Don't care for a DVC resort in Hawaii? Fear not. How about Paris? Or Spain? Honor Hunter's Blue Sky Disney is back today with a slew of destinations that Disney execs are considering around the world.
To quote Honor:
"Let's just say that come late 2008 there are going to be a lot of new options for DVC owners. There are several areas that have been scouted by Disney across the nation and several of them could be announced by mid to late next year. As well as that, many of you that read the latest Blue Sky Alert will note that their are plans for DVC units in France sometime later in the decade. Other European countries are prime candidates for hotels and DVC units as well, particularly Spain, which was where the Mouse's European Disneyland was originally going to go. A couple other cities are likely to be chosen by late next year so we can hopefully expect announcements by Jay or his successor(that's something I hope!) within the next 12 to 18 months. Asia is another prime candidate for this strategy although I don't feel this will include Tokyo as it would be considered encroaching on OLC's territory... a definite no-no..."
For clarity's sake, file this information under the heading of "Blue Sky" which means these ideas are all very much in speculative / development stages at this time. Any number of issues ranging from the global economy to developer negotiations could sideline some or all of these rumored destinations.
Assuming that the Contemporary doesn't emerge as the biggest practical joke ever played on DVC members, Disney is currently investing significant capital in four projects spread over the far corners of the US: Animal Kingdom Villas and Contemporary in Florida, Grand Californian in California and Ko Olina in Hawaii. Conventional wisdom is that a second Anaheim-based development is already waiting in the wings given the meager 50 units slated for the Grand Californian.
Can The Walt Disney Company afford these investments? Sure. But they will be increasingly difficult to justify to investors should DVC sales begin to soften in the near future.
