Pop Century Refurb, Gondolas, No longer "Value" ?

[Q-man]

They've just pushing the boundaries of pricing so that you have to spend a fortune to go there...

This isn't some strategy at crowd control...

You have a CEO with a foot out the door trying to put as much air under his golden parachute as possible...

...call it what it is

While it may not be crowd control they are definitely trying experiences catered to the 'whales'. Add on express inter parks transportation, cabana tent experiment, Liberty Belle meet and greet and parade watching, etc.

 

[beer dave]

They've just pushing the boundaries of pricing so that you have to spend a fortune to go there...

This isn't some strategy at crowd control...

You have a CEO with a foot out the door trying to put as much air under his golden parachute as possible...

...call it what it is

Crowd control by price increases....intended to create more profit..... No matter what you call it it has the same result---

The goal is profit, but the vehicles are higher prices, less cast, less maintenance... etc..... from your book, page 413.

 

[Sweettears]

The refurb looks value to me. many lower cost boutique hotels around the country have that same look and feel now, especially ones in major cities like nyc. I welcome it, removing the carpets will have a huge change on my allergy situation when staying away from home. They are just cleaner. Also the floor will hold up much better and last longer so while it might look like they are upgrading the rooms (which makes sense, as universal is building competitive level hotels now so they want to up the ante now to stay ahead of the game) they are actually make the TCO of the property cheaper over it's life..

Personally I think the gondola actually is going to have another stop at ESPN (based on the construction, I would say the first support is there and it just got hidden in the other ESPN permits to realize it was in the master plan. the values fill to capacity when groups at espn are on property.. They are going to keep that group happy and coming with easier access to espn instead of having to get themselves there that they go through now.

I honestly don't care if it's cheaper for them to maintain. In fact if that is their motivation it yanks me off. Cheap vinyl flooring versus carpet in a hotel room screams Motel 6. The possibility of it being cleaner remains to be proven.

 

[Q-man]

I honestly don't care if it's cheaper for them to maintain. In fact if that is their motivation it yanks me off. Cheap vinyl flooring versus carpet in a hotel room screams Motel 6. The possibility of it being cleaner remains to be proven.

You haven't priced 'luxury' vinyl plank. Adura is $4sqft before install.

This is what today's vinyl looks like-

 

[Sundowner2]

They seemed like they wanted to go with a classy look for the room. But to tell you the truth I'm gaga for over the top theming. I want every nook and cranny to be themed from the floors to the faucets. I want there to be no doubt when I'm looking around that I'm in Disney World.

Right!! That's why we pay for on property resorts! That's part of why, other than the expense, I'm not sure I like the theming of a lot of the moderate resorts. they are nice...but the Disney WOW factor is a little too subtle. I want it to scream DISNEY DISNEY DISNEY

 

[Sweettears]

You haven't priced 'luxury' vinyl plank. Adura is $4sqft before install.

This is what today's vinyl looks like-

Not going to question that you can spend a bunch of money on this stuff. I doubt Igor has been shopping at the high end of the catalog. I still can't get beyond the idea that this is a cost savings versus a designer statement.

 

[Q-man]

Not going to question that you can spend a bunch of money on this stuff. I doubt Igor has been shopping at the high end of the catalog. I still can't get beyond the idea that this is a cost savings versus a designer statement.

Why not both? Adura has a lifetime guarantee in residential applications. So, if it has a 10/15/20 year lifespan in a hotel and carpet usually gets changed every 5 years there are your savings. Doing a room refresh? No need to empty it and reload it for changing the carpet. Also, you can pull a damaged vinyl plank in the middle of a room out and replace it much like the carpet tiles they use in the high traffic areas.

Another advantage with Florida's humidity is nothing to hold the moisture that causes mold and mildew smells. In empty rooms you wouldn't have to run the AC as much to dehumidify them as would be needed in a carpeted room.

 

[Sweettears]

Why not both? Adura has a lifetime guarantee in residential applications. So, if it has a 10/15/20 year lifespan in a hotel and carpet usually gets changed every 5 years there are your savings. Doing a room refresh? No need to empty it and reload it for changing the carpet. Also, you can pull a damaged vinyl plank in the middle of a room out and replace it much like the carpet tiles they use in the high traffic areas.

Another advantage with Florida's humidity is nothing to hold the moisture that causes mold and mildew smells. In empty rooms you wouldn't have to run the AC as much to dehumidify them as would be needed in a carpeted room.

You are missing my point. All of the things you mention no doubt benefit Disney's bottom line. The fact that they can avoid installing and eventually replacing carpet does nothing for me a s a consumer. In addition the cost savings you discuss will not result in reduced rates at the resorts but will only bolster the bottom-line.

Another move by WDW for their own benefit phrased by saying "look how clean our rooms are". Are they saying that they weren't clean before unless they get rid of the carpet? Not seeing the benefit here

 

[Sundowner2]

I am sure that Disney WILL be the ones getting most of the benefit from it, savings for them not just in replacing stuff, but also in labor, because it's faster to swiffer the floor, or mop, than vaccumn but I do like the lack of carpet, because it doesn't seem as motelish, it seems a little nicer, a little cleaner (does anyone like walking on carpet without their shoes?! ) and just makes the room look brighter.

 

[Dfan79]

Does anyone like walking on carpet without their shoes?

I do, it feels great on my sore feet after a day at the parks. If you rub them just right it's better than sex.

Plus it makes it easier to see the cockroaches in your room.

 

[closetmickey]

FWIW, many in the cleaning profession consider wood/laminate more time intensive to clean because you need to sweep and mop. It's super easy for things to hide in carpet that guests would never notice.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Crowd control by price increases....intended to create more profit..... No matter what you call it it has the same result---

The goal is profit, but the vehicles are higher prices, less cast, less maintenance... etc..... from your book, page 413.

Page 414 starts the chapter entitled: "the stupidity of the disney consumer...grow up"

 

[lockedoutlogic]

While it may not be crowd control they are definitely trying experiences catered to the 'whales'. Add on express inter parks transportation, cabana tent experiment, Liberty Belle meet and greet and parade watching, etc.

I think this "whale" strategy is a freight train heading off an unfinished bridge...

"Whales" want service and quality...every move made by disney parks for the last 25 years has been about intentionally trying to marginalized those things to generate revenue.

Disney parks are still amusement parks built on middle class clientele...that's why it has worked. A reach but possible with lesser means...more pricey options for those with more cash to spend...a solid, consistent core in the middle.

This is not "theory"...it is practice.

The thing nobody wants to consider is that bob iger might (probably doesn't) not care if it collapses once he's gone. There is no tie to "disney" for him.

 

[DisFanDad]

I do, it feels great on my sore feet after a day at the parks. If you rub them just right it's better than sex.

Plus it makes it easier to see the cockroaches in your room.

Right there with you !

 

[DisFanDad]

I think this "whale" strategy is a freight train heading off an unfinished bridge...

"Whales" want service and quality...every move made by disney parks for the last 25 years has been about intentionally trying to marginalized those things to generate revenue.

Disney parks are still amusement parks built on middle class clientele...that's why it has worked. A reach but possible with lesser means...more pricey options for those with more cash to spend...a solid, consistent core in the middle.

This is not "theory"...it is practice.

The thing nobody wants to consider is that bob iger might (probably doesn't) care if it collapses once he's gone. There is no tie to "disney" for him.

Not only that but, in the service/sales industry, "Whales" are notoriously fickle. What is fashionable and trendy one year is to be avoided at all costs the next. And when whales swim away, they swim thousands of miles away.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Hey all, so looking at the disboards on facebook someone posted the following images of, purportedly, the pop century refurbed rooms. All I can say is that this isn't looking like the "Value" resort I used to know. In the context of the Gondola construction and all, I just can't see Pop continuing to exist in the value category anymore.

https://ibb.co/mTi5DF

https://ibb.co/iVdu7a

Thoughts ?

What screams "not value" to you about it?

I think it's pretty consistent with modern "budget boutique" hotel decor.

 

[Q-man]

The new Coronado rooms look to have luxury vinyl plank laid in a herringbone pattern.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I wonder if the reason they are making all rehabbed rooms look like Marriott is because they are - in fact - selling the hotels to Marriott...as I have long predicted?

 

[rteetz]

I wonder if the reason they are making all rehabbed rooms look like Marriott is because they are - in fact - selling the hotels to Marriott...as I have long predicted?

I just can't see that happening.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I just can't see that happening.

Ok...- couple of questions:

1. Have you ever worked in hotel logistics/management at WDW?
2. Ever followed the difficulty in large volume long term labor in central Florida and how unfavorable those short term and long term costs are viewed by Wall Street?
3. Do you know that TWDC has been desperate to shed employees for years? And that reducing employees in some places allows for more to use in new revenue generating places in others?