Originally Posted By jmuboy I'm in agreement with post 56. The structures are staying, but they could do some work to address them. Like a redesigned roofline for example to hide some of the roof top equipment. As for the paint job, I hope we see a fresh new look in terms of the paint, maybe a pattern to the paint to give these big boxes a little flare. The areas that concern me: - Fantasy Waters - wow, what a tired and dated spot. Why not turn it into a massive fountain with dancing waters that run continuously. Maybe a Sorcerer Mickey near the top could appear to command the fountains. - The Arcade and Crystal shop. The former "Seaports" building. There needs to be some more work done to tie these old buildings in with the pool. Or, the other thought would be to make these old buildings a mini Adventurland Promenade with themed dining and shopping. The current structures could be reused. Lost Boys Bar becomes "Liki Tiki's Beach bar; Croc's Bites becomes "Bengal Bites" ; the Jungle Cruise Boats are already there. The Arcade and Gift shop get a full face-lift. Hook's Point get a major overhaul and retheme - possibly rebuild start from scratch - and becomes a west coast Ohana. Add in some heavy new tropical foliage and viola! The new Adventureland Promenade retail area. The Koi Ponds and Waterfalls could be incorporated into this area as well. - The cove pools out back could get a complete rebuild. How about a modern looking pool and slide based on the concept used at the new Bay Lake Tower Pool at the WDW Resort. - The exterior of the Pavilion building needs facelift too. The Blue and Red Pavilions can stay. The "skin" on the rest of the building needs to be livened up. Again, a modern approach and color, bright yellow maybe? The entrance to this section could be through doors framed by three large black circles forming a Mickey head. The immediate lobby area outside the Goofy's Kitchen / Steakhouse 55 area is TERRIBLE!!!!! It screams 1970's in a bad way. - A better fitness facility is probably needed. Maybe it could be relocated to the 2nd floor above the Goofy's Kitchen / Steakhouse 55 restaurants? As for the rooms themselves, I am fine with them. I love the new look and think they will turn out great. It's just the rest of the hotel I think that's being ignored.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think that if they aren't demolishing the towers everything else is fair game. I see no real reason to keep any of the other structures containing shops or restaurants, especially now with DtD right next door. The entire center section between the three towers would make a fabulous mini water-park/pool area.
Originally Posted By monorailblue For fun, assume Motor Boat Cruise was still around. Who would be satisfied with new paint, new steering wheels, and blue-tinted windows? Demolish the sucker and let's get a worthy hotel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally Posted By danyoung Apples & oranges, blue. And you can see by the responses on this thread that plenty of people still see a lot of life left in the old girl.
Originally Posted By Dizhotelguy It's time I weigh in on this. A while back, I talked with Werner Weiss from another Disney website on this very subject. I helped draft a feature article on the old Disneyland Hotel that he used on his website and he also reviewed my book on the Disneyland Hotel. His thoughts mirror mine exactly... Don Ballard Instead of imploding the existing buildings and starting over, I'd like to see The Walt Disney Company make the Disneyland Hotel's mid-century modern architecture into a virtue rather than a liability. Today, it seems that Disney is saying, "Don't looking up at the ugly buildings. Keep your eyes low and enjoy the 'Magical' Disney-ish things we've done at ground level. Try to forget that the buildings scream 1960's (even though some are newer than that)." Instead, I'd like to see the Disneyland Hotel adopt a strong late-1950's/early-1960's theme, with signs, colors, restaurants, furniture, uniforms, decor, artwork, and landscaping that immerse guests in the era when the Disneyland Monorail first began serving the Disneyland Hotel. By the way, the buildings aren't ugly; they're actually very nicely designed examples of the era. The Hotel should take guests back in time, just as most of Disney's deluxe hotels in Florida do. Only it would be a different time period. Take a look at the website of the Renaissance Hollywood at <a href="http://www.renaissancehollywood.com/" target="_blank">http://www.renaissancehollywood.com/</a> -- you'll find pictures of the rooms, with their wild mid-century modern colors and furniture. With its more spacious grounds and its multiple buildings, the Disneyland Hotel could way outdo the Renaissance Hollywood. Think about the possibilities for restaurants. Think about tiki revival. Think about the "space age." Think about the Googie style. "Retro" is fun. In fact, look to Tomorrowland in the 1950's for inspiration. The 900-or-so rooms, the restaurants, and the convention facilities are valuable assets. It would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to replace them. There's no reason to tear them down. As they say, when you have a lemon, make lemonade. The Disneyland Hotel isn't a lemon. But Disney guests expect immersive, themed hotels—and the Disneyland Hotel fails to meet that expectation in its current form. Let the Imagineers have fun immersing guests in another era!
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt You know that if the Motor Boat Cruise were still around and an announcement were made about its impending removal there would be a chorus of folks here lamenting about it closing down. That's just the way it goes.
Originally Posted By Dizhotelguy And further on the subject from Werner: (I had suggested a museum on the Hotel grounds) I like the idea of some sort of museum at the Disneyland Hotel about its history—ideally more than just photographs and display cases. However I'm suggesting more than a museum; I'm suggesting a resort that makes guests feel as though they've stepped back in time. And I'm not suggesting that the Imagineers should be limited to re-creating actual elements of the Disneyland Hotel, circa-1960. Rather, the Imagineers should be challenged to capture the most fun, imaginative, and stylish aspects of the period. I admire immersive hotels such as Disney’s Boardwalk at WDW. I just stayed at Disney’s Boardwalk last month, and it feels like going to Atlantic City 60-70 years ago (although I wasn't actually around back then). Along the same lines, imagine going back to the "mid-century modern" period of 40-50 years ago, which was full of fun, clever, engaging art and design. With its fine mid-century modern style towers, the Disneyland Hotel is perfectly suited to become an immersive circa-1960-themed environment. __________________
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt By the way, the buildings aren't ugly; they're actually very nicely designed examples of the era. I disagree. First of all, the Marina (1970) and Bonita (1978) Towers, along with the convention center (1972) aren't from the 60's. In fact, nothing from the hotel in the 1950's is still there. Second, the buildings don't have notable architectural features that are worth highlighting or saving. They are, in a word, boring. Finally, and probably most important, the college campus like layout of the property makes it very troublesome to get to some of the hotel's main public areas quickly. For example, consider the walk from the top floor of the Bonita Tower to the hotel's main lobby or the convention center.
Originally Posted By Dizhotelguy Walt Disney lent the Disneyland name, but had little or nothing to do with the development of the property. Here's a favorite website of mine that tells you all you've ever wanted to know about the DLH: <a href="http://www.magicalhotel.com/" target="_blank">http://www.magicalhotel.com/</a> I also have a blog <a href="http://www.magicalhotel.blogspot.com" target="_blank">http://www.magicalhotel.blogspot.com</a>
Originally Posted By Dizhotelguy Hans Actually, the Marina Tower officially opened in December of 1969 so two of the three towers are from the 60's which is the era Mr. Weiss was suggesting, not the 50's. I think they should rebuild an original style, two-story Garden Villa with specialty suites. Pattern them exactly as they were in the 50's. Did you know, the bellmen hated those two-story structures....they had no elevators and the guys were forced to carry all that luggage up the stairs.
Originally Posted By Britain I was all for the suggestion that they turn the Disneyland Hotel into a mid-century celebration, but that clearly isn't what they've done here. This isn't a retro hotel. There isn't a smidgen of 50's kitch. Where's the pink, yellow and green of the original Disneyland sign? Major opportunity lost here. Now having said all that, I think this looks like an attractive upgrade. But that's all it is. It's taking a hotel that was designed to be contemporary at the time, and they are pouring money into it to make it contemporary again. I just got back from a terrific stay at the Grand Californian. Wow! The nooks, crannies and gardens of that place really charges my batteries. That is clearly the flagship hotel at DL, and it looks like TDA is happy with the Disneyland Hotel being second banana.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Actually, the Marina Tower officially opened in December of 1969 so two of the three towers are from the 60's which is the era Mr. Weiss was suggesting, not the 50's." Okay, so I missed the decade by a month. I think it could still be argued that the buildings don't really lend themselves to 50's or 60's modernity in the sense that say, the LAX Theme Building does or the Space Needle. Those building are iconic examples of that era. The Disneyland Hotel architecture is just way too generic to be of any importance.
Originally Posted By Ursula Well, I just cancelled some ressies I had at the DLH and changed to the PPH. With my luck, I'd end up in the new refurbished rooms (by the time of my stay) and be miserable. And I like the PPH.
