Mouse Extra

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.

On this date in 2001, Disney World opened the doors to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Six years later, the Lodge stands as one of Imagineering’s crowning achievements, and perhaps the best explanation of why people love to stay on property.  Though other hotels may have better and more luxurious rooms, nothing can match the Animal Kingdom Lodge for theme and overall “wow factor”.

Now the lodge is growing in leaps with the addition of the Disney Vacation Club’s Animal Kingdom Villas.  Perhaps coincidentally, the Vacation Club has sent members an email with a link to a preview video of this potentially amazing spot.  The plan is to have a new restaurant, shops, and water play area, but the real draw is the addition of a new savannah, filled with the wonderful animals that make the Animal Kingdom and the Lodge so terrific.  I am not sure how long this link will last, but try it here.  The video has some terrific shots of the lodge.

I have been in many discussions with Disney’s critics over the value the Disney Vacation Club offers the company.  While I can’t speak to how much it brings in, the amount of investment being poured into this relatively small space, when compared to Saratoga Springs and Old Key West, is certainly as sign that it is substantial.  It’s one thing to bolt a bunch of villas to the side of a hotel.  It’s another thing entirely to build a mini-zoo for it as well.

by Dave 

As if current Disney Vacation Club members weren’t excited enough about the opening of the new Animal Kingdom Villas, the spring 2007 edition of Vacation Magic, the members-only newsletter, has a terrific story about the new property.  As details roll in and the place gets closer to opening, it truly seems to get better and better.

The design appears to be architecturally fascinating.  Take a look at this excerpt from the article…

Imagineers describe the new village as, “a man-made structure that seems curiously at home in the natural world.”  This blending of the human and animal worlds will be evident in the village’s overall layout, which, for some explorers, will evoke images of an African necklace, with Vacation Homes serving as “beads,” hallway connectors on the upper floors as “knots” and the intimately designed lobby as the central “jewel.”  Others may equate the organically curved layout to the shape of a Cape Buffalo’s horns, and the Port Cochere to a butterfly with thatched wings.

I am a sucker for great architecture, and this has all the makings of Disney breaking new ground once again with a resort.  The current Animal Kingdom Lodge is a beautiful structure, but this is both different and potentially complimentary.  For all the flack Disney has received in recent years over budget restrictions, they certainly have spared no expense in this plan.

Also offered in the article are some details about the pool area…

That exterior construction involves more than just erecting alls and thatching roofs, as crews will develop a variety of outdoor-recreation areas including a 4,200-square-fott water-play “camp” that’ll be central to the villages storyline.

“kids will discover an old animal-observation camoe divided into three distinct areas for various age groups,” explained Imagineer Tim Warzecha.  “Water jets will flow through everything from an iconic water tower to sculpted snakes and Venus flytraps, and kids will trigger the action by aiming hoses, stepping in pressure-sensitive pads and more.  We think this is going to be one of the most popular places in the village.”

Like I said before, my fellow members are already over the moon about this resort, but these details just keep raising the bar as they trickle out.  This is going to be a tough ticket, that’s for sure.  At least until the Contemporary is opened.