Disney Resorts Slowly Being Eroded and Dismantled by WDI, Guest Questioners and Outside Design Firms

[PolynesianPrincess]

I can't say anything in regards to Yacht Club rooms, but I wasn't fully impressed with the refurb at Pop Century. I liked SOME of the things (the pull down bed, bathroom area) but I felt like it was so blank and sterile feeling. The little Disney touches that reminded you that you were in a Disney resort were (mostly) gone. To me, that's what made these resorts special. The theming from the parks and resorts extended to your rooms. Really make you feel 100% like you were in Disney. If I wanted a resort without the Disney touches, I would stay off property. I understand they may want to streamline things, but they're also taking away those things that made their resorts so special.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I'm mostly in the middle here.

Ever since bedbugs remotely became an issue, I grown to greatly appreciate white/light bedding.
I'm also a huge fan of the very new sleek bathrooms Disney put in Gran Destino Tower. I'll take that any day over the old style bath with the sticky/leaky cloth/plastic shower curtain any day. Well, maybe minus the locked-down shampoo bottles.

I also miss some of the little touches that made the hotel rooms special: Mickey themed shampoo bottles always made me smile.

Hunting around your room/hotel for hidden Mickeys and other little character details is also great fun. Those little details make the rooms/hotels special.

For me, one of the hotels I notice most is the Swan/Dolphin. It used to be so whimsical when it first opened. Now it looks very bland. The lobby of the Dolphin is pretty, but it lost much of the whimsy. I know technically not WDW.

Then again...it is never a good idea to name a restaurant, "Tubby's."

I don't think I ever stayed at original Yacht Club. I long felt many of the original/older WDW rooms were a bit too dark/brown. It works at AKL, but Poly and Coronado Springs rooms were way too dark.

We also love when WDW swaps full beds to queens!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm mostly in the middle here.

Ever since bedbugs remotely became an issue, I grown to greatly appreciate white/light bedding.
I'm also a huge fan of the very new sleek bathrooms Disney put in Gran Destino Tower. I'll take that any day over the old style bath with the sticky/leaky cloth/plastic shower curtain any day. Well, maybe minus the locked-down shampoo bottles.

I also miss some of the little touches that made the hotel rooms special: Mickey themed shampoo bottles always made me smile.

Hunting around your room/hotel for hidden Mickeys and other little character details is also great fun. Those little details make the rooms/hotels special.

For me, one of the hotels I notice most is the Swan/Dolphin. It used to be so whimsical when it first opened. Now it looks very bland. The lobby of the Dolphin is pretty, but it lost much of the whimsy. I know technically not WDW.

Then again...it is never a good idea to name a restaurant, "Tubby's."

I don't think I ever stayed at original Yacht Club. I long felt many of the original/older WDW rooms were a bit too dark/brown. It works at AKL, but Poly and Coronado Springs rooms were way too dark.

We also love when WDW swaps full beds to queens!

Even at AKL, the rooms were really brightened up when they went to white bed covers. Bedbugs aside, it just *feels* cleaner.

 

[NelleBelle]

I was kind of happy to see the YC rooms get an overhaul. I remember staying there in 2012 and I felt like we were sleeping in a circus tent by the sea. It didn't feel like any of it really went together, and while I tend to appreciate loud and bold designs, this was too much. Yeah, it wasn't your average US hotel room and it had all kinds of Disney touches, but I'll take generic hotel room over this.

WOW!! I think that designer must’ve had a stripes fetish...and then some!! That is just awful!!! I just remember seeing pics of the headboard—totally forgot about there ever being a circus fiasco gone awry!!! The new makeover is 1000% better and I can’t wait to stay here in a few months!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

WOW!! I think that designer must’ve had a stripes fetish...and then some!! That is just awful!!! I just remember seeing pics of the headboard—totally forgot about there ever being a circus fiasco gone awry!!! The new makeover is 1000% better and I can’t wait to stay here in a few months!

I think in our case, it was made worse by being in a corner room. So, we had double the draperies and valances of a normal room. I often wondered if the person that designed the old Flying Fish decor also had a hand in YC's rooms. Although, I did like the interior of FF...but I also wasn't sleeping in there! I'm mixed on FF's updated decor, but YC's is totally an upgrade.

 

[NelleBelle]

I think in our case, it was made worse by being in a corner room. So, we had double the draperies and valances of a normal room. I often wondered if the person that designed the old Flying Fish decor also had a hand in YC's rooms. Although, I did like the interior of FF...but I also wasn't sleeping in there! I'm mixed on FF's updated decor, but YC's is totally an upgrade.

YIKES!!! That is TOTALLY "big top"--we just need Dumbo to make an appearance to make it a garish "Disney"-theme!!!

 

[aliceismad]

I think in our case, it was made worse by being in a corner room. So, we had double the draperies and valances of a normal room. I often wondered if the person that designed the old Flying Fish decor also had a hand in YC's rooms. Although, I did like the interior of FF...but I also wasn't sleeping in there! I'm mixed on FF's updated decor, but YC's is totally an upgrade.

The Flying Fish decor made more sense to me at Boardwalk. However, it wasn't unique either. This is Le Cirque, which is a very expensive restaurant inside the Bellagio in Vegas. (Which at one point received a Michelin star.) Maybe circus-chic was some kind of trend.

 

[networkpro]

The Flying Fish decor made more sense to me at Boardwalk. However, it wasn't unique either. This is Le Cirque, which is a very expensive restaurant inside the Bellagio in Vegas. (Which at one point received a Michelin star.) Maybe circus-chic was some kind of trend.

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From an ongoing maintenance standpoint , all of those extra drapes, while providing a visual distraction, also collect lots of dust which presents a cleaning challenge if you're going to regularly turnover occupants.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

The Flying Fish decor made more sense to me at Boardwalk. However, it wasn't unique either. This is Le Cirque, which is a very expensive restaurant inside the Bellagio in Vegas. (Which at one point received a Michelin star.) Maybe circus-chic was some kind of trend.

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That is true. I hadn't thought about Le Cirque, but I do recall the ceiling from several of our stays at the Bellagio. Bellagio opened in 1998 and Boardwalk opened in 1996, so the timeframe gives it a decent likelihood of this possibly being trendy around the time.

 

[NelleBelle]

The Flying Fish decor made more sense to me at Boardwalk. However, it wasn't unique either. This is Le Cirque, which is a very expensive restaurant inside the Bellagio in Vegas. (Which at one point received a Michelin star.) Maybe circus-chic was some kind of trend.

View attachment 528535

I totally forgot about Le Cirque! Quite delicious when we ate there. But I can almost forgive the big top theme given it was name after a circus, and had a cirque du soleil show there (my very favorite of them and can’t wait to see the new Disney version)! But totally correct about being “dust catchers” @networkpro!

 

[cmwade77]

Boardwalk Inn. I stayed there in 2019. I can’t believe they got rid of the clown at the pool just recently. It fit in with the theming. Now the carousel themed bar/food location is minimized.

I think the new slide is much more Disney, I don't have anything against clowns and even I thought that one looked creepy.

 

[aliceismad]

I think the new slide is much more Disney, I don't have anything against clowns and even I thought that one looked creepy.

I don't love the new plastic-toy version of the slide but I really hated the clown. It just seemed sooooo dated and ugly.

 

[aliceismad]

I totally forgot about Le Cirque! Quite delicious when we ate there. But I can almost forgive the big top theme given it was name after a circus, and had a cirque du soleil show there (my very favorite of them and can’t wait to see the new Disney version)! But totally correct about being “dust catchers” @networkpro!

Personally I prefer Le Reve down at Wynn to any of the Cirque shows, but I do think Ka has an extraordinary set/stage/technological package. I'm also excited for a new show at Disney Springs. I've wondered if people have gotten too burned out on Cirque-style stuff, but Disney is bringing back FOTLK, so I guess it's still one of the more popular shows at WDW?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I think the new slide is much more Disney, I don't have anything against clowns and even I thought that one looked creepy.

I don't love the new plastic-toy version of the slide but I really hated the clown. It just seemed sooooo dated and ugly.

I never loved the clown, but I decided I liked it better than the updated slide and felt it was a better fit for the boardwalk theme. Ultimately, I was hoping the clown would be replaced with something like the face associated with Asbury Park and Coney Island. Sliders could slide through Tillie's front teeth. Oh well...there's an entire thread that was dedicated to that change.

 

[Djsfantasi]

I think the new slide is much more Disney, I don't have anything against clowns and even I thought that one looked creepy.

It IS much more Disney... and that’s the problem. It is NOT consistent with the theming of the Boardwalk. Which the clown was. The Boardwalk pool is themed as an East Coast boardwalk amusement park. Not a Disney attraction. If Disney is anything, it is about theming. By breaking this policy, the experience is lessened. At Boardwalk AND the entire resort. I have an entertainment company inspired by the Disney experience. Their decision affects my bottom line. It is sad.