Private Homes Coming on WDW Property

[TheRustyScupper]

I couldn't have said it better myself. Why waste that valuable space?

1) Money.
2) Mullah.
3) Coin of the Realm
4) Profit
5) Mucho Denaro

6) And, Executive Bonuses

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Not to let you guys in on this little secret. But there are already homes on Disney property. Several actually - starting with Buena Vista Place, Alexandria, and Parc Vue.

Located right behind the Magic Kingdom. And I mean, you can see Fantasyland type homes. And yet, you've never noticed them? What makes you think the new ones will be any different?

And I'm not saying this is a good idea at all - in fact, yes, I think it is stupid and horrible and I can't wait to take over the company. I hope by then, all of you have significant portions of stock in the company because together, if we all own at least 1/2, we can get the majority votes and elect to have these things bought back, destroyed and levelled.

And make a Villians Parks - ahaha, the joke. Ah...ignore this post, I'm exhausted because I think I died a little more inside.

[Mickey91]

1) Money.
2) Mullah.
3) Coin of the Realm
4) Profit
5) Mucho Denaro

6) And, Executive Bonuses

Ah, come on. Don't you have a real reason??? No one is in it for the Money are they?? LOL

[Hammer]

Not to let you guys in on this little secret. But there are already homes on Disney property. Several actually - starting with Buena Vista Place, Alexandria, and Parc Vue.

Located right behind the Magic Kingdom. And I mean, you can see Fantasyland type homes. And yet, you've never noticed them? What makes you think the new ones will be any different?

I was waiting for someone to bring up those communities. I tend to think these additions will not be extremely noticeable to the majority of the WDW vacationing public. The people who stay and live in these sort of places value privacy above all else. They don't want to see us any more than we want to see them.

While I think the Four Seasons hotel on property fills a need which Disney does not have the manpower nor is structured to provide, I'm not crazy about the expansion into making it part of their Private Residences collection.

[Ian]

To me the issue is as much about the appearance of them pimping out Walt Disney World than it is anything else.

I mean the fact that these are going to be huge, multi-million dollar homes that virtually no one will be able to afford. That annoys me. It's distasteful.

And you know me. I'm a die-hard capitalist. Normally I'd be okay with this, but there's just something about Disney that makes me wish they were above doing this sort of thing.

If they were providing more across-the-board housing ... where normal people could maybe have a chance to purchase a unit. That would at least be a little more palatable.

[AndrewJackson]

I am not sure that this is such a bad idea. I would also be willing to bet that most of the people complaining about it would be the first to buy a house if they had an extra $2M sitting around for a home. I know I would!

[Ian]

I am not sure that this is such a bad idea. I would also be willing to bet that most of the people complaining about it would be the first to buy a house if they had an extra $2M sitting around for a home. I know I would!

Just because you would do something doesn't mean you should do something.

Likewise, just because Disney can do this it doesn't mean they should.

I always use this analogy ... Disney could make a fortune if they opened a casino on property. That doesn't mean they should. Not every way to make money is a good way.

[Aurora]

Flooding can also become a problem due to development. Property Devolopement causes the rain to have no where to rain as it has nowhere to go from cement housing. Next thing you know the houses will be flooded and the owners will be suing or complaining to Disney about their house. A golf course has national runoff from grass, trees and soil.

Not only that, but Disney has always made a commitment to the environment and to water reclamation. By selling off a chunk of the land, it gives control over water reclamation to Orange County. I see that as a problem for the area.

Built out to the maximum, the area could house an estimated 1,702 people. The county has to review the plans under the assumption that, except for the time-share units, the homes would serve as the owners' primary residences, Smogor said, meaning a year-round impact on roads and services.

This is the part that really makes me nervous. A YEAR-ROUND IMPACT ON ROADS AND SERVICES. That means WDW roads, folks. Once they sell those properties, there's no controlling the number of people who are there, LIVING there, not just vacationing there. To paraphrase Bette Davis, fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

[frakers]

Bad idea, bad form. Why is it that every decision in the past fews years has been markedly worse than the one before? It's gotten to the point that everytime I hear that Disney is announcing something new I started to cringe in anticipation? However, no matter how bad I THINK it's going to be, it ends up being somehow, shockingly worse. Way to go Disney...yeh right.

[AndrewJackson]

Just because you would do something doesn't mean you should do something.

Thanks for the lecture, but I am a big boy. I can decide for myself what I should or should not do.

I think some people are imagining these private homes being on Main Street. Disney usually does things the right way. I really do not see the difference between this and Celebration, other than this being on a smaller scale. This was also part of Walt's original idea for WDW. Some of the very early drawings show a retirement area, and a residential area as well.

[valjane]

Disney usually does things the right way.

Now, that's funny.

[Ed]

...Disney usually does things the right way. I really do not see the difference between this and Celebration, other than this being on a smaller scale.

The key word there, of course, is "usually". Not "always", but "usually".

There's quite a bit of difference between this and Celebration. Celebration is located well off the parks property, with two busy highways, I-4 and 192, separating them. It is a separate and distinct area. This new development area is right next door to Fort Wilderness, and there are many WDW support facilities immediately adjacent to it. Immediately south of the area is Port Orleans.

[Hammer]

The key word there, of course, is "usually". Not "always", but "usually".

There's quite a bit of difference between this and Celebration. Celebration is located well off the parks property, with two busy highways, I-4 and 192, separating them. It is a separate and distinct area. This new development area is right next door to Fort Wilderness, and there are many WDW support facilities immediately adjacent to it. Immediately south of the area is Port Orleans.

This was also part of Walt's original idea for WDW. Some of the very early drawings show a retirement area, and a residential area as well.

Ed, this poster brings up a good point. Lots of people keep saying that Walt is turning in his grave, but I take a bit of different view. As Walt had originally planned to have residential communities as part of WDW, we probably would have seen this community sprout up in the 1980's had he lived past 1966.

[HallandNash]

This sets a dangerous precedent and does irreparable damage to WDW IMHO. Not cool.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I was waiting for someone to bring up those communities. I tend to think these additions will not be extremely noticeable to the majority of the WDW vacationing public. The people who stay and live in these sort of places value privacy above all else. They don't want to see us any more than we want to see them.

While I think the Four Seasons hotel on property fills a need which Disney does not have the manpower nor is structured to provide, I'm not crazy about the expansion into making it part of their Private Residences collection.

I like how other than you, no one acknowledges I said this. It's like they refuse to believe that it's already happened. Lol.

[GrumpyFan]

As Walt had originally planned to have residential communities as part of WDW, we probably would have seen this community sprout up in the 1980's had he lived past 1966.

Everybody seems to be forgetting Celebration! It was built and owned primarily by Disney for a while and is (was) on Disney property and directly connected to WDW. When they built Celebration it was enough out of the way of mainstream guests that many still don't know about it or where it is.



IF they move forward with this idea, and it's done right, it could have the same effect as Celebration. According to the article:

The homes, mostly single-family residences but including a few condominiums and time-share units, would rise from what was Disney's Eagle Pines Golf Course -- just a jog away from the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Downtown Disney. The adjacent Osprey Ridge Golf Course would be incorporated into the private development, now called the "Northeast Resort."

If this is the case, then the averarage guest won't even see this, as it's off the main roadways for WDW. So, what's the big deal? I think everybody is over-reacting to this.

[TexasPrincessAurora]

I'll ask again based on the post above. Have they closed Eagle Pines Golf Course? Are they going to close Osprey Ridge? Are they planning replacement courses?

[GrumpyFan]

I'll ask again based on the post above. Have they closed Eagle Pines Golf Course? Are they going to close Osprey Ridge? Are they planning replacement courses?

Eagle Pines is NOT listed on Disney's web-site, so the assumption is yes, they've closed it. I seem to remember reading when the initial announcement for the Four Seasons came out, there was some mention of these courses being re-worked to fit in and-or around this resort.

[Ed]

If this is the case, then the averarage guest won't even see this, as it's off the main roadways for WDW. So, what's the big deal? I think everybody is over-reacting to this.

The "big deal" is that this could very well be the first of several such developments in the future. It's a first step toward chipping away from the property that was designed to be part of the parks and resorts, a major part of which is open, undeveloped land. Celebration is more of what I believe Walt had in mind - Disney quality but not eroding the lure of the parks and resorts. I simply view the whole thing as a bad omen of things yet to come.

I'll ask again based on the post above. Have they closed Eagle Pines Golf Course? Are they going to close Osprey Ridge? Are they planning replacement courses?

Sorry - I missed that the first time around. Yes, Eagle Pines has been closed for several months, and as I posted a few days ago they are in the process of regrading the land and establishing staging areas for heavy equipment. I haven't heard anything about Osprey Ridge, nor have I gotten any info about a possible replacement for Eagle Pines elsewhere on the property.

[TexasPrincessAurora]

Too bad about the golf courses...DH always loves playing golf there. I'm sure going from 5 courses to 4 or possibly 3 will make it tougher to get a tee time. Thanks for the info! :-)