I do get cynical and quite snarky...but its usually knee jerk.
Now that i can further expunge upon it...
The Walt Disney Company...in any way, shape or form, is in no way looking to expand into any locations inside the continental united states except maybe
perhaps in the form of standalone DVC resorts.
We should all automatically dismiss any DVC in _____ state rumors in kind because it does not make monetary sense to walt disney on any angle. They are not interested in building a network of driving distance theme park/amusement enterprises in the united states...that is actually counter to their business model.
they want you in florida (first choice) or california (second choice due to size) for an extended stay where they control ALL your vacation discretionary income and set the price that you pay for each individual minute that you're "relaxing" or "having fun". And of course...where you're exposed to their merchandising drone attack style onslaught for days.
The whole experience works in consort - you fly to a spot in a universally good weathered locale...they pick you up (in the case of WDW...which is genius) - they put you in their owned and operated fiefdom for a week + - they set how much you pay for all your food - they put you in one giftshop every 15 feet - and then they wear you down...slowly...methodically
And you go home with a lighter wallet. It works...it's documented...its on the balance sheet...its proven.
Bankable.
Never...in five million years...are they going to shift their opinion and try to "open up" regional markets that are driving distance to the midwest, eastern plains, or deep south. there's no profit in it for them. not to the levels that they need.
The parks are meant to rake in cash so that they can make bad tv and movies...notably starring nick cage...AND to sell junk both there and at your local
walmart. Ok...you have a slight motivation there.
But more spots won't add more people...it will dilute what already goes...notable to WDW.
And definitely not now...if the american worker suddenly got a nice pay raise (which they haven't in over 30 years) or increased their average vacation from the pitiful to a nice amount to use (the united states government actually mandates that american workers are given ZERO days off paid each year...of the top 20 economies on earth...that is the benchmark to avoid...japan is second with a piddly 10, canada third with a huge 18...and most other countries well above 30...god bless america!)...
...then MAYBE more spots make sense. But we aren't heading that direction. not by any metric. We're getting worse. And disney is well aware that their dollars are not increasing from destinations like they would wish.
My inlaws mentioned a nice little love note they got from DVC last week. It threatened them (general threat...not specific to them) that they could have their membership rescinded/ repossessed if they rent their points to others.
Yes...Disney says you OWN it...but you can't rent it. I don't disagree with that...i don't like the idea of renters either...but the reasoning is telling. The letter said it basically was financial sabotage to rent to DVC because those people might be getting a break and not forced to pay rack rates or buy their own DVC.
Travel economy is still in the crapper...and disney has firmly stated that to have somebody show up and spend pounds of cash in their parks and shops and food spots isn't good enough...not if they are paying for a room that has already been sold longterm to somebody else...
They want the whole damn thing
So back to Pigeon Forge Tn, Texas, Colorado, St. Louis, Branson, MS, or anywhere else that we've seen these "hot" rumors come from...lets just say no.
They surely don't care if the kids pile into the honda and come for a day or two...its not good enough. That dream died when patriotic michael eisner was defeated in the third battle of Bull Run outside of Washington DC in the 1990's...they won't make that mistake again.
But they will give you free bus rides in orlando for 8 days or so
