New Disneyland Timeshare

[Stitch 03]

There is a new timeshare going into the Disneyland area that will comprise of about 400 units. It is part of a new retail devlopment between Katella and Disney Way (just off Harbor). http://www.anaheimgardenwalk.com/index.html

The link shows the plans for the development and the timeshare is mentioned on the summary page. It will be interesting to see who is behind the timeshare and how it will affect any future plans for a DVC at DL.

 

[tomandrobin]

Whats the status of the project?

 

[Stitch 03]

The website claims that the project will be complete by Oct 2007. The plan also includes three hotels in addition to the vacation ownership units.

 

[happyrebster]

Wow -- really surprised that they believe there is a market for 3 more hotels in the area! We go to DL about once a year and never have trouble booking on site. Plus, lots of good family-oriented and family-priced options already in the area. I'm sure these hotels will offer something different; but they sure won't offer the opportunity to just walk out of the hotel and directly into a Disney theme park . . . sooooo . . . hm.

Also really curious about the timeshare aspect.

And, finally, as an ex-OC resident, may I mention that there would not POSSIBLY be a market for ANOTHER "lifestyle" shopping complex! Geez! There are already a bizillion of them in the OC, many of them quite charming and successful. These guys better offer some VERY unique, given the high level of competition on all points . . .

Did anyone see this on the site re: location: "The property is located between Disney's front gate to The Magic Kingdom and the new California Adventure, and Disney's newly announced Third Park."

?!?!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Hmmmm...this could be interesting. Doesn't look like anything associated with Disney. But aren't they famous for buying under secrecy? Also, did I miss something -- I knew they bought the strawberry fields, but I don't recall them actually announcing a third park yet.

 

[tmt martins]

Thats a good selling point if I've ever seen one .

Right between the heart of Disney.

Very interesting indeed.

 

[happyrebster]

Hmmmm...this could be interesting. Doesn't look like anything associated with Disney. But aren't they famous for buying under secrecy? Also, did I miss something -- I knew they bought the strawberry fields, but I don't recall them actually announcing a third park yet.

They have not announced a third park yet -- which is what makes this statement so strange . . .

Looks as though this site is rather old, too. Wonder if this is still going forward?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It will be interesting to see who is behind the timeshare and how it will affect any future plans for a DVC at DL.

According to a March 7, 2006, article about the Anaheim GardenWalk in the Orange County Register (may require registration):

Westgate Resorts, the third-largest time-share company worldwide, has signed a purchase agreement for the rights to build atop a parking structure, said Bill Stone, a principal in the project of Excel Realty Holdings LLC of San Diego, one of three companies in the joint venture.​

According to a timeline in the article, the first timeshare and hotel are planned to open in mid-2008, and all of GardenWalk is planned to be completed in 2010.

Westgate Resorts has several timeshare resorts near Walt Disney World.

I don't think that a Westgate timeshare in Anaheim would affect a possible DVC resort at Disneyland in any way. If Disney decides that a DVC resort is a good business use of its limited undeveloped land in Anaheim, then Disney will have a competitive advantage over any off-site resort, even if that off-site resort is in walking distance from the Disneyland Resort. Disney has various surface parking lots (some near the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel, and another just north of the Anaheim GardenWalk) that could be good sites for a DVC resort.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

They have not announced a third park yet -- which is what makes this statement so strange . . .

Looks as though this site is rather old, too. Wonder if this is still going forward?

When The Walt Disney Company acquired the 56-acre Fujishige strawberry farm in Anaheim right after Hiroshi Fujishige died in September 1998, Disney posted a Web site about a "third park." The site (which has since been abandoned by Disney) suggested that the third park would either be a water park or a full-fledged theme park. So, in a way, Disney announced a third theme park.

When combined with a smaller Disney-owned parcel, also southeast of the corner of Katella and Harbor, there is an 80+ acre undeveloped site for a third Disney park. Presumably, the plans for the third park were put on hold because of the failure of Disney's California Adventure.

 

[happyrebster]

Presumably, the plans for the third park were put on hold because of the failure of Disney's California Adventure.

Indeed. How could they possibly open a new park before they turn CA around? Fine for them to hold the land for as long as they need to -- it is only appreciating in value . . .

So it looks as though this other timeshare really is happening though. And I bet that they will sell initially, simply because there is no sort of competing product in that area and it is a hot tourist area.

 

[bwvBound]

There is a new timeshare going into the Disneyland area ...

One such project is for Worldmark the Club ( http://www.worldmarktheclub.com ) developed by Trendwest. See OC Register article from July 05 ==> http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/07/20/sections/business/business/article_603255.php

From the OC Register article, the project will be 253 units located alongside the GardenWalk.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

In addition to all the rumors already stated about the strawberry field, I've also heard that it may be used for the Disneyland DVC resort.

Of course, it's just a rumor.

 

[happyrebster]

Wow -- interesting. So there are certainly a number of other companies whose research shows a market for timeshares in Anaheim. Wonder what is taking Disney so long? My guess is that, once again, they just can't pull the trigger on a decision regarding what to do with that precious piece of property. Hmmmmm. . .

 

[wdw4life]

The website claims that the project will be complete by Oct 2007. The plan also includes three hotels in addition to the vacation ownership units.

I don't know how they are going to finsih by this date. I can't even tell that anything has been started. Granted, there is a wall around the property but I never hear any work being done on it.

 

[Stitch 03]

I don't know how they are going to finsih by this date. I can't even tell that anything has been started. Granted, there is a wall around the property but I never hear any work being done on it.

If they want to hit the target date, they have about 17 months. Lots of time considering that most of the lot is already cleared.

Of course the Oct 2007 date may no longer be accurate. There is also nothing that states that the whole complex will be completed at the same time. Perhaps just the dining, shopping and entertainment areas will come on line first. The hotels can then open at a later date.

Also, If you look on the website there is a chunk of land for proposed expansion. It is the spot where the Anaheim Plaza currently sits at the corner of Disney Way and Harbor.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Wow -- really surprised that they believe there is a market for 3 more hotels in the area! We go to DL about once a year and never have trouble booking on site.

Actually, it does seem to me like hotels around DL are finally being able to raise rates some, which is usually a sign that the market is pretty tight. Used to be you could priceline a room and end up with a 3* for a $35 bid. Now, about $50 seems to be the lowest that is to be consistently accepted.

And while on site is often available when you book 3 months or more in advance, after that it can be iffy, esp. for weekends. In March, we tried to book about 1.5 months in advance for a Sat night and stayed on site only because we had a convention rate. I don't think there has been an AP rate for more than one or 2 nights since early Feb.

Of course, this could all change if the crowds disappear after the 50th is over.

-- Suzanne

 

[happyrebster]

I've been booking and staying on-site using DVC points -- don't know whether that affects the inventory that they tap; but, as I said, we always go in summer and never have a problem.

If there was a DVC, would go WAY more often, as the point structure would likely make more sense and there would be more space for our little one to run around in the room.

DVC actually lowered the number of points needed to stay at the Grand Californian this summer in order to draw people out for the 50th -- so that factored into our decision as well! Paying less than we did last summer! But that incentive won't last much longer . . . Some have suggested that it is a way to get DVC members excited about visiting DL more often?

 

[TwingleMum]

Presumably, the plans for the third park were put on hold because of the failure of Disney's California Adventure.

Is Calif Advent a failure?? What makes you say that????

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Is Calif Advent a failure?? What makes you say that????

All indications are that California Adventure has been a financial disappointment for Disney (although Disney does not release separate financial results for each park). It's been widely reported that the park has failed to pull the attendance levels that Disney had planned on. Disney has had to offer promotions to local visitors, providing free admission to California Adventure with each paid admission to the original Disneyland. The park was built with a substantial capacity for dining, but the outside companies (Robert Mondavi and Wolfgang Puck) pulled out when the guest counts did not materialize, and Disney shuttered several of their own restaurants.

The shortcomings of California Adventure have been the subject of countless Internet articles and bulletin board postings. My opinion is that California Adventure utterly lacks the charm, entertainment value, and "magic" of its half-century old sibling across the Esplanade. There are some nice details in California Adventure, but, overall, the park has a bad layout and fails to immerse guests anything close to what guests expect from a Disney theme park. Yes, I know there are also people who like California Adventure — but I have to believe that even those people would like the second park even better if the decision makers for the second park had understood what makes the original Disneyland so special.

What all this means for this thread is that there won't be a third park at the Disneyland Resort until the second park is "fixed" — which will be a costly undertaking across many years.

However, a DVC resort could certainly be successful without a third theme park. There are many attractions throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County — so Southern California is a great place to visit year after year. The Disneyland Resort, with its central location and its two theme parks and Downtown Disney, is a great base to visit Southern California.

 

[rinkwide]

There's nothing wrong with California Adventure that Rockin' Roller Coaster and Philharmagic wouldn't fix.

As for a DLR DVC; If the guides in California start losing sales to a company that actually has a property to sell, maybe DVD will give up on this half-baked effort to push their Florida timeshare in Anaheim and build a freakin' resort already.