WDW resort going forward

[Andrew015]

Management should stick that rate and see if they can find the answers up there

Amen

 

[lockedoutlogic]

As far as being overpriced goes, that's in the eye of the person with the wallet.

Eventually...the rubber meets the road

...no matter whose bringing the rubber and whose got the road

 

[jon18uk]

nd operators...mandarins, four seasons, ritz...maintain their service and constantly update to keep their advantage.

Disney does not...well maintained, but a fall off in service ( which was never up to snuff) and no reinvention.
Change a restaurant every now and then if your gonna charge me 50% more for the food and 30% more for the room every five years, will ya?!?!

I've never stayed in a Disney deluxe but have often wondere, do the actually offer delux service on the scale of mandarin oriental etc? General Disney service has always been good at all resorts with "pixie dust" but do they really offer luxury?

 

[OKW Lover]

I've never stayed in a Disney deluxe but have often wondere, do the actually offer delux service on the scale of mandarin oriental etc? General Disney service has always been good at all resorts with "pixie dust" but do they really offer luxury?

The GF might come close.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Lockedoutlogic...fantastic, informative posts as always!

Thank you.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Lockedoutlogic...fantastic, informative posts as always!

Thank you.

...just off the top of my head

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The GF might come close.

As a former supervisor at the location of which you currently speak...

I am currently whipping my head violently back and forth on the horizontal axis

 

[Disneychick75]

I'm sorry to tell you, your DVC ownership will NEVER become more valuable. It will continue to be less and less valuable, especially with each and every DVC room they add.

It's valuable if compared to the way resort rates keep rising. We have 300-$28,000 when we bought in to DVC. If we stayed the way we used to-deluxe cl each trip- the cost has risen to between 8-9k /week. We made our money back and then some.

This part is true. I remember when WL was first built. It wasn't considered a deluxe resort along the lines of the CR or Poly. The rooms are significantly smaller than the other deluxe resorts. But Disney found that they could command better prices if they started calling it a deluxe and people were quite taken with the architecture so they paid the asking price.

As far as being overpriced goes, that's in the eye of the person with the wallet.

If Disney had the same type of service they used to offer in the past, I would not bat an eye. They want more money but are giving less service. When I travel, I expect a nice room, a comfortable bed, and outstanding customer service. I won't pay extra money if all 3 of my requirements are not met.

I've never stayed in a Disney deluxe but have often wondere, do the actually offer delux service on the scale of mandarin oriental etc? General Disney service has always been good at all resorts with "pixie dust" but do they really offer luxury?

If you consider a Hilton to be luxury, that's about what you get at Disney World. The Mandarin Oriental Miami is a 5 star hotel yet you can get rooms for $199. In comparison, the GF is about a true 3 star and you can't touch a room for $199. How the GF gets anything above 3 stars baffles me.

 

[sheetz]

How the GF gets anything above 3 stars baffles me.

The GF used to be rated 5 stars by the Mobil (now Forbes) travel guide, but last I checked it was only rated 3 stars.

 

[Disneychick75]

The GF used to be rated 5 stars by the Mobil (now Forbes) travel guide, but last I checked it was only rated 3 stars.

Thank-you sheetz for the update!

 

[rteetz]

The GF used to be rated 5 stars by the Mobil (now Forbes) travel guide, but last I checked it was only rated 3 stars.

Used to be is the key phrase. Disney used to have some of the top resorts in Florida, now not so much. Its quite sad that Disney doesn't produce a world class product anymore.

I saw a post on Wdwmagic.com that said

Walt made a world class product and made a buck by doing so.

Eisner made a buck by having a world class product.

Iger just wants to make a buck.

I actually think that hits the nail on the head. Walt wanted the best of the best and wasn't necessarily in it for the money but of course still wanted that money. Eisner wanted the money but knew in order to get it he needed to give a world class product so he did many things to keep that product. Iger while has done great on the entertainment side of things, has just been in it for the quick cash when it comes to parks and resorts. These DVC moves are a prime example quick money. Iger leaves in a year and a half basically, but then we will probably get Staggs or Rasulo as CEO and they aren't going to be much better when it comes to parks and resorts.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Iger leaves in a year and a half basically, but then we will probably get Staggs or Rasulo as CEO and they aren't going to be much better when it comes to parks and resorts.

The reality is that the best thing for Disney parks is a stock crash where they go into crisis mode before Iger leaves...

It would force help from the outside and aggressive tactics/bold moves.

Remember, Eisner was the young, "loose cannon" that was a bit of a Hail Mary when he was brought in...with wells being the more experienced, "business" conscience...
A scenario that worked well under the original Disney's and also in many other companies - notably tech giants apple and Microsoft ( though they had their ups and downs)

If Iger is a cheap suit (he is)...then Rasulo and Staggs are the hangars...

Future is bleak for parks - most especially wdw - if they keep cranking along based on dividend yield to the California employees pension fund...

Real improvement - the gifts to the customers/fans - cost capital expenditures that don't lead directly to profits and Disney's philosophy has moved away from...permanently, one would guess...
Wasn't always so.

 

[tfc3rid]

The reality is that the best thing for Disney parks is a stock crash where they go into crisis mode before Iger leaves...

It would force help from the outside and aggressive tactics/bold moves.

Remember, Eisner was the young, "loose cannon" that was a bit of a Hail Mary when he was brought in...with wells being the more experienced, "business" conscience...
A scenario that worked well under the original Disney's and also in many other companies - notably tech giants apple and Microsoft ( though they had their ups and downs)

If Iger is a cheap suit (he is)...then Rasulo and Staggs are the hangars...

Future is bleak for parks - most especially wdw - if they keep cranking along based on dividend yield to the California employees pension fund...

Real improvement - the gifts to the customers/fans - cost capital expenditures that don't lead directly to profits and Disney's philosophy has moved away from...permanently, one would guess...
Wasn't always so.

The only saving grace might be Universal Orlando siphoning days off people's Disney visits... That is how it starts... A day here, a day there... Open another new hotel in a few years, open Volcano Bay... Then you have 5 hotels, 2 theme parks and a water park, similar to pre 1989 Walt Disney World.

Then you have them doing more and more adding into the parks each year. From the current King Kong construction, to the rumored removal of the Woody Woodpecker kids zone and the San Francisco area and the rumors of possible Star Trek additions as well as Potter Phase 3. Meanwhile Disney is spending a ton on Disney Springs (do we care?), Avatar and the oft rumored Star Wars Land and merciful DHS reboot.

 

[Lewisc]

The GF might come close.

Disney might think GF Club Level, main building comes close. Even that is probably a reach.

Regular GF, NOT.

The GF used to be rated 5 stars by the Mobil (now Forbes) travel guide, but last I checked it was only rated 3 stars.

I don't think the GF was ever rated 5*, by guides which count.
CMs used to say something like the rating services won't give the GF a 5* rating because the monorail makes the hotel very accessible to non-hotel guests.

The truth. Disney discovered they could charge 5* prices without having to staff the hotel to what's needed to offer a 5* experience.

Disney is about themeing and "pretend". We pretend to train for a Space Mission. POLY is themed to resemble a Tahiti resort. The GF is themed to resemble a 5* resort.

 

[mom2rtk]

Disney is about themeing and "pretend". We pretend to train for a Space Mission. POLY is themed to resemble a Tahiti resort. The GF is themed to resemble a 5* resort.

I mostly just lurk and read here (I know, there's a first for everything!) but I had to pop in and say

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The truth. Disney discovered they could charge 5* prices without having to staff the hotel to what's needed to offer a 5* experience.
.

Excellent post/ summary...

I think the intent of the GF when built was to provide some sort of "exclusive" spot, but do it in Disney's own, unique, quirky service structure.

Then they wanted to charge above what top of the line service hotels would in that market and it has gone out of control and exposed the warts. Now, the location is a premium and they don't have to satisfy 5 star service to charge more. Lets recognize that...but I believe the gap is too extreme for even Disney to try and explain away.

Remember: the poly and contemporary werent exhorbinant rate in 1988...but then they went that way and the "grand" had to be put out in front...

And possibly what makes it a bit of a laughing stock as a Hotel with service is that they suffer from the price Inflation on the "classic" hotels next door.
All of a sudden about 20 years ago...Disney identified - and correctly so - that there was a nostalgic appeal that could command high prices for the archaic monorail system and the two 1960's constructed hotels that had a direct tie to the "Disney" family that disnophiles longed for.

It's a weird theory...but the grand was drug along and many years ago they crossed the threshold where they can't maintain the service illusion.

If I were to prosecute this case in court...it would go something like this:

"A Hotel is not a luxury/service hotel if they cannot book registered guests in their OWN restaurants on short notice or forbids the tipping of service staff"

The prosecution rests...simple, but completely indisputable.

 

[Lewisc]

"A Hotel is not a luxury/service hotel if they cannot book registered guests in their OWN restaurants on short notice or forbids the tipping of service staff"

The prosecution rests...simple, but completely indisputable.

I don't agree.

Even a 3* hotel should be able to book registered guests in their OWN restaurants on short notice. I don't regard that as a requirement exclusive to a 5* resort.

Tipping concierge is the norm industry wide but I don't think a no tipping policy should exclude a resort from 5* status. (Assuming Disney is properly compensating those employees0

Some of the "amenities" Disney believes guests demand, and maybe Disney is correct, aren't the amenities guests at a 5* hotel would typically expect. I'm thinking of coin operated laundry machines. Refillable mugs. One poster was upset when bell services wouldn't loan them a cart.


Service at POP exceeded my expectation of service. Service at deluxe resorts did not meet my expectations. Service at moderate resorts was close to meeting expectations.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't agree.

Even a 3* hotel should be able to book registered guests in their OWN restaurants on short notice. I don't regard that as a requirement exclusive to a 5* resort.

Tipping concierge is the norm industry wide but I don't think a no tipping policy should exclude a resort from 5* status. (Assuming Disney is properly compensating those employees0

Some of the "amenities" Disney believes guests demand, and maybe Disney is correct, aren't the amenities guests at a 5* hotel would typically expect. I'm thinking of coin operated laundry machines. Refillable mugs. One poster was upset when bell services wouldn't loan them a cart.

Service at POP exceeded my expectation of service. Service at deluxe resorts did not meet my expectations. Service at moderate resorts was close to meeting expectations.

Is it possible you are accusing me of not taking my argument far enough?

If so...I'll have to put a note on my calendar today that says "First Time"

 

[Lewisc]

Is it possible you are accusing me of not taking my argument far enough?

If so...I'll have to put a note on my calendar today that says "First Time"

In this case, yes

Stay at a value resort. Meal time. Walk over to the food court and get in line. Exactly what you'd expect.

Stay at any Disney deluxe resort. When you check in ask what time you can dine in, pick the hotel's signature restaurant. In what world is it OK for the clerk to "scold" you, telling you that you should have made a reservation 6 months ago?

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

In this case, yes

Stay at a value resort. Meal time. Walk over to the food court and get in line. Exactly what you'd expect.

Stay at any Disney deluxe resort. When you check in ask what time you can dine in, pick the hotel's signature restaurant. In what world is it OK for the clerk to "scold" you, telling you that you should have made a reservation 6 months ago?

You are so right on with this!