Ideas for a new Iconic Deluxe Hotel

[DISR]

After years of Disney trips, I am still in awe of the theming every time I walk into the Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge. Contemporary is iconic because of the location and monorail inside the building. The Poly has its own strong following for the Hawaiian theming. YC/BC are great locations and known for the pool. GF is polarizing, but the branded as the flagship deluxe hotel. What other ideas/themes could Disney come up with in the future to compete with or surpass these resorts? I'm mostly interested in the theming and immersive experience. The Star Wars hotel seems like a small high $$$ niche. I'm sure Reflections will be nice, but probably not in the same league as WL/AKL. I have not yet visited Riviera and Grand Destino, but they look like very nice albeit someone generic hotels. Assuming Disney has the will to do more than just add capacity, is there another idea out there comparable in impact to WL or AKL?

 

[larryz]

Try a "Magic Kingdom" resort hotel, with 4 sections laid out like the themed lands in the MK. Adventureland, with Jungle Cruise themed rooms; Fantasyland, with Small World themed rooms; Tomorrowland, with Space Mountain themed rooms, and Liberty Square, with Haunted Mansion themed rooms. CM costumes in each section to match, along with background music, architectural details, room appointments, carpeting, etc. They could even pipe in smells and sounds from the park areas. A CS food venue (food court) with stalls emulating the largest CS in each land, and a "Walt's," the signature TS offering entrees from TS's throughout the MK.

Of course, the concept could also flex to do the same with the other parks, too.

 

[Schneewittchen]

Why don't they just build a Disney-ish Caesar's Palace? Not kidding.

 

[wagamama]

Since we’re talking pie in the sky dreaming here, I think it would be interesting to revisit Walt’s original visions - I believe there were originally Venetian, Persian, and Thai themed resorts planned? (Correct me if I’m wrong!) If done right, I would imagine any of those could make for really beautiful, sumptuous deluxe resorts AND provide a nod back to WDW’s origins.

 

[The_Jobu]

New York circa 1988

Like the old queue for Kongfrontation, but with more hidden mickeys.

 

[DISR]

One of the challenges with some of the obvious themes is they have been done in Vegas. I'm sure Disney would have a different take on parts of the execution and experience, but I don't know that even Disney's pockets are deep enough to compete with what the architecture of places like New York New York, Paris, The Venetian, Luxor, etc. Also, if the theme is represented in the World Showcase, does it also need a Resort?

 

[correcaminos]

I'd settle for deluxe resorts just being competitive with global luxury resorts tbh. Disney really lacks in upscale service as a whole.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

It truly is dreaming, considering what they keep pumping out(DVC bland), but Star Wars hotel offers hope if not excessively priced.
How about a hotel the truly honors past films. It could have a Tron Arcade and nightclub. An Incredibles bowling alley. An Indiana Jones themed lounge bar(like the mountain bar in the first film) and a pool and play area (bring back Honey I Shrunk the Kids theme) or Muppet theme

 

[DISR]

Slow day at work, so I am brainstorming ideas in my spare time. An aquatic/water-based theme seems like it could become iconic. If they couldn't make a fountain work in the Poly lobby, my guess is it would be technically and cost prohibitive for a resort based around water. Australia isn't really represented anywhere at Disney. I'm not sure what the iconic architecture or theme would be there though. The Sydney Opera House, the Outback, and the Great Barrier Reef may not be the right themes for a resort hotel, and those are the first things that come to mind when I think of Australia. The best option might be a Southeast Asia-themed hotel. I know that statement homginizes a lot of distinct cultures, but Animal Kingdom Lodge does the same thing with Africa, and I think it is was really successfully executed.

 

[wagamama]

It truly is semi g considering what they keep pumping out(DVC bland), but Star Wars hotel offers hope if not excessively priced.
How about a hotel the truly honors past films. It could have a Tron Arcade and nightclub. An Incredibles bowling alley. An Indiana Jones themed lounge bar(like th mountain bar in the first film) and a pool and play area (bring back Honey I Shrunk the Kids theme) or Muppet theme

Picturing GMR as a resort and loving it.

 

[zurgandfriend]

How about a resort themed after the Carrousel of Progress with 4 wings, 1900, 1920, 1940 and 21st century. Décor represents the time frames. Candle stick telephones, bear claw bath tubs, 4 poster beds box and chain toilets and of course all the modern stuff.

You could have a restaurant that serves items from the different time frames. Orange omelet (1900), oyster Rockefeller (1920), deviled lobster (1940) and some great but forgotten desserts like lady Baltimore cake, ice box cake and gold nugget cake

 

[DISR]

Some of those ideas are cool, but I think you'd have to be a Disney guru and have an emotional attachment to a specific ride or movie that was addressed in the theming. Probably not the mass appeal that would really translate into a viable concept. I've never stayed or visited these resorts, but I think elements of the movie theming idea are incorporated into AoA/All Stars/Pop resorts.

 

[DisDadWoz]

I would love to see a hotel based on Walts love of trains. Something on a larger scale to that of the Crowne Plaza in Downtown Indianapolis where guests can stay in actual train cars on tracks from the old station.

 

[PopCentury]

Bring that Mediterranean Resort idea that was canceled

 

[Robbiem]

I’d love to see a modern version of the asian hotel. I think a south east Asia themed resort would be fun - personally I’d love to see something themed to old Japan rather than Thailand though imagine being able to stay in a samurai castle!

I couldn’t see Disney building an Arabian resort in today’s climate and a Venetian hotel would bring comparisons to vegas but another theme I could see at some point would be olde europe. I imagine there are a lot of people who would pay for their princess to stay in a fairytale castle and a gothic / tudor resort would be something new to the resort.

 

[kwoodfan1]

A hotel with no name, hidden from view, with a early 1900's architectural feel. This is the North American Disney S.E.A. Rendezvous, and is filled with antiques collected by Pamela Perkins, Mary Oceaneer, Barnabas, or the rest of the gang. Built like a oversized Adventurer's Club, complete with a dinner show and a kick interactive bar.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Over on the Imagineering forum, I had fun brain-storming a Disney-designed mountain resort, including the hotels:

Imagineering a Disney Mountain Resort

For some reason lately, mainly because the weather is about to change where I live into the winter ski season, I've been wondering, if Disney ever decided to revisit the idea of opening a ski resort, what would it look like? What unique features would offer? And I say "revisit" because Disney...

forums.wdwmagic.com

Taking some of the ideas from that thread, I would like to see a grand Alpine chalet hotel. The Riviera Resort was supposedly inspired by Walt's travels to the south of France (and btw, resembles not at all the typical architecture of the region that supposedly inspired the resort. Looks more like it was inspired by Bob Chapek's trip to a business conference at a Florida Mariott). Well, Walt's trips to the Alps inspired much of the look of his first two feature animated films, an iconic ride at Disneyland, and a now mostly forgotten live-action film in the 50s. Many of the architectural motifs used in traditional chalet construction are very familiar to Disney fans because the company has long incorporated the style for it's typical "fairy tale" look. Most of the ski resorts in the Alps can provide countless examples of the distinctive style.

Although given the generic looks of the Riviera resort and the concept art of the Reflections hotel, I'm not confident that the present management team is up to the task.

 

[TPSou]

Jungle Cruise for sure, or Adventurer's Club and then a Jungle Cruise themed pool and bar maybe. I just think it'd be nice to have a deluxe that was a little more 'fun' rather than trying to seem necessarily classy and stuffy. We love Wilderness Lodge and French Quarter, partly because they feel a lot more relaxed than Beach Club or Grand Floridian.

I like the idea above of

A hotel with no name, hidden from view, with a early 1900's architectural feel.

then links to the rides like a Jungle Cruise pool and bar, maybe a Tower of Terror wing, some Indiana Jones themed restaurant and a lobby that looks completely inconspicuous from the outside but opens up to something ridiculous inside.

 

[DISR]

Jungle Cruise for sure, or Adventurer's Club and then a Jungle Cruise themed pool and bar maybe. I just think it'd be nice to have a deluxe that was a little more 'fun' rather than trying to seem necessarily classy and stuffy. We love Wilderness Lodge and French Quarter, partly because they feel a lot more relaxed than Beach Club or Grand Floridian.

I like the idea above of


then links to the rides like a Jungle Cruise pool and bar, maybe a Tower of Terror wing, some Indiana Jones themed restaurant and a lobby that looks completely inconspicuous from the outside but opens up to something ridiculous inside.

I like the idea of a South American-themed (maybe Amazon) resort. The Jungle Cruise or Adventurers Club could be incorporated through a bar or restaurant.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

A deluxe Haunted Mansion/Villains hotel. So many things you could do with that.