Orlando Sentinel: Disney Institute is latest victim of tourism slide

[Mop]

Disney Institute is latest victim of tourism slide

Thanks,
Mop

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

From the article:

The brainchild of Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Eisner began as a resort that combined vacations with the study of personal enrichment pursuits such as gardening and the arts.

I just wanted to make sure that credit was given out where it was due!! What a concept! What an idea! What a guy!

 

[JeffJewell]

I guess Suzy and I were about the only people who really liked the Disney Institute... I thought it was a great idea, in and of itself.

In hindsight, I'd question the logic of putting it within WDW; and I'm not certain they did a good job of offering programs for the full family. That ended up putting people in the position where they had to choose edu-tainment over theme parks, and sometimes it would require the vacationing group to split up. Neither of these is high on most folks' vacation itinerary.

But with just Suzy and myself, she'd toddle off to her cooking or floral classes and I'd go play in the computer animation or photography classes and we'd just have a grand old time.

To my mind, Disney Institute's problem was not the core idea, it was the execution.

Jeff

 

[chrisney]

Guess I'll join the ranks of those checking to see how this will affect us. I've got reservations for a Bungalow for Jan 31-Feb 4! Not a happy camper.

 

[Lesley]

Quote:
"Two years ago, the resort dropped all but three personal enrichment courses and instead offered a series of business strategy seminars. Some of Disney's business courses, such as the "Disney Approach to Quality Service," have been priced as high as $3,200 for four days, employees said. Warren said Disney plans to expand the business courses, "and we intend to dedicate additional talent and resources to grow our presence" in that area."

HA! I don't think I'd want lessons from the current management about this! I don't think they've been much of an example to follow recently....

 

[JudySue]

Jeff - again I have to agree with you.

Mike and I did a 3 day program at the DI and loved it. Perhaps the courses were a bit simplistic in some areas, but they were just right in others (I can draw Mickey!!!!).

Now - if we could just show those people how to advertise!

I'm sorry it's gone.

 

[snowiit]

Wonder if they will still have any of DI accomodations open next Christmas? My mom just made reservations for a one bedroom and a 2 bedroom the day after Thanksgiving for Christmas next year. So begins our wait and see adventure! We have stayed there before and my mom loves the quietness of it and the full kitchen. I don't mind being right by DD<G>

Nancy

 

[raidermatt]

The DI just shows the risk a company takes when trying something different, and, dare I say, creative.

To a certain degree, I agree with the idea that it splits up families (for the day), and therefore doesn't fit at WDW. However, as my t-shirt says, there are 99 holes of golf at WDW, and in most cases, that splits up the family for a day also.

 

[MickeyMoose15]

The Disney Institute was being cutback in first place anyway. It was only a matter of time till they closed some rooms when times got really tough.

 

[seashoreCM]

I did some really fun things (be an imagineer for a day) at the Disney Institute about 4 years ago, too bad those programs were discontinued.

Another DI program, video production, got me thinking that shows like 60 minutes and 20/20, and even the nightly news, have a lot of hype. The producer can even present scenes in the wrong order if it tells a story he wants told. No I would not say 60 minutes is telling fairy tales, for many of their topics, one hard luck case, if it actually happened, is one too many.

I realize that those DI programs catered to a very small audience and if they didn't get well attended, they would go away.

When I attended DI, I was staying at All Star.

More Disney tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

9/65 Disneyland
3/75 (World Inn* off I4 near DD)
4/85 (Kon-Tiki* on 192)
'80s Disneyland once or twice
7/94 POR
9/97 ASMu
11/98 ASMu
12/98 (Knights Inn on 192)
9/99 ASMo
12/00 ASSp
9/01 ASSp
11/01 ASSp
*no longer exists

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

There's a rummor over on the DVC board where a bus driver is stated as saying that DI is going to be converted into a DVC resourt. Anybody heard anything?

Scott and peg

 

[d-r]

In some ways it makes some sense - they are home away from homes, and I get the feeling that they have a hard time marketing them through CRO because of the frequent discounts (well, that and the fact that they are closing them). I guess without the institute programs there isn'pt much of a draw.

But then again, I find myself thinking "I hope the point cost is pretty low." It might make sense to make them available to rent with dvc points at a lower point cost than other non-dvc resorts, and hence get some use out of them by renting to dvc'ers. But then you get into the economics of point use and opening up rooms in the DVC resorts to CRO for $ reservations, and that is a bit of mystery to me.

I'll believe it when I see it (but then, I didn't believe they would close PO either, nothing would really surprise me).

DR