Oh god, what have they done to New Orleans Square?

[Magenta Panther]

And we've still lost the Court of Angels.

But I appreciate you keeping us updated, TP2000.

 

[Marc Gil]

Not trying to single you nice folks out, but your sentiments completely mirrored the overall Interwebz a week ago and I thought it would be interesting to compare/contrast them a week later. Because a poster I just read on another site has discovered that the latest Dateline Disneyland photos have shown that a lot more work has been done over this past week overnights, and that as many suspected this New Orleans Square project isn't done yet. http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2014/072014-Edited-Update-Photos/i-QhMZbgp

And it's still not done with CM's stating the project fell behind by several weeks and won't be complete until the very end of July. But here's a few photos of compare/contrast to see where we are now.

A week ago this photo zoomed over a construction wall and made folks angry.

The walls came down, they added balconies, shutters and details while they continue to age the paint and add props, and the similar photo from the similar angle now looks like this. Still with some construction walls up, and not yet finished, but getting closer!

These new windows look into the upper level walkway from the new Club 33 lobby to the new jazz lounge. As seen from a closer angle.

On the direct opposite side, the other half of the new walkway to the bar had this photo taken which also alarmed people a week ago.

Now shutters/pediments are installed, but still some construction walls up and painting and more props awaiting placement here. But it now looks like this.

There are two other areas of the New Orleans Square/Club 33 construction project that riled up the Internet. One was the slightly reworked exit of Pirates of the Caribbean, which still needs to have patina applied to the paint and accessories/detailing added to the new wall. As it looked this weekend...

And then there's the infamous Off-Kilter Window of Doom above the Café Orleans patio.

They've patched up the paint, but this wall is still awaiting its balconies and wrought iron and shutters and props applied to it. Maybe by next weekend? I'll wait patiently, until then it looks like this now... (Maybe we could all have a Monte Cristo while we wait?)

I walked all throughout NOS on my 59th Anniversary Thank You Walt visit on July 17th. Those are the three main areas that were changed physically or cosmetically in New Orleans Square during this project; the new Club 33 bridge/entry complex, the Pirates exit doors, and the Off-Kilter Window of Doom. The rest of the land was unaltered physically or structurally.

And again, the only disappointing thing I found (in my humble opinion) was the new faux stained glass doors that are actually heavy plastic. Tacky!

Thanks TP for the update!

Things are starting to shape up nicely.

It was obvious that they weren't done with construction, but I guess people (like myself) didn't know how much more they would add to the new façades.

Anyway, I'm really hoping to visit the parks next year for the 60th! I'm craving those warm Mickey Beignets

 

[Travel Junkie]

Not trying to single you nice folks out, but your sentiments completely mirrored the overall Interwebz a week ago and I thought it would be interesting to compare/contrast them a week later. Because a poster I just read on another site has discovered that the latest Dateline Disneyland photos have shown that a lot more work has been done over this past week overnights, and that as many suspected this New Orleans Square project isn't done yet. http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2014/072014-Edited-Update-Photos/i-QhMZbgp

And it's still not done with CM's stating the project fell behind by several weeks and won't be complete until the very end of July. But here's a few photos of compare/contrast to see where we are now.

A week ago this photo zoomed over a construction wall and made folks angry.

The walls came down, they added balconies, shutters and details while they continue to age the paint and add props, and the similar photo from the similar angle now looks like this. Still with some construction walls up, and not yet finished, but getting closer!

These new windows look into the upper level walkway from the new Club 33 lobby to the new jazz lounge. As seen from a closer angle.

On the direct opposite side, the other half of the new walkway to the bar had this photo taken which also alarmed people a week ago.

Now shutters/pediments are installed, but still some construction walls up and painting and more props awaiting placement here. But it now looks like this.

There are two other areas of the New Orleans Square/Club 33 construction project that riled up the Internet. One was the slightly reworked exit of Pirates of the Caribbean, which still needs to have patina applied to the paint and accessories/detailing added to the new wall. As it looked this weekend...

And then there's the infamous Off-Kilter Window of Doom above the Café Orleans patio.

They've patched up the paint, but this wall is still awaiting its balconies and wrought iron and shutters and props applied to it. Maybe by next weekend? I'll wait patiently, until then it looks like this now... (Shall we have a Monte Cristo while we wait?)

I walked all throughout NOS on my 59th Anniversary Thank You Walt visit on July 17th. Those are the three main areas that were changed physically or cosmetically in New Orleans Square during this project; the new Club 33 bridge/entry complex, the Pirates exit doors, and the Off-Kilter Window of Doom. The rest of the land was unaltered physically or structurally.

And again, the only disappointing thing I found (in my humble opinion) was the new faux stained glass doors that are actually heavy plastic. Tacky!

My primary concerns with the redesign cannot be covered over with adding details.


- The COA is now off limits to the general public.
- The door to the COA is made of plastic.
- The off center window is still off center.
- The oversize windows added all around the 2nd floor throw off the forced perspective
- Club 33 was originally designed to be hidden from public view. That is no longer the case.
- Many of the new additions are art nouveau, a style that is not in the real NOS and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the land.
- The original lift for Club 33 has been reduced to an out of place ornament in the new Club.


The social media outrage has been a little much, but the fact remains they have really altered the look of a near perfect land and not in a good way.

From the pictures I see of the new Club inside is the latest illustration to me of current WDI. They make a visually appealing space but at the same time is not conscience of the surroundings. The same could be said of the recent interior redesigns on Main St. and even NFL at MK. Each element of NFL is nice, but there is not thematic tie that binds the individually elements into a cohesive land. What current WDI lacks in my view is the depth of next level thinking that the previous generations of WDI had. For example I heard Tony Baxter talk about the rock work on Big Thunder Mountain and how he and his team spent so much time and effort to design the mountain to look like the mountain came first and the track had to work around the mountain. WDI doesn’t think that way anymore on most of their projects.

 

[omurice]

Sorry to add to the hand-wringing, but it is so sad to see this. Arguably NOSq was the most charming land in any North American theme park. Now, less so. I thank heaven I visited DL last year and got to see the area before well... they went and DIS-enchanted it!

 

[Stevek]

It's disgusting. To take the Court of Angels away from the regular guests...the hell? It's like TDA is saying, "Yeah, we know that's a beautiful area, and that makes it just a little too good for YOU, peon tourist." Now only the well-heeled members of Club 33 get to enjoy it. HARDLY what Walt wanted for the area.

I don't get it. TDA has done such wonderful things for Disneyland. Why did it partially ruin one of the best-themed areas in ALL of the parks?

While I loved the Court of Angels, my personal opinion is that the average guest probably just walked by it and didn't have the affinity that the frequent/AP guest or fanbois had. I never saw it filled with more than a couple of folks, ever...unless people were taking their Christmas Card pics. As for the land, I'll have to see it in person. The interior of the club looks beautiful from the pics (though the inclusion of the lift as a table is ridiculous) but I'm not in love, nor do I despise all of exterior changes.

I think it's impossible for any of us to guess what Walt would have wanted anymore as he was only in the park for 11 of the 59 years. I agree that it would have been better for them to keep the COA as is but believe me, I've seen so many changes since my first visit in 1970 that what has happened in NOS seems small by comparison.

 

[TP2000]

My primary concerns with the redesign cannot be covered over with adding details.


- The COA is now off limits to the general public.
- The door to the COA is made of plastic.
- The off center window is still off center.
- The oversize windows added all around the 2nd floor throw off the forced perspective
- Club 33 was originally designed to be hidden from public view. That is no longer the case.
- Many of the new additions are art nouveau, a style that is not in the real NOS and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the land.
- The original lift for Club 33 has been reduced to an out of place ornament in the new Club.


The social media outrage has been a little much, but the fact remains they have really altered the look of a near perfect land and not in a good way.

Valid points on COA. Especially if you are only viewing this via Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland photos. Have you actually walked through New Orleans Square in the last three or four days? In real life, as you walk and look and see it for real, it's all quite nice.

I walked through NOS on July 17th, and I'll head back in a week or so. The second floor windows in that back alley, which many claim to be "out of scale" are actually a success in my opinion. Why? Because they are now real windows looking into a real space inhabited by real people. It brings the entire second floor of NOS to life and gives it a genuine liveliness that it lacked before. NOS circa 1966 is an Imagineering gem, but the second floor balconies and windows were always fake. All the windows shuttered tight (likely not even windows), all the precious little wicker furniture on tiny faux balconies dusty and obviously not used by humans. It gave you the sense "Oh, isn't this lovely, and didn't they do a good job of pretending this was real!?"

Now it feels real. There are real glass windows and visible chandeliers and draperies and a moving body or two glimpsed through the windows of the new dining room, the new jazz club, and the hallway that connects them. It's alive and it's real. The Club 33 dining room was always visible, by the way, but it was shrouded by that sea of patio umbrellas at Café Orleans so it was rarely noticed. And it's a tradition for Club 33 members to step out onto the balcony for photos and Fantasmic! viewing (A very bad view through the trees, but a view nonetheless)

Club 33 members trying to watch Fantasmic! - For all that money you'd think they'd get a better view!

I love Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland updates as much as the next Disneyland fan, and my hat is off to him for providing that weekly service. But his zoomed and cropped photos can't capture the true scale and feel of the reworked space there. Add in his snarky criticism and armchair Imagineering and it all gets to be a bit much.

I encourage us all... Walk through NOS yourself. Look and pause and observe for 45 minutes or so, like I did last week. The new additions are quite lovely and appropriate. And they bring the entire second level to life, like a real urban space would be. But remember, they aren't done with it yet.

Except for those tacky plastic "stained glass" doors. Those are just dumb and need to be replaced ASAP.

 

[TP2000]

For those who haven't seen it yet, you really must see today's new Dateline Disneyland update! It has lots of photos inside the new Club 33, including a review of the new menu. Truly a fascinating photo update to see! http://micechat.com/75092-disneyland-59th-club-33/#comment-38634

Here's just a few photos from Andy Castro's weekend visit to the new Club 33...

The new "Jazz Lounge" above the French Market

A "Live-Streaming" baby grand piano in the windows.

Enough jazz and cocktails, your table is waiting!

Flaming desserts prepared tableside!

Much, much more from all angles at Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland update. http://micechat.com/75092-disneyland-59th-club-33/#comment-38634

 

[flynnibus]

@TP2000 I think Andy's update today shows the changes in a far more complete view

And what you paint as 'bringing life' to the second level... I agree with Andy that it instead hangs c33 out there naked and challenges the scale of everything.

The club looks nice. The question is really... Is someone willing to walk away from the history that was the old club?

The old style was incredibly dated - but for a purpose. Now we have a whole new club... Do you want continuity? If not... Then you should be happy with the new club minus a few goofs.

The repurposing of the elevator lift is pretty tacky. They should have preserved it elsewhere if there was no way to keep it in place

 

[lazyboy97o]

Out of scale is still out of scale. Glimpses of people on the upper levels could have still been accomplished with windows sized properly for the scale and theme.

What happened to the elevator is a shining example of the contempt for actual Disney history.

 

[xdan0920]

Not trying to single you nice folks out, but your sentiments completely mirrored the overall Interwebz a week ago and I thought it would be interesting to compare/contrast them a week later. Because a poster I just read on another site has discovered that the latest Dateline Disneyland photos have shown that a lot more work has been done over this past week overnights, and that as many suspected this New Orleans Square project isn't done yet. http://datelinedisneyland.smugmug.com/DisneylandResort/2014/072014-Edited-Update-Photos/i-QhMZbgp

And it's still not done with CM's stating the project fell behind by several weeks and won't be complete until the very end of July. But here's a few photos of compare/contrast to see where we are now.

A week ago this photo zoomed over a construction wall and made folks angry.

The walls came down, they added balconies, shutters and details while they continue to age the paint and add props, and the similar photo from the similar angle now looks like this. Still with some construction walls up, and not yet finished, but getting closer!

These new windows look into the upper level walkway from the new Club 33 lobby to the new jazz lounge. As seen from a closer angle.

On the direct opposite side, the other half of the new walkway to the bar had this photo taken which also alarmed people a week ago.

Now shutters/pediments are installed, but still some construction walls up and painting and more props awaiting placement here. But it now looks like this.

There are two other areas of the New Orleans Square/Club 33 construction project that riled up the Internet. One was the slightly reworked exit of Pirates of the Caribbean, which still needs to have patina applied to the paint and accessories/detailing added to the new wall. As it looked this weekend...

And then there's the infamous Off-Kilter Window of Doom above the Café Orleans patio.

They've patched up the paint, but this wall is still awaiting its balconies and wrought iron and shutters and props applied to it. Maybe by next weekend? I'll wait patiently, until then it looks like this now... (Shall we have a Monte Cristo while we wait?)

I walked all throughout NOS on my 59th Anniversary Thank You Walt visit on July 17th. Those are the three main areas that were changed physically or cosmetically in New Orleans Square during this project; the new Club 33 bridge/entry complex, the Pirates exit doors, and the Off-Kilter Window of Doom. The rest of the land was unaltered physically or structurally.

And again, the only disappointing thing I found (in my humble opinion) was the new faux stained glass doors that are actually heavy plastic. Tacky!

Still looks terrible. You are working pretty hard to defend this work. TDA has been hitting Homerun after Homerun lately, but this time they struck out.

 

[donsullivan]

Like @TP2000 I had the opportunity to walk around through New Orleans Square a couple of times over the weekend including yesterday afternoon and I'm of the opinion that this is being way overblown. It's clear that there is still additional detail work that needs to be done for the finishing touches and that is already showing up. Drapes are appearing in windows that early photos showed as bare and external decorative elements are showing up all around. I noticed changes just over the course of the few days I was there (THU-SUN).

I've never had the opportunity to experience Club 33 myself but all this hubbub that NE Square has been destroyed by this project is grossly overblown. And that is the perspective of someone who personally walked through it, not someone just looking at selective images with a decided negative bias surrounding them on the Internet

 

[TP2000]

Like @TP2000 I had the opportunity to walk around through New Orleans Square a couple of times over the weekend including yesterday afternoon and I'm of the opinion that this is being way overblown.

Thank you. Yeah, "overblown" is a perfect word for this.

I think you and I are the only ones here who have actually walked through New Orleans Square in the last five days.

Andy's photo updates are fabulous, don't get me wrong. But zooming and cropping photos to show a bad angle don't compare to how a real human experiences these changes when they actually walk through the environment and see it with their own 3-D eyesight.

Honestly gang, these new windows in a back alley of NOS are not that big of a deal. Go to Disneyland and see it for yourself. Then go on Pirates of the Caribbean, just for fun. It's all still there.

The plastic gates at the Court of Angels, on the other hand... That's truly the big mistake of this entire NOS project.

 

[TP2000]

Still looks terrible. You are working pretty hard to defend this work. TDA has been hitting Homerun after Homerun lately, but this time they struck out.

I'm defending it because I've actually walked through there a few days ago. I'm not just judging it based on the first salacious, shocking and rage-inducing photos Andy Castro posted online a week ago. Zoomed photos over a construction wall like this one...

Go wander through NOS and see for yourself. This window scandal is way overblown.

 

[Travel Junkie]

Valid points on COA. Especially if you are only viewing this via Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland photos. Have you actually walked through New Orleans Square in the last three or four days? In real life, as you walk and look and see it for real, it's all quite nice.

I walked through NOS on July 17th, and I'll head back in a week or so. The second floor windows in that back alley, which many claim to be "out of scale" are actually a success in my opinion. Why? Because they are now real windows looking into a real space inhabited by real people. It brings the entire second floor of NOS to life and gives it a genuine liveliness that it lacked before. NOS circa 1966 is an Imagineering gem, but the second floor balconies and windows were always fake. All the windows shuttered tight (likely not even windows), all the precious little wicker furniture on tiny faux balconies dusty and obviously not used by humans. It gave you the sense "Oh, isn't this lovely, and didn't they do a good job of pretending this was real!?"

Now it feels real. There are real glass windows and visible chandeliers and draperies and a moving body or two glimpsed through the windows of the new dining room, the new jazz club, and the hallway that connects them. It's alive and it's real. The Club 33 dining room was always visible, by the way, but it was shrouded by that sea of patio umbrellas at Café Orleans so it was rarely noticed. And it's a tradition for Club 33 members to step out onto the balcony for photos and Fantasmic! viewing (A very bad view through the trees, but a view nonetheless)

Club 33 members trying to watch Fantasmic! - For all that money you'd think they'd get a better view!

I love Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland updates as much as the next Disneyland fan, and my hat is off to him for providing that weekly service. But his zoomed and cropped photos can't capture the true scale and feel of the reworked space there. Add in his snarky criticism and armchair Imagineering and it all gets to be a bit much.

I encourage us all... Walk through NOS yourself. Look and pause and observe for 45 minutes or so, like I did last week. The new additions are quite lovely and appropriate. And they bring the entire second level to life, like a real urban space would be. But remember, they aren't done with it yet.

Except for those tacky plastic "stained glass" doors. Those are just dumb and need to be replaced ASAP.

My feelings so far are based on not seeing the land in person as of yet and knowing it is not being finished yet. I can’t get in to see it until late August due my lowly So Cal AP being blocked out. Hopefully it will be finished by then. That being said you can still make some determinations based on pictures and have seen many more than Dateline. For the opposite point of view commentary from Dateline you should check out http://www.westcoaster.net/2014/07/21/disneyland-07212014/



I don’t doubt it looks nice. Disney is good at that. Does it belong though? They have increasingly shown they are not paying attention to those types of things. The plastic door draws attention to itself and would do so even if it was high quality stained glass. It’s bright, in contrast to the subdued land that forces you to seek out the details. That is part of what makes NOS great. You have to work a little for it. The new version has increased the number of “hey look at me” elements including the existence of the club. The Disney fans already knew about it, but I wonder how many infrequent visitors ask how they get in.


Even if people are now allowed on the 2nd floor, that doesn’t mean the windows aren’t still out of scale. Is it a fair trade off? I’ll have to wait and see, but I have my doubts.


Again Club 33 looks nice but the style doesn’t fit in NOS. A French style doesn’t necessarily belong in the French Quarter.


I’ll be sure to take a hard look come late August early September and form a complete opinion.

 

[RandomPrincess]

I'm sad the COA was closed off. They always had it beautifully decorated for Christmas and we took Xmas card pictures there a few times growing up. I took pictures of my DD there as well when we were lucky enough to make our way to DL over the holidays a few years ago. I was hoping to one day get my son's picture there too. I guess I will be begging Club 33 members just to get me in the lobby for a few pictures.

 

[xdan0920]

I'm defending it because I've actually walked through there a few days ago. I'm not just judging it based on the first salacious, shocking and rage-inducing photos Andy Castro posted online a week ago. Zoomed photos over a construction wall like this one...

Go wander through NOS and see for yourself. This window scandal is way overblown.

Here's the thing. IMO New Orleans Square is the best designed land in any Disney park(stateside). A lot of what has been done, and you say so yourself, is, not that bad. That's a pretty weak starting point for a defense.

I probably won't make it out west until 2016 or so, so I am counting on pics and first hand reviews to guide me on this. To me, it looks poorly done. It also seems like that is the overwhelming sentiment towards this addition.

I may be out of line here, and I apologize if I am, but I really feel like if this was happening in Orlando, your opinion would be much different.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I'm not so mad at those windows as I am with the off-center window facing the Rivers of America. That kind of crap is inexcusable, and I don't see how they can fix it without some serious facade reworking (which seems super unlikely at this point). The "it's centered inside" isn't an excuse - why couldn't the world's preeminent theme park design firm come up with a solution that looks good inside and out?

And Tinker Bell in the COA trapped in a lantern? What in the world is that about? It's the kind of details for the sake of details that @WDW1974 has described WDI's current crop losing their nerd minds over, only in this case it has no thematic reason at all. Like at ALL. Tinker Bell doesn't belong in NOS, period - so why include her? Because there was an empty lantern and the budget to put something in it?

That and the conversion of Walt's French lift into a time-out table for one. What kind of crack were these people smoking, and where can I get some?

Off-center windows, Tinker Bell and the French lift may be minor in the grand scheme of things, but they're the icing on the ugly logo-ed cake. They go against the core tenets of Disney theme park design.

I think Andy's review of the club is well balanced and thoughtful - I agree with him on the sad loss of so much storied history just for the sake of new and shiny.

Not to mention art nouveau isn't even recognized as an architectural influence in New Orleans - it has no historical place, no basis in the theme - so someone at WDI just wanted to do the club in art nouveau, so they did, theme be damned. Don't these people get paid to like, research?

I wish they'd handed this to the amazing team behind BVS instead of Kim Irvine, who has struck out on her last three projects in my book. I look forward to visiting in person for myself and having dinner, but I still find some of these things to be glaringly tasteless.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

These new windows look into the upper level walkway from the new Club 33 lobby to the new jazz lounge. As seen from a closer angle.

These pictures remind me of the shops under the monorail track on Buena Vista Street, except in this case, the "monorail" is supposed to be a secret! When you look at those shops on BVS, they look nice and all, but there's no question in your mind that that space is a bridge with some stores crammed in what space was left over. Here, NOS definitely looks like it plays second fiddle to a secret club that 99% will never see.

 

[TP2000]

For the opposite point of view commentary from Dateline you should check out http://www.westcoaster.net/2014/07/21/disneyland-07212014/

Wow, that's an interesting commentary and some more great photos of the NOS work on that site! As much as I enjoy Dateline Disneyland's weekly updates, the photos and opinion on Westcoaster is more in line with my own thinking on this "New Orleans Square Is Ruined!" scandal, or non-scandal as the case may be.

That said... New Orleans Square Refurbishment, July 22nd, 2014: Still In Progress.

You know what bugs me the most about a scene like this one?...

Not the unfinished new bridge. Not the unfinished new window and shutters. Not the unfinished construction and painting and additional props and landscaping that still needs to be installed.

What bugs me the most is that stupid umbrella in front of the hostess stand at Café Orleans. I've eaten at Café Orleans repeatedly and they always have at least one, if not two, umbrellas plopped in front of the hostess stand in ugly, modern metal stands. And to get up to speak to the CM's you have to wiggle around it and balance on that ugly metal safety stand rattling around on the pavement. Dumb and ugly and discourteous to customers!

And what for?!? That hostess stand is under a balcony, in a narrow alley facing north across from a massive 30 foot tall ficus tree that shades the area further. There's a sliver of sun that might strike this area in mid-afternoon a few months of the year around the summer solstice, but those cheezy umbrella stands rattle around there all year long, day in and day out regardless of weather or cloud conditions or temperature or time of day. Are the hostesses staffing that location suffering from sun allergies? Does their little clipboard with the seated tables on it crumble into dust if exposed to anything beyond full shade?

If it's so important to shield this hostess stand that's already under a balcony in a protected alley, why not just drill a hole in the pavement and permanently mount this umbrella there? It never moves anyway, and is often joined by a twin. That way the CM's could be assured that any approaching customer will still have to jockey for position around the pole and defensive umbrella placement, but at least the wobbly metal stand won't look so 21st century utilitarian in this otherwise brilliant piece of Imagineering.

Thank you for listening to my rant. I feel better.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

That bridge structure thing that is the club (I guess) looks weird. It's like you had the quaint streets of New Orleans with their charming balconies lining the facades (always loved that in the actual French Quarter) then someone came along and plopped a stucco-coated storage container down. Like a kid with building blocks. The streets, the buildings, the balconies (fake, real, whatever) should draw your mind's eye in and make you want to follow. But there's the storage container bridge that chops the visual for me. I find it perplexing and disruptive. I'm no expert. Never saw any of these spaces sans tarps with my own eyes. I do know actual New Orleans architecture from living in that region for roughly 10 years. The storage container bridge is disruptive to me in every pic of every angle I've seen.

Def feels like the club overall has lost its cool low-key feel. It's pretty much on display now. I don't know that parading that venue when most guests can't go there is a smart thing to do. Kinda counterproductive to what is implied by referring to your customers as your "guests". That's just me.

But Disney of late is really getting into offering different levels of "magical" experiences to their guests at different price points. This whole club business is the top tier. Nothing more. Why spend a lot or way too much when you can spend more?

Eh, no thanks. Magic can't be sold or bought. Not for me.