Seems like the days of old fashioned ice skating in front of Hotel New York are over. A new synthetic ice skating surface has been installed in front of the hotel!
Perhaps this will result in all year long skating? :)
Kinda interesting, I presume the maintenance would be greatly reduced....
Any photos yet?
Quote from: "Kristof"Perhaps this will result in all year long skating? :)
That never even crossed my mind. Yes please!
Although I'd still prefer to properly see the giant Manhattan map under there sometime in my lifetime...
Wow, didn't even know something like this is possible. Can this be easily installed/removed at any time or is this a permanent installation?
I hate those stupid cart things that are offered for rent in front of the HNY during the summer and I would like to have them disappear for good by almost any means, but should this synthetic ice rink really become a permanent installation I fear we won't see the Manhattan map again for a very, very long time :/
When I arrived on Monday 21st of Sep there were construction boards up around the rink area and men were working on it. Then around wed or so the boards came down and it looked as though there was a white bottom. I just thought it couldn't be ice or anything cus it would melt :P but now I know what it was hehe! Its probably a cost thing I am guessing. :P
I have to say that I absolutely hate this idea/ development with a passion. Yes, by all means get rid the stupid cart things, but synthetic rinks are terrible. For anyone who hasn't tried it, it makes you feel as if you've tied cutlery knives to your shoes and are skating on what can only be described as an oversized chopping board!
The 'chopping boards' they use to make it get dirty really quicky too so after a half a season it's going to look tired, cheap and tacky. They also wear down really quicky and end up with grooves all over them. I'll try to post a link to a photo of another one later.
I don't want to be a moaner, and if they keep up really good maintenance then it will be nice for guests to be able to 'ice' skate all year round, but if it is a cost cutting measure then I highly doubt it.
Update: found one
//http://www.iceblades.net/wp-content/uploads/67c72d1663680ff.jpg
This quote is also from their website:
"There are some drawbacks though. First you can usually only rent skates with hockey-type ice blades, to prevent smashing the plastic surface with figure skates picks. Therefore if you want to practice jumps, spins or virtually any figure skating component you better forget about it.
Also the feeling is pretty different from real ice. You can't dig the "ice blades" edges into that surface to push yourself strongly. And if you try you get that slippery feeling of a dog trying to stand up on ice."
Not really great for kids, although I suppose it hurts less when you fall down!
that picture makes it look like she's skating on a patio...
is it all layed down in individual squares to look like that? or can they lay it down in one big piece to avoid the block paving effect?
But in defence of the plastic thing, it's not like the DLP ice was any good for skating on... There were more cuts and water on that thing then on Lake Disney when it was frozen over.
I'm sure synthetic ice rinks don't have to look like the one in the picture, there are better versions. Type it into Google: http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=synthetic+ice+rink (http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=synthetic+ice+rink) Most of them you can't see the squares as much. But how do we know which one they're building?
The topless woman with an umbrella would probably be popular though.
It looks a little bit weird, but I think we have to try it to judge. How much is it to rent some skates.
Quote from: "Kristof"But in defence of the plastic thing, it's not like the DLP ice was any good for skating on... There were more cuts and water on that thing then on Lake Disney when it was frozen over.
That's quite true actually!
It's does indeed look like she's skating on a patio, but having had a look on google there are some that have been done much better, so hopefully I'll be proved entirely wrong and it will be fab!
To state the obvious, this could be great news in that it might vastly improve the aesthetic of the whole area. Those kart things are of course an absolute atrocity, to such a degree that it turns a respectable hotel into a Travelodge. Having the rink there year-round would fix all that. Now if only they'd find a worthier purpose for those two kiosks than twenty year-old arcade games and fix the lights in the trees, the courtyard may regain some of its long-lost grandeur.
But I am slightly worried that this synthetic ice stuff might be a bit of a downer for people expecting, well, ice. Jeakat appears to be the only person among us who's actually tried it... Which doesn't bode well.
We always go ice skating when we visit in jan or Feb and that has always been a big part of our evenings - indeed this was one of the first things my 11 year old daughter mentioned when I told her we were going again in 2010. As soon as someone tries it out can they post a review as it may not be too bad we went to an artificial one in dublin two years ago and it was great - no wet bum when you fell down (as I did very often!).
found this info on the magicalkingdoms.com forum...
QuoteThe ice skating rink will open Saturday, 17 October 2009. It is an artificial ice skating rink. Only hockey skates can be used on this artificial ice skating rink.
2 sessions per day:
- from 2.30pm to 6.30pm
- from 7.30pm to 10pm
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee to be paid directly at the ice skating rink:
Adults = €12 (hire of skates included); €10 (the clients bring their own skates)
Children* = €9 (hire of skates included); €7 (the clients bring their own skates)
GROUPS
Groups as from 12 people (hire of skates included):
All bookings by fax: 01 60 45 73 82
Adults = €8
Children* = €7
*child aged 3 - 11
http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/forums/s ... php?t=1307 (http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1307)
First photo, from chris44 on Disney Magic Interactive:
http://nsa09.casimages.com/img/2009/10/ ... 651040.jpg (http://nsa09.casimages.com/img/2009/10/01//091001083636651040.jpg)
Looks fine! You can see the joins but only just. Hopefully they'll maintain it well and keep it looking like that all the time.
Certainly beats the karts!
They were working on it last week, when I was there and it looked pretty good to me. On Tuesday it looked like they were painting it in some way - can this be true or have they just been cleaning it?
I took this picture of it in front of the New York - it adds a lot of atmosphere in my opinion :)
(//http://i325.photobucket.com/albums/k377/forza_united/Disneyland%202009/Day%202/DSC_1042.jpg)
Spanish article about the manufacturer, Xtraice: http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empre ... _9/cdsemp/ (http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empresas/Xtraice-coloca-pista-hielo-ecologico-Disneyland-Paris/20091019cdscdiemp_9/cdsemp/) (credit to masmiles2, DCP)
Cost of a regular 200m rink: €60,000. Approximate cost of the new rink at Disneyland Paris: €260,000! Ouch.
This company was chosen by DLP above other, cheaper, alternatives thanks to their "high quality and competitive advantage". And the new rink consumes no energy whatsoever, compared to a traditional real ice rink which can consume, for each 1.5m2, as much as a house?!
Edit to add: http://www.xtraice.com/index2.php (http://www.xtraice.com/index2.php)
One thing, may sound slightly stupid but most people until they have fronted the cash won't realise its not ice, from the pictures they do look rather similar, although could just be a wrong opinion :roll:
It looks fine. Much much better than the horrible go-kart things!
Now if only they could bring back the wonderful atmosphere the Rockefellar plaza used to have:
(//http://www.dlrptoday.com/images/2009/10/18_newyorkicerink_04sm.jpg)
Thanks Ant for posting this wonderful photo!
I've never really understood their disinclination to expand Disney Village toward Hotel New York. Unlike the Newport Bay Club side of the Village, which is a barren wasteland, the Hotel New York area is already furnished and lovely. Why not open up a coffee shop or a terrace? The leafy area near PanoraMagique is already favored by French people for their pique-niques.
But perhaps we'll be seeing more of that with this new rink.
My girlfriend and I are celebrating our 5 year anniversary this year (also 5 years since our first DLP trip together) so I think we'll have to treat ourselves and try out this strange dry rink :)
Well I stand corrected, it does look good and hopefully will continue to do so with proper maintenance.
I hope the extra money spent by Disney on it also means that the 'skating' experience isn't diminished, I suppose we'll have to wait for a trip report on that one!
I'm still gutted that it definately looks like we won't be seeing the original fountain for years to come, it looks so beautiful in the old pictures and not being fortunate enough to travel to DLRP/ Eurodisney in the early days, I've not had the pleasure of seeing it :cry:
@ Zenith: Have a fab time, I celebrated 5 years with my partner last year and it's a really special one, the first milestone, I'm sure you'll both have a great time.
Quote from: "Kristof"... Perhaps this will result in all year long skating? :)
Today I received my "Information letter for the attention of Shareholders Club members" from Euro Disney S.C.A. and in it it states this:
QuoteIn the month of October this year, the Rockefeller Plaza ice-skating rink received a new ecological surface, made of synthetic panels.
This non-toxic and recyclable material requires no electricity or water consumption.
The interlinked panels may be turned over and reused for an extra 5 years. Aside from its environmental aspect, the material provides our guests the best conditions for gliding all year round.
And even if it means the map wont return for quite some time I am so glad that we won't see these aweful kart things any more!!! The trampoline is gone, the carousel is gone and now the karts are gone!! =D>
Excellent news indeed! I hope the inevitable crowds provide Disney with a reason to spruce up the surrounding area. (Skating makes people thirsty...)
Meanwhile, where's my copy of that letter?
I think this actually a really good idea. If the ice rink is as popular all year as it is in the winter it will do very well indeed. Maybe it'll help to bring a bit of life back to the area too. [-o<
Quote from: "RnRCj"... Now if only they could bring back the wonderful atmosphere the Rockefellar plaza used to have:
(//http://www.dlrptoday.com/images/2009/10/18_newyorkicerink_04sm.jpg)
Thanks Ant for posting this wonderful photo!
I was just going through my old brochures and found the full panoramic version of the picture Anthony posted on DLRPToday (//http://www.dlrptoday.com/2009/10/18/rockefeller-rink-at-hotel-new-york-goes-synthetic/):
(//http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/747/rockefellerplazasm.jpg) (//http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4881/rockefellerplazalg.jpg)
Click for much larger version!
It truly shows how Grand the Imagineers envisioned Rockefeller Plaza! Oh, I wished they would bring back the lights in the trees!
Thanks for the picture. It's such a shame what the resort looks like today compared to that what the imagineers envisioned for it.
It would be great if Disney would bring back the lightning in the trees. With a bar where you can get beverages and small snacks, this place would be great to spend some time in the evening.
Did it ever really look anything like this, though? The early Euro Disney promotional photographs are staged with more props and extras than a Hollywood movie. Which is great, and a thousand times more inviting than the half-assed Photoshop work they've been using ever since, but perhaps not the most reliable of historical evidence.
Having said that, the real Rockefeller Plaza, while perhaps not quite this close to a Shag painting, was still a vast improvement over today's situation.
Nicolai, they still have lights in the trees!
Back on topic. I was going to try the rink out the other year, but they had already changed it to a synthetic rink, so I opted out. Synthetic rinks are awful, it just goes to show how cheap Disney are becoming.
I have to say, I think it was a huge mistake making the Ice rink permenant.
When we took a strole around the lake in July, the Hotel looked amazing but... as soon as you got up close all you could hear was this booming music being played onto the ice rink and a really huge fan blowing icey cold air.
The fan also has a load of cables that are just draped through the fountain.
What should be a place of peace and tranquility has been ruinied by this monster! :evil:
I´m here totally with you. During my visit there was only one time one kid at the "ice" rink. All the other time there was only a bored CM waiting for someone that is interesting in ice skating while the temperature hits 35 °C.
What a absolute vaste of time and place. I loved sooo much the ambience at rockefeller plaza. Bring this back! And puss: No it never was that perfect but it was near. I remember well wonderfull late evening summer nights with a violin player, shimmering lights in trees and a nice gazpacho soup on the terrace. That was one of my best evenings at DLRP. Now you have only sometimes the possibility to choose a seat in this very pent-up small ugly outside restaurant area at the right. While you are looking at a bored CM waiting for guests. While the big air blowing machine makes noise. While you miss the wonderful fountain. The plaza is just a shadow of its former self. Sad. Sad. Sad.
By the way: I was last april at germans Europa Park. Staying here at a 4 star hotel I have to say: The evening at the hotel was much better then you could get it at the moment at DLP - We had a buffet in the same quality as DLP b u t we had a nice couple of two musicians (a singer and a guitar player) which sung nice italien songs. (We later saw them at the spanish hotel singing (spanish songs))It was wonderful. And a big fountain show take it´s way at the plaza inside the hotel every 30 minutes. Rememberd me so much at the old times at DLP. Why not having a couple of two that make the round from HNY to SL to NPBC. Every hour some music for 15 minutes makes you thinking that there was always music in the restaurant. It´s a good and effective way to make guests happy while looking at the budget. A ice rink on a plaza in summertime is the wrong way.
Quote from: "Riebi"By the way: I was last april at germans Europa Park. Staying here at a 4 star hotel I have to say: The evening at the hotel was much better then you could get it at the moment at DLP - We had a buffet in the same quality as DLP b u t we had a nice couple of two musicians (a singer and a guitar player) which sung nice italien songs. (We later saw them at the spanish hotel singing (spanish songs))It was wonderful. And a big fountain show take it´s way at the plaza inside the hotel every 30 minutes. Rememberd me so much at the old times at DLP. Why not having a couple of two that make the round from HNY to SL to NPBC. Every hour some music for 15 minutes makes you thinking that there was always music in the restaurant. It´s a good and effective way to make guests happy while looking at the budget. A ice rink on a plaza in summertime is the wrong way.
I think nearly every hotel is better than any Disney hotel in terms of quality at the moment. We have been to Copenhagen last week and there we stayed in a new 2 star hotel and it was cleaner and nicer than Sequoia Lodge. I really hope that Disney realizes that their hotels, except for DL Hotel, are so overprized and that the quality is bad.
I haven't been to Europa Park, but friends told us that this park is great and has overpassed DLP in terms of cleaness, maintenance and even the hotels offer a better quality. Our friends are regular themepark visitors and they are big DLP fans, so I trust their opinion.
Quote from: "Martyn"Nicolai, they still have lights in the trees!
Yeah, sort of ... but they look like this:
(//http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1268/rockefellerplazatoday.jpg)
Quote from: "Riebi"... I remember well wonderfull late evening summer nights with a violin player, shimmering lights in trees and a nice gazpacho soup on the terrace. That was one of my best evenings at DLRP. ...
Ah, that sounds wonderful Riebi! It really is a shame how they treat this area. Rockefeller Plaza is supposed to be the "Fantasia Gardens" of Hotel New York and it seems management is not aware of that. It is this plaza that guests of the other hotels see when they stroll by on their way to the park. It is this what the HNY guests see when they come back after a long day at the park!
Let's have another look at the panorama:
(//http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/747/rockefellerplazasm.jpg) (//http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/4881/rockefellerplazalg.jpg)
Aside from the limousines I don't see anything that should be too hard (or too expensive) to achieve? Add the lights to the trees, extend the outside area of the bar and the restaurant a bit, have a band play some nice music now and then and bring back the fountains in summer and the ice rink in winter!
Quote from: "dagobert"I think nearly every hotel is better than any Disney hotel in terms of quality at the moment. We have been to Copenhagen last week and there we stayed in a new 2 star hotel and it was cleaner and nicer than Sequoia Lodge. I really hope that Disney realizes that their hotels, except for DL Hotel, are so overprized and that the quality is bad.
I haven't been to Europa Park, but friends told us that this park is great and has overpassed DLP in terms of cleaness, maintenance and even the hotels offer a better quality. Our friends are regular themepark visitors and they are big DLP fans, so I trust their opinion.
Europa Park is nowadays cleaner and has a better hotel standard. The cleaness is great and the restrooms are soooo nice themed. In that point they are now better then DLP. The hotel standard is higher just because they have only the german 4 star superior standard for Hotels. They have no 3 star and no normal 4 star hotels. So that´s a normal thing. I thing the main problem is that the Disney Hotels haven´t anymore the german standard like at the first years, they have now the french standard and that mean always a bit lower then the rest of its neighbour countries.
But DLP is friendlier, better themed and makes more fun. The biggest thing about europa park is, that they have only thrill rides OR rides for small ones. Nothing between. Nothing for the whole family. And that´s ALWAYS very boring for one part of the family. I saw this really clear cause
And another problem are the really high prices for drinks and food at Europa Park. I paid more as for DLP and I had not the possibility to get a bottle. Just mugs for one use only. That means that you have to drink all your mug before you get to an attraction etc. etc. etc.
Quote from: "Nicolai"Ah, that sounds wonderful Riebi! It really is a shame how they treat this area. Rockefeller Plaza is supposed to be the "Fantasia Gardens" of Hotel New York and it seems management is not aware of that. It is this plaza that guests of the other hotels see when they stroll by on their way to the park. It is this what the HNY guests see when they come back after a long day at the park!
That´s the point! It´s THE hotel area to sit outside in the summer! To watch lake disney, NPBC in the distance and have a nice meal under the sky. Not this cheap looking "GIVE ME MONEY" Attractions and not a ice rink during summer times.
Quote from: "Nicolai"Yeah, sort of ... but they look like this:
(//http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1268/rockefellerplazatoday.jpg)
Haha. Yeah, I took a picture of that as well. As mentioned earlier, there were once lights in a lot more trees, notably those randomly twinkling ones in trees around Central Plaza, on the castle hills and around the Disneyland Hotel. They finally re-strung some of the Disneyland Hotel trees last year, but they no longer twinkle.
It doesn't seem that difficult or expensive to bring them back. Heck, normal people do this sort of thing in their gardens every December.
But about Rockefeller Plaza, I suppose a big part of the problem is that it isn't very inviting to linger in. A city square becomes lively when it's surrounded by lively establishments with steady streams of people going in and out. Rockefeller Plaza is three walls and two doorways. A few bistro tables and umbrellas aren't going to fix that, especially not in the winter. That's why I think they need to expand Disney Village in that direction... Build a bar with a covered patio or a food court.
Quote from: "Riebi"Europa Park is nowadays cleaner and has a better hotel standard. The cleaness is great and the restrooms are soooo nice themed. In that point they are now better then DLP. The hotel standard is higher just because they have only the german 4 star superior standard for Hotels. They have no 3 star and no normal 4 star hotels. So that´s a normal thing. I thing the main problem is that the Disney Hotels haven´t anymore the german standard like at the first years, they have now the french standard and that mean always a bit lower then the rest of its neighbour countries.
I hope this is not true for the Vienna International hotels (Dreamcastle and Magic Circus), since they are operated by an Austrian company and I think we have the same standard than Germany. According to wikipedia.de (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotelstern#.C3.96sterreich (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotelstern#.C3.96sterreich%22%20onclick=%22window.open(this.href);return%20false;)) Germany and Austria have the same classification system. Hopefully VI can maintain the German standard and will stay above the Disney hotels.
OK just a short off topic comment:
I think the standards of the non-disney hotels are another. And normaly VI has a higher standard.
I always assumed Disney somehow managed to avoid accountability by using keys instead of stars. Because according to the official website, the Disneyland Hotel is not a four-star hotel but a four-Mickey-shaped-key one. It seems like something they'd try.
really that was great photo. thanks for sharing it
Quote from: "pussinboots"I always assumed Disney somehow managed to avoid accountability by using keys instead of stars. Because according to the official website, the Disneyland Hotel is not a four-star hotel but a four-Mickey-shaped-key one. It seems like something they'd try.
they just use keys in the place of stars as far as the UK grading system is concerned the DLH is a 4 star hotel but so is the HNY lol :P
On the plus side.......At least my ass won't get wet when we go skating! :)
Quote from: "Samninetysix"On the plus side.......At least my ass won't get wet when we go skating! :)
WRONG if its raining it will :D/
You gotta see my missus (Jayna62) on that rink, she never lets go of the sides and her little feet are shuffling along at about hundred miles per hour (that's 160kph to the euro mainlanders :) ) going click click click click click click click click click click click click
What should you wear to an ice skating rink? I'm going to see an ice skating show and I'm not sure how to dress. Will it be really cold? Should I wear a hat and gloves? Or is it just like room temperature?
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It'll most likely be cold. You won't need to get changed; just wear what you normally would that day.
Depends on what it is really. If its a proper professional show, then where your usual clothes, but if its a public skating rink, wrap up warm!