Interesting story on Disney resort remodeling (Contemp & Poly)

[sherpadude]

Interesting.

 

[drnilescrane]

I was just looking at the picture of one of the rooms in 1991, and it's hideous; it looks like a Motel 6. I am surprised that for it being 1991 and a Disney hotel, it looks ugly.

By the way, once they are done with all the rooms, Disney needs to start remodeling the outside of the hotel, because it does not look 'Contemporary,' it looks antiquated.

Apart from changing the color scheme to lean towards Sandstone and White/Grey Granite, don't change the Facade. There's no real way to do a major update without removing the original Modernist spirit of the tower - just look what happened when they decided to plunk the Convention Center right infront of the tower instead of off to the side. The convention center is a nice building, it's in totaly the wrong place and draws attention away from the tower, which was designed stand out across the lagoon.

 

[jmuboy]

The Contemporary Convention Center is an example of the idiots that ran the WDC and WDW in the 90's. What a bad decision.

 

[freediverdude]

I was looking at the pictures of the outside of the tower from the 70s, and it looks like it was painted bright white back then, like the "space mountain" white. It looked really spiffy that color, very nice. And then in the next picture from like a decade later, it had become sort of the tan color we see now, which I think is what makes it look drab on the outside. After seeing those pictures, all I think it needs is a coat of that bright white paint on the outside. I couldn't believe what a difference just that color made to the building look. Then it also matches with Space Mountain and Tomorrowland like it's supposed to.
On a side note, I too don't like the tilt towards making this more of a convention hotel. The new rooms really don't even have a hint of Disney in them anymore, they've taken the voices out of the elevators for fear it's not "businesslike" enough......come on, this is the one and only hotel where you can just walk across the street to the turnstyles of the Magic Kingdom park, and has the monorail running right through the middle of it. Can you say "every family should want to stay here"??? I realize they make a lot of money off of the conventions, and I don't mind it having convention facilities, but given the location and history of this hotel, the conventioneers shouldn't be the target guest.
Ok, stepping off the soapbox now....

 

[drnilescrane]

The Contemporary Convention Center is an example of the idiots that ran the WDC and WDW in the 90's. What a bad decision.

It got worse when some half-wit decided to merge the DDC and WDI together, then put the DDC guys in charge of the WDI guys. The suits stoped any creativity in it's tracks in the name of cost-cutting.

Thats just one factor in the comedy of screwups that are DCA and WDSP.

 

[Kadee]

I love the new look of the rooms in both the Poly and Contemporary. The old contemporary rooms were not exactly appealing. I thought the Poly rooms looked ok before, but now they look much better.

 

[DiPSU224]

Those new rooms at the Contemporary look great! I still don't know if I would consider staying there though. It just seems like a city hotel for some reason. I don't know, it doesn't have that "Disney feel" for me. I'm staying at the Poly for the first time in May and I don't really care if I get an updated room or not. I'm just so excited to be finally staying there!

 

[WDWEric]

The new rooms look great, but I can't justify spending that much money on a room, I am just as(if not more) happier staying at a all star resort!!

 

[KumbaRider]

It got worse when some half-wit decided to merge the DDC and WDI together, then put the DDC guys in charge of the WDI guys. The suits stoped any creativity in it's tracks in the name of cost-cutting.

Thats just one factor in the comedy of screwups that are DCA and WDSP.

This is totally uncalled for. The Resorts branch of WDI is very creative. Have you been to Saratoga Springs? Have you seen the new resorts going into Hong Kong and Tokyo? They are amazing. There is no reason for you to be attacking the designers of these excellent hotels.

 

[drnilescrane]

This is totally uncalled for. The Resorts branch of WDI is very creative. Have you been to Saratoga Springs? Have you seen the new resorts going into Hong Kong and Tokyo? They are amazing. There is no reason for you to be attacking the designers of these excellent hotels.

I'm not attacking the designers of the hotels - I'm attacking those who did Disney's California Adventure and the Walt Disney Studio's Paris, who's failure was one direct result of the merging of DDC and WDI.

The Resorts Kept going strong because they got given the money - Just look at the Grand Californian (A hotel I absolutly adore) compared to the park next to it. Personally, I love the new Contemporary rooms and I think it's the best thing that happened to the resort. I'll be staying there as soon as it's finished.

 

[iheartdisney91]

well last time i was in disney(last year) the all star music resort needed more remodeling more than these two resorts

 

[csaribay]

well last time i was in disney(last year) the all star music resort needed more remodeling more than these two resorts

Higher yield properties = higher priority.

The Contemporary has become a run-down property, and at least speaking for our last stay, it needed a renovation much more than ASMo. Not to say that property couldn't use a bit of work, but the Contemporary with (appreciably) higher room rates is certainly at a higher priority. I was able to tour a new room last September, very nice. I'm curious with what they're going to do to the concourse however, since it doesn't currently match any theme whatsoever.