Old News / New Diagram

[Horace Horsecollar]

This was a topic of discussion over on the DVC board this past week.

To the people who read this board, I'm sure it's old news that there's a major resort development going in right next to the Caribbean Beach Resort on land that's bordered on three sides by Disney property.

The news first appeared in 2000:
<blockquote>"Resort may soon rise amid Disney attractions," by Tim Barker of The Sentinel Staff, July 18, 2000:
http://www.thetimesharebeat.com/archives/2000/ts/tsjuly77.htm </blockquote>
It took almost two years before any details were announced:
<blockquote>"Fairfield Resorts Reaches Definitive Agreement For Orlando Bonnet Creek Purchase Planned Resort Will Draw Up To 55,000 Vacationing Families Annually," Press Release, Fairfield Resorts, Inc., June 27, 2002: http://www.timesharebeat.com/2002/ts/june/0628-04t.htm </blockquote>
By the way, over on the DVC board, someone thought that Bonnet Creek is a DVC project. I can understand the source of confusion. There are two places called "Bonnet Creek." They're several miles apart, but both are along a waterway that's called... you guessed it... Bonnet Creek.

In 2001, Disney announced plans for a new DVC resort at the Eagle Pines Golf Course at Disney's Bonnet Creek Golf Club. This golfing area is on Disney property north of the Port Orleans Resort. Currently, development of the DVC resort there is on hold in favor of DVC's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.

As noted above, in 2002, Fairfield announced plans for a Fairfield timeshare resort at the Bonnet Creek Resort. The site is south of OKW and is not on Disney property, but access is from Buena Vista Drive near Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.

Now, here's what's new! Doing some Google searches, I found that the architectural firm of the Bonnet Creek Resort project posted their plan for the Bonnet Creek Development, superimposed on an aerial photograph showing the nearby Disney resorts, attractions, roads, and waterways. Wow!!!

Take a look at http://www.guybutlerarchitect.com/page10.htm

-- The Fairfield timeshare resort will be built around a lake (nice views!). It will be right next to the CBR, but I really doubt you'll be able to walk between them.

-- There's an 18-hole golf course planned just east of the Pop Century Resort.

-- There are four hotels planned in addition to the timeshare resort.

-- You can see OKW at the top of the plan, just west of Pleasure Island.

The architect's home page is at http://www.guybutlerarchitect.com/projectspage.html

The firm is based in Orlando, and they have a long history of doing themed architecture. For links to their other projects, see http://www.guybutlerarchitect.com/projectspage.html

I consider this good news (except for the additional traffic that will be dumped onto Buena Vista Drive).

 

[Werner Weiss]

Hmmm...

• The resort hotels at the Bonnet Creek Resort are likely to high-quality, themed facilities, in the tradition of Disney resorts.
• Guests will never have to drive on I-4 or Highway 192, so they'll never face the traffic and junky sprawl that other off-site guests have to deal with. Because the entrance to the complex is from Buena Drive, it will feel like an on-site location.
• If the developers are smart (and they seem to be, based on their choice of architect), they'll make sure that guests have a thorough "Disney experience" at the Bonnet Creek Resort, except for the lack of Disney logos on the hotel signs.

So what does this mean for Disney? How valuable is the Disney logo on hotel names? Will guests who would otherwise have stayed on-site consider these new alternatives to be just as good? Or is this development really no threat to Disney's hotel occupancy because these new resorts are simply more off-site, non-Disney hotels?

 

[mitros]

Interesting development, just got back from WDW , May6-7-8. Talked to about 12 individual CMs and was directed to CM Barbara at the disney village marketplace. She is supposed to know a LOT about WDW. And her husband works in security at AK. She has been around for almost 20 years. She tells me that the new entrance near CB is not for the new fairfield timeshare, but an entrance to pop century resorts. She claims the rumor of the Fairfield resort amidst disney property has been around for a while now. Unfortunatley, I did not track her down until just as we were leaving to come home,and could not think of another rumor to ask her about. She told me to come back any time with a list of questions for her and she would be glad to help me with them. Going back in June to see Arlo Guthrie at Epcot, and I'll be armed with a list as long as my arm!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I don't think its just a rumor...it's been in newspapers. I also think its over on the the timeshare beat (a website whose name I don't recall).

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by mitros
She tells me that the new entrance near CB is not for the new fairfield timeshare, but an entrance to pop century resorts. She claims the rumor of the Fairfield resort amidst disney property has been around for a while now.

I must point out that CM Barbara is mistaken.

The entrance to Pop Century is from Victory Way, south of the CBR. The new road that connects with Buena Vista Drive just east of the CBR is, in fact, the entrance to the Bonnet Creek Resort, a non-Disney development that includes a Fairfield timeshare resort.

The Fairfield resort is not a rumor. It's a real, announced project.

Please take a look at my posting at the top of this thread. It contains several links. (On most browsers the links show up as blue, underlined text.) Click on the first two links to read articles about the new Fairfield resort. Click on the third link to see a map of the Bonnet Creek Resort project, including the road that connects to Buena Vista Drive.

And I wouldn't take anything else that CM Barbara says seriously, given the utter misinfomation she gave you about the Fairfield "rumor."

 

[roymccoy]

Isn't it funny that people are up in arms that an outside company will basically be building a resort on "Disney" property and we're questioning if it will be up to Disney standards. What are Disney standards nowadays? Pop Century? DCA? Maybe, Bonnet Creek will KA and give Disney a little run for their money on property.

Roy

* If it were Bonnet Creek building Pop Century on land within WDW, we'd be yelling for a court order to stop the atrocity!

 

[mitros]

I guess I was not really clear about the info. Barbara did not say the rumor about fairfield was not true, just the part about that particular entrance. She insisted that the entrance was for pop century. She also said that this was the second entrance to PC.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by mitros
She insisted that the entrance was for pop century. She also said that this was the second entrance to PC.

mitros: If you really want to believe that there's a second entrance to Pop Century north of CBR, even though Pop Century is located south of CBR, that's fine.

Everyone else can click here to see that the new road leads into the Bonnet Creek Resort, where the Fairfield timeshare is being built.

In general, it's a good idea not to believe everything a CM tells you.

 

[roymccoy]

I don't think that mitros is saying that they necessarily believe 100% what the CM told them, but that they are just passing on info from a supposed CM "in the know."
If it turns out to be a totally false rumor, so be it, but this IS the rumor board and there have sure been some doosie rumors in the past that have turned out to be true.

Anyway, keep the rumors coming and we'll sort em' out!

Thanks for digging and sharing, mitros!

Roy

 

[laceemouse]

I believe this will happen and I don't think it will hurt Disney one bit! The people staying there will spend MEGA bucks at the parks, Disney restaraunts, etc. It may be some competition for the resorts but Disney has a ton of that already. We own another t/s which we trade through RCI. We have stayed at Fairfield Branson and it was very nice. Now we own DVC also. I would love to get a week at this new Fairfield resort and then a few days at BCV. This would be Disney heaven for me!!!!

 

[mitros]

Thanks for the kind words! And you are precisly correct. This is a rumor board, and I do not always beleive everything a CM says, Horace, because I found that they tend to exaggerate at times, just like most folks like to do. But by the same token, I have found CMs that have been 100% correct in what they have told me about WDW, so therefore, I listen to what they say, take it with a grain of salt, and if it proves to be wrong, so be it, so i eat a humble pie. But I have noticed other people on these boards being berated, and in the end are proven to be correct. So, let the rumor board be a rumor board! have a splendid day

 

[barreloflaughs]

Originally posted by laceemouse
I believe this will happen and I don't think it will hurt Disney one bit!

Hurt them? Hell no...why I've just heard that Disney's new resort is being renamed. "The Pop Century Golf Resort" will be opening in December. Talk about synergy!

carl

 

[DC7800]

I've always been puzzled why the entrance to this Bonnet Creek development would be (have to be ???) along Buena Vista Drive. Seems obvious it would be in Disney's best interest to keep this new resort seperated (both geographically and psychologically) as much as possible form WDW's own resorts. It would have been better still just have bought out this property years ago, but since that didn't happen, why, why, why is the main entrance to the place being placed seemingly in the middle of WDW - right at Epcot's back door, and alongside the CBR?

I realize that, as the surrounding property owner, WDW is obligated to grant access (anyone have the details on this "requirement"?), but wouldn't it have made more sense to have granted this access road from Osceola or even Epcot Center Drive? Arguably this probably should still be done if only for traffic-control issues, but from Disney's perspective, it also would have maintained at least the illusion of greater distance from WDW proper. In fact, Osceola comes closer to the development's borders than does Buena Vista (that's a rather long road along CBR).

For a long time I thought this Buena Vista road was only to be the construction entrance, and again, I'm still surprised the sole access to this property will be here, although it obviously will.

 

[freediverdude]

Well, the more I think about it, the more Disney probably did the smart thing, giving them the access road where they did. The only thing you'll be passing on Buena Vista is one driveway with a Bonnet Creek resort sign, and can't see the resort from the road, like the other huge Disney resort entrances. That way those people will be driving like a mile way back into the Bonnet Creek resort, and it will feel more separated from Disney. If they had put the entrance on Osceola, the entrance would have been right there where you can see the Pop Century buildings, which would not have been good for theming, as well as possibly causing confusion. So I guess they picked the best way, if they couldn't acquire the land or didn't want to. Also, it sounds like these rooms would probably be deluxe, and in a similar price range to the disney deluxes, but without the close park access of most disney deluxes, so not sure how much it will be competing really.

 

[KNWVIKING]

If Disney had sold this piece of land to Fairfield,then they would have been required to allow it access to the roadway. But I don't see a downside to Disney allowing this to happen anyway. The only difference between the fairfield and any other off-site resort that sits on Disney's border is that it isn't "across the street", so to speak. And would Disney rather have the potential park guests sitting next to them, or across from Portifino or Hard Rock ? I don't think it will draw many guests away from WDW resorts either. People stay on-site because they WANT TO STAY on-site. Don't care how close it is,Fairfield is still off-site.

And the road we're talking about is absolutely going to Fairfield,not PC. There is a sign identifying it to construction crews.

 

[Werner Weiss]

I looked up something that I posted on the DVC board some time back. I thought the information might be interesting to the readers of this thread because it provides background on why there's this major piece of land surrounded on three sides by Disney property. On February 3, 2003, I wrote:

<blockquote>Quoting a July 18, 2000, Orlando Sentinel article (reprinted by TheTimeshareBeat), "According to documents filed with the Orange County planning department, the land was acquired as an investment in 1962, several years before Walt Disney started his quiet shopping spree that netted 27,000 Central Florida acres." Adding to the mystery, the article also states, "But exactly who the owner is remains a little unclear." The article goes on to mention public records that indicate secretive ownership.

As to why neither Walt Disney nor subsequent Disney management ever bought the property, I can only assume that the owner preferred not to sell, at least not at whatever Disney was willing to pay &#151; if the owner could even be reached.

It seems that almost 40 years after acquiring the land in 1962, the owner finally decided to bring in a devlopment company, Brooksville Development.

I can only hope that Brooksville will strive to develop this land with the same high standards of design, landscaping, ambience, and overall quality with which Disney does development.

And, who knows? As DVC owners, we might wind up with some new, nearby restaurant and entertainment choices. After all, the Fairfield timeshares are only one small part of the Bonnet Creek development. </blockquote>

 

[Planogirl]

Wow, this looks really interesting. As someone who stays offsite sometimes, I would personally be VERY interested in an offsite in such a good location. I hope that they have good bus service! (Plus no way to see Pop Century but that's another discussion! )

 

[one_cat]

Interesting. I wondered where that road went and what was being built down there. It is a great location and Disney will benefit even if they don't get the room rents. Maybe they will provide Disney Bus service like the DTD hotels used to.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

You can see the land clearing for one of the resorts when driving on I-4 or on the ramp from Epcot drive to I-4. It is on the right.

 

[eeyore0062]

I don't feel that it will be a disservice to WDW any more than the string of outside owned resorts along Hotel Plaza Blvd, I-4 or 192. If people want to stay there and spend their cash at Disney, then Disney will profit from the proximity.

We were staying at CBR when they started clearing the land for the road off of Buena Vista Blvd and long wondered where it was leading, with the expectation that it could be to Pop Century, however, we noticed that there was a sign up in March indicating that the Bonnet Creek Resort was going to be back there. At that time, we were under the impression along with many others I am sure, that Bonnet Creek would be another DVC property.

I am glad that those questions have now been cleared up, and I hope that the new project will be a good neighbor for WDW!