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View Full Version : Disneyland Hotel Renovations FINALLY Announced



TimK
06-16-2009, 07:15 PM
No DVC relevance (unless there's more to the story than they are letting on) but it appears the Disneyland Hotel is finally getting that rehab that's been on the tables for like 2 years now...


Landmark Disneyland Hotel to Undergo Significant Renovation


Historic hotel to feature considerable changes to guest rooms, exterior

ANAHEIM, CALIF. June 16, 2009 – Beginning in August 2009, Southern California’s landmark Disneyland Hotel will start a significant renovation project that will include major improvements to its guest rooms and considerable changes to the exterior of the hotel. The hotel will remain open during the renovation, which will be conducted in phases, and is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

“We are excited to embark on the largest and most extensive renovation of one of Disney’s classic hotels,” said Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier. “This renovation provides us with the opportunity to bring new magic to this historic hotel, which enables us to enhance the Disney experience that our guests have come to expect. “It also reinforces our ongoing commitment and investment in the Anaheim Resort District – working with the city and area businesses to continue to evolve the District into a world-class, multiday tourist destination,” added Grier.

Significant Guest Room Upgrades, New Room Amenities and Exterior Enhancements
Disneyland Hotel’s renovated guest rooms will feature an all-new contemporary look with exquisite Disney touches woven into the décor. A stunning new headboard that features an artistically carved representation of Disneyland Park’s famous Sleeping Beauty Castle will serve as the focal point in each guest room. The background on the headboard uses fiber optics to create a magical skyline with fireworks – bringing the immersive park experience into the room. Rooms also will feature black and white art that will take guests back in time, reinforcing the nostalgia and history of Walt’s first theme park.

When completed, guest rooms will boast new flat screen TVs, mini-refrigerators, coffeemakers, safes capable of holding laptop computers and new state-of-the-art telephone, cable and wireless Internet connections. Upgrades to plumbing, electrical and heating and air conditioning systems also are included in the project.

Disneyland Resort’s original hotel, built in 1955, also will experience a noteworthy change to its exterior. All of the three towers will feature an updated look, with large windows that will give the outside a sleek, radiant blue tint. The windows will replace the current sliding doors and faux balcony railings and are specially designed to be energy efficient and to extensively filter outside noise.

“The new design for the hotel’s exterior will enhance the existing towers and compliment the Resort as a whole. The windows will feature a sky blue reflective glass that channels the feel of our bright California sky,” said Mike Montague, director of resort development for Walt Disney Imagineering.

The Disneyland Hotel is composed of three main structures – the Magic, Wonder and Dreams towers. Construction will take place in one vertical half of a tower at a time – leaving the rest of the tower open for guests. The Dreams tower will be the first to be renovated and is scheduled to be completed in June 2010.

Popular Choice for Convention Visitors
In addition to being a top choice for vacationing families, the Disneyland Hotel has long been a favorite for meeting and convention planners because of its prime location and size – and direct access to more than 136,000 square feet of convention space. Anaheim hosts hundreds of groups each year and the renovation will help maintain the city’s premiere position as a meeting destination.

“We are thrilled with Disney’s plans to renovate the Disneyland Hotel,” said Charles W. Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau. “With the renovation of the hotel and the expansion of Disney’s Grand Californian, coupled with other new hotel developments that are coming to Anaheim over the next few years, our city will continue to be a premier destination for convention and meeting planners.”

Energy Efficient Enhancements
As with other construction and enhancements that are underway throughout the Disneyland Resort, the renovation will include energy efficient upgrades. The most notable feature will be the hotel’s new windows. With their reflective capabilities and double-pane glass, the windows will change the look of the exterior of the hotel dramatically, while reducing energy consumption by keeping guest rooms at the desired temperature.

The use of occupancy sensors in guest rooms, low-flow toilets, energy efficient light bulbs and paint low in volatile organic compounds are just a few more of the ways that the hotel will offer guests a “green” lodging experience.

Renovation is Part of Larger Resort Expansion
The Disneyland Hotel renovation is a part of a larger expansion project underway throughout the Resort. Disney’s California Adventure Park is undergoing a multiyear expansion project that includes new experiences, attractions and night-time spectaculars, culminating in 2012 with the opening a brand new land – Cars Land. The four-star Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is also undergoing an expansion, adding 200 hotel rooms and 50 two-bedroom villas that are part of the Disney Vacation Club, which will make its first West Coast debut when it opens in the fall of 2009.

doombuggy
06-18-2009, 10:50 AM
This sounds great!

AFMom
06-18-2009, 02:25 PM
About time! It looks so dated.....
I do wonder if hidden in these renovations are a few DVC villas????

newjerseynick
06-18-2009, 02:55 PM
"Disneyland Resort’s original hotel, built in 1955, also will experience a noteworthy change to its exterior. All of the three towers will feature an updated look, with large windows that will give the outside a sleek, radiant blue tint. The windows will replace the current sliding doors and faux balcony railings and are specially designed to be energy efficient and to extensively filter outside noise.

“The new design for the hotel’s exterior will enhance the existing towers and compliment the Resort as a whole. The windows will feature a sky blue reflective glass that channels the feel of our bright California sky,” said Mike Montague, director of resort development for Walt Disney Imagineering."

I wonder if the windows will open. We really enjoyed the sliding glass doors. We had a Downtown Disney view, and with the door open, it felt like we were part of the action just relaxing in the room.

Nick

worldfanatic
06-20-2009, 05:00 PM
Sounds like the windows can't be opened. Too bad. But this is going to look beautiful from the outside. Was there two weeks ago and to stand below the demos and try to picture the whole building with that blue look is great. Gonna make a big difference from the current out of date look.

meanmachine19
07-26-2009, 11:20 PM
I just spent a week in DLH / Dreams Tower. I wanted the Downtown Disney view in order to see the fireworks. Having the balcony open was nice, but a lot of noise from Downtown Disney (live music) was something I needed to get used to.

As for the safes.....

The safe we had was small, in a dark part of the closet. Even with the hall light on, it didn't help.

As a result, I didn't check the safe carefully enough and left behind my gold Claddaugh ring :( . I didn't wear it as much since I went swimming a lot...

I called the day after getting home (when I discovered it wasn't with me). Long story short....it was recovered from the following guest and sent back ! :)

I still prefer the GC over DLH but we had to try it. Now the VGC will be open soon, (which we toured the model - nice....) that will be a future destination!

Colorado Belle
08-02-2009, 09:30 AM
glad you got your ring back...I have so much trouble with safes that I can't bear to use them anymore. (I lose locks, leave things behind etc.) Once at Disney we opened the safe and the previous tenant had left a LOT of cash in there....I'm sure it got back to them fine; we called the front deska nd it was handled immediately.

arent the DVC units cool? Can't wait to stay there tho I really want to splurge on a 1 bd.

DiZ NeE 08
08-02-2009, 01:52 PM
I hope that we can stay there in the future!!! we could possibly go there next year!!!

mwehttam
09-02-2009, 09:38 AM
Very exciting. Amy and I are staying in this hotel in few weeks for our 5th Anniversary. I will already be in Anaheim for a trade show and she is flying out for long weekend. Can't wait to see what they have done.

jamisles02
03-05-2010, 01:36 PM
About time! It looks so dated.....
I do wonder if hidden in these renovations are a few DVC villas????
I don't know which hotel I want DVC in first? Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Floridian. One question I have is are they keeping the same tv cabinet they had before (a print of the concept for Disneyland that Walt submitted to get the loan for the park), that was easily one of my favorite features in the room.

dizfan
05-27-2010, 10:23 AM
More announcements made today regarding the pool area...a new waterslide that looks like monorails, new restaurants. The bad news is that the Koi pond and waterfalls will be removed.

Press Release Source: Disneyland Resort On Thursday May 27, 2010, 11:00 am EDT ANAHEIM, Calif., May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Disneyland Resort today announced substantial upgrades to the pool and courtyard areas of the Disneyland Hotel, continuing the landmark property's current renovation project. Changes will include building a new pool and water play area, renovating an existing pool, opening a new restaurant and bar, and re-theming of the hotel's three guest room towers.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100527/LA11750)

Changes will restore and highlight the original midcentury style of the classic hotel. The hotel's original two-story bungalows were built in 1955, just months after Walt Disney's first theme park opened its gates; the first tower was erected in 1962. The work will considerably open up the courtyard and pool area, allowing guests a clear line of vision and easy access across the property.

"Disney is all about storytelling, and these changes will weave a cohesive thread throughout the property and infuse the historic hotel with Disneyland nostalgia," said Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president and senior creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering.

New Immersive Pool Experience
The most noticeable changes will be to the pool area, where guests of all ages will enjoy a new, immersive water play area. With a nod to the iconic original park signage, "Disneyland" will be spelled out in familiar blocks atop a platform supporting two thrilling water slides. Reminiscent of the original Monorail station at the Disneyland Hotel, at each slide's entrance will sit a replica Monorail Car that guests will glide through as they twist and turn their way to the water below. The larger of the two main slides sits 26 feet high and stretches 187 feet until it plunges into a splash pool. The second slide is 13 feet high and 112 feet long. For younger guests, the area will include a third two-lane mini slide that sits just 3 1/2 feet high and is 19 feet long, as well as a series of small bubble jets in which to play.
The existing 4,800-sq.-ft. Never Land pool will receive a complete cosmetic makeover but retain its unique footprint. A new 4-foot-deep pool will be built between the existing Never Land pool and the new water play area. A footbridge will stretch over the new pool, connecting both sides of the courtyard area and allowing guests easy access across the property without having to enter the sprawling gated pool area. The space also will include two spas at opposite ends of the pool area. The site of the current Cove pool will become a beautifully manicured lawn area, perfect for outdoor events. In addition, six new cabanas will be added; each features a flat screen TV, refrigerator, safe, phone, and ceiling fan.

New Iconic Dining Locations
New dining and lounge experiences will be introduced in the current location of Hook's Pointe, Croc's Bits 'n' Bites, the Wine Cellar and Lost Bar. A new "smart casual" dining area will take its architectural cue from the original Tahitian Terrace restaurant in Disneyland Park and the Polynesian architecture that was popularized during the early era of the hotel. A new, fully enclosed bar will feature specialty drinks and surprises for guests.
Construction for the new water play area, pool, and food and beverage locations is scheduled to begin in August 2010 and be completed by summer 2011. The remodeled existing pool is slated for completion by summer 2012.

Re-theming of Guest Towers
Changes also include renaming of the hotel's three guest room towers for Disneyland's distinctive lands. The Dreams Tower, currently under renovation and scheduled to be completed in June 2010, will become the Adventure Tower. The Wonder Tower, next to undergo transformation and slated for completion in 2011, will be the Frontier Tower. Finally, the Magic Tower, which will be finished in 2012, will transform to the Fantasy Tower. Large marquees featuring classic artwork for Adventureland, Frontierland and Fantasyland will identify each tower.

Guest Tower Renovation Completed in 2012
The Disneyland Hotel renovation began in August 2009. The beautifully remodeled guest rooms feature exquisite Disney touches woven into the decor. A stunning new headboard with an artistically carved representation of Disneyland Park's famous Sleeping Beauty Castle serves as the focal point in each guest room. The background on the headboard uses fiber optics to create a magical skyline with fireworks – bringing the immersive park experience into the room.

The work at the Disneyland Hotel is a part of a larger expansion project underway throughout the Resort. Disney's California Adventure Park is undergoing a multiyear expansion project that includes new experiences, attractions and nighttime spectaculars, culminating in 2012 with the opening of Cars Land. The four-diamond Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa also underwent an expansion last year that added 203 hotel rooms and 50 two-bedroom villas that are part of the Disney Vacation Club, marking the club's West Coast debut.

DisneyGeek
05-27-2010, 11:37 AM
Sounds really cool- I particularly LOVE those monorail slides! :thumbsup2: ALMOST enough to make me think about staying there if they add a DVC component... But I don't know if I could peel myself away from VGC's location. :idea: I've got it- we just need DL to add pool hopping for DVC members! ;)

worldfanatic
05-28-2010, 04:17 PM
The pool and slides will be great.
And I'm really looking forward to the new lounge.
The current "Lost Bar", while having a totally cool name, is basically unthemed.
I've read that the new enclosed lounge will have a "Jungle Cruise type of theme", which sounds awesome!:biggulp::biggulp: