Mouse Extra

I need to point you all today towards an absolutely terrific article found on DVCNews.com.  It is a follow-up to yesterday’s announcement from Disney about building a resort in Hawaii and it speculates on the scope of the project and how it may include the Disney Cruise Line as well.

Could this new arrangement between Disney and Ko Olina result finally give both parties what they have long sought-after?  On the surface, the project combines many elements of Ko Olina’s desire for cruise ship traffic with Disney’s vision for an expanded cruise line and regional entertainment centers.  The framework is already in place for a Castaway Cay-type, beachfront facility catering to hotel guests, Disney Vacation Club members and even Disney Cruise Line day guests.  

Could this prove to be the 21st Century version of Port Disney?

The article makes so much sense that I will now be more surprised if Disney does NOT build a cruise dock at this location than if they do.  All credit is due to DVCNews.com for posting this well researched story.  To be fair, many have been speculating that the Disney Cruise Line, with its two brand new ships, would be making Hawaii a destination, but this goes beyond that.  Disney was predictably short on details in their press release, but the brilliance of this story is the way it opens our eyes to what this new project might actual involve. 

The most popular destination among Disney Cruise Line guests is Castaway Cay.  Those who have not been there may not understand how great it really is.  The only problem is Disney can not use this property for anything beyond the cruises.  With this location in Hawaii, they can create an even more amazing cruise destination, and take it beyond the constraints of Castaway Cay.

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.

Disney’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger spoke yesterday at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference in New York.  For a company as large as Disney, and certainly since we are so interested in it, when the chief speaks we all tend to listen closely.  As you can probably imagine, he had quite a bit to cover including, the Disney Channel, films, ESPN, and Blu-ray.  But let’s discuss what he said about the theme parks.

According to the Disney Blog, Iger officially announced the addition on a “Cars-land” to Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim.

Concerning theme parks, Iger confirmed that the “parks are in great shape” and that Disney will continue to invest in capital, not just in maintenance. “Everything we have done with Pixar in the parks has worked extremely well,” he asserted. He also confirmed a new attraction for Disney’s California Adventure: “We are going to build a Carsland at California Adventure. Which will be a real anchor for that park in the near future.”

It is interesting to see that he refers to it as a “real anchor” and a “land”, as opposed to a ride or attraction.  We have seen concept drawing for what is a “Test Track” style attraction themed to Cars, but expanding it into a full land is a fascinating idea.  I do not have any rumored details for you on this because I am not too dialed into what happens on the west coast.  If any one has some info please post it in the comments section below or on the Disney News Network Forums.

The Orlando Sentinel, via Bloomberg News, expanded upon Iger’s upbeat attitude toward the theme parks.  They also give credit to a couple of the new e-ticket gate-busters for a banner year.

Disney will continue to add attractions at its domestic and international resorts, Iger said. A Finding Nemo ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and the Expedition Everest roller coaster at Walt Disney World in Orlando have helped boost sales at the theme-park unit. In the nine months ended June 30, theme-park revenue was up 6.2 percent to $7.84 billion.

Expedition Everest opened in April 2006 in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Mixing a roller coaster with a story about a Yeti creature and a mountain, the ride has drawn praise for pleasing teenagers and young adults without scaring away their parents or younger siblings.

This I particularly enjoyed reading because I am such a huge fan of Expedition Everest.  In my humble opinion, Everest is exactly the type of ride that Disney should be building.  It is what separates them from the pack.  It uses amazing theme and detail in the finest Imagineering tradition, and it rides the line between thrill and family to keep everyone happy. 

When I rode Everest for the first time, I was blown away.  But more importantly, it put a smile on face, because it signaled to me that Imagineering finally got its groove back. 

We urge you to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or feel free to come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

Let me just alert you now that I am going to come remarkably close to sounding like an advertisement during this posting, so please know that this is not an ad of any kind.

The Laughing Place is confirming the news that Disney World is now making a greater effort to maximize the exposure of room availability at Disney Vacation Club resorts to non-DVC members.

In an effort to alleviate confusion about the availability of Disney Vacation Club (DVC) accommodations as nightly rentals, Disney vacation planners are now using the term Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts in reference to the DVC properties for non-members.

Some have found it hard to believe, but there was no doubt confusion on this.  Yes, I know if you book online you would see the DVC resorts as options, but that was not enough.  People who knew nothing about the DVC only saw a resort with a very high price and new little about why.  Those who knew what the DVC was before booking would only logically assume that if you did not own a timeshare property you could not book there.

So will a simple name change do the trick?  Probably not, but if you were someone confused and are planning a trip to Walt Disney World I would have to suggest you take a look at these properties.  Reports say that Disney has been giving moderate level prices for rooms at the Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts.  These resorts are as good if not better than the moderates, and if you have a studio room you get a kitchenette area as well.  For larger parties, these can be even better.  The larger units come with a full kitchen which can be a great value if you want to have breakfast in your room.

Wait as minute, what am I doing?  I’m a DVC member.  I want all the availability at the DVC resorts as I possibly can get!  Never mind what I just said!  These places are really not that good…

Today, I thought we would take a break from the news and rumors and take a closer look at a Disney World resort.  The Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa has been on the radar of Disney World vacationers quite a bit recently, thanks to sales from the Disney Vacation Club and construction over at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Many people are being offered rooms at Saratoga Springs so let’s talk about this resort and give those of you who have never been there a better idea of what to expect.

Saratoga Springs has a lot going for it.  The rooms are terrific and the grounds are beautiful.  The buildings are bright and very inviting and walking around the paths that snake between then is a quiet and relaxing experience.  The landscaping is typically well done and blends perfectly with the bridges, fountains and streams that fit naturally into the layout.

The theme is a subtle nod to the deep horseracing history that is so much a part of the fabric in Saratoga Springs, New York.   There are statues and paintings of thoroughbreds throughout the grounds, but the new pool area pictured below is perhaps a bit less subtle in this theme. 

The main pool, located just off the lobby is called the High Rock Spring Pool, pictured below.  In my opinion it is one of the finest such areas in all of Disney World’s Resorts.  The rock work is gorgeous and the slide is a lot of fun.  The entire area is upbeat and vibrant. 

The Saratoga Springs is a Vacation Club resort and therefore the room choices are somewhat expansive.  You can get a typical studio room, which includes a small kitchenette area with a sink and refrigerator, or you may choose larger villas with one, two, or three bedrooms.  The villas offer full kitchens.  Depending on the price available at the time of booking, this can be a great value for larger parties.  There is plenty of space in these rooms and the full kitchen allows you to have a meal or two without going out, this is especially good for light breakfasts.

One problem with Saratoga Springs, and one I truly hope this work out, is the dining and drinking options.  They are not good at all.  The sit-down restaurant, the Turf Club Bar and Grill, is not a bar at all so don’t expect to go here for a drink.  The food is okay, but limited and pricey.  The “food court” area is called the Artist’s Palette and it also disappoints.  The food is always good, but this is not a food court by any means.  There is only one station and the menu only has a few items available.  Luckily, Downtown Disney is just a short boat ride away, or even in walking distance from some of the outer buildings. 

Though I have never been, I am told the spa at the resort is top-notch.  Keep this in mind as well.  I know many people who stay at Saratoga for just this reason.

Another issue here is that this resort is so big that it becomes critical that you request a room location that suites your needs.  If you want to be near the lobby and the boat to Downtown you need to ask for the proper area for your room or you will be waiting for a bus like everywhere else in Disney World.  However, the outer buildings are very quiet, which may be appealing as well.

Nothing is perfect, and that applies to the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.  But the place is beautiful and well located.  If it fits your budget, it is worth a try.

Here are a couple of pictures for my fellow Disney Vacation Club owners whose home resort is the Saratoga Springs.  If you haven’t been there in a few months, the new sections across the street from the bell services area is now open.  They call it the Grandstand, and it includes a new themed pool…

It also includes a new water play area.  I really love the starting gate and horse racing theme here.  Being at the resort the day after the Kentucky Derby, it was great to see this…

There is also a pool bar called the Backstretch Pool Bar, which was not open any time I was there, so perhaps it is not ready yet.  This new pool is not as interesting as the main pool, which is over-the-top in its theme, but it is a great, quiet are full with new loungers.  When the bar opens, I’ll probably spend more time here then the noisier main pool.