As Disney works to bring in more IPs and more theming into their Parks, their hotels are going in the opposite direction.
In late February, Disneyland announced a brand new hotel that would be coming to their property later this year, The Villas at Disneyland. The unveiling of the new hotel was met with much backlash, due to its lack of any prominent theming, distinct style, or color. Many people made comparisons to chain hotels, stating that it looked like a Marriott with Disney posters thrown up in the rooms.
Disneyland currently only has two hotels, so the lack of anything distinctly “Disney” on their new one was disappointing to several people. Now it seems as though Walt Disney World is following suit with some hotel remodeling of their own. In a post shared to Twitter, @SirBrayden posted a before and after side-by-side of the lobby of Disney’s Coronado Springs with the caption, “disney nuked the coronado lobby sheeeesh”
disney nuked the coronado lobby sheeeesh pic.twitter.com/0kIbz4ZUze
— Brayden (@SirBrayden) March 18, 2023
The lobby before remodeling had a counter with detailed tiles, textured columns, and a painted mural on the wall. The new lobby seems to have removed the reception desk and replaced it with a table for Guests, painted the wall white, and removed the texturing on the columns. Responses to the photos are negative, with @21royalstreet even stating, “It’s insane that they’re spending so much money to de-theme their properties.”
However, one comment from @thebarbiebound theorizes that as Disney has noticeably cut spending for housekeeping and staff over the last several years, it’s possible that the move to minimize decoration is an effort to lessen maintenance and upkeep. In a response @JackWelliot states that the lobby was actually moved to the new Gran Destino Towers, and what’s in the space now is just a replacement for the space.
While true, Walt Disney World is known for its over-the-top theming, especially in its resorts. Taking themed elements away from existing hotels, either for new additions or otherwise, only to replace them with bland and minimalist details pulls Guests out of the Disney magic. As Disney slowly decreases their theming, they’re slowly decreasing the amount that Guests are willing to stay on-property. As @jaykane904 asks, “Like, if you look and feel like every other hotel off property, why pay the money to stay?”
As Disney undergoes several changes in leadership, it will be interesting to see if they continue the trend of minimizing their properties or if they will dig into their distinctly Disney charm and design.
Have you noticed this trend with Disney? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic below!
Please note that the opinions shared in this article are not necessarily representative of Inside the Magic.