I believe Disney will do something to differentiate SSR......

[spiceycat]

all the parks close due to capacity... the parking lot goes up - so they close to offsiters.... then if the park is really at capacity they close to everyone.

yes even the MK - of course I don't think I want to be there when it does - 40,000 is crowded to me - being there with 125,000 others is not what I would call fun....

the offseason lately has seem a big rise. More people are not going doing the hot summer months.....

the new school schedule (fall or winter break) has helped some. Also sites like this - making sure that anyone going to WDW during the summer understand the heat and humdity....

he say no new parks - that does not mean that WDW will not expand at the current parks and kept adding new rides/attraction....

 

[crisi]

With all due respect, this isn't towards you, but Iger is way off. I heard that comment as well and almost fell off of my chair. A 5th park must be added or ANY new on site hotels/DVC's shouldn't be added. The parks are a zoo now and can only hold so many more people. I was there this year right after new years. Magic Kingdom was closed due to reaching capacity. Do they really want parks at capacity every day? I hope not because that will hurt business in the long run. I know I'll be out if other times of the year were like this new years. AK & MGM have room for growth but not enough to offset all of the resort expansion on site and in Orlando. Iger is kidding himself if he feels otherwise.

By publicly stating it, he has closed that door for the next few years - or he opens himself and the company up to shareholder lawsuits. So it won't be done. Good business or not, it won't be done.

 

[kkmauch]

Sherri--You asked about add-ons. Most of us just got an e-mail about an add-on special. You get some free park passes and a discount on the price (I think it's $8 less per point with the savings being applied to the down payment). You have to do a min. of 50 points if I remember correctly. Call your guide for more info!

 

[popsmensahbonsu]

By publicly stating it, he has closed that door for the next few years - or he opens himself and the company up to shareholder lawsuits. So it won't be done. Good business or not, it won't be done.

I do agree it won't be for some time. He'd look like a joke, not to mention what you've thrown out there. I guess my point is that it will happen at some point.

 

[popsmensahbonsu]

You're kidding right?

That's a bit of park planning right out Yogi Berra's school of logic:

"No one goes there any more...It's too crowded."

All business, from production plants, to restaurants to airlines, judge their success on how close they are to operating at capacity.

For the same reason hotels strive for 100 occupancy Disney strives for 100% attendance.

Besides, adding more hotel rooms doesn't necessarily mean more park attendance. Many of these guests would haqve stayed in Orlando and visited the parks anyway.

Disney hotels compete with other area hotels.

You got me there Brian. I read my post again and it didn't come out as planned. Of course they want the parks full. It is just that there is only a limited amount of growth left for the parks. I just feel a 5th park will happen. With a 5th park in the mix the growth possibilities expand. My value of my DVC is directly tied to the theme parks. If the parks become a place where 45 minute waits become the norm then my DVC isn't valuable to me. I'll sell and move on down the road. I really feel it would diminish the demand for DVC in general if this happens. There a ton of timeshares out there. If the parks aren't an enjoyable option any longer, we'll sell and buy a timeshare that is in a location we would enjoy. DVC is no cheap option as timeshare go. We bought DVC to be at WDW. 100,000 people in a park isn't enjoyable for anyone. Overall attendance would eventually start to drop and DVC values would plummet. Parks operate very well with 30,000 people. 100,000 not so well.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

By publicly stating it, he has closed that door for the next few years - or he opens himself and the company up to shareholder lawsuits. So it won't be done. Good business or not, it won't be done.

I don't have the Iger quote handy, but I remember reading the statement.
The way I understood the context was "no fifth park at this time". In my opinion, that's a lot different than just "no fifth park".
That's okay with me, as I feel there is still several years of growth and expansion to be done at Animal Kingdom. I feel that park is still several years away from being a mature park.
Perhaps by that time a fifth park will be warranted.

-- Just my opinion.

MG

 

[Sammie]

the movie theatre and the area surrounding it are not part of the DVC.....

they are owned by another branch of WDW.

so forget the movies.... the only place at WDW where you can see a free movie is at FW. It was doing this before AMC was in Downtown disney west.

I think someone here say that as long as AMC is there - Disney agreed NOT to show any movies for free or limited admission.....

I think some carriage rides - I mean WDW is doing this for FW and PO - so why not????

They already offer carriage rides.

 

[Sherri]

Thanks for the incentive information. I have a different emai address then I had when we bought and never updated it with them so I am guessing that is why I missed hearing about it. So it would be something worth looking into i'm thinking. We will be at the beach in Florida over Spring break and will probably make our way over to Downtown Disney one day, we can check it out then. Thanks again for the help with that. And thanks to to Spiceycat for explaining the park capacity and limits for closing. Your right, who would want to be there when its that insane. I'll tell you, we took a break last year and went to sea world for the first time. That was so much fun and very little crowds. It was a nice escape from the mayhem of Disney. But of course my heart is always with Disney.

 

[dallastxcpa]

the movie theatre and the area surrounding it are not part of the DVC.....

they are owned by another branch of WDW.

so forget the movies.... the only place at WDW where you can see a free movie is at FW. It was doing this before AMC was in Downtown disney west.

I think someone here say that as long as AMC is there - Disney agreed NOT to show any movies for free or limited admission.....

I think some carriage rides - I mean WDW is doing this for FW and PO - so why not????

Actually at a movie grill you do pay admission to see the movie. Then you also pay for your food and beverages. (they usually serve beer and alcohol) So not only do you get to see a movie, but you also get to eat at a full service restaurant.

 

[Ksp]

SSR with the addition of a pool and snack bar will be even better; I've been concerned from its opening about pool capacity.
Adding the steak house/sit down area is wonderful, although I will miss being able to just sit out on that back veranda. It was a nice place to get away from it all.
Movie house with a dinner/food option: Would be TERRIFIC. Has anyone sent that idea to DVC yet?
Some outdoor ping pong tables (like OKW)would be welcome; I didn't see any there during our last visit.

 

[crisi]

I don't have the Iger quote handy, but I remember reading the statement.
The way I understood the context was "no fifth park at this time". In my opinion, that's a lot different than just "no fifth park".
That's okay with me, as I feel there is still several years of growth and expansion to be done at Animal Kingdom. I feel that park is still several years away from being a mature park.
Perhaps by that time a fifth park will be warranted.

-- Just my opinion.

MG

Oh, I agree. I don't have a crystal ball for WDW future. Personally, I doubt a fifth park will ever be built because I think tourism is going to take a huge hit with increasing fuel costs - until an alternative fuel source is made viable, with the expansion of the auto and jet travel in India and China - we are going to see huge increases in gas prices. My tea leaves says that crisis will hit before a fifth park is more than drawings on a drawing board. Disney will respond by localizing their parks so there is less travel involved - which they are already doing by expanding in the Far East. There are huge untapped markets in India and South America. But I'm doom and gloom on the economy and energy - I think we are in for a rough ride - particularly here in the U.S. where we are spoiled by expections of high wages and really can't compete with people willing to work harder for less - and that doesn't bode well for vacations. If I were Disney, I'd be investing more in the Far East and less in the U.S. - that is where the disposable income is moving.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't understand the problem, from Disney's prespective. Once SSR sells out, does Disney care if the guests try to book other resorts at the 7 month window? It's possible it'll be harder to get reservations less than 7 months out if the SSR guests prefer to stay in other resorts but Disney doesn't really have to do anything.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Actually at a movie grill you do pay admission to see the movie. Then you also pay for your food and beverages. (they usually serve beer and alcohol) So not only do you get to see a movie, but you also get to eat at a full service restaurant.

I just don't see how this would attract a lot of people; what would be the target demographic? With everything that WDW (and Greater Orlando) offers, I can't see much desire to pay extra (remember, Disney is never inexpensive) to sit, eat and watch a movie....

 

[bpmorley]

SSR already has something that differentiates it from the other DVC resorts....TWELVE EXTRA YEARS!!

Which was my main reason for buying SSR. I love the resort. Can't wait to go back home. also on another board. Someone just got back last week and was told that there are plans for another park and the next DVC will be a villas at either AK or Contemporary. Now I would definitely buy at one of those. And can someone explain to me how shareholders can sue just because Disney builds another park?

 

[LisaS]

I think the single best thing they could do is build a pool to rival SAB with no pool hopping allowed. A lot of us who own at other resorts would end up competing at the 7-month window to get into SSR now and then so that we could enjoy its wonderful new pool. Put in a lazy river and I'm so there!

I think it would also help them sell out the rest of the resort if they had some plans to show prospective buyers (showing the new pool area, lazy river and snack bar) with a time table spelling out exactly when this pool would be built. If DVC could promise prospective buyers that SSR would soon have the best pool of all the DVC resorts, there would be no problem selling out the rest of the resort and they wouldn't need incentives to do it.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

But I'm doom and gloom on the economy and energy - I think we are in for a rough ride - particularly here in the U.S. where we are spoiled by expections of high wages and really can't compete with people willing to work harder for less - and that doesn't bode well for vacations. If I were Disney, I'd be investing more in the Far East and less in the U.S. - that is where the disposable income is moving.

Holy Moly!
I guess we could start another whole thread about this subject alone.

I'll gracefully bow out here so this thread can stay on topic.

MG

 

[DisFlan]

I think we are in for a rough ride - particularly here in the U.S. where we are spoiled by expections of high wages and really can't compete with people willing to work harder for less - and that doesn't bode well for vacations. If I were Disney, I'd be investing more in the Far East and less in the U.S. - that is where the disposable income is moving.

Have you seen pics or info on the new DubaiLand? Top flight, first class mega-mondo, humongous parks (lots of parks), timeshares, resorts, shopping, entertainment complex. This one may give Disney (and DVC) real international competition.

DisFlan

 

[bpmorley]

I think the single best thing they could do is build a pool to rival SAB with no pool hopping allowed. A lot of us who own at other resorts would end up competing at the 7-month window to get into SSR now and then so that we could enjoy its wonderful new pool. Put in a lazy river and I'm so there!

I brought this idea up a while back. I think the lazy river should go by all the building and it should be sand lined. So it's like a north Jersey beach.

 

[Ksp]

I brought this idea up a while back. I think the lazy river should go by all the building and it should be sand lined. So it's like a north Jersey beach.

Yes to the lazy river idea Between that, and the movie/dinner idea.... more ping pong tables... the spa... DD next door... golf.... community hall.... it would be really hard to leave. (Ok, harder to leave than it already is.)

 

[crisi]

I don't understand the problem, from Disney's prespective. Once SSR sells out, does Disney care if the guests try to book other resorts at the 7 month window? It's possible it'll be harder to get reservations less than 7 months out if the SSR guests prefer to stay in other resorts but Disney doesn't really have to do anything.

Once again, your perceptiveness has hit the point. From Disney's point of view, there is no problem - perhaps SSR is selling a little slow, but it can't be a problem, or they wouldn't be building the last phase. Since Disney would have to make a significant capital investment to differentiate it, it isn't likely to happen, unless that investment adds revenue.

Of course, there is a lot of talk about redoing PI, which is twenty years old and in need of a facelift. If they redo PI in a manner that makes it a more appealing destination to a wider audience, that may do it. It adds revenue for Disney, takes care of some issues Disney seems to have with their current PI clientele, and would make SSR more attractive.