News Swan and Dolphin Tower Expansion - The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

[wdwmagic]

This is actually a very deceptive photo. The way it was taken makes it look much worse then it appears in real life.

Yes the use of a telephoto lens compresses the scene and makes everything look like it is very close. It is not how it is seen with the naked eye.

 

[ABQ]

Yes the use of a telephoto lens compresses the scene and makes everything look like it is very close. It is not how it is seen with the naked eye.

Correct, you'd have to be standing somewhere in the lagoon, and be impossibly tall to see it that way without a very long lens.

 

[prberk]

I've always read that it was Eisner that appointed Graves to design the hotels. Considering that Eisner was CEO in the eartly 80s and the hotels opened early 90s that would make sense.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Swan) seems to indicate similar and links to this article http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/08/magazine/disney-deco.html

I think he did what he could to affect the outcome and look of these hotels, as he used Graves for even the new primary office building at the Walt Disney Studios headquarters. So, I think that part is true. Not sure whether Disney had contractual oversight on the look of the hotels or if he could just suggest the use of Graves. But they were not Disney-owned hotels, even though they had special privileges that the Hotel Plaza Blvd. hotels did not. They were treated like "official" hotels.

I think the distinction is that he did not want to continue the outside hotelier ownership and operation of the "official" on-site hotels after these. I will find the information sometime and try to post. Probably won't be today.

 

[PaisleyMF]

There is way more about Swolphin that meets the eye.

 

[marni1971]

@marni1971 , is Michael Graves' firm involved?

I've pretty much said all I can at the moment.

Though I will add probably not.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Before Michael Graves died, he and his firm designed the hotels for Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore, home to Universal Singapore. The MG&A site has a great page on all the resorts they worked on for the project, but this one may be of interest, the Crockford Hotel. It is a all-suite hotel for super special VIPs which just so happens to be situated between two larger hotels.

 

[Polydweller]

This is actually a very deceptive photo. The way it was taken makes it look much worse then it appears in real life.

Yes the use of a telephoto lens compresses the scene and makes everything look like it is very close. It is not how it is seen with the naked eye.

Thank you both for these comments. That photo is incredibly deceptive because of the telephoto. The hotel's can be seen be in no way do they loom like that.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Thank you both for these comments. That photo is incredibly deceptive because of the telephoto. The hotel's can be seen be in no way do they loom like that.

I don't like the way those grumpy dolphinfish stare down at me on Epcot Resorts Blvd. Never met a dolphinfish I could trust.

 

[Master Yoda]

I don't like the way those grumpy dolphinfish stare down at me on Epcot Resorts Blvd. Never met a dolphinfish I could trust.

You just have not met the right one.

Now Narwhals...don't get me started on those jerks.

 

[ASN forever!]

I had heard that they had signed a deal with Universal to become the first Universal Branded Hotel on Disney Property

 

[Britrepeater]

Would they go to this trouble if they were just expecting a crane or some other construction equipment?
Loving some of the more imaginative ideas.

 

[FigmentForver96]

The land the ballons were over is not that big. How big of a project could we really be talking here

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

I think the majority have a problem with the exterior look and the positioning of the hotels, rather than the rooms or management. I blame Michael Eisner for putting these in, the buildings are too tall for the location and don't blend in to Epcot and the surrounding area well enough.

Does Disney ever have an option to buy these resorts? Prime located for resorts close to SWL"

 

[ToTBellHop]

Does Disney ever have an option to buy these resorts? Prime located for resorts close to SWL"

I don't think they'd want them and I don't think their fans would want Disney to come along and triple the room rates.

 

[bhg469]

You just have not met the right one.

Now Narwhals...don't get me started on those jerks.

I've met plenty that I've loved. Very rare with a nice dusting of lemon pepper and a good sear.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I've met plenty that I've loved. Very rare with a nice dusting of lemon pepper and a good sear.

Don't eat narwhal!

 

[bhg469]

Don't eat narwhal!

I tried not to but he kept throwing himself on my perfectly cooked dolphin..

 

[mm121]

If that IS the case, I would assume the recent Marriott buyout of Starwood would complicate this "expansion"? Perhaps Mariott selling it off back to Disney? Eh, I am getting over my head here

a third swolphin tower would seem like the most logical,though it would involve building a plaza or something over epcot resorts blvd or moving it slightly.

So will this new hotel that may or may not be getting built have a hole through it for the monorail just like the current S&D?

a hole thru it? the s&d dont have holes in them.

Looking at the area from above, any chance this development would be built over and on both sides of Epcot Resorts Blvd? Something along the lines of my very quick and crude outline?
View attachment 126138

definitely possible

Ya! A new Star Wars Hotel - Close to DHS

if they were to build a starwars hotel seems like it would be better to build it in the current dhs parking lot

they really should/could build a hollywood theme hotel like where the current dhs bus loops are, now that disney isnt entirely opposed to building parking garages at wdw

maybe even build both sw and hollywood it would expand the portfolio and draw traffic away from the mk hotels

and done right they could maybe even be connected to the fabled monorail expansion

It may not be a new building at all. There have been balloon tests behind the TTC and Polynesian areas several years ago, with nothing coming of that. I agree that it's testing sight lines for aerial displays. It could even be for a drone staging area that they want to incorporate into their nighttime displays at Epcot and/or the Studios.

drone testing seems logical

Does Disney ever have an option to buy these resorts? Prime located for resorts close to SWL"

definitely possible but not really practical

i wonder if disney has a right of first purchase should starwood ever wish to sell to prevent someone like universal from swooping in and buying them then offering a free shuttle to universal

if i was unviversal i'd buy one of the hotel plaza blvd hotels and offer free transportation to uni

 

[mm121]

I'm not advocating for a SW Hotel, but I do think DHS deserves more than just "Value" resorts next to it. AoA is fine imo, but I think that Pop Century is on the chopping block as time goes by. Not only does it focus on a specific period of time which will be ancient to some as we progress, but it also is prime real estate for a DHS Deluxe Resort/DVC Resort.

I don't think it will happen for at least 10 years or so when DHS is truly stable, but I think we'll see it down the pipeline.

if anything pop would maybe be rethemed to art of animation or something, since the idea was originally for the two to share themes

pop will never be torn down and turned into a deluxe

so far the only hotel rooms disney has ever torn down were the garden rooms at the contemporary to build dvc

 

[GhostHost1000]

if anything pop would maybe be rethemed to art of animation or something, since the idea was originally for the two to share themes

pop will never be torn down and turned into a deluxe

so far the only hotel rooms disney has ever torn down were the garden rooms at the contemporary to build dvc

Now that I would support. Pop having a retheme and rename.