What's really up with PO-FQ?

[dmfuru]

Other sites and the DIS resort board are talking about Port Orleans French Quarter as it is reportedly closing for renovations. What are your opinions about this? Cost cutting? Legit renovations? Both?
I thought I'd ask here b/c you folks have some good insight.

 

[KNWVIKING]

Wasn't PO just rehab'ed prior to it becoming FQ ? If so,isn't it a little early for another ? If not, maybe now with CBR reopened and demand down, they are doing the right thing to shut it down and do a complete rehab as they did with CBR.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Disney made such a to-do about the BIG renovation last year at FQ. We happened to be staying at POR the week before FQ re-opened.
More than once I heard, everything that wasn't moving was painted.
Well the inside of the rooms must have been spinning. It wasn't long before the guests from the newly refurbed FQ came back and posted how shabby their rooms were inside.
So, it may be they are really completing the refurb and doing the insides now.
And if bookings are down, now is as good of time as any.

 

[seashoreCM]

Freeing up staff to open Pop Century?

Found toxic black mold?

More:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=352438&perpage=15&pagenumber=4

 

[DebbieB]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...5,0,4850940.story?coll=orl-business-headlines

 

[daannzzz]

As I stated in a post on the resorts board. Just from investigating a bit you can see that they renovate the rooms at the resorts on a schedule. The deluxes appear to be redone after 8-10 years and the moderates from 10-11 years. I was expesting they might do POFQ really soon with POR right behind so it is time for it to be done though I think if business were really good they wouldn't close the resort completely. POR will remain open and be remodedled on a rotating basis according to reports. Next on the schedule should be the WL and All Star Sports.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

I can't see these as anything but good. For all the people complaining about declining maintenance at least the resorts division is taking advantage of the lower occupancy rate to give the resorts a much needed facelift. I absolutely think it is fantastic that they have done this. It started several years ago with the Grand Floridian, then Polynesian, Carribean Beach, and now Port Orleans. Fantastic! Hopefully, the parks division will be following suit soon, actually I take that back, they have been doing this at the Disney-MGM Studios and there has been more than typical maintenance going on around the World Showcase as well.

 

[Another Voice]

"Hopefully, the parks division will be following suit soon."

I can see it now...

'In order to create that special Disney Magic® and install our Magical® new thrill ride - Six Flags Over Nepal - we will be closing Disney's Animal Kingdom on July 3, 2003. We expect to reopen sometime in Spring 2006.'

Perhaps next we'll hear that the 6:00pm closings for the Magic Kingdom happen only so they can restock the popcorn wagons for the next morning.

The only cost cutting that needs to be done is to eliminate the person in Marketing who's coming up with these lame cover stories.

 

[wdwguide]

Considering they are not giving away the moderates for as low as 70 bucks a nights, it appears as if they are anticipating some further drops in attendance which they feel is best addressed with reducing capacity further. That's a good time to do maintenance work without affecting the guests too much. It's not too surprising considering that most of the problems that caused the decline in the first place have yet to be solved. With Mission: SPACE slipping (at least I hear they are starting the hiring process, indicating that they have finished or are close to finishing the installation of the ride units), they are really a bit in trouble.

And considering that Michael Eisner cannot even recall whether or not the supposed largest addition to the resort in 5 years has been announced yet or what its name is does not make it appear as if he is really on top of things and able to fix these things.

Saturating "8 Simple Rules" and "America's Funniest Home Videos" with Disney props and situations sure isn't the way to do it.