Colorado — Disney and skiing have had a long-standing relationship. It started with Walt Disney helping fund the construction of Sugar Bowl Resort. It then proceeded into a bid to build a ski resort in Mineral King, which fell short due to resistance from environmental groups. They even considered acquiring Sun Valley, but couldn’t close the deal.
Recently, John LaConte from Vail Daily analyzed how Disney had played a part in Colorado’s history. This research was made possible by a new newspaper database that includes past issues of Colorado publications. It’s worth the read in full, but the aspect of Disney’s influence I found most interesting was their attempt to build a Disney Vacation Club hotel in Beaver Creek.
Back in 1991, Disney Vacation Club was created. Starting at the Old Key West Resort at Walt Disney World, the timeshare program eventually spread to various destinations in the United States, even at non-theme park destinations like Vero Beach, Hilton Head Island, and Oahu. At one point, Disney considered building one at a popular Colorado ski resort.
In the 1990s, the buildout was being planned for the Beaver Creek Village. Various considerations were made, including bringing a company that’s known for excellence in hospitality management. In 1995, it was announced that East West Partners, Vail Associates, and Disney would collaborate on the hotel and new village. The plan was to make it a part of its Disney Vacation Club network. The plan would have been a part of the Village Center, with Disney also building out an ice skating rink and a performing arts venue. A key point made during the announcement was that they weren’t building a theme park there.
“This has zero to do with the theme parks,” Harry Frampton, the President of East West Partners, told the Vail Trail in 1995. “I don’t think the buildings will look significantly different from the other buildings in Beaver Creek.”
Like many of their projects from the 1990s, Disney didn’t end up going through with their plans. The Beaver Creek Metro District’s planning board desire for authority on the project resulted in Disney getting cold feet for the project. They ended up selling the plans to Hyatt, who did build out some of Disney’s ideas, including a performance arts venue and an ice skating rink.
“Disney and Vail Associates worked very hard to get this project together,” said Ross Bowker, the head of East West Associates. “They decided not to get married, not that they didn’t like each other.”
For more information on Disney’s history in Colorado, click here to read John LaConte’s piece. Another good read on Disney’s relationship with the Colorado ski industry can be found here via The Denver Post.
Image Credits: Beaver Creek Resort
