Refurbishment coming to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort lobby

JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
DCBaker said:
Disney has shared a first look at the lobby refurbishment:



From the parks blog:

Coming Soon: Grand Floridian Lobby Bar
There’s something special about walking into the Grand Floridian—the soft piano music, glowing chandeliers, and aromatic floral arrangements create a luxurious, yet relaxing atmosphere. And soon, guests will be able to take in this ambiance with a refreshing beverage in hand, thanks to the new lobby bar!

Inspired by the lobby’s iconic birdcage, the bar will pay tribute to the resort’s Victorian roots with intricate woodwork, stained glass, and brass accents. You may even spot colorful birds in the stained glass and murals throughout the atrium! Opposite the bar, guests will still find the Victorian cage-style elevator that fans know and love.  

New Look, Same Grand Feel
The surrounding lobby, staircase and front desk will be refreshed with a mix of botanical accents and inviting colors to create an airy, garden-like atmosphere.  

Disney Imagineers are approaching this refurbishment with great care and focus in maintaining the heart and story of the Grand Floridian, while adding fresh new life to the lobby for guests to enjoy.   

As shown in the new rendering, the lobby will feature beautiful new carpeting with Victorian-inspired borders and scrollwork featuring hand-drawn florals inspired by turn-of-the-century botanical studies. Updated furnishings will blend rich finishes and brass accents with cozy, welcoming fabrics–plus a few playful touches inspired by Florida’s natural beauty and Victorian decorating trends.  

Details:
disneyparksblog.com

Grand Floridian Lobby Renovation and Refurbishment

Get a first look at the Grand Floridian Lobby renovation and refurbishment, including the all-new birdcage-inspired lobby bar.
disneyparksblog.com disneyparksblog.com
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I think the new bar is to make up for the loss of Mizner's Lounge. Yes, they still have the BATB bar but this restores the central focus in the lobby for taking it easy there along with central lobby music again.
 
E

easyrowrdw

Well-Known Member
Tha Realest said:
Chandelier: staying
Rest of lobby: same general color scheme
Interior portion: Not substantially reworked, updated color scheme that doesn’t follow the deep teal and blue hues found elsewhere
Aviary: Gone the way of the dinosaurs but rebirthed as a bar

Could have been much much worse so a win
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I think it looks good. But if they’re not changing the chandelier, color scheme, or overall style, then this feels kind of pointless to me. It seems like they could’ve done most of this long ago in a relatively short period of time. Is this really just to add another bar?
 
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J

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
easyrowrdw said:
I think it looks good. But if they’re not changing the chandelier, color scheme, or overall style, then this feels kind of pointless to me. Is this really just to add another bar?
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I mean, everything should be refreshed regularly, and the empty aviary was quite sad. That said, Grand Canyon Concourse needs a refresh way more desperately.
 
KDM31091

KDM31091

Well-Known Member
At least they are keeping a lot of the overall look and feel, which is nice. A bar is going to make it more crowded, but I'll withhold judgement for now. It could be a lot worse. It could be turned into a Hilton lobby, and I am surprised (pleasantly) they are keeping most of the theme intact
 
Horizons '83

Horizons '83

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
KDM31091 said:
At least they are keeping a lot of the overall look and feel, which is nice. A bar is going to make it more crowded, but I'll withhold judgement for now. It could be a lot worse. It could be turned into a Hilton lobby, and I am surprised (pleasantly) they are keeping most of the theme intact
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Hard to beat a classic theme.
 
TheCoasterNerd

TheCoasterNerd

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
James Alucobond said:
I mean, everything should be refreshed regularly, and the empty aviary was quite sad. That said, Grand Canyon Concourse needs a refresh way more desperately.
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Yeah Contemporary I feel like needs it more. Birdcage is odd empty, it's true, but GCC feels so dull. The mural needs a refresh (READ: A REFRESH, NOT A CHANGE), and the rest of the area is so faded and dated. GF doesn't feel like it should be their priority - don't fix what ain't broken when something is very broken just across the water
 
Horizons '83

Horizons '83

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
aladdin2007 said:
It looks much smaller and enclosed in that new art, to me anyway and darker, the bar is stupid. Im sorry but it is, you cant tell me guests asked for yet another bar, and smack dab in the lobby. :banghead: Meanwhile Contemporary's ugly grand canyon concourse limps along looking like a hospital.
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Mentioned it earlier but this place will be mobbed from not only resort guests but by general guests that have dinner reservations or are just passing through. I wouldn’t call it stupid from a business perspective.
 
networkpro

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
aladdin2007 said:
It looks much smaller and enclosed in that new art, to me anyway and darker, the bar is stupid. Im sorry but it is, you cant tell me guests asked for yet another bar, and smack dab in the lobby. :banghead: Meanwhile Contemporary's ugly grand canyon concourse limps along looking like a hospital.
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The current Lobby outside of the months there is the Tree and gingerbread house is an empty pit. The Enchanted Rose is just a pretentious wine bar with a few generic cocktails as a garnish, its a dead space always an available spot.
 
WorldExplorer

WorldExplorer

Well-Known Member
You spend 800+ per night and the first thing you see when you enter the hotel is another thing to spend money on.

Keep it classy, Disney. It's not like the gift shops and bars in the other hotels are off to the side for a reason or anything.

Maybe next you can just have cast members standing at the door with toys and portable credit card machines.

I hope you all are ready for every deluxe to get their own lobby bar when this does well!

("What about Contemporary Grounds?" I would much rather condemn both than have this.)
 

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