Thursday, May 8, 2008

Down the Stretch They Come

The pool area at the Grandstands section of Saratoga Springs is perhaps one of Disney's most clever designs. That is, if you are a fan of horse racing.

The details begin as soon as you approach the pool area, where the gate features a white metal design of horses running on a race track.

The kids play area is designed to look like the Saratoga starting gate, complete with "horses" breaking from the gate that spray water.

Large planters take on the shape of horseshoes...


...while the pool itself is wonderfully shaped like a race track, complete with furlong markers and finish line.

The bar, laundry, and bathroom area is designed to take on the appearance of the backstretch, the area where the horses are stabled. From the name of the bar itself, to the elegant horse designs in the corners of the hallway, even the "stalls" of the bathrooms are made to look like, well, horse stalls.

As anyone who has been to Saratoga would notice, the predominant use of red and white is a tribute to the colors found at the actual track. As a final touch, posters displaying past races at "The Spa" can be found inside the laundry room. As you can see, the Imagineers went to great "lengths" to ensure the authenticity of this particular area.