Disney Resort in National Harbor, Maryland

[DannyDisneyFreak]

I was just in National Harbor last week and I saw huge bulliten board with a huge Disney logo and a map of National Harbor pinpointing the spot Disney will be building their resort. I was dark and I only had my camera on my phone so the pic didnt come out but I know I saw talk about that on here previously so this may be old "news" but I just had to post my first hand source... and I know this is not a new "Disneyland" or park and just a resort..

 

[tjkraz]

Disney bought the land last summer and said it would be the site of a hotel (no theme park), but they haven't said anything further.

No construction models. No concept artwork. No indication of whether or not there will be DVC villas. No groundbreaking or opening estimates.

Right now they seem pretty focused on the Hawaii hotel project. Realistically they could issue a press release about National Harbor tomorrow and answer all of these questions plus more....or they could let the land sit undeveloped for a decade.

 

[clarkgriswold]

Was at Nat'l Harbor two weeks ago. Spent some time with managers and event planners at two of the hotels already there. One of them was a sales manager for DCV's Celebration, FL office until about 4 months ago. Both (independently) said no formal announcement has been made, but "insiders' confirm it will be a DCV Resort.

Rumors are rumors. Some true. Some note. I guess we shall see.

 

[Lewisc]

Disney announced a DVC at Eagle Pine. Disney changed its mind.

It seems evident Disney is planning DVC at National Harbor. It's only a rumor. Disney could certainly change its mind and sell the land.

 

[disneychic]

No offense to anyone in MD but I don't get it?? Hawaii in 2011 and our next exciting destination is..... Maryland??
As a DVC member this definately does NOT excite me in the least-- no flames please JMHO

 

[tjkraz]

No offense to anyone in MD but I don't get it?? Hawaii in 2011 and our next exciting destination is..... Maryland??
As a DVC member this definately does NOT excite me in the least-- no flames please JMHO

National Harbor is physically located in MD but it is only 15-20 minutes by car from the National Mall and other touristy areas of Washington DC.

If DVC plans to become a big player in the timeshare market, there are a dozen or so locations that they really need to offer to make people's ears perk up. Hawaii is on the list. Hilton Head Island deserves to be on the list (even if DVC's resort isn't in a prime location.) Others on the list are locations that have been linked to DVC over the years--Vegas, Lake Tahoe, NY City, Colorado ski resort.

Washington DC isn't near the top of that list but it's definitely on the list. Hard telling what circumstances lead Disney to making this land purchase. Could be something as simple as a good price (they closed the deal in early 2009 after the economy went sour.) I believe they only paid around $10 million--perhaps the beancounters figured Disney could at least break even selling the land later if they decided they didn't want to develop it.

Wyndham opened its second DC-area resort earlier this year. According to an April 2010 New York Times article, the 250 Wyndham villas were already 77% sold. Washington DC may not be a location that resonates with an overwhelming majority of current parks-oriented DVC members, but it's certainly a popular vacation spot for Americans--particularly those on the east coast.

One of the stories heard frequently in DVC circles is something along the lines of "I want to buy DVC but my spouse doesn't want to go to a Disney Park every year--he/she wants to stay elsewhere every 2 or 3 years." Adding locations like Hawaii and perhaps DC will go a long way toward broadening the customer base of DVC. Disney will eventually run out of people who want to visit the parks 2-3 times per year.

And I suspect most current members eventually tire of the parks to some degree. We've been members for about 8 years now and are a far cry from the days when we would find our way to Orlando 3 times in a 12-month period. We're already planning a trip to Hawaii and DC is on our radar too--although we'll be visiting long before Disney is able to open a resort there.

Broadening the DVC program not only enables them to attract new business but to keep current business. Many members have openly spoken about selling off points as their children grew and vacation habits changed. Adding destinations outside of the theme parks will make it more palatable to keep those points and perhaps even buy more.

 

[TisBit]

I agree that on the surface this area doesn't look like it would be a great location for a resort. But, if you really look at it (especially on a map) you are in great proximity to Washington DC, which is a popular vacation destination, very close to Northern VA, again with a lot of historical landmarks, etc and also very close to Annapolis MD and the Chesapeak Bay. Those are all within an hour, within 1-2 hours you have the Beaches, Baltimore area, central Virginia, etc.

Most DVC owners live east of the Mississippi and are in easy driving distance of the DC area. It is also a good pass through destination on the way to WDW for Northern US and New England area's. Then you have to throw in the non-DVC aspect of conventions/businesses that need rooms so close to DC.

Most people do not want to stay inside of Washington DC, so being just outside is advantageous. The one downside of the National Harbor plaza is it isn't currently linked to the DC transit systems, something I am sure will be developed as the National Harbor area continues to grow (and Disney might be waiting on).

If Disney started a resot in Colorado Ski Country with DVC in mind, the truth is most of the members are too far away to make it a regular trip. They are smart starting on the East Coast until they build the West Coast membership up, creating more demand in that area of the country.

 

[clarkgriswold]

Lest we forget - Disney about 12-15 years ago purchased lando about 30 miles west of Wash DC and announced plans for a "Colonial America" - themed park & resort. Plans were thwarted by locals because the land abutted (I think) the famous / historic Civil War battlefield in Manassas, VA (Battle of Bull Run)

So, in light of that opposition, Disney quietly w/drew the proposal.

The point being: Whether a park, resort, or some other manner of attraction, The Wash DC Metro area has been on Disney's radar for quite some time.

 

[Donut23]

I'll be first in line to say it's a good thing for families to travel to places OTHER than Disney parks. Washington DC holds soooooo many things to capture young minds.

Having said that, I'm very familiar with National Harbor and totally unimpressed with positioning a resort there. Sure, you are close to a few restaurants and shopping....but if you plan to visit WASHINGTON.....you should consider digs closer to WASHINGTON.

At National Harbor you will be driving your rental car to a subway station - probably Alexandria - or worse....drive into town and try to find a parking space. There are water taxi's available during the summer......will run you to the waterfront of Alexandria.....hike uphill and jump on the metro to DC. What's that....an hour commute one way to the fabulous Air and Space Museum?

DH and I enjoy long weekends in DC. Now we generally enjoy late winter because fewer people are in town and live close enough to allow us to be flexible.

One thing we insist on is a room.....downtown and no more than 2 blocks from the subway. When we visit Washinton, we want to spend our time, um.....visiting Washington....and not on the subway to and from it.

We generally stay at the Hamilton...couple of blocks from the Whitehouse and you can see the entrance to the subway from the hotel. This way you have the time and freedom to really enjoy the city.

Want to visit Washington.....look for something IN Washington.....there are soooooooo many truly fabulous places to stay in the city - brand new......historic and everything in between. Why on earth would you want to stay outside and add an hour commute each way to your day.

All you need do is spend one morning in AM traffic at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge looking for the nearest subway station and you will have all the traffic knowledge you will need (and you still have to ride the subway!!)


I will not speak to bully politics of National Harbor or the problems they have with the Maryland State legislature.....but most of the comments I have read in the Post have been pretty lukewarm. Cookie cutter restaurants, same shopping you can get at the mall....type stuff. Disney bought in early in development. I know National Harbor well and it just seams a little "milk toast" to me.


Give DVC families a property where they can visit Washington....BRILLIANT. National Harbor.....um.......want to try that again, Disney?


Want to explore Washington and stay at Disney National Harbor? Remember what you say about staying offsite at WDW - too far, no reliable transportation, too long driving to and from? Now.....imagine your offsite hotel without transportation to and from - that pretty much describes National Harbor....you CAN ride the water taxi to Alexandria waterfront, get off, walk up the hill (about 6 blocks uphill), wait for the next subway train and ride the subway into town.)

Orlando airport to WDW.....15.8 miles of highway driving. National Harbor to White House.......9.8 miles of solid city driving. You be the judge. pssssst......a teensy tip.....stay downtown!)

 

[nytimez]

National Harbor is physically located in MD but it is only 15-20 minutes by car from the National Mall and other touristy areas of Washington DC.

If DVC plans to become a big player in the timeshare market, there are a dozen or so locations that they really need to offer to make people's ears perk up. Hawaii is on the list. Hilton Head Island deserves to be on the list (even if DVC's resort isn't in a prime location.) Others on the list are locations that have been linked to DVC over the years--Vegas, Lake Tahoe, NY City, Colorado ski resort.

Washington DC isn't near the top of that list but it's definitely on the list. Hard telling what circumstances lead Disney to making this land purchase. Could be something as simple as a good price (they closed the deal in early 2009 after the economy went sour.) I believe they only paid around $10 million--perhaps the beancounters figured Disney could at least break even selling the land later if they decided they didn't want to develop it.

Wyndham opened its second DC-area resort earlier this year. According to an April 2010 New York Times article, the 250 Wyndham villas were already 77% sold. Washington DC may not be a location that resonates with an overwhelming majority of current parks-oriented DVC members, but it's certainly a popular vacation spot for Americans--particularly those on the east coast.

One of the stories heard frequently in DVC circles is something along the lines of "I want to buy DVC but my spouse doesn't want to go to a Disney Park every year--he/she wants to stay elsewhere every 2 or 3 years." Adding locations like Hawaii and perhaps DC will go a long way toward broadening the customer base of DVC. Disney will eventually run out of people who want to visit the parks 2-3 times per year.

And I suspect most current members eventually tire of the parks to some degree. We've been members for about 8 years now and are a far cry from the days when we would find our way to Orlando 3 times in a 12-month period. We're already planning a trip to Hawaii and DC is on our radar too--although we'll be visiting long before Disney is able to open a resort there.

Broadening the DVC program not only enables them to attract new business but to keep current business. Many members have openly spoken about selling off points as their children grew and vacation habits changed. Adding destinations outside of the theme parks will make it more palatable to keep those points and perhaps even buy more.

I can't argue with most of what you say. But my hope is that DVC does not seek to become a big player on the timeshare market. I think they should limit it to unique locations, and semi-exlusive locations, and keep the focus at WDW.

 

[cds62]

I find it hard to believe that DVC will build a resort at National Harbor. DVC has not had much success with building outside of Orlando. Both HH and Vero Beach took longer to sell than expected and I don't see Hawaii selling much easier, especially in this economy. I don't think you will ever see a DVC resort in Maryland.
As previously stated, when visiting DC, it is much more enjoyable to stay somewhere in the city rather that driving in each day. Traffic is horrible.

 

[TisBit]

I find it hard to believe that DVC will build a resort at National Harbor. DVC has not had much success with building outside of Orlando. Both HH and Vero Beach took longer to sell than expected and I don't see Hawaii selling much easier, especially in this economy. I don't think you will ever see a DVC resort in Maryland.
As previously stated, when visiting DC, it is much more enjoyable to stay somewhere in the city rather that driving in each day. Traffic is horrible.

While Vero and HH took longer to sell, they also stay booked, so the draw to go there vs the wanting to own there are two different beasts. But, even those resorts still have fans and still sell in resale.

As for Hawaii, the targeted ownership is not the normal DVC owner. They are branching into a new market, the Asian market. Again, majority of DVC owners live east of the Mississippi, so they won't want to buy Cali or Hawaii, travel costs are too high. Similar to the fact that most on the west coast didn't want to own in Fla. I would bet the next DVC after Hawaii will be at one of the Asian resorts, to continue to grow that market simultaneously as the WDW market.

As for off site DVC's, I don't believe you will see a 100% DVC resort but a mixed use resort. Similar to Hawaii, the mixture of cash rooms and DVC helps to balance a resort out and not require all the rooms to be sold.

 

[cds62]

I think the purchase price for Hawaii and the limited amount of DVC resorts will make the Hawaii DVC a difficult sale. With Marriott and Hilton in that market competition will be difficult for Disney. Marriott has many more resorts to exchange to internally and Interval International has better resorts (in my opinion) that RCI.
The new DVC resort is in an area of Oahu that requires a long drive to get anywhere, which may hurt sales.

 

[tjkraz]

As for off site DVC's, I don't believe you will see a 100% DVC resort but a mixed use resort. Similar to Hawaii, the mixture of cash rooms and DVC helps to balance a resort out and not require all the rooms to be sold.

I agree. The lucrative convention aspect shouldn't be overlooked, either.

A group I work with has a multi-year deal with Loews. Over the past decade we've had conferences at Portafino Bay at Universal along with Loews resorts in Tuscon, Nashville, Las Vegas and others.

By adding hotel components and convention facilities to other off-site properties, Disney could offer a similar package to trade and industry groups. They could promote the ability to hold a conference at the Contemporary one year, Hawaii the next, Grand California, National Harbor, BoardWalk, etc. Diversity in locations is very good for convention business.

I think the purchase price for Hawaii and the limited amount of DVC resorts will make the Hawaii DVC a difficult sale. With Marriott and Hilton in that market competition will be difficult for Disney. Marriott has many more resorts to exchange to internally and Interval International has better resorts (in my opinion) that RCI.
The new DVC resort is in an area of Oahu that requires a long drive to get anywhere, which may hurt sales.

But you have to start somewhere. Disney cannot open 20 resorts at once to immediately compete with the Marriott's and Wyndham's. DVC's growth will have to be slow and steady.

It goes without saying that destinations like Hawaii and National Harbor will sell slower than points at the Beach Club or Bay Lake Tower. But Disney can't keep mining that limited customer base (park-lovers) forever.

IMO, the only thing that will stymie future growth is if Aulani is a total bomb. If sales are a mere fraction of what DVC projects, they will certainly have to re-think future growth plans. Unless that happens, they will accept the fact that sales for off-site destinations is slower than on-site and continue to grow the program at a responsible pace.

 

[Lewisc]

I think there is bus service from National Harbor to the Branch Avenue metrorail station and a water taxi to Alexandra VA.

 

[TisBit]

IMO, the only thing that will stymie future growth is if Aulani is a total bomb. If sales are a mere fraction of what DVC projects, they will certainly have to re-think future growth plans. Unless that happens, they will accept the fact that sales for off-site destinations is slower than on-site and continue to grow the program at a responsible pace.

I don't have numbers to back it up, but a lot of reports are saying that Aulani is selling quite well, just to the Asian market and to a degree the West Coast buyers (def second to Asia). Not sure % of points sold or even what has been declared etc....not sure if this information is as readily available through Hawaii as it is in Florida (or that anyone is even watching).

 

[The Rivers' Rats]

I am really hoping that this resort is built. I love American history and will definitely be bringing the family out to the DC area at least once or twice in the next ten years. If a DVC resort were available, that would make the trip all that much better!

 

[jgates]

The convention base is a good comment. Our conferences are held annually at Gaylord locations - they received the best pricing by committing to 10 or 15 years between their 4 locations (altho most in Texas - whoopee).

 

[sdchickie]

Here's a picture of the signs that we saw there at the end of the summer.....

There weren't any signs like this up before so it makes me hopeful that I may one day be employed by Disney!