Originally Posted By dshyates WDW is getting out of the golf business. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that in Sept., WDW is turning over the day to day operations to the Palmer Group in a 20 year deal. <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-golf-arnold-palmer-20110824,0,1710954.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...54.story</a>
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo This is really no surprise. How if they would turn their hotels over to someone like Marriott, Intercontinental, Starwood or another reputable hotelier, and get a proper transport firm in, then that could improve things. The credo of what made Disney special is long dead, so they might as well bring in best of breed partners.
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>This is really no surprise. How if they would turn their hotels over to someone like Marriott, Intercontinental, Starwood or another reputable hotelier, and get a proper transport firm in, then that could improve things. The credo of what made Disney special is long dead, so they might as well bring in best of breed partners.<<< I think that would be a good choice for DLRP. In recent years we have been to many hotels and all were better in terms of quality, service, rooms and of course cheaper than the Paris Disney Hotels. Disney would collect a fee and the quality would rise. I hope that the current refurbs will improve the hotels, because no one would stay in these hotels when they would be somewhere else and not at DLRP. On the other hand ED SCA makes a lot of money with the hotels. Despite the bad quality people stay there and the occupation rate was really good in recent years. I can't speak for all the Disney hotels in the US, but they all look very good and I thought the quality and service would be fine. At least it was fine in 2008 when we stayed at the Pop Century Resort. I don't play Golf and so I don't care about the courses. Does someone know if the Golf Course at DLRP is owned by Disney?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo It is indeed owned by Disney, but operated I think by an outside company. FWIW, I found the Animal Kingdom Lodge service to be very poor when we went in 2006. The service at the Grand Californian was excellent (though I have heard many complaints).
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Well, I think what we are seeing at Disney is the case throughout Florida. Golf isn't making any money. During a recession that is a luxury many folks can easily give up. Courses are closing all over Florida and those staying open are slashing prices to get golfers in. I'm guessing that Disney is happy to hand that risk over to Palmer. As to the hotels, they are still making a ton of money. I'd be more shocked if they were to turn those over to an outside operator. Anything is possible, but I highly doubt it happens soon unless travel (international travel in particular) does a nosedive.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Selling off bits of the legacy. What's next, the parks? Wait, what?
Originally Posted By 3disneylocations ^^ They haven't sold anything EE, they're in a 20 yr lease w/Palmer to operate their Golf Courses. Other Clubs have done this w/no problem (as mentioned in the article - PGA National is probably closest to you). Disney still owns the property (and probably has clauses that they can take back operations @ anytime).
Originally Posted By leobloom Disney continues its move to get out of the resort business. They want to run hotels and timeshares, not theme parks and attractions.
Originally Posted By WDWVacationer So, just so we are clear... Disney makes a move to improve the quality of the Walt Disney World Resort, and you all bitch and moan. I don't understand.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer I want them to improve their quality on their own, not just sell off parts. If they want to see the parks, just do it all.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Disney makes a move to improve the quality of the Walt Disney World Resort, and you all bitch and moan.>> I think it is sending the wrong message. How difficult is it to run a golf course? Disney is turning over the day to day management of WDW to outsiders that the Disney has been doing successfully for decades. Restaurants to Lowry, now the golf courses to the Palmer group. Is there anything that WDW management feels they can do competently?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>Is there anything that WDW management feels they can do competently?<< There's the rub. They can't.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Maybe this is the new wave of running a Coorporation. Turn over all your day to day operations to 3rd party companies. That way you don't have to take responcibility if they fail to produce. You just "blame" someone else. Someone who is in it for the money. And dubious guests willing to shell lots of cash for mediocre service and products as long as it bares the Disney name. The Disney brand use to mean something. Use to! That seems to be diminishing more and more with each passing day.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <<Yes the can, have & will. Don't be so fatalistic...>> When why is Disney doing it?
Originally Posted By 3disneylocations Maybe this is the new wave of running a Coorporation. Turn over all your day to day operations to 3rd party companies. That way you don't have to take responcibility if they fail to produce. You just "blame" someone else. Someone who is in it for the money. And dubious guests willing to shell lots of cash for mediocre service and products as long as it bares the Disney name. The Disney brand use to mean something. Use to! That seems to be diminishing more and more with each passing day.<<< I'm confused... There is a theme park complex up the road that farms out their Resorts, restaurants, night clubs, retail and for the longest time a majority of their theme parks, but they're the cutting edge cats meow, but Disney puts their golf courses under management of a world class co when golf courses all over the country are going under, and they are selling out and should close completely. Again... Heavy sigh.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Disney continues its move to get out of the resort business. They want to run hotels and timeshares, not theme parks and attractions.>> I'm sure you're right!! There would be huge demand for hotels and timeshares in the tropical swamps of Florida without the theme parks.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>the Texas-based Palmer group will make annual lease payments to Disney and split revenue earned from the courses with the resort.<< I'm missing why this is a problem. Palmer Golf is not some crummy organization that doesn't know what it is doing. They'll split revenue and pay a lease to Disney. This, to me, is similar to the many sponsorships Disney has had in the parks through the years, co-branded with both Disney and Goodyear, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Mattel, Chevron, etc. For pete's sake, it isn't like they hired Ronco to run the thing.
