Giant novelty structures at Disney hotel captured in Arnau Rovira Vidal photos

Nat Barker | 16 October 2023 Leave a comment

Disney's weird and nostalgic Pop Century Resort hotel in Florida has been captured by Arnau Rovira Vidal in this photography series.

Rovira's Fantasia Resorts photography project pictures holidaymakers and workers among the fantastical, retro-themed structures at the entertainment conglomerate's Walt Disney World near Orlando.

Sony Walkman at Disney's Pop Century Resort — The resort features giant versions of retro objects, such as a 1980s Sony Walkman

Opened in 2003, the 2,880-room hotel is themed on American pop culture between the 1950s and the 1990s. It is organised into five areas, each styled around a specific decade.

Motel-style buildings were emblazoned with common catchphrases from the corresponding eras and interspersed with enormous replicas of objects that were popular at the time.

Motel at Disney's Pop Century Resort in Florida — Rovira shared his photos with Dezeen to mark Disney's centenary

Barcelona-based Rovira shot the series in 2018 but shared his photos with Dezeen to mark the entertainment conglomerate's 100th anniversary today.

Rovira's photos emphasise the absurdity of the architecture by capturing it juxtaposed alongside people staying or working at the resort.

Giant foosball at Disney's Pop Century Resort — As well as the giant sculptures, the hotel's buildings are topped with catchphrases from different decades

Shot against the golden Florida sunshine, the images have an uncanny quality that makes it difficult to place them in time or be sure about whether their depictions are real.

"At those resorts, the fantastic world and reality mix all the time," Arnau told Dezeen. "You don't know what is fake or how is this made."

"I try to capture this unreal world where things seem to be a 3D render and where the human scales sometimes don't make sense," he added.

A giant jukebox, bowling pins and statue of the Lady and the Tramp, the titular characters from Disney's 1955 canine-romance film, all appear in the 1950s area.

A giant jukebox at Disney's Pop Century Resort in Florida — The resort is divided into five areas, each themed around a particular decade

The 1960s area features yo-yo staircases and a lotus-flower-shaped swimming pool while a giant foosball table and Mickey Mouse phone are stationed in the 1970s section.

A massive Sony Walkman is in the 1980s area, with the 1990s area features building-sized computer parts and an overgrown floppy disk propped up by a pool.