The Downtown Disney Thread

[Stevek]

How interesting would it be if they decide to get rid of DTD west of the bridge.

Add gates to the bridge and make that an entrance to the park. Disneyland hotel would become a new hotel inside the park

I don't know if there is really a reason for them to knock out the ESPN and Rainforest buildings as it won't add a ton of space for park expansion/entry and it would provide more options for that end BUT, I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually get removed.

 

[KeithVH]

If we go by the artwork they released, it looks that they at least have an idea of layout for that area.
The art shows the area used by the rainforest cafe as being a future gate entrance.

The northern and southern area of the expansion are connected by a corridor used as park expansion. The area looks like it would butt up against the hotel on the west side and up against the new Din Tai Fung.

If we go by that layout it seems like downtown Disney would consist only of what is being built at the moment. ESPN and Rainforest would be demolished for theme park use.

The new additions can technically use the newly built security gate area as an exit from theme park to DTD giving that area plenty of foottraffic.

The question is how do they get disneyland hotel guests from that property thru the park area and to DTD so they can head over to DCA and Disneyland.

That last one is something I'd really like to know too. Someone has to have the answer here, right?

 

[Ice Gator]

Anyone wonder what's left in the REST of the Rainforest building? The SW gift shop (which looks horrible and feels like a pop up store in an abandoned Blockbuster Video) only utilizes the gift shop portion of the restaurant. Are all the empty fish tanks, animatronic animals, tables, and foliage just sitting back there behind the wall, rotting away?

 

[Jiggsawpuzzle35]

Anyone wonder what's left in the REST of the Rainforest building? The SW gift shop (which looks horrible and feels like a pop up store in an abandoned Blockbuster Video) only utilizes the gift shop portion of the restaurant. Are all the empty fish tanks, animatronic animals, tables, and foliage just sitting back there behind the wall, rotting away?

Beats me but I’m glad they closed that restaurant down. The food was garbage for the price you paid. I’d rather eat at a Dennys. On my trip to Walt Disney World last month, I made it known that Rain Forest and T Rex were off limits.

 

[DrAlice]

Google Earth to the rescue!

View attachment 788816 View attachment 788817

Wow. This really shows how much land that AMC theater was swallowing up! In the space of one theater, they've put in: a security entrance, a large restaurant, a stage with open space, a bar and diner, and several shops! That's crazy! What a much better use of space (from a tourist perspective).

 

[J4546]

yeah I much prefer the DD expansion over the amc theater as well. Though it would be cool if they had 1 screen theater showing classic disney movies from morning till night. Maybe something kinda like the sci fi drive in but not sci fi themed, just classic cars.

 

[Parteecia]

yeah I much prefer the DD expansion over the amc theater as well. Though it would be cool if they had 1 screen theater showing classic disney movies from morning till night. Maybe something kinda like the sci fi drive in but not sci fi themed, just classic cars.

I like it! And/or they could have a portable screen in the stage area to show cartoons, shorts, trailers, etc.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

Anyone wonder what's left in the REST of the Rainforest building? The SW gift shop (which looks horrible and feels like a pop up store in an abandoned Blockbuster Video) only utilizes the gift shop portion of the restaurant. Are all the empty fish tanks, animatronic animals, tables, and foliage just sitting back there behind the wall, rotting away?

I asked a CM who works there, & he essentially told me most of the foliage & all of the animatronics and static figures were removed. Alot of the temple theming & concrete trees have supposedly remained, probably due to the fact they’re alot more difficult to remove and some of it’s disguised structural support, but yeah the AAs were sent back to the warehouse in Texas. I don’t care what anyone says about the food, I personally love RFC! Call it tacky or whatever you want, but that place is decked out floor to ceiling with theming. Aside the food it’s still a pretty important staple in themed entertainment outside of theme parks

 

[Ice Gator]

I asked a CM who works there, & he essentially told me most of the foliage & all of the animatronics and static figures were removed. Alot of the temple theming & concrete trees have supposedly remained, probably due to the fact they’re alot more difficult to remove and some of it’s disguised structural support, but yeah the AAs were sent back to the warehouse in Texas. I don’t care what anyone says about the food, I personally love RFC! Call it tacky or whatever you want, but that place is decked out floor to ceiling with theming. Aside the food it’s still a pretty important staple in themed entertainment outside of theme parks

Thanks for the insight. Yeah personally I love RFC- I know the food is pretty standard/overpriced but it's so much fun for kids or just to get a drink or two there on a night out. I live in Michigan and my local RFC is still always busy and full of families as its in a pretty huge mall. The WDW Disney Springs location is probably the best and most profitable since it gets business from tourists 365 days a year. It also has a nice "Lava Lounge" bar that sits outside on the water if you want to avoid the noise of animatronic gorillas and crying children inside.

DL's only closed because of that planned hotel that never went through, not that the location was underperforming, which kind of sucks since the temple structure is so cool. I'd rather them bulldoze it entirely since I find the SW gift shop extremely tacky and a waste of space as there is an abandoned two-story restaurant attached to it with a lot of potential. I hope the rest of DTD's refresh takes out the remaining "old" structures so it doesn't feel like you're walking around the skeletons from a much better era of DTD.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

Thanks for the insight. Yeah personally I love RFC- I know the food is pretty standard/overpriced but it's so much fun for kids or just to get a drink or two there on a night out. I live in Michigan and my local RFC is still always busy and full of families as its in a pretty huge mall. The WDW Disney Springs location is probably the best and most profitable since it gets business from tourists 365 days a year. It also has a nice "Lava Lounge" bar that sits outside on the water if you want to avoid the noise of animatronic gorillas and crying children inside.

DL's only closed because of that planned hotel that never went through, not that the location was underperforming, which kind of sucks since the temple structure is so cool. I'd rather them bulldoze it entirely since I find the SW gift shop extremely tacky and a waste of space as there is an abandoned two-story restaurant attached to it with a lot of potential. I hope the rest of DTD's refresh takes out the remaining "old" structures so it doesn't feel like you're walking around the skeletons from a much better era of DTD.

Happy to help! & yeah I agree, what I’d really love for them to do is maybe an Indiana Jones themed restaurant with AAs and some nice special effects. Of course that makes too much sense for them to ever consider doing it, but seeing that temple vacant with SW merch shoehorned in is very depressing. I talked to a former civil engineer who worked for WDI a while back, and he essentially told me that WDI pushed for the location to look like a temple in order to standout amongst its other locations, most of which are within mills malls

 

[Ice Gator]

Happy to help! & yeah I agree, what I’d really love for them to do is maybe an Indiana Jones themed restaurant with AAs and some nice special effects. Of course that makes too much sense for them to ever consider doing it, but seeing that temple vacant with SW merch shoehorned in is very depressing. I talked to a former civil engineer who worked for WDI a while back, and he essentially told me that WDI pushed for the location to look like a temple in order to standout amongst its other locations, most of which are within mills malls

The space would have really been perfect for an Indy restaurant- like an expanded version of Lindsay’s Hangar Bar over at Disney Springs. IIRC the only other RFC that has the temple exterior is the one in Atlantic City- but it’s more of a facade to the building rather than a whole temple structure built from the ground up. It was such a cool location even if DL’s was lacking many of the animal animatronics the other restaurants had (jaguars and crocodiles).

 

[TP2000]

Beats me but I’m glad they closed that restaurant down. The food was garbage for the price you paid. I’d rather eat at a Dennys. On my trip to Walt Disney World last month, I made it known that Rain Forest and T Rex were off limits.

Good for you for putting your foot down! I went to that RFC quite a few times when my nephews were young 20 years ago, but I could not get over how bad the food was. Everything tasted microwaved and goopy. The restaurant was fun especially with hyped up kids in tow, don't get me wrong, but my God was the food awful.

Wow. This really shows how much land that AMC theater was swallowing up! In the space of one theater, they've put in: a security entrance, a large restaurant, a stage with open space, a bar and diner, and several shops! That's crazy! What a much better use of space (from a tourist perspective).

I think this shows how much American culture and the Resort's demographics have changed in 25 years. Back then, Downtown Disney was thought to be a combo locals/tourist hangout zone, and thus the theater made sense. But now they are clearly re-aiming Downtown Disney squarely at tourists, and would likely prefer the locals stay away unless they are also going to the parks that day. If only to preserve more parking capacity for parks customers instead of just locals coming to windowshop and promenade around for free. And why pay to go to the movies when you can just stream it at home?

DL's only closed because of that planned hotel that never went through, not that the location was underperforming, which kind of sucks since the temple structure is so cool.

Ooh, good point! I had forgotten that part of the timeline here. Yes, that western flank of Downtown Disney was allowed to dwindle and shut down because Michael Colglazier was going to build a big, generic hotel on that property. Thank God that didn't happen and Mr. Colglazier was eventually invited to spend more time with his family.

 

[Disneyland/DCA]

Glad that hotel was never built; super ugly. Although the DVC expansion and Pixar hotel werent great consolations either. Haha!

Steaming hot take: they should repurpose some of the old America Sings animatronics into a Chuck E Cheese style venue in either the old ESPN or RFC building.

 

[Consumer]

I don’t remember the concept art being so bland.

 

[TP2000]

I don’t remember the concept art being so bland.

Compared to being stuck next to Mrs. Colglazier at a dinner party or charity event, who I know for a fact is the most boring, bland, and bizarrely snobby woman you can imagine, this artwork must have looked incredibly exciting to Mr. Colglazier.

 

[Homemade Imagineering]

Steaming hot take: they should repurpose some of the old America Sings animatronics into a Chuck E Cheese style venue in either the old ESPN or RFC building.

As a huge sucker for Pizza Time Theater & Showbiz Pizza I wouldn’t mind that in the slightestthey could build an America Sings lite with vintage parks memorabilia flanking the stage, showroom and all, with a retro arcade attached. Now that CEC has removed a majority of their animatronic stages, maybe Disney could weight in on the nostalgia factor. There really should be more entertainment venues outside the parks with animatronic shows. Not everyone can afford a family vacation

 

[PiratesMansion]

Glad that hotel was never built; super ugly. Although the DVC expansion and Pixar hotel werent great consolations either. Haha!

Steaming hot take: they should repurpose some of the old America Sings animatronics into a Chuck E Cheese style venue in either the old ESPN or RFC building.

They could just copy and paste the Tony Solaroni pizza joint from TDL, complete with AA and 15-minute video loop, and it would be hugely successful.

 

[Ice Gator]

Steaming hot take: they should repurpose some of the old America Sings animatronics into a Chuck E Cheese style venue in either the old ESPN or RFC building.

While I think the AS/Splash animatronics are officially forever gone- there is one concept that could theoretically work like this at DL- Country Bears. It was originally intended for an unbuilt Disney ski resort as a dinner show type venue after the slopes would close. I still a Disney owned ski resort would have been cool.

 

[TP2000]

While I think the AS/Splash animatronics are officially forever gone- there is one concept that could theoretically work like this at DL- Country Bears. It was originally intended for an unbuilt Disney ski resort as a dinner show type venue after the slopes would close. I still a Disney owned ski resort would have been cool.

Yes, the Mineral King ski resort would have been very cool.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, the Mineral King ski resort would have been very cool.

Too bad Walt died, while it continued for a few years after he died I suspect it would have been built if he had been alive even with the opposition from the Sierra Club.