First they conquered Hollywood. Then the Disney theme parks. But are you ready for Pixar-themed elements to start popping at WDW’s resorts?
And — no — we’re not just talking about enormous decorative elements like you find over at Disney’s All-Star Movies.
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We’re talking about you opening the door to your room at the Caribbean Beach Resort and there’s Nemo …
… along with Dory …
… along with Crush & Gill right there on the decorative quilt that covers your bed.
Not to mention that new “Finding Nemo” -themed border that runs around the topmost portion of these rooms.
Now fold in the new wavy blue curtains that are being added to all of these units …
… and you can see WDW resort guests would feel like they were under the Seas with Nemo & friends whenever they stayed at this WDW resort.
Just last week, the first 32 units at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort received the “Finding Nemo” retreatment. In the weeks & months ahead, 64 rooms will be retheming each week until a total of 1738 units have undergone Pixarification. (FYI: There’s a lot more to these redos than just the new “Finding Nemo” quilts & wallpaper borders. Each room will be equipped with a brand-new flat screen television …
… and their fridges will be stashed away in brand-new cabinets. A new armoir, two chairs and a shower curtain will be added to each unit. Not to mention removing all of the bedframes and then replacing them with bed boxes).
Once 1738 units of the Caribbean Beach Resort units get “Nemo” -fied, WDW officials will then turn their attention to the remaining 400-or-so rooms at this hotel. Which will be located in the Trinidad South section of the resort.
From what I hear, these remaining CBR rooms will undergo a much more elaborating reworking. With walls actually being broken down between various units so that Disney can then book these now-supersized-rooms (Which will be themed to Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise) as family suites.
Now I know that it may seem kind of weird that Walt Disney World would retheme the rooms at its Caribbean Beach Resort to “Finding Nemo” (Especially since this 2003 Pixar Animation Studios release was set offshore of Australia, not in the Caribbean Sea). But trust me, folks. This is not the strangest Pixar-related idea that Disney Parks & Resorts has ever considered. Remind me sometime to tell you about that Animation-themed hotel that the Imagineers developed back in 2001. Where one concept for the lobby of this resort would have had guests walking into an oversized recreation of Andy’s bedroom from “Toy Story” …
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Or — better yet — come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about Shanghai Disneyland. Which is the first theme park that WDI developed after the Pixar acquisition was completed. Which is why the Tomorrowland section at Shanghai Disneyland will be wall-to-wall WALL-E (Not to mention Buzz Lightyear and the Incredibles).
Getting back to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort now … If you’re a fan of this WDW hotel’s old decor, I’m told that an eBay buyer who goes by the name of Dizzimouse just snatched all of this stuff up. So if you’re looking to score an old CBR bedspread or such in the future, then you may want to keep an eye on the listings in Dizzimouse’s online store.
So what do you folks think? Will this new “Finding Nemo” theme make it that much more likely that you’ll try & book a room at the Caribbean Beach Resort the next time you stay at WDW? Or are you more likely to wait ’til those “Pirates of the Caribbean” -themed family suites come on line in 2009?
Your thoughts?