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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-grand-floridian-time-shares-20111208,0,4886413.story

 

The Walt Disney Co.'s time-share business said Thursday it will build an addition to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the highest-priced company-owned hotel at Walt Disney World.

 

The project, which will add approximately 147 time-share units in a separate building next to the posh hotel, is the first new Disney Vacation Club resort to begin construction since the global financial crisis sent sales tumbling across the time-share industry.

 

Disney said the resort is expected to open in late 2013. The new building will be exclusively time-share units and will include a children's water-play area, among other amenities.

 

The project should inject some high-demand inventory into Disney Vacation Club, which was one of Disney Co.'s fastest-growing businesses before sales ebbed during the recession and the anemic recovery that has followed. The Victorian-themed Grand Floridian is Disney World's most luxurious hotel and is adjacent to the Magic Kingdom, the busiest theme park on the planet with more than 17 million visitors a year.

 

It will be the second time-share property Disney has built along the Magic Kingdom monorail, joining Bay Lake Tower, an addition to Disney's Contemporary Resort that opened in August 2009.

 

"We continually look for ways to expand Disney Vacation Club by creating resort experiences that our members will love," Claire Bilby, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club, said in a prepared statement. "With the continued popularity of Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, we are thrilled to offer our members and guests a new resort option along the monorail system with easy access to the Magic Kingdom Park, as well as a variety of shopping, dining and recreation experiences."

 

Although Disney does not report specific financial results for its time-share business, the company said sales of Disney Vacation Club units fell during its most recent quarter, which ended Oct. 1. Disney is currently peddling interests in four resorts: Bay Lake Tower, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, all of which are at Disney World; and Aulani, a hotel and time share the company opened this summer in Hawaii.

 

At its peak, Disney Vacation Club generated roughly $190 million a year in operating profit. The Grand Floridian addition will be Disney's 12th time-share property.

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Glad to see this officially announced as a lot of people have been expecting this for a while. Looks like it will be positioned between the main hotel and wedding pavillion. I'd like to see the older Grand Floridian hotel rooms upgraded to the new standard as well. Last I was there they lagged behind some of the newer/remodeled deluxe offerings.

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Those of you who were fans of Pleasure Island might appreciate this. There was a private event tonight at DHS where some of the old Pleasure Island acts were brought back from the dead. One of them was Adventurers Club....

 

Some Pleasure Island fanboys may find this VERY interesting! I wonder what it could be?

 

What??? Adventurer's Club is back??!! Oh, Balderdash!!!

 

Oh, Hathaway and Emil... If only you could have one more chance... But you won't!

 

Being that I was never a fan of Adventurers Club this doesn't get me too excited...but I'm sure there are plenty of fanboys who would have loved to be at this show!

 

And here is video....

Edited by robbalvey
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I visited the AC exactly once. It probably helped that my wife and I were in a happy mood. Our evening at PI started at the comedy club (a so-so show setting a low bar). We dropped into the jazz club to run fortuitously into free booze (Stoli if you can believe it). By the time we wandered into the AC, we were buzzing.

 

We loved it. It didn't matter that this or that kooky bit would have benefitted from some explanation. We were too far gone to care. The audience was into it too, much more so than at the weak improv show across the walkway. The drinks were excellent, and the best part - no rug rats! It was fun moving room to room to take in the different acts. We closed the place, and no, we (I mean me) are not normally big on audience participation or over the top silliness.

 

It could be we caught (white) lightning in a bottle. If I'd have strode into the AC sober, I might have bounced right back out. I was sorry to see the AC and the other PI venues close. The AC, at the least, was unique.

 

I think disco sucks, but I'm not raging for the closure of every disco club or the de-doucheification of the Vegas Strip (so long as I can't hear your crappy music from my room, go ahead trendoid, blow your dough on bottle service). There are plenty of alternatives for evening entertainment at WDW. Right?

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I was never a HUGE cult like fan of the Adventurers Club but I did have a lot of fun there several times. It was a fairly unique night club experience if anything else, and a great change of pace from the typical dance club offerings that pleasure Island had, and the cast was very talented and really loved what they did.

 

I really hope that Four Seasons resort makes it, and considering the location I got a feeling it will do okay. Last year I played golf at Osprey Ridge and REALLY liked the course. The workers there had told me that the course was in danger of closing down since it was the least profitable of the other Disney golf properties but when the Four Season finally got developed that Four Seasons was going to take over management of the facility. I don't know how accurate any of that is, but I hope the course survives because it really is a great layout that is one of my favorites in the area. This par 3 was particularly memorable, beautiful elevated tee box with a large but tough green, great hole.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/behind-the-scenes-cars-ramone-is-prepped-for-disneys-art-of-animation-resort/

 

By far one of the things Walt Disney World Resort guests are looking forward to in this new year is the debut of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

 

Walt Disney Imagineers are currently working on developing icon characters that can be seen throughout the themed courtyards at the resort, including Ramone from the movie “Cars.”

 

In this video, Imagineers Ryan Parrish and Bill Hanus explain how they transform movie characters into icons that guests will be able to interact with at the resort. The clip also features Chip Foose, the automotive designer who created the flame design for Ramone in the film, who explains how he’s applying Ramone’s flames to this icon.

 

Chip is also working with WDI on projects for Cars Land, which is coming to Disney California Adventure park. Keep watching the Disney Parks Blog for more updates on Chip’s work with WDI.

 

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http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/from-the-drawing-board-go-onsite-at-disneys-art-of-animation-resort/

 

Up for another look inside Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

 

This is the first video in a new series called “From the Drawing Board,” that offers a behind-the-scenes look inside the building and construction of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. In this episode, Patte takes you onsite to meet some of the Imagineers who are working on the project.

 

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is set to open in phases beginning with it’s “Finding Nemo”-themed wing on May 31.

 

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And now for something completely different!

 

We had recently gotten one of those "Flying Sharks" from Elissa's brother for Christmas, and one of our other friends Brendon also had one.... Where could we take two awesome, totally cool flying sharks to show off to people? Tonight we decided to take the flying sharks to Walt Disney World's Wilderness Lodge for a bit of fun....

 

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"Excuse me Mr. Publix Employee...will you please fill up my giant shark balloon?"

This could end up being an "interesting" evening...

 

Bringing "Mr. Shark" to life!

 

Now that we have two sharks... What Orlando area hotel should we take them to?

 

Mr. Shark currently swimming through Wilderness Lodge!

 

SHARK ATTACK!!!

 

Tonight's special at Whispering Canyon Cafe... SHARK!!!

 

Even the Whispering Canyon cast members joined in the Mr. Shark fun! "Don't worry folks!!! I'll get 'im!!!!"

 

Wilderness Lodge had the perfect "height" to fly the sharks.

 

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Here's what this insanity looked like from above!

Mr. Shark is very popular with the hunnies.

 

"Look! I'm Woody.... Howdy, Howdy, Howdy!"

 

....just hanging out... At Walt Disney World... With our pet sharks!

 

The hotel guests LOVED Mr. Shark!

 

The sharks are amazing! Get them at http://www.thinkgeek.com. Take them to your local Disney resort. Have fun!!!

 

Oh wait...I'm sure you are wondering... "Is there any VIDEO???"

 

BUT OF COURSE!!!! Check out the video of the sharks swimming through Wilderness Lodge!

Edited by robbalvey
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So, with these helium filled evil sharks of death, do you just get the one go with them, or can they be refilled????

They can be re-filled at any grocery store, party store, etc that sells balloons. We paid $2 for Publix to fill ours up!

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When I was doing my Christmas shopping at the local mall I saw these things and I was desperately trying to think of someone that I could "buy it for" just so I could play with it. Sadly by the time I saw them I had basically finished my shopping so I never got one.

 

I think I need to go out and get one anyway. lol

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