"Our story is so important to us that you want to blend what appeals to people but not lose sight of the heritage and the story," Jill Sypko, director of hotels and resort strategy at Walt Disney World, told TPG this month during a tour of renovations underway at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. "I wouldn't say we've ever looked at something and said, 'OK, let's get wild,' because we're always going to stay true to the story and the heritage and the memories."
In short: Don't expect Disney-themed decor to be fully sidelined anytime soon in favor of minimalist design and infinity pools overlooking Cinderella Castle.
The Disney design team — better known in-house as "Imagineers" — recognizes any tweak, big or small, to a hotel requires maintaining the grip on memories and nostalgia while modernizing.
"We do have to strike that balance of storytelling [and] wanting to make that investment to refresh it, [stay relevant] and all those things," Sypko said. "That balance can sometimes be tricky."
The Disney development team renovated more than 22,000 resort rooms in the last five years, including at Disney's BoardWalk Inn and Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, in addition to the renovations currently underway at the Grand Floridian. There's also an expansion underway at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort next door to the Grand Floridian.
The storytelling was evident in both my one-night stay at the Grand Floridian and a tour of the BoardWalk Inn and Caribbean Beach Resort.
The Grand Floridian's guest rooms and public spaces have subtle nods to "Mary Poppins" and "Beauty and the Beast" while the BoardWalk Inn feels like strolling the Atlantic City of yesteryear. Caribbean Beach includes a "Little Mermaid" design scheme in some of its newly revamped guest rooms.
"We really want our guests and families to come here and immerse themselves: Live your magic, have your experience, forget about the things in your daily life or in the world that may not be as nice as what we provide you here," Sypko said. "How we not only design spaces, but the storytelling within it, is really important to us."
Developing Disney
Full disclosure: The last time I was at Disney World, I was a 3-year-old making my way around the theme park by way of my mom pushing a stroller. I was curious to see the renovations and expansion underway, given the efficiency Disney gets to operate with as a singular operator of the parks relative to a hotel conglomerate like Marriott or Hilton overhauling a brand.
While it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, let's revisit Disney's development track record:
Renovating more than 22,000 hotel rooms in five years is an impressive feat by commercial real estate standards. By comparison, Marriott's Sheraton overhaul was first announced in 2018, and industry analysts have critiqued the rebrand for moving at a slow pace.
Of course, Marriott must deal with individual owners across the entire Sheraton ecosystem working on different renovation schedules, while Disney gets to call the shots more at its own resorts, so to speak.
So when do Disney Imagineers and developers start thinking about the next renovation cycle or expansion?
"I live and breathe our five-year plan daily, but I would say I'm closer to probably 10 years out right now," Sypko said.
Financial models obviously dictate the development process, but so do other factors like guest feedback, film schedules and other potential tie-ins coming from other aspects of Disney. There's also the need to meet demand.
While there has been debate over whether demand for Disney vacations somehow fell off a cliff in recent months, that wasn't evident during my tour. For an extraordinarily humid day in Orlando, there were still plenty of crowds waiting to get on the monorail to various parts of Walt Disney World — crowds TPG's Tarah Chieffi also experienced in a separate visit.
The hotel refreshes and additions also come as Magic Kingdom was again recognized as the most-visited theme park in the world, according to the Themed Entertainment Association.
So, how do you renovate such a vast number of hotel rooms at one of the world's most-visited attractions without raining down on anyone's childhood memories?
"I've been with the company almost 29 years, and I've been doing development for 18 of those of those 29," Sypko said. "So when you think about that, I think it's experience. It's volume."
That kind of experience with both Disney and the overall development process extends throughout the company and those tasked with overseeing a new hotel project or renovation, she added. While the company is pretty experienced in knowing precise time frames to keep projects on schedule, there are times when teams are pulled off one project to assist in keeping another on schedule.
Virtual room modeling also helped streamline the design and construction process by enabling team members across various Disney offices to test out different ideas before settling on the final product. There's also the added benefit of Disney being an extraordinarily large single-site customer.
While Disney faced supply chain issues like any other company, they weren't as extreme as those other hotel developers faced for furniture deliveries since the Disney resorts often rely on custom millwork. Longstanding relationships with construction teams and suppliers also help.
"Because we have such rich partnerships, we've been doing pretty well. Do we have schedule delays every once in a while? Absolutely," Sypko said. "Scheduling is where I spend a lot of time, and we're very methodical."
Once construction is completed, the methodical scheduling includes training cast members, preparing test meals at all the food and beverage outlets and providing notes to improve ahead of opening day. Once those points are perfected, it's time to bring guests into the new or renovated resort.
"The journey takes you not just through construction, but how do we — myself and my team, because it's a village — turn it back over to the operator, so they can be as successful as possible to make the perfect guest experiences?" Sypko said.
The Disney details
While I'm not as well versed in Disney as some of my colleagues, I certainly know a thing or two about hotels.
I was immediately struck by the smart layouts of the guest rooms. While I hadn't heard of the term "Imagineer" the night of my arrival, it was evident some entity clearly put a lot of thought into how guests interact with their room or suite during a stay at Disney.
My room at the Grand Floridian featured a pullout sofa bed that could sleep two, and a king-size bed that was elevated higher than what you'd normally find at a hotel — providing ample room to stow luggage under the bed and out of the way during a stay.
Some might question why the hair dryer, stowed in a tasteful white box on the workstation, wasn't in the bathroom: That's all about freeing up space in the bathroom and vanity area while a family gets ready. Even the amenities and provided toiletries were thoughtful: A tube of after-sun aloe is much needed after a day at the pool or theme park, but it probably isn't top of mind when packing for a trip.
Renovations are still underway at the Grand Floridian, and the Disney team declined to provide a specific timeline on when the entire hotel — which first opened in 1988 — would be complete. But it is evident this isn't too much of a deterrent to guests: The hotel was bustling during my stay, and guests even appeared enthralled by the construction, which largely takes place during the day.
Disney does not shut down any hotel entirely during a renovation, Sypko said. (For those wondering, ongoing renovations at the Grand Floridian didn't disturb any sleep, as they're taking place away from guest rooms that are open for business).
There was a well-planned layout similar to rooms at the BoardWalk Inn, and that nod to heritage while balancing a refresh was evident: The headboards might seem like a classic piece of furniture but clearly are a modern build with built-in reading lights.
Over at the Caribbean Beach Resort, you'll find equally planned-out layouts in the recently renovated "Little Mermaid" rooms, where you can comfortably fit a family of five thanks to an extra pullout bed on top of the wall bed for two that tucks away during the day behind the couch.
While the Caribbean Beach Resort is a more affordably priced "Moderate" offering compared to the "Deluxe" Grand Floridian and BoardWalk Inn, its finishes and design didn't seem any less thought-out for a family looking for room to spread out during a stay at Disney. There' are still ample storage and seating areas to get some personal space to relax or prep for a day at the parks.
Rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in late August start at $322 per night, while those at the BoardWalk Inn go for $554 per night. Rates at the Grand Floridian start at $743 per night. Keep in mind: There are more-affordable options like Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, where rates start at $168 per night.
Subtle storytelling
There was a luxury to going blind into this Walt Disney World resort tour, as I didn't know what to expect from a hotel design and development perspective. It appears to be a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place.
If you want to see Mickey Mouse or his cartoon friends every few feet, that's possible. (The word is that Disney's Art of Animation would be the best resort for overt, bright cartoon character decor.) If you're looking for something a little more subtle, that's also available to you — and generally, that's how many of these renovations are playing out (also evident through Disney's "Hidden Mickey" images throughout the theme park and resorts).
The resorts still tell a story even with the more restrained decor in some places, but perhaps even more so, they set the stage for guests' experiences and stories to shine through with more subtle storytelling touches.
At BoardWalk Inn, it appears in the silhouettes of treasured Disney characters stamped on hallway light fixtures. Over at the Grand Floridian, vestiges of the characters of "Beauty and the Beast" manifest in the decor: Why, yes, that floral arrangement in the ultraluxe Victoria & Albert's does resemble Lumiere and, yes, that clock on the bookcase does bear a striking resemblance to Cogsworth.
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUYAlso, don't miss out on the enchanted rose greeting guests walking in for a mocktail or cocktail at the Enchanted Rose bar overlooking the lobby at the Grand Floridian.
The level of detail throughout each of these properties across a variety of price points is a development and design marvel, especially at a time when so many hotel brands are beginning to look eerily similar after they undergo a face-lift.
It's fun to find the subtle touches, and once you spot them, they will almost certainly tug at your inner child's heartstrings, whether you're a Disney die-hard or a novice just getting to experience the Most Magical Place on Earth for the first time.
