Eagle Pines lives!!?? ...sort of ...not as DVC!

[lisareniff]

This is from the Orlando Sentinel.. What do you think?

Disney to partner with Four Seasons on luxury resort

From Sentinel Staff Reports

March 1, 2007, 10:47 AM EST

Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton this morning announced two new projects at the resort: a luxury resort and golf course community in Bonnet Creek and a mixed-use commercial center for "value-conscious" guests just outside the western edge of its property.

Disney is partnering with the Four Seasons hotels and resorts on a 900-acre site that will include a luxury hotel, 18-hole championship golf course and single-family and fractional ownership homes.

The hotel is expected to open in 2010, and the current Osprey Ridge golf course will be renovated and rebranded as a Four Seasons property.

The mixed-use development, with 4,000 to 5,000 units of low- and mid-priced lodging, will take advantage of the recently opened Western Beltway to bring visitors coming from Interstate 75. The development will be built just outside the Disney gateway at the western edge of its property.

That development will feature a pedestrian-friendly retail center with dining, shopping and small-scale entertainment venues.

 

[Dis13]

Wow. I wonder if this is Disney's way of "retaliating" (for lack of better word) against the "other" Bonnet Creek resort. Isn't a Waldorf Astoria/or other upscale resort supposed to be going into that area?

 

[burnsoc]

WOW!!! This is certainly big news. I'm glad to see I don't have to worry about EP being a DVC resort anymore. When they first announced EP I wasn't happy with the location. However, I wonder how that's going to work having single family homes on Disney property. As far as this other development that includes value and moderate hotels, I feel they concentrate too much on hotels and not enough on entertainment.

 

[DVC Grammy]

There's another thread about this (I think on the "operations" forum), but there the implication is that it might be a Four Season timeshare property. I hope that's wrong, and that this new venture means just another hotel-like accomodation (although a fabulous one............love the FS, no matter where we've stayed. ).
IMO, if it's in the same category, I can see it competing with the S/D, not the DVCs, even if it shares some of the same amenities with Disney, just as the S/D do.

(Crossing my fingers............... )

 

[DVC Grammy]

Whoops! Just saw the phrase "...........fractional ownerships homes"! Isn't that what WE have? /
Me to DVD.... WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?????

 

[UConnJack]

A more detailed news release was posted in this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1374238

What is unclear to me is whether the vacation homes implied are to be associated with Four Seasons like the hotel, it sounds like it does. Does Four Seasons run a timeshare business?

If so, then this about kills EP as DVC, suggesting to me that Disney does not see the benefit to them in developing a golf-based DVC. Let someone else do it, apparently. I can't decide if I am disappointed or not. While I would like a golf course based DVC, I feared they were going to ruin the golf courses with it (which I guess is still very possible with these plans), and make EP way too big. It also hints to me that DVC is backing away (at least near term) from the SSR type DVC, with ALV (done deal) and CRV (strong rumor) are now the only ones on the radar screen.

 

[DVC Grammy]

A more detailed news release was posted in this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1374238

What is unclear to me is whether the vacation homes implied are to be associated with Four Seasons like the hotel, it sounds like it does. Does Four Seasons run a timeshare business?

If so, then this about kills EP as DVC, suggesting to me that Disney does not see the benefit to them in developing a golf-based DVC. Let someone else do it, apparently. I can't decide if I am disappointed or not. While I would like a golf course based DVC, I feared they were going to ruin the golf courses with it (which I guess is still very possible with these plans), and make EP way too big. It also hints to me that DVC is backing away (at least near term) from the SSR type DVC, with ALV (done deal) and CRV (strong rumor) are now the only ones on the radar screen.

Friends of ours own a FS timeshare and it seems to be for very posh (yes, even posher than the GF!). They've used it in Europe and CA a lot; I don't know what other locations FS has. (I'm not at that level of posh .)

 

[UConnJack]

Friends of ours own a FS timeshare and it seems to be for very posh (yes, even posher than the GF!). They've used it in Europe and CA a lot; I don't know what other locations FS has. (I'm not at that level of posh .)

Well, then for better or worse, EP DVC is DOA.

 

[Granny]

The mixed-use development, with 4,000 to 5,000 units of low- and mid-priced lodging, will take advantage of the recently opened Western Beltway to bring visitors coming from Interstate 75. The development will be built just outside the Disney gateway at the western edge of its property.

Well, if they feature hassle-free transfer of luggage to WDW resorts (including DVC), this could be the future answer of "where do you stay on Saturday night before checking in".

 

[spiceycat]

I though this was going into the same location as the Fairfield (now Wynham) Bonnett Creek.

but the western way is over between All Stars & CSR.

okay misread - looks like two development - one near western way - the other near the golf course.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Wow, that's some news!

It also makes me think about the lack of an announcement in January of a Grand California DVC. I wonder if Disney is going to be partnering with the developers of the Anahiem Garden Walk. With this developement, there's suppose to be several thousands square feet of retail and entertainment space, 800 hotel rooms, and 400 timeshare units, but so far, there's no word on what hotel and timeshare corporations will be taking over the space.

www.anahiemgardenwalk.com

Anyway, just curious if Disney is going to get in on this too. It would kind of fit in with their recent announced plans of partnering malls/retail with Disney.

 

[burnsoc]

Well, if they feature hassle-free transfer of luggage to WDW resorts (including DVC), this could be the future answer of "where do you stay on Saturday night before checking in".

Judging from the report I read on the rumor and news board, these hotels will be "third party brand" and not Disney.

 

[Granny]

Judging from the report I read on the rumor and news board, these hotels will be "third party brand" and not Disney.

Yeah, I kind of figured that too. But they could still swing a deal with them like they did with Swan/Dolphin to get a win/win for each party. Just a thought.

 

[spiceycat]

Yeah, I kind of figured that too. But they could still swing a deal with them like they did with Swan/Dolphin to get a win/win for each party. Just a thought.

I didn't think that luggage transfer was possible between S&D and WDW resorts?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What is unclear to me is whether the vacation homes implied are to be associated with Four Seasons like the hotel, it sounds like it does. Does Four Seasons run a timeshare business?

Yes. Four Seasons is in the timeshare business. The Four Seasons Residence Clubs are at a higher end of the luxury scale than Disney Vacation Club properties -- in terms of the resort accommodations themselves, the level of service, the purchase prices, and the annual maintenance fees.

Four Seasons is also in the full ownership and quarter-share business with Four Seasons Private Residences.

It remains to be seen whether the "fractional ownerships homes" are week-based timeshares, quarter-shares (in which each owner owns a unit for 25% or the year), or something else.

It also makes me think about the lack of an announcement in January of a Grand California DVC. I wonder if Disney is going to be partnering with the developers of the Anahiem Garden Walk.

The Anaheim Garden Walk is on the other side of Harbor Boulevard from the majority of the Disneyland Resort. It is not associated with Disney.

In 2005, Trendwest Resorts announced plans for a 14-story, 253-unit timeshare resort, the WorldMark Anaheim, near the Anaheim Garden Walk. I haven't read anything about it lately, and I don't know if it will be branded as WorldMark now that Trendwest's parent company goes by the the name of Wyndham Worldwide.

Think of this as being like the Fairfield Orlando at Bonnet Creek Resort, which is also a part of Wyndham Worldwide. It's close to Disney property, but it's not affiliated with Disney.

 

[squidmo]

The new Worldmark in Anaheim isn't actually part of the Gardenwalk project, it's about half a block away. Reportedly Westgate Resorts has purchased the rights to the 400 units that are actually part of the Gardenwalk. The Anaheim Planning department has a nice overview of current development at: http://anaheim.net/citydepartments/...cs/DEVELOPMENTPROPOSALSINTHEANAHEIMRESORT.pdf

Note: the Worldmark site is #3 "Trendwest Resorts", #5 is the GardenWalk.

 

[disney-super-mom]

The Anaheim Garden Walk is on the other side of Harbor Boulevard from the majority of the Disneyland Resort. It is not associated with Disney.

In 2005, Trendwest Resorts announced plans for a 14-story, 253-unit timeshare resort, the WorldMark Anaheim, at the Anaheim Garden Walk. I haven't read anything about it lately, and I don't know if it will be branded as WorldMark now that Trendwest's parent company goes by the the name of Wyndham Worldwide.

Think of this as being like the Fairfield Orlando at Bonnet Creek Resort, which is also a part of Wyndham Worldwide. It's close to Disney property, but it's not affiliated with Disney.

Oh, I'm aware of where it's located, (VERY familar with the area actually) . I just was wondering if Disney has leased out any of the space there for a new hotel or timeshare units, if that makes any sense. I know it's unlikely, but considering the DLR is a bit land-locked, it just made me think about it a bit.

It also looks like Disney isn't the only one wanting to expand in malls (still a strange idea to me). Nickelodeon is going to the Mall of America! Hmmmmmm, interesting.....two of the largest themepark and entertainment corporations going in the same direction.....at the same time.
http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1468147#post1468147

 

[goofy4dvc]

I wonder how this will affect the DVC golf program. Eagle Pines and Ospry Ridge are our two favorite courses to play at WDW. Hope we will still be able to use out DVC golf card to pay there.

 

[Dean]

Whoops! Just saw the phrase "...........fractional ownerships homes"! Isn't that what WE have? /
Me to DVD.... WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?????

Fractional ownerships are usually more than a week or some combo of weeks. If I recall correctly, FS sold both ways but the last I heard are only selling a combo of weeks currently .

 

[Simba's Mom]

I know I'm in the minority here, but if Eagle Pines isn't going to be a DVC resort, I'm disappointed. DH golfs almost daily at WDW, and when we joined DVC, the possibility of EP was a plus. I remember seeing architect's renderings shortly after we joined. Now, after a few years of membership, I think DH loves his OKW and HH, but he'll still be disappointed about no Eagle Pines.