Disney is going to Hawaii!
The drums have been beating this rumor for a long, long time. Many people thought it was a fantasy, but now we find it will soon be reality. Disney plans to build an 800 room hotel and Disney Vacation Club property on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. You can read the entire press release over at the Disney Blog, but here is just one paragraph that says it all…
The property, located on the island’s western side in the picturesque Ko Olina Resort & Marina, Honolulu’s premier resort destination, will be home to Disney’s first mixed-use family resort outside of its theme park developments. The expansive resort, scheduled to open in 2011, will have more than 800 units including hotel rooms and villas for Disney Vacation Club, which is Disney’s rapidly growing timeshare business.
For those of us in the Disney Vacation Club, this is certainly good news. DVC has already offered off-site destinations at Hilton Head, SC and Vero Beach, FL. But those destinations just do not compare with Hawaii, no offense to those who love those resorts. Plus, this resort seems to be much more than just a collection of time-share units. I think we can expect a lot more Disney fun here than found at the other off-property DVC resorts.
In an article by Jason Garcia of the Orland Sentinel, he draws a conclusion as to what this annoucment might mean to the company at large.
But the decision to build a stand-alone resort could also be a sign that Disney expects growth to flatten at its traditional theme parks. Disney, after all, is increasingly focusing on vacations beyond trips to Walt Disney World and its other signature resorts in Anaheim, Calif.; Paris; Tokyo; and Hong Kong.
I too have been hearing grumblings along these lines. Are the domestic Disney Parks really coming close to hitting their attendance potential? Would a fifth gate in Florida or a third in Anaheim make a difference in how many people travel their for vacation? Or is this the sign that Disney realizes they need to expand their horizons?
In the same article, we also find that Imagineers are far from completing the plans. One plan they have decided on, however, is that character involvement will be minimal.
The company said its Imagineering unit is still finalizing designs but that it intends to begin construction on the resort next year with a goal of opening by 2011. An artist’s rendering depicts a lush, tropical setting with palm trees, thatched roofs and Tiki torches — and not a Disney character in sight.
Disney spokeswoman Lisa Haines said any use of the company’s iconic characters at the resort will be limited to those “that fit the authenticity of the area,” such as figures from the 2002 animated movie Lilo & Stitch, about a Hawaiian girl who befriends an alien.
Characters are “not going to be a prominent part of this,” Haines said.
We’ll see how long this idea lasts. Once the market researchers determine that kids want to see Mickey, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Mouse will be there. But for now, at least the intentions are good.
Please feel free to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.
Jon said,
October 4, 2007 @ 5:48 pm
Let’s face it, no matter how fun they make their theme parks people will still want to travel the world. I don’t know if Disney’s attempt to become a hotel chain is going to work well. Unlike the theme park industry, the hotel industry is much more competitive. Are Disney’s resort hotels that much better or do people just enjoy their proximity to the parks?
Steve said,
October 4, 2007 @ 7:26 pm
That’s a good question, and deserves some real discussion. Not being a DVC member I would be a poor candidate to speak on it, but for my part I’ll say this. If Disney puts the same effort into customer service and giving their hotel guests the same above-and-beyond experience in an external (to a theme park) resort as they receive in an internal park resort, I’d say there’s little doubt that this would be a wildly successful venture. I think one of the challenges, in my crazy head, would be finding the same quality staff for an external resort. People who worked there probably wouldn’t have the same “Wow, I work at Disney!” mentality, and being in the “real world” would be far less incentive for staff to consistently deliver at all levels. If they can overcome that obstacle, the sky’s the limit!
Tom said,
October 4, 2007 @ 7:37 pm
I can see this resort being the one of the keys to the new cruise ships that are built. Having Disneyland, Hawaii Resort and the two new cruise ships, ties everything all together.
Raidermatt said,
October 4, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
Disney service is good, no doubt. But when you start talking about luxury resorts in Hawaii, Disney no longer outshines the competition, at least not as is. You’ve got people like the Westin, Hilton and other highend timeshare operators over there, and they have the same beach locations.
If Disney thinks it can transplant the same level of accomodations and service that they provide at on-site DVCs, they will be in for a rude awakening.
I think they probably do realize it, but we still have to ask some serious questions. For example, if Disney needed to bring the Four Seasons onto WDW property in order to provide a luxury experience, why do they think they can now go onto the turf of other operators and accomplish that very same thing?
Finding staff will not be an issue. Hawaii has been a tourist destination since before the Florida Project was glimmer in Walt’s eye. It’s their bread and butter, and they have resorts ranging from roach motel level up to the best of the best. The only question is what level of service Disney will be aiming to provide.
Eric said,
October 4, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
If Disney is going to jump into these type of alternate tourist destination resorts, I wonder why they don’t bring a character presence to them? The Disney parks are the #1 tourist destination in the world, and if you could deliver a similar experience in a different location (one that possibly may be closer for the travelling party, or that appeals to the adults more), why would Disney shy away from this?
I’m thinking of the Disney Cruise Line as a reference. True, the service may be exceptional, and the offerings differ from many traditional cruise lines, but the characters bring that extra bit of magic that many of us are so hooked on. It’s why I’ll pay (much) more to cruise on DCL than say Carnival or Celebrity.
Raidermatt said,
October 9, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
My guess is that if they find the characters help,they’ll do it. But Hawaii is a little different. The main draw isn’t the hotel or the ship itself, and there’s no theme parks. The draw is the environment and location. I don’t think it’s clear to anyone yet, Disney included, just how well a heavy character presence would go over. It’s a very different vibe.
Also, there’s been a growing movement in Hawaii toward showing a greater respect to the native culture. There’s also been some backlash against over-development and commercialization. I think that at least for now, Disney doesn’t want to rock the boat and say they will be flooding their resort with a bunch of cartoon characters.
I think we’ll have to wait a while before we really find out what Disney has planned.