Clare Bilby announces Grand Floridian DVC

[PecosBill]

Clare Bilby announces Grand Floridian DVC at the 2011 Disney Vacation Club Condominium Association Meeting.

It's official!

[bostonRob]

DVC News just reported the Grand Floridian was just announced.

[bostonRob]

It appears that the Grand Floridian was just announced at the annual meeting (DVCNews)

[bostonRob]

147 Villas to be built (DVCNews)

[PecosBill]

DVC News tweeting photos from association meeting showing Grand Floridian celebratory cookie following DVC anouncement.


http://twitter.com/dvcnews

[Ransom]

Wow...it's going to be tiny. About the same size as VWL.

[PecosBill]

Jason Garcia (Orlando Sentinel)
Disney will build ~147 DVC villas at Grand Floridian. Expected to open in late 2013.

I assume that's 147 two-bedroom equivalents?

[PecosBill]

Originally Posted by PecosBill

I assume that's 147 two-bedroom equivalents?

DVCNews reports yearend 2014 estimate for completion. Which sounds like a more reasonable projection.

[affableolive]

I'm so excited for this! It's going to be gorgeous!

[PecosBill]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-d...,4886413.story

By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel

3:59 p.m. EST, December 8, 2011
The Walt Disney Co.'s time-share business said Thursday it will add time shares to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the highest-priced company-owned hotel at Walt Disney World.

The project, in which approximately 147 time-share units will be added in a separate building next to the posh hotel, is the first new Disney Vacation Club resort to begin construction since the global recession sent sales tumbling across the time-share industry.

Disney said the resort addition is expected to open in late 2013. The plans include a children's water-play area and other amenities.

The Grand Floridian expansion should inject some high-demand inventory into Vacation Club, which was one of Disney's fastest-growing businesses before sales ebbed during the recession and the anemic recovery that has followed. The Victorian-themed Grand Floridian is Disney World's most luxurious hotel and is adjacent to the Magic Kingdom, the busiest theme park on the planet with more than 17 million visitors a year.

It will be the second time-share property Disney has built near the Magic Kingdom, joining Bay Lake Tower, an addition to Disney's Contemporary Resort that opened in August 2009.

"We continually look for ways to expand Disney Vacation Club by creating resort experiences that our members will love," Claire Bilby, the senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club, said in a prepared statement. "With the continued popularity of Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, we are thrilled to offer our members and guests a new resort option along the monorail system with easy access to the Magic Kingdom Park, as well as a variety of shopping, dining and recreation experiences."

Though Disney does not report specific financial results for its time-share business, the company said sales of Vacation Club units fell during its most recent quarter, which ended Oct. 1. Disney is currently peddling interests in four resorts: Bay Lake Tower, Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, all of which are in Orlando, and Aulani, a hotel and time share the company opened this summer in Hawaii.

At its peak, Disney Vacation Club generated roughly $190 million a year in operating profit.

jrgarcia@tribune.com or 407-420-5414