Disney Quest Closing???

[rdeacon]

I hope this is just a rumor.

This "quest" is finally coming to an end.

What was once supposed to have been the flagship of an entire chain of 30 indoor theme parks, one that would have eventually encircled the globe, DisneyQuest will be closing in 18 months. Then this 5-story tall, 100,000 square foot structure -- which towers over the West Side section of Downtown Disney -- will be gutted & turned into a brand-new ESPN Zone.

According to one WDW insider who was privvy to this decision:

"I'll be sorry to see DisneyQuest go. But this is really the right choice for Downtown Disney. A ESPN Zone will freshen up the mix on the West Side. This new sports dining and entertainment venue will have strong appeal to both WDW guests as well as Orlando locals. And given that we'll regularly be doing broadcasts from an on-site studio, this ESPN Zone will also help up Downtown Disney's profile. So it's really a win-win for Walt Disney World."

As you might imagine, the cast members who currently work at WDW's DisneyQuest and/or the ESPN Club over at Disney's Boardwalk Inn resort (Which will be closing once WDW's new ESPN Zone opens) have a very different take on the company's decision to shutter its indoor theme park. Said one DisneyQuest staffer:

"This just stinks. Sure, attendance has been flat at DisneyQuest for the past few years. But that's because we haven't had a new attraction since "Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold" replaces "Hercules in the Underworld" back in 2000. Plus Disney doesn't really promote us anymore to people staying on property. So how is DisneyQuest supposed to attract WDW guests with no shows and zero promotion?

If the company had just gotten behind us, I'm sure that we could have been a success ..."

Ah, but that was the real problem, folks. Disney Company executives felt that they'd already poured enough money into the development & creation of DisneyQuest. Initial work on the indoor theme park project began back in 1994, with proof-of-concept field tests of various proposed DQ rides & attractions (Remember the "Imagineering Lab" at Epcot's Future World? Where two lucky guests from each tour group got the chance to try out the prototype version of "Aladdin's Flying Carpet Ride"?).

After four years of R & D, the Walt Disney Company was finally ready to go forward with the DQ project. Which (in theory) would have brought the Disney theme park experience into urban enviroments. Which would have then allowed the Disney corporation to tap into a potentially huge new customer base.

The only problem was the initial cash outlay for constructing a DisneyQuest was huge. Enormous. $80 - $100 million each. And then ... Well, it was going to take Mickey years (and dozens of other DQs having to be built in untapped markets all around the world) before Disney Regional Entertainment (I.E. The division of the Mouse House that actually ran herd on the DisneyQuests) finally began making any serious money off of this project.

Which is why -- almost from the get-go -- the Walt Disney Company began cutting corners on the DisneyQuests. Whereas the WDW version was 100,000 square feet, the Chicago version of DisneyQuest (Which opened in June of 2000) was only 90,000 square feet. And the DQ that was in the works for Philadelphia (Before that project was abruptly cancelled in 2000)? That DisneyQuest was only supposed to be 80,000 square feet.

Given that the WDW version of DisneyQuest (Which had been built to handle 1400 guests an hour) rarely if ever met its attendance projections, the corporation quickly lost all enthusiasm for this project. Cutting back on its original plan to swap out 15-20% of the rides, shows & attractions every two years as well as abandoning its plan to build the other 28 DQs in the chain. The Chicago operation closed in September of 2001, after only 27 months of operation.

And the WDW version of DisneyQuest? ... Well, that's pretty much limped along ever since. The staff & management team there knew that the end was eventually coming. They just didn't know when Mickey would eventually pull the plug.

But clearly there were signs. When the DisneyQuest Emporium got rid of virtually all of its merchandise featuring the DQ logo and began selling generic Disney trinkets ... Well, that was one indication that Mouse House managers were finally getting ready to make their move.

Then earlier this year, when Walt Disney Company officials announced their plans to begin "freshening up" Pleasure Island by shutting down various stores & restaurants there that were under-performing ... DisneyQuest workers, realizing that this West Side facility hadn't ever met any of its attendance or financial projections in years, knew that DQ would soon be on the chopping block.

So, when I called a couple of DisneyQuest employees earlier this week looking for comment of the upcoming closing, most folks were sad but not surprised. Some even tried to be a bit upbeat. As one cast member told me:

"At least we're getting plenty of advance notice about the closing. Plus if they stick with this 18 months timetable, we'll still be able to celebrate DisneyQuest's 10th anniversary. That should be one hell of a party."

So just a "heads up" here, folks. If you're a big "CyberSpace Mountain" fan, make sure that you drop by WDW's DisneyQuest in the coming months and get in a couple of rides. For -- come January of 2008 (Reportedly right after the Christmas crowds go home) -- DisneyQuest will close its doors forever. And then -- after several months of extensive construction -- this distinct structure will eventually re-emerge as Downtown Disney's new EZPN Zone.

Disney PR types are hoping that this new sports dining and entertainment experience will be ready to open by October 1, 2008 (Just in time for Disney World's annual press event). But those who are familiar with all the work that will need to be done in order to change the old DisneyQuest building into a state-of-the-art ESPN Zone say that the proposed construction schedule is overly optimistic. And that -- more than likely -- it won't be 'til the late winter or early spring of 2009 'til this revamped West Side facility is actually ready to serve its first customer.

But what do you folks think? Are you sad to learn that Downtown Disney will soon be losing the world's only remaining DisneyQuest? Or are you excited to hear the West Side will soon have its very own ESPN Zone?

Good thing I am going there on this trip!


Rich

[js3901]

I hope I can afford to get down there before this closes, should this be true. I absolutely LOVE DisneyQuest. My favorite place outside of the parks.

On that note, since you're going down there and you asked for picture requests - please get plenty of pictures of the building, interiors (if possible), and anything else. just in case I can't get down there...

[swarlock]

Wow!

And for months I told Mom that we were going to go to DisneyQuest one of these days.

Looks like I'll have to pay a visit very soon before the place gets gutted.

As for The ESPN ZONE Thing. Was never a big fan of Sports.

[FlatlandMounty]

I know they gave a time period...but when is it supposed to close? Like next January? or what?

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

I hope this isn't true. To be honest I don't see it as "limping along." Everytime I've been in there (often in off seasons) the place is packed. Maybe not as packed as Disney would like with 40 minute long lines, but to get on most of the non-arcade standards there would be some wait. I agree though, it's just not promoted the way it should be - it's more like people have to stumble upon it. And it hasn't had any updates other than standard arcade game updates that any local arcade would do.

[Fantasrick]

That's a real shame to hear that they will be ending the Disney Quest so soon. I never experienced it myself. How many are there? Is there just the one in Orlando or are there others as well?

[spaulo]

Honestly, outside the Cyberspace Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean things, I never saw a point to it. It's an arcade. Whoopedy-doo. The Virtual Jungle Cruise and Aladdin's Magic Carpet "games" are frustrating as hell.

Although, it will take away one of the things you use your "+1" on an extended-stay ticket for.

[Fantasrick]

Yeah, from my understanding it is a way for Disney to recycle older ideas, for example I remember when the Aladdin's carpet VR attraction was on dispay at innoventions in the WDI section.

[Dr. Ravenscroft]

The game where you were you drove the remote controlled car and navigated through the floor I loved so much. I only was able to play it for one trip and boy did I play it I think 3 hours a night for 7 nights. By the end of the trip I had figured out a way to cheat, I would get my brother to shine my flashlight (mini-mag that I always carry) down into the track and I just followed the light.

I was saddened on my next two trips when it wasn't working. I should build one in my basement. OOO OOO OOO IF MOUSE SURPLUS GETS IT I CAN!!!!!!!! I have to contact them about that.

[MouseMan]

They originally planned to open about 20 DisneyQuests in major cities around the US. The second one they opened was in Chicago in 98 or 99. It closed in the fall of 2001. I never thought it was worth going to, so it's no suprise (or loss) to me to see more closing.

[Millionaire2K]

I think it's a shame more people don't go to Disney Quest. However I think Disney should have put more money into it.

[Mr.ToadWildRider]

Yeah, from my understanding it is a way for Disney to recycle older ideas, for example I remember when the Aladdin's carpet VR attraction was on dispay at innoventions in the WDI section.

I believe that the display at Innoventions was a test run FOR DisneyQuest. So, it wasn't really a recycled idea - it was intended to go into DQ but when they were developing it they put it on display at EPCOT.

It is an "arcade" but the VR and 360º games are all quite fun and different than what a standard arcade has. Plus a lot of people overlook the art level where you can actually learn how to draw classic Disney characters. Also, I have to say I could ride Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blaster ALL DAY - that ride is so fun! It's such a simple yet innovative concept too - take bumper cars and add dodgeball and voila! An instant blast! It's so fun when you roll up on someone and put your friend in a great position to land a direct hit on their star target and send them spinning heh. I kinda wish the cars had more Bump to them though - although if they were stronger and matched what a real bumper car can do to eachother that big plastic case would probably crumble. That wouldn't be good...

[Dr. Ravenscroft]

The one thing that always got me was the fact that every time I went the old "Classic" Star Wars game wasn't working. That is one of my favorite arcade games of all time. I also like the flight simulator they have in the back of the main arcade level.

The best ball shooting game I have ever seen was at Dorney Park in Allentown, PA or Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA I can never remember. It had about ten tennis ball guns lined up on the outside of a cage, the cage was about 30ft. x30ft. and they have vehicles that you could drive around in in the cage. The object was to attack the vehicles and vise versa.

[Millionaire2K]

Dude that was at Dorney Park! It was by far the best! To bad they removed it years ago.

[rdeacon]

The one thing that always got me was the fact that every time I went the old "Classic" Star Wars game wasn't working. That is one of my favorite arcade games of all time. I also like the flight simulator they have in the back of the main arcade level.

The best ball shooting game I have ever seen was at Dorney Park in Allentown, PA or Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA I can never remember. It had about ten tennis ball guns lined up on the outside of a cage, the cage was about 30ft. x30ft. and they have vehicles that you could drive around in in the cage. The object was to attack the vehicles and vise versa.

If you are still intrested and want to take a trip up to NJ... there is a similar game on the Seaside Heights boardwalk.

Rich