Disney Springs Discussion

[Parkscope Joe]

Isn't it also true that the vast majority of people who will visit WDW will only do so once in their life? With that perspective, it too is perishable.

Perishable I mean the actual location and event.

Anyway sorry. Back on topic about asparagus and steak!

 

[SeventyOne]

Great article.

http://themeparkuniversity.com/disney/is-walt-disney-world-getting-too-expensive/

I don't disagree the amphicars are overpriced. I assume it's a combination of not wanting them too busy--as was alluded to, at least two break down a day already, not designed for constant use--and misreading the market.

But I'll actually defend Boathouse's prices. Expensive, yes, but deceptively so. The $115 steak is for two--$60 for a premium steak is very high, but not outside the realm of a Ruth's Chris or Mortons or Bull & Bear. The $12 asparagus? There's enough for four. The Boathouse has "convention pricing," intended for the big boss at the table to pick up the tab for his employees and clients, then write if off on an expense account. And there is no denying it's as high a quality as anywhere in Orlando.

Now whether a restaurant like this belongs in Disney Springs is another story. But if this was a few miles away on Sand Lake or in Pointe Orlando, no one would bat an eye.

 

[Disneyhead]

Last week, I had lunch at The Boathouse. I was alone and in a bad mood. So I spent more than I should have.

$39 Filet
$7 Baked Potato
$21 Mai Tai (souvineer glass)
$24 2-Glasses Red Blend

$92 later, my mood was much better. The food was AMAZING. The atmosphere chillaxed. Service was excellent. Yeah, it's pricey. But it's really good. For it's location and the demo at DTD, I can't see how it won't be a home run.

 

[Friar Tuck & Roll]

My husband and I ventured to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs last night, and the last time we were there Splitsville wasn't open, and the parking garage hadn't even broken ground, so it's been a while. Some thoughts:
Getting in and out of DD is STILL a nightmare, and in fact, I think even worse than before, although we did not have a problem parking. We were in the lot behind Cirque du Soleil and House of Blues. Leaving the area and getting back onto I4 was also backed up, but whatever, Disney is Disney and it was a lovely Saturday night and the place was packed.

That's the other complaint, and nothing to be done about it-it was PACKED! I think all the construction walls didn't help matters, but my goodness, that's a lot of people. I have certainly been to DD when it hasn't been crowded, but typically it is earlier in the day (it was about 6:30-ish when we arrived).

I was at Downtown Disney around the same time this weekend and really did not enjoy it. I also parked behind Cirque du Soleil. My party did not go any further than the end of the West Side near Planet Hollywood. Yes, the place was really packed. One of the reasons may be the new additions to the walkways. There are now planters with what looks like EL train tracks in what used to be open walkways. These tracks also changed to lighting as the overhead strings of bulbs are no longer in this area and I felt the place was darker than before.

A bigger problem contributing to the packed feeling of the area is having fewer venues. When Pleasure Island was still operating much of the crowd that is now in the main walkways would have been inside the different clubs. Every club took a few hundred people out of the walkways, while I do not believe any of the current shops or even places like Splitsville remove as many people from the public spaces.

 

[Shadow Carelli]

I don't know if this has been talked about yet, but I spoke to a manager at the D Street store (which is right next to the Marvel store) about the opening of the Marvel store, and he said that the rumor is for the grand opening to coincide with the release of Avengers Age of Ultron in theaters next Friday on May 1st! I'm taking it with a grain of salt though.

 

[MrRoamer]

I have to admit, I'm pretty sad to be losing vinylmations. I spent way too much money on little plastic figurines to feel good about myself without that store.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I have to admit, I'm pretty sad to be losing vinylmations. I spent way too much money on little plastic figurines to feel good about myself without that store.

I wouldn't say they're going away, but they're definitely being reduced for another year or two. Disney burnt people out with constant releases.

 

[Brian G.]

I wouldn't say they're going away, but they're definitely being reduced for another year or two. Disney burnt people out with constant releases.

Agreed. I'd say they started to get over saturated around Park Series #2, which was the 3rd set released. Instead of making them special and a more unique souvenir, such as Park #1 - or even Urban #1 - they just decided to push where everyone could buy it.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I don't know if this has been talked about yet, but I spoke to a manager at the D Street store (which is right next to the Marvel store) about the opening of the Marvel store, and he said that the rumor is for the grand opening to coincide with the release of Avengers Age of Ultron in theaters next Friday on May 1st! I'm taking it with a grain of salt though.

Now confirmed to open this week per the Avengers Vinylmation press release:

http://diskingdom.com/2015/04/25/marvel-avengers-vinylmation-blind-box-series-officially-announced/

"New Vinylmation™ are landing in store locations soon! Be the first to ‘assemble’ this action packed collection May 1, 2015 only at the new Super Hero Headquarters at the Walt Disney World® Resort! Also look for this collection at D Street in the Downtown Disney® District at the Disneyland® Resort and D-Street in Downtown Disney® West Side at the Walt Disney World® Resort on May 8, 2015."

 

[MrRoamer]

Yeah the over saturation was a major problem and part of the reason I started only focusing on the park Starz series. The fact that they released some high profile ones that were removed very quickly made it frustrating (little mermaid, beauty and beast, nightmare)

Thankfully people could buy all the carpenter series ones every single time they went since that was the movie equivalent of Duffy

 

[Brian G.]

WDWNT states that the new hangar restaurant at DTD/DS will be “Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar”, themed to Indiana Jones. Jock is the pilot who appears in Raiders, and is the pilot who saves Indy from the natives during the intro scene.

 

[JungleSkip]

I can't even begin to describe how dumb that is.

Another brilliant [HASHTAG]#STORY[/HASHTAG] from WDI...

 

[Quint]

Frustrating. It would be easier to appreciate this if it were attached to an attraction/themed area.

 

[Zombie-C]

I have no problem about this until it opens and I can see how it is. The concept seems fine. I don't get all the hate. It's at DS! If it had been in DHS. With no land or E-ticket attached. Then maybe I would have a dislike about this.

 

[Nick]

Here's the blog post: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...t-downtown-disney-at-walt-disney-worldresort/

 

[Shadow Carelli]

Frustrating. It would be easier to appreciate this if it were attached to an attraction/themed area.

Jock's plane is actually outside of the Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull attraction at Tokyo Disney Sea.

 

[JungleSkip]

Frustrating. It would be easier to appreciate this if it were attached to an attraction/themed area.

Even then this concept would be lazy an unimaginative, IMO. This is a huge point of contention to me with current WDI, who thinks cutesy food names and a place with extremely tangential theming to an IP counts as an experience of said IP. This Hangar concept has NOTHING to do with Indiana Jones. Slapping a character's name from the movies on the sign and some phony postcards from Indy on the walls doesn't make it an Indiana Jones bar, it makes it a bar in Indiana Jones cosplay. There is nothing authentic about it. It's a classic halfbaked WDI #STORY pasted onto an eatery and shoved onto the laps of drooling WDW fans so desperate for any real content that they'll lap it up and say how great the details are.

Probably a bit harsh, but Raiders is my favorite movie, and to see the Indy IP used so cheaply and haphazardly pisses me off. It's no surprise why people like JKR pick Universal over Disney when you see such boring concepts as this.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

omg it's a restaurant in a shopping center. The Adventurer's Club that everyone freaks out for was in the same position. Same with Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex. What about the plane outside Jimmy Buffet at Citywalk? Is that lazy too? And Antojito's isn't in a Mexico-themed plaza despite being "authentic Mexican".

The Disney hate has been crazy lately. It's a restaurant, take it for what it is.

 

[JungleSkip]

omg it's a restaurant in a shopping center. The Adventurer's Club that everyone freaks out for was in the same position. Same with Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex. What about the plane outside Jimmy Buffet at Citywalk? Is that lazy too? And Antojito's isn't in a Mexico-themed plaza despite being "authentic Mexican".

The Disney hate has been crazy lately. It's a restaurant, take it for what it is.

The point, you've missed it.

 

[Shadow Carelli]

Even then this concept would be lazy an unimaginative, IMO. This is a huge point of contention to me with current WDI, who thinks cutesy food names and a place with extremely tangential theming to an IP counts as an experience of said IP. This Hangar concept has NOTHING to do with Indiana Jones. Slapping a character's name from the movies on the sign and some phony postcards from Indy on the walls doesn't make it an Indiana Jones bar, it makes it a bar in Indiana Jones cosplay. There is nothing authentic about it. It's a classic halfbaked WDI #STORY pasted onto an eatery and shoved onto the laps of drooling WDW fans so desperate for any real content that they'll lap it up and say how great the details are.

Probably a bit harsh, but Raiders is my favorite movie, and to see the Indy IP used so cheaply and haphazardly pisses me off. It's no surprise why people like JKR pick Universal over Disney when you see such boring concepts as this.

What if they did Marion's bar? (Even though they wouldn't, do you think that would have been a better choice?)