Disney Vacation Club rumors take another left turn

[minnie61650]

The original souvenir book for Walt Disney World showed plans for:

• Venetian Resort — a monorail resort on the Seven Seas Lagoon between the TTC and the Contemporary
• Persian Resort — a monorail resort in Bay Lake, north of the Contemporary (which would have been served by a monorail spur line, possibly the same track the goes up to the monorail garage/maintenance facility)
• Asian Resort — a monorail resort on a the site that is now the Grand Floridian

I just did a Google image search and found more information about this. See http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/articleViewer.php?aid=76

As far as the story about trying to build on the Venetian Resort site — "but the area that they tried to build in was very swampy, and when they drove pilings into the ground, they just sunk, maybe into a sinkhole area" — is concerned, I'm not sure how much of this is true, and how much this an Internet legend.

I don't doubt that the site has a water table issue. After all, it's Florida. And I wouldn't be surprised if they did tests to determine what kind of foundation a resort at that site would need.

However, I don't think that Disney started actual construction of a new resort, only to be surprised when pilings disappeared into the ground.

Building engineers in Florida know how to deal with the ground in Florida. The cost of doing so may be much higher at some building sites than at others. So it becomes a financial matter. Yes, it could be more expensive to build at the Venetian Resort site than on more stable ground elsewhere on property. (But the location is unsurpassed!)

At this time, Disney is not building additional deluxe resorts. They have many deluxe rooms already. And guests who might have stayed at the deluxe resorts in the past are now often choosing moderate resorts, or they may now be part of the 100 thousand DVC members. Disney doesn't need an additional deluxe resort.

Before the MK was even built plans were in place for 4 hotels to be on the monorail line.The Grand Floridian hotel is on the land that was set aside and dedicated to be the "Future" Asian Resort Hotel (A). The "Future"
Venetian (B) Resort was going to located between the Poly (5) and the Contemporary (8). A fifth hotel was going to build on a monorail spur which ended at the "Future" Persian Resort (C). That resort would be located just to east of the Mk and North of the Contemorary and would built with much of the hotel being on /over the water of Bay Lake. So even though the GF was not built until 18 years later a hotel was planned for that area at the same time the monorail was planned.

I got this picture and my info from my"The story of Walt Disney World"
Commemory Edition Book 1971.

 

[vonpluto]

As far as the story about trying to build on the Venetian Resort site — "but the area that they tried to build in was very swampy, and when they drove pilings into the ground, they just sunk, maybe into a sinkhole area" — is concerned, I'm not sure how much of this is true, and how much this an Internet legend.

If you go to the Reedy Creek site and work your way thru the 2008 Comprehensive plan, you'll find that the Venetian site is considered "suitable for construction".

Site is down right now, but here is the url:

http://www.rcid.org/

 

[Another Voice]

Back in the early 1990's, as part of the Disney Decade, they did try to build the Mediterranean Resort on the area north of the TTC. The resort was different than the original Venetian Resort - the resort (designed by one of Michael Eisner's friends) was like Universal's Portofino and Toyko DisneySea's Mira Costa "fishing village" design instead of the old "grand palace" concept. It was supposed to be equal or even more "deluxe" than the new Grand Floridian.

Construction was suddenly stopped. Even though the resort had been announced in the press, the project was quietly and quickly cancelled. A lot of the "rumors" started to be floated about about sink holes and soggy ground - rather interesting considering that the site had twice been selected for a major hotel by people who knew what they were doing (I mean none of the other hotels or parks have disappeared into the earth).

But it is interesting to note that the Med was cancelled at the same time Euro Disney threw open its doors and millions of Europeans - all hooped up and ready to spend millions of marks and francs and pounds - all stayed home. Soon Euro Disney was shuttering hotels and even attempted to sell their largest (and the then largest hotel in Europe) as an office block. And interestingly too at the same time the Grand Floridian swung open its doors ready to welcome hordes of the Manahatten elite and "friends of Michael" - only to find the well-bred crowd still bypassing Orlando in favor of Boca (what a fickle lot). Even worse was that despite a lot more money than planned being spent, the Grand Floridian fell a star short of five - a fact that echoed in bleepable executive screams throughout the halls of Team Disney Burbank everytime the financials were presented.

One might make the case, perhaps, that a certain architecture groupie quickly lost interest (in a "cover you rear-end" kind of way) when it came to dropping tens of millions of big flashy hotels no one wanted (including the already announced Magic Kingdom Suites and Buffalo Junction).

But then again, ideas like that don't usually make it into the offical history. "Sink holes" spare a lot of egos on the Internet.

 

[vonpluto]

Back in the early 1990's, as part of the Disney Decade, they did try to build the Mediterranean Resort on the area north of the TTC. The resort was different than the original Venetian Resort - the resort (designed by one of Michael Eisner's friends) was like Universal's Portofino and Toyko DisneySea's Mira Costa "fishing village" design instead of the old "grand palace" concept. It was supposed to be equal or even more "deluxe" than the new Grand Floridian.

Construction was suddenly stopped. Even though the resort had been announced in the press, the project was quietly and quickly cancelled. A lot of the "rumors" started to be floated about about sink holes and soggy ground - rather interesting considering that the site had twice been selected for a major hotel by people who knew what they were doing (I mean none of the other hotels or parks have disappeared into the earth).

But it is interesting to note that the Med was cancelled at the same time Euro Disney threw open its doors and millions of Europeans - all hooped up and ready to spend millions of marks and francs and pounds - all stayed home. Soon Euro Disney was shuttering hotels and even attempted to sell their largest (and the then largest hotel in Europe) as an office block. And interestingly too at the same time the Grand Floridian swung open its doors ready to welcome hordes of the Manahatten elite and "friends of Michael" - only to find the well-bred crowd still bypassing Orlando in favor of Boca (what a fickle lot). Even worse was that despite a lot more money than planned being spent, the Grand Floridian fell a star short of five - a fact that echoed in bleepable executive screams throughout the halls of Team Disney Burbank everytime the financials were presented.

One might make the case, perhaps, that a certain architecture groupie quickly lost interest (in a "cover you rear-end" kind of way) when it came to dropping tens of millions of big flashy hotels no one wanted (including the already announced Magic Kingdom Suites and Buffalo Junction).

But then again, ideas like that don't usually make it into the offical history. "Sink holes" spare a lot of egos on the Internet.

Pix of the concept model of the Mediterranean were on the website of architect Antoine Predock for quite a while. They were taken down a few months ago. Apparently the original commission was given in 1988.

AV, you mentioned the Buffalo Junction Hotel. The info I have is that BJH would have been constructed on the site of the Settlement Trading Post at Fort Wilderness. And that wild west town from way back in the Phase 2 days would finally have appeared on the shores of Bay Lake and been called Wilderness Junction.

Appreciate any info.

 

[Lewisc]

I walked by the Contemporary earlier this week. They were surveying the grounds. I asked, the person said they are doing a complete site survey. He didn't know what was being done but said nothing could be done until the survey was done. He said it would be at least a year before they can start any construction. They can't even start drawing up detailed plans until the survey is completed.

An interest rumor from a TL CM, we know how CMs are the best source of rumors. He said the new tower would be built at the Contemporary but Disney hadn't decided how many floors would be used for DVC accommodations and how many floors would be used for hotel accommodations.

A set of fence posts is going up around the N Wing. It looks like they're at least 10 feet tall.

 

[Snowgod]

WDW is all pre surveyed with permanent markers in the ground. Any new survey is done quickly from the markers.

 

[DisneyDoogie]

I have a copy of an old vacation guide issued to travel agents that had an architect's drawing of the exterior of the Mediterranean resort and a list of amenities that the resort would have. When we were visiting Disney in the early 1990s (late 1980s?), we saw the surveying team doing work on the site between the Contemporary and the TTC. A year later when we visited we were told by many CMs that the land was not suitable for building a resort and that the concept might have conflicted too much with what was being built around the same time at EuroDisney.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Originally posted by Tikiman

October 11, 2006, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – Disney Vacation Club announced today that it is building a new timeshare resort on Walt Disney World® property to meet ongoing strong demand for its unique vacation-ownership program.


Disney's Animal Kingdom® Villas will be part of Disney's Animal Kingdom® Lodge, which readers of Travel & Leisure Family magazine recently honored with the No. 4 spot on their list of the 50 greatest family resorts in the United States and Canada. The Disney Vacation Club® accommodations will feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and most will offer sweeping views of an expanded savannah inhabited by a variety of African animals. These new accommodations are scheduled for development in phases with an anticipated opening beginning Fall 2007 and a completion date planned for Spring 2009. The project's first phase will include 134 remodeled accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of the existing Disney's Animal Kingdom® Lodge building, and subsequent phases will include the construction of 324 vacation homes in a new building on the resort property, for a total of 458 Disney Vacation Club homes.


The project also calls for construction of a new table-service restaurant, themed pool and water-play island, fitness center, merchandise shop, sports and recreation facilities and more.


"We continue to see strong demand from families who want to build a lifetime of unforgettable memories by vacationing in ways they never dreamed possible," said Jim Lewis, President of Disney Vacation Club. "I am delighted to announce that our members will have yet another place to call home with Disney's Animal Kingdom® Villas. This begins another exciting new era for Disney Vacation Club as we continue to explore future destination possibilities both domestically and internationally."


Disney Vacation Club, now celebrating its milestone 15th anniversary, is an innovative timeshare program that lets families enjoy flexibility and savings on future vacations at Disney destinations and more than 500 other popular vacation sites around the world. Since 2000, Disney Vacation Club membership has doubled to include more than 300,000 individuals from over 100 countries and every U.S. state.


Disney's Animal Kingdom® Villas will be the eighth Disney Vacation Club Resort, joining five others at the Walt Disney World® Resort, one in Vero Beach, Fla., and one in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Disney Vacation Club has sold out of memberships at its first six resorts, and sales remain ahead of schedule at its seventh property, Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which opened in May 2004 near the Downtown Disney area at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

 

[sotoalf]

And interestingly too at the same time the Grand Floridian swung open its doors ready to welcome hordes of the Manahatten elite and "friends of Michael" - only to find the well-bred crowd still bypassing Orlando in favor of Boca (what a fickle lot). Even worse was that despite a lot more money than planned being spent, the Grand Floridian fell a star short of five - a fact that echoed in bleepable executive screams throughout the halls of Team Disney Burbank everytime the financials were presented.

Wow. I would love confirmation of this!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Wow. I would love confirmation of this!

I'm not sure what kind of confirmation you're looking for.

The verifiable fact in AV's post is that Disney's Grand Floridian Resort failed, year after year, to achieve 5 diamonds (the highest score from AAA) or 5 stars (the highest score from Mobil) — and has still never done so. In the luxury lodging business, the fifth diamond and fifth star allows a hotel to charge top dollar and to attract the richest, most discerning, most free-spending guests.

Of course, there is no way to verify "bleepable executive screams" or that Michael Eisner was truly upset that the Grand Floridian tended to attract primarily guests who are merely affluent, not super-elite.

The facts that Disney stopped building deluxe resorts at WDW after the Animal Kingdom Lodge and that Disney has never tried to build a super-luxe boutique hotel at WDW speak for themselves.

Also, I think it's safe to say that Walt Disney World is primarily a middle class destination (recognizing that there's a wide range within the middle class). The poor can't afford it. The very wealthy would generally rather jet off to the finest Mediterranean, Caribbean, and South Pacific beach resorts with spectacular golf courses and an elite clientele.

 

[mitros]

I have a copy of an old vacation guide issued to travel agents that had an architect's drawing of the exterior of the Mediterranean resort and a list of amenities that the resort would have. When we were visiting Disney in the early 1990s (late 1980s?), we saw the surveying team doing work on the site between the Contemporary and the TTC. A year later when we visited we were told by many CMs that the land was not suitable for building a resort and that the concept might have conflicted too much with what was being built around the same time at EuroDisney.

There was an article some time ago about them trying to build another resort on the monorail, but when they tried to drive pilings into the muck as supports, they simply sank into the ground. A sinkhole perhaps.......
Not exactly sure of the location, though.

 

[drakethib]

I agree. AK is tempting to me. I would not purchase at CR. I'm still hoping something in California is next though.

Not intrested in CR or AKL but Disneyland would entice me and the misses to possibly do an addon.