Disney World Resorts Struggling

[focusondisney]

Not a complete surprise given the recent WDW resorts targeted ad pushing on property resort stays for families (youtube and netflix),

Recent ads? WDW ads play in our area year round & have for as long as I can remember. And I’m old. Just a fear mongering rumor by competitors wanting to look like they have “inside information”. Disney recently rehabbed/ renovated more resorts than at any time in the 30 years we’ve been going there. And more resorts are currently being worked on: GF, BWI, BCV & a new DVC tower being built at Poly. The discounts they’re running are good, but nowhere near the discounts they offered after 9/11/2001 or the recession in 2009. In fact, they’re really less than what was offered just before Covid closures. And unless the economy takes a deep tank with something like 9/11, I don’t see any of this coming true. And way better discounts would happen before & during that time.

 

[Suger Mag]

LOl i love all these _________________ at WDW are struggling posts.

 

[davper]

So You herd a rumor from a direct competitor that Disney hotels are in trouble, seems totally legit.

But it was confirmed by a bus driver.

 

[BrianL]

Yeah, I doubt there's any real problems. It looks like the summer may be a little soft by recent standards, but I wouldn't expect them to be shuttering resorts or anything. They'll do just fine.

 

[lowlight]

Ah the old "we're doing so poorly we may have to close up shop" threat that comes with almost all union negotiations. Of course it will never be an official statement, always a "did hear you" back room gossip. You get the workers with time in who hear this and don't want to lose their job when they "close" parts of Disney, so they vote yes on the contract.

 

[gharter]

If they were seriously worried about bookings at WDW resorts, you would be seeing ads for big discounts. I haven't seen those in our market area. Having raised prices and caught up a lot of previous demand, I don't doubt that bookings may be down from last year. But, probably more in line with normal percentage of filled rooms.

 

[sachilles]

I'm sure they have learned a bit about making the resorts modular during the recovery from the pandemic. Could they close down sections of resorts, temporarily or long term?....sure, of course they can. Like always, they'll adjust to demand and staffing levels. I'm sure some accountant has a spreadsheet on the potential profits of partial resort closures VS open fully with extreme discounts. Somewhere in the middle is where they'll figure it out.
I think what we are more likely to find is the rebuilding of older resorts, where you take down sprawling complexes and put up mini towers trying to make the lodging operations more cost effective.

 

[Tar_Heels_Love_WDW]

I just priced out a week in early April, with the discounts, and all that's left is a couple All Stars, Coronado/OKW at over $1000/night and RIV at $1300/night.

All this tells me is that there's still lots of people (almost full capacity) willing to pay close to top dollar for a peak season WDW vacation, which directly contradicts the rumor.

 

[umichigan10]

Unless you have evidence to back up your claim, this is just a baseless rumor. It almost sounds like one of those "I heard it from a WDW bus driver" rumor. There is no way that they'll close down the resorts. Disney will just offer promotions/discounts.

Though I do agree with others that the resorts are really overpriced and Disney did strip back perks for staying on site. The All Stars being over $200 during peak times is highway robbery and don't even get me started on how awful those Contemporary rooms look for almost $1k a night.

Off topic, but I HATE the look of those contemporary rooms. It’s so cheesy. It baffles me that they nailed the lobby redo, but completely fumbled on the rooms

 

[Mle8308]

Not happening. They may be closing some buildings for refurbishment, but they are not closing resorts permanently.

 

[Lumpy1106]

If you had told me they were going to close resorts and mothball ongoing construction during the last economic downturn I would not have believed you. But...history. Regardless of the source, I would rate this as "PLAUSIBLE".

It sure would be nice to see some of the on-site-resort-stay perks return though, wouldn't it?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Off topic, but I HATE the look of those contemporary rooms. It’s so cheesy. It baffles me that they nailed the lobby redo, but completely fumbled on the rooms

I agree. They look cheap and lazy to me. Not emblematic of an $800-1000 room at all. I don't understand why they look so bad when the Polynesian room refurb actually looks quite nice.

 

[HashberryOTG]

Given how annoying it is to book where I want, I'm skeptical of this rumor. It's ridiculously easy to find "sources" to say something. Did you know I have a rainbow tree with purple spots that sprouts magical fruit on Halloween? I saw it in a dream. Now you all have a "source" this tree exists. Conveniently leave off the dream part. After a few people share it, social media picks it up and now it's real.

 

[Lewisc]

They cannot close DVC resorts without extensive consultation with and the permission of the owners. That would be extremely costly without even considering the lawsuits that might occur.

i don't give the claims on the OP any credibility.

Theoretically Disney could close the cash portion of a mixed use resort. Amenities could be reduced to whatever is contractually guaranteed to DVC members.

 

[nuts]

Love these rumors. Now if he heard it from a bus driver, well then....

 

[Captain UP]

This is an odd report coming out less than a week after WDW's busiest weekend since Covid.

 

[Rochester Disney Fan]

Then why are they currently building a hotel on each coast .

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

This sounds like wishful thinking on the part of nearby hotels. However, I would imagine there would be some decline in on-site hotel reservations. They took away the perks and raised the prices, and several have become run down. There needs to be more incentives than bus travel between parks to pay higher prices on-site. Need the dining plan back, magic hours, and magical express. Also enticing discounts.

 

[Sparkly]

Sounds like a tall tale.

 

[BrightMorningStar]

The travel industry as a whole is struggling. The economy is hurting. Inflation is a real thing. Economists are expecting it to get worse throughout 2023 and well into 2024. That is the reason Disney is cutting jobs, cutting back on offerings, etc. They are doing what they need to in order to survive. I work for a company that has done the same. Doubtful Iger will shut down select hotels. He will most likely offer larger perks to bring people back and give them a reason to stay onsite.

Honestly, other than included hotel to park transportation, there is no reason to stay at a Disney hotel. You can rent a house for less. You can go through Undercover Tourist for discounted tickets and get a great discount on car rental. The dining plan convenience (for some families) is gone. The way to resolve would be to offer enticing perks. If they start shutting down it would be more than just a few select hotels.