Disney converting hotel rooms into princess themed rooms & adding "health suites"

[crazy4wdw]

From the Orlando Sentinel:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-...princess-hotel-rooms-20110425,0,6470887.story

Disney converting hotel rooms into 'princess,' 'health' suites


11:59 p.m. EDT, April 25, 2011

Walt Disney World is converting some of its 25,000 hotel rooms into moderately priced, princess-themed rooms and high-end, "health-and-wellness" suites, in a bid to carve out new niches from within its existing hotels.

The overhauls are part of a directive across the Walt Disney Co.'s theme-park division to develop more specialty hotel rooms that appeal to targeted demographics. The initiative includes the company's first new hotel in Orlando in nearly a decade: Disney's Art of Animation Resort, in which more than half of the roughly 2,000 hotel rooms will be basic suites aimed at budget-conscious families.

"We are really putting significant focus and intensity and resources into driving that strategy," said Mark Rucker, vice president of lodging for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

The emphasis on niche hotel rooms comes as Disney seeks ways to lure new visitors to its U.S. theme parks. Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., draw close to 70 million people a year combined, but experts say they could struggle to grow further unless they are able to tap into new pockets of travelers.

Disney also expects the specialty rooms to deliver higher nightly rates than conventional hotel rooms by attracting vacationers willing to pay a premium for select amenities — be it a Princess-and-the-Frog-themed headboard or an in-room yoga session.

"The more segmented you can become, the more you can match the segmentation of consumer demand," said Bill Carroll, a senior lecturer at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. "That gives you the opportunity to price differentially."

With the new hotel rooms, Disney is, perhaps not surprisingly, placing its biggest bet on the company's well-known lineup of princesses.

Disney says it plans to transform about a quarter of the 2,000 rooms in the "Riverside" section of Disney's Port Orleans Resort into "Royal Rooms." Billed as rooms that the princesses themselves have stayed in during vacations, they will include many nods to the animated heroines, from bathroom faucets in the shape of Aladdin's genie lamp to the footstool that came to life as a dog in Beauty in the Beast.

It's a concept Disney has dubbed "storybook" hotel rooms — rooms that are more lavishly themed than conventional hotel rooms and are devoted to key company franchises. The company previously converted a wing of rooms in Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort to a pirates theme, and those have proven so popular that the resort has been able to charge a $30-a-night premium for them.

Disney says the 512 Royal Rooms will open to guests in February or March of next year. They will debut the same year that Disney World begins opening a multiyear expansion of the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland section, in which central additions will be based on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves — all princess movies.

In addition, Disney is banking on the princess makeover to ensure that travelers remain willing to pay a premium to stay at Port Orleans, which, like Caribbean Beach, is priced as a "moderate" resort, Disney's middle tier. Those rooms will be among the most vulnerable to losing business to the new Art of Animation Resort, a lower-priced, "value" hotel. Art of Animation, which will have 1,120 family suites and 864 regular rooms, will open in phases beginning in May 2012.

In another move designed to prevent trading down, Disney says it is also replacing the full-sized beds that had been standard in all Port Orleans rooms with queen-sized beds. Disney's deluxe hotels — its most expensive category — already have queen beds.

"We really wanted to focus on our moderate product," Rucker said.

Rucker said Disney is also developing new plans for the suites in its deluxe hotels — beginning with 23 in Disney's Contemporary Resort that will be refurbished to attract health-conscious travelers. Disney says it will convert the entire 14th floor of that hotel to a health-and-wellness theme, complete with a private yoga studio, custom-designed menus, and concierge services.

The rooms themselves will be outfitted with amenities such as bamboo floors, low-allergen pillows and mattresses, exercise equipment and massage tables. Disney says it expects the suites to open by November.

Some experts think those rooms may prove a tricky sell, even for Disney.

"For them to carve out any inventory and specialize in those kind of rooms, I'm not sure they're going to see a lot of returns," said Scott Smith, a lodging instructor in the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management. "It seems to me that it's such a small, niche market, whereas families going to Disney who like princesses or pirates are huge."

Disney says it views the Contemporary suites as a pilot program. "This is a test for us," Rucker said.

Disney officials would not say how much they are spending on the specialty rooms. Rucker said only that it is "quite a substantial amount above and beyond" what the company spends on its routine refurbishment programs. Disney hotels typically undergo "soft" renovations — in which bedding, curtains and other fabrics are replaced — every six years, and "hard" renovations — replacing fixtures and such — every 12 years.

jrgarcia@tribune.com or 407-420-5414

 

[crazy4wdw]

There's also an article regarding the new rooms at Disney Parks Blog:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/specialty-rooms-will-give-guests-the-royal-treatment/

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) That dove-tails with the rumor of no more trundle-beds at POR.
2) The rumor says they will charge more for princess rooms.
3) And, eliminate the cheaper 5-person rooms.

 

[Figment632]

More money for this crap and none for the parks this is great new

 

[rob4059]

I actually think the option of increased theming is awesome. Isn't that what makes disney what it is?

The more magic, the better, I say!!!

 

[Cricket2]

I remember the survey that asked about the "fitness" stuff in the rooms and I rated that choice the lowest compared to everything else every time. I guess others did the opposite.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I for one think any refurbs of hotel rooms should be looked at as a good thing...as those rooms are absolutely beat to hell at all times...

but i don't particularly like the princess theme at Dixie Landings...it doesn't go and this is Disney attempting to gain more revenue by slapping things in places where they don't fit themeatically...

the caribbean thing worked for both pirates and nemo...this one is a stretch.

That is bad, bad, bad and further de-disneyfication.

the "health suites" are kinda a flyer here...while money breeds vanity and you see tons of health conscious travelers...i don't know how much of a niche this is to be filled. its not like the rooms are Days Inn quality in the first place...and while the earthy, holistic types will probably appreciate them... i don't know if this one will be a big hit.

the other thing is that WDW is a pretty UN-healthy place. They sling sugar and tubs of bacon and sausage at 10 breakfast buffets every morning. The "snack" options are all sugar and fat...and in particular - their kids food options are not very nutritious at all. My kids get tired of french fries on a trip...but also the bags of carrot sticks and grapes. but we know why that is: walmart bulk buying and enforced menu directives.

don't know what the deal is here...but as figment has pointed out - this is more attention to "sauce" (all the other things) and not enough to the "goose" (the parks and attractions).

What really gets me is that we are 3 years into a "down" economic time where costs have fallen and been slow to recover and they didn't take advantage of it to position themselves for the next up period. Very shortsighted and disheartening.

 

[Figment632]

Yea a good thing if the weren't neglecting the parks!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yea a good thing if the weren't neglecting the parks!

i'm embroiled in this on another thread. Minimal Investment in attractions is the new standard operationg proceedure and we all know it. But some still believe in WWWDD....

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I can go with the Princess and the Frog theming for POR and POFQ more than the others. "Princess" is based in New Orleans and Louisiana as is POR and POFQ.

 

[anthony2k7]

I actually think the option of increased theming is awesome. Isn't that what makes disney what it is?

The more magic, the better, I say!!!

you could look at it that way,

OR

you could say that disney are now making you pay extra for a themed hotel room which could be considered a fairly dangerous precedent. I go to disney for disney standard theming throughout - I dont expect to have to pay extra for it.

 

[anthony2k7]

but i don't particularly like the princess theme at Dixie Landings...it doesn't go and this is Disney attempting to gain more revenue by slapping things in places where they don't fit themeatically...

totally agree.

It seems Disney has decided to shoehorn in current disney brands into as many of their hotels as possible around the world, whether the brand fits or not.

Whats next? completely retheme GF to be tinkabell themed? CR tron themed? it could happen and the original theming completely forgotten about.

At DLRP they are doing the same...... the sequoia lodge has had bambi theming shoehorned in, and santa fe (new mexico kinda theme) has had cars enforced on it. They're even talking about completely replacing all the remaining theming at santa fe and renaming the hotel!


how do you feel about GF being renamed to be the tinkabell hotel?

 

[umichigan10]

I think the theming of the rooms is a "meh" idea, but the "health oriented" rooms seems like its doomed. 25,000 rooms devoted to a niche market? Now I get part of that number is going to be the themed rooms but split that in half, and thats 12,500 rooms devoted to a limited market. I can see this being a flop.

 

[nytimez]

I think the ulterior motive here is to raise the room rate without raising the room rates.

More of these rooms means fewer normal rooms. Fewer normal rooms at a lower rate means those rooms will sell out quicker... leaving only these upcharge rooms.

Will they go empty? Or will someone who didn't want one of these rooms grumble, but book it anyway and pay the extra $30 because that's all that's left?

Disney is banking on the latter.

 

[anthony2k7]

I think the ulterior motive here is to raise the room rate without raising the room rates.

More of these rooms means fewer normal rooms. Fewer normal rooms at a lower rate means those rooms will sell out quicker... leaving only these upcharge rooms.

Will they go empty? Or will someone who didn't want one of these rooms grumble, but book it anyway and pay the extra $30 because that's all that's left?

Disney is banking on the latter.

definitely!

 

[Sorahana]

I can go with the Princess and the Frog theming for POR and POFQ more than the others. "Princess" is based in New Orleans and Louisiana as is POR and POFQ.

I can see that. Just the other princesses? They don't go with the theming at all.

I think the idea is stupid, and they need to put the focus elsewhere.

 

[XGrumpy1]

Too bad the "health" suites are going to be exclusive. Right now in the moderates it seems only CBR has something like a real work out area. It would be nice to have more choices in that price range.

 

[Mikelly1221]

I can go with the Princess and the Frog theming for POR and POFQ more than the others. "Princess" is based in New Orleans and Louisiana as is POR and POFQ.

In general, I think the moderates are very overpriced for what you get and the values are heading the same direction. I also agree with the above quote and think that the Princess and the Frog theme is the only one that will work and still stay true to theme. Any other princess theme feels forced.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

In general, I think the moderates are very overpriced for what you get and the values are heading the same direction. I also agree with the above quote and think that the Princess and the Frog theme is the only one that will work and still stay true to theme. Any other princess theme feels forced.

the moderates provide the least amount of value for the money at WDW...its a little discussed reality.

The problem is that the princess and the frog didn't do very well. it made about 180 mil or so in domestic....not terrible but also not a hit by disney or today's standards.
It also failed pretty badly in the DVD & bluray market....unlike Tangled...which has raked since it was released. princess and the frog was the 9 largest selling dvd in 2010..below How to train your dragon and nowhere near Toy Story 3. Tangled has sold 75 million in just the first month...while princess and the frog has sold 72 million in 15 months of release.
lack of take home appeal makes Princess and the frog unusable for the stated purposes here. it just won't get the Visa terminals humming enough.

 

[AdventurerKat]

I guess this means the rumored "Haunted Mansion" rooms are no longer happening.