How Aulani’s Price Tag Reshaped Disneyland’s Hotels (Ep. 606)

Len Testa and Jim Hill wrap up their Disneyland DVC history with a look at how Aulani’s ambitious price tag shaped the hotel projects that followed. Jim connects Disney’s Hawaiian resort to an unbuilt New Hampshire lodge, a canceled Disneyland luxury hotel, and the eventual Discovery Tower. They also discuss new playground plans, Disneyland ticket increases, and what Disney’s surveys might reveal about future attractions. Listener ideas offer fresh possibilities for EPCOT dining and a House of Mouse restaurant.

NEWS

• New playground plans at Hollywood Studios raise a practical question: what can younger children do while the rest of the family rides?• Len compares Disneyland’s latest ticket increases with Walt Disney World’s and asks whether Southern California is reaching a price ceiling.• The hosts discuss Pokémon possibilities at Universal, Disney Imagination’s planned debut in Japan, and a time-travel television tangent.• Disney Cruise Line survey pressure and an Avatar question prompt a discussion about how guest feedback influences decisions.• Listener proposals pair EPCOT dining with Lightning Lane perks and imagine a House of Mouse makeover for Hollywood Studios dining.

FEATURE

• The Grand Californian expansion brings Disney Vacation Club to the West Coast, setting the stage for a much bigger Hawaiian investment.• Jim explains how Aulani’s costs affected other resort ambitions, including Disney’s proposed White Mountain Lodge in New Hampshire.• A planned Disneyland luxury hotel runs into sightline concerns and an Anaheim tax-rebate dispute before its cancellation.• The story concludes with the smaller Disneyland Hotel DVC tower, its mix of accommodations, and construction through the pandemic.

For this episode’s full show notes, click here.HOSTS

• Len Testa - Bluesky: @lentesta.bsky.social | Instagram: @len.testa | touringplans.com• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com

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