News New lobby layouts coming to Disney's Old Key West and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

[CaptainAmerica]

Why not?

Because that's not what everyone likes.

It's what I like, which is why I try to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Some day people will come to terms with the fact that not everything can or should be Animal Kingdom Lodge.

There was and should still be a middle ground

 

[UNCgolf]

Because that's not what everyone likes.

It's what I like, which is why I try to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I think the percentage of people who would avoid staying at a Disney hotel due to elaborate theming is minuscule.

There are plenty of people who don't care about it one way or another, but I can't imagine there are many who would specifically choose not to stay on-site due to heavily themed hotels.

 

[wedenterprises]

I didn't realize this board had so many professional interior designers. I should hire all of you for my next project.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

some Disney touches would have been nice, its getting to where you would never know you were staying on Disney property anymore. Thats my problem with these. It seems like they are doing everything they can to make sure there is no Disney theme/feeling. You use to walk in and while maybe mickey was not waving in a big portrait on the wall, you always knew you were at Disney, it just had that feeling. Not anymore, they are all matching up to a standard hotel chain bland office space look. Contemporary did it right, until you go upstairs and to the kindergarten rooms.

Seems like the only place they are staying to shove characters down our throats in the rooms are at Contemporary and Polynesian! The redo of the values took out much of the character nods and the deluxes are making them very character centric. I would have thought it would be the opposite.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Totally agree with this, I love all the new room designs, clean and sleek and updated. I just prefer the lobbies didn’t go as far. I think whats bothering me is all the final touches look like they’re from HomeGoods. For OKW for example I love all the new colors and the furniture, im just turned off by some of the paintings on the wall, all the little candleholders/vases etc they sprinkled around, and the light fixtures. Replace those with something that has a bit more substance and I would love it 100%, right now I love it like 90%.

Yes, that's what gets me about a lot of these refurbishments as well. So much of it looks like generic, mid-range furnishings assembled by an interior designer (and not a great one) rather than an Imagineer. They used to make such a big deal about how Imagineering would craft light fixtures, signs, etc. to support the theme of each particular space. Particularly with the resorts, they now seem increasingly seem happy to buy the closest fit commercially available in the same way you or I might do if, say, we wanted a Key West-themed vacation home.

I generally like the new rooms and also liked the Caribbean and Contemporary lobby refurbishments. I really don't like how generic things like this turn out, though.

 

[brihow]

I think the new Key West lobby looks ok but I wish they could have kept (or replaced) the plants and mural.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I think the percentage of people who would avoid staying at a Disney hotel due to elaborate theming is minuscule.

There are absolutely people who book Disney hotels expecting NICE hotels (what you would call "Marriott") and then when they're surveyed they respond that their resort was tacky and dated.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Yes, that's what gets me about a lot of these refurbishments as well. So much of it looks like generic, mid-range furnishings assembled by an interior designer (and not a great one) rather than an Imagineer. They used to make such a big deal about how Imagineering would craft light fixtures, signs, etc. to support the theme of each particular space. Particularly with the resorts, they now seem increasingly seem happy to buy the closest fit commercially available in the same way you or I might do if, say, we wanted a Key West-themed vacation home.

I generally like the new rooms and also liked the Caribbean and Contemporary lobby refurbishments. I really don't like how generic things like this turn out, though.

This is it. The furniture and finishing have no weight. Have you ever watched Bar Rescue? The host has mentioned multiple times that guests will judge quality of a bar stool, and therefore the venue as a whole, by how much weight the still has. Cheap and flimsy ikea stools will automatically make the bar feel cheap compared to a heftier, sturdier stool. That’s how I feel with some of these refurb, i love how fresh the overall feel is, but the finishing touches feel like a domestic home reno.

 

[eddie104]

My problem with the old way in which they created that sense of place is that it was often cartoonish-and-kitsch-bordering-on-self-parody. I'll pick on the old Yacht Club rooms because I think it's one of the most extreme examples.

View attachment 593448

That doesn't convey "you're in a luxury oceanside retreat on Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard." Ironically, going "more generic" in this instance actually improves the sense of place you're looking for, IMO.

See this pic just screams 90s over the top theming and looks so outdated. However sometimes I do appreciate when Disney does add its own personal touches or interpretation to things.

I didn't realize this board had so many professional interior designers. I should hire all of you for my next project.

I’ve come to realize that this board contains various experts in every field from politics to business and so on. A lot of the posts tend to come off as very pretentious and overly opinionated.

This is a message board so I understand the need for conversation but gosh Disney sure can’t get nothing right according to people on here.

 

[castlecake2.0]

See this pic just screams 90s over the top theming and looks so outdated. However sometimes I do appreciate when Disney does add its own personal touches or interpretation to things.

I’ve come to realize that this board contains various experts in every field from politics to business and so on. A lot of the posts tend to come off as very pretentious and overly opinionated.

This is a message board so I understand the need for conversation but gosh Disney sure can’t get nothing right according to people on here.

I think they got the room re dos right, just not a fan of the lobbies. The whole point of this board is to discuss.

 

[Maelstrom Troll]

The OKW lobby seems like such an odd mashup of furniture with too much variation in scale and weight. It could be the angle of the pics/ maybe I need to see it in person but for now its not for me.

 

[SpectroMagician]

Looks worse to me. Also "the traditional long line of desks has been replaced with smaller counters offering a more personal interaction with cast members." They still have a long line of desks, just they are smaller and there are holes in between now. Its essentially the same thing

 

[SteveAZee]

Having been a guest/member of OKW since the beginning, I have some nostalgia for the look and feel of the old lobby... "Welcome Home" and all that. It's great to come back, whether after a year's absence or even a few years and see everything looking the same as when I left. That said, I do like parts of the new design... it looks lighter and airier. The dark wood floors reminded me of the Yacht Club and that aesthetic than the breezier look the new lobby has. I suppose we call it New Key West now? I'll wait to see it in person first and see how it feels to be inside.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Having been a guest/member of OKW since the beginning, I have some nostalgia for the look and feel of the old lobby... "Welcome Home" and all that. It's great to come back, whether after a year's absence or even a few years and see everything looking the same as when I left. That said, I do like parts of the new design... it looks lighter and airier. The dark wood floors reminded me of the Yacht Club and that aesthetic than the breezier look the new lobby has. I suppose we call it New Key West now? I'll wait to see it in person first and see how it feels to be inside.

They definitely shared similar vibes before. I do feel the new look is definitely more fitting of the Keys, it’s just some of the furniture and accessories that miss the mark I feel. It’s like they need to send an imagineer down to an estate sale to pick up some finishing touches to switch out with the pieces they got at Marshall’s.

 

[wdwmagic]

A look inside the all-new lobby at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort​

A look inside the all-new lobby at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

Photos of the brand-new lobby design at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort.

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[rkleinlein]

What's the theme of this hotel? You can't tell from the decor. It's all very generic (except the silly cartoon horses). Some people may like it, but to me it has a grandma's house circa 1985 vibe.

 

[Jon81uk]

What's the theme of this hotel? You can't tell from the decor. It's all very generic (except the silly cartoon horses). Some people may like it, but to me it has a grandma's house circa 1985 vibe.

Having stayed at Saratoga I thought the theme was grandma who likes horse sculptures.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

The quality (or lack there of) in many of the items is of growing concern for me. Having been in both recently, the physical quality of some of these new rooms are on par with Universal's Endless Summer (just stayed at Dockside this week). While some have a bit of weight, these are not high quality pieces. They look pretty and photograph well, but construction is a growing concern. It's very much the "Homegoods" factor. The quality of finishes is on par with the average Marriott or Holiday Inn.

And I certainly appreciate people aren't experts, but I would assume a number of us travel a fair bit. So, there is a fair comparison point - especially for the price point. These lobbies feel like they could be done by literally any hotel chain anywhere save for some Disney characters sprinkled in. That was never what Disney did. I'm not saying the 90s Disney needs to come back at all. But, place setting and creating atmosphere is Disney's brand (or at least legacy). There was an energy and a story to it. These new lobbies are both cheaper materials and given a general concept - with the higher price point. I think that's a valid observation any consumer can make.

 

[ToTBellHop]

For me, OKW is now reminiscent of Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. I guess that makes sense.

Not a huge fan of the Hilton Garden Inn with horses but I’ve never cared for SSR. Horse isn’t a theme I appreciate.

Can there be a dog resort filled with paintings of Best Boys?

Disney’s Nantucket Beach Resort?