Shock Announcement Shows Disney’s Focus Is On the Rich

Disney Vacation Club, Disney Genie+, Lightning Lane, Annual Passes.

Disney has many facets to its theme park experience that provide a more “exclusive” feeling for certain Guests at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

From services that require extra spending to programs that include membership, that are multiple ways that Disney World Guests can pay more to get a more exclusive experience.

And now, with the surprise announcement that another DVC building is coming to Lake Buena Vista, Guests are concerned that Disney seems to be focusing its attention on these exclusive services rather than things that would add to everyone’s Disney magic.

This week, Disney revealed the shock closure of the fan-favorite Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which featured an all-you-can-eat meal with a luau, hula dancers, fire dancing, and a celebration of Polynesian culture.

Walt Disney World hosted two beloved dinner shows before the COVID-19 pandemic, including Spirit of Aloha and Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. While it has been confirmed Spirit of Aloha will not return, we have yet to learn if Hoop-Dee-Doo will also be permanently closing. 

In what some Disney fans are calling a “slap in the face” to those who loved the show, Disney then revealed that a Disney Vacation Club building is being added to Disney’s Polynesian Resort, featuring a “tribute” to the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show.

Located on the Monorail loop on the Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has become a beloved Disney Deluxe Resort Hotel at Disney World. With the Transportation and Ticket Center to the east and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to the west, the popular Resort has easy transportation access to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Disney Parks as well as Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

The Resort features multiple dining options, including The Barefoot Pool Bar, Captain Cook’s, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto tiki bar, Kona Cafe, and the famous ‘Ohana all-you-care-to-enjoy Island-style dinner.

Many Disney fans on social media note that the new DVC villas do not match with the beautiful architecture and design that makes the Polynesian Resort unique, while others feel it is adding another layer of exclusivity to Walt Disney World.

The new DVC villas will be located between the Grand Floridan Resort & Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, meaning a beach with accessibility to all Disney Guests will be demolished.

Meanwhile, amid the controversy surrounding Florida’s new “Don’t Say Gay” bill and Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s lackluster response, Disney revealed that future attraction projects have been put on the shelf due to a lack of funding.

During the 2022 Shareholder Meeting on March 9, Bob Chapek answered questions related to delayed attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort that meant fans assumed were canceled.

One of the most eagerly-awaited of these rides was one based on the Julie Andrews classic film Mary Poppins (1964), previously announced at the 2019 D23 Expo in Anaheim.

The attraction would be located in the United Kingdom pavilion of the EPCOT theme park. Disney was to build Cherry Tree Lane complete with Admiral Boom’s house, then enter Number 17 – home of the Banks family. The other attraction mentioned was a Quinjet ride at Marvel’s Avengers Campus in Disneyland Park in California.

Chapek responded that these attractions were in a “holding pattern” due to a lack of cash caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Chapek explained that they hoped to fund the projects eventually, but right now they’re not under construction.

What’s odd about this to many is that it appears Disney indeed has cash, as proved in its 2022 first-quarter fiscal results. The issue seems to be where Disney is deciding to put said revenue.

Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products division reported making more than $7.2 billion in revenue in the first quarter which ended on January 1, 2022. This record is a massive increase as Orlando Sentinel shared that more than doubles the nearly $3.6 billion made in the first quarter of 2021.

This extra money comes from several Disney Park channels with Guests spending more on Disney Resort room stays, merchandise, dining options, and, of course, Disney Genie+.

Disney removed the complimentary FastPass System and replaced it back in October 2021 with the costly Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane attraction fees to skip the normal standby line at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

So where is this money going? It seems Disney’s focus is currently on Disney+ – its streaming service – and DVC.

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney’s equivalent of a timeshare rental service. DVC Members buy points that guarantee them Disney vacation time in Walt Disney World each year. Members can own anywhere from 100 points to 50,000 Vacation Club points per year.

Their points are linked to a specific Disney Resort, known as their Home Resort. Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World include:

• Old Key West
• BoardWalk Villas (BoardWalk Inn)
• Boulder Ridge Villas (Wilderness Lodge)
• Beach Club Villas (Disney’s Beach Club)
• Saratoga Springs Resort
• Animal Kingdom Villas (Animal Kingdom Lodge)
• Bay Lake Tower (Disney’s Contemporary Resort)
• Villas at the Grand Floridian
• Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins (Wilderness Lodge)
• Riviera Resort

DVC also has the following Resorts that have these timeshare rentals, located outside of Walt Disney World:

• • Vero Beach
  • Hilton Head Island
  • Aulani, Hawaii
  • Villas at the Grand Californian (Disneyland Resort)

And this is where the rise of exclusivity is coming into play at Walt Disney World. Disney’s recent construction updates have mainly involved DVC rentals, with new villas at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and now the new DVC building at the Polynesian Village Resort.

Instead of using the extra money for new rides at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it seems to Guests that Disney is just catering for the “rich”.

Disney officially revealed that the United Kingdom Pavilion expansion was paused in July 2020 as Walt Disney World reopened from the COVID-19 shutdown. In addition to pausing Mary Poppins and the Quinjet, Disney also put a halt to the update to EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth.

The news surprised Disney fans who haven’t heard anything related to these rides for a long time. Construction on attractions like TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom, and the Moana Journey of Water walkthrough have been delayed due to labor and supply shortages.

Construction is underway for a Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind roller coaster at EPCOT, while Mickey’s Toontown is getting a major retheme at Disneyland. When Mickey’s Toontown reopens, it will include a new version of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway similar to the one currently operating at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

We’ve also recently seen the launch of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, but again, this new Disney Hotel is catered to those with deeper pockets with its hefty $5000 price tag.

But after TRON, we have no new attractions or rides to look forward to from Walt Disney Imagineering in a Walt Disney World theme park.

Of course, this might all change at the next D23 Expo in September this year, but until then we only have DVC villas to see constructed at Walt Disney World Resort.

In the meantime, we can enjoy classic Disney rides like Haunted Mansion, Expedition Everest, Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain – but we’re not sure we still need to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane our favorite ride.