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

[Irish_Mike]

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?

Is there even any evidence to indicate this, aside from the hypothetical employee cuts?

 

[Dfan79]

That is silly, Disney would never sell their current resorts to Marriott. That would be like Wal-mart selling their stores to the Dollar Tree.

 

[Delano Fiedler]

It's actually impossible for Marriott to buy a single Disney resort nevertheless all of them.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Is there even any evidence to indicate this, aside from the hypothetical employee cuts?

It's just a theory...but fits a lot of both obvious and subtle trends...

I'm not gonna go full thesis on this...but just start with this one: disney doesn't like...nor has ever liked to be a hotel operator.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It's actually impossible for Marriott to buy a single Disney resort nevertheless all of them.

Sorry...not "buy" but third party operators. Disney collects contract fees and loses the employees.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

That is silly, Disney would never sell their current resorts to Marriott. That would be like Wal-mart selling their stores to the Dollar Tree.

OK...I see literalism has takenover...

You damn Literals!!!

 

[Delano Fiedler]

Sorry...not "buy" but third party operators. Disney collects contract fees and loses the employees.

Now thats more like it Well, that might be a good idea, Marriott has some of the best customer services in the world.

 

[rteetz]

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?

I just don't see that happening at this time. I agree with some things you say but not this one.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I just don't see that happening at this time. I agree with some things you say but not this one.

Oh I agree with you...definitely not "now"...

That was more of a tongue in cheek...

But long term I can definitely see it. It's just ironic how there last 4-5 rehabs/constructs have all features stripped theming.

Think people want these rooms without theming? What percentage?

The gaud was a BIG part of the psychology...I can tell you first hand. It's s shift...for sure.

 

[dlavender]

Oh I agree with you...definitely not "now"...

That was more of a tongue in cheek...

But long term I can definitely see it. It's just ironic how there last 4-5 rehabs/constructs have all features stripped theming.

Think people want these rooms without theming? What percentage?

The gaud was a BIG part of the psychology...I can tell you first hand. It's s shift...for sure.

That's what I don't get about these refurbs.

They look more and more like a Holiday Inn vacation property than a WDW themed hotel.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Oh I agree with you...definitely not "now"...

That was more of a tongue in cheek...

But long term I can definitely see it. It's just ironic how there last 4-5 rehabs/constructs have all features stripped theming.

Think people want these rooms without theming? What percentage?

The gaud was a BIG part of the psychology...I can tell you first hand. It's s shift...for sure.

I think they probably do have a lot of customers that want less over the top theming. That's one of the reasons that some on this board cite for NOT staying at values. People might want over the top theming outside in the lobby or pools but not in their rooms. Neutrality is a big part of the general budget boutique movement, I feel. It's supposedly the same reason for hard floors and white bed covers. Guests see it has a cleaner/more modern look. I don't personally get it but I have a lot of family and friends who don't like the idea of staying in an over the top themed room. These people want to only spend so much but they want to feel like they're in a "classy" hotel.

And if Disney didn't like running hotels, they wouldn't have started to do so to begin with. They put a huge amount of money into attracting people to stay on property. It's because it's a huge money maker for them. It's like Vegas- it's less about the income from the hotels and more about the income the booze and food options generate. If you stay off property, you're way less likely to eat every meal on property.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

That's what I don't get about these refurbs.

They look more and more like a Holiday Inn vacation property than a WDW themed hotel.

They'll say "guest demand"...

But that is not a thing this time (or ever)...there's an angle to this...more to watch.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think they probably do have a lot of customers that want less over the top theming. That's one of the reasons that some on this board cite for NOT staying at values. People might want over the top theming outside in the lobby or pools but not in their rooms. Neutrality is a big part of the general budget boutique movement, I feel. It's supposedly the same reason for hard floors and white bed covers. Guests see it has a cleaner/more modern look. I don't personally get it but I have a lot of family and friends who don't like the idea of staying in an over the top themed room. These people want to only spend so much but they want to feel like they're in a "classy" hotel.

And if Disney didn't like running hotels, they wouldn't have started to do so to begin with. They put a huge amount of money into attracting people to stay on property. It's because it's a huge money maker for them. It's like Vegas- it's less about the income from the hotels and more about the income the booze and food options generate. If you stay off property, you're way less likely to eat every meal on property.

If you're saying the people willing to pay $300 for pop and all stars in 5 years don't want the corny colors...I 100% agree with you.

Everyone happy now?

Read up on the history of Disney hotels...they have tried to outsource either the construction/operation or both several times - particularly In Orlando.

You know where I learned that? Working for disney resorts...

They do not want to be a hotel operator because of the guaranteed costs for labor/upkeep/ and supply. Public companies hate that and always will.

 

[Westcoastwild]

If you're saying the people willing to pay $300 for pop and all stars in 5 years don't want the corny colors...I 100% agree with you.

Everyone happy now?

Read up on the history of Disney hotels...they have tried to outsource either the construction/operation or both several times - particularly In Orlando.

You know where I learned that? Working for disney resorts...

They do not want to be a hotel operator because of the guaranteed costs for labor/upkeep/ and supply. Public companies hate that and always will.

I'm saying that the people who spend 120 now don't necessarily want the corniness. I stay in a lot of budget hotels and hostels and refurbs and new builds look like the same thing they're doing here. Modern design, a few higher end fixtures, to make it look higher end than it is.

If they don't want to be running it, why are they? I have a hard time believing that there is no chain panting to take the hotels off their hands.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm saying that the people who spend 120 now don't necessarily want the corniness.

If they don't want to be running it, why are they? I have a hard time believing that there is no chain panting to take the hotels off their hands.

Few people are paying $120...check the rates...

And pop and AoA are about to get jacked through the roof...it's a coming...

Why do they operate hotels? Usually the "lesser of evils"...to be honest. They do run them to "feed" the gift shops...but I think that those circumstances are kind of a given now...

They would sacrifice the "revenue" for the loss of costs...believe me...it's just a matter of the right agreement at the right time.

 

[amcc]

Attendence was down at 13 out 14 parks after the ticket price increases but profit was up 9%. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/business/media/disney-theme-parks-universal-attendance.html

It is looking more like Disney may be marginalizing the value segment customer as part of the strategy for addressing capacity issues/crowding that is turning off the disposable income/spending class.

No way. Disney wants to maximize what each person is paying. Extra capacity is $$$ left on the table. They want it filled to capacity with each person paying the maximum that disney can squeeze out of them. That's the way I see the recent operations / revenue decisions they made lately. Ymmv and all that, of course.

 

[Sweettears]

I think they probably do have a lot of customers that want less over the top theming. That's one of the reasons that some on this board cite for NOT staying at values. People might want over the top theming outside in the lobby or pools but not in their rooms. Neutrality is a big part of the general budget boutique movement, I feel. It's supposedly the same reason for hard floors and white bed covers. Guests see it has a cleaner/more modern look. I don't personally get it but I have a lot of family and friends who don't like the idea of staying in an over the top themed room. These people want to only spend so much but they want to feel like they're in a "classy" hotel.

And if Disney didn't like running hotels, they wouldn't have started to do so to begin with. They put a huge amount of money into attracting people to stay on property. It's because it's a huge money maker for them. It's like Vegas- it's less about the income from the hotels and more about the income the booze and food options generate. If you stay off property, you're way less likely to eat every meal on property.

I think there is a difference between wanting the theming and paying out the nose for it with an inferior room. So the solution is to get rid of carpeting and any sense of originality?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think there is a difference between wanting the theming and paying out the nose for it with an inferior room. So the solution is to get rid of carpeting and any sense of originality?

I would say "bingo"...but my therapist says I shouldn't be so negative...

 

[Planogirl]

I can't stand people stomping around above us. I would think that doing away with carpet will only make that worse.

The rooms do look really generic. How odd....

 

[DisFanDad]

I can't stand people stomping around above us. I would think that doing away with carpet will only make that worse.

The rooms do look really generic. How odd....

I don't think any reasonable person could debate either of these points. Unless they put down 8mm of underpad (which they didn't) these things are going to be noisy as all hell. Pop was already terrible for that, its only going to be worse, and now with added side to side echo.