Disney Quest Chicago

[wilde_oscar]

ok, the summer that Disney Quest opened in Chicago I was living there for the summer working on an extended project...

Was I the only one that ever went? I went twice, and it was empty. Which explains why it closed, but I could not have been the only one that ever went? My impression was, I can goto Dave and Busters for a lot cheaper with better food. And I guess that was everyone else's idea as well?

Any thoughts or discussion?

 

[Nooshkin]

We (my family and I) went a few times. We liked it- but it was an expensive outing! It wasn't something we could do all the time. We ate there once- WAY too expensive for what it was. Did you ever go to that Jekyyl & Hyde club that was on the same block? An interesting place- but way too pricey! I don't think it stayed open a full year. Disney Quest was a good place to go when we had visitors from out of town but they had a hard time keeping the locals coming back. I remember the annual pass wasn't a good enough deal.

 

[wilde_oscar]

yeah, if i would not have been on an expense account Jekyll and Hyde would have been too pricey and not worth it, I remember thinking... how much for this at Disney Quest, I don't remember the prices, but I recall thinking i could play games, get a meal and a couple beers at Dave and Busters, which was a few blocks away... I haven't been that way in a while... I think the whole building is still the ESPN club/bar/restaurant now?

Hearing the review of Disney Quest puts me back in mind of all that, and thinking well the water park and more pretty much amounts to water parks now that PI is closing, cause I am not going to take a giant chunk of time to go play golf with those 'pluses'. There has to be a better option for ticketing coming in the future?

 

[disneyholic family]

do they have the other one in chicago?
what's the name.......there's one in vegas and one in suburban detroit..
i have to go find the name...
gameworks...that's the name...
i just looked it up - there's one in schaumburg...if that's near you, i recommend the place....assuming it's run like the one in suburban detroit...
a lot of fun and the price is ok...

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I went to the Chicago DQ on a weeknight during the winter, about a year before it closed. I was by myself, on a business trip working down the street at Northwestern. (I travelled for a "little" company with a big factory in Hoffman Estates...) Place was empty, but I still almost bumped into Eisner when I was crossing the central hub. Apparently the execs were entertaining a group in ESPN next door, because of the Annual Stockholders meeting on Navy Pier...

The CM's were great and let me keep going on things and simply chatting. they said they really had to make a lot of changes in how the attraction ran, due to the behaviours of the guest population they had. There were issues with kids hogging the games and some general non-tourist habits. It had helped that we had done DQ in Orlando numerous times at that point, so I knew what to compare.

I have to laugh - I also billed it to my expense account - as dinner! I still have my souvenier magnet to remember it by.

 

[wdwowner]

The biggest problem with DQ in Chicago was the location. It was located just a block from Michigan Ave. That is a very high rent area, families do not live down there, it is either tourist or well-to-do 50+ year old couples or single people who work downtown. So anyone who wanted to go from the suburbs it would be an entire day event, plus parking down there is insane, almost $20 an hour.

If they would have built it in Schaumburg or Orland Park I think it would have made it, that way families could drive there when they wanted to.

A great idea just built in the wrong place.

 

[robind]

I was working in Chicago when it was open as well, but I never went. I think I didn't go because I didn't know what the heck it was - it was not advertised very well. I did go to J&H - interesting concept - but I don't know if I would have gone if it wasn't for the expense account.

I was thinking as I was listening to the podcast that maybe the timing wasn't right or the marketing was "off" because Dave and Busters seems to be doing well, and I would think that Disney could do it better?

I have 5 "and more" days left on an old ticket so I'm going to check it out, as well as go to PI for one last party.

 

[SamIAm21]

The biggest problem with DQ in Chicago was the location. It was located just a block from Michigan Ave. That is a very high rent area, families do not live down there, it is either tourist or well-to-do 50+ year old couples or single people who work downtown. So anyone who wanted to go from the suburbs it would be an entire day event, plus parking down there is insane, almost $20 an hour.

If they would have built it in Schaumburg or Orland Park I think it would have made it, that way families could drive there when they wanted to.

A great idea just built in the wrong place.

Bingo!! That was the exact problem and had DQ had the pay one price model at that time, it would have probably done better, but the continous swiping of the card and adding more money created a psychological barrier for me. It was just like more more more, which gets really irritating, not to mention the long trip into the city.

DQ would have rocked in the Schaumburg area or even out in Oakbrook.

 

[wilde_oscar]

The biggest problem with DQ in Chicago was the location. It was located just a block from Michigan Ave. That is a very high rent area, families do not live down there, it is either tourist or well-to-do 50+ year old couples or single people who work downtown. So anyone who wanted to go from the suburbs it would be an entire day event, plus parking down there is insane, almost $20 an hour.

If they would have built it in Schaumburg or Orland Park I think it would have made it, that way families could drive there when they wanted to.

A great idea just built in the wrong place.

Yup, if they would have built it in Schaumburg, this would be a whole different story I think. They were trying to throw in where Dave and Busters, Gameworks, and Jullians were already playing and established in the giant arcade with food concept... and there was no freaken way I'd have paid parking rates to drive into town for Chicago Disney Quest. The orlando location is the last remnant of a good idea that was poorly implemented.

 

[Wild4Walt]

We went a few times, but what a pain to go downtown. The location was good, but locals from the burbs ( like me ) will avoid going downtown at most costs.

It would have done better in just about an burb ( Shaumburg, Naperville, Gurnee )

 

[BriarRosie]

The biggest problem with DQ in Chicago was the location. It was located just a block from Michigan Ave. That is a very high rent area, families do not live down there, it is either tourist or well-to-do 50+ year old couples or single people who work downtown. So anyone who wanted to go from the suburbs it would be an entire day event, plus parking down there is insane, almost $20 an hour.

If they would have built it in Schaumburg or Orland Park I think it would have made it, that way families could drive there when they wanted to.

A great idea just built in the wrong place.

I was going to post all of this, too! I went to DisneyQuest Chicago a couple of times. I believe the second time, Mr Shiny (his group/boards name) and his family had an additional discounted ticket, so he offered it to me at cost.

I totally think the location was the factor that killed DQ in Chicago. And I immediately thought of Schaumburg as the perfect location for it to thrive. I think Disney did its homework this time around when they placed the DVC Doorway to Dreams store in Woodfield Mall.

I did not like the credit swipes for every single game or attraction. I haven't been to the DQ in Downtown Disney, but I like that they eliminated the swiping thing.

One of the "cool" things I remember was that on the levels with the Cheesecake Factory Express, there were stations set up for light web surfing and emailing. It was highly restricted, but I was able to email people from there.

Oh, someone mentioned the Jekyll and Hyde Club. I remember walking in there, not really knowing much about it, and turning around and walking out. I heard it was set up as a knockoff of some Adventurers Club type of shenanigans.

Just remembered those cow sculptures! I took a photo of the cow outside of DisneyQuest, as it had a hidden Mickey on it.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

I totally think the location was the factor that killed DQ in Chicago. And I immediately thought of Schaumburg as the perfect location for it to thrive. I think Disney did its homework this time around when they placed the DVC Doorway to Dreams store in Woodfield Mall.

I did not like the credit swipes for every single game or attraction. I haven't been to the DQ in Downtown Disney, but I like that they eliminated the swiping thing.

The swiping thing was what the CMs told me was put in place due to the nature of kids hogging the machines and fights occuring over it. They were trying to come up with a "better method" of dealing with that problem.

I completely agree with the suburbs being a better place. I would have loved it, if DQ had been put in Schaumberg. I spent a lot of time there for work, and it would have given me something to go off and do when my work team members went back to our hotel in the evenings and didn't want to hang out.

 

[Nooshkin]

....
Oh, someone mentioned the Jekyll and Hyde Club. I remember walking in there, not really knowing much about it, and turning around and walking out. I heard it was set up as a knockoff of some Adventurers Club type of shenanigans.

Just remembered those cow sculptures! I took a photo of the cow outside of DisneyQuest, as it had a hidden Mickey on it.

I forgot about the cow! That was a pretty one. We had dinner at the Jekyyl and Hyde Club and when the masks started to talk to us I remember thinking, "Oh- it's like the Adventurers Club...but not as fun!"

 

[tlcoke]

I walked past it a few times when in Chicago for work staying at the Hampton Inn River North, but never went in. I think the block it was in may have been some of the problem for attracting Tourists. I remember that the block was kind of Back Alley Scary before they put DQ in that location. Very Dark and uninviting.