As a part of a listing of the “24 Oooh-Worthy Issues at Disney Experiences in 2024,” the corporate has revealed {that a} new Disney Trip Membership Member Lounge coming to Walt Disney World in 2024. This submit shares particulars of the announcement, together with fundamental background information and our hypothesis a couple of potential location.
For starters, unique DVC Member areas have lengthy been a part of what Disney Trip Membership calls “Membership Magic.” From the Prime of the World Lounge, which reopened with villainous new choices atop Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Up to date Resort, to the colourful Member Lounge completely perched within the iconic glass pyramid of the Creativeness! pavilion at EPCOT, these unique enclaves are amongst Disney Trip Membership Members’ favourite locations at Walt Disney World Resort.
Final 12 months, Disney Trip Membership opened its very first Member Lounge at Disneyland Resort in California. Known as Star View Station, the brand new lounge is positioned within the coronary heart of Tomorrowland at Disneyland within the area on the second flooring of the Star Wars: Launch Bay (previously Innoventions) constructing. The sleekly designed “area” is dwelling to a devoted Disney Trip Membership Member Providers group, loads of indoor and outside seating, complimentary Wi-Fi, device-charging stations, and self-service beverage station.
In response to the corporate, building on a brand-new Disney Trip Membership Member Lounge will start in 2024 at Walt Disney World. This shall be an awesome place for members to loosen up and recharge throughout their day of enjoyable! Extra particulars shall be shared sooner or later. That’s actually all they teased. Except I missed one thing, this was the one announcement on the complete checklist of 24 issues.
March 4, 2024 Replace: Over the weekend, the brand new Disney Trip Golf equipment Gateway to Discovery opened within the City Heart space of Disney Springs. On the bottom flooring, the Gateway to Discovery includes a Welcome Dwelling Heart that serves as an interactive portal to find new trip locations with Disney Trip Membership.
Opening someday in Spring 2024, the second flooring area will act as a spot for DVC Members and friends to collect. Upon listening to this information, you may’ve heard a collective groan from Disney Trip Membership Members, disillusioned that this is the brand new lounge at Walt Disney World for DVC Members teased at first of the 12 months. Excellent news–it isn’t!
Disney Trip Membership subsequently clarified that the brand new lounge isn’t within the Gateway to Discovery at Disney Springs. (Would possibly’ve made sense to lead with that since this was clearly ripe for confusion because it appears like a lounge and so they beforehand introduced a lounge, however no matter.) We nonetheless don’t know something concerning the thriller lounge, besides that particulars shall be shared about it “at a later date.”
Having a brand new area at Disney Springs and a brand new lounge doesn’t come as an entire shock, as DVC management indicated that they had been working to convey new “group areas” (plural) to Members throughout the annual Condominium Affiliation assembly. However that would have meant any variety of issues, together with group halls on the new resorts being constructed or random rooms transformed into such areas.
I’m a bit extra optimistic, although. The very first thing that got here to my thoughts when listening to this announcement is how superior it might be to have a lounge in Magic Kingdom. And I nonetheless actually hope that’s what it’s. Having a spot to cease for a fast break and free Coke Freestyle or espresso is big. I’d hazard a guess that our #1 “attraction” at each EPCOT and Disneyland final 12 months was the respective DVC lounges.
I didn’t get round to doing a photograph tour of Star View Station at Disneyland, however it’s superior. Plenty of cool mid-century fashionable decor and nods to Disneyland historical past inside, plus Coke Freestyle machines and fancy espresso machines. Granted, a kind of espresso makers is seemingly perpetually damaged, however when it’s working, the espresso is surprisingly good.
On prime of that, there’s a ton of out of doors seating that nobody appears to find out about (95% of the time, we’re the one ones on the market) with nice views of Tomorrowland. I’d love one thing like that in Magic Kingdom.
However then I take into consideration the place it may conceivably go. I do know there’s a laundry checklist of eating places which are not in use or underutilized, however most of these don’t make a ton of sense. Tomorrowland Terrace is used for dessert events, and it has a visitors movement hall. That simply appears unworkable. Aunt Polly’s is unworkable for various causes, from being inconveniently positioned to being a walk-up window. So it’s secure to say that’s out, too.
The almost certainly candidate in Magic Kingdom might be Tortuga Tavern. Regardless that that also will get some use, it strikes me as most believable particularly if Pecos Invoice will get transformed into Tiana’s Palace. The whole constructing may go down directly, and Tiana’s Palace may increase into Tortuga Tavern, whereas nonetheless leaving some area for a DVC lounge. But when that we’re going to occur, it looks as if it might’ve began nearly a 12 months in the past. The clock is ticking, and it doesn’t seem to be there’s sufficient time to transform these areas earlier than Tiana’s Bayou Journey opens.
As a closing wildcard, I’ll throw out Sew’s Nice Escape. There’s no purpose the lounge must be a former meals & beverage location–the opposite ones weren’t. It simply wants a hook-up for Coke Freestyle and low machines (hopefully). Sew’s Nice Escape is solely a storage room now, and will in all probability be transformed right into a lounge. Doesn’t seem to be there are every other plans for that location.
Logically, this is perhaps one other lounge in EPCOT. Because the variety of Disney Trip Membership members will increase yearly–and shall be rising considerably once more in 2024–demand for the present Creativeness Lounge will increase. I usually ‘rope drop’ the present lounge when it opens (or do it late within the afternoon) to keep away from the walk-up waitlist, however I’ve had 30+ waits on a number of events throughout the noon rush.
A lounge in every other park wouldn’t tackle demand for the present DVC lounge in EPCOT. However one other one in World Showcase would! And it helps that there are like a half-dozen unused lounges there. To not point out Restaurant Marrakesh, which is at present used because the Florida Blue Lounge throughout the EPCOT Meals & Wine Pageant, however sits empty the remainder of the 12 months.
Changing a kind of areas wouldn’t require a lot building, and would make sense from an operational perspective.
Nonetheless, provided that these lounges additionally function advertising for Disney Trip Membership, I’m skeptical they’d add one other lounge in EPCOT. It’s not one thing potential or present members would get enthusiastic about provided that there’s already one lounge in EPCOT. Most individuals aren’t going to say, “sure! shorter wait instances for the present lounge.”
From a advertising and gross sales perspective, essentially the most priceless location for a lounge is Magic Kingdom. In the event you polled DVC members, I’d wager that over 80% would need one there over anyplace else. Disney’s Hollywood Studios would in all probability be a distant second. Truthfully, DHS is perhaps a greater decide for a location. Magic Kingdom has tons of locations to loosen up, whereas DHS is nerve-racking and doesn’t have choices for simple decompressing until you decide to a prolonged stage present on an uncomfortable bench.
Lastly, there’s the worst (IMO) choice of all, which is a lounge within the new Polynesian tower. Prime of the World began out as being an distinctive providing, however it has grow to be a problem through the years. Possibly different members really feel in a different way about it, however I don’t need a second model of that. Possibly if this had been ~2017, I’d really feel in a different way, however we haven’t executed Prime of the World shortly and have little want to return. In fact, perhaps that may change if there have been one other comparable area to absorb demand and ease the present restrictions.
In the event you’re occupied with becoming a member of DVC, be sure you learn our Final Information to Disney Trip Membership. This covers the professionals & cons, resale v. direct, how a lot cash you’ll save, and different essential issues to know earlier than taking the plunge. In the event you nonetheless can’t resolve whether or not membership is best for you, “strive before you purchase” with the suggestions in Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Lodging Renting DVC Factors.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on the tease of a brand new member lounge being constructed at Walt Disney World? Any hope or hypothesis as to its location? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? In the event you’re an present Member, what do you assume? Share any questions, suggestions, or further ideas you could have within the feedback!
