News New lobby layouts coming to Disney's Old Key West and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

YorkshireT

Well-Known Member
open sided? not sure what that means... outdoor with a roof overhead? that theme is as intangible as Saratoga Springs Resort Style... no one really knows what they are trying to do...
The original pavilions in Central park with their late Victorian design and Eastlake aesthetic would be a good place to start... Abd yes there are some fountains and gazebos here and there, they just don't come together in any meaningful way...Maybe the sprawling nature of the property... maybe there just aren't enough things to make a statement...
Of all things though, if the Lobby building, restaurant, and main feature pool were more heavily themed, it could carry the rest of the resort beautifully... Get rid of that corporate country club look and make it feel more period appropriate and special...
Saratoga Spa itself would surely make a great model for such a bar/ restaurant , perhaps facing water.?
E1BCB3BB-7B5D-4DCA-B53F-EB29C0F5B88E.jpeg
 

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
that looks like a college campus...
certainly not evoking a Victorian Gilded age New York retreat... Too plain...too usual... to much like everything in anytown USA...
The old Garde imagineering team would have found something unique to recreate...Something that would be recognizable to a wide audience...
 

YorkshireT

Well-Known Member
that looks like a college campus...
certainly not evoking a Victorian Gilded age New York retreat... Too plain...too usual... to much like everything in anytown USA...
The old Garde imagineering team would have found something unique to recreate...Something that would be recognizable to a wide audience...
That’s the Springs- the Spa at the real Saratoga Springs.
 

Grace1626

New Member
that looks like a college campus...
certainly not evoking a Victorian Gilded age New York retreat... Too plain...too usual... to much like everything in anytown USA...
The old Garde imagineering team would have found something unique to recreate...Something that would be recognizable to a wide audience...
Cheap. Tacky. Generic. Sigh
 

Movielover

Well-Known Member
that looks like a college campus...
certainly not evoking a Victorian Gilded age New York retreat... Too plain...too usual... to much like everything in anytown USA...
The old Garde imagineering team would have found something unique to recreate...Something that would be recognizable to a wide audience...

Cheap. Tacky. Generic. Sigh

Funny since that's at the actual real life location.

1634641275696.png


Saratoga Springs Spa State Park
 

Obobru

Well-Known Member
It reminds me of a Homewood Suites I stayed in once but with more clutter. For a timeshare it's not too bad, looks better than Westgate. I am sure most of the people who stay there will think it looks amazing because the Disney timeshare owners are some of the most brainwashed people who think Disney is amazing no matter how mediocre things are as they have to keep telling themselves that so they don't think about how they have bought into vacations at Walt Declining World for eternity.

I have seen people say the resort is supposed to evoke Key West but let's be honest Key West is a bit of a tacky dump for the over 60's trying to relive their youth and loads of cruise ship day visitors, so let's be glad it's nothing like Key West.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
It reminds me of a Homewood Suites I stayed in once but with more clutter. For a timeshare it's not too bad, looks better than Westgate. I am sure most of the people who stay there will think it looks amazing because the Disney timeshare owners are some of the most brainwashed people who think Disney is amazing no matter how mediocre things are as they have to keep telling themselves that so they don't think about how they have bought into vacations at Walt Declining World for eternity.

I have seen people say the resort is supposed to evoke Key West but let's be honest Key West is a bit of a tacky dump for the over 60's trying to relive their youth and loads of cruise ship day visitors, so let's be glad it's nothing like Key West.
Well, first it's not an eternity. Second I am as critical as anyone even though I am a DVC member. The interesting thing is I can sell my contract today for more than I bought on the resale market 4 years ago, and if I ever decide the DVC value isn't there I can rent it out everytime or sell it. As it is, my kids like it so will hold for now. I also have no plans on staying at Rivera, but SSR does intrigue me after their room updates even if the lobby looks, pardon the pun "goofy" yet generic at the same time.
 

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
It reminds me of a Homewood Suites I stayed in once but with more clutter. For a timeshare it's not too bad, looks better than Westgate. I am sure most of the people who stay there will think it looks amazing because the Disney timeshare owners are some of the most brainwashed people who think Disney is amazing no matter how mediocre things are as they have to keep telling themselves that so they don't think about how they have bought into vacations at Walt Declining World for eternity.

I have seen people say the resort is supposed to evoke Key West but let's be honest Key West is a bit of a tacky dump for the over 60's trying to relive their youth and loads of cruise ship day visitors, so let's be glad it's nothing like Key West.
Not really...
Yes, there are parts of Key West that are like that, but as a whole, that does not represent the island.
If that is all you experienced while in Key West, I am sorry you didn't see the real island, just the lower end of Duval Street.
The new Old Key West is more like a new hotel in Islamorada...lol
 

nickys

Premium Member
It reminds me of a Homewood Suites I stayed in once but with more clutter. For a timeshare it's not too bad, looks better than Westgate. I am sure most of the people who stay there will think it looks amazing because the Disney timeshare owners are some of the most brainwashed people who think Disney is amazing no matter how mediocre things are as they have to keep telling themselves that so they don't think about how they have bought into vacations at Walt Declining World for eternity.

I have seen people say the resort is supposed to evoke Key West but let's be honest Key West is a bit of a tacky dump for the over 60's trying to relive their youth and loads of cruise ship day visitors, so let's be glad it's nothing like Key West.
Why don’t you tell us what you really think?

First off, DVC is not for eternity. One difference between DVC and most other timeshares is that it has an end date. Another difference is that there is a booming resale market. After 12 years I could resell and not only make my money back but also the maintenance fees I’ve paid since. We don’t go every year and have taken other vacations, but I can rent my points out to others who do want to go - just as well in the case of the last couple of years.

And it sounds like you have a low opinion of Key West, cruise guests and the over 60s apparently too. That’s some broad sweeping judgements but your prerogative though.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
FWIW - I was not impressed at all with the refurbed OKW lobby. Terribly disappointed in the choices that were made which stripped out nearly all the character the old lobby had and replaced it with what looks like Ikea furniture and vinyl laminate flooring. At least they kept the bookcase wall, but outside of that... 👎👎👎
 

Nubs70

Well-Known Member
I know it is...
But there are/were a lot of other locations that had a more evocative feel for a turn of the century resort in Saratoga Springs...
And they honestly didn't really use this example either anyway...
View attachment 594370View attachment 594373View attachment 594376

Maybe something like this but a smaller scale. Or a model for a new resort.
 

nickys

Premium Member
FWIW - I was not impressed at all with the refurbed OKW lobby. Terribly disappointed in the choices that were made which stripped out nearly all the character the old lobby had and replaced it with what looks like Ikea furniture and vinyl laminate flooring. At least they kept the bookcase wall, but outside of that... 👎👎👎
That’s sad. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to judge for myself in a year from now.
 

Marriedatdisney

Active Member
Just back from a stay at Saratoga. The ‘new’ check in area looked ok, but for me functioned horribly…. a group of unrelated customers walked in in a line…. Everyone split up coming in the door. Some were approached by employees. A few of us weren’t. Then it became unclear what to do. Do we queue behind individual people already being helped? Do we queue near the front desk? There is no clear answer… so you stand there watching new customers come in and suddenly grabbing someone that’s just finished with a guest while you spin around looking for someone to help you. The design works with more help than customers but falls apart as soon as more guests than help happens. Not a fan at all…..
 

TikibirdLand

Well-Known Member
Just back from a stay at Saratoga. The ‘new’ check in area looked ok, but for me functioned horribly…. a group of unrelated customers walked in in a line…. Everyone split up coming in the door. Some were approached by employees. A few of us weren’t. Then it became unclear what to do. Do we queue behind individual people already being helped? Do we queue near the front desk? There is no clear answer… so you stand there watching new customers come in and suddenly grabbing someone that’s just finished with a guest while you spin around looking for someone to help you. The design works with more help than customers but falls apart as soon as more guests than help happens. Not a fan at all…..
Yeah. Saw the same problem at a Verizon store on Monday. They have these tables in the middle of the store. When you walk in, no one was there to greet us. So, we didn't know how to get waited on. So, we hung around the store and finally someone came up with an iPad and added us to the wait list. Ended up that another guest that came in after us knew the routine and had tracked down one of the reps and added his name in front of us and was served first. Very frustrating design.
 

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
Just back from a stay at Saratoga. The ‘new’ check in area looked ok, but for me functioned horribly…. a group of unrelated customers walked in in a line…. Everyone split up coming in the door. Some were approached by employees. A few of us weren’t. Then it became unclear what to do. Do we queue behind individual people already being helped? Do we queue near the front desk? There is no clear answer… so you stand there watching new customers come in and suddenly grabbing someone that’s just finished with a guest while you spin around looking for someone to help you. The design works with more help than customers but falls apart as soon as more guests than help happens. Not a fan at all…..
It’s the same issue at Coronado, there’s a sign saying wait here for next host/ess but no one sees it or knows how to form one line. I know it’s done to try to eliminate stanchions but like you said, it falls apart quickly.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
that looks like a college campus...
certainly not evoking a Victorian Gilded age New York retreat... Too plain...too usual... to much like everything in anytown USA...
The old Garde imagineering team would have found something unique to recreate...Something that would be recognizable to a wide audience...
…you haven’t noticed that “de-theming” is kind of a thing of late?
 

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