Any naysayer would bite back and say that these Disney resorts are only a segment of the WDW pie and if i want entertainment I need to go to DD or one of four theme parks. But the time involved in travelling to another part of the World takes away that enjoyment. I don't want to waste time waiting in a bus line when my time could be better spent enjoying my holiday (vacation?).
In my view, the Boardwalk is the perfect Disney "mega-resort" as it features several different restaurants as well as nighttime entertainment. Not that it entirely bothers me one way or the other but I heard rumours that a casino was on the cards if/when the Florida state legalises gambling. I may not gamble but this resort offers and could continue to offer a mix of options that satisfy the guest.
So I pose the question, does it bother you that you need to travel around the World to do things or is that part of the fun? I love the current themes of Disney resorts but having a Venetian or Bellagio styled property ( with the variety of entertainment, restaurant and amenity options) on the map of WDW (in my eyes) would be a good thing. I look forward to reading your opinions :)
Downtown Disney has anything else a guest could want (minus nightclubs) for a family vacation and all the Disney buses go straight there all day long. They designed it so that instead of having to build all those things at every resort, they only had to have it in one place. They can bus them in and it's still fine because Disney controls the transportation so it's still a captive audience.
Disney will never make a casino. It was a big deal that they didn't put it on the cruise line!
As for screaming children, what resort has screaming children? I have been down to WDW and almost every resort over the years, and I do not remember screaming children (except for Whispering Canyon Cafe-but that is encouraged!)
Granted that the resorts around the Magic Kingdom area are fantastic and have many facilities for the guest to enjoy - primarily due to the lake amenities but also the Grand Floridian has six restaurants.
However a resort such as Animal Kingdom Lodge isn't as full of activities of facilities. Being a teen from Scotland I would love to go to an integrated resort outside of the Magic Kingdom area where I have access to several different amenities that isn't require transportation. To me that is a relaxing holiday.
But at the end of the day, theme parks and Downtown Disney provide a lot of entertainment options even if it requires travelling around the "World" to enjoy and take advantage of them. For a Scot like me i can purchase a 14/21 day pass to Disney and can enjoy their amenities entering and leaving as I wish, but do most American's not need to purchase a ticket to access the parks each time they go (unless a hopper is used)? Thus adding to the cost of your holiday.
An integrated resort based on the the Mediterranean or Tuscan lakes with several different facilities and entertainment options would really grab me and help me part with my money.
