What the heck is EP?

[Mickey Fliers]

With all the speculation about the next DVC resort, I am forced to ask....

What is EP?

Please forgive my ignorance!

 

[Laurajean1014]

I'm not much help it's E...... Pines - a golf based resort designed by Disney a few years back.

 

[travelbug]

EP stands for Eagle Pines, and it's a DVC resort that has been on and off the "radar screen." I can't recall where it would be located, but I'm sure that others here will know that. If I recall correctly, an outstanding golf course would be part of that resort.

 

[lisareniff]

This was an announced but never built DVC resort that was located near the Eagle Pine golf course.

This is the announcement taken from Allearsnet...

Disney Vacation Club Announces Plans for Largest Ownership Resort to Date At Walt Disney World Resort


LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2001--Disney Vacation Development, Inc., operators of Disney Vacation Club (DVC) -- Disney's innovative vacation ownership program -- announced today that it will expand its timeshare resort presence at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (subject to obtaining necessary approvals) by building a seventh DVC property. This latest development for the growing Disney Vacation Club product marks the Company's largest ownership resort project to date.

The announcement heralds a time of exciting growth for Disney Vacation Club, which now boasts a membership of nearly 60,000 member families from over 60 countries.

The proposed 600-unit ownership development is slated to occupy a 61-acre site along the award-winning Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course at Walt Disney World Resort. All rooms will feature either a pool, golf course or forest view. Initial plans call for the construction of a main Inn building encompassing a check-in area; accommodations; restaurant/lounge; theme pool with feature slide; retail space; arcade; common living room area and a health club, as well as Villa buildings containing vacation home accommodations. Development will begin this fall with an estimated opening in Spring/Summer 2004.

"We are very excited to expand the Disney Vacation Club concept to an entirely new resort area here at Walt Disney World Resort," said George Aguel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Vacation Development, Inc. "I am confident that this new offering will be a successful addition to the dynamic vacation options we provide."

The theme of the proposed DVC resort will complement and enhance the beautiful setting found at Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course. The new resort will be inspired by the architecture of Addison Mizner, a celebrated early 20th century architect who led the renaissance of Florida resort design. The property's design will reflect a variety of motifs found in indigenous Florida buildings of this era, including Spanish, Moorish, Romanesque and Gothic forms. The atmosphere and elegance found in the coastal communities of southeast Florida (including West Palm Beach and Boca Raton) will be found in the resort's architecture, ranging from tile roofs to fountains to lush, tropical landscaping.

Commissioned to design the resort was renowned architect Graham Gund, who created the architectural look for such Disney projects as Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and Disney's Vero Beach Resort -- another Disney Vacation Club property. Gund designed the resort to take advantage of the pristine setting found at Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course while maintaining the integrity of the existing golf course. Guests at the resort will have views to Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course but golfers' view of the property will be buffered, with resort buildings "stepping down" in height as they near the golf holes.

The new resort is scheduled to open in phases, with the first phase consisting of the Inn building and five Villa buildings for a total of 360 units. The Inn and one Villa building are currently expected to open in Spring/Summer 2004, with the four additional Villa buildings opening throughout the remainder of that year. The final phase of five additional Villa buildings containing 240 units are currently anticipated to open by Spring/Summer 2005.

As Disney Vacation Club approaches its decade mark on October 1, 2001, the Company is celebrating a number of achievements, including the expansion of its resort collection through the proposed addition of the new resort at Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course and the completion of Disney's Beach Club Villas, which is currently under construction at Walt Disney World Resort next to the popular Disney's Beach Club Resort (expected opening in September 2002).

"These latest expansions of our successful vacation ownership program will allow us to provide still more magical experiences for our guest and member families," added Aguel.

The current collection of Disney Vacation Club Resorts includes Disney's Old Key West Resort; Disney's BoardWalk Villas and The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge -- all located at the Walt Disney World Resort -- as well as Disney's first resorts beyond the Disney theme park locations; Disney's Vero Beach Resort on Florida's Atlantic Coast and Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in South Carolina.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Thanks for the info. Sounds interesting. Where is the EP golf course located?

 

[Chuck S]

Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge golf courses are part of the EP & OR Golf Club* located between Port Olreans and Fort Wilderness just off the Fort Wilderness road. Basic construction access has begun, they had cleared just enough land to house their building equipment, when the former Disney Institute site was made available for SSR. Construction on EP was stopped in favor of SSR because all the utility infrastructure was in place at SSR, EP would have to be built "from scratch." Official word from Disney was that EP was placed on a sort of "indefinite hold" but not officially cancelled. Drawings of the EP resort looked like it was designed in an attractive Southwest theme.

*You may remember it as the Bonnet Creek Golf Club, Disney changed the name recently to avoid confusion with the non-Disney Fairfield Bonnet Creek project located near Caribbean Beach Resort.

 

[lisareniff]

 

[greenban]

EP=Eagle Pines or EVIL PLACE, enough said.

-Tony

 

[Caskbill]

If you were to leave the OKW resort, turn left, go to the traffic light, and turn right, and follow the road, you'd drive past the Port Orleans resorts and eventually come to a 'T' intersection. Presently, at that intersection, if you turn left, you'd go past the campground entrance, and eventually over toward MK. If you turned right, you'd go over toward the WDW warehouse areas.

The EP resort entrance would be located at that current 'T' intersection by changing it to a regular 4-way intersection. Instead of turning left or right, you'd drive straight through, the other side being the entrance to the EP resort.

 

[tomandrobin]

EP=Eagle Pines or EVIL PLACE, enough said.

-Tony

Now I'm confused....I thought the "Evil Place" was SSR!

 

[Ms.Mouse]

If you were to leave the OKW resort, turn left, go to the traffic light, and turn right, and follow the road, you'd drive past the Port Orleans resorts and eventually come to a 'T' intersection. Presently, at that intersection, if you turn left, you'd go past the campground entrance, and eventually over toward MK. If you turned right, you'd go over toward the WDW warehouse areas.

The EP resort entrance would be located at that current 'T' intersection by changing it to a regular 4-way intersection. Instead of turning left or right, you'd drive straight through, the other side being the entrance to the EP resort.

Where did you find that picture??? It looks beautiful.... Something I'd be interested in???? Depends on location... I can't picture where it is. Maybe I'll poke around in that area when I go for a quick visit in Sept.

 

[Ms.Mouse]

Now I'm confused....I thought the "Evil Place" was SSR!

FUNNY!!!

 

[Scratch42]

 

[Caskbill]

Where did you find that picture??? It looks beautiful.... Something I'd be interested in???? Depends on location... I can't picture where it is. Maybe I'll poke around in that area when I go for a quick visit in Sept.

The picture is an artist's rendering that DVC released years ago. Don't remember exactly how I got it but probably off the member website at the time.

We actually used it as one of the questions in our DVC-Trivia contest we ran a few months back. (That's why the little picture is there also).

Disney hasn't announced any definitive plans on the EP project, so it's still on the back burner as far as everyone here knows.

 

[purpliequeen]

Thanks for all the info and the proposed pics. Does anyone have an idea of what the theme will be like? I know DVC has not released a lot of info on this resort.

 

[cobbler]

I liked the look of EP and the description. I might entertain the idea of adding on there if it ever came to be. I would honestly wait and see if it was going to be as large as SSR or close. If it was then I wouldn't add on, I am sure I could transfer at 7 months. Small resort? Well then that is worth pondering.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thanks for all the info and the proposed pics. Does anyone have an idea of what the theme will be like? I know DVC has not released a lot of info on this resort.

As the press release said:

The theme of the proposed DVC resort will complement and enhance the beautiful setting found at Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course. The new resort will be inspired by the architecture of Addison Mizner, a celebrated early 20th century architect who led the renaissance of Florida resort design. The property's design will reflect a variety of motifs found in indigenous Florida buildings of this era, including Spanish, Moorish, Romanesque and Gothic forms. The atmosphere and elegance found in the coastal communities of southeast Florida (including West Palm Beach and Boca Raton) will be found in the resort's architecture, ranging from tile roofs to fountains to lush, tropical landscaping.​

In other words, the announced theme was an early 20th century "fancy Florida" theme.

I would honestly wait and see if it was going to be as large as SSR or close. If it was then I wouldn't add on, I am sure I could transfer at 7 months. Small resort? Well then that is worth pondering.

As the press release said, the plan was for 600 units. That's smaller than SSR, but still a huge resort.

Keep in mind that the press release for the resort at Eagle Pines Golf Course came out before the announcement that Disney Vacation Development (DVD) was taking over the former Disney Institute site. DVD put the Eagle Pines site on hold and shifted attention to the resort that became SSR.

The Eagle Pines site is undoubtedly still on the WDW master plan as a DVC resort site. It's possible that DVD will eventually dust off the plans for the Mizner-inspired resort. Or DVD may come up with entirely new plans.

If I had to bet, I'd say that a DVC resort at the Contemporary will be next, and that the Eagle Pines location will come after that.

By the way, Disney never announced a name for the resort at Eagle Pines Golf Course. On this board, people call it Eagle Pines or EP, but that's the location, not the resort name.

 

[jdg345]

I would much rather have a DVC on the monorail line or at AKL than EP ... but ... that's just me ... some villas with Savannah views would be really sweet!

 

[cobbler]

As the press release said, the plan was for 600 units. That's smaller than SSR, but still a huge resort.

Yes but SSR wasn't originally going to be as large as it is currently. While I love SSR, I think they may have overdone it just a touch. It doesn't bother me though.

They could do the same thing to EP, build 600 units, and do so well with the sales that they decide to make a phase III (or whatever) as well.

 

[jdg345]

Yes but SSR wasn't originally going to be as large as it is currently. While I love SSR, I think they may have overdone it just a touch. It doesn't bother me though.

They could do the same thing to EP, build 600 units, and do so well with the sales that they decide to make a phase III (or whatever) as well.

I thought Phase III was always part of SSR? From what I understood, it was always in the plan, it just was an optional build out?