CR North Wing Demolition Begins!

[crazy4wdw]

Take a look at these pics on allears: http://allearsnet.com/news/rehabs_pix.htm

Looks like the North Wing is finally biting the dust! I guess the mystery is finally solved that DVC is coming to the Contemporary.

 

[DC7800]

It's a shame we have to lose a piece of Disney history - one of the original WDW resorts - in the name of progress. Oh, I know it's hardly the most historic or important building on property (and only a portion of the resort), but it still seems a waste. Not to mention an ugly tower clashing thematically with the rest of the resort - nor will I mention the sight-lines of a 16 story tower visible from the Magic Kingdom.

If only Walt Disney had posessed the foresight to buy enough land "to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine", then we wouldn't have to lose a perfectly good resort hotel to make room for more DVC developments.

 

[MomofKatie]

Disney has lots of land left to develop- they chose to demolish an existing building. I don't think of it as such a terrible thing. Walt Disney envisioned the Disney parks as always evolving and changing. After seeing how run down the North wing had become, I think it will inject some much needed life into an aging resort.

 

[Another Voice]

After seeing how run down the North wing had become, I think it will inject some much needed life into an aging resort.

Yes, the idea of "maintenance" has been lost on Disney for the last ten years.

 

[Pete W.]

I don't think there's anything wrong with a 16-story building being visibile from the Magic Kingdom. The original CR is visible and it's always been an exciting part of the landscape. As far as a clash of themes, I'm wondering if the new tower will necessitate a makeover of the existing structure. This would take care of the 'clashing theme' concern and also provide a long overdue refresh of the CR which, while still interesting-looking, is not quite the "contemporary" structure it may have appeared to be in 1971.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Why does everyone assume the 16 story tower will clash with the existing tower? It seems like a much more natural addition than the north and south buildings. I just hope it wont be visible from Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Another Voice]

Becasue we saw the rendering that was posted from the design firm.

 

[MommyPoppins]

If only Walt Disney had posessed the foresight to buy enough land "to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine", then we wouldn't have to lose a perfectly good resort hotel to make room for more DVC developments.

Too bad he didn't leave detailed instructions on how people in the future were to continue furthering HIS dream.

 

[MommyPoppins]

Saratoga Springs isn't even finished yet and they've got Pop Century sitting like a ghost town! If they turn the unfinished portion of Pop Century into family suites that would be better for us large familys than ANOTHER DVC resort that we can't stay at. I mean really. We'd need a bazillion points to stay in a DVC resort with our size family.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Becasue we saw the rendering that was posted from the design firm.

It wasn't much of a rendering...and for me it didn't clash. Just a curved shape next to a rectangular shape.

 

[raidermatt]

It wasn't much of a rendering...and for me it didn't clash. Just a curved shape next to a rectangular shape.

I don't know... to me a pink neon "CONTEMORARY DISNEY VACATION CLUB" sign on top is going to break up the theme a bit.

I don't think there's anything wrong with a 16-story building being visibile from the Magic Kingdom.

I'm sure you'd agree that's dependent on certain variables, like where its visible from, what exactly is visible, etc?

I'm not willing to say its definitely a problem, but from the rendering, I do think there's some clashing going on. Also, given what they did with the S/D and Epcot's sight lines, I'm definitely concerned about exactly how this will work.

As for whether the existing structure will receive some kind of makeover to help the two structures blend better, I'll just say that I would be VERY surprised if they made that kind of investment in something like that.

 

[2Xited4Disney]

Too bad he didn't leave detailed instructions on how people in the future were to continue furthering HIS dream.

He did... E.P.C.O.T.... So they didn't follow his plans from the very beginning.

Also if you look at the ORGINAL plans for WDW shown on the Disneyland television show an Airport is CLEARLY visible where Animal Kingdom is.

 

[Keyser]

It's a shame we have to lose a piece of Disney history - one of the original WDW resorts - in the name of progress. Oh, I know it's hardly the most historic or important building on property (and only a portion of the resort), but it still seems a waste.

I can see complaining about whatever they construct next (though I'll personally take a wait and see approach), but I'm surprised that anyone really cares about losing either of the wings. Those wings of the Contemporary seemed to me to be some of the most unimaginative "blah" things constructed on the entire WDW property. I never saw inside of one, so maybe I'm missing something, but I can't see any reason to miss them, unless it's pure personal nostalgia. To me, they appear to have been constructed as a cheap way to sell more rooms "in" the Contemporary resort.

 

[raidermatt]

He did... E.P.C.O.T.... So they didn't follow his plans from the very beginning.

Also if you look at the ORGINAL plans for WDW shown on the Disneyland television show an Airport is CLEARLY visible where Animal Kingdom is.

At least they tried to follow the spirit of his plan (within their perceived limitations) in the very beginning. That could have continued, but did not.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I can see complaining about whatever they construct next (though I'll personally take a wait and see approach), but I'm surprised that anyone really cares about losing either of the wings. Those wings of the Contemporary seemed to me to be some of the most unimaginative "blah" things constructed on the entire WDW property. I never saw inside of one, so maybe I'm missing something, but I can't see any reason to miss them, unless it's pure personal nostalgia. To me, they appear to have been constructed as a cheap way to sell more rooms "in" the Contemporary resort.

Gotta agree with that... low brow "motel" architecture at its worst I won't miss them.

 

[DC7800]

... low brow "motel" architecture at its worst...

Have you never seen Pop Century?

 

[DC7800]

I can see complaining about whatever they construct next (though I'll personally take a wait and see approach), but I'm surprised that anyone really cares about losing either of the wings. Those wings of the Contemporary seemed to me to be some of the most unimaginative "blah" things constructed on the entire WDW property. I never saw inside of one, so maybe I'm missing something, but I can't see any reason to miss them, unless it's pure personal nostalgia. To me, they appear to have been constructed as a cheap way to sell more rooms "in" the Contemporary resort.

The wings are (were...) as much a part of the resort as the tower; The contemporary theme didn't end at the corners of the main building. Loss of the north wing potentially undermines the theme (story) of the entire resort, especially considering the awkwardly placed, ugly, poorly concieved DVC tower going up in its place. Again, these wings aren't the most historic building on property. But what would you think if Disney decided to tear down Cinderella's castle? Seems silly I know, but there were real proposals to gut Spaceship Earth, so there is some precedent. Obviously the castle occupies a different status than the north CR wing, but the point is where do we draw the line?

Consider if this same exact DVC design were instead built in the place of the Wedding Pavilion over at the Grand Floridian. It would clash with both the GF and the nearby Polynesian, and detract from both, just as it does with the Contemporary - only the difference is rather more obvious.

There were better locations, on and off the monorail and certainly far, far better designs than what we're getting in place of the CR north garden wings.

some of the most unimaginative "blah" things constructed on the entire WDW property.

This sounds to me like a good description for the plans we've all seen for the DVC Contemporary addition! How does that design complement the (contemporary) theme of the Contemporary Resort?


It doesn't.

 

[G8RFAN]

The problem I see with clutching on to nostalgia is that evenually the nostalgic pass on leaving the next generations to ask why the heck is this ugly old thing still up? Architecture, like any art form is very subjective. Noone can make you like something. All I know is that general sentiment on the wings were not glowing. I've enjoyed the fun rooms designs but hated the hollow floors and hallways, the lack of balconies on upper floors, and tiny elevators. I also hated the ugly roofline so visible from the monorail. I am going to give the mid rise DVC concept a greater than fighting chance not because we are DVC members, but because after staying in the tower, I never wanted to go back to the wings. The CR needs a refresher, as all the brown anodized aluminum needs to be replaced with hopefully brushed stainless steel and modern glass. At that point, I really think it will pair very well with the cylindrical midrise since they share similar horizontal lines.

 

[annie1995]

Have you never seen Pop Century?

Whats wrong with POP century?

 

[EUROPACL]

Whats wrong with POP century?

Look at me I can design motels for Disney too....