Originally Posted By RoadTrip I'd like to see a bunch of new 'E's" at the Magic Kingdom too. But when their attendance continues to increase every year why should they? They seem to put their money where it is needed most, and you can't blame any company for that. When DL was getting ready for the 50th they spent a lot of money there. Same with Epcot for the Y2K celebration. DCA was sucking air and is now getting a huge amount spent to bring it up to par. AK was consistently criticized for being a half-day park. The addition of Everest seems to have put those complaints to rest. DHS was on its way down so Disney added Toy Story Mania. It is hard to fault a company for fixing its worst problems first. Why don't they use the money spent building DVC units to upgrade the MK? DVC returns profit immediately. Increased revenues from an MK upgrade would be years in coming. I think much of the current upgrades in Disney parks have in fact been funded with DVC profits... DVC provided 10% of the park's division profits last year.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Dear Mr. Spirit. You really must read more closely. The article did not say Disney WROTE no mortgages in 2Q 2009... it said they SOLD none during the quarter meaning they are having to carry the paper themselves. Big difference. >>> Ah... That makes a lot more sense. You're right - "sold" and "wrote" are two completely different concepts here. This does put increased pressure on corporate cash, as instead of getting paid immediately upon sale, Disney is carrying the mortgages to term. And of course, this is happening at the same time when cash and credit are generally in short supply. I would imagine that Disney is hoping to sell these at some later time when the credit market returns to normal.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 "It is hard to fault a company for fixing its worst problems first. Why don't they use the money spent building DVC units to upgrade the MK? DVC returns profit immediately. Increased revenues from an MK upgrade would be years in coming. I think much of the current upgrades in Disney parks have in fact been funded with DVC profits... DVC provided 10% of the park's division profits last year." Agreed. But if thats the business model they should make darn sure that when they do build something its the best version they can build.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<That doesn't sound like a lot of money at all. If that includes track replacement, then I agree that it seems doubtful that much else is going to happen.>> When you look at what garbage like Stitch's Great Belchoff and Journey Into WDI's Lack of Imagination and even things like Pooh at DL and Monsters at DCA cost it really puts this in perspective. There is nothing of substance that can be done for that sum of money when you also have to replace track, abate asbestos, rebuild a roof and add air gates. What will you have left? $1,864.62? Phil Holmes likely has that in cash on any given day.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Bless you Spirit, ruining my day while I'm wearing my Rose & Crown t-shirt.>> I'm sorry for ruining your day, dear woman. It could be worse. You could have been at my pool when the sheriff's deputies, paramedics and fire arrived to deal with 'Richard' the neighborhood drunk in front of 20 people, including many children. I'm just glad there was no blood (got very close many times) and no weapons were fired. So glad I live in such an upscale community! Poor 'Richard' guess he must be upset over his family situation ... or maybe Uncle Bernie took all his money ...anyway, you were saying ... <<I'm still mad they took away the newspaper (fake I know) from the fish 'n chips. Over the years they've gotten rid of several of the meals my DH likes there. They use to have a fantastic cheese & fruit appetizer.>> I loved that as well. The mushroom pastry was excellent too (not sure whether that is still there) ... and I still remember when Rose and Crown not only had the best prime rib at EPCOT Center, but also the only ... <<It's not what it was foodwise, but I still love sitting there and taking in everything around me, so comforting, especially with an English Rose in my hand.>> Largely why I haven't written it off and still go often ...
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Do they do burgers in UK restaurants? I know I was crushed when someone told me there was a McDonald's across the street from the Coliseum. How depressing. I suppose that was a stupid question, my son said when he was in Bahrain there were all kinds of American fast food places all over the place. Why should England be any different.>> Thread hijacker ... Actually, I love having fast food around the world (especially since 99% of the time the American chains are worlds better than they are here in WalMartLand) ... after three weeks living in China, I can't tell you how great that double cheeseburger, fries and Coke tasted last summer! No one forces anyone to dine anywhere. While it's nice to eat local cuisine anywhere, sometimes it is practical for many reasons and sometimes you just want something quick, easy and tasty. Anyone seen a McRib lately?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Dear Mr. Spirit. You really must read more closely. The article did not say Disney WROTE no mortgages in 2Q 2009... it said they SOLD none during the quarter meaning they are having to carry the paper themselves. Big difference. Source: <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com...77.story>>" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...>></a> True enough ... and I have quoted that part of the story below. But it still is striking, no matter how you try and spin it. DVC is hurting. Just when Rasulo's wettest dream of massive inventory is coming to fruition. When they were offering three free nights at both DAK Lodge Villas and BLT BEFORE they even opened that should have spoken volumes. <<By the way... the experts seem to think Disney is still doing well with DVC...>> One analyst that Garcia threw in his story to make it 'balanced' and likely keep his editors and TWDC happy. Anyone who follows the timeshare market now knows there's a huge glut, nowhere more than Orlando ... and not a never-ending supply of vic... magical buyers. Wonder when the GF DVC gets announced? Oh and here is some more from that story ... <<<A variety of things are squeezing Disney Vacation Club. Among the biggest: the nation's still-tight credit markets. Last December, with debt markets roiling, Disney was unable to renew a credit facility it had been using to sell bundles of its time-share mortgages to investors, a practice known as "securitization." During Disney's second fiscal quarter last year, Vacation Club sold $42 million worth of mortgages. It didn't sell any during this year's second quarter. Vacation Club has been hurt by challenging comparisons from a year ago. The resorts the company is building now, for example, are more-upscale products that carry higher construction costs. Disney has stopped selling contract extensions to owners of its 761-room Old Key West Resort, which buoyed sales last year. Rental revenue has also dropped. Disney has included vacant Vacation Club units with its hotel rooms in discount packages for guests who book four nights and get three more free. Disney World's per-room hotel revenue, including Vacation Club rentals, sank 17 percent during the second quarter, though average room occupancy rose one percentage point to 89 percent. Amid those economic conditions, Vacation Club is opening the four new resorts this year, with sales prices starting at about $18,000, plus a monthly maintenance fee. It is the first time Disney has been selling interests in four time shares at once. In hopes of a publicity boost, Disney last week invited a group of about 20 reporters, photographers and bloggers on a tour of its new Central Florida properties.>>> Just a comment on the above ... but when your social media department is begging/whoring online bloggers (sorry, I won't call these people media because they aren't) to get the word out that should tell you how desperate they are.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<It would be nice if Disney would actually do the same with their WDW theme parks - you know, the actual reason why people are willing to spend money on expensive time-shares in the middle of Florida!!>> People don't care about fresh theme parks. Research has shown that people visit WDW for timeshares,eating comfort food, meeting characters, eating comfort food, trading pins and, oh yeah, eating comfort food.
Originally Posted By Skellington88 Is Rasolu retarded enough to announce GF DVC when the other 4 properties aint selling? I would imagine Disney has IMMEDIATLY halted all plans for future DVC until they see how well the new stuff they built does.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I'm about 99.9% certain the Spirit is joking... I can't imagine there will ever be a GF DVC.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I'd like to see a bunch of new 'E's" at the Magic Kingdom too. But when their attendance continues to increase every year why should they? They seem to put their money where it is needed most, and you can't blame any company for that.>> Trippy ... why must you defend management? Attendance at MK doesn't keep going up annually ... if it did they'd be having over 20 million a year by now. And who cares? Is the point to justify stagnation at a place that was always supposed to growing and fresh? <<When DL was getting ready for the 50th they spent a lot of money there.>> Likely because they let the place rot for years before ... maybe you forgot? <<Same with Epcot for the Y2K celebration.>> EPCOT didn't get huge Milennium funds, most went to a new version of Iluminations, which is well past its 'use by' date, and a parade, which will nice also went where it didn't belong. Oh, and the ugly purple additions anf pin shack too ... <<DCA was sucking air and is now getting a huge amount spent to bring it up to par.>> DCA was built on the cheap in an incredibly half-assed manner. The fact it turned out as well as it actually did I find shocking. But far more people disliked it (or worse, ignored it) and that's why they are spending a few billion there. They have no (expletive thought but not typed) choice. <<AK was consistently criticized for being a half-day park. The addition of Everest seems to have put those complaints to rest.>> DAK will always be viewed that way for people who go to Disney 'for the rides' ... and not for a theme park about animals that ever or never existed. EE has helped, but not as much as DAK After Dark would have (funny how Sea World After Dark is drawing folks in). If DAK hadn't of had that killed ... if DAK had been built in full and not had BK lopped off for a meet-greet-and-grope ... then maybe things would be more solid. <<DHS was on its way down so Disney added Toy Story Mania.>> It was a mess. It still is. It needs many more things like that ... <<It is hard to fault a company for fixing its worst problems first. Why don't they use the money spent building DVC units to upgrade the MK? DVC returns profit immediately. Increased revenues from an MK upgrade would be years in coming. I think much of the current upgrades in Disney parks have in fact been funded with DVC profits... DVC provided 10% of the park's division profits last year.>> I don't know where DVC's $$$ go ... I don't know how TWDC allocates the funds ... I do know that the MK is stale and there is another thread for that ;-)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I'm about 99.9% certain the Spirit is joking... I can't imagine there will ever be a GF DVC.>> No. I wasn't joking ... well, not in the large sense. There are plans for DVC at both GF and Poly. I've even heard they're considering Coronado as well, seriously. I don't believe you'll hear any announcements at all for years though. At least not at WDW, thankfully. They've saturated the market. They aren't gonna spend more. They'll watch Anaheim to see whether its worth a stand alone DVC in addition to the 50 units at the Grand. They have Ko Olina coming on for a 2011 opening. And they may add timeshare (although not a definite) at the D.C. Hotel project. But I'd guess you'll have years pass before you hear them announce GF as the next FLA one -- and it will be.
Originally Posted By Disney and beyond I hate Camp Minnie Mickey. I think its the second biggest waste of space in any of the WDW parks (MY first being The African Outpost at EPCOT, but you can blame that on my love of the World Showcase and my beleif that an awesome new country could be built there.) I love DHS, and I blame it on my love for the movies (No Disney Trip is complete without my GMR ride through.) I think if the Backlot Tour was knocked down, the room that would create, if they had projects on the board, would massively improve the park (and I hate using the E ticket system to rank rides, that's probably only me"
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Attendance at MK doesn't keep going up annually ... if it did they'd be having over 20 million a year by now.>> Well dear Spirit, since you won't tell what the REAL figures are I have to rely on what I find on the net. And my source shows that after the 9/11 meltdown the MK has increased attendance every year. It also shows that the MK has the highest attendance of any Disney park. <a href="http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/feature/atend_disparks.htm" target="_blank">http://www.scottware.com.au/th...arks.htm</a> If I were allocating where I had to put my dollars, that would probably not be the first place I looked. Although I will agree that with some of the other fires being attended to, it would seem to be time to inject some $$ in the MK again.
Originally Posted By MPierce I really am having a difficult time in determining what WDW wants to be recognized as in the future. The theme park that every other park in the world would like to emulate or the once great theme park.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 If we can vote on this, I cast mine for "The theme park that every other park in the world would like to emulate"
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys >>I really am having a difficult time in determining what WDW wants to be recognized as in the future. The theme park that every other park in the world would like to emulate or the once great theme park.<< Since there will probably never again be anything like the Disney brand I don't think it really matters. The new generation of Disney goers will see to that.
Originally Posted By danyoung >The mushroom pastry was excellent too (not sure whether that is still there) ...< Sadly, it's not. This has long been my favorite R&C appetizer, but no longer.
Originally Posted By Krankenstein <<It was a mess. It still is. It needs many more things like that ... >> DHS needs more than rides like TSMM, it needs a clarified direction. The park is a mess and a shadow of its former self. With the removal of animation, the joke of a Backlot tour, the reduced hours of Fantasmic, and BAH it has become the laughing stock of the Florida parks. As it stands, if ToT, Muppets, and TSMM were not at the park, I would not darken the turnstiles of the place. BTW, I have missed your posts in the magical place Spirit.
