Rumors of major changes at CR in 2006?

[GeekChic]

Here's a link to the original post in Resorts, toesmom1 posted some info she heard from a maintainence worker at the CR during her stay.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=616570



i am so upset about this! Not only will that take away a whole building of fabulous, family-friendly rooms at CR, but what about potential structural damage that could be done to surrounding buildings, the monorail track, all of that with construction of a new high-rise resort so close to the CR???

My husband is a structural engineer and is very concerned about these issues. Can anyone confirm that they have also heard this info and any ideas as to exactly how and where they plan the new high-rise? Will it actually be a stop on the monorail track or will people from the high-rise be filing into the contemporary monorail station to ride it? big issues there with traffic control!

If this happens, I will be so bummed out DVC seems to be taking over the property, and convention centers too...how can they even begin to build another resort without bringing the parks back up to par first? Shouldn't that money go into the aging monorail fleet, park maintainence, new attractions before they add more hotel rooms???

just my 2 cents...

geek

 

[Chuck S]

This rumor has been around for awhile, and I'm sure many DVCers would love some Villas on the monorail circuit. DVC makes great $$ for Disney. However, prior to SSR being built by DVC, another DVC resort near the Eagle Pines golf course had been announced, but was put "on hold" because the infrastructure was already available at the SSR/Institute site. That may also be the case with the Contemporary, since the basic infrastructure is already in place. As to whether the DVC units are built or not, don't believe everything you hear from a CM at Disney.

If it is built, certainly the villas building will not be a "high rise" to rival the CR Tower, as far as the OP in the referenced thread being able to "afford" to stay at CR anymore, renting from a DVC member can be economical compared to some rates from CRO. Also, the OPs use of the term "luxurious" is relative. While DVC accomodations are very nice, and very comfortable, "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly no concierge level of service, nor even daily housekeeping without an extra fee. DVC is a timeshare, not a Luxury Suite at the Ritz. It is designed as a way for regular Disney guests, that plan to stay onsite yearly for many years into the future, to save some $$ on accomodations in the long run...and garner Disney some quick investment capital, by having people pay for their vacation accomodations for the next 50 years in a lump sum.

I am also pretty sure that Disney employs some structural engineers, and they would never purposefully compromise the structural integrity of existing buildings and transportation tracks.

 

[DancingBear]

In Orlando and in other cities, buildings are often built right next to existing structures. I'm sure Disney can work out any engineering issues.

 

[GeekChic]

thanks guys, yes, i had heard that disney does employ engineers from time to time for such projects thanks for the reminder.

accidents can happen and i would just hate to see anything damaged by the construction. chuck your post gives me hope that a) it might be put 'on hold' and b) that it won't be a high-rise if they do build it. changing the WDW skyline that way would be a real bummer for me, guess i'm a traditionalist that way.

personally i would not want to pay deluxe resort rates and have to share the monorail station with people coming in from a next-door DVC resort. i'm paying high room rates for quick and easy transportation by staying on the monorail loop, and i still think that it would create a bunch of congestion if another hotel's worth of guests was cramming into the CR station to board the trains.

again, jmo, i don't expect anybody to agree with me LOL.

geek

 

[rascalmom]

We were at the World July 17-24th. We had dinner one evening at the California Grill in the Contemporary. During conversation with our waiter the subject of us staying in a DVC unit at OKW came up. He said it has recently been a consistent rumor that the North Wing of the Contemporary was going to be made into a DVC property. He said they had been hearing this off & on for a while and that the current version was that the North Wing would come down & be replaced by a 4-5 story DVC building. The current parking North of the Contemporary would become a parking structure. He emphasized that this was just a rumor, but that they heard similar rumblings before SSR and VWL. So - if this were true, I don't think it would add that much traffic to the monorail station in the CR. The new DVC people would simply be replacing the Garden Wing visitors. Since DVC units tend to be larger than regular rooms, visitor volume might not be that big of an increase. We've been contemplating DVC for sometime - my name will be on the dotted line if they build at CR or anywhere on the monorail line.

 

[RadioNate]

when I last looked into DVC our salesperson told us this rumor. He also predicted that all the deluxes would get at least some DVC rooms eventually (like WL and BC). He said it's just cheaper than building all new resorts from the ground up.

 

[Chuck S]

Originally posted by rascalmom
....the North Wing would come down & be replaced by a 4-5 story DVC building....

That sounds much more likely, 4 to 5 stories seems to be the norm for DVC buildings, and it would not overshadow the Contemporary Tower.

 

[DancingBear]

The Garden Wings aren't much to look at, so a new DVC building would likely be an improvement to the appearance of the place. Rascalmom makes a good point that a somewhat larger DVC building would still have a similar capacity as the existing North Wing.

Since Disney was willing to lease the North Wing almost completely to Shades of Green for quite a long while, it seems likely that the occupancy rates there haven't been extremely high for some time, plus it may be getting more and more expensive to maintain that building.

 

[Jynohn]

If this is true about the North Garden Wing, it would explain (though not excuse) the deplorable condition it was in during our stay last January. We stayed there through Shades of Green and were really disappointed that a Disney resort would be in such poor shape. The hallways had peeling wallpaper, dirty carpet and scuffed walls. Our room, though clean, was not much better. The light fixture over the bed wasn't working, knobs were missing on the bathroom vanity and when we went to open a dresser drawer, the whole front of it fell off.

I think turning the garden wing into a DVC resort would be a huge improvement. Regardless of what they eventually decide to do with it, it desparately needs renovating in my opinion.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Hi Geek Chic,
Don't know anythign abotu the rumor, but love the photo! I just saw that same dress for sale on ebay! Awesome - so retro!

 

[tigmickey]

I heard this rumor about 2-3 years ago. Being a DVC member I think having townhouse accomidations on a monorail would be great!!

If you haven't stayed at a DVC Resort you don't know what you are missing.

 

[jarestel]

Originally posted by GeekChic
personally i would not want to pay deluxe resort rates and have to share the monorail station with people coming in from a next-door DVC resort. i'm paying high room rates for quick and easy transportation by staying on the monorail loop, and i still think that it would create a bunch of congestion if another hotel's worth of guests was cramming into the CR station to board the trains.
geek

Well, there's always the Poly... no wait, you still run the risk of encountering SOG guests walking over to catch the monorail. The GF might work for you as long as there aren't many guests from other less-expensive hotels eating there and taking up monorail space to and fro. It does sound like a dilemma though, LOL!

 

[GeekChic]

i just think that people aren't complaining because the CR seems to be the least popular monorail resort. If you announced they were going to put a DVC up in the parking lot of the Poly or the GF you'd likely have rioting in the streets! (maybe not but close!)

hey, you know what, when i stay at a moderate or a value hotel, i take the busses. but when i stay at a deluxe monorail hotel i'd like to not have to share the trains with an entire second hotels worth of people, that's all i'm saying! if the DVC thing was only 4 or 5 stories tall then i it wouldn't matter; but the term "high rise" was used originally and so that had me worried. high rise implies lots and lots of rooms and then i would worry that the extra people, if using the CR station would make it a pain for those actually staying at CR.

i can't believe they let the wings fall into such disrepair i think that since they were booking SOG people in them while that hotel was renovated they couldn't have done anything with those rooms even if they wanted to, they were booked up! they should be doing something though, ijust hope tearing them down isn't the final result.

sno, (thanks for the complement!) you saw my dress on ebay!!!!!! my mom gave mine away (sob)! i should go check it out. they don't make em like that anymore!

talk about retro, that pic was taken in the lobby of the CR right outside the FFC. Check out the metallic planter LOL

geek

 

[Deep-Thots]

Originally posted by jarestel
Well, there's always the Poly... no wait, you still run the risk of encountering SOG guests walking over to catch the monorail. The GF might work for you as long as there aren't many guests from other less-expensive hotels eating there and taking up monorail space to and fro. It does sound like a dilemma though, LOL!

Boy, I'll say. Gosh, this sounds a lot like the BCV and BWV DVCers complaining about the non-DVC members who use the bus that stops at those two resorts plus (gasp!!) the Swan and Dolphin. There is no justice in this world, I tell you. Sigh.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

Originally posted by GeekChic

personally i would not want to pay deluxe resort rates and have to share the monorail station with people coming in from a next-door DVC resort. i'm paying high room rates for quick and easy transportation by staying on the monorail loop, and i still think that it would create a bunch of congestion if another hotel's worth of guests was cramming into the CR station to board the trains.
geek

I see your point...you shouldn't have to share your precious monorail loop with those skuzzy DVC members who only put out an initial investment of AT LEAST $14,000.00 and $1,000.00 worth of dues EACH YEAR because you "paid high room rates".

Geez GeekChic...do you even think of what to say before you say it? Or are you that uneducated on how DVC works? I been on this board for years, and hardly ever have a harsh word, but this post really ticked me off!

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, the norm for DVC seems to be a 3-5 story building, not a high-rise as someone mentioned, so I think if they did decide to do one over at the CR, it would probably look OK. I also don't think it would be any larger than what the current footprint of the building is, so in terms of the # of guests, that probably wouldn't change much either.

While having a DVC property on the monorail is appealing for some, I have never cared for the theme of the CR, or the decorating, so you can rest assured that I won't be one of the lowlifes spending $14000+ (speaking of high room rates!!!!) to buy points there.

 

[Dean]

If this happens, I will be so bummed out DVC seems to be taking over the property

As it should be, LOL.

before they add more hotel rooms

Even if it happens, which I doubt, it will be swapping out units, not so much building more.

My husband is a structural engineer and is very concerned about these issues.

It's nuts to think DVC would build anything there that would have a structural risk for the remainder of the buildings in the area. Disney has plenty of structural engineers to help them. Or maybey they would just tear down the entire complex and build a great big DVC resort. They could go for the largest DVC, maybe 1000 two BR units.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

personally i would not want to pay deluxe resort rates and have to share the monorail station with people coming in from a next-door DVC resort

Give me a break.

You better get your flame resistant suit on as I think this statement is gonna come back and flame you in the butt.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by GeekChic
personally i would not want to pay deluxe resort rates and have to share the monorail station with people coming in from a next-door DVC resort. i'm paying high room rates for quick and easy transportation by staying on the monorail loop, and i still think that it would create a bunch of congestion if another hotel's worth of guests was cramming into the CR station to board the trains.

The plan I heard was the monorail would be reserved for DVC and CR guests would have to pay an additional fee to use it. Seriously, DVC would be part of the CR, just like it is with VWL, BCV, BWV, all the mixed use properties. At BWV, it's actually the main part. Why would you look down on someone who paid a lot more than you who are staying at the SAME resort.

There's no question a DVC addition will change CR, but from my knowledge of the wing in question, that change would likely be for the better. CR is a very dated and someone older facility. I'm sure the WDW execs must cringe every time they see it knowing that those modular rooms are modular any more.

 

[jarestel]

Originally posted by Deep-Thots
Boy, I'll say. Gosh, this sounds a lot like the BCV and BWV DVCers complaining about the non-DVC members who use the bus that stops at those two resorts plus (gasp!!) the Swan and Dolphin. There is no justice in this world, I tell you. Sigh.

I know it. I hate it when Disney refuses to honor my "it's all about me" hissy fits!