Confession # 24 : Changes- Like and Dislike

WDW has made / and is making / a lot of changes lately, some I've liked a lot, some not so much ...

   The new Fantasyland:

Tried 'Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid' - nicely themed, but unless you're six, just eh.

I do like the Le Fou Brew and am excited about the new '7 Dwarfs Mine Train' (although a CM friend said it was 'just okay').

Loved Toon Town Fair (now gone), totally dislike Storybook Circus.

Overall: not so hot.

    Then there's Hyperion Wharf  Disney Springs.

Looks like more shopping and dining, fewer things to do.
I wish that a few of the clubs would have been kept (Comedy Warehouse, Adventurer's Club, maybe one dance club). It would have given those of us over 18 something to do at night after the parks close.

The new multi-level parking garages will definitely ease the parking place shortage. And hopefully the traffic engineers will design everything perfectly.

Overall: I've felt that DTD need a face-lift for a while, so mostly YAY.

    The Polynesian Resort will return to its original name, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.
  "The sweeping renovation happening now also includes a new food and beverage experience opening for guests next year, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto — based on the popular themed lounge at the Disneyland Hotel in California." Disney parks Blog

  

 

 Photo: Orlando Attractions Magazine

From the look of the artist rendering of the new lobby, the waterfall and 'rainforest feel' will be gone.  Booooo.

Aaaand, a new DVC resort is being built over the lake, like a real South Seas resort, too cool.

Photo: Orlando Attractions Magazine

Overall: Mostly like.

Now this is what I'm truly excited over....

Coming over at the Animal Kingdom:

Pandora, The Land of Avatar    

This sounds most interesting!

New rides (on a Banshee!) and a nighttime show: Rivers of Light!

Photo: Disney Parks Blog

Pandora-the-land-of-Avatar-name

Avatar-land-Animal-Kingdom-Disney

Since Camp Minnie-Mickey is gone to make room for Pandora, The Festival of the Lion King has been relocated to a new theater in Africa (where it belongs!). It looks so much better than the former location, more in keeping with the African theme! 

Overall: Bring it ON!

WDW Resort 'Specialty' Rooms

WDW will offer something special to resort guests in the very near future.

At Port Orleans-Riverside,  over 500 Royal Guest Rooms will be available for guests starting in the spring of 2012.

These rooms will feature:

• Ornately decorated beds that include headboards with fiber optic special effects and gold and crystal accents
• Custom bed coverings and drapes that create a more luxurious “royal” experience
• Unique, in-room artwork featuring Tiana ("Princess and the Frog") and her royal visitors

Meanwhile at the Contemporary Resort, over 20 Health and Wellness Rooms on the 14th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort will be available starting in the fall of 2011 and will feature:

• environmentally-friendly design elements; Relaxing scents; A custom food and beverage menu for the concierge lounge and private dining; Cardio fitness equipment so guests may exercise in the comfort of their own suite and at their own pace; Customized spa, fitness and nutrition treatments either provided in-room or in the wellness studio, an exclusive offering on the 14th floor; Unique concierge lounge experiences; Traditional club level services, like advanced itinerary planning; Sweeping top-floor views of Magic Kingdom Park and Bay Lake

Guests may begin booking these offerings mid-summer.

And don't bother looking on mousesavers for discounts on these rooms.

Royal Room

There was no mention of the 'Haunted Mansion' -themed rooms.

Opening and Closing @ WDW

Opening:

WDW has released more details about the new Art of Animation resort:

Located adjacent to the Pop Century Resort (the site was originally supposed to be Phase II of Pop), the Art of Animation Resort will be a Value Resort and will feature 864 themed rooms in 'The Little Mermaid' wings and 1,120 family suites in 'The Lion King',' Cars' and 'Finding Nemo' wings.

The 1st phase - the 'Finding Nemo' suites- will open May 2012, and the last phase by the end of 2012 (the 2012 apocalypse notwithstanding)  will be 'The Little Mermaid'-themed rooms.

 Concept Art: Walt Disney Company

Closing:

Toontown Fair at the Magic Kingdom will close forever in February 2011. After the 11th, the Barnstormer will be the only thing left standing (and that will be re-themed).


Now, I swear that I heard a local newsperson report that Mickey's and Minnie's houses will be re-located ( to DHS ??)  and I have to say that I hope this is TRUE because Minnie's House
is one of my most favorite things in the MK.

Does anyone have verification of this?

Haunted Mansion Resort Rooms ??

Whoa. How Cool would this be?

Story here: 

Would you  stay in a Haunted Mansion Room

Bear Face Rooms

Ever hear about the 'bear face' rooms at Disney's Wilderness Lodge?

These are certain rooms in the U-shaped courtyard area facing Bay Lake.

Do you see the Bear's Face?

How About now:

 

Here's a little help:

Thanks to Eileen

at 

PassporterBoards

Pop Goes the Pop Century Legendary Years

WDW's Pop Century Resort has been half-built since 2003.

Phase I, The Classic Years, opened in December, 2003, but the unfinished buildings of Phase II, The Legendary Years, which can be seen across the lake, have been moldering away for years.

Until now.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts unveiled plans May 12 for Disney's Art of Animation Resort featuring quality family suites designed around four themes: The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Cars and The Little Mermaid ... and will be "located adjacent to Disney's Pop Century Resort".


It's a pretty good guess that the Legendary Years will become ....

Disney's Art of Animation Resort, the 26th resort at Walt Disney World Resort ... one-of-a-kind, with themed building exteriors and room interiors, and larger-than-life icons from the animated films in the courtyard areas. 

Er. It's not exactly one-of-a-kind. Hello? Pop Century. The All-Stars.
Still, it will be a good thing to finally complete those buildings.

All of the themed suites and rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort are expected to open by the end of 2012.

 

The NEW Tree House Villas

If you've ever taken the water taxi from Downtown Disney to Port Orleans, you've passed the Tree House Villas.


Well, the original, older ones (like above) have been torn down. They had been heavily damaged during the hurricanes of 2004.

The ones you see now are newly constructed ( FAQ ).

Today was the 1st time I had seen them in person (from the Sassagoula River).

They look remarkably like the older ones but have obviously new bases, which lessen their 'environmental footprint'.

I am so glad that Disney didn't just let these unique habitations just moulder away.

It almost (but not quite) makes up for the Bay Lake Monster.

The Great Indoors

The following is from an on-line Disney discussion site in response to a question regarding Disney's Wilderness Lodge:

We have never stayed at WL, but we love to visit. The lobby is the best of any Disney Resort at WDW. The theming of course is of Wilderness and the resort is made to look like it is of Wood, though I suspect it is not.

This just tickles me.
The author is correct though; the Wilderness Lodge does have the best lobby of all the Disney resorts. And it's even better at Xmas.

The Lodge theming is that of an early-1900s Northwest National Park lodge, and is patterned after the one in Yellowstone NP.

The fireplace in the lobby is a recreation of the 2-billion year-old strata of the Grand Canyon with over 100 colors in hues of green, magenta, buff, red, black and brown, as well as fossilized remains of prehistoric plant and animal life.

There is also a HM in the fireplace!

H/T: WDW Info

And no, the lodge is not made of wood. It is constructed of molded, colored and hand-painted concrete.

The huge stone blocks which appear to form the lodge's foundation are also concrete, as are the 'stone' steps.

These rocks, and the ones that surround the geyser, are hand painted to look natural, right down to the lichens, mold and algae stains (some are now the real thing).

H/T: Eric & Jennifer

Disney's Wilderness Lodge: Official site
Trip Advisor: Reviews

The Bay Lake Monster

The Bay Lake Monster is one of Disney's latest creations.
It's officially known as the Bay Lake Tower and is the newest DVC resort.

By itself it probably would have been very striking.

But.

Disney is building it right next to the Contemporary Resort.

Photo: Disney/artist concept

There had been a rumor that the new DVC resort would be built to resemble the Contemporary, only slightly smaller. Now that would have worked very well, IMHO.

Building the very large, and architecturally different, Bay Lake Tower so close to the Contemporary Tower, makes for an overall unpleasant visual. It diminishes both, especially the Contemporary.

A Disney icon is lost to 'progress'.