News Narcoossee's at Disney's Grand Floridian closing for extended refurbishment June 2022

castlecake2.0

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
drnilescrane said:
Is it people who are guarding the towel dispersal checking for room keys? With the same crappy property wide sandpaper towels?

Or will they walk you to a lounge chair, set up the towels and chair covers, and provide water and sunscreen upon request? DLR is doing the latter. They've hired a new lodging LOB manager from Ritz Carlton who seems determined to raise standards, finally.
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They usually walk around and arrange chairs, keep the area tidy etc. I’ve been offered towels a few times. Like I said the program really needs to be elevated, I believe it was started during Covid and was mostly as a safety thing (wiping down chairs, keeping guest count at the right amount) if they could “plus” the training and expectations of these cast like you’re describing at DLR it would make a world of days deference, it just seems like nobody is taking that step.
 
drnilescrane

drnilescrane

Well-Known Member
castlecake2.0 said:
They usually walk around and arrange chairs, keep the area tidy etc. I’ve been offered towels a few times. Like I said the program really needs to be elevated, I believe it was started during Covid and was mostly as a safety thing (wiping down chairs, keeping guest count at the right amount) if they could “plus” the training and expectations of these cast like you’re describing at DLR it would make a world of days deference, it just seems like nobody is taking that step.
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Right, which is my problem with the way WDW picks and elevates leaders.

They take people who do well on the CP, people who have never stepped foot anywhere other than WDW, and elevate them through the management internship into GEM roles. Then indoctrinate them into believing the Disney way is the only way, and pay them so little they'll never bother to experience anything different themselves.

They could drive less than a mile over to the Four Seasons, or the Waldorf Bonnet Creek, or any other property that dares charge $800 a night for a room and work out that the product isn't good enough. Instead they blame their guests for wanting too much.
 
Sir_Cliff

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
LittleBuford said:
Again, I accept that my view is very much a reflection of my own penchant for '80s and '90s aesthetics. Had they got rid of the artwork for something with a Victorian or Edwardian flavour, I wouldn't have minded. It's the loss of something with character for something generic and bland that bothers me. The most distinctive thing in the photos they've released is the wooden mandala, which has nothing to do with anything.
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I feel very much the same. If they had of leaned in to the time period and design sensibility of the hotel or even tried to produce a modern spin on that design, I can't imagine having much of a problem with it. This just seems bland to me. Again, it's very much a question of personal taste and I can understand why others like it. For me, little touches such as the staining of the wood and decorations including the wall mandala thing and bird lamp shown in the photos all add up to make the place feel like a pretty generic 'contemporary' but not especially high-end restaurant.

The old version at least had some charm to it and does what I think Disney theming is supposed to do in that it makes me think fondly of being at grand old beachside hotels even if I can't quite place any one in particularly of which it reminds me. I do wish they leaned into treating their hotels a little more like actual places with a history and leaned into nostalgia as well as keeping things fresh and updated.
 
eddie104

eddie104

Well-Known Member
LittleBuford said:
Again, I accept that my view is very much a reflection of my own penchant for '80s and '90s aesthetics. Had they got rid of the artwork for something with a Victorian or Edwardian flavour, I wouldn't have minded. It's the loss of something with character for something generic and bland that bothers me. The most distinctive thing in the photos they've released is the wooden mandala, which has nothing to do with anything.
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Fair enough but I guess I don’t just see how this place wasn’t bland before. It was nothing special theme wise. If that mural was the only charming thing you can find in the space that’s not saying much.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
I agree that this looks relatively bland and generic, but considering it wasn't a themed restaurant to begin with, I don't think it's a big issue. It at least looks nice while being bland/generic, as opposed to something like the Creperie which is both bland/generic and unattractive/vaguely cheap.
 
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castlecake2.0

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
Looks like part of the mural survived?
46B72DCD-9D15-430F-9E56-47E63D5CA00C.jpeg
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
I think it looks quite a bit worse. It's not AS bad as some of their other recent renovations, but still overly modernized. The removal of the wainscoting and much of the crown molding is disappointing. Flattening the dining space into a single level (along with the removal of the associated railing) also had a negative impact on the design. The mural will also be missed. The new table bases are also much more bland than the old ones. I also preferred the tablecloths.

Honestly, the only thing i'd say is arguably an "improvement" are the new chandeliers. Hope they're willing to crank the AC way up to compensate for the removal of the ceiling fans though (not likely)...

Did they fix all of the broken trim lights on the exterior? That has been a serious problem for many many years now (even though they had long since been converted to LED).
 
castlecake2.0

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
I think it looks quite a bit worse. It's not AS bad as some of their other recent renovations, but still overly modernized. The removal of the wainscoting and much of the crown molding is disappointing. Flattening the dining space into a single level (along with the removal of the associated railing) also had a negative impact on the design. The mural will also be missed. The new table bases are also much more bland than the old ones. I also preferred the tablecloths.

Honestly, the only thing i'd say is arguably an "improvement" are the new chandeliers. Hope they're willing to crank the AC way up to compensate for the removal of the ceiling fans though (not likely)...

Did they fix all of the broken trim lights on the exterior? That has been a serious problem for many many years now (even though they had long since been converted to LED).
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The roof was redone so hopefully that was part of it
 
Casper Gutman

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
castlecake2.0 said:
New bar area View attachment 708080
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What is this meant to invoke? What is the intention behind the pervasive glass blocks in and behind the bar? Why the prominent shelves stuffed with Bed Bath and Beyond Knick knacks? It really does seem like modern Disney redesigns rely heavily on covering surfaces with anachronistic doodads from the local big box store. What here reads as Grand or as Floridian? Or even as “seaside,” which the previous space did manage to conjure up?
 
Sir_Cliff

Sir_Cliff

Well-Known Member
Casper Gutman said:
What is this meant to invoke? What is the intention behind the pervasive glass blocks in and behind the bar? Why the prominent shelves stuffed with Bed Bath and Beyond Knick knacks? It really does seem like modern Disney redesigns rely heavily on covering surfaces with anachronistic doodads from the local big box store. What here reads as Grand or as Floridian? Or even as “seaside,” which the previous space did manage to conjure up?
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Yes, *maybe* the shelves all have items themed to the seaside or something along those lines that might justify this design choice. In general, though, it looks like it falls into the category of decoration for decoration's sake which seems to be a characteristic of WDW design lately. The particular issue at WDW is also that this decoration seems so obviously picked out of a catalogue.
 
S

Skywise

Well-Known Member
drnilescrane said:
Is it people who are guarding the towel dispersal checking for room keys? With the same crappy property wide sandpaper towels?

Or will they walk you to a lounge chair, set up the towels and chair covers, and provide water and sunscreen upon request? DLR is doing the latter. They've hired a new lodging LOB manager from Ritz Carlton who seems determined to raise standards, finally.
Click to expand...
Hey pal, those sandpaper towels take off the dead skin cells when drying so that's a win for standards!

(Frankly I miss the greeters)
 

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