Club 33 expansion and resulting new exteriors

[DizMe]

UGH!!!! They're horrible! What have they done to NOS?? There was very little effort, from what I can see, to make the new exteriors blend in or even look nice. They are bland, boring, and out of place for the most part. They've taken away huge chunks of NOS for Club 33 and didn't even have the grace to keep the beauty of the late-1800s styled New Orleans decor and theming. I think it's a sad, sad waste when the vast majority of park goers will never set foot in the club, yet Disney has deemed them unworthy of consideration.

The pictures I saw were posted today on micechat.

 

[bellazachmom]

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

That makes me so sad. I was already upset they took the Court of Angels for it, but not make it look nice is just horrible.

 

[alvernon90]

I have a feeling the area will be shut down for construction again in a few years to add in the New Orleans theming. It is shocking to me that the company did not learn their lesson with DCA, but now they will be spending more to fix it than they would have if they had done it right in the first place.

 

[PinkBudgie]

That's too bad. It's the details that make Disneyland amazing. I haven't seen it yet. Are they fully finished with it all on the outside?

 

[keahgirl8]

That's too bad. It's the details that make Disneyland amazing. I haven't seen it yet. Are they fully finished with it all on the outside?

I'm not sure. They took all the tarps down, but we've seen them put walls back up, so who knows? I certainly hope they aren't done. It doesn't look done at all.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Just saw the pics mentioned. The biggest thing that stands out to me from the pictures is the lack of balconies where it looks like there should be some. Over the Cafe, for example. I hope they keep working on it.

 

[peterpanandwendy]

I just read the mice chat post, and my take is maybe a little bit different…

Now, as you read this keep in mind that I'm not an imagineer, and not a fortune teller… this is all just speculation

1) Disneyland HAS to change with the times and meet the demand of their guests. If they feel that they needed to really expand club 33 and make it more 'public' it is most likely because, after some hefty market research, they discovered that this is what people wanted.

2) Can you imagine if EVERYTHING in Disneyland was EXACTLY the same as it was on the first day of opening? Who would go back? Part of the excitement is that they are always doing something new and fresh. Expansion is good.

3) Die hards ALWAYS criticize Disneyland when they make changes or do something new… DCA was initially a disaster, I can give you that, but they did some major changes and now it is hailed as one of the best Disney Parks in the world… nice

4) I imagine that this new 'look' for the exterior is phase 1 of the reveal. They had to reveal something that would 'blend' in, instead of having the walls up full time, so they just revealed the basics. I can almost promise (again, I'm not a fortune teller… but I truly believe) that as time goes on they will put the same Disney attention to detail that we have come to expect.

I hope!

 

[KCmike]

While its not fully completed, I have to say that the off center window is pretty bad....I mean horrible. How do they fix that? One big hidden mickey has got to be on order, right?

 

[Nezumi Fan]

1) Disneyland HAS to change with the times and meet the demand of their guests. If they feel that they needed to really expand club 33 and make it more 'public' it is most likely because, after some hefty market research, they discovered that this is what people wanted.

You know, if this were something that would benefit everyone, or even just a lot of people, I'd be for it -- I love California Adventures, despite not "getting it" before I went there (you're in California -- what's the point? I had thought).

Club 33, though...I don't know what the status is of the wait list these days, but there have historically been people on it for YEARS. Annual dues run at least $10K, as I recall -- how likely is it that you'll get a chance to visit, unless you're very very wealthy?

I try to reign in my impulses toward being a class warrior (if I can afford to go to Disney, I can try not to get too self-righteous), but I had always thought one of the things about Disney was that the experience your "average" park goer gets is, more or less, the same experience a wealthy 1%'er gets. These days, with special VIP tours and now this Club 33 thing...it makes me mad.

 

[kylie71]

Did I read that the Balcony's are actually gone?? The one's that over look the Blue Bayou entrance and River's of America...

This one faces ROA... is it gone?

 

[wilkeliza]

You know, if this were something that would benefit everyone, or even just a lot of people, I'd be for it -- I love California Adventures, despite not "getting it" before I went there (you're in California -- what's the point? I had thought).

Club 33, though...I don't know what the status is of the wait list these days, but there have historically been people on it for YEARS. Annual dues run at least $10K, as I recall -- how likely is it that you'll get a chance to visit, unless you're very very wealthy?

I try to reign in my impulses toward being a class warrior (if I can afford to go to Disney, I can try not to get too self-righteous), but I had always thought one of the things about Disney was that the experience your "average" park goer gets is, more or less, the same experience a wealthy 1%'er gets. These days, with special VIP tours and now this Club 33 thing...it makes me mad.

The thing is from day 1 Disney was a class thing. Even when Walt gave the orphanages and such entry they weren't given booklets full of e-ticket rides.

I feel like people forget it use to be pay to play and that was after the entrance fee. If your family could only afford the $1 entry fee it didn't get you much outside of entry into the park. I think people tend to forget that these days.

 

[whoever]

The exterior is not complete (CANNOT POSSIBLY BE), but until the next down season, it will probably remain as unveiled. As far as the offset window... that's for interior alignment purposes. They'll class it up, just be patient. It was down for a long time, and they needed to get it back opened up for the paying (A LOT) guests who aren't getting their $ worth due to being unavailable. Have faith... I do.

 

[Malcon10t]

Did I read that the Balcony's are actually gone?? The one's that over look the Blue Bayou entrance and River's of America...

This one faces ROA... is it gone?

No, they are still there. Staffers were on the balcony's last week.

 

[peterpanandwendy]

I agree Whoever…

The mice chat blogger noted that the windows were:

1) too modern
2) not themed
3) too clear of glass
4) not centered

So to me that sounds like they are the short term construction windows, cheap ones put in place to help let light in to the interior so the builders could work until the custom (because you know, in true Disney fashion, they will be custom) windows were ready to be installed.

 

[DizMe]

I do hope you're right. I'm not liking much of what I see, and the giant entry doors that should be amazing are...off. They don't fit, either style-wise or in the opening in which they're installed. I hope they fix them, but I can't believe those weren't a very expensive addition so it seems unlikely to me that they will change them. They may change the archway around them, which would help I guess, but the Art Deco look doesn't go with anything in NOS, just with the new theming for Club 33.

 

[keahgirl8]

The exterior is not complete (CANNOT POSSIBLY BE), but until the next down season, it will probably remain as unveiled. As far as the offset window... that's for interior alignment purposes. They'll class it up, just be patient. It was down for a long time, and they needed to get it back opened up for the paying (A LOT) guests who aren't getting their $ worth due to being unavailable. Have faith... I do.

I'm trying to. Yikes. It is rough.

 

[whoever]

I do hope you're right. I'm not liking much of what I see, and the giant entry doors that should be amazing are...off. They don't fit, either style-wise or in the opening in which they're installed. I hope they fix them, but I can't believe those weren't a very expensive addition so it seems unlikely to me that they will change them. They may change the archway around them, which would help I guess, but the Art Deco look doesn't go with anything in NOS, just with the new theming for Club 33.

They are art nouveau, not deco.

 

[DizMe]

Here is the new Pirates exit. I think it looks pretty good. However, there are some details that are a little jarring to me. I don't completely like the window; I think it misses something on the period look. Ok, I can overlook that, but the detailing above the arch is ugly. I'm hoping that it's temporary and something better will be coming along.

The inside of the new Pirates exit is nice.

This is the new non-centered window over Cafe Orleans. I am trying to imagine what they're going to put in to distract from the lack of balance:

The two windows on the right are the new additions. I hope you guys are right in thinking they are temporary!

Here is a closeup of the detail, or lack thereof:

There are lots more pictures, but I just snipped a few to show what the debate is about. I don't mind change and think many of the changes that DLR has made have been wonderful. I do hope what we see of this particular project is not the end product, because it's seriously lacking in the things for which Disney is known.

 

[whoever]

The two windows on the right are the new additions. I hope you guys are right in thinking they are temporary!

.

THey had plantation shutters on those windows previously IIRC.