The aforementioned rice fields are supposed to be the distinguishing feature, with the resort built on the edge of a fake rice field, with rice farmers and water buffalo working the field every day in a very stylized tableau of rural life in Thailand. Since we lived there, maybe the thrill of seeing rice farmers and fields was lost on us, since the large majority of Thais are rice farmers. Beyoned the field there's supposed to be great views of the surrounding mountains, but in the monsoon those views weren't happening for us, so maybe that's another factor contributing to the letdown. But if you're looking for a truly Disney-fied approach to northern Thailand (which in fact I recommend in this case) check out the Four Seasons Golden Triangle or the Chiang Mai Mandarin Oriental, which are both over the top, in a good way I think. Speaking of Disney in Thailand, about the time of this trip there was front page news everywhere that Disney was going to open up a Magic Kingdom in Isaan, the Northeast of Thailand. As you remember from our Isaan discussion, it's the poorest, most remote part of Thailand, and it's only convenient for Laotians, who of course aren't allowed to leave their country, and certainly wouldn't blow their hard earned cash on Mickey Mouse ears if they could. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what they were thinking, but it turns out it was just a big lie, and the following year they announced they were opening in Hong Kong.