So it's done - DLH Tower Names Changed

[Melanears]

I just saw some pics with the new tower name changes in place.

The Marina Tower is now the Wonder, the Sierra Tower is now Dreams and Bonita is now the Magic.

Who else is ready for a cruise?

[tinkwest]

Booooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

[NotaGeek]

Anchors Aweigh! That is really weird, but I guess for the bank that they are putting into the west coast Disney cruise it's a business decision.

Long live the Bonita Tower!

[Carol]

[ChipnDaleGal]

We can just refuse to conform and call them what we want!!

[ChipDale]

Originally Posted by PolyGirl40

I'll triple that:



I'd like to take the feather-brained idiot who thought this up out back into the woodshed. They just keep getting dumber and dumber.

[Lucille]

Originally Posted by ChipDale

I'd like to take the feather-brained idiot who thought this up out back into the woodshed. They just keep getting dumber and dumber.

Any chance its the same guy that changed the name of Granville's?

[kdkhopper]

This is just plain wrong! I read a book a few months back about the history of the Disneyland Hotel and the names chosen were very significant to the hotel and what was going on when each tower was built. I understand the connection of the new names and Disney but not to the hotel. I agree that it sounds like they're trying to market the cruise line!

[B_W_Mickey]

Now that they have washed any mention of the Granville Family from the hotel now they just have to wait a year or so to announce the demolition of the hotel.

I feel like the removal of these references is preparing us not to feel nostagia when the resort is rebuilt.

[NotaGeek]

Originally Posted by B_W_Mickey

Now that they have washed any mention of the Granville Family from the hotel now they just have to wait a year or so to announce the demolition of the hotel.

I feel like the removal of these references is preparing us not to feel nostagia when the resort is rebuilt.

Interesting. I had the SAME discussion word for word this morning with a friend of mine.

[Carol]

I just read a snippet on the media site and it says;

In addition to the towers, the names of the ballrooms, pavilion and lawn are receiving new names as well.

[WDWizard]

I'm surprised that people are complaining about the name change. Changing the name to the Magic, Wonder, and Dreams tower from Bonita, Sierra, and Marina just makes the hotel more "Disney." Bonita, Sierra, and Marina does not represent Disney, the new names do.

Just look at all the "Disneyland Hotels" around the world in Hong Kong, Paris, and Tokyo. They represent pure fantasy and Disney magic.

The original Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim is a Disneyland icon, and I can understand the concern, but this is really just a small step in a major renovation process for the hotel to make it live to the Disneyland name and really represent what Disneyland is all about. Compared to all the other beautiful and grand Disneyland Hotels, the Anaheim hotel is probably least impressive.

The name change has nothing to do with any business decision or promotion for the cruise line. The hotel is owned by Disney now, not Wrather, and the decision to change the names of the towers were made to make the hotels more Disney and less Wrather.

The name change is just the beginning; the rumored (but soon to be confirmed) plans include a complete renovation of the hotel. They plan on renovating one building at a time; completely gutting it and making it live up to the Disneyland name. Once completed, the Disneyland Hotel will be significantly better than the Disneyland Hotel you see today.

[NotaGeek]

Originally Posted by WDWizard

I'm surprised that people are complaining about the name change. Changing the name to the Magic, Wonder, and Dreams tower from Bonita, Sierra, and Marina just makes the hotel more "Disney." Bonita, Sierra, and Marina does not represent Disney, the new names do.

Just look at all the "Disneyland Hotels" around the world in Hong Kong, Paris, and Tokyo. They represent pure fantasy and Disney magic.

The original Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim is a Disneyland icon, and I can understand the concern, but this is really just a small step in a major renovation process for the hotel to make it live to the Disneyland name and really represent what Disneyland is all about. Compared to all the other beautiful and grand Disneyland Hotels, the Anaheim hotel is probably least impressive.

The name change has nothing to do with any business decision or promotion for the cruise line. The hotel is owned by Disney now, not Wrather, and the decision to change the names of the towers were made to make the hotels more Disney and less Wrather.

The name change is just the beginning; the rumored (but soon to be confirmed) plans include a complete renovation of the hotel. They plan on renovating one building at a time; completely gutting it and making it live up to the Disneyland name. Once completed, the Disneyland Hotel will be significantly better than the Disneyland Hotel you see today.

Hmmm. Better than we see today? That statement would assume that all of us that LOVE the Disneyland Hotel as it is don't think it's already amazing. It's strange that so many people think that the present names DON'T represent Disney, when in fact they do actually say a lot about the history that is SO important to the Disneyland Hotel. A simple name change isn't going to make it better, just more marketable.

And, the actual rumor going around involves demolishing the existing buildings and rebuiding some sort of true Disney Themed hotel that I am sure will have smaller rooms, no doors to open your room to the outside world, etc.

[Melanears]

Originally Posted by WDWizard

The name change has nothing to do with any business decision or promotion for the cruise line.

That was a joke on my part. I realize there is no tie in to the cruise line.

I don't usually balk about changes, because in most cases, I see change as a good thing. In this case however, I thought the nods to the Wrather family, and all the Disney memorabilia found throughout the hotel, were so nice. That good old Disney history that can't be found anywhere else in the world. How appropriate it could be found at the Disneyland Hotel - the first hotel to bear the Disney name, at the first Disney theme park. It's kinda like stepping back in time when looking at those old photographs of Walt and different celebrities, and also at the Disneyana. It will be a shame if that is all removed in the renovation.

Michael is right - I love the Disneyland Hotel just as it is! It's different, and I see that as a good thing. At the same time, I'll accept that market forces now say we must stay in the Magic Tower or the Dreams Tower. Or maybe I'll just stay at Paradise Pier.

Oh, and they sure better leave the Lost Bar as is!!!

[WDWizard]

I understand the history behind the Disneyland Hotel and that the names have to do with Disneyland history, just as any Disney fan such as you and I would, but an average family on vacation won’t understand or care about the history of the hotel. They are paying a high price to stay on-property in an official Disney hotel. By giving the hotels Disney related names, it adds to the fantasy that people come to find when they are paying a high price to stay on-property. Disneyland fans will be disappointed, but the new names make more sense and fit in with the Disneyland theme and what Disneyland is all about ("Magic," "Wonder" and "Dreams").

The renovation is needed, no doubt. I've heard a lot of complains on the condition of the hotel, and guests saying that it is in need of a major renovation. A friend of mine just stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, and although she loved the convenience to Downtown Disney, Disneyland, the great service, pool, and dining options- she felt that the hotel is starting to show age and is in need of repair, and that the hotel wasn't very "Disney" in architecture.

On the renovation of the hotel, there were plans to either...
A) Demolish and re-build the Disneyland Hotel in the same styles as the Victorian castle themed hotels in Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
B) Completely renovate the existing towers

If they were going to demolish the towers and make a completely new Disneyland Hotel, they wouldn’t have wasted their time re-naming the towers.

What I meant by "the Disneyland Hotel will be significantly better than the Disneyland Hotel you see today." -- I meant that the rooms and appearance of the hotel will improve. It's not like the hotel is going to worsen by a renovation. The history and memorabilia of the hotel will remain, they just need to make the hotel more "Disney" (for those average tourists and non-Disney enthusiasts) and renovate it because of its aging condition.

[Melanears]

Aren't the Disneyland Hotels usually full, especially in the past few years? I know discounts have been harder and harder to come by. If they are truly going to gut the towers, I can't see them adding more rooms, so not sure where the extra revenue is going to come from. Of course, they may take away some of the space from those large rooms and make smaller ones.

And I don't really buy that someone on the fence about staying at the Disneyland Hotel would be persuaded now because they could stay in a tower named Magic. It's all about the price, baby. Either you are willing to shell out the big bucks to stay on property, or you aren't.

And I will argue that Disneyland is just as much about the history as it is the "magic". Too bad others will miss out on that. I can imagine that many folks who have stayed there wondered about the unusual tower names, did some research and got a Disney history lesson.

[ChipDale]

Originally Posted by WDWizard

Changing the name to the Magic, Wonder, and Dreams tower from Bonita, Sierra, and Marina just makes the hotel more "Disney." Bonita, Sierra, and Marina does not represent Disney, the new names do.

That's if you want more lame, generic, bland, cookie-cutter Disney. The old names were a link to Walt Disney. He was friends with the Wrathers and gave them exclusive use of the "Disneyland" name. This is just another moronic stab at making all the "Disney Parks" the same. The old names may not have been known to the casual visitor but you didn't have Generic Disney crammed down your throat at every turn.

[Carol]

I agree, Janie. "Cookie-cutter Disney" is a great description.

In an article I just read on the DVC Member's site it lists the following reason for the change;

as part of an ongoing commitment to evolving with the Disney brand and making it easier for Guests to navigate the property.

It goes on to say;

Ballrooms and other meeting spaces, meanwhile, now feature such names as Fantasy, Frontier, Tomorrow and Adventure, aligning with themes already associated with the Disneyland Resort.

In related news, the hotel's Marina Sundries shop has changed its name to Donald's Gifts and Sundries.

[WDWizard]

The rooms wont be downsized, they will be renovated. There’s no doubt that the hotel is aging and is in need of a renovation, just read any travel review site and you'll notice people complaining about the hotel's condition. The reason why the Disneyland Hotel and the rest of the on-property hotels are always full is because there has been more demand for staying on-property at the official Disney hotels. Disney plans on adding more hotels to cater to the demand, hopefully not by shrinking the rooms at the DLH.

I like the new names of the towers, shops, ballrooms, and meeting centers. They remind you of Disneyland and Disney magic, the majority of the guests staying did not see the connection between "Bonita, Marina, Sierra" and Disney, and I can understand why.

[*tinker_belle*]

I'm on the fence with this one. While i like the idea of keeping the history alive at the DLH, WDWizard is right, many people do not understand the connection between the tower names and Disney. Most people who stay there just want to be at a Disney themed hotel on property. I love the nostalgia part and looking at pictures of it when it first opened and now is AMAZING. But i knew it would only be a matter of time before there was an "upgrade".