Carousel Inn

[KeithS]

Okay - I didn't see this one coming.

Disney has just purchased the Carousel Inn on Harbor Blvd! I'm not sure exactly what this means - is this a strategic move to start buying up the hotels in the area and bulldoze them for a bigger resort area? Are they going to theme it as Disney and run it as a Disney budget hotel? Or are they just looking to diversify interests and let the hotel run as before?

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disn ... l-inn.html

We'll need to keep an eye out on this development...

[ajp]

When I read this during the week, I also wondered what the strategy might be. Given they stated in the article they intend to keep it running as is. No doubt there is a long term plan around the hotels in the Anaheim area. After all, Walt did build WDW because he was annoyed at all the people making money from hotels cashing in on his theme park.

[KeithS]

My guess is that Disney probably knock on the door of the owners every year and offer a big chunk of cash - finally the owners of The Carousel said, "why not" - I wonder if the other owners may begin to follow once they see the $38 million figure the Carousel got!

[mushu mama]

When I read this I was quite frankly horrified.... it feels a little 'writing on the wall' for the other hotels nearby.
Why it horrifies me is because of the very reasonable rates you can get at a hotel across the road from the very place you flew all that way to see, will surely dwindle and disappear. If Disney own it, then they will hike the prices up, and travelers will either have to stay further away to get great rates and catch buses to the resort ( and the absolute fabulousness of being able to walk across the road to your room that didn't cost you the GDP of a small country to stay in, can not be overstated), or suck it up and save for another year to be able to visit Disneyland in their hotels.

I better do a few more quick trips to Anaheim to enjoy it while I can... because the more properties Disney buy up, the tougher its going to be to get rooms in the other hotels across the road.

And I do want to go and get one of the new 'oil can sippers' to go with my cone sipper from Carsland. -/ all the justification I need really

[KeithS]

all the justification I need really

LOL - as if you needed justification!

As for the hotels - I don't think there is any need to rush - I can't see anything happening there for another 10+ years I think Disney saw an opportunity and jumped when they could.

[churros]

Yes Disney have owned large sections of unused land around the park for many years and haven't used it yet

[mushu mama]

As for the hotels - I don't think there is any need to rush - I can't see anything happening there for another 10+ years I think Disney saw an opportunity and jumped when they could.

Oh good.. .cos I probably can't fit it in until 2018

[KeithS]

Another interesting article (and some speculation thrown in of course!) about recent Disney land purchases in the Disneyland Resort area.

It is definitely worth the read and has some good maps to underline what is going on (and potentially going on!)

http://www.slashfilm.com/disneyland-land-purchase/

[mushu mama]

Oh wow... this will be interesting to watch... any of those speculations make perfect sense so it'll be interesting to see what transpires.

[KeithS]

I really like the thought of them moving the back stage areas to across the road behind the Carousel Inn and then opening up that large area at the back of Disneyland. They could put something interesting in there

[KeithS]

Well it is time to say goodbye to the Carousel Inn - after its purchase by Disney in early 2015, it is now scheduled to close in October.

You would have seen by now that Disney is going to knock it down to build a new eastern gateway and transport hub behind the Harbor Blvd hotels. 

The bus drop off area outside the current eastern gate will be closed and moved behind the hotels too.  Bus drop offs will occur behind the hotels and people would then reach the parks through a new security gateway where the Carousel sits and then walk across a bridge to the park entrance.

If you are staying on a Harbor Blvd hotel, there will still be an entrance by crossing the street, you won't need to use the new overpass.

That said - this plan frees up a lot of space where the current buses pickup is - I'm just speculating here that it would allow for a northward expansion of DCA - possibly to incorporate that new Marvel land they discussed at Comic-con earlier this year?

We'll have to wait and see!

[calisota]

Just talking out of a hole in my ... self but I wonder what it would cost for Disney to buy enough surrounding properties to create a realistic buffer zone to the park.


Greg