Originally Posted By ssWEDguy I've been watching the Bonnet Creek resort grow. The two very tall (6 floors? 8 floors?) structures are really starting to peek out over the trees as building continues. This is the resort being built "on Disney property" directly southeast of Epcot, on the west side of I-4. It's not owned by Disney, and Disney has nothing to do with it. Other than be nonplussed that it's just there. The way the area is landscaped, you can't really see in to the buildings from the outside. However, if you're staying in one of the two tall buildings on the upper floors, you're going to have a great view of SpaceShip Earth from your window. And Disney hasn't got anything to do with it. Interesting dynamics going on on this plot of land. Does anyone know more about this? When do they open? Are they open already?
Originally Posted By Labuda Bonnet Creek opened about 3 years ago, it seems: <a href="http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_3rd/Jul04_BonnetCreek.html" target="_blank">http://www.hotel-online.com/Ne ws/PR2004_3rd/Jul04_BonnetCreek.html</a>
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> Bonnet Creek opened about 3 years ago << I have seen traffic coming and going, so I assumed they were open. The new tall buildings being built now must be part of the next phase. I can't get over their entry drive. It's decorated and landscaped like Disney decorates the entrances to their resorts. Only it's clearly not designed by Disney. It looks very utilitarian and official, like an entrance to some US Embassy compound. Lots of gray concrete. The only thing missing is the military guard at the gate checking IDs as you enter.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy I've not been in there. I should check it out sometime. Do you think showing my CM badge to enter will work?
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> I'm sure they'd have a special welcome for a Disney CM << I'm sure. I'm guessing it would probably involve big dogs.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Wahtever the price, I'd probably have a better chance at winning a night in Cinderella's Castle. LOL.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Sounds like it will be just as ugly a visual intrusion as say, and giant dolphin and swan peeking out over the EPCOT World Showcase horizon. And those hotels were planned and built with Disney's blessing. What they were thinking with The Dolphin and Swan, was anybody's guess. You have 28,000 acres of land and they have to put two hotels up that mar the view of World Showcase. Bizarre...
Originally Posted By mrichmondj << What they were thinking with The Dolphin and Swan, was anybody's guess. You have 28,000 acres of land and they have to put two hotels up that mar the view of World Showcase. Bizarre... >> The were thinking . . . we're up to our ears in debt from building EPCOT and these developers are offering us big $$ to build hotels within sight of Spaceship Earth.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip They also may have wanted to test if Deluxe Resorts at Epcot would be popular before spending the money to build on their own.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj ^^ They pretty much just needed a cash bailout. The vultures were circling about that time (1983/1984). They also sold off their royalty fees at Tokyo Disneyland for like 20 years in exchange for a lump sum payment at that time. Disney was hurting for cash and did a lot of dumb short term things in the early 80s.
Originally Posted By Indigo It will be two Hilton branded hotels <a href="http://www.thedisneyblog.com/tdb/2006/06/bonnet_creek_re.html" target="_blank">http://www.thedisneyblog.com/t db/2006/06/bonnet_creek_re.html</a> -John www.thedisneyblog.com
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <The were thinking . . . we're up to our ears in debt from building EPCOT and these developers are offering us big $$ to build hotels within sight of Spaceship Earth.> Yeah, I've heard that Disney was indebted to construction company Tishman, and were forced to build The Dolphin and Swan. Perhaps. But why would Tishman need to build hotels within sight of Spaceship Earth? That's something that Disney could have easily convinced them was a dumb idea.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> just as ugly a visual intrusion as say, and giant dolphin and swan peeking out over the EPCOT World Showcase horizon. << I don't know. The shapes that they add to the skyline give it an "Oz-like" emerald city feel to me. Not all that bad. And from what I heard if it weren't for Michael Eisner's intrusion in the process those two hotels might easily have been big, square International Drive style boxes instead of at least the interesting shapes that they are. (And that the Bonnet Creek buildings are) It could be worse.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <I don't know. The shapes that they add to the skyline give it an "Oz-like" emerald city feel to me. Not all that bad.> The above reminds me of the management team for Disneyland Resort -- talking about the visual intrusions at California Adventure. 'The convention center and those hotels that you can see from Paradise Pier? Yeah, we meant to do that -- brings the real California into the re-created California inside the park.' Yeah, right. I'll take 'Rationalizations' for $1200, please.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy What connection does the Swan and Dolphin skyline have to do with a bunch of suits and DCA in Anaheim? I'll say again -- we could have two square boxes peeking up over World Showcase. At least we don't have that. And what is so sacred about the World Showcase skyline anyway? You know, it's just a little eclectic already, even without the outside world peeking in. You probably don't like the Tower of Terror outline peeking up behind Morocco either.
Originally Posted By MPierce I also like the looks of the Swan, and Dolphin in the skyline. I never felt like it was intrusive on the view from the World Showcase
