Should WDW put rooms IN the parks, esp Epcot?

[jayandstacey]

I can imagine anywhere from 25 to 100 rooms at each of the countries around world showcase. Likewise rooms overlooking sunset blvd in the studios, and others elsewhere.

The popularity of the castle suite shows there's some demand there. Further:
- Disney is already servicing a single room in the castle - the least efficient way to run a hotel
- many hotel services, like food and laundry, already exist in the parks- the only change would be to make their hours match the rooms.
- and park admissions might need to be adjusted - for instance, world showcase would never close (a la the boardwalk) but would have a 24 hour guard at the international gateway - during park hours, they would look for park tickets, after hours - room keys. Also, the lobby of each hotel might be accessible from the exterior of world showcase.
- Booking a room in the park would likely cost a TON, but might also come with free admission to that park for all nights stayed.

thoughts? I have to believe Disney is at least looking at this...

 

[duffy]

That would be so freakin' awesome!!

 

[G8r4evr]

Ive been hoping for this for years =)

 

[Booyakasha]

I can imagine anywhere from 25 to 100 rooms at each of the countries around world showcase. Likewise rooms overlooking sunset blvd in the studios, and others elsewhere.

The popularity of the castle suite shows there's some demand there. Further:
- Disney is already servicing a single room in the castle - the least efficient way to run a hotel
- many hotel services, like food and laundry, already exist in the parks- the only change would be to make their hours match the rooms.
- and park admissions might need to be adjusted - for instance, world showcase would never close (a la the boardwalk) but would have a 24 hour guard at the international gateway - during park hours, they would look for park tickets, after hours - room keys. Also, the lobby of each hotel might be accessible from the exterior of world showcase.
- Booking a room in the park would likely cost a TON, but might also come with free admission to that park for all nights stayed.

thoughts? I have to believe Disney is at least looking at this...

Although it would be really cool, I think you answered your own question. The complexity of this might be too difficult. The parks are a controlled environment in terms of open and closed. Resorts are open 24/7 changing this would be a pain. I think what you will see is more like what Disney did with AKL where they sort of bring the park to the resort. I think Disney would hesitate to do a major construction in a park like Epcot. There are alos issue of building new buildings coded for occupancy. I would bet all of the bldgs in Epcot would have to be completely retrofitted or new buildings built to meet the building codes for hotels. Cool idea big pain in the butt.

B.

 

[Crazy Kanga]

I seriously doubt this will ever happen. Those gusets staying there would be subject to too much off stage type activities such as park maintenance only done after hours. This is something Disney frowns upon. The only way to prevent guests staying there from seeing it would be to lock them in there. Not gonna happen IMHO!

 

[madalex]

The existing buildings in Epcot would have to be completely rebuilt to allowed them to be occupied as hotels. Most of those buildings are built with a "forced perspective" to make them seem taller than they are. The upper "floors" (or, more accurately, the windows that we see looking up at them) are not are normal height. Thus, for Disney to do this, they would have to demolish the buildings and start all over again. I cannot remotely see this happening.

 

[minnie61650]

...The only way to prevent guests staying there from seeing it would be to lock them in there. Not gonna happen IMHO!

Good Point.

That is exactly what happenes when someones wins a night in the Castle Suite, They have to stay in the Suite. They cannot wander around the park after park closing to get a bite to eat or to run to the gift shop if they run out toothpaste. There is a butler that comes with Suite so if the guest needs something they can ask him to get it for them but he is there more to provide security for Disney by making sure the guests stay put for the night.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[episode]

The popularity of the castle suite shows there's some demand there. Further:

Theres demand in sleeping in the castle is that all that shows. There are no other rooms available for that.

Plus, its something you win for free.

However, Eisner DID look at putting real hotel rooms into the ToT. (Well, a wing of it, not the actual tower) Budget costs stopped this, plus the idea that people wouldn't be able to sleep with the screaming (fake and otherwise) coming from the tower until 9pm or later.

Inside the park causes problems, but something like a hotel slightly outside of the boundries with its own entrance isn't too big of a problem.

Having the rooms actually inside the park means that you would have to have doors that locked to prevent people from entering the park after hours, and then they would have to be fire doors to meet code, meaning they couldn't fully lock, they have to open with a delay. And then you'd have peoples sneaking (or trying to) through them.

Stay at Beach Club, its close enough to Epcot to be considered inside the park.

 

[Nanu57v]

How do they do it at DL?

 

[disnut8]

Heh - people are complainging about the construction noise at Animal kingdom Lodge and the Contemporary. I can't imagine someone wanting to potentially listen to maintenance crews inside the parks at night.

The Disney World parks don't really ever close. They just close the doors to their guests.

And not to always bring this up but can you imagine the liability insurance on doing something like that?

 

[Becky_Boop]

This reminds me of a friend taking her first trip to Disney World. She was staying on-site, at one of the moderate resorts. When she got there, she was extremely disappointed. She thought that she'd actually be staying IN the parks. She complained, and they put her in the Poly, so it would at least be easier to get to the parks.

Maybe her dream will come true

 

[G8r4evr]

I always thought it would be cool if there were real hotel rooms on Main Street, above all the shops.

 

[bavaria]

At Disneyland Resort Paris the Disneyland Hotel is adjacent to the front area of the park ie overlooking the train station with views of the castle in the back. One cannot access the park unless one enters through the 'usual' entrance or via the private access lounge.

At EuropaPark in Germany, the most economical of the hotels (a bed and breakfast style) is actually located on the main entrance street (Germany's version of Main Street USA). Access to the building is from the backside, although I don't know if there is access during the day via the front side.

I have stayed at a hotel in EuropaPark with access through a turnstile into the park, much like GCH at DL in California.

 

[alldiz]

I think it would make it more crowded.....change the whole
"quaintness" of World Showcase.
Kerri

 

[CampbellScot]

It sounds like a cool idea...but I don't think it will ever happen. As other people have stated, the logistics of having guests staying IN the parks would probably not work. The buildings aren't meant for people to stay in them. It would be a lot of contruction to get them people ready PLUS...I can't imagine it would be very relaxing to "get away from the crowds...when you are staying IN the crowds...y'know?

Most importantly though, Walt would not want people IN the parks before they were cleaned and polished and ready to go. A lot of that happens before the parks are open to guests in the morning. Preserving the magic is of utmost importance!! The parks need down time from guests!! The magic needs to rest!

cool idea though!

 

[jayandstacey]

The existing buildings in Epcot would have to be completely rebuilt to allowed them to be occupied as hotels. Most of those buildings are built with a "forced perspective" to make them seem taller than they are. The upper "floors" (or, more accurately, the windows that we see looking up at them) are not are normal height. Thus, for Disney to do this, they would have to demolish the buildings and start all over again. I cannot remotely see this happening.

Neither do I.
My vision, if you want to call it that, is that the bulk of the new hotel building go in behind each (or some of) the countries around world showcase.

These would have to be small, low buildings, as there just isn't much land back there - and the vast majority of the building would be hidden from park view. Think haunted mansion where most of that building is hidden, like an iceberg. In the world showcase, the hotel entrance that hits the park would be as simple as a little row house-looking entrance tucked into the back of one of the countries. Of course, to accomplish this, we are talking about very small hotels, maybe 25 rooms. But at HUGE prices to make up for the PITA.

As for the parks staying open - they wouldn't - except the very limited area where the hotel(s) would be. There would be back entrances to the hotel building to allow normal, non-park entrance. Think the boardwalk, where late at night they are cleaning the area but you can walk around, or think world showcase in the morning when international gateway is open, but to get to future world.

Of course there are issues, but Disney has many locations that might work on a small scale and the sky is the limit on what could be charged to stay in such rooms. So the question isn't if it is hard, rather if it could be profitable. And while parks like AKL bring the park to the hotel, they do so because that's the only way to do it on a large scale. Victoria and Alberts, the castle suite, bippity-bobbity boutique and other places show that disney is also willing/able to make money on a smaller scale for the right high-end image.

Will it happen? I don't know. But the trend is that disney is letting more people stay in the parks overnight, and getting TONS of press for soing so. It doesn't seem like the door is shut.

 

[enyaj40]

i wouldn't like it and i'm not even sure why

 

[jayandstacey]

I seriously doubt this will ever happen. Those gusets staying there would be subject to too much off stage type activities such as park maintenance only done after hours. This is something Disney frowns upon. The only way to prevent guests staying there from seeing it would be to lock them in there. Not gonna happen IMHO!

Yes, but for an extra fee you can do the behind-the-scenes tour and see all that. There are people that would pay for the priviledge of being amidst off stage activities.

In many ways, Disney is like a formal religion. When you go to church, there are certain things that happen behind the scenes. You only get to see that stuff if you become really involved in the church. It isn't any secret that trash has to be taken out - but in a way, a church assures steady access to volunteers to help take the trash out by making those areas off-limits to most people. Thus those people allowed into those areas are a little more 'special' and people volunteer (in part) to be one of the special people.

Disney has no shortage of people who want to be special and are willing to pay.

 

[autumnbaby9]

I think putting hotel rooms actually in the park is something that is just not doable.

However is would be nice if they did something like the GC hotel in DL. The hotel is connected to the park and has an entrance that goes directly into DCA during park hours. It also has an entrance that leads into DTD.

 

[CPer'sMom]

Yes, but for an extra fee you can do the behind-the-scenes tour and see all that. There are people that would pay for the priviledge of being amidst off stage activities.

Backstage is backstage for a reason! And while you may think there is "empty" space back behind the countries that's not really the way it is.