Reunion Station Closing 3 Feb

[Wakey]

The supposed fine dining simply isn't that fine, and it's substantially overpriced.
We tend to eat mostly quick serve nowadays.

 

[ParkHoppers]

Do we know what RS will now become?

 

[vacationer1954]

It would make the most sense for it to be split between an unstaffed lounge space and a function space like Ariel's was.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Reunion Station was just too expensive. For a family of 5, it was $250/day! That's crazy for a couple of snacks. We usually do around $100-$150 a day for all of our food!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I simply don't get it. But I also don't understand club level either. I'd rather put the money elsewhere instead of paying a premium for airport lounge style food and drink. I mean it's $25 more for a DP for adults and $6 less for kids per day. I would prefer to go that route if this was about food and drink. I guess maybe if you sit and there and have 5+ cocktails you may break even.

I didn't get Club Level either until I got bumped from POR to a Club Level Room in the Grand Floridian Main Building. I ate breakfast in the lounge and usually grabbed a few drinks before heading to my room at the end of the day. I was only there for 4 days but it was great.

Then I got bumped from a standard room at the Beach Club to Club Level at the Beach Club and loved that too. Although that was just for the weekend and I only went into Epcot. My last day I relaxed in the room and enjoyed the resort/pool and Club Level offerings.

I've never done the DP and now we are DVC so I doubt I'll get the chance for a free upgrade often but it was worth it. I couldn't afford Club Level without the free upgrade.

That being said, I stayed at Boulder Ridge for 4 nights and never saw anyone in Reunion State other than a Cast Member every time I went to Geyser Point - which was alot since I really liked it.

 

[gharter]

I'm hoping it gets refurbished as a Signature Restaurant.
With the closing of Artist Point, Wilderness is now the only Deluxe resort to not have a Signature Dining Restaurant associated with it (I believe).
The location would be a great area for a new restaurant.

 

[crvetter]

I'm hoping it gets refurbished as a Signature Restaurant.
With the closing of Artist Point, Wilderness is now the only Deluxe resort to not have a Signature Dining Restaurant associated with it (I believe).
The location would be a great area for a new restaurant.

Polynesian doesn’t have one either.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Polynesian doesn’t have one either.

Poly has Dole Whips . No need for a Signature when they have those.

 

[sleepydog25]

I'm hoping it gets refurbished as a Signature Restaurant.
With the closing of Artist Point, Wilderness is now the only Deluxe resort to not have a Signature Dining Restaurant associated with it (I believe).
The location would be a great area for a new restaurant.

Technically, neither BCV or Poly have a Signature, and two other DVC resorts (which are deluxe in price if not designation) don't have one, as well: SSR and OKW. However, each of them aside from OKW has easy access to a Signature at nearby locations unlike WL. That being said, I wholeheartedly agree with your point that removing fine dining from one of the top deluxe resorts, one that is in the top 2 or 3 in theming and ambiance, is horribly short-sighted on Disney's part. It reduces WL, especially considering it has two DVC resorts, to an upscale moderate. I doubt they will turn RS into a fine dining establishment for a few reasons. First, it would cost money to do so. Second, the venue isn't big enough unless they include Geyser Point. Third, they won't touch Geyser Point mostly because of money (see my first reason). When they came up with the original plan for Copper Creek, that would have been the time to make a move, be daring, put in a waterfront, fine dining restaurant and still call it Artist Point. Make it a real culinary go-to place. Though many complain about the high cost of dining at Disney (and rightfully so), if you make the experience, the food, and the service good enough, patrons will still flock to it. And, for the few measly dollars it cost to redo the current AP, the planners could also have their cherished character meal. That would give potential guests and DVC buyers a popular TS in WCC; an adequate (though not as good as before) QS in Roaring Fork; a character meal with unique characters (that's a whole other discussion); and a fine dining establishment on the water. Heck, they could even have done a smaller version of Geyser Point as the bar for the new AP. Ah, what could have been. . .

 

[vacationer1954]

... is horribly short-sighted on Disney's part.

Or it is very insightful and smart of them. (One or the other.) There is no reason to believe luxury earns more profit. If that were true, then every resort would be a super-deluxe resort. We're seeing Disney taking steps to make sure that their luxury offering is right-sized and that the various luxury venues don't cannibalize each other's customer base, probably in anticipation for the inevitable economic downturn.

It reduces WL, especially considering it has two DVC resorts, to an upscale moderate.

That's what it started out as. It was bumped up to deluxe on the strength of the appeal of its theming, which was, to be fair, a pretty lightweight basis on which to sell a "deluxe moderate" as if it were a "deluxe".

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Or it is very insightful and smart of them. (One or the other.) There is no reason to believe luxury earns more profit. If that were true, then every resort would be a super-deluxe resort. We're seeing Disney taking steps to make sure that their luxury offering is right-sized and that the various luxury venues don't cannibalize each other's customer base, probably in anticipation for the inevitable economic downturn.

That's what it started out as. It was bumped up to deluxe on the strength of the appeal of its theming, which was, to be fair, a pretty lightweight basis on which to sell a "deluxe moderate" as if it were a "deluxe".

We stayed fairly soon after opening (the lodge) and it was deluxe then. Not sure when it was moderate? Unless you are talking about the cabins?

 

[sleepydog25]

Or it is very insightful and smart of them. (One or the other.) There is no reason to believe luxury earns more profit. If that were true, then every resort would be a super-deluxe resort. We're seeing Disney taking steps to make sure that their luxury offering is right-sized and that the various luxury venues don't cannibalize each other's customer base, probably in anticipation for the inevitable economic downturn.

That's what it started out as. It was bumped up to deluxe on the strength of the appeal of its theming, which was, to be fair, a pretty lightweight basis on which to sell a "deluxe moderate" as if it were a "deluxe".

You make valid points, and your views are as salient as mine, certainly. I've never claimed Disney to be stupid nor reckless--you don't build a multi-billion dollar profit business based on whims. Still, Disney's recent decisions to "cut corners" for a lack of a more complex explanation and discussion, while it might be the textbook right thing to do could also portend unperceived losses down the road. Still, it's hard to argue that they've mostly made the correct calls over the past few decades. As for WL being a moderate-deluxe, that same argument can be made for nearly all their deluxe resorts with the lone exception of GF. You may be entirely correct with the implication that Disney is right-sizing their luxury offerings anymore. The case easily can be made that Disney by its very nature is nothing but a luxury.

 

[vacationer1954]

We stayed fairly soon after opening (the lodge) and it was deluxe then. Not sure when it was moderate? Unless you are talking about the cabins?

No. Wilderness Lodge opened as a new category of resort, very explicitly lower than "deluxe" and very explicitly higher than "moderate".

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

No. Wilderness Lodge opened as a new category of resort, very explicitly lower than "deluxe" and very explicitly higher than "moderate".

It and AKL were often referred to as “moderate” Deluxe but it was about pricing that came from a couple other reasons, not that they were designed to be less than othe Deluxe resorts. I think that it tended to come from them being more about no walking or monorail to a park vs any intention by Disney. Also they were not part of the convention business that all the other Deluxe resorts except Poly have to keep occupancy higher and allow higher room prices to the general public. Really, Disney doesn’t have an MO for Deluxe other than it has more than a food court.

 

[crisi]

It and AKL were often referred to as “moderate” Deluxe but it was about pricing that came from a couple other reasons, not that they were designed to be less than othe Deluxe resorts. I think that it tended to come from them being more about no walking or monorail to a park vs any intention by Disney. Also they were not part of the convention business that all the other Deluxe resorts except Poly have to keep occupancy higher and allow higher room prices to the general public. Really, Disney doesn’t have an MO for Deluxe other than it has more than a food court.

Room sizes where also smaller than those at the legacy Deluxe resorts - Poly in particular was built with HUGE rooms.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Room sizes where also smaller than those at the legacy Deluxe resorts - Poly in particular was built with HUGE rooms.

Both the original resorts have large rooms sizes - Poly and CR. Things slowly downsized over the years with for Disney hotels and for DVC. GC is positively "cozy" and it was never anything but Deluxe.

 

[jarestel]

I think one could make a case for the "deluxe-ness" of the original Disney hotels and then of course GF was built to become the flagship hotel of WDW. But it's a real stretch to lump any of the succeeding hotels (WL, BC, YC, BW) into the same category. They are nice hotels, but were never intended to be serious competition for the big three.