News Round Up 2017

[sachilles]

Would that walk be shorter than say the Epcot resort area to DHS?

Yes.
Depending on the path, and final location of the rumored resort. It would be about 1200 feet to about 2200 feet.

 

[rteetz]

Well the ride with bullseye, sure seems like the same as the carsland tractor ride at DCA. The rc car ride isn't something new for disney though. Same concept as "ring of fire" or viking ship carnival rides.

The RC ride is the same thing already in the other Toy Story Lands in HK and Paris. Shanghai is really getting nothing new they are all copies. Only major difference is the theme of the swing ride being woody/bullseye.

 

[sachilles]

And just think of the run disney possibilities.

 

[rteetz]

And just think of the run disney possibilities.

What do you mean by that? Adding the path? runDisney goes through backstage and onstage areas without the path as it is.

 

[sachilles]

Would it have helped if I had posted that phrase in red text?

 

[wareagle57]

Well the ride with bullseye, sure seems like the same as the carsland tractor ride at DCA. The rc car ride isn't something new for disney though. Same concept as "ring of fire" or viking ship carnival rides.

I looked up the ride video of the RC racer because I had always been under the impression it was much more than the swinging ship type rides at other theme parks and it was more of an intense launch coaster. The video was very underwhelming. I expected it to go much higher and faster. I think it's even less intense than the swinging ship rides.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I looked up the ride video of the RC racer because I had always been under the impression it was much more than the swinging ship type rides at other theme parks and it was more of an intense launch coaster. The video was very underwhelming. I expected it to go much higher and faster. I think it's even less intense than the swinging ship rides.

I rode it in Hong Kong and it gets pretty high and isn't a nice calm ride ... it was also raining at the time and the rain drops pelting us in the face as we raced up didn't help matters

 

[rteetz]

Would it have helped if I had posted that phrase in red text?

Was it sarcasm? I’m confused.

 

[luisov]

That looks like a very nice and different version of Toy Story playland. Then again, I have a big problem with these Toy Story lands. They fill them with a bunch of flat rides, which wouldn't be a big deal if they at least had a decent ride cycle. Waiting an hour to have three spins on Slinky dog sounds like a pain.

 

[Phicinfan]

I agree with everything you said.

I think this is just a rumor that was thrown out there just like the rumor that came out last year that they would GUT the entire Grand Floridian.

The cost of this hotel would be very very high. To change the monorail will be very costly and time consuming.

Imagine the Epcot monorail being completely down for month or so if not more for construction. Would be a nightmare.

Well first this would not change the Monorail. The option inside the park has been dropped. As posted in the rumor thread, we got green light confirmation from MagicFeather, Martin and Spirit at WDWMagic.com that this hotel was happening. Three sites for location are still viable - west of bus drop off, ON the bus drop off or just in front of main gate before the monorail station. So tie into the monorail for travel to other parks is doable if put at main gate in front.

 

[sachilles]

I would think west of bus drop would make the most sense with minimizing the impact of the infrastructure already in place. However in terms of guest views, that one is probably the least palatable.

 

[Spridell]

Well first this would not change the Monorail. The option inside the park has been dropped. As posted in the rumor thread, we got green light confirmation from MagicFeather, Martin and Spirit at WDWMagic.com that this hotel was happening. Three sites for location are still viable - west of bus drop off, ON the bus drop off or just in front of main gate before the monorail station. So tie into the monorail for travel to other parks is doable if put at main gate in front.

If they have to remove or reconfigure the monorail track in anyway IMO will cause major headache. If not then not much of headache.

 

[Q-man]

and this new resort wouldn't put strain on it?

I don't think that leg to epcot is really used to capacity. I think the strain is the MK loop.

It would seem to be a colossal mistake to build a resort on the front side of the park, and not give them access to Boardwalk without buying a ticket to pass through Epcot. The bus route just won't cut it.
If if it is only a path like the one from DHS to the boardwalk, and run it down the spine along the canal.

If the Boardwalk is a guest's priority there are 5 hotels/DVCs in walking distance and 3 more that will have Skyliner service in walking distance. That puts over 11,000 on property rooms with easy enough access to the Boardwalk. I don't see why they'd build a Skyliner to add ~350 rooms to that as that is ~3% of what will already be able to get to the Boardwalk via foot and Skyliner.

Another solution would be include Epcot admission for Epcot front gate hotel guests staying longer than X number of days.

 

[dlavender]

Why don't they just use the empty innovations building as a hotel. Would sure save on costs!

 

[skier_pete]

To be clear...I think the "Hotel at the Front of Epcot" is the weakest of the many, many rumors swirling around Epcot and Disney World in general. Disney tends to either cluster their hotels (think POR/POFQ or All-Stars or CBR/Pop/AoA) or make them large. The idea that they would build a boutique hotel at the entrance to Epcot seems to me very, very hard to believe. They would have to set up an entire service infrastructure in an isolated location. Much, much more likely to expand something at the IG than to do something like this.

But even so - extending the Skyliner to it makes zero sense. It would already have direct access to Epcot and secondary (non bus) access to MK. What would be the benefit of putting a route from there to IG to Riviera to CBR to DHS with at least TWO changes. Just for DHS access for a boutique hotel? A bus would be way easier and wouldn't hurt desirability because you already have that access for two resorts.

 

[rteetz]

To be clear...I think the "Hotel at the Front of Epcot" is the weakest of the many, many rumors swirling around Epcot and Disney World in general. Disney tends to either cluster their hotels (think POR/POFQ or All-Stars or CBR/Pop/AoA) or make them large. The idea that they would build a boutique hotel at the entrance to Epcot seems to me very, very hard to believe. They would have to set up an entire service infrastructure in an isolated location. Much, much more likely to expand something at the IG than to do something like this.

Disney has done it at other places so I don't see it as being very weak. We are seeing the Swolphin explore boutique options and the Star Wars hotel will surely be not clustered.

 

[umichigan10]

Disney has done it at other places so I don't see it as being very weak. We are seeing the Swolphin explore boutique options and the Star Wars hotel will surely be not clustered.

Also don’t they have several potential plots to build hotels near the Epcot entrance. Who’s to say if they greenlit one, more wouldn’t follow down the road?

 

[rteetz]

Also don’t they have several potential plots to build hotels near the Epcot entrance. Who’s to say if they greenlit one, more wouldn’t follow down the road?

That is a possibility but I would say less likely.

 

[Q-man]

To be clear...I think the "Hotel at the Front of Epcot" is the weakest of the many, many rumors swirling around Epcot and Disney World in general. Disney tends to either cluster their hotels (think POR/POFQ or All-Stars or CBR/Pop/AoA) or make them large. The idea that they would build a boutique hotel at the entrance to Epcot seems to me very, very hard to believe. They would have to set up an entire service infrastructure in an isolated location. Much, much more likely to expand something at the IG than to do something like this.

If gondolas are the future of WDW transportation that frees up the bus service facility and bus drop-off/pickup lot for a hotel. It would also be a straight shot down the West side of EP to the IGW Skyliner station.

Dixie Landings gondolas to the front of Epcot with a connection around the West end of Epcot to DHS takes away the need for buses to 3 parks for 10% of on property rooms. But they'd have to transfer to the TTC monorail and again to get to MK.

 

[Keels]

I actually think a well-positioned hotel would do wonders to frame Spaceship Earth. Currently, the monorail station mucks up the view when approaching from the parking lot.

Step one would be to change the angle of the monorail track as it enters and leaves the park. Basically, move the track closer to the Universe of Energy (RIP) and Living Seas buildings. Doing that opens the "frame" for Spaceship Earth.

Next, create two hotel towers (not too tall) on either side of the main entrance. Connect the towers via a single concourse on the second level that stretches the length across the main entrance. Day guests walk through the building on the ground level. All the ticket booths and entrance gates would be protected from the weather under the building. I'm not quite sure where the security checkpoints or parking lot trams would go, however.

Then, throw a signature restaurant on the second floor that looks over the newly designed entrance plaza (without the tombstones) and call it a day. Having a two-story building directly in front of the entrance wouldn't be any more visually intrusive than the current monorail station.

The monorail station could be connected to the tower on the Living Seas side. The main lobby of the hotel would be in the tower on the other side.

Of course, doing this would cost tons of money. The cost of reconfiguring the monorail route in that area would probably not be worth the cost. I'd say that putting any new hotel directly in front of the main entrance is not likely.

Link to Bing Map: https://binged.it/2j3eHm6

Only thing missing is throwing a bar somewhere in front of the park by the entrance, and I'm sold!