Disney Theme Park in Branson by 2014

[Joy]

Hmmm, yeah, while I can't see a full-blown Disney park in Branson, I could totally see them doing something there with Adventures by Disney.

[chittlins]

Man, it's hard to see something on a grand scale that folks think of when the name Disney that is feasible for a year around operation in Mid America.

Betamike, has Disney studied plans of themed resorts like Great Wolf Lodge or The Wilderness in the Smokies that would also serve their timeshare/ Vacation Club operation without diminishing the attractiveness of their destination parks.

[betamike]

I wouldn't know the lodging line of business priorities, but they are certainly about creating intuitive and integrated styles that blend with the culture and landscape.   Aulani in Hawaii is our first off site Disney Vacation Club property so look for more Disney experiences like that which give you a resort atmosphere, but utilize the natural surroundings at the "attraction"

[Joy]

Aulani looks amazing.

I would be SO up for an Aulani-scale Disney resort in or near Branson. My friends and I camped at Fort Wilderness last year, and I loved it SOOOOO much. Every evening felt like I was coming home. I feel like if we hadn't done any of the parks, we still could have had a fun-filled week just hanging at the resort!

[betamike]

I go there sometimes after work just to walk or bike around the place.  I agree.   It reminds me so much of the old days of the Silver Dollar City Campground.

[chittlins]

I've given this some fleeting thought to this and it's not to very serious but a spit balling what if.

A year round Disney presence in Branson keeping with the tradition it being a theater/live performance town.

Disney Resort. A place that caters to both the public and the Disney time share arm that offers amenities like a very large indoor water park as well as an outdoor one. All themed to the old style, think the old water park down in FLA.

movie theaters that show Disney classics free to lodge guests.

Part of the resort would be a state of the art theater that would host the rotating traveling shows that Disney tours with every year as well as stage shows.

Examples include current shows like this:
Disney on Ice
Phineas and Ferb
Loin King
Mary Poppins

as well as concerts from their young musical stars before they go ballistic.
Think Spears, Cyrus, Jonas Bros. Selena Gomez

They have tons to keep it booked and busy and they could put on a great Christmas show


the resort could offer outdoor activities like a circular man made stream for floating, adventure courses and a very shallow pond that would double as a ice skating rink in the winter.

If they wanted a small scale theme park, an indoor one like the ones that are being developed in Asia instead of a fullscale hundreds of acreas outdoor park, Themed around a disney carnival

Here's a Transsomething park in Asia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hT3RSXI0qE

[Joy]

Oh wow. That Trans Studio Bandung looks AWESOME!

An indoor Disney theme park would be a *literal* dream come true; ever since I first visited Disneyland at age 4, I've had a recurring dream of a giant Disney castle out in the middle of nowhere that housed an entire park inside.

And I don't think having a park in the Midwest is necessarily going to get in the way of operations, weather-wise. I mean, Disneyland Paris operates year-round, even when it snows and stuff.

[How-doFolks]

wonder if it would drag some'a the crowd away at SDC.. 

[chittlins]

wonder if it would drag some'a the crowd away at SDC.. 

No, it would help. It would bring in more folks to the region.

Like I said, not a big outdoor theme park to start but an inclosed structure. I love the mingling of rides tht intertwine and interact with each other and you are starting to see that alot during to space constraints of existing parks and indoor theme parks. The only thing that compares in the US is the Nick themed indoor park at Mall of America in Minny.

Another idea of mine that I knock around when it's slow and My job is such that I  write cnc programs for one off or small run lathe and mill work and then set up and run it with some parts taking a whole day to complete and I just set there and listen for loud noises (which would be bad) until it's done.  All the while I have  a unused marketed degree hanging on the wall. I've milled the first resin models of many of the wheels you see on the road that's OEM equipment.

Back to the other idea, an Adventure Park with indoor and outdoor elements that bring rock climbing, caving, rafting/Kayaking, ropes courses, zip line course and snowboarding/sking. With a lodge and anemities like a cafe and such located on the grounds

My inspiration for this is that many caves are tourist traps now and there's no sense of exploring and discovering on your own. I'm sad that the caves at Devils Den and many others are now off limits due to protecting the bats from fungus. I'm glad my childern got to explore on their own before this happened but my nieces missed out. Several companies are making cave courses at all different levels, I've seen them as part of structure to build incredible, realistic rock climbing courses.

There are few man made river courses suitable for actual real life like rafting and kayaking. There's only 10 or so. Here's the one that got my interest.
Wisp Resort's man made river



More info: http://www.adventuresportscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=2

and

http://usnwc.org/

A snowflex facility like Liberty University installed that I've previously posted


more info:
http://www.liberty.edu/snowflex/

All offerings would have the ability to serve children to adults and offering things that have year round aspects as well as some seasonal. It could host events and competitions.

[How-doFolks]

but, maybe everyone would be going to this new place instead of SDC. be fine with me, less people at SDC. thats just the way i look at it.

[chittlins]

but, maybe everyone would be going to this new place instead of SDC. be fine with me, less people at SDC. thats just the way i look at it.

Nah, just more to do, making Branson more appealing and attractive to a broader range of folks.

[Joy]

Yeah, I really do think Branson needs a bit more variety. Celebration City could have offered that, but it just didn't stay open late enough at night. If you're gonna tout yourself as a "nighttime" park, make it actually be really night when you close for the day.

Variety is the spice of life. I know plenty of people who check out both Disney and Universal when they take their vacations to CA and FL. The two rival companies thrive off each other.

[misskim]

Someone stated Aulani was the first offsite DVC property. What about Hilton Head and Vero Beach?

I could definitely see them doing something like that in Branson. Or Great Wolf building a resort. Hard to sustain either when the area is very slow for 3 months a year. If you look at the places they have built, it's places with year round population/visitors.

[chittlins]

Someone stated Aulani was the first offsite DVC property. What about Hilton Head and Vero Beach?

I could definitely see them doing something like that in Branson. Or Great Wolf building a resort. Hard to sustain either when the area is very slow for 3 months a year. If you look at the places they have built, it's places with year round population/visitors.

That's just it, It shouldn't be. Cabin Fever. We always end up going someplace in Jan or Feb for a weekend. That place has been Splash Country, and recently Great Wolf Lodge to pretend it's summer. That's why I said it should have a substantial weatherproof aspect to it.

Think Gaylord's Opryland Hotel in Nashville with those atriums only in this case one is Epcot-esque with fine restuarants and such . Kinda like this:


and one a water wonderland liek the ones you see at Great Wolf Lodge or the places around Wisconsin Dells and the The Wilderness in the Smokies and one an indoor Disney Carnival the atmosphere of Downtown Disney but with rides. Bright and flashy.

[thelarsonsix]

We usually hit Splash Country in the winter also. You can get some great deals in Jan/Feb. and even though most shows are closed Grand Country still has theirs. It's also nice to pull out on 76 and make a left turn or drive from 376 to downtown without stopping.