18 April 2011 by By Jason Garcia and Sara K. Clarke, Orlando Sentinel
The Walt Disney Co.'s biggest theme-park investments this year aren't being made at Walt Disney World, though a top company executive says he still expects them to drive business to Orlando.
Al Weiss, president of worldwide operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, told local government and civic leaders last week that the company expects new-to-Disney travelers who take a trip aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship, which launched in January, or book a room in Aulani, the Hawaiian hotel and time share that opens in August, will ultimately follow up with trips to Disney's signature theme parks.
"By creating memories for guests in a different category of travel, guests are more inclined to book a trip to Orlando," Weiss said at the Disney-organized event at the Orlando Museum of Art.
Alternative ventures
Behind Disney's move into cruises, standalone resorts and other "flanker" ventures is a desire to capture money that existing theme-park customers — who typically visit a Disney park only once every few years — spend while on vacations in between those park visits. But Weiss said he expects such projects will also do the reverse: Attract non-Disney fans to the theme parks by introducing them to the brand in another manner.
That's particularly true, he added during an interview that followed his event remarks, of a project like Aulani, a massive resort that will include 359 hotel rooms and 481 Disney Vacation Club time-share units.
New customers will "experience Aulani [and] they'll realize, 'You know what, I didn't think a Disney vacation was quite like this,'" Weiss said. "It's got a great spa. It's got great restaurants. It's got great entertainment throughout the resort. It's got programming that is unparalleled, that they haven't seen in other places before. And so I think when they see and experience that in a high quality way, I think they're going to say, 'You know what, I'm going to go do Walt Disney World' or 'I'm going to go do Disneyland' or 'I'm going to go do [Disneyland] Paris.' And I think that keeps them not only with Disney, but I think it also motivates others to come that maybe didn't consider a Disney vacation."
Lego-style hospitality
Legoland Florida has picked 10 hotels, including several in the Orlando area, to be part of the new theme park's "Bed & Brick" preferred lodging program.
Properties listed on the park's website include the Nickelodeon Suites Resort near Walt Disney World, the Tuscana Condominium Resort at ChampionsGate, Comfort Suites Maingate East in Kissimmee, and the Mona Lisa Suite Hotel in Celebration.
Legoland, owned by Merlin Entertainments Group, unveiled its hotel-partner program in October with varying sponsorship levels that ranged from $7,500 for a bronze-level hotel to $20,000 for a gold-level property.
Legoland said then it had space for 13 hotels in the program.
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