Confirmed!!!! Disney will build a Hawaii resort!!!

[jmatias]

Press conference announced that Disney will build 800 units on 21 acre oceanfront parcel at Koolina. A combo of hotel and DVC villas. More information below






Posted in the Honolulu Advertiser

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/03/br/br1567094328.html



Walt Disney planning to build Ko Olina resort

Advertiser Staff

Gov. Linda Lingle will host a news conference to announce a new resort planned by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on O'ahu at 11 a.m. in her executive office.
Disney and Ko Olina officials have declined to confirm reports that the company will build a stand-alone resort in the Leeward resort area.

Disney officials have said there are no company plans for new theme parks but keepers of the Magic Kingdom have been expanding hotel properties.

Disney has been expanding its Disney Vacation Club unit, which offers ownership interests in eight resort facilities.

These include those located at the Walt Disney World Resort, in Vero Beach, Fla. and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

The Walt Disney World Resort has about 2,400 vacation ownership units, including the Saratoga Springs Resort and Animal Kingdom Villas.


Aloha,
Jen

 

[jmatias]

Another article in the Pacific Business News

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2007/10/01/daily28.html?jst=b_ln_hl

 

[LisaS]

Thanks, Jen! There is a typo in the link in your initial post. You need to remove the "er" from the end of the URL.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/03/br/br1567094328.html

 

[jmatias]

Thanks Lisa. I was wondering where the "er" went went I spelled Advertis

 

[jmatias]

You can watch the live webcast at 11 am HST here:

http://www.hawaii.gov/gov

Jen

 

[Cruiser1969]

Watching it now . . . thanks!!!!

 

[jmatias]

Disney announced it bought 21 oceanfront acres at Koolina.

Will build a luxury hotel that will have 800 units that will include hotel and Villas for DVC.
No specifics yet on how many DVC units.

Absolutely no plans for theme park. There will be lots of activities and entertainment.

Groundbreaking in sometime 2008 and opening in 2011.

 

[Lisa P.]

From these articles, it seems clear that Disney wants to offer an option to DVCers for using their points to stay in Hawaii. But it's not clear to me whether this would be another Disney Collection Hotel (where you pay a fee and go by a rather high points chart to stay in a nice hotel room w/daily housekeeping) or whether it would be an actual DVC timeshare resort. Where did you learn that there will definitely be DVC units?

 

[jmatias]

Lisa....Jay is speaking right now on the webcast and he stated that the 800 units will be a combo of rooms and DVC villas.

 

[jmatias]

Some other points made by Jay:

- Hawaii is crossroads to Asia
- Hawaii is top destination request for vacation club members
- estimating to create over 1000 jobs
- price for oceanfront parcel appx. $ 144 million
- groundbreaking in 2008 and opening in 2011

- this resort seen as launch pad for excursions on Oahu and other Islands

 

[DisneyBride'03]

I am sooo excited to be a DVC member right now!!!!!

 

[Tinkerdreams]

Just listened to the webcast and this is fantastic news. Since this will be a DVC, I would expect the # of points needed won't be as steep as the other resorts you can trade on now. Also there won't be a $95 fee to make your ressies.

 

[AKV707]

This is great news! Now we can start the discussions on how hard it will be to book this one at the 7 month window!

 

[simzac]

What awesome news. Now I could see possibly adding on for Hawaii DVC.

 

[jmatias]

There is an artist's rendering of the resort at but I don't remember how to paste it...can someone please do it:

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/03/br/br1567094328.html

Jen

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Very excited about Hawaii, even if it is Oahu.

My thoughts...

DCL announces new ships... Hotel expansion at GC to include DVC... Hotel on Oahu to include DVC...

Sounds like a west coast version of Land & Sea.

Can't wait!

 

[jmatias]

Sounds like a west coast version of Land & Sea.

Can't wait!

I like the sounds of that! I get the feeling that I'll meet a lot more of my DVC and Disboard pals now!

 

[AKV707]

here goes:

 

[erikthewise]

Just so everyone is aware:

Marriott Inc already operates two resorts at this location, an upscale hotel ("JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina") and a timeshare resort ("Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club"). Both of these resorts are highly rated on tripadvisor.com. The first was used by Adventures by Disney for their Hawaii package during the first full year of operation. This package was discontinued after that first year.

I am not aware of any other major resorts nearby. Ko Olina is at "Lands End" at the far SW corner of Oahu. Though somewhat isolated it is less than 30 miles from Waikiki.

The DVC and non-DVC components could be in separate buildings, unless it is confirmed there will only be one building.

There is an edited Google Map at DVCNews.com (http://dvcnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=207&Itemid=1, click on map link at bottom of article) showing the location of the Disney development. (Credit goes to tjkraz for this. Thanks, Tim!)

In case it's not obvious, all four lagoons shown on the map are man-made.

 

[mommylo]

News from Yahoo.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071003/20071003006287.html?.v=1
Hope link can be viewed.