Disney is continually rumored to have purchased property somewhere. Well, Disney has in fact purchased property, and it isn’t in Florida, or California.
In a news article from the Orlando Sentinel Disney has purchased 15 acres in the Washington D.C. area. The property is along the Potomac River in the National Harbor Development, and cost $11 Million. Disney has only disclosed that they plan to build a “resort hotel for families and others visiting the national capital region.”
What do you think of this recent purchase? Do you think, or want it to be a DVC resort? I would more likely venture to say it will probably be tied to DVC somehow, as Disney has really been pushing the timeshare idea more in the past few years.
I personally don’t think I would want to go there if it was an actual DVC resort, as I really like the Disney attractions, and a resort without the park just doesn’t do it for me. I personally didn’t favor Vero Beach for this reason. The resort is nice, but not a whole lot to do.
A full copy of the original article can be read below.
Disney hotel to rise near U.S. capital
The Walt Disney Co. has purchased 15 acres along the Potomac River just outside of Washington, D.C., with plans to build a new resort overlooking the nation’s capital.
Disney paid $11 million for the property. But it isn’t saying much about its plans, other than that it intends to build a “resort hotel for families and others visiting the national capital region.”
It is the latest venture in a company strategy to build stand-alone resorts at outposts far beyond its theme parks in Central Florida and Southern California.
Disney recently began construction on an $800 million resort on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. That complex, scheduled to open in 2011, will include 350 hotel rooms, 480 Disney Vacation Club time shares, and an artificial volcano.
Disney did not provide a construction timetable for the Washington resort. A company spokesman said design plans are not yet complete.The property is part of a Maryland development project called National Harbor, which also includes other hotels, a convention center, condominiums and a tree-lined promenade. It is the future site of the National Children’s Museum.
“As we began identifying possible locations to grow our business, the Washington, D.C., area immediately jumped to the top of the list,” Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney’s Parks and Resorts division, said in a prepared statement.
“National Harbor offers an array of entertaining activities for regional visitors, but it is also a family-friendly base camp, from which visitors from around the world can explore the stirring sights and inspirational stories of our nation’s capital. We believe National Harbor has the unique opportunity to offer a new level of family-friendly hospitality.”
The Disney resort will have 500 rooms, The Washington Post reported. A Disney spokesman declined to say whether the project would include time shares.
The Post noted that the project could mesh with the company’s Adventures by Disney tour service, which has among its itineraries an eight-day “Spirit of America” trek through Philadelphia, Washington and Williamsburg, Va.
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This is very intriguing! One never knows what Disney
will come up with. Cindi
My husband and I stayed at a resort called Gaylord Palms in Orlando…it was amazing! They even had alligators in there. I’m always amazed at what they’re going to do next!
I think it’s smart business for Disney. They know that tourists come to DC and have to stay somewhere. And why not stay at a Disney branded resort? There is plenty to do in the DC area for tourists like the other commenter mentioned above. And then they can go back to their hotel and relax in the Disney atmosphere.
As to the DVC and Vero Beach Resort. I used to live a few miles from there. People that came to the area were the kind who want to just chill on the beach. They are looking for total relaxation and pampering. To those people, Vero Beach Resort is a great idea for a vacation while still dipping a bit of the Disney magic into it.
I used to find sitting on the chairs in front of the Exposition Center on Main Street very relaxing, but I went there often enough to not have to worry about catching every attraction. For many, Disney World can be a very hectic and exhausting experience. In fact, a father who’d been dragged around by his kids all day once asked me how I could possibly find the place relaxing.
It all depends on what you are into and when I guess. But I do think that a DC resort was something that I’m surprised hadn’t happened earlier.
Disney probably buys and sells more than just the orange groves that became the Land and the World. It once thought about a theme park in Virginia. It didn’t proceed because of weather factors and whether there would be enough attendance in a seasonal park. I love DC and go there yearly. The right hotel in the right place would bring possible access to the Smithsonians (free admission), the national zoo (money), the tombs and monuments, government buildings. Our capital is rich in history.