Titanic Experience closed and evicted?

[caa1000]

The Titanic Experience was shut down as of today, according to WESH-TV 2 in Orlando (Video included).
The eviction took place, despite the efforts of the owners to keep the attraction open. The Titanic Experience was opened in 1999 at the Mercado Shopping Complex on International Drive. Until recently, the new management of Mercado, decided to destroy the entire complex for a new resort property and they decided to shut down the attraction. The owners of Titanic Experience where fighting the decision in courts, but loss the fight. Still the Owner of the attraction was given the chance to remove the items, but refuse to do so, so as of this morning, the entire attraction was evicted and most of the stuff was placed on the sidewalks of International Drive, while the owner was trying to find out what to do with them. Most of the Titanic items that was rescued from the original ship, where sitting at the outside of the now closed attraction. Even tourist that already purchased on line tickets to see Titanic Experience, where shock to see the whole building close and items sitting in the hot weather.

 

[famsen]

OMG! I was seriously considering checking out Titanic Experience on our upcoming trip Sept 29th.
It disgusts me to hear that relics from the Titanic are actually just sitting outside on the ground!!?? That is so disrespectful to those who lost their lives on the Titatic. The people who allowed that to happen should be ashamed of themselves to say the very least!

 

[bullet875]

My children and I visited the attraction last year and it was wonderful! They arr Titanic fanatics and enjoyed the exhibit as much as many WDW attractions. We were hoping to go back next year. It was a wonderful guided tour of some lifesized parts of the ship and rooms filled with artifacts (they also have a lifesized grand staircase and part of the boat deck was recreated to walk on.


I have pictures from the attraction if anyone would like to se some PM me and I'll email them to you.

I also have an acquaintance who makes recreation jewelry fromthe movie who was selling her items in the gift shop.


I wonder if where Harris will take the exhibit? Does anyne know if the room contents/Grandstaircase/etc was able to be moved out of the exhibition building?

 

[caa1000]

My children and I visited the attraction last year and it was wonderful! They arr Titanic fanatics and enjoyed the exhibit as much as many WDW attractions. We were hoping to go back next year. It was a wonderful guided tour of some lifesized parts of the ship and rooms filled with artifacts (they also have a lifesized grand staircase and part of the boat deck was recreated to walk on.


I have pictures from the attraction if anyone would like to se some PM me and I'll email them to you.

I also have an acquaintance who makes recreation jewelry fromthe movie who was selling her items in the gift shop.


I wonder if where Harris will take the exhibit? Does anyne know if the room contents/Grandstaircase/etc was able to be moved out of the exhibition building?

Don't know about the staircase, but the whole building will be destroyed, cause the owners of The Mercado, has other plans in place.

 

[fla4fun]

The entire Mercado is set for demolition early in September to build some sort of hotel or condo/hotel (the plans keep changing). My understanding is that they were going to let the Titanic building remain, but they were raising the rent from $7000 per month to over $100,000 per month! I'm sure that was just a ploy to get them out of there. I'm sad to see it go. I've been there a couple times and although as a Titanic enthusiast I didn't learn much new about the sinking, it was still a very enjoyable experience. I hope he get all of his stuff out and can find another location to set up in. I'd hate to see it just be gone for good.

 

[Jason71]

Not much more info, but the Sentinel has a story here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-titanic2107aug21,0,6176446.story

This has been coming for a while, surprised the owner didn't have a "Plan B" in mind, even if just a POD or something.

 

[ducklite]

As much as it's a shame that the artifacts were left out on the sidewalk (I don't think the heat was going to bother most of them, I worry more about pilferage and such) the ones to blame are the owners of the attraction who KNEW FOR MONTHS that this could very well happen and didn't have an alternate plan.

The landlord is not responsible for the tenants irresponsibility.

Anne

 

[bullet875]

As much as it's a shame that the artifacts were left out on the sidewalk (I don't think the heat was going to bother most of them, I worry more about pilferage and such) the ones to blame are the owners of the attraction who KNEW FOR MONTHS that this could very well happen and didn't have an alternate plan.

The landlord is not responsible for the tenants irresponsibility.

Anne

True. My kids and I discussed this yesterday in fact. Another thing that bothered me is that , while it bothered the owner that someone else "not trained" to handle delicate artifacts moved his stuff, it doesn't seem to bother him to sell of small pieces of Titanic's sister ship Olympic for $400 a pop to anybody with the money to buy.


it is a very nice exhibit and worth the money to visit (especially since it isn't too expensove), but the owner seems to be less interested in the actual historical sinking and more obsessee with the movie.

 

[tednvon]

Hi, shame, this was a fun place to go once...

Good news I think...we were told during the show that there were really no true artifacts from the ship, but all replicas of furniture, chairs, dishes...lots of great pictures, but all the exibits were not off the original ship.

I would love to have a set of the dishes, though, and maybe one of the deck chairs!

It is tough to be the 4th or 5th place on your list of things to do on a Disney trip...most folks don't get past 2 or 3..

The owner is sort of "going down with the ship' so to speak!

Peace...Ted

 

[bullet875]

Hi, shame, this was a fun place to go once...

Good news I think...we were told during the show that there were really no true artifacts from the ship, but all replicas of furniture, chairs, dishes...lots of great pictures, but all the exibits were not off the original ship.

I would love to have a set of the dishes, though, and maybe one of the deck chairs!

It is tough to be the 4th or 5th place on your list of things to do on a Disney trip...most folks don't get past 2 or 3..

The owner is sort of "going down with the ship' so to speak!

Peace...Ted

True..a lot of the "artifacts" were recreations purchased from J Peterman when they had the Titanic collection. All in all though, it was a fun time and impressive for Titanic buffs.

RMS Titanic Inc, holds the salvage rights to the wreck. However, if a relative of the original property owner can be found, they hold the rights tothat item and can ask it to be returned to the family. I believe that RMS Titanic Inc holds the rights to all unclaimed original artifacts.

I will say though, that it was a very well-thought out exhibit.

 

[ujpest_doza]

Does that mean Damons The Place for Ribs has also closed if the Mercado is closed, and also The Cricketers pub?

 

[caa1000]

Does that mean Damons The Place for Ribs has also closed if the Mercado is closed, and also The Cricketers pub?

Much of the business has relocated, but don't know about Damons Place for Ribs. Cricketers Arms Pub relocated up north on the Festival Bay Mall. I think there was another business in the Mercado, but don't know what happened, since I left Orlando to Seattle WA in March 2007. Still thinking of going back!

 

[Jason71]

Much of the business has relocated, but don't know about Damons Place for Ribs. Cricketers Arms Pub relocated up north on the Festival Bay Mall. I think there was another business in the Mercado, but don't know what happened, since I left Orlando to Seattle WA in March 2007. Still thinking of going back!

Bergamos (the Italian place with the singing waiters) relocated to Festival Bay with Cricketers Arms. Can't say what happened to Damon's--now that you bring it up, I haven't seen any ads recently, think it has been gone for a while now. There wasn't a whole lot left in Mercado at the end there.

 

[bullet875]

I was there last year andall I can remember seeing was the bar that was right across fromt the entrance to the Titanic Experience.

That area was dead for awhile now and I hope that they revive it and that Titanic finds a new port.

 

[SandraVB79]

As much as it's a shame that the artifacts were left out on the sidewalk (I don't think the heat was going to bother most of them, I worry more about pilferage and such) the ones to blame are the owners of the attraction who KNEW FOR MONTHS that this could very well happen and didn't have an alternate plan.

The landlord is not responsible for the tenants irresponsibility.

Anne

That is what I was thinking since I read the first post...

 

[Cool-Beans]

If I'd known that crap was sitting out there, I'd have grabbed some of it - like tickets and such.

But the stuff from the ship that they had in there was all replicas, to the best of my knowledge. They didn't have anything from the actual ship. They did have stuff from the movie, though. I hope some big fan of the movie got it!

I really enjoyed going there - the walk-through was interesting (and, IMO, funny), but it was going back and reading stuff that I found most interesting. And the ice...but that was more because I liked watching people's faces. If it hurts, stop!

I'm so sorry that it ended like it did.

 

[sue Z]

this was in the Orlando Sentinel today!! http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/newsletter/orl-titanic2407aug24,0,2404475.story?coll=orl_news_local_newsletter_subject

 

[Cool-Beans]

this was in the Orlando Sentinel today!! http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news....story?coll=orl_news_local_newsletter_subject

That sounds like great news! I hope the Titanic people get new space, move the stuff and re-open.