Saturday, March 31, 2007

WDW hotel expansion

It's been a few weeks since Disney announced to the "real" media that they will expand WDW offerings with a luxury (Four Seasons) hotel and a budget section out on Western Beltway (hotels, shops, dining).

The former is likely a play by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the major DLP investors who is probably demanding reciprocation for him propping Disney up (you see, he's part owner of Four Seasons). And yes, there probably is room on property for ultra luxury. Those customers would come to Disney too.

The budget stuff seems to me a blantant attempt to get people paying Disney and not some unnamed hotel for the budget experience. I said as much when I broke the news about Western Way expansion (and this is one of only two things I can really say I beat every single media outlet on). Disney sees the 192 corridor full of cheap hotels and thinks: "gee, how can we get *their* money too". The problem is, the "cheap" experience is NOT the Disney experience. On the whole, this one is probably bad news. As always, I withhold full judgment until I actually see it, but that doesn't prevent me from guessing. Let's just say my guesses are not as yet very positive.