Mind you, I'm attacking DTD, not Pleasure Island, which I love. That's a separate issue.
For many years I've watched as market forces have transformed what was once a quiet, quaint, low-key shopping village turn into Disney's version of Times Square (somewhat redundant, since Disney owns most of TS anyway, but whtaever) with a Rainforest Cafe, obscenely huge McDonald's, Lego Store, etc.
Now it's big, bland, and lifeless. Maybe it's unfair to criticize Disney for turning the Marketplace into an average mall when your average mall's become too Disneyfied. CityWalk at Universal Studios is even blander - and it followed the Disney model.
I remember when the Village Marketplace was home to shops and boutiques with items you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. There was a glassblower's, a rather good haberdashery, and a bookstore. It was the home to the original Chef Mickey's, back when it was called the Village Restaurant (where Rainforest Cafe is now). You looked forward to busing over from one of the resorts; it was a relaxing change of pace after hours of hoofing it at the theme parks.
Simply put, there aren't very many dining options either. Rainforest Cafe, the new Earl of Sandwich, Capt Jack's (which is awful now as it was in the pre DTD days, to be fair), and that's it.
Does anyone else agree or am I being sentimental?
For many years I've watched as market forces have transformed what was once a quiet, quaint, low-key shopping village turn into Disney's version of Times Square (somewhat redundant, since Disney owns most of TS anyway, but whtaever) with a Rainforest Cafe, obscenely huge McDonald's, Lego Store, etc.
Now it's big, bland, and lifeless. Maybe it's unfair to criticize Disney for turning the Marketplace into an average mall when your average mall's become too Disneyfied. CityWalk at Universal Studios is even blander - and it followed the Disney model.
I remember when the Village Marketplace was home to shops and boutiques with items you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. There was a glassblower's, a rather good haberdashery, and a bookstore. It was the home to the original Chef Mickey's, back when it was called the Village Restaurant (where Rainforest Cafe is now). You looked forward to busing over from one of the resorts; it was a relaxing change of pace after hours of hoofing it at the theme parks.
Simply put, there aren't very many dining options either. Rainforest Cafe, the new Earl of Sandwich, Capt Jack's (which is awful now as it was in the pre DTD days, to be fair), and that's it.
Does anyone else agree or am I being sentimental?
What I don't like is the humongous pin tent in the middle of the walkway, but I can live with it.
) I talked it over with DH, and we're going to RFC after all! 
So I guess you can blame people like us for the presence of RFC, but we really do like it.
? (She asks while wearing one of her several Pooh sweatshirts!). Guess you can tell I've never been to DTD. Tell me more about that store, please! I see us being there in about 78 days 
