Article: So What's up with Hyperion Wharf

[WebmasterMike]

Hey Tommy...

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/01/so-whats-up-with-hyperion-wharf.html

So whatever happened to Hyperion Wharf?
Back in November 2010, Disney announced that Pleasure Island — you know, that no-man’s land in the middle of Downtown Disney — would get a massive three-year makeover including stylish boutiques, innovative restaurants and a lakeside park.
Here is what Disney’s Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney, said at the time: “We have made great progress since first announcing our vision to bring new shopping, dining and entertainment experiences to Downtown Disney, many of which can’t be found anywhere else and have already become guest favorites. We look forward to providing even more ways for our guests to enjoy Downtown Disney, while at the same time creating new jobs for Central Floridians.”
In fact, Hyperion Wharf was supposed to create up to 1,200 new jobs — 600 construction, 500 restaurant and 100 suppliers.
Now, I’m not sure how many were made for the little renovations they have had around Pleasure Island, but 1,200 it ain’t.
And seeing as November 2013 will mark the third year, Disney hasn’t said much about Hyperion Wharf since then.
My best guess? It’s dead or at least put on the shelf with tons of other Disney ideas.
I’ve reached out to Disney to get an official word on where that project is. I’ll let you know ASAP what I find out.
— Rich out

 

[umichigan10]

I think they publicly said it was shelves which sucks because pleasure island mind as well open a new haunted mansion on location in its current state

 

[zulemara]

heh this guy is a little behind, but more power to him for keeping the conversation alive.

The Save Pleasure Island blog first reported HW was delayed or cancelled in spring 2011 if I remember correctly. After Motion was demolished, they started building a pathway and then everything just completely stopped.

Following a D23 event, Tom Staggs posted on the Disney Parks blog about the revamp of PI being re-evaluated, but rest assured it's being worked on. However, in that post, they didn't say Hyperion Wharf is being redone, they said the plans for Pleasure Island are, meaning HW is dead.

Since then all references to Hyperion Wharf have been removed from the Disney website.

And so we wait. There is hope that the executive shift, combined with Iger being paraded around WDW this week will lead to some new information. We can only hope.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

heh this guy is a little behind, but more power to him for keeping the conversation alive.

The Save Pleasure Island blog first reported HW was delayed or cancelled in spring 2011 if I remember correctly. After Motion was demolished, they started building a pathway and then everything just completely stopped.

Following a D23 event, Tom Staggs posted on the Disney Parks blog about the revamp of PI being re-evaluated, but rest assured it's being worked on. However, in that post, they didn't say Hyperion Wharf is being redone, they said the plans for Pleasure Island are, meaning HW is dead.

Since then all references to Hyperion Wharf have been removed from the Disney website.

And so we wait. There is hope that the executive shift, combined with Iger being paraded around WDW this week will lead to some new information. We can only hope.

No Real Estate Bubble (aka the "rape and pillage" of america from the top down) = no commercial boom = no third party licenses willing to accept bad deals to be in places such as WDW = no future disney management is acceptable with = death to the area.

so now they'll just tell you not to pay attention...which they've done increasingly for 15 years to nobody's frustration...and then wait for the next "drunken sailor" economic period where people spend what they could never hope to afford...and then roll out the old idea.

 

[WebmasterMike]

There was lots of twitter chatter yesterday about a revised HW and today there was an update to the original article

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/01/disney-working-on-new-plan-of-former.html

Yesterday, I wrote a quick blog on what’s going on with that three-year project at Downtown Disney called Hyperion Wharf.
Well, I got a response back from Walt Disney World: “Work continues on bringing our vision for Downtown Disney to life. As with any project of this size and scope, our plans have continued to grow and evolve over time, and we are looking holistically at the entire Downtown Disney experience. We look forward to sharing additional details soon.”
Not sure how you read that, but I translate that into saying the initial Hyperion Wharf vision is most likely dead, but there is an evolution of it coming soon.
When that new plan will be revealed is unknown, but a few fan sites like StitchKingdom.com have told me that the new image for Pleasure Island should come out very soon.
But until we know what the House of Mouse has planned, I thought I’d put together some things I’d like to see built there — which may be WAY off of what Disney has planned.
Specifically, a few more Disney-level attractions or activities would be nice.
Think of it this way: New and existing attractions like Splitsville, DisneyQuest and La Nouba do provide a variety of things to do, but maybe Disney can try to bring more of that theme park magic to Downtown Disney. For example, the parks have been on a roll announcing interactive scavenger hunts like Epcot’s Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure, the upcoming Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas and Wilderness Explorers-based activity at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, respectively.
Or how about build a sort of carnival-esque/midway games area with a Disney-spin. Guests can play games and win prizes like stuffed animals, pictures, t-shirts etc.

Now, before anyone cries heresy that I would be tarnishing the Disney image with poorly-kept carnival stands, I mean a marriage of the concept of carnival games with the high-level of service and attention of Disney. It may just look cool and be a fun experience to keep families in Downtown Disney longer. Heck, it may even help make that a day-long destination to help ease the flow around other areas of the park.
Then again, Disney seems like they are already well into what will be the future of Pleasure Island. Maybe it will be another series of restaurants and clubs — a concept Pleasure Island proved couldn’t hold its own by itself, by the way.
Either way, I hope we find out soon what Disney has in store for Pleasure Island because walking through there is like taking a stroll through an abandoned buildings-version of the Lion King’s elephant graveyard.
— Rich out

 

[mcd2745]

Maybe it will be another series of restaurants and clubs — a concept Pleasure Island proved couldn’t hold its own by itself, by the way.

I applaud anyone who brings attention to Disney's lack of action at DTD...but that comment is just way off.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I applaud anyone who brings attention to Disney's lack of action at DTD...but that comment is just way off.

especially since it came from someone who only sentences earlier suggested "scavenger hunts" or "carnival type features with a disney spin" as good alternatives....

scavengers - as we've seen at epcot -and carnival disney style - as we saw with possible the worst idea in history at Chester and Hesters...that are cheap, not well thought out filler to put lipstick on the rotting pig - in many cases.


the financial success/failures of PI will be debated forever - as none of us really know what for sure to believe.

did they rake all the time? no...there were prolonged periods of the year where the atmosphere was fairly dead...and they were packed with CPs or CMs who bought a six pack at the Hess station across the street or at the walgreens next to vista way and got tuned up before they went...therefore not generating any revenue for WDW...which was a loss.

But there were packed houses in busy periods - convention times and the holidays...where $12 mojitos and $8 beers flowed freely and at high profit (even minus the tips from those darned bartenders...who much to Revenue's shagrin...had the nerve to make decent earnings off tips )...

Disney flubbed this one big time...the thinking on shutting it down and converting to lucrative, no overhead rent and royalties was obviously a decision made in the artificial economy of 2002-2008...and the new reality - both for the world and US economies and also the local Orlando economy - which is a needed component when you're talking about a night spot - changed while they went ahead with the decision.

What a bonehead move...and they have had mothballs in place of potential revenues for years now...and maybe years more moving forward.

If you get one of the suits in a room and get an honest answer...i have no doubt that they would concede they'd be fine with the old PI doing what it can today...as opposed to a half demolished empty strip mall with a balloon and corporate egg all over its face.

 

[mbrou24]

especially since it came from someone who only sentences earlier suggested "scavenger hunts" or "carnival type features with a disney spin" as good alternatives....

scavengers - as we've seen at epcot -and carnival disney style - as we saw with possible the worst idea in history at Chester and Hesters...that are cheap, not well thought out filler to put lipstick on the rotting pig - in many cases.

the financial success/failures of PI will be debated forever - as none of us really know what for sure to believe.

did they rake all the time? no...there were prolonged periods of the year where the atmosphere was fairly dead...and they were packed with CPs or CMs who bought a six pack at the Hess station across the street or at the walgreens next to vista way and got tuned up before they went...therefore not generating any revenue for WDW...which was a loss.

But there were packed houses in busy periods - convention times and the holidays...where $12 mojitos and $8 beers flowed freely and at high profit (even minus the tips from those darned bartenders...who much to Revenue's shagrin...had the nerve to make decent earnings off tips )...

Disney flubbed this one big time...the thinking on shutting it down and converting to lucrative, no overhead rent and royalties was obviously a decision made in the artificial economy of 2002-2008...and the new reality - both for the world and US economies and also the local Orlando economy - which is a needed component when you're talking about a night spot - changed while they went ahead with the decision.

What a bonehead move...and they have had mothballs in place of potential revenues for years now...and maybe years more moving forward.

If you get one of the suits in a room and get an honest answer...i have no doubt that they would concede they'd be fine with the old PI doing what it can today...as opposed to a half demolished empty strip mall with a balloon and corporate egg all over its face.

Agree completely.... Wouldn't it be beneficial to refurb them to a working state and open them during peak seasons?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Agree completely.... Wouldn't it be beneficial to refurb them to a working state and open them during peak seasons?

At a minimum...I would think.

The problem is that Disney would never admit defeat. Never...they don't even know how to do it.

And unfortunately...we (the consumer) let them slide.

The abandoned 20K leagues site sat empty for almost 15 years...against THEIR corporate standards. Not mine - theirs. And they just ignored it...and we went in record numbers.

Half finished parks in California, Paris, and Florida...not one...but 3. They have had to add to studios Paris and the semi-embarrassing refit At California adventure (probably the closet thing they've ever done as an admission of defeat)...but they really didnt suffer the fate they should have with these kinda blunders.
As with animal kingdom...built halfway and then "upgraded" with Chester and Hester and one big, exciting Broken rollercoaster. 15th anniversary of the park is 3 months away.
They have suffered there...they only get 10 million visitors per year there at roughly double the ticket cost as the day it opened.

I have more examples...but I'll try to keep this under 20,000 words.

The point is - back to PI - is that the closure was short sighted and a mistake. But we, the paying public, are forced to swallow the mistakes - especially the lemming crowd that goes to WDW.

And buy and large...we do it. And so it is with pleasure island. This, I fear, is a longterm disaster...at this point, it will take a minimum ten years to rectify (probably longer).
And I believe that the management will only accept what amounts to two options:
1. Third party leased space. The original plan...where Disney can make money without heavy staff commitments - basically ignore it except for maintenance.
2. What basically amounts to another big fat Disney store. Which is really always the most desirable option for them...but even they see the saturation point.

How long before a "new, exciting" Star Wars theme store arrives at downtown? It's inevitable. And it's more likely that this is the only option to back out of bad planning. Disney might be the only one out there with the grapes to double down on merchandise - even when retail stores are dying off and the airlines charge you extra to fly the junk home.

I wouldn't put it past them.

 

[raidermatt]

Disney just wants to be a landlord and lease the space out. Problem is, you need tenants for that to work. If/when they find them, something will happen, just like Flamingo Crossings.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Disney just wants to be a landlord and lease the space out. Problem is, you need tenants for that to work. If/when they find them, something will happen, just like Flamingo Crossings.

exactly...

no intention of true investment without guaranteed third party dollars in the coffers...

so its the worst of both worlds: they make annoncements and try to create artificial buzz by proposing work that may or not get done..
then sit on a pile of sand an swampgas until touristy retailers line up with bags of cash.

dutch door action