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[CafeFantasia]

I think the best way to re-theme the Hotel Santa Fe would be to drop a bomb on it. :-) Start over, do something fresh. It's really the most unattractive unappealing hotel I've ever seen in my life. I don't think anyone should actually be paying to stay there, rather, Disney should be paying you!  

That said, I do like the idea of a Pixar Cars makeover, but if they're going to do it, they have to do it properly, and make the place really look like Radiator Springs, just like Disney have almost finished building out in California. Of course, that would be hugely expensive:



The French seem to dream about Canada a lot, the same way we Brits dream about America. So how about a Canadian themed hotel?

[ed-uk]

I've stayed at the hotel Santa Fe twice, it's not my favourite Disney hotel and it wouldn't be my first choice, but it's a good hotel in my experience. It's unique, I've never stayed in a hotel like it before. The only problem for me is that it's ment to be a hotel set along side route 66 in the desert, and in the harsh winters of northern Europe it doesn't fit so well. It's ment to look like a pueblo village.

[Josh]

If the room's clean, the croissants are available in La Cantina for breakfast, and the free shuttlebus runs at regular intervals to and from the park, then they can add tumbleweeds, Cactus plants, Cars posters or whatever they want.

Well at least it's not the All Star Resorts at WDW! *shudders*

[Rafael]

They should have stuck to making the rooms as wonderfully kitsch as possible and then worked on re-landscaping the area outside. I personally think the hotel would be far better if they removed the car park from the middle of it. The "motel" idea was poor, it just makes the place look dirty and modern vehicles spoil the theme. Landscape that area over with rock formations and plants, a crumbled-up (pedestrianised!) Route 66 stretching along the middle. And maybe incorporate a new kids playground of some sort.

I really like your ideas. Removing the car park in the middle and landscaping the area would make the place nicer. I totally agree. Great rock formations would really look nice there  

[15MagicalYears]

User "Mouetto" from DisneyCentralPlaza has posted pictures of the interior of buildings already well underway. It seems it's not just a quick touch-up for the halls/rooms but completely re-done! Have a look below:

This hall's carpet has been uplifted:


This room has been completely gutted:


This looks promising  

[aliscrapper]

Oh wow!  Thanks for posting 15Magical Years!  We're staying there in June - can't wait to see what they've done to the Santa Fe!!

[Patrick89]

As I've now read through the whole thread (which took some time ), here's my opinion on that:

First of all, I didn't like the Santa Fe, not in its former state, and I think even less with a Car update. As the cheapest hotel it will of course attract more visitors than, for example, Hotel Cheyenne. The fact that Santa Fe is really ugly and without any special Disney atmosphere is thus really bad for Disney's reputation, because many guests visiting Disnelyand for the first time and staying at Santa Fe probably won't have the best memories. Ugly concrete buildings cannot be the standard of Disneyland. So I agree that something has to be done. I definitely see the connection between Cars and Santa Fe and if you would only consider the theme, Cars would fit well into this "hotel". But I think the Disney hotels are not a place to house toons or even places dedicated to toons. The hotels have always been a perfectly themed (well, except Santa Fe ) antipole compared with the overwhelming impressions of the day (already including loads of toons). Of course, Disneyland will consist of toons to some amount, but they cannot be everything. I really dislike the recent development of toons not only getting every new, but also taking over already established places inside the whole Resort. But well, this thread is not about this overall-development, so lets come back to Santa Fe.

As I said, I don't like this Cars makeover, especially because it seems to be permanent. Characters should be a side product and not the centre of all Disneyland activities. As you said, the Disney company was always about making animated movies - but Disneyland is not a 1:1 copy of the movie making part of the Disney company. For me, Disneyland is the realisation of Walt Disney's dreams. And in his eyes, Disneyland obviously wasn't toon-based.
And yes, many kids might be happy with seeing cars characters, but Disneyland isn't a children only environment. It's for everyone. And I don't see why the interests of long lasting Disneyland fans should be of smaller value than the interests of kids.

And please, don't come with the argument "my kid didn't even know this guy on the billboard, but it knows Lightning McQueen!". Wow. So today, we are not able to make some researches on our own? Only able to consume? As dave wrote:

When I was a kid growing up in Disneyland, it was the Jungle Cruise, PotC, Haunted Mansion, and Tomorrowland that really got me excited, and inspired me to go and read and learn about history, geography and science. Disney has forgotten how to inspire, and the public are becoming more dumb too (not everyone thank goodness).

I think this perfectly describes the current state of Disneyland and its visitors/consumers. It's all about seeing the stuff that is advertised en masse, you don't think on your own anylonger but just get into the worlds you've already seen on TV. Nothing about own imagination.

I didn't know Jules Verne, too. I've read about him because of Disneyland, and loved his books. I've read about Davy Crocket, I've read books of Mark Twain, I've read about Pirates, the Wild West and so on. Just because of Disneyland. Thus, Disneyland inspired me to inform myself about what is being shown there. Withouht Disneyland, I probably wouldn't have touched a book of an author like Mark Twain in my whole life. After reading all that, my admiration for the park even increased. You always want to know more about the themes, the attractions, the backgrounds. But with this recent development, your own imagination is limited to a minimum. Is there any stimulus to get better informed about a toon? I don't think so. Disneyland once stimulated young people to inform themselves about topics they wouldn't have dealt with voluntarily otherwise. Today you are only there to buy cheap merchandise. The sad thing is, at least in my opinion, that parents even fall for this proceeding. How can the children of today be interested in a topic they didn't see on TV, if they don't get the chance to experience something new? Why does everything connected to the real world has to be replaced by fictional characters? Disneyland once told stories and made people think - today it has its part in the growing stultification of people.

This is my own, perhaps a little bit confusing, opinion, so please don't feel personally attacked...Of course I don't think people loving Disney characters are stupid, as I love them myself. Of course I have exaggerated time by time. But mass consuming must not be the standard for Disney. They've always been a special and unique company, but unfortunately they are on the way to a common global player. What would Walt Disney say to this development?

[DutchBrit]

Disneyland once stimulated young people to inform themselves about topics they wouldn't have dealt with voluntarily otherwise. Today you are only there to buy cheap merchandise. The sad thing is, at least in my opinion, that parents even fall for this proceeding. How can the children of today be interested in a topic they didn't see on TV, if they don't get the chance to experience something new? Why does everything connected to the real world has to be replaced by fictional characters? Disneyland once told stories and made people think - today it has its part in the growing stultification of people.

Perhaps the main thing is that I don't expect Disneyland to be developing a sense of adventure or interest in history in my child. To do that I can take him to real historical places where the stories really happened and are not just "theming". The best place to learn about the real world is IN the real world, and my options for that are much wider than they would have been in 1950s America. So what was needed then is not what is needed now.

What I want of Disneyland is Disney-themed fun. That's your unique experince right there. We've got real castles virtually on every corner. But Sleeping Beauty only lives in the Disneyland one.

[ed-uk]

When I think of Walt Disney I think of animation, film and theme parks. So what is a Disney Resort? To me Disneyland is about fantasy, it's a magic kingdom and when we walk through the gates we leave the real world behind us. I didn't have a local Disneyland theme park to get me interest in history when I was a child, I learnt history from books, TV, films and in school. I should think it's the same for most people. I love the POTC ride but it's pure fantasy, more like being on the set of an MGM musical, just like Main St. USA.  Disney is about entertainment and it's Disney's hotel Santa Fe, not the real thing, I go to America for that. And I know the difference.

[DedicatedToDLP(Steve)]

I'm not sure how replacing Clint Eastwood with Lightning McQueen is taking away history. The billboard was of a character from a film, and is being replaced, with a character from a film. I recognised the Eastwood poster but always thought it was incredibly out of place in Disneyland so I'm glad to see it gone. So what, now people won't grow up watching Clint Eastwood western films? If that's even true, I'm not sure that's going to affect the education of many people.

Hotel Santa Fe has long been a really bad hotel and even if the awful volcano is still there, at least they can market it, which at the end of the day is what it's all about. Disneyland Paris is a business first and foremost and they need to be able to sell the experience, which they won't be able to do with the old Santa Fe which had a major identity crisis.

[Anthony]

The point here I suppose is that yes, Hotel Santa Fe was never the most successfully executed of the hotels, but it had nothing to do with the theme or lack of recognisable characters. We've got Hotel Cheyenne just across the river. Considering there's already Frontierland, you could wonder why they haven't themed it to Woody's Roundup and made it something different. They haven't (yet!) because it's a well-designed, enjoyable place to stay that favours its theme and its guests above the bizarre need to park your car within two metres of your hotel room.

I'd have preferred to see any improvement to Santa Fe come in the form of those landscape works I mentioned, to make it more like the pedestrianised and strongly themed Cheyenne. I don't know if any management have actually walked around Santa Fe in the past 20 years, but it's the most confusing, frustrating, depressing experience known. The whole motel-meets-pueblo idea never quite worked, but it was the pueblo element that worked best and provided the warmth. Imagine the difference if they built a larger car park in front of the movie screen and then banished all cars from beyond that point, landscaping the roads. Transformation complete.

These additions will make the hotel more marketable, but they won't fix its (actually quite minor) problems. It's looking a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut now.

[DedicatedToDLP(Steve)]

I know what you mean about the cars - when we stayed there in November it did feel like the car parking was first and the accommodation was just added in where they had room.

They obviously see characters as they way forward with the recent news/rumours of theming for all hotels except DLH. But as well as that, it is strange that aren't also implementing a tidy up of the grounds too - or maybe that is to come. The bigger car park out front is a good idea - then replace some of those bays with some nice greenery and a kids playground, and get rid of the volcano and flying saucer.

[dagobert]

Here are pictures of the new rooms:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 535&type=1

[caspdex]

The car parking at Santa Fe next to your room is a plus for disabled travellers and should be retained. The volcano should go along with the plastic cactus, but not the flying saucer.

[Josh]

The new room designs are nice and subtle again, like the Sequoia. But why did they choose that bed cover and wall banner? They make it look like a child's bedroom.

Also, it might be worth reading this:
http://www.designingdisney.com/content/ ... l-santa-fe