate decades.
Originally Posted By mickey_ring From 1900 to the 1940s could be like staying in the Carousel of Progress.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris Oswald is not a good idea. Probably only 1 in 100,000 adults would know who Oswald is, if that. Little Tiphannee-Raie and Jorrrdann-Leee from Alabama will not have a clue.
Originally Posted By brotherdave But they could put Oswald in as part of the 1920s wing, along with Mickey as Steamboat Willie. The question is, what would go in the 1900 and 1910 wings???
Originally Posted By kennect Now Bob be polite...In Alabama they do know how to spell Britanny...And umpteen other trailer trash names that come to mind!!! But you are right about Oswald...No one would have a clue and that really is sad....I think even Disney is trying to make sure no one finds out about him!
Originally Posted By u k fan When I suggested Oswald I meant ditching the early part of the century for that side of the resort and just going with an animation timeline thing from Walt's early days right through to the present day so that one half of the resort is as it is now and the other is purely based on animation. Obviously Mickey and Minnie would be the stars of the early end of the scale, but to round it out I think other characters would need to be used. I'm not suggesting a 100 foot Oswald anywhere, but he could have a presence!!!
Originally Posted By dshyates I think that is a great idea. I think the '20s Animation building should have a Black & White color sceme. Everything black, white, and shades of grey.
Originally Posted By u k fan Exactly, the 30's could slowly get more colorful and feature old-style Donald and Goofy which could then lead on to a circus themed pool area with a huge Dumbo and pink elephants that squirt water. We've got Lady and the Tramp elsewhere, but a Neverland or Wonderland theme would be cool moving on. And so on... A Tron area would be great fun celebrating early computer Animation and we could work right up to the modern day or on. Areas devoted to A Bug's Life, Lilo and Stitch and The Lion King offer great possibilities. Buildings of family suites could be themed to Disney Princesses and Pixar. I would be hesitant to theme a standard building around Princesses as I could imagine the disappointment of 6 year old Timmy as he is assigned a bright pink room with roses all over it. Though a Snow White forest area could be good. Who doesn't love a giant dwarf?!!!
