Overheard some resort employees talking about the Pirates Resort?

[dbm20th]

The idea that's supposed to be floating about is to overlay a "pirates" theme onto the Caribbean Beach Resort. It's the oldest of the Moderates and is due for a major refurbishment soon anyway. Disney has also learned a lot since its construction and there are some operational issues they'd like to fix as well (like moving registration closer to the actual rooms).

What actually happens depends on the budget approved. It could be as simple as changing cast costumes and the bedcovers, or it could include some work on the exterior of the guest buildings themselves.

That would certainly make the idea of an employee "transferring" there by 2008 more feasible then building a new one. Wouldn't they have to give a rather large notice for this if the place couldn't except reservations for a certain timeframe?

 

[AKLforever]

You know, I was thinking about this today at work. What if the "pirate resort" has been planned for a while now, like just after the 1st movie? AND , what if they are done or almost done? I know what your thinking, how can they be done or almost done if theres nothing new popping up, or any new contruction going on, right? Well, maybe they are making HUGE pirate ships that you stay on, as the resort? Maybe a few pirate ships, and maybe a few british navy ships? And you get on board and everytings on them? Hmmm, maybe?

 

[Oofies]

That would be a novel idea. I would stay there.

 

[DC7800]

Wouldn't they have to give a rather large notice for this if the place couldn't except reservations for a certain timeframe?

How much advance notice was actually given before Port Orleans (French Quarter) completely closed down a few years back? Doesn't seem like it was very many months ahead that people with confirmed reservations had to be moved elsewhere, but I could easily be mistaken.

At CBR, though, you could easily just close down certain sections at a time, which is routinely done for renovations anyway, especially considering how spread out the place is. Come to think of it, would Disney even necessairily have to redo the entire complex to create a "pirate resort"? Just refurbish Trindidad South, for instance, and declare the pirate hotel open for business.

 

[Another Voice]

Given the way the Resorts group is operating at the moment (as in notice the lack of holiday decorations this year), I doubt they would spend so much money on the overlay that it would require then shutting down portions of the resort. Changing names on signs, adding a few props to the public areas and piratey bedcovers and pictures on the walls is about all I'd expect.

If anything. Right now this is just an idea a lot of people are talking about.

 

[sPaRkLeSpAz]

=] ;; That would be pretty darn sweet if they made a pirates resort =]. I hope that they really are..

 

[YoHo]

I would like to point out that I came up with this idea like 2 years ago, I want my frickin royalties.

 

[DancingBear]

Just let one of the sections become completely rundown and overrun with drunks and call it Tortuga.

 

[EUROPACL]

Just let one of the sections become completely rundown and overrun with drunks and call it Tortuga.

I thought that was called EPCOT.

 

[MJMcBride]

Given the way the Resorts group is operating at the moment (as in notice the lack of holiday decorations this year),

That does suck canal water. Cheapskates

 

[sotoalf]

I'm not sure how on earth Disney could properly develop this theme without falling into the ridiculous. All the other resorts -- whether budget, moderate, or deluxe -- depend on existing models for their theme. Maybe Disney can offer a Wench's Hideaway to DVC members.

 

[YoHo]

I'm not sure how on earth Disney could properly develop this theme without falling into the ridiculous. All the other resorts -- whether budget, moderate, or deluxe -- depend on existing models for their theme. Maybe Disney can offer a Wench's Hideaway to DVC members.

I'm not sure what you mean by existing models.

For example, You'd be hard pressed to find anything in Africa that remotely resembled AKL.

 

[sotoalf]

but the AKL is plainly based on colonial-era hotels and safari lodges. With the exception of the themeless Contemporary, Swan, and Dolphin, the other Disney-owned properties depend on a historical tourist-catered model. There's no habitation you can base on pirates.

(Unless, of course, Disney was prepared to get lewd, which would be very nice...)

 

[EUROPACL]

I'm not sure how on earth Disney could properly develop this theme without falling into the ridiculous. .

 

[DC7800]

but the AKL is plainly based on colonial-era hotels and safari lodges. With the exception of the themeless Contemporary, Swan, and Dolphin, the other Disney-owned properties depend on a historical tourist-catered model. There's no habitation you can base on pirates.

(Unless, of course, Disney was prepared to get lewd, which would be very nice...)

Since when is Contemporary not a "theme"???

Some may not like the theme (I'll never understand why), and it can be argued the Contemporary Resort has not aged as gracefully as the same-age Polynesian, but that in no way diminishes the presence of a theme! Obviously, as has been noted many times, it is difficult to design a contemporary-themed hotel in circa 1970, as a futuristic backdrop to Tommorrowland, which still looks futuristic in 2007. The fact that almost nothing has been done to update the exterior of the resort in the intervening years doesn't exactly help (neither would an ugly tower in place of the north wing...but that's another story...).

Now, the All-Star Resorts (and, depicted above, Pop Century) are decorated hotels - they do not have a "theme". Pop is loosely based on history, granted, but where is the real-world "existing model" for a 50-foot fiberglass Mickey Phone and hotel balconies which proclaim "Do the Funcky Chicken"?

No need to worry about the ridiculous - Disney's already been there (see photo in above post).

 

[Golf4food]

A Pirate themed resort... hmmm...

Run down wooden buildings, maybe some stone work, very drafty, lots of bugs.

No plumbing or running water. No showers or tooth brushing, for Pete's sake - you're a pirate now.

All food cooked over open fire on wood stoves.

Food menu depends on whatever the cook could shoot while sneaking around behind AKL.

Gift shop would accept only valid currency - gold, precious stones, attractive young women...

Security? That's why ye be carrying a pistol and cutlass!

Busses can only be boarded by swinging on a rope and leaping onto the top of the bus as it passes by - they can't stop for fear of being looted.

Yep. That'll about do it.

Where do we sign up?

 

[Another Voice]

With the exception of the themeless Contemporary…the other Disney-owned properties depend on a historical tourist-catered model.

Disney fandom really should come with an introduction booklet to explain the basics.

One of the first concepts for the hotels at WDW was to build them inside the Magic Kingdom. This quickly became impractical, but the basic concept of matching the resort and park theme stuck. Then when the project picked up the ‘Disney World’ name, the theme for the resorts was extended so that resorts would also include an international theme.

The theme for each resort was set by how it would appear from inside the park. The Polynesian Village and Asian Resorts (to have built where the Grand Floridian is now) are the backdrops to Adventureland. The Persian Resort would have been seen from Fantasyland – as the towers of the palace from ‘1001 Arabian Nights’. The Venetian resort was considered “the old country” across the sea from turn-of-the-century Main Street. And the internationalist modern Contemporary is the background for Tomorrowland. When the hotel opened in 1971 it really was amazing – the largest A-frame structure in the world at the time and one of the few building with a massive atrium.

Just because everyone’s copied the design in the last thirty years doesn’t mean it wasn’t unique in its day. We can blame the current management for not keeping the resort up to standards.

In the Eisner Era, there were attempts to keep the overall theme going. The Grand Floridian is a stylistic match for Main Street. Most of the other resorts attempted to at least maintain the “World” theme – Caribbean Beach, Coronado, Dixie Landings – even if that theme quickly devolved to be just Eisner’s moldy world of the east coast snobbish elite (Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach, Sarasota, Key West).

The Swan and Dolphin broke all the themes because it was more important for Eisner to cuddle up to Big Name Architects than it was to build something that would fit at WDW. And the All Stars and Pop don’t have any theme because Disney is now too cheap and too lazy to bother with such matters. If putting a sombrero in a New Jeresy Taco Bell can be considered themeing, Disney figured a three story can of Play-Dough would work as well.

Somewhere, Walt sheds another tear.


And way back around the time when the Disney/MGM Studios was being built, there was a concept to build several resorts based around either specific movies (Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz) or around movie genres (westerns, musicals, horror)

 

[sotoalf]

Yeah, I thought I'd be able to get away with NOT mentioning the beloved All-Stars...

Since when is Contemporary not a "theme"???

Some may not like the theme (I'll never understand why), and it can be argued the Contemporary Resort has not aged as gracefully as the same-age Polynesian, but that in no way diminishes the presence of a theme...

I never suggested that the Contemporary – my favorite Disney hotel – has aged badly. And I know the history of WDW resort planning, e.g. building a resort adjacent to a themed MK land. But here's where things get sticky: Disney may have attended the resort to complement Tomorrowland, but the name means "of the present," so the resort always struck me, then and now, as an ultra modern hotel, possibly an indication of where hotel architecture was going (as its near-contemporaneous cousin, NYC's Marriott Marquis, proved).

 

[ravenscroft1999]

perhaps the "re-branding" of an existing resort (as in a Value); part of extensive Pop Century?

or on site of never built Eagle Pines resort?

maybe even near DL?

thanks for posting...very interesting....

What about the unfinished half of pop? it's just sitting there empty and unloved. This is something Lassetter as chief imagineer would have fun doing.(IMHO)

 

[jenseib]

That is really interesting info! I never knew that there were supposed to be themed "world" hotels. Where do you find this kind of info. Is there a book?

I msut say though, I love the decor of the Allstars and POP. I love the "Disney" theme to them. I think for people with kids they are looking for characters and fun looking stuff! I really don't have a desire to stay at the fancier properties, as it loks stuff and boring to me. Now I like those kind of rooms, but for a "disney " vactaion with my kids, staying on site, I liek the Mickey's, Donald's and Goofy's everywhere! If I came with just my DH for some time together, then the nicer places would be more suiting for me.

And with the AllStars/POP here now, peopl who could never stay onsite before, now can afford to.
I have never stayed on site, (will be this March) and I am no expert, but this is just my opinion on what "I" like. I also love the "ridiculous" look and to me a Pirate themed place would be so fun!