Some Disney moments are never coming back from their pandemic pause.
Disney (DIS) – Get Walt Disney Company Report is slowly bringing back all the things it had to put on hold in its parks due to the pandemic, but it’s becoming clear that the company rethought some of its operations while they were on pause.
Naturally, all that down time was a perfect excuse to scrutinize the numbers, and Disney obviously did that.
One of those changes it decided on was capacity, which Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy mentioned will remain limited in her Q&A at the Morgan Stanley 2022 Technology, Media & Telecom Conference last week.
Disney’s realized that over-cramming guests into the parks only serves to piss them off, which we appreciate as paying all that money to get there and not be able to do what you want to do really sucks.
Hopefully, this bodes well for annual pass-holders and other park-goers who would like to actually have a good time once they get there.
But it’s also no surprise that Disney also eyeballed which experiences weren’t working. And sadly, one of them that’s been a beloved staple since 2015 isn’t coming back.
Disney
What Disney Experience is Shuttering?
Rumors were floating around last year that the Spirit of Aloha Dinner, a live performance at the Polynesian Resort’s Luau Cave featuring everything from hula to fire dancing, might not make a return.
It turns out that’s true, as Disney has announced plans to transform that area by building a new tower exclusively for members of the Disney Vacation Club.
Concept photo of the new Polynesian Village Resort.
Disney
“Expanding our Disney Vacation Club offerings at the Polynesian would give our Members and Guests yet another incredible option for staying close to the magic while making vacation memories that last a lifetime,” said Bill Diercksen, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club, in a press release.
“Inspired by the early concepts for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the Imagineers of today are honoring the past while furthering the resort story with this innovative addition,” Diercksen also says more information and project details will be disclosed at a later date.
“Projected to open in late 2024, the proposed vacation ownership property would complement the existing resort and evoke the spirit of the Pacific Islands.”
So while the bad news is that the days of the Spirit of Aloha Dinner have come to a permanent end, Disney has something bigger and better in mind.
Considering that the Polynesian Village was one of the two resorts Walt Disney World launched with back in 1971, it’s far overdue for an upgrade.
There’s one catch to all this, though: The new tower is exclusively for Disney Vacation Club members, and since Vacation Club is a timeshare situation, that means staying at this new area won’t come cheap.
Sure, none of Disney does, but we’re talking much bigger bucks here.
According to the Vacation Club website, financing starts at $428 a month for a 10-year loan — as long as you put in a 10% down payment.
Between this and the insane cost of the new Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience, it’s no wonder people are feeling grumpy about Disney right now. But considering that Galactic Starcruiser is booked solid through June, it seems like they’re forking over their dollars anyway.
So as long as Disney can keep raising costs and people keep paying for it, well, you can expect them keep on rising.
