PHOTOS - Disney reveals new lobby design and Trader Sam's lounge for the Polynesian

ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Sage of Time said:
From Tikiman- Floats are going in!

B4cyw5rCUAQc7A4.jpg
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Color me underwhelmed, Blown glass floats are more Japanese/New England than south seas...
 
Kman101

Kman101

Well-Known Member
I like the glass balls but at the same time it's the last thing I would expect there. Not really sold on them either and not at all trying to be picky.

I appreciate there's at least a water feature, I guess, going in. No it's not what it was (at *all*) but it's something that I don't recall seeing on what was released, or is it that fountain with the tiki god or whatever on top? Or is that one further back in a different location?
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Kman101 said:
I like the glass balls but at the same time it's the last thing I would expect there. Not really sold on them either and not at all trying to be picky.

I appreciate there's at least a water feature, I guess, going in. No it's not what it was (at *all*) but it's something that I don't recall seeing on what was released, or is it that fountain with the tiki god or whatever on top? Or is that one further back in a different location?
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I've got glass floats in my man cave (used to be called the den) it has a old school nautical theme, I EXPECT MORE from DISNEY.
 
ParksAndPixels

ParksAndPixels

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
TheVisionarySoul said:
This is Aulani influence. That can actually be a good thing.
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Had a sit down with an imagineer about two yrs ago and talked about poly & Aulani. He stated that there was a lot that was not really understood properly about pacific culture at the time, that they now have learned because of the Aulani project & the Poly would start to reflect so me of those lessons & missed opportunities.

Now, I have yet to visit Aulani so I can't speak to any of that first hand. However, it was nice to hear that Disney seemed to want to improve on mistakes made a long time ago (even when the Poly was kinda established in all our minds).
 
space42

space42

Well-Known Member
Kman101 said:
I like the glass balls but at the same time it's the last thing I would expect there. Not really sold on them either and not at all trying to be picky.

I appreciate there's at least a water feature, I guess, going in. No it's not what it was (at *all*) but it's something that I don't recall seeing on what was released, or is it that fountain with the tiki god or whatever on top? Or is that one further back in a different location?
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It looks exactly like the concept art that was shown. Small fountain and all...

PRU9769563.jpg
 
ParksAndPixels

ParksAndPixels

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
I'll wait to see it first hand as photos can be misleading. But, I am glad they are doing something in the open space to draw your eye up.

They were supposedly wanting the same effect as when you enter the GF, WL or AK. They wanted that type of grand feeling space as opposed to the closed in feel.
 
Slowjack

Slowjack

Well-Known Member
pasamike said:
Had a sit down with an imagineer about two yrs ago and talked about poly & Aulani. He stated that there was a lot that was not really understood properly about pacific culture at the time, that they now have learned because of the Aulani project & the Poly would start to reflect so me of those lessons & missed opportunities.

Now, I have yet to visit Aulani so I can't speak to any of that first hand. However, it was nice to hear that Disney seemed to want to improve on mistakes made a long time ago (even when the Poly was kinda established in all our minds).
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Some of us don't think that the Poly decor was a "mistake." You (and the imagineer) are confusing the actual culture of Pacific islanders with the Tiki style. If actual Pacific islander culture were being depicted, as in a museum, then inaccuracies would be a problem to be corrected. Tiki is a style influenced by real cultures (plural) but is its own thing. There's no actual islander culture with a deep history of fruity cocktails served with paper umbrellas from bars made to look like huts, for example, but that's a common element of Tiki.

Aulani is a hotel in Hawaii themed with Hawaiian culture, so that's very different from the Poly, which is a theme-park hotel intended to echo the style of Adventureland across the lagoon.

And I don't think these changes are because we now better understand pacific islander cultures. No one in 1970 thought the Poly was an accurate depiction of those cultures. It's just that in 1970 we thought it was okay to make things from parts of other cultures and hadn't yet begun to obsess over notions of authenticity.
 
ParksAndPixels

ParksAndPixels

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Yeah not really what I expected (and didn't notice it in concept art til now), but when it's all open we will see how it comes together. I do like the pop of color and am glad to see a little more color introduced in the design to bring a better balance to overall look.
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
So far I rate the new lobby a #FAIL, As it looks like the concept art is correct I've seen Hampton Inn's with bigger water features. The new lobby will be cheap to maintain the fanbois will foam at the mouth over Trader Sam's and the rest of us who loved the Poly will mourn the loss of yet another Disney icon.

What happened to the concept of AWESOME and INSPIRING at WDW, When national chain hotels have BETTER water features and lobby detailing than WDW and not simply in Orlando something is terribly wrong.

If you want to check out an AMAZING water feature in Orlando, drop by the Gaylord Palms it even has FISH!
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Kman101 said:
I see what they're going for. Probably for me it's not so much knocking it as, I agree, the photo might not do it justice. Just doesn't "wow" me but they're nice. I like the glass balls in general so maybe in person it comes off better. I don't know. Hard to explain.
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They are going for the 'Hampton Inn's are overthemed' look, Properly understood as cheap to maintain after all at a resort where rooms sell for 1K pe night low maintenance cost is paramount otherwise the business model just does not work :rolleyes:.
 
Slowjack

Slowjack

Well-Known Member
pasamike said:
Wow. Me and and the imagineer are mistaken huh? I simply stated facts of a conversation with someone from WDI. Take it or leave it.

I love how someone can't even add a simple statement / information into a conversation on this forum without some feeling the need to go on the offensive. I did not use the word mistake, I simply stated that because of the Aulani project decision were made that they wanted to bring to the Poly as well.

I know that the poly like the GF and CR was designed to reflect lands in the MK but that does not mean they can't seek to fit a particular culture / feel beyond what was created in the park as well.
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Whoa, there! I didn't intend my post to be an attack on you or the unnamed imagineer, so if it came across that way, I'm sorry. I was just using your post and the opinions I saw there as a jumping-off point for a broader discussion.

Note that you did use the word mistake ("improve on mistakes made a long time ago") :). My point is just that the Poly redesign seems to be be driven by the notion that the original decor was, in some respects, a bad idea, and for those of us who think it was (and is) a fine idea, it's saddening. Just as Tex-Mex food can be enjoyed as a thing separate from Mexican food (which can be enjoyed as as something separate from Spanish food), I think Tiki should still be enjoyed, without apologies, for what it is.

Anyway, I appreciate your sharing the story of your encounter with the imagineer, and again, sorry if my post came off the wrong way.
 
ParksAndPixels

ParksAndPixels

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Slowjack said:
Whoa, there! I didn't intend my post to be an attack on you or the unnamed imagineer, so if it came across that way, I'm sorry. I was just using your post and the opinions I saw there as a jumping-off point for a broader discussion.

Note that you did use the word mistake ("improve on mistakes made a long time ago") :). My point is just that the Poly redesign seems to be be driven by the notion that the original decor was, in some respects, a bad idea, and for those of us who think it was (and is) a fine idea, it's saddening. Just as Tex-Mex food can be enjoyed as a thing separate from Mexican food (which can be enjoyed as as something separate from Spanish food), I think Tiki should still be enjoyed, without apologies, for what it is.

Anyway, I appreciate your sharing the story of your encounter with the imagineer, and again, sorry if my post came off the wrong way.
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I apologize. It's been a really rough week and I admit I took it the wrong way. In fact I even removed my previous reply.

To be clear, I was not trying to say that the idea was a mistake, I grew up know the Polynesian the way it was, and I didn't mean for that to come across that the overall was bad just some smaller touches, etc that were done (based upon said conversation). I even brushed this whole thing off at the time (as it was not the focus of the conversation) because I never thought I would see such drastic changes come to the feel of the resort, especially that quickly
 
Little Green Men

Little Green Men

Well-Known Member
ford91exploder said:
So far I rate the new lobby a #FAIL, As it looks like the concept art is correct I've seen Hampton Inn's with bigger water features. The new lobby will be cheap to maintain the fanbois will foam at the mouth over Trader Sam's and the rest of us who loved the Poly will mourn the loss of yet another Disney icon.

What happened to the concept of AWESOME and INSPIRING at WDW, When national chain hotels have BETTER water features and lobby detailing than WDW and not simply in Orlando something is terribly wrong.

If you want to check out an AMAZING water feature in Orlando, drop by the Gaylord Palms it even has FISH!
Click to expand...
Oh how shocking... more complaining and insults.
 

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