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Think you’ve seen the best Walt Disney World-inspired Halloween costumes? Think again, because one very creative Disney fan may have just won Halloween.
When it comes to iconic architecture around Walt Disney World, Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, or Disney’s Contemporary Resort might be some of the first buildings that come to mind. If you happen to be an architecture enthusiast (or simply a massive Disney fan) you may be familiar with the work of one particular architect, Michael Graves.
Credit: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
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Graves was a renowned modernist and postmodernist architect whose works can be seen around the world. Some of his most notable designs include the Ministry of Culture in The Hague, the Celebration, Florida post office, an expansion and remodel of the Denver Public Library, and more, including one favorite Resort located at Walt Disney World.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort was designed in Michael Graves’ distinct style, with the two sides of the Resort taking inspiration from the land and water aspects of the Floridian ecosystem. When the Resort opened in 1990, it was unlike any other Orlando-area Resort of the time in the unique way it presented a story through its architecture and interior design.
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For Halloween, Disney fan Willie Wu took to Twitter to showcase his brilliant use of the Resort’s architecture in creating the ultimate costume. The look features a custom suit, Dolphin headpiece, and even a Swan popcorn bucket (if these were available to buy we’d be first in line!)
Along with the completed look, Wu shared some background on the design of the Resort and how it inspired his Halloween costume. Take a look at his full Twitter thread below:
Swan and Dolphin at Walt Disney World Resort. —Michael Graves，1990，FL.#halloween pic.twitter.com/BzAJJVXmh1
— Willie Wu (@Willie_J_Wu) October 31, 2022
When Graves passed away in 2015, the causeway that connects the Swan and Dolphin sides of the Resort was renamed the Michael Graves Causeway in his honor. And with later renovations of interior spaces like the Resort’s lobbies as well as the addition of the Swan Reserve, Graves’ original designs have played an important role in what updates to the Resort have come to look like.
Today, the Resorts remain an iconic site for Guests strolling around Crescent Lake or coming back from EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios on a FriendShip boat. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts also boast some of the area’s best bars and restaurants, as well as the annual Food & Wine Classic, and of course, they are not to be missed by fans of postmodern architecture.
So whether you too find a way to dress up as the Resort, or if you simply stop by for a drink at Phins or some delicious fresh pasta from Il Mulino, the Swan and Dolphin Resort is worth an addition to your next Disney trip in whatever form it takes.
