Is Disney Quest Closing?

[imwithgoofy]

Well, I have been to WDW six times already, and I have gone to Disney Quest everytime. DQ is great and everything, however the games there are pretty out dated. They have lots of games that I have seen in cave paintings. For example, the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) game is out dated and just boring, I don't want to dance "To cave man boogie". I am not hating on DQ, it is just that they need to upgrade to the new and improved Disney Quest (Xtreme).

They could add the wifi thing though, and it would also succeed, because people would pay to get in to play others around the world. They should definitely lower the price, it is simply TOO HIGH! They need some things for the parents like a work room, so they can do their work without the hassle and all the noise that the kids make.

I too, agree that the lay out is horrible. I feel like you have to go up these steps and down those...
In the end you just went in a circle. That one bumper car game, looked like sooo much fun, however I didn't get in line cause' it was too long.
I like some of the games that DQ has, but I say that they need to upgrade. So... knock it down and work to build it up to the Disney Quest (Xtreme).

(That was my son's view point)...I also heard that it might become an ESPN Zone, that sounds good... Sports stuff for the older "kids" and DQ type stuff for the younger crowd...How about DisneyQuest Sports Zone?

 

[Keyser]

Hmmm... Calling DisneyQuest an arcade is like calling Fantasyland a carnival. Dumbo, the teacups, the carousel, and the "dark" rides are all just slightly spruced up versions of the things I find at my local carnival, when it comes to town.

Personally, I found the theming of DQ to be pretty good - it certainly did not feel like just a glorified arcade. When my wife and I went to Disneyworld on our own in 1999, DQ was probably our favorite part of the entire trip. It felt just as "magic" as any other part of WDW. We skipped it on our recent trip, as my 4yo would not have found much to do. But, rest assured that had she been a few years older, we would have tried hard to go again, even though it has probably stagnated for years... The unique VR attractions there were as innovative, immersive, and high-quality as anything else around, at the time they were devloped. Even as old as they are, these VR attractions still represent the best commercial entertainment VR applications developed. Interestingly, I believe Cyberspace Mountain is one of the only "big" VR things there that is actually developed outside - this is not the only place you can ride this type of simulator (though I believe the coaster overlays they make for this one are different). Other than that, though, DQ is the only place I'm aware of that offers such an experience.

My understanding is that maintenance has gone down a lot, though, and the attractions, like many things technology-based, eventually become dated. As others have said, DisneyQuest is doomed to close eventually, since as the keynote attractions become more and more dated, people lose interest. There's no longer the (prospect of) economies of scale they once had, when this was to be the flagship version of many DQs, and so there's not the money for adding any major new features. As people have noticed, the prices are already relatively high, and they can only get so many people in the building - even if they were to fill it regularly, it would be tough to recoup the cost for developing such high-end VR games

 

[TDC Nala]

I just go for the cheesecake.

 

[KLEONARD]

Disney Quest seems like a good fit for the new Pixar group. Could this be a new lease on life for DQ?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Disney Quest seems like a good fit for the new Pixar group. Could this be a new lease on life for DQ?

Highly unlikely.

The Walt Disney Company is divided into four business segments: Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products, and Media Networks.

DisneyQuest is part of the Parks and Resorts segment. Pixar will be part of the Studio Entertainment segment.

I'm sure that Pixar could provide great creative content and technology for DisneyQuest. But the Parks and Resorts segment would have to fund the development. With just one remaining DisneyQuest location and no new locations planned, I don't see how anyone at Parks and Resorts would be able to make a business case for such funding.

 

[erikthewise]

Agree. The problem is not a lack of good ideas (it never is). The problem is whether a venue like Disney Quest can produce a revenue stream sufficient to justify the development of grand new attractions.

Expedition Everest is an example of an expensive attraction that I would be willing to bet was justified on the basis of a single venue. But HH may be right that the numbers just don't work out at DQ for major innovation.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

i really love DQ and DH and i loved it when it was here in chicago, i wish it never closed out here

 

[Nana Sue]

As much as we all love Disney, let's face it the bottom line is still about making money and making the stockholders happy. DQ has been closed in other locations and it would be my guess it is not generating enough money to remodel it, or even justify the use of that much space. My grandson loves DQ and we would hate to see it close, but then I hated to see Tarzan close too. It's just a business after all.

 

[KLEONARD]

In addition to his responsibilities as Chief Creative Officer of the new joint animation studio, John Lasseter will also become Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he will provide his expertise in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world. More importantly, he will report directly to Iger.

DQ will probably be in his sphere of influence, but I doubt that it will be an immediate priority.

 

[Kitty-chan]

In addition to his responsibilities as Chief Creative Officer of the new joint animation studio, John Lasseter will also become Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he will provide his expertise in the design of new attractions for Disney theme parks around the world. More importantly, he will report directly to Iger.

DQ will probably be in his sphere of influence, but I doubt that it will be an immediate priority.

Wow -- that's huge news. What's the source on that? I'll confess I haven't been following the Pixar acquisition all that closely.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

DQ will probably be in his sphere of influence, but I doubt that it will be an immediate priority..

The key word is advisor. The Parks and Resorts segment will still make the decisions about where and how to invest money (within the budget from Corporate). With a single remaining DisneyQuest location, I don't expect to see investments in major improvements to DisneyQuest -- no matter what good ideas John Lasseter or anyone else brings to the table.

Wow -- that's huge news. What's the source on that? I'll confess I haven't been following the Pixar acquisition all that closely.

Yes, John Lasseter's role will include being the Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering. That was part of the announcement.

CNET followed up with a whole article about John Lasseter's role at Disney, Pixar creative chief seeks to restore Disney magic (with only a brief mention of his Imagineering role).

 

[Kitty-chan]

The key word is advisor. The Parks and Resorts segment will still make the decisions about where and how to invest money (within the budget form Corporate). With a single remaining DisneyQuest location, I don't expect to see investments in major improvements to DisneyQuest -- no matter what good ideas John Lasseter or anyone else brings to the table.

Thanks for the link.

And yup, I'd agree that Advisor is the key word -- I'd missed that on first reading.

 

[2Xited4Disney]

Problem is that if Disney does "Revamp" DQ won't it just become obsolete in a few years.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

It's too bad they weren't smart enough to open DQ in NYC instead of Chicago. The two cities have a lot of similarities but New York has one thing Chicago doesn't have...Disney musicals. There was a built in tie in if they could have gotten space in midtown to do it. Plus there is a big geek population in the NY metro that also goes to WDW. Give it a Florida feel in the internet cafe...lighting and paint ala rainforest cafe or the Venetian and they'dve been beating down the doors to get in...especially in the winter. Tourists would have been beating down the doors in the summer.

No offense but who goes to Chicago on vacation? Ever?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It's too bad they weren't smart enough to open DQ in NYC instead of Chicago.

<snip>

No offense but who goes to Chicago on vacation? Ever?

Chicago was the second DisneyQuest location, but the original concept called for DisneyQuest locations in major metro areas throughout the United States -- and possibly international locations as well. The idea was to provide regional Disney experiences. So, if that plan had been followed, New York would have a DisneyQuest by now.

The specific location within Chicago was a problem. DisneyQuest was in the Near North, a couple of blocks off Michigan Avenue. That was a good location for tourists and for northside Chicago residents, but not a good location for the millions of suburban families in the metro area. Unlike other metro areas where the central city is also the center of the metro area, Chicago's downtown is on the lake, and the metro area is a huge semi-cricle. Thus, suburban locations such as Schaumburg and Oak Brook are actually more central for more people.

In Chicago, parking in the structure across the street was $21 when we went — cheap by New York standards, but high enough to discourage people from returning or buying annual passes.

For DisneyQuest in Chicago, business was feast or famine. DisneyQuest was bursting at the seams on school holidays and weekends, but dead on weekdays.

Yes, New York City is a national and international tourist destination. No matter what doubletrouble_vb thinks, Chicago also gets plenty of tourists, but not on the scale of New York.

 

[Runey]

It would be a shame if DisneyQuest did close down, but it's an even bigger shame that nothing is being done with it.

My wife and I went in 2002. I quite liked it but my wife didn't. It felt too much like a dark and dingy arcade, even though there were some interesting and innovative rides. Maintenance definately seemed to be a problem even back then. My virtual roller coaster broke down mid ride and I was stuck in there upside down for nearly 30 minutes while they tried to get me out. They didn't seem to phased by it though, like it happened all the time.

Still they should either get rid of it or fix it. Leaving it the way it is, is a shame
Maybe they should have considered putting DisneyQuest outside of America, in countries where there isn't an existing Disney presence. Though we had a similar 'theme park' in Sydney, I'm from Australia by the way , called Sega World. It only lasted a few years before folding, but maybe it would have made it if it was Disney rather Sega and on the Gold Coast rather than Sydney.

I agree that they need to get rid of the typical arcade games and concentrate on virtual and interactive games. They also need to brighten it up and give it a Disney feel. While I personally enjoyed myself, excepty for a 30 minute period , it doesn't have that Disney feel that the rest of the parks do.

My pointless 2 cents worth

 

[minijeanie]

Last time we were at DQ we walked out after 30 minues. Too crowded, hate hate the layout of the place. You are always looking for the stairs.
Elevators never come. Totally useless.

Plus, feel it was getting run down. Games outdated, carpet could be refurbished. My kids were unimpressed this last time for sure. Yes they like cyberspace mountain and Pirates. But pirates was an hour wait. It could also be that they have done in numerous times in the past and there was nothing new to do.

I also agree $30 plus dollars is a bit of a waste for such a small dark drab area.
glad I have a cheesecake factory close to my home.
For me it was the only reason to go to DQ