Could this be the New DVC Resort in Hawaii?

[Horace Horsecollar]

I've been reading the rumor of a DVC resort in Hawaii on this board. It's been repeated numerous times, and is often attributed to DVC guides or other DVC cast members. I initially dismissed the Hawaii rumor. It seemed like too much for Disney to take on. And Disney wouldn't be able to market to hotel and park guests as they do in Florida. Sure, the 90,000+ existing DVC members could help launch sales, but Disney would still need to have a way to market to visitors in Hawaii.

But maybe — just maybe — there's a connection between the Hawaii DVC rumor and a large Hawaiian resort complex that will soon be under construction.

Here are the first few paragraphs of a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article from about a year ago.

Aquarium, resort to crown Ko Olina

State tax credits will help fund the $1 billion project of condo and a Hawaiian village

Ko Olina Resort & Marina unveiled plans yesterday for a $1 billion interactive aquarium and 25-acre, 1,000-room resort, a project partially underwritten by $75 million in state tax credits.

The Grand Ko Olina Resort, Hotel & Spa will include an oceanfront hotel condominium, time shares and a Hawaiian village surrounding a swim-through lagoon and separate shark tank. The project is patterned after the lavish Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and Discovery Cove in Orlando, Fla.​

I haven't included more due to copyright. You can read the whole article and see pictures at http://starbulletin.com/2005/01/08/news/story1.html

Please note that this massive project includes "time shares," but that no timeshare company is identified for the timeshare component of this exciting, family-friendly resort. That could mean that the developers of the Grand Ko Olina will go it alone. Or it could mean that they'll work with a timeshare company that has experience, name recognition, a good reputation, and a network of other timeshare resorts.

There's already a large Marriott timeshare resort elsewhere at Ko Olina, so I doubt Marriott would be involved. If the Grand Ko Olina were affiliated with a hotel brand such as Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, or Westin, I would expect the same brand to be involved with the timeshare, but the Grand Ko Olina doesn't have a major brand affiliation.

The only way I could see Disney doing a DVC resort in Hawaii would be as part of a larger resort complex. The Grand Ko Olina, with its spectacular interactive aquarium (essentially an outdoor aquarium theme park), Hawaiian Village, and 1,000 hotel rooms, seems like an ideal match. It would give Disney great marketing opportunities. Meanwhile, the developers of Grand Ko Olina would get a trusted, established timeshare partner, with the ability to sell point-based timeshare ownerships whose buyers can book other DVC resorts at 7 months (after all, not many mainland Americans go to Hawaii every year).

I'm not claiming that Disney Vacation Club will be at the Grand Ko Olina Resort. I'm only suggesting that the DVC Hawaii rumor and Grand Ko Olina plans align nicely. The timing even seems to work. The Grand Ko Olina should soon begin construction, and it seems that if Disney is really going to announce a DVC resort in Hawaii, it's likely to happen soon, if the DVC cast members spreading the rumor really know something already.

Of course, all this may only be wishful thinking on my part. What are your thoughts?

 

[Chuck S]

Interesting thought, but I should think that Disney would want to be the primary developer of any tourist location with an attached DVC resort, especially if it is being built from the ground up, simply because if the attraction is "sub-standard" it would reflect badly on Disney by association. It could be possible, though.

 

[gppnj]

I think DVC locations in locations other than WDW are much more feasible now than they were when DVC was just getting off the ground. In DVC's early days, they had to market only to people who were just buying into the system. Now, however, they also have the huge group of people who are already DVC members to market to. If they announced a DVC in Hawaii, as long as it wasn't in a compeltely undesirable location or that it didn't have some other major flaw, I think they could sell out a pretty good portion of the resort just through add-ons from existing DVC members. They would have to sell all the points to brand-new people the way they would have years ago.

I've been reading the rumor of a DVC resort in Hawaii on this board. It's been repeated numerous times, and is often attributed to DVC guides or other DVC cast members. I initially dismissed the Hawaii rumor. It seemed like too much for Disney to take on. And Disney wouldn't be able to market to hotel and park guests as they do in Florida. Sure, the 90,000+ existing DVC members could help launch sales, but Disney would still need to have a way to market to visitors in Hawaii.

But maybe — just maybe — there's a connection between the Hawaii DVC rumor and a large Hawaiian resort complex that will soon be under construction.

Here are the first few paragraphs of a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article from about a year ago.

Aquarium, resort to crown Ko Olina

State tax credits will help fund the $1 billion project of condo and a Hawaiian village

Ko Olina Resort & Marina unveiled plans yesterday for a $1 billion interactive aquarium and 25-acre, 1,000-room resort, a project partially underwritten by $75 million in state tax credits.

The Grand Ko Olina Resort, Hotel & Spa will include an oceanfront hotel condominium, time shares and a Hawaiian village surrounding a swim-through lagoon and separate shark tank. The project is patterned after the lavish Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and Discovery Cove in Orlando, Fla.​

I haven't included more due to copyright. You can read the whole article and see pictures at http://starbulletin.com/2005/01/08/news/story1.html

Please note that this massive project includes "time shares," but that no timeshare company is identified for the timeshare component of this exciting, family-friendly resort. That could mean that the developers of the Grand Ko Olina will go it alone. Or it could mean that they'll work with a timeshare company that has experience, name recognition, a good reputation, and a network of other timeshare resorts.

There's already a large Marriott timeshare resort elsewhere at Ko Olina, so I doubt Marriott would be involved. If the Grand Ko Olina were affiliated with a hotel brand such as Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, or Westin, I would expect the same brand to be involved with the timeshare, but the Grand Ko Olina doesn't have a major brand affiliation.

The only way I could see Disney doing a DVC resort in Hawaii would be as part of a larger resort complex. The Grand Ko Olina, with its spectacular interactive aquarium (essentially an outdoor aquarium theme park), Hawaiian Village, and 1,000 hotel rooms, seems like an ideal match. It would give Disney great marketing opportunities. Meanwhile, the developers of Grand Ko Olina would get a trusted, established timeshare partner, with the ability to sell point-based timeshare ownerships whose buyers can book other DVC resorts at 7 months (after all, not many mainland Americans go to Hawaii every year).

I'm not claiming that Disney Vacation Club will be at the Grand Ko Olina Resort. I'm only suggesting that the DVC Hawaii rumor and Grand Ko Olina plans align nicely. The timing even seems to work. The Grand Ko Olina should soon begin construction, and it seems that if Disney is really going to announce a DVC resort in Hawaii, it's likely to happen soon, if the DVC cast members spreading the rumor really know something already.

Of course, all this may only be wishful thinking on my part. What are your thoughts?

 

[CarolMN]

I tend to doubt Hawaii - seems to me Disney could make a better return on DVC at WDW or Disneyland. They already own the property. Land and land leases are very expensive is Hawaii and there is already a lot of competiton there.

Best wishes -

 

[Bama Penguin]

I exchanged a week at the Marriot Ko Olina in September 2004. While the accomodations are up to Disney's standard, the location is remote (20+ miles) back to Honolulu and other major attractions. IMHO, I don't think an aquarium and this location would be that good of a selling point. BTW there is a fairly nice acquarium like attraction on the other side of the island beyond Diamond Head.

I think it would be great to have a DVC option in Hawaii, but Disneyland California would make more sense.

 

[BillM]

DVC experience off property with HH and VB have been dismal from a sales standpoint when compared to the on property resorts. I think the only thing that make sense is to build more at Disney World or at Disneyland.