Future of DisneyQuest?

[prettycricket]

Okay...the original article forecasting the close of DisneyQuest was written in April 2006. So it's old news--BUT the date for closing was mentioned as January 2008. Now it's popping up on other message boards. Does anyone know if this is true or not? We're going in February and the boys were looking forward to DisneyQuest!

 

[raidermatt]

No recent news or new rumors.

 

[Imagineer_Tech]

it's became ESPN Zone

 

[DC7800]

Uh...no. DisneyQuest is still there.

 

[Imagineer_Tech]

I heard it's to become a ESPN zone in late 2007 but hey my bad

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It's only a rumor at this stage. It might happen. It might not happen.

When a similar question was asked December 17, 2006, I replied:

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.
​

I replied to a follow-up question -- "Are they planning on keeping the ESPN Zone they got at the Boardwalk?" -- with the following:

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.
​

In any case, I don't expect "WDW's DisneyQuest to close in early 2008."

 

[mitros]

I for one would prefer that they close the Disney Quest { a total waste in our opinion} and move the ESPN to it's location to get it off the Boardwalk. That place {ESPN} has always been a source of irritation for us. Unbelievably and annoyingly loud. Far too much for our taste. ..........can you tell we are NOT sports fans?

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Didn't the ESPN Club just recently reopen following a huge renovation? If so, it wouldn't seem like it's on the agenda to be closed.

BobK/Orlando

 

[mitros]

Didn't the ESPN Club just recently reopen following a huge renovation? If so, it wouldn't seem like it's on the agenda to be closed.

BobK/Orlando

Did it? I don't recall that, but I could be wrong........
We do go to WDW on a regular basis, but living in Orlando, I assume you would know better than me.

 

[prettycricket]

Well, I certainly hope that it all remains rumor for awhile! Thanks for all your input....

 

[Nascar48]

I hope they don't get rid of Disneyquest. I love it, especially Cyber Space Mountain.

 

[MJMcBride]

I hope they don't get rid of Disneyquest. I love it, especially Cyber Space Mountain.

I find Cyber Space Mountain to be the only interesting thing at DQ. I wonder why they don't put that attraction as well as a few others like the Pirates thing on the Cruise Boats.

 

[raidermatt]

You know, they could turn it into an ESPN Zone and still keep those unique games/attractions. Just a thought.

I liked Pirates and CyberSpace Mountain, but that was about it. The Buzz Blasters or whatever they are called were ok I guess, but just a small notch above regular bumper cars.

Still haven't heard even a peep about any potential closing though.

 

[Bellamickey]

Oh, I love Disneyquest. We didnt' go the last time but are planning on it in 2008. I hope its just a rumor for now!!

 

[DOOM1001]

I don't think the ESPN club at the Boardwalk would go anywhere if they put an ESPN Zone where DisneyQuest is at.

 

[Magic Fanatic]

I for one would prefer that they close the Disney Quest { a total waste in our opinion} and move the ESPN to it's location to get it off the Boardwalk. That place {ESPN} has always been a source of irritation for us. Unbelievably and annoyingly loud. Far too much for our taste. ..........can you tell we are NOT sports fans?

We kind of enjoy the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk, but if it irritates you, then the heck with it, close it immediately! Oh, I happen to not care for Finding Nemo the Musical over at Animal Kingdom. Does that mean we can close it down too?

 

[yitbos96bb]

We kind of enjoy the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk, but if it irritates you, then the heck with it, close it immediately! Oh, I happen to not care for Finding Nemo the Musical over at Animal Kingdom. Does that mean we can close it down too?

Sure... Can we close Pooh and bring back Mr Toad... or better yet, let's uncement the area and bring back 20,000 Leagues!!!!

Awesome!

 

[FlowerJ723]

Howdy! We just came back from Disney and while there we went to the ESPN club to watch our Saints play and we got talking to a Disney student worker who claimed that Disney Quest will be closing down and becoming an ESPN zone. He said basically there not making enough profit at Disney Quest.

 

[mitros]

We kind of enjoy the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk, but if it irritates you, then the heck with it, close it immediately! Oh, I happen to not care for Finding Nemo the Musical over at Animal Kingdom. Does that mean we can close it down too?

Yea, what the heck, go ahead and close that too............
You do realize my original post was tongue-in-cheek, right?

 

[yitbos96bb]

Howdy! We just came back from Disney and while there we went to the ESPN club to watch our Saints play and we got talking to a Disney student worker who claimed that Disney Quest will be closing down and becoming an ESPN zone. He said basically there not making enough profit at Disney Quest.

Just like those cast members who KNOW and SWEAR without a DOUBT that Disney is secretly building a 5th gate AS WE SPEAK.

Take it from a former cast member, the rank and file generally find out about new attractions and stuff when the general public finds out... and sometimes, for those not paying attention, after ward. Take any rumors from front liners that haven't been announced to the public with the biggest grain of salt possible. 9 out of 10 they will be wrong.