Staying In The Magic: The History of Disney’s Resort Hotels- Part One
From the moment you first step through the door at a Disney resort, you can feel the magic immediately surround you. Perhaps it’s the friendly cast member welcoming you home with a charming and sincere smile, or the quiet hustle of people having the most magical experiences of their stay. It’s safe to say that Disney resorts can have a special place in many people’s hearts. But what is it exactly that makes Disney resorts so unique and special to so many people? Let’s break down what makes the hotels at Disney true Disney resorts, see how Disney went about creating them, and predict where Disney will take them for decades to come…
The First Disney Hotel
The Disneyland Hotel opened to guests in 1955, thanks to the help of oil tycoon Jack Wrather. This hotel was unique in that it specifically appealed to families. Rooms accommodated 4 or more people, and children under 12 stayed free. The hotel was a huge success and was expanded many times over the years. The theming of the hotel itself wasn’t very recognizable for a Disney hotel. However, in the hotel courtyard area, there was a market with changing themes including a Pacific shopping area. The unique atmosphere and family friendly oriented operations helped begin to define what a Disney hotel was. But Disney’s Next major hotel project would bring them all the way to the then-vacant swampland near the tiny town of Orlando, Florida…
Disney World’s Resorts
Walt Disney had always planned to have a group of hotels in his Disney World complex. However, after Walt’s death, Imagineers decided to construct the theme park and hotels detailed in the original plan, and move the rest to “Phase 2.” The Contemporary, Polynesian, and Fort Wilderness resorts opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971. These resorts were unique from the original Disneyland Hotel in that they were all designed along with one cohesive time and place in mind. The Contemporary was built with a unique but ultimately problematic “shelf” method, and the interior was sleek and modern. And like the Disneyland Hotel, The Contemporary and Polynesian Hotels were all connected to the Magic Kingdom on the monorail. These resorts continued to define what made define a hotel as a “Disney Resort,” and their layout and design became the standard for Disney’s hotels and resorts to come.
Eisner’s Plan
When Michael Eisner took over the Disney Corporation in 1984, he vowed to grow and transform the struggling company into a major player in the entertainment industry. That included transforming the Walt Disney World Resort into a multi-day vacation experience. His first move in the hotel sector was to re-theme the bland “The Golf Resort,” (Yes that was it’s actual name) into the Disney Inn. Wanting to expand it’s hotel offerings for the parks even further, Disney opened the very upscale Grand Floridian Resort, and the moderately priced Caribbean Beach Resort. Which is one of the largest resorts on Disney World property. These resorts cemented Disney’s confidence in dominating the hotel market in central Florida. From 1990 to 1992 Disney opened five more deluxe resorts, (Yacht and Beach, and Swan and Dolphin in 1990. And Old Key West in 1991.) and two moderate resorts (Port Orleans French Quarter in 1991, and Port Orleans Riverside in 1992.) Each one of these hotels brought something new to the Disney resort lineup. They each had their own distinct design and theming. And the new lower priced “moderate” resorts featured food courts and large, high capacity pools. Which appealed to the guests looking for a more affordable stay. It proved so popular that Disney wasted no time expanding. These moderate hotels helped to usher in a whole new breed of Disney hotel, which would soon take its form…
The Value Resorts
Like Disneyland, hundreds of cheap hotels had sprung up in the surrounding areas of the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney, being the financially driven company that it is, decided they needed to take the market share in the budget hotel sector. Thus, in 1994, Disney’s All-Star Sports and All-Star Music Resorts opened to the public. This new kind of Disney hotel was extremely economical compared to the other resorts on property. The theming of the hotels are very tacky and cheap looking. Over the years these hotels have grown more of a following despite their often “Cheesy” appearance. However, these hotels were devastating to the small hotels surrounding Disney World. Many could not compete with Disney’s new highly affordable price point and on-site benefits. Disney’s plan worked. Disney continued to build more value resorts like the All-Star Movies Resort in 1999, and the Pop Century in 2003. Even though these hotels were not very subtle in their decorations, they had a very distinctive identity. An identity which is arguably the more “Disney” than any of the moderate or deluxe hotels on Disney property. Disney would continue to open more deluxe and moderate hotels all around the resort. This included some very beautiful hotels like the Animal Kingdom Lodge with its distinctly African theme and it’s beautiful savanna views, And the Coronado Springs whose distinctive Spanish look and large convention center made it a very popular resort. The next step in Disney Resort offerings began to make pricing more of a complication for Disney…
Disney Vacation Club and Beyond
Looking once again to tap into another market, Disney decided to get into the timeshare hotel business. However, Disney was careful to make it a very Disney experience since the reputation of timeshare companies was very sour at the time. Disney began to expand their deluxe hotels to feature timeshare villas. Starting with the Old Key West resort, Disney began to include villas at many other deluxe hotels. The rooms are also available to non-DVC guests looking to stay in a villa.
The Pop Century Resort was constructed around a central lake called hourglass lake. The original plans for the Resort called for another hotel to mirror the Pop Century and feature the “Classic” decades. However, they halted construction on the hotel just after building the lobby cafeteria complex and three hotel room buildings, due to a decline of visitors since the September 11th attacks. It wasn’t until 2010 that Disney announced plans for the Art of Animation resort. This resort was still considered a value, however, it would feature mostly family suite rooms. With the three existing buildings being converted into standard rooms. The hotel itself is themed very much like a value resort with over-sized characters and bright colors. However many people would consider it even a step up from the other value resorts in the atmosphere and in quality. And not to mention the prices for the family suites could be as much or more than some deluxe and moderate resorts. But these news family suites became a huge success for Disney. A success that goes all the way back to the original Disneyland Hotel with its own family offerings.
In part two we’ll discuss the plans for future Disney Resorts and the new direction they’re beginning to go…
Luke Anthony is a Columnist for the Boardwalk Times
