You know, if they'd incorporated it more into the DLH scheme, I wouldn't mind. The original DLH hotel was a lot of fun and had a whole batch of shops, restaurants, a little convenience store and even a nightclub. It also had multiple pools, a paddle-boat lagoon, a Japanese garden, and some low-rise bungalow rooms that had white wood beamed ceilings. I wouldn't expect them to recreate all of that as what they're really after is rooms, but I wish they'd gone low-rise in the middle areas and high-rise on the sides, with a lush garden feel. As I said, I think a Polynesian theme would have been super cool and could have been transitioned into DLH while still providing the 'new' 4-star hotel. They could have put in a bigger Tiki Bar (I think TS's would still have plenty of business). Anyway, this is all moot anyway unless the Disney people are reading my profundity, smacking their desks and yelling "YEAH!!!!".
I haven't followed this super closely so I might be over-simplifying here. My understanding is that they were originally going to build the hotel over a parking lot back there, and additionally they were going to build a new parking structure and pedestrian overpass on Harbor. But the city and/or the local businesses blocked approval for the parking structure on the Harbor side, so now Disney has to put the parking structure where they previously planned to build the hotel. I really liked the old plan a lot more.
Curious to know this too as we will be staying at PPH this summer at the beginning of August!
Yes, I am dissing Disney's theming because to me, it is actually a lack thereof. All we have to go by at this time is the concept art, and typically that is the best presentation before the bean counters get involved and things start getting slashed. So yes, I'm disappointed in the theme which is pretty much the ugly box passed off as post-modern or some such. It's pretty much a takeoff, from what I've heard, of WDW's Contemporary hotel. If you want post-modern, there is already the Disneyland Hotel. The reason for the suggestion of Polynesian is because this is a rush job and supposedly they are using something they already have due to lack of time to draw up new plans. I would much prefer a tropical flair, which is quite prevalent in SoCal, besides being a pretty big theme within DL itself. It ties in well with the origins of the park and is a favorite. It would be completely different from the other DLR hotel options.
I am wonder how bad the walk is going to be. I guess I will need Trader Sam's more than I thought. I wonder when the monorail will shut down, since it will service the new hotel. Wondering if we should try to switch to GCH.
I wonder how hotel guests move between buildings? Will they have some sort of skybridge or underground passage, or will you have to cross the public walk space to get from one side to another?
