Epcot Hotel Back On?

[RivShore]

Any followups on the permit story from the realtor? Anyone see any confirmation on other sites as to this being real or not?

 

[Mle8308]

Any followups on the permit story from the realtor? Anyone see any confirmation on other sites as to this being real or not?

Not anywhere else. The site that posted the rumor also has a YouTube channel and he talked about it in one of their nightly “shows”. I commented on it and he responded that he’s seen the paperwork and it’s true…

 

[RivShore]

Not anywhere else. The site that posted the rumor also has a YouTube channel and he talked about it in one of their nightly “shows”. I commented on it and he responded that he’s seen the paperwork and it’s true…

So he is still insisting it's true? Either he has a BIG scoop or he's doubling down on the fake news.

 

[Mle8308]

So he is still insisting it's true? Either he has a BIG scoop or he's doubling down on the fake news.

He was definitely doubling down and insisting it was true! Doesn’t mean I believe it as much as I’d like it to be true.

 

[Lilsia]

It would be outside the park. Wouldn't change anything in regards to park entry. I think if anything it would allow you to connect the international gateway and main entrance via foot traffic.

That would be wonderful.

 

[Cfabar1]

I have no doubt this will happen “someday”…. I just don’t see major park investment happening anytime too soon. Earliest I see is 2025.

 

[RoseGold]

Not anywhere else. The site that posted the rumor also has a YouTube channel and he talked about it in one of their nightly “shows”. I commented on it and he responded that he’s seen the paperwork and it’s true…

LOL. Those sites follow permits for another plug in the break room. Of course they'd know about a giant hotel.

 

[OKW Lover]

I have no doubt this will happen “someday”…. I just don’t see major park investment happening anytime too soon. Earliest I see is 2025.

I'm a little confused about what you are saying. What will happen some day? The hotel?

What constitutes a major park investment? Something larger than Tron/GotG? A new land? Or is the hotel a major park investment?

 

[Cfabar1]

I'm a little confused about what you are saying. What will happen some day? The hotel?

What constitutes a major park investment? Something larger than Tron/GotG? A new land? Or is the hotel a major park investment?

I think the hotel would be a major park investment. I think once Moana finishes up, we are unlikely to see development for a little while.

 

[randumb0]

I think the hotel would be a major park investment. I think once Moana finishes up, we are unlikely to see development for a little while.

I'm sure they would like to pause things but Universal's Epic Universe is going to force that hand

 

[tjkraz]

If there is any "pause", it's due to poor planning under the Chapek regime which left execs with no projects in the near term which are considered good enough to receive a green light.

Walt Disney World cannot afford to pause and rest on its laurels for a few years. Themed entertainment is too competitive these days. WDW wouldn't immediately sink into irrelevancy but it gets harder to draw business without the hype of something new. That ultimately translates into smaller crowds and the need for discounts. If you don't re-invest, you pay for it in the form of a reduced gate.

 

[AvidDisReader]

If there is any "pause", it's due to poor planning under the Chapek regime which left execs with no projects in the near term which are considered good enough to receive a green light.

Walt Disney World cannot afford to pause and rest on its laurels for a few years. Themed entertainment is too competitive these days. WDW wouldn't immediately sink into irrelevancy but it gets harder to draw business without the hype of something new. That ultimately translates into smaller crowds and the need for discounts. If you don't re-invest, you pay for it in the form of a reduce

I totally agree. The sad truth is Disney needs to not only invest in the park, but re energize their animated movies. I think it was Iger who said that the key to Disney success was to keep a steady supply of original "Princess" movies. Instead of worrying if they hit all the cultural notes in their movies, they need to give us memorable movies that our kids want to watch over an over again (if I watch Frozen one more time with my grand kids, I think I will go crazy).

 

[Brian Noble]

The "cultural zeitgeist" gap between Disney and Universal (Mickey's closest competitor) is HUGE. We just spent a week at UOR. The flights in either direction had maybe a handful of people in Universal gear. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting something with mouse ears on it. I'd say easily 5% of the folks actually in the UOR parks were wearing Disney gear. It's much more unusual to see the converse.

A Disney trip is both a rite of passage and a consumption marker of class in large swaths of the US. A trip to Universal is a fun vacation---and there are lots of "fun vacations." I don't think Epic Universe flips that script, despite the fact that I think it will be a tremendous success.

Furthermore, I don't understand where this persistent idea that Disney isn't doing anything is coming from. In the last decade or so, every one of the four parks got a significant expansion--some more than one. I suspect we will see something done with the Chester & Hester plot sooner rather than later, but the Subs plot languished for something like 15 years before being turned into New Fantasyland.

And, frankly, a bit of a bubble in the pipeline is to be expected. They lost a good chunk of Imagineering. Some of that was due to dumb decisions (folks who live in Los Angeles live there for a reason, and central FL is not a substitute). But some of that was due to \waves-at-all-of-this. I'm not sure we can fault leadership for pausing major cap-ex planning when the theme parks (and the movie theaters, and the cruise ships) everywhere in the world closed for at least months, without getting back to something like full capacity for years. As much heat as Chapek gets, he shepherded the company through the most challenging circumstances it has ever faced without inflicting too much damage.

 

[OKW Lover]

Furthermore, I don't understand where this persistent idea that Disney isn't doing anything is coming from.

Agree. Some folks seem to adopt a "what have you done recently" philosophy. If it's not happing right now, or at most in the next year, it seems to have been forgotten.

 

[OKW Lover]

As much heat as Chapek gets, he shepherded the company through the most challenging circumstances it has ever faced without inflicting too much damage.

Agree that the challenging circumstances were something not previously experienced by the Company. Unless you count WWII interfering with studio production.

But I'm not sure I'd agree with the "inflicting too much damage" part of this statement. His initial assertion to the throne brought along with it the expected disruption of the Company culture. Unfortunately that disruption hit many of the core values of the company and the consumers. While he was in power he continually alienated both the company and the consumers. It falls to Iger, (yes, another disruption) to repair this damage. Something that takes longer than the few months he has been back in power.

 

[AvidDisReader]

The "cultural zeitgeist" gap between Disney and Universal (Mickey's closest competitor) is HUGE. We just spent a week at UOR. The flights in either direction had maybe a handful of people in Universal gear. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting something with mouse ears on it. I'd say easily 5% of the folks actually in the UOR parks were wearing Disney gear. It's much more unusual to see the converse.

A Disney trip is both a rite of passage and a consumption marker of class in large swaths of the US. A trip to Universal is a fun vacation---and there are lots of "fun vacations." I don't think Epic Universe flips that script, despite the fact that I think it will be a tremendous success.

Furthermore, I don't understand where this persistent idea that Disney isn't doing anything is coming from. In the last decade or so, every one of the four parks got a significant expansion--some more than one. I suspect we will see something done with the Chester & Hester plot sooner rather than later, but the Subs plot languished for something like 15 years before being turned into New Fantasyland.

And, frankly, a bit of a bubble in the pipeline is to be expected. They lost a good chunk of Imagineering. Some of that was due to dumb decisions (folks who live in Los Angeles live there for a reason, and central FL is not a substitute). But some of that was due to \waves-at-all-of-this. I'm not sure we can fault leadership for pausing major cap-ex planning when the theme parks (and the movie theaters, and the cruise ships) everywhere in the world closed for at least months, without getting back to something like full capacity for years. As much heat as Chapek gets, he shepherded the company through the most challenging circumstances it has ever faced without inflicting too much damage.

Ah but you miss the point on Chapek. The issue is not how he guided the company thru the pandemic. It is the unforced errors that was his downfall, all too numerous and discussed ad nauseam on various forums that I am not going to repeat.

 

[RivShore]

The "cultural zeitgeist" gap between Disney and Universal (Mickey's closest competitor) is HUGE. We just spent a week at UOR. The flights in either direction had maybe a handful of people in Universal gear. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting something with mouse ears on it. I'd say easily 5% of the folks actually in the UOR parks were wearing Disney gear. It's much more unusual to see the converse.

A Disney trip is both a rite of passage and a consumption marker of class in large swaths of the US. A trip to Universal is a fun vacation---and there are lots of "fun vacations." I don't think Epic Universe flips that script, despite the fact that I think it will be a tremendous success.

Furthermore, I don't understand where this persistent idea that Disney isn't doing anything is coming from. In the last decade or so, every one of the four parks got a significant expansion--some more than one. I suspect we will see something done with the Chester & Hester plot sooner rather than later, but the Subs plot languished for something like 15 years before being turned into New Fantasyland.

And, frankly, a bit of a bubble in the pipeline is to be expected. They lost a good chunk of Imagineering. Some of that was due to dumb decisions (folks who live in Los Angeles live there for a reason, and central FL is not a substitute). But some of that was due to \waves-at-all-of-this. I'm not sure we can fault leadership for pausing major cap-ex planning when the theme parks (and the movie theaters, and the cruise ships) everywhere in the world closed for at least months, without getting back to something like full capacity for years. As much heat as Chapek gets, he shepherded the company through the most challenging circumstances it has ever faced without inflicting too much damage.

Agree with much of your thoughts.

And just a reminder about the non-stop WDW investments (thru Tron anyway)-

I had put this list in a different thread back in Oct., I may have even missed some, but when you see what's been added over the last decade or so, it's a pretty impressive list. Perfectly acceptable to have a pause after all this, especially when you throw a once in a century pandemic into the mix.

Pandora
Toy Story Land
SWGE
Skyliner
New Fantasy Land
EPCOT Makeover
M&M RR
Remy
Tron
Guardians
Starcruiser
Riviera
Space 220
Connections
Countless restaurant, room and hotel makeovers and additions
etc. etc.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Agree with much of your thoughts.

And just a reminder about the non-stop WDW investments (thru Tron anyway)-

I had put this list in a different thread back in Oct., I may have even missed some, but when you see what's been added over the last decade or so, it's a pretty impressive list. Perfectly acceptable to have a pause after all this, especially when you throw a once in a century pandemic into the mix.

Pandora
Toy Story Land
SWGE
Skyliner
New Fantasy Land
EPCOT Makeover
M&M RR
Remy
Tron
Guardians
Starcruiser
Riviera
Space 220
Connections
Countless restaurant, room and hotel makeovers and additions
etc. etc.

Internet age response:

 

[RivShore]

Internet age response:

View attachment 748279

So freaking true!!!!

Maybe MORE RIGHT NOW would be closer to Disney's internet age fans response.

 

[RoseGold]

Furthermore, I don't understand where this persistent idea that Disney isn't doing anything is coming from. In the last decade or so, every one of the four parks got a significant expansion--some more than one. I suspect we will see something done with the Chester & Hester plot sooner rather than later, but the Subs plot languished for something like 15 years before being turned into New Fantasyland.

Dinoland. It's coming from Dinoland. It's not like it needs to be Guardians, but why is it still empty? And the poor Little Mermaid theater. Except for Tron, the parks aren't even at the pre-Covid level of attractions.