Disney in Texas

[Geubux]

Why not build on the Disney name by offering timeshare locations outside of Florida? Much closer to drive for other parts of the country and a great way to sell more timeshares.

They could make a heck of a lot more money off DVC's scattered all over the country offering 'unique' experiences than they are opening another theme park in Orlando.

Why not build DVC everywhere? I give you two reasons: Hilton Head and Vero Beach.

 

[Rence]

Why not build DVC everywhere? I give you two reasons: Hilton Head and Vero Beach.

HH & VB were not a big sucess. However things change over time. At the time they were built, DVC was new with limited rooms at WDW. Folks buy DVC because they love WDW. Now there is a large supply of rooms at WDW. Also many families that bought DVC in the early days now have older children and are looking for some new vacation opportunities. If done correctly off-site DVCs could work.

I think that they need to be more of a mini-destination - include a waterpark (indoor/outdoor or both)/dude ranch or other recreational activities and be in a prime location. I think that Texas would be a logical place for an off-site DVC.

I think in the near future we're going to see DVC at Disneyland and then we may see other DVCs with possibilities including Hawaii and Texas

 

[silentobserver]

Just something I heard around town recently, a citizen of Bastrop. It was purchased by a large corporation according to work around town and this can be verified by looking at public records for deed changes, word is deed's already been changed. Supposed to be some type of housing or subdivision and water or theme park. Just FYI maybe there is more truth to this rumor then people want to believe.

 

[Michael623]

...3 years later.

 

[Cobra B.]

We need someone to validate this... is there a boat skipper or bus driver on the board?

 

[stego]

I'll try to give my basic take on this. It's true that the area is east of the Austin airport. A few years ago they built a fairly large toll road out to the airport and it is just east of the airport; about a mile or so. Hwy 71 continues on into Bastrop, which is a small city. Then it continues on with the hyatt property described earlier. Near that is a park run by LCRA. Hwy 71 continues on to intersect with I10, which goes into Houston.

In these parts, water is a big thing. Disney is big, but water is bigger. With the recent drought and the upheaval with selling water to San Antonio, I don't see the LCRA giving up ANYTHING. Specifically anything to do with water; especially so on such a large scale.

Yes, there are politics involved, and that might be a factor playing out. I don't see anything more than a resort being developed by Disney. 290 is more of a traveled route into Houston, anyway, in regards to traffic.

 

[disneychic]

3 years later.......
My thoughts exactly!

 

[vvv]

...3 years later.

LOL!!!

I read this entire thread from the beginning and was finding it interesting. Didn't realize until I saw that post that everything I was reading was from three years ago.

 

[CanadianGuy]

LOL!!!

I read this entire thread from the beginning and was finding it interesting. Didn't realize until I saw that post that everything I was reading was from three years ago.

Clearly CM's on the phone have been attending the same orientation classes as bus drivers and boat skippers...

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Steiner Ranch was recently sold-40,000 acres??hmmm

Steiner Ranch is 4,000 acres, not 40,000 acres. It's a master-planned community east of Austin, where a lot of residential development has been underway for years.

http://www.steinerranch.com/

Just something I heard around town recently, a citizen of Bastrop. It was purchased by a large corporation according to work around town and this can be verified by looking at public records for deed changes, word is deed's already been changed. Supposed to be some type of housing or subdivision and water or theme park. Just FYI maybe there is more truth to this rumor then people want to believe.

Please post the link to the "public records" where it can be verified that Disney now holds the deed to Steiner Ranch. And please explain how all newspaper reporters in Texas failed to notice the transaction.

 

[Mouse13]

Interesting thread.....

 

[wdw457]

There may be more to this than it seems. I don't think silentobserver was referring to the Steiner Ranch gated community in Austin. They were talking about Steiner Ranches in Bastrop, a large cattle operation. Interestingly enough, the address of that ranch in Google Maps is prime land for a development, with the exception of Camp Swift being right across the highway. Also, there have been many hotels and banks opening recently in Bastrop, with three coming later this spring and summer. I live about an hour south of this area, and have driven Highway 95 many times, and there is not much on it. It is an easy drive from Austin, close to the airport and toll road, and has a good year-round climate. The only theme parks within driving distance of the Austin area are Fiesta Texas an hour south in San Antonio, and Six Flags Over Texas two hours north in Arlington. This is also a location that wouldn't hurt the business of the other two Disney resorts, as it is approximately 1,200 miles from each one. I think it would be great if this turns out to be true.

 

[jg121285]

It would be great to drive about 20 miles down highway to a Disney resort! Although the last thing Austin needs is more traffic

 

[KYMickey]

I think it would be great if this turns out to be true.

Couldn't think of any other way to say it's certainly a big if.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I'm not saying this couldn't be true.. but a couple of amazing coincidences would have had to occur for this to actually have any basis in reality.

• Disney buys land and not one journalist in North America notices?
  
• Disney is a publicly traded company. As such, any efforts like this, which could be considered to 'have a material impact on share value or price' must be disclosed at least in general terms their quarterly filings with the SEC. They wouldn't have to say it was in Texas even. But given the current accounting standards, they'd have to disclose they were looking at creating something outside their normal operating areas. (as we saw with the info on the planned DisneyQuest locations. That hasn't happened here.
  
• Disney wouldn't make a push like this without buy-in from the local government. That would be required. That generally can not happen behind closed doors away from the public. Again, laws require that to be an open process. And even if it did happen behind closed doors - there would have been a leak by now.

Please remember.. Disney buys land for unsexy uses like warehouses and radio station and TV station transmitters all the time.

Again, not very likely this is happening as described. Not impossible, but there would be some big time problems to answer for if it fact it was moving along in secret.

Disney bought land in secret for the Florida parks - that's true - but the same disclosure requirements that are in place now.. weren't in place then.

While it *could* be done.. it'd be much much tougher to keep something like this seriously quiet in this day and age.

 

[Saxsoon]

They have the big 3, (Austin, Houston, Dallas) as well as San Antonio all within a few hours drive. I know Bastrop fairly well as I go down to visit friends on my weekends for A&M. Would be very cool if true and could help Bastrop a lot.

 

[k5jm]

 

[Faldred]

While it *could* be done.. it'd be much much tougher to keep something like this seriously quiet in this day and age.

I'm not trying to say that they are doing this, but just engaging in speculation for the entertainment value.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Disney is considering building a theme park/complex in Texas. The first step would be ensuring that they could secure the land. Well, there's a noncommittal way of doing that, just as you mention -- buy up land to use as warehouses, etc. A legitimate business purpose, and recorded as such in financial documents.

If and when enough land has been purchased to make the project possible, and capital concerns are in place to actually do the project, then the rest of the package (zoning, etc.) can be done. At that time, the re-purposing of the property becomes a material issue and needs disclosed. Any off-the-record talks before then with local politicians to gauge possible support or opposition isn't necessarily material, because it is simply Disney looking at options, without making any financial commitment. Leaks of such talks can be pooh-poohed as idle rumor-mongering... after all, it's just land purchased for warehouses (or whatever).

Of course, I don't believe a word of it. It's a huge capital investment to make, and I don't think the current economic climate justifies it. While such a location would be geographically distant from DL and WDW, one can see from current specials that Disney is pushing hard to boost attendance at WDW -- competing with themselves doesn't seem to be a particularly wise idea.

One thing a Texas location could have in its favor, however (akin to the debunked rumors of a Williamsburg, VA location), would be a theme park location with easy access to a potential port of call or embarkation/debarkation point for DCL.

 

[esparrow]

I want Disney in the UK! x

 

[KYMickey]

One thing a Texas location could have in its favor, however (akin to the debunked rumors of a Williamsburg, VA location), would be a theme park location with easy access to a potential port of call or embarkation/debarkation point for DCL.

By looking at a map I'm guessing the location been discussed is over 3 hours drive from any potential port and the cruise ships could use. That's certainly a lot farther than Port Canaveral is from WDW.