Article Titled - "Disney will turn defunct Institute into time-shares"

http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/news/local/4075405.htm



Disney Institute opened more than five years ago, but was largely closed during the travel slump that began after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The brainchild of Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael Eisner, the institute began as a resort that combined vacations with the study of personal-enrichment pursuits such as cooking, gardening and the arts.

But the hotel, which housed such famous guests as President Clinton, failed to achieve the kind of success Disney management expected

Right... they have been talking about this for some time, but they just announced it recently in the DVC member newsletter.

What I had heard was that they are taking out some of the '80's era townhomes and putting in a more modern, urban architecture, themed more toward Downtown Disney, with plans to integrate it more into that part of the World. Sarasota Springs, turn of the last century? That is new...

We REALLY miss the Disney Institute KidVentures - my daughter *loved* their programs. You can still do them, but you have to book it as a group with 10 or more kids, no longer by individual family. I always said, when my kids got older I would check out some of those classes... too late.

Just for the record, The Disney Institute was not closed because of Sept. 11. It was already slated to close prior to the attacks.

That is true, they had cut out the classes at least a year before. But they closed the Villas at Disney Institute in the fall of last year right about the same time that they decided to shut down PO-FQ for renovation. That was after 9/11, and it was in response to the sudden drop in travel. It would have happened later, most likely.

I hope they keep the treehouse villas intact - I hear they are a treat to stay in.