Mouse Extra

In recent weeks, there have been 2 announcements on the issue of the Disney Vacation Club. The first was the cancellation of the project at the National Harbor in Washington D.C. In theory, this resort was the next in the “off property” line of the DVC joining Hilton Head, Vero Beach, and the most recent Hawaii resort. But Aulani has experienced numerous problems including sales and that lead to new management at DVC. It also may have killed any further attempts at stand alone resorts.

Then Disney finally announced one of thier worst kept secrets: a DVC expansion to the Grand Floridian. Although everyone and thier mother knew about the construction thanks to the internet, the expansion wasn’t officially announced until the December 9th.

Concept art for the DVC wing

The question now is what next? Where does Disney take the DVC? Will we ever see another stand alone resort? I hope so. I am looking forward to taking the Disney experience to Hawaii. I think Disney can find some potential in these types of facilities. How about a Wilderness Lodge near Yellowstone or Yosemite? I’d go. How about a ski resort? I don’t ski, but I would think this could do well with families.

Disney

But where does Disney go “in parks”? I suppose they could add to existing resorts but I would think they are starting to run out of hotels to add to. I am not sure if they could add a house or two to the Polynesian. Buzz is there is no real room, but that would be an enormous success in my opinion. Where else could they go? The Yacht Club or maybe one of the moderates? And these resorts are starting to take longer to sell out, a sure sign of over saturation, at least in Flroida. It sure will be interesting.

DVCnews.com has released information obtained from permit filed by Disney. It calls for the construction of T-shaped building at the Grand Floridian resort. From the looks of the blueprint, the construction will required the filling in of the some of the lake. The speculation is that this new buidling will become a new DVC resort. DVCnews.com points out that similiar permits were the first inklings of the Bay Lake Tower and Treehouse Villa developments.

I have to be be honest. If I were selecting a current resort that should get a DVC addition it would be the Polynesian, my favorite resort along with the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I know if there was a Polynesian DVC house, I would desperately try to get in it. This is kind of ho-hum for me. I haven’t set foot in the Grand Floridian for some time. I think the most appealing aspect of this is the location. Being on the monorail has obvious appeal.

What current resorts would you like to see get a DVC addition? My choice is the Polynesian. How about you?

Disney seems content to churn out Vacation Club resorts at a fast pace. There are rumors of a new DVC resort heading near Fort Wilderness Campground which would keep the old west feel of that resort and the adjacent Wilderness Lodge.

Now, there seems to be a California Coast DVC resort coming to Florida. The resort will have different areas themed to Santa Barbara, Laguna Hills, Casa del Mar, Venice Beach and other iconic areas. It is expected to be completed in 2012 and will have over 1200 units. That is according to documents allegedly leaked on the internet.

Speaking as a DVC member, I like options. The more options the better. I am intersted to see if these rumors are true and am interested to see the plans at some point in the near future.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

Thanks to the good folks over at DVCNews.com, we now have artist renderings of the new feature pool that is planned for the Saratoga Springs Resort at Walt Disney World.  The Paddock Pool, which is now a quiet pool, will soon be closed so that crews can begin construction on a new, and much more involved, recreation area. 

The announcement was made during the Disney Vacation Club’s Condo Association meeting.  You can read a detailed report on the meeting here.

…A new feature pool will be constructed that will triple the size of the current pool. The new pool will be 3,300 sq feet and wiil feature a lighted, 146-foot long slide, a larger pool deck with more chairs, another spa pool, as well as a 1600 sq foot wt play area for kids. There will also be a quick service dining facility that will serve burgers and fries, and perhaps a refillable mug station. This will cost about 41 cents per point and will be paid out of capital reserves.

There are three things that stand out from this report.  First, is that even though it is going to be smaller than the main High Rock Spring pool, this does look like a really great addition to the resort.  (That certainly looks like a slammin’ slide!) Saratoga Springs is a big, sprawling place that in some areas can really make you feel like you are out in the sticks.  Having something like this will help brings guests in that area a little closer to some action.

Which brings me to my second point, and that is a not-so-subtle urging of the DVC to make absolutely certain they add the refillable mug station to this project, which in the report seems iffy.  I have stayed out in this area before, and just to get a cup of coffee or a soda can be a hike or even a drive away.  It was the number one complaint of myself and everyone in my party during that stay.  This would really be convenient and the club should make it happen.

Finally, I hope the announcement or report just happened to mistakenly leave out plans to add a pool bar to this area.  Being able to get something to eat without having to trek all the way to the main lobby is a good idea, but that isn’t all I want to do when spending an afternoon at my home resort.  Let’s not forget about us adults, okay?

No, this is not another of those far-fetched stories of Disney buying property for a new theme park in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, or any of the other dozen or so places that seem to be the subject of yearly rumors.  That headline is legit, and the Washington Post is the reporting source.  Disney is not looking to rebuild the lost “Disney’s America” park, but they are going to build a branded resort in the nation’s capitol.

Walt Disney Co. has bought a 15-acre parcel at Prince George’s County’s sprawling National Harbor development, a shot in the arm for a project that opened with big ambitions a year ago, only to run headfirst into one of the sharpest economic declines in decades.

Disney plans to build a 500-room hotel resort on the parcel, providing another anchor for a 300-acre venture that seeks to rival the District as a conference and convention destination. National Harbor already includes six hotels; more than a dozen restaurants; and a giant conference center run by Gaylord Entertainment, owner of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

But, of course being this early in the planning stage there is very little to report on the details of this resort.  All we can make out is this is probably going to be something similar to that of the Hawaii Disney Vacation Club property, though it would seem to be a somewhat less elaborate project.  A better comparison would probably be the DVC resorts in Vero Beach or Hilton Head, just with the challenge of dealing with a much longer and colder winter each year.

The National Harbor, the area where the resort is being built, is a massive project that is seeking to become a destination all its own, rather than just a place to stay for tourists coming to Washington D.C.  Disney’s involvement is the best thing they could ask for.  With the right kind of property, DVC members from the northeast, which is where most of its members reside, will have a place to go for a weekend getaway and the National Harbor will have a set of tourists the convention trade could never supply.

Disney does have a history in the Washington D.C. area.  We all know the story of the failed Disney America theme park and of how politicians and local pressure ended the project.  But Jay Rasulo, Disney’s head of Parks and Resorts, is confirming that the new resort will not be an attempt to get back to that old idea.

“The National Harbor resort is a completely different kind of project,” Rasulo said. “It’s specifically zoned for hotel, residential and other commercial development. This project is a hotel resort. It is not by any stretch of the imagination a theme-park project and never will be. We have no intention of building a large-scale theme park in the Washington area.”

Like I mentioned before, we do not know what the theme will be for this resort or any specifics yet at all.  All we know is around how many rooms the building may have and where it will be.  The article does offer some location details…

The property Disney has bought sits on a rise at the top of a tree-lined promenade named American Way, which is fashioned after the main street in Barcelona, called Las Ramblas. The Disney site overlooks the National Harbor complex and the Potomac and faces north toward the District. Visitors can see the Washington Monument in the distance.

Rasulo said Disney has to weigh “lots of factors in the coming months and the coming years” before deciding when to break ground.

“We wouldn’t be buying this property if we didn’t think this was a great location for a Disney resort hotel,” Rasulo said.

I can honestly say that I have not been more excited about a piece of Disney news then this one in many years.  Being a DVC member and living only a four hour drive from Washington D.C., this just has me smiling.  I simply can’t wait to see what we get here.  To be able to hop in the car and stay at a Disney resort without the hassle and cost of airline travel is a dream come true.  You can bet that I will have my ear to the pavement listening for more on this one.

This week I received the latest edition of Disney Files, the magazine sent out to Disney Vacation Club members.  It contains some artist renderings of proposed plans for the future Disney resort in Hawaii slated to open in 2011.  I thought those of you who don’t get the magazine might find these pictures interesting.

It looks sort of like the Polynesian meets the Wilderness Lodge meets the Animal Kingdom Lodge and that can only be a good thing.  They couldn’t have picked better than those three resorts for inspiration.  Add to those architectural elements the gorgeous weather and seascape of Oahu and you have what looks like paradise.

According to the article, the plans include 350 hotel rooms and 480 DVC villas.  It also states “an early peek at the paperwork reveals plans for an extensive water play area including waterslides, rapids and waterfalls; a spa, conference center and kid’s club; as well as a wedding lawn with a serene view of the Pacific’s endless horizon.”  The article also describes special amenities including “a championship golf course, an expansive marina and protected swimming lagoons.”

This is really shaping up to be an impressive resort, perhaps the jewel in Disney’s resorts crown.  I am not sure how well sales will do at this resort, but I am fairly certain that attendance from current Disney Vacation Club members will be high.  What can be more perfect than a Hawaiian paradise with a touch of the Mouse?