What's up near Ft. Wildreness? About This Page:

[disneygramma]

I meant to post this earlier. We were at Disney last week of June and during bus ride to and from DTD and Contemp, we noticed some major construction taking place in the area between Port Orleans and Ft. Wilderness. W could see that there is a lot of excavation and other construction taking place and we wonder if they are beginning to build yet another resort (DVC?), or maybe working on expansion of Ft. Wilderness or Port Orleans, or maybe there is gonna be a new park in the works (yeah that's wishful thinking here). Anyways, thought I would post the supposition here and ask for ideas on what this may be that is being constructed? Any one else see this as you drove past this area?

[taylan1]

Perhaps a new golf course?

[Lorraine515]

I saw that too and was wondering the same thing!

[Shell_of_the_South]

That may be the new Four Seasons resort that is under construction.

[jimmymac]

I think it's the new hotel - Four Seasons

[christiejay]

They took the space from one of the golf courses there and it is going to be a residential/hotel space. Sorry, nothing nearly as exciting as another theme park!

[Dave Marx]

Yes, that's the former location of Disney's Eagle Pines golf course. Originally, Disney was going to build a DVC resort on some of the land (while preserving the Eagle Pines course). Then the chose to redevelop the Disney Institute into Saratoga Springs, instead. Four Seasons is building hotel, timeshare, and private golf course residences on part of the Eagle Pines property, and will operate a "new" golf course as part of that resort. How much they'll change the old Eagle Pines course is beyond me. Whether it will still be considered a Walt Disney World golf course is questionable.

[Luvsun]

So.....since this is all happening on Disney property, is this resort leasing the land?
I mean, how is Disney benefiting from this development?

[Dave Marx]

Exactly. It works similarly to the Hotel Plaza Blvd. hotels, the non-Disney shops at Downtown Disney, the Swan and Dolphin, and the Crossroads Shops (back when Disney owned that property). Disney's the landlord at some level (sometimes Disney owns the buildings and land, sometimes the outside company owns the buildings but leases the land). The one "constant" is that Disney continues to own the land.

I think, in the case of Eagle Pines, that Disney felt the need to have a super-deluxe resort on property, but if Disney built it, they'd have some marketing problems - it'd undermine Disney's marketing of the Grand Floridian, for example, and push the other Deluxes down a notch as well. However, how could Disney's own super-deluxe resort not have a location at least equal to the GF - view of MK, monorail, etc.? If Disney doesn't own it, that's no longer a guest expectation. "It's not Disney, so of course it's not on the monorail."

No doubt the golf course will be upgraded to compete with Orlando's best and most famous courses, and the marketing will revolve more around the golf course than Disney is comfortable doing. Four Seasons can sell "golf plus Walt Disney World." Disney has to sell "Walt Disney World plus golf."

[Luvsun]

Thanks for the answer Dave!

[Cam22]

Interesting!

[Nova]

Thanks for the info. When you are over in the lands and look across you can see the area at Epcot I talked about I think we were in Germany when we were looking over across the lake and noticed a large tent like structure behind the one country. You cant really see it when you are in that area though only from the other side looking over.

[Dave Marx]

Originally Posted by Nova

Thanks for the info. When you are over in the lands and look across you can see the area at Epcot I talked about I think we were in Germany when we were looking over across the lake and noticed a large tent like structure behind the one country. You cant really see it when you are in that area though only from the other side looking over.

You're probably seeing the World Showplace, a convention/catering facility out behind the UK and Canada. It's been there since the Millennium Celebration, when it was the Millennium Pavilion. There's an entrance to it between the UK and Canada.