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

[LittleBuford]

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No worse than before

Overall no, but I’d say the floor is worse now, and at least there was a vintage charm to the wall art that was previously there.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It's a very tasteful update for this restaurant.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I like themed resorts.

 

[LittleBuford]

I like themed resorts.

To be fair, I don't think it's any less themed than it was before. But now it has the added disadvantage of looking unthemed and contemporary, which adds to the overall sense of blandness.

 

[James Alucobond]

To be fair, I don't think it's less themed than it was before. But now it has the added disadvantage of looking unthemed and contemporary, which adds to the overall sense of blandness.

The only thing that looks legitimately contemporary is the check-in desk. This restaurant has always been pretty minimalist because it's about the view, which is perhaps even better emphasized now with the booths ringing the bar.

 

[LittleBuford]

The only thing that looks legitimately contemporary is the check-in desk. This restaurant has always been pretty minimalist because it's about the view, which is perhaps even better emphasized now with the booths ringing the bar.

What I mean is that the old version (contemporary though it would have looked in its own time) had acquired a certain vintage charm that the new version lacks. Apart from the blue tablecloths, I personally preferred the way it looked before, at least based on what the photos show.

I realise this is subjective, and I should also note that I'm someone with a huge soft spot for '80s and '90s design, which isn't a sensibility that everyone shares.

 

[eddie104]

What I mean is that the old version (contemporary though it would have looked in its own time) had acquired a certain vintage charm that the new version lacks. Apart from the blue tablecloths, I personally preferred the way it looked before, at least based on what the photos show.

I realise this is subjective, and I should also note that I'm someone with a huge soft spot for '80s and '90s design, which isn't a sensibility that everyone shares.

Those seem like typical 80s and 90s style decorations in my opinion. I’ve seen videos of this restaurant and it always seem very bare bones and disconnected from the rest of the resort property.

Even with this update I don’t thinks it looks that exciting but at least it has more vibrant color and somewhat gives off a “fancier” vibe with the prices it has.

 

[drnilescrane]

What I mean is that the old version (contemporary though it would have looked in its own time) had acquired a certain vintage charm that the new version lacks. Apart from the blue tablecloths, I personally preferred the way it looked before, at least based on what the photos show.

I realise this is subjective, and I should also note that I'm someone with a huge soft spot for '80s and '90s design, which isn't a sensibility that everyone shares.

I adore it. The old interiors were all Louis Cataffo of Intradesign, a very prolific but short lived hospitality interior designer of the late 1980s who tragically died in a skiing accident.

Disney hired him because he had just completed the interiors for properties like the Hotel Bel Air, the Four Seasons Los Angeles and Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. FSLA is probably the closest relative to the Grand Floridian, with identical art pieces from Disney's Garden View Tea Room appearing in the FS' Windows Lounge.

They badly wanted a five diamond resort that would compete with the best of Southern California.

It's a shame Disney has gone back to trying to hide which artists design their properties, because the thing I loved the most about the Eisner era of Disney was making high art and cuisine accessible to the average customer.

 

[LittleBuford]

I adore it. The old interiors were all Louis Cataffo of Intradesign, a very prolific but short lived hospitality interior designer of the late 1980s who tragically died in a skiing accident.

Disney hired him because he had just completed the interiors for properties like the Hotel Bel Air, the Four Seasons Los Angeles and Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. FSLA is probably the closest relative to the Grand Floridian, with identical art pieces from Disney's Garden View Tea Room appearing in the FS' Windows Lounge.

They badly wanted a five diamond resort that would compete with the best of Southern California.

It's a shame Disney has gone back to trying to hide which artists design their properties, because the thing I loved the most about the Eisner era of Disney was making high art and cuisine accessible to the average customer.

Thanks! I couldn't find anything online about who was responsible for the original design, so I'm grateful for this information.

 

[LittleBuford]

Those seem like typical 80s and 90s style decorations in my opinion.

That was my point. Enough time has passed since then that the murals could be considered historical works of design in their own right. Now they're gone, replaced by something pleasant but bland.

 

[drnilescrane]

That was my point. Enough time has passed since then that the murals could be considered historical works of design in their own right. Now they're gone, replaced by something pleasant but bland.

Those aren't original. Narcoossee's was built as a supper club/nightclub type venue typical of the 1980s. Those are all false walls covering up the original stage. Not entirely sure when the concept changed - probably the mid 1990s when the Top of the World also closed.

 

[LittleBuford]

Those aren't original. Narcoossee's was built as a supper club/nightclub type venue typical of the 1980s. Those are all false walls covering up the original stage. Not entirely sure when the concept changed - probably the mid 1990s when the Top of the World also closed.

Ah, thank you. I still like them and think it’s a shame they’re gone. Do you know if they were hand-painted?

 

[drnilescrane]

Ah, thank you. I still like them and think it’s a shame they’re gone. Do you know if they were hand-painted?

I've tried to find an empirical answer and I can't quickly. My gut says probably not.

 

[eddie104]

That was my point. Enough time has passed since then that the murals could be considered historical works of design in their own right. Now they're gone, replaced by something pleasant but bland.

While do they look nice they’re nothing special and look tacky and outdated for this “upscale” restaurant.

I’m sorry the colors alone seem stuck in a Time Machine. I can see if this venue was attached to the main resort but it’s not.

 

[LittleBuford]

While do they look nice they’re nothing special and look tacky and outdated for this “upscale” restaurant.

I’m sorry the colors alone seem stuck in a Time Machine. I can see if this venue was attached to the main resort but it’s not.

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.

 

[drnilescrane]

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.

My favorite restaurant on the face of this planet is Napa Rose at the Grand Californian. The front of house was designed by Marty Dorf, who designed the original California Grill, Storytellers Café, Flying Fish, Criticos, Coral Reef at Epcot and Palo on the Magic and Wonder. Napa Rose is probably the most intact of all of them.

They're about to renovate the dining room primarily because the Forbes inspectors told them they'll never get four star, let alone five star, with such a dated dining room. It's such a conflict of mind and heart - I want Disney to have a highly rated hotel in the US, primarily to prove that the WDW properties don't have to be so terrible (and I'm a west coast guy). But they're going to impair something special, that was timely yet timeless, to achieve that.

 

[Skywise]

What I mean is that the old version (contemporary though it would have looked in its own time) had acquired a certain vintage charm that the new version lacks. Apart from the blue tablecloths, I personally preferred the way it looked before, at least based on what the photos show.

I realise this is subjective, and I should also note that I'm someone with a huge soft spot for '80s and '90s design, which isn't a sensibility that everyone shares.

I have to agree. I haven't had the chance to eat here and was about to state that I actually like these upgrades for once (although the original seems to have had a certain charm) but seeing that there were painted murals on the ceiling now replaced with non descript planks is, once again and par for the course another downgrade in favor of minimalism like they did to the Disney Store in Disney Springs.
It's not that the design is "bad" (which is how I feel about the Enchanted Rose) it just seems to lack creativity and inspiration that Disney used to be known for... y'know... art... to inspire...

(except for the chandeliers... they seem weirdly out of place with the rest of the new aesthetic)

 

[drnilescrane]

Also: DLR has a posted job opening for pool towel concierges at GCH, a service they don't currently offer, specially with the intention of bumping the Forbes rating. Meanwhile the GF can't even consistently schedule poolside cocktail service, let alone food, let alone towels.

When pushed, FL management thinks guests should adjust their "Grand Expectations". I don't miss WDW GEM culture.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Also: DLR has a posted job opening for pool towel concierges at GCH, a service they don't currently offer, specially with the intention of bumping the Forbes rating. Meanwhile the GF can't even consistently schedule poolside cocktail service, let alone food, let alone towels.

When pushed, FL management thinks guests should adjust their "Grand Expectations". I don't miss WDW GEM culture.

WDW has pool towel attendants, the issue is the program is still newish and really needs a formal SOP to make it noticeable and useful. They also need to bring back poolside merch locations to the deluxe resorts. And room service. Stop cutting so many services.

 

[drnilescrane]

WDW has pool towel attendants, the issue is the program is still newish and really needs a formal SOP to make it noticeable and useful. They also need to bring back poolside merch locations to the deluxe resorts. And room service. Stop cutting so many services.

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.