Those are some interesting points about not being fully immersed in Disney. What exactly does that mean, though? I mean, there is a gift shop in the Dolphin that sells all things Disney and the Swan has character dining? What is meant when "immersed in Disney" is stated?
Well, aside from obvious value resorts where Disney themeing is literally built into the walls...
..I'll tell you what it means for me as an adult.
So much of visiting Disney for me is feeling like I am transported to a different place or time period.
In Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square is fashioned after New England/Colonial Williamsburg down to the tiny details - the buildings, the shutters, the restaurants, the food, the furniture, the architectural details, the lighting. The same with Frontierland (American West), Tomorrowland (Space Age/futuristic), etc. Epcot does the same with Future World and all of the countries in the World Showcase. Hollywood Studios takes you to classic Hollywood. It is found throughout the parks at WDW, and Disney does it well. They find a theme and they make it feel real.
The same thing is carried into the details in the resorts. Wilderness Lodge, for example, has a theme -- the West/ Pacific Northwest. The structure was fashioned after the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. It has bison topiaries that greet you outside. It has a geyser that goes off throughout the day. All of the furniture is crafted into a rustic theme. The dense trees and foliage make you feel like you are in the wilderness, with nature trails nearby to boot. Buffalo steak, buffalo sausage and buffalo chili are served in the restaurants (which, by the way, is very hard to come by in Florida). There are carved wooden bears in the lounge and a stream runs through the lobby. In the rooms - the light fixtures, the headboards, the carpets, the wooden carved furniture, the western patterns in the linens. Every single details matches the themeing of that resort. You don't go back to your hotel, you go back to an experience that really only Disney can provide for you.
The same can be said about the other Disney resorts. The Yacht Club Resort, "a New England-style yacht club" with nautical themeing and fashioned after Martha's Vineyard style architecture. The furniture, the architecture, the lighting, the headboards, the linens, the carpeting, the lounge and restaurants. Port Orleans French Quarter - The theming here from the wrought-iron balconies to the street lamps and cobblestone roads for sidewalks, the live jazz music in the lounge, and the fleur de lys linens.
When I feel "Immersed in Disney," it's not because there is a gift shop. I could go to my local mall and visit a Disney store if that's all I needed. When I am on vacation, I want to feel transported to somewhere wonderful that distracts me from the everyday things I tried to leave at home. Swan and Dolphin are beautiful hotels. But that's just what they are - hotels. The Disney resorts have so much character and thought put into the little details that people feel immersed in something really special, and for many, it continues that Disney magic on throughout all parts of their vacation.
