Disney's Hotel New York synthetic ice skating rink

[pussinboots]

Certainly beats the karts!

[DLP-Photos.com]

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

[Anthony]

Spanish article about the manufacturer, Xtraice: http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empre ... _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

[weesam20]

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:

[RnRCj]

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:



Thanks Ant for posting this wonderful photo!

[pussinboots]

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.

[Zenith]

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

[jeakat24]

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.

[Disneyland Paris Treasures]

... 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:

In 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>

[pussinboots]

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?

[RnRCj]

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<

[Disneyland Paris Treasures]

... Now if only they could bring back the wonderful atmosphere the Rockefellar plaza used to have:



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:



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!

[dagobert]

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.

[pussinboots]

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.

[Martyn]

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.