Disney may expand into urban hotels & entertainment districts

[Tom Morrow]

Disney may expand into urban centers

Disney may expand into urban frontier (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-disneyside0807feb08,0,3685049.story)
The company talks of themed hotels
and entertainment districts across U.S.
Orlando Sentinel
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is considering putting Disney-themed hotels and nightlife districts into downtown areas of major cities that don't currently have Disney properties. Disney is not yet making any commitments to "urban Disney hotels" or stand-alone Disney entertainment districts similar to Downtown Disney, Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo told investors Wednesday night. Disney also is contemplating small, immersive "niche theme parks" and water parks in other cities, Rasulo said.
complete article (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-disneyside0807feb08,0,3685049.story)


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[PeoplemoverMatt]

The small niche theme park concept sounds like something Six Flags already tried & hasn't been too successful at.

We don't need a Disneyland in every city like it was a major sports franchise. That greatly devalues both the product and Walt's ideals. Why does it devalue Walt's ideals? Because both Disneyland & WDW have descended into a bastian for the latest Disney film/TV media to emerge and be popular. Forget families, forget originality, forget real imagination, Disney now wants to be anything & everything to everyone. Putting a Disneyland everywhere, especially in this day & age, will make Walt's original vision just seem that much more distant from what we see today.

-- PMM :cool:

[Imagineer1988]

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMM I think that I have heard this before. OH YA I remeber Disney Store that was a great idea wasnt it. We can build a little piece of Disney all over. I think that is what our buddy Paul did. Oh look we dont own that any more. You see Disney is not something that can be everywhere. It is an important part to remeber that if you build it everywhere it loses its magic. So if we build all of these DTD does that mean we are going to sell the Parks and Resorts too? This is a bad idea and it has Eisner written all over it. Sad to say until every single one of his stuges is gone I think we are going to see an extreemly greedy Disney company! Someday peopel will learn that there is more to life than making money. Greed = zero magic If only we could focus on what we have already think of what we could do. We dont need more parks we need more imagination. Does anyone agree?

[kairamoon]

I like the idea of Disney hotels in different cities but it should stop at that. Well they can build more cruise ships cuz that would be cool but it should definitely stop there. It just wouldn't make disney that special anymore.

[soyboy]

Just think of it...A Disney Resort in Vegas! Now, that'll be something I'd like to see. I think Vegas could use some more family-friendly resorts.
I think it'll be awesome to see Disney expand it's empire.

[Magic1]

The article doesn't say that they would be building Disneylands everywhere. (Unless you consider Disneyland a "small ... niche theme park")

---

When I've traveled to big cities (for pleasure or for work) I would've liked to have stayed at a Disney hotel. Some major hotel chains have urban properties that have rooms and service no better than a Motel 6 off route 43. If Disney thinks they have expertise in the hotel business (which they have proven at the resorts) there is an opportunity for them to use their knowledge and experience and expand to include urban hotels in touristy cities. This also would allow them to diversify some of their hotel revenues. And of course, if they want to keep growing the cruise business they would have to increase the size of the fleet. Expanding the hotels and cruise line seem like no-brainers.

The more dubious propositions are the transplantation of Downtown Disney (do we need more glorified shopping malls?), and niche theme park ideas. There's a greater potential that projects like these won't add to Disney's bottom line and instead will cannibalize profits from existing Disney parks/resorts. So far, the malls have only been in resort properties near the parks (creating a symbiosis effect) and there haven't been any small, niche theme parks built, etc... So, these ideas are far more risky and unproven.

Imagination and creativity should always be a primary concern for Disney. But they should also be concerned with acting as responsible stewards and providing growth and value to those who invest in and own the company. Hopefully Disney will achieve the latter through appropriate use of the former.

[CoryTheRaven]

If Disney wants to buy the local amusement park, fix it up and make it a "local niche theme park", I'm game.

[dougeebear]

Mouseplanet had this bit of information:
Finally, Disney is also considering the creation of smaller, deeply immersive "niche parks" that would provide a more intimate setting, high-end immersive theme park entertainment, more interactive shows, more one-on-one experiences and unique attractions for an "all-inclusive admission pricing that would be several times what our guests pay today." These parks could fit perfectly either into already-existing markets or even new markets.


With a one-day, one-park admission currently at $83 for an adult, how high a ticket price does Rasulo think the market will bear? I already think that price has forced many families out of experiencing a park designed for family entertainment. Does he think that a ticket price of $166 or $249 for a small, local, niche themepark to be acceptable, moreover to be a sustainable draw? This concept, if from the standpoint of admission fees alone, is doomed to fail.

[Executioner]

I really don't think any of this is a good idea. If they do this they will fall prey to failure and have to close them down or sell them off. Disney, in my belief is trying to stick their hand in as many cookie jars as possible and mother is going to find that and slam it shut on their hand. If Disney does decide to make other little niche parks, what will attract people? Obviously they are only concerned with franchising to capitolize on the market, meaning Pirates movie is a success, market the toys, clothes, and other nik naks plus change the ride and change another attraction to follow suit. Well do we really need a park solely based on that kind of stuff? Even worse a smaller park with that intention? That will kill them and leave a bad taste in our mouths from them. That kind of stuff can only last so long, and not very long either. I am not giving the POTC ride 10 years from now to even last, at least with this hideous makeover. You know what? No. Disney needs to do this. Let them fall, so maybe, just maybe someone with the mentality that Walt had can finally rise from the ashes and straighten this nightmare out.