Are they closing DQ and ESPN Club?

[Boston5602]

on one of the list I belong to someone posted a link to some site (http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2006/04/25/2051.aspx) , where it says Disney Quest and Espn Club at boardwalk would be closing DQ in 2008 and then they will put in a ESPN Zone in its place and thats why they'll close espn club at boardwalk. Any one else hear anything about all this ?

 

[deerh]

I would like to know how or where Jim Hill's info comes from. There is nothing in the Orlando Sent, or any other place. How does HE know and no one else????

IF IT IS TRUE, I would hate it, owning at BWV, and walking down to ESPN club is great!! I would doubt very seriously if I would go to DQ to go to ESPN....

NOW, about the validication of Mr. Hills' article...........????

DeerH

 

[DVCconvert]

It remains to be seen

 

[Boston5602]

Yeah I hope it is just a rumor and Jim Hill is wrong , I've never been to Disney Quest , but one of my favorite things is having a beer in the afternoon at ESPN watching the RED SOX beat the yankees

 

[simzac]

My boys love DQ, so I hope this rumor is not true.

 

[DebbieB]

There are already several threads on this subject:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1095981

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1094947

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1094944

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1095083

 

[MikeBW]

but one of my favorite things is having a beer in the afternoon at ESPN watching the RED SOX beat the yankees

AMEN!!

 

[dbm20th]

Yeah I hope it is just a rumor and Jim Hill is wrong , I've never been to Disney Quest , but one of my favorite things is having a beer in the afternoon at ESPN watching the RED SOX beat the yankees

Which happens about once every 86 years or so, so unless you're about 4 yrs old, I wouldn't lose sleep over missing this pleasure

Seriously, I believe this is true. It seems a full fledge ESPN Zone will be opened in DTD, and probably be HUGE. That would close the one at BWV. But don't dispair until we hear what will take its place.

 

[paults]

why close a perfectly good GOLDMINE at the BW to move into DQ building.

I can't see it happening. But you never know

 

[Cruelladeville]

I would love to see ESPN go somewhere else, but DH would die from shock! He just loves seeing sports on 9 TV's at one time, he thinks that's fun. I hate that place, it's too loud to think. I would like to see a family restaurant instead

 

[dbm20th]

why close a perfectly good GOLDMINE at the BW to move into DQ building.

I can't see it happening. But you never know

There are a number of reasons why they may be thinking this. First, ESPN should obviously have something akin to a Flagship location at WDW. After all, it is Disney that owns ESPN. Perhaps they feel the BW version simply doesn't do it justice. And honestly, it is the smallest ESPN location I have ever seen. They may have plans to build a huge facility that could host events, such as more broadcasts, receptions for athletes and so on. The BW version just simply can't handle that.

Also, they are seriously trying to remake DTD. With PI going away, and new places moving in, they may view a giant ESPN as the focal point of this update.

Finally, we have no hint of what they may be planning at BW in its place...

 

[DrTomorrow]

And if ESPN at BW is a goldmine, then ESPN at DTD would be even goldmine-ier!

Also true about the BW ESPN being small. We've been to the one at DLR's DTD and it had a much larger & friendlier layout....

 

[Granny]

I've seen the rumor too, and agree that I'd hate for them to close the BW ESPN Club. Maybe they could still keep it open even if they open a big one at DQ?

I won't miss DQ at all. We went a few times and it was not a pleasant place to visit...at least not in the summer!

If they do close the ESPN Club, it would be interesting to see what they would put there. I agree with deerh that it's a great and convenient place to go when staying at BWV/BCV.

 

[crisi]

In my dreams, they turn the Boardwalk area into a family friendly version of DTD - make Atlantic Dance an Adventurer's Club like place for families, make ESPN more family friends (I can smell smoke and beer walking by!). I wouldn't miss ESPN at all.

Haven't been to DisneyQuest yet, and I think I'd miss it if it disappeard, but I'd understand it. Expensive to maintain up to the minute technology in a place like that.

 

[KLEONARD]

I have seen much larger ESPN zones. The one in Vegas, I think it is at New York New York casino, is huge. They have a large area with video and simulation rides. Sounds like a good replacement for DQ. They could keep a lot of the equipment right there.
Maybe Downtown Disney will give up one of their restaurants. Send McDonalds over to the BW. I believe McDonalds does well over seas. This may attract some of the foreign visitors onto the boardwalk. Might give Beaches and Cream a run for the money. Would you like hot mustard with those McNuggets?

 

[paults]

make ESPN more family friends (I can smell smoke and beer walking by!). I wouldn't miss ESPN at all.

smoke, ESPN has been smoke free since I think Aug last year and if you can smell beer there then don't go to the F&WF

I think it is family friendly. Pleas don't move it Disney

 

[FreeTime]

ESPN Club is one place that we always visit while staying at BWV. I would hate for it to go away. So if DQ does away, I wonder when they will stop including it in the PAP.

 

[cobbler]

Well according to the Orlando Sentinel, as of now, it doesn't look like it will happen.

"Walt Disney World officials are throwing water on a hot report earlier this week in a reliable Internet site, which says the company plans to close the big DisneyQuest arcade at Downtown Disney in 2008 and replace it with a new, big ESPN Zone.

JimHillMedia.com, a well-plugged-in Disney insider blog, broke the news, citing well-placed but unidentified sources. Nothing to it, Disney officials responded. After all, said Djuan Rivers, Walt Disney World's vice president for Downtown Disney, the company just invested millions of dollars the past year in a major upgrade of everything from software to carpeting in the 100,000-square-foot "virtual theme park."

Blogger Jim Hill stands by his story.

It's worth keeping an eye on. Initially, DisneyQuest was supposed to be a big deal; Disney talked about building 20 of them, all over the place. But the only other one that ever opened, in Chicago, closed in 2001 after just two years. And even though DisneyQuest supposedly is making money, Walt Disney Co. President Bob Iger seemed to dismiss the whole concept in March when, referring to what he called a "theme park in a box," he said, "We tried and failed at that."

 

[Boston5602]

Thanks guys.....I'll just enjoy ESPN until if and when it closes.

 

[eporter66]

Yeah I hope it is just a rumor and Jim Hill is wrong , I've never been to Disney Quest , but one of my favorite things is having a beer in the afternoon at ESPN watching the RED SOX beat the yankees

Funny - my favorite thing is having a beer and watching the Yanks beat the Red Sox.

Would it be possible to support two ESPN zones? One in DTD and the other at BWV????

Eric