Disney quest leaving???

[xraydave]

Just read on another post that there are rumors Disneyquest might be closing. Anyone else hear this? Any truth or just a hoax?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Just read on another post that there are rumors Disneyquest might be closing. Anyone else hear this? Any truth or just a hoax?

Jim Hill published an article about this on April 25, 2006. See Game Over: WDW's DisneyQuest to close in early 2008 by Jim Hill.

However, keep in mind that Jim Hill tends to present rumors as though they are facts — and he's been wrong about some other things.

The Walt Disney Company has not made any announcement that DisneyQuest will close and that ESPN will move into its space.

Jim Hill's rumor is plausible. DisneyQuest was originally supposed to expand to dozens of metropolitan areas, but that didn't happen. The Downtown Disney location is the only remaining DisneyQuest (after the closure of the Chicago location and the termination of expansion plans).

An attraction like "Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold" cost a fortune to develop. The idea at the time was that this innovative attraction would go into DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney and Chicago, and dozens of future DisneyQuest locations. The development costs would eventually be recovered from ticket sales at these many locations. Then Disney closed DisneyQuest in Chicago, and Disney pulled the plug on the roll-out of DisneyQuest to A Major City Near You.

So there's no business case to develop exciting, fresh, new attractions for the lone DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney. No other DisneyQuest locations that can share the development costs. The Downtown Disney DisneyQuest is stagnating.

Meanwhile, ESPN is a highly successful brand. The ESPN Club at the Boardwalk resort is relatively small, and the parking is inconvenient. The rumor that the DisneyQuest building will become home to a big, new ESPN Zone makes sense.

But, again, nothing has been announced.

 

[xraydave]

Here's hoping it stays until AT LEAST 2008. With a November '07 trip in the works, I'd love to try it before it closes.

Thanks for the info.

 

[rodkenrich]

Don't be surprised if you read about an article from the Orlando Sentinel in the coming months about Disney Quest's last "Hoorah", the same way that the Western Beltway Development was suppposed to be a rumor, when indeed, Corporate Disney are reveiwing the possibilities as of this writing.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Don't be surprised if you read about an article from the Orlando Sentinel in the coming months about Disney Quest's last "Hoorah", the same way that the Western Beltway Development was suppposed to be a rumor, when indeed, Corporate Disney are reveiwing the possibilities as of this writing.

Look up the word "rumor" in a dictionary. It means "a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts."

"Rumor" doesn't have to mean that something is untrue, just that it's unconfirmed or uncertain.

The "ESPN Zone to move into DisneyQuest" story and the "Big new development on western edge of property" story are both still in the rumor stage. There is evidence that both rumors are true. There has been RCID action involving the western edge site. I happen to think we'll hear confirmations of both within the next 12 months. But that hasn't happened yet in either case.

 

[Lewisc]

HH gave a great explanation. Without other DQ locations Disney will not be spending big $$$ on new stuff. I understand local birthday parties generate more than enough revenue to justify keeping DQ open, until Disney decides to do something else with the building.

One of the rumors has DQ keeping a few floors with ESPN taking over the rest of the building.

Logic indicates DQ will be closed. Many of us think that will happen. That doesn't change the fact that it is still a rumor. Although I don't think it will happen Disney might be able to justify developing new attractions for DQ if they just build DQs at the various Disney theme parks throughout the world.

 

[MJMcBride]

Frankly, I don't care if DQ goes. However, are they planning on keeping the ESPN Zone they got at the Boardwalk?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Frankly, I don't care if DQ goes. However, are they planning on keeping the ESPN Zone they got at the Boardwalk?

At Disney's Boardwalk, it's the ESPN Club, which is not the same as a full-scale ESPN Zone.

Downtown Disney in Anaheim has a real ESPN Zone. In fact, there are ESPN Zones in eight cities. But WDW doesn't have an ESPN Zone, just the smaller, older ESPN Club, in a location that's convenient to guests of the resorts around Crescent Lake, but not particularly convenient for anyone else.

Jim Hill's rumor said the ESPN Club at Boardwalk would close when an ESPN Zone takes over the DisneyQuest location. It's hard to know whether Jim Hill was really tipped off by an insider, or if the closing of the ESPN Club is just conjecture on his part.

Closing the ESPN Club if/when an ESPN Zone open at the Downtown Disney West Side seems reasonable. But it also seems reasonable that the ESPN Club and the ESPN Zone could both be successful, with each drawing a different customer base. In the end, Disney may be reluctant to close the highly popular ESPN Club.

 

[dbm20th]

Frankly, I don't care if DQ goes. However, are they planning on keeping the ESPN Zone they got at the Boardwalk?

That space is a good size space, and the ESPN Club does very well there. Since parking is tough for people outside the Crescent Lake resorts area, it would seem that the club would still work well there even if they open a mega Zone at DTD.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I did hear this from a CM last year. My DD had an annual pass for DQ & the Water parks combined. I was concerned about renewing it if they were to close down. The CM had told me that if they did go ahead & convert over to the ESPN Zone, she would get a pro-rated credit for the remaining portion of her pass. I didn't renew her pass for it this past October. I know when they do a pro-rate, you do not really get much for it...

 

[Another Voice]

It's not a given at this point that the Disney Quest building will be given over to ESPN Zone, but it is highly likely. The goal for both Downtown Disney and for the Western Enterance strip mall is to lease out all (or close to all) of the spaces to outside companies. Disney does not want to own or operate any of the businesses there.

There is a slight possibility that another company could show some interest in that space - a large "flagship" retailer for example (like the Toys 'R Us store in New York or a giant Niketown). Given what Disney usually demands in rents I don't think this is likely, but there is always a chance.