Unfortunately Jt, you know very little about the Southeast. Restrain your commentary accordingly.
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Apricot Lane to open at DTD right in the heart of Hyperion Wharf territory
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Unfortunately Jt, you know very little about the Southeast. Restrain your commentary accordingly.
disneyny
Member
As someone who was cautiously optimistic and willing to give them a chance when Hyperion Wharf was announced, I am confused by this move. It is as if they are still trying to make this place fail. Did you change your mind? Ok, admit it and announce something. Anything other than grass and mulch and a boring chain store. I am shocked that whoever is leading this whole Pleasure Island/Hyperion Wharf mess still has a job in the company. Or is no one in charge anymore and this is all a mistake? Wow are they ever messing this project up. Does anyone remember what the former Harley building was labeled as in the Hyperion Wharf concept art? Was it that generic named building or was it Silk Road or something? I can't even remember anymore. This blows my mind.
The've had success with the Disneyland model, no doubt. But that Downtown Disney is located right outside the parks and hotels...walking (or in some cases, falling) distance from where everybody already is. A mix of stores and restaurants that you see at upscale malls is perfect in that spot.
But WDW DtD has to function as a destination itself, not a complementary offering. Hyperion Wharf needs to be a destination, and putting in more upscale, but not unique, retail, just ain't gonna do it.
askmike1
Member
I don't get why this misconception won't go away. The land formerly known as Pleasure Island is still quite crowded on a daily basis (especially after 5pm). There are people constantly going through it so it is a ghost town only in the sense of what is open in it.
As for this store, I will reserve judgement until its open, I just hope its a continuation of the Hyperion Wharf theming rather than something completely new.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Apricot Lane opened last month in Anaheim in the former location of Kitson Kids, when Kitson Kids suddenly closed up shop after two years there. The location was originally the home to Starabilias, which was there from Downtown Disney's opening in 2001 until it closed in Anahiem in 2008 (before the whole Starabilias chain shut down in '09).
I went in there a couple weeks ago with a young female family member, who spent 30 seconds browsing before she declared the store "trashy" and we left.
According to the Apricot Lane website, they are headquartered in Northern California and are on a major expansion program right now...
"Today, we support 90 current and planned Apricot Lane stores in 28 States and plan to open 30-40 stores per year." http://www.apricotlaneusa.com/index.cfm?pID=1485
It's a basic mall store, of questionable value at that, and I'm not sure why it belongs in either Downtown Disney on either coast. But apparently Apricot Lane is one of the rare retailers who is expanding right now and wants to sign leases, even if it's in the middle of a ghost-town section of a mall under slow development like Hyperion Wharf. :veryconfu
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Really great points there! And for those who haven't been to Disneyland, the mention of "falling" into Anaheim's Downtown Disney is not a reference to drunkards stumbling back from the House of Blues. :lol:
It's a reference to the fact that rows and rows of Grand Californian Hotel room balconies sit above a long stretch of Downtown Disney.
Here's the view of Downtown Disney from one of the Grand Californian rooms, looking west towards the opposite end of Downtown Disney and the towers of the Disneyland Hotel sitting at the other end where Apricot Lane is now.
Balcony view of Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel, from a Grand Californian Hotel room
View of Downtown DIsney from hotel balcony by karlb, on Flickr
In addition to 3,000+ Disney-owned hotel rooms being literally steps away from Downtown Disney in Anaheim, the massive parking lot tram operation loads/unloads directly across from the World of Disney store and the entrance to the mall area. (The four-station tram loading area is directly on the other side of the landscaped area at the right of the picture above) At the end of the night both Disneyland and DCA empty out and direct most of the 22 Million theme park visitors at Disneyland Reosrt each year head towards the tram loading area at Downtown Disney.
It's all literally steps from each other, in a very compact and multi-layered planned urban environment. Housing built above retail/dining adjacent to mass transportation.
WDW's Downtown Disney doesn't have that benefit, as even some of the hotels in Lake Buena Vista are quite a prohibitive walk away, especially in the Florida climate most of the year. Downtown Disney in Orlando, specifically Hyperion Wharf for the sake of this conversation, needs to be different than Anaheim's Downtown Disney. WDW's Downtown Disney has to attract people on its own, it has to be its own magnet competing against the other theme parks and area attractions screaming for the tourists time and dollars.
.
John
Well-Known Member
Really great points there! And for those who haven't been to Disneyland, the mention of "falling" into Anaheim's Downtown Disney is not a reference to drunkards stumbling back from the House of Blues. :lol:
It's a reference to the fact that rows and rows of Grand Californian Hotel room balconies sit above a long stretch of Downtown Disney.
Here's the view of Downtown Disney from one of the Grand Californian rooms, looking west towards the opposite end of Downtown Disney and the towers of the Disneyland Hotel sitting at the other end where Apricot Lane is now.
Balcony view of Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel, from a Grand Californian Hotel room
View of Downtown DIsney from hotel balcony by karlb, on Flickr
In addition to 3,000+ Disney-owned hotel rooms being literally steps away from Downtown Disney in Anaheim, the massive parking lot tram operation loads/unloads directly across from the World of Disney store and the entrance to the mall area. (The four-station tram loading area is directly on the other side of the landscaped area at the right of the picture above) At the end of the night both Disneyland and DCA empty out and direct most of the 22 Million theme park visitors at Disneyland Reosrt each year head towards the tram loading area at Downtown Disney.
It's all literally steps from each other, in a very compact and multi-layered planned urban environment. Housing built above retail/dining adjacent to mass transportation.
WDW's Downtown Disney doesn't have that benefit, as even some of the hotels in Lake Buena Vista are quite a prohibitive walk away, especially in the Florida climate most of the year. Downtown Disney in Orlando, specifically Hyperion Wharf for the sake of this conversation, needs to be different than Anaheim's Downtown Disney. WDW's Downtown Disney has to attract people on its own, it has to be its own magnet competing against the other theme parks and area attractions screaming for the tourists time and dollars.
.
:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:
Mouse Detective
Well-Known Member
Well any rumor that the Mannequins building was going to be demolished is now out the window, since this location is technically in the building that houses Mannequins & 8traxx.
The concept art showed the Harley space as a multi-level restaurant or store with the name of Zach Divine. Pretty sure that was just a made up name but the shape of the building was shown. That's now thrown out. The concept art also showed a Silk Road restaurant in the Mannequins building. If that was actually coming we don't know but it was the name of a real restaurant but I think I read the company went bankrupt.
What does this mean? I think it means they're desperate for one thing. But I also think that the rumor that 3rd parties will be allowed to reopen existing club buildings as clubs with new names remains viable. Mix a few new "cool" stores in with some cool new comedy and music clubs could be excellent.
The concept art showed the Harley space as a multi-level restaurant or store with the name of Zach Divine. Pretty sure that was just a made up name but the shape of the building was shown. That's now thrown out. The concept art also showed a Silk Road restaurant in the Mannequins building. If that was actually coming we don't know but it was the name of a real restaurant but I think I read the company went bankrupt.
What does this mean? I think it means they're desperate for one thing. But I also think that the rumor that 3rd parties will be allowed to reopen existing club buildings as clubs with new names remains viable. Mix a few new "cool" stores in with some cool new comedy and music clubs could be excellent.
I still think that just happened to be the piece of concept art Disney was using to pitch the project to Silk Road. I don't believe it necessarily means they were on-board.
scpergj
Well-Known Member
jt, your disdain for the southeastern US is amazing. Search for shopping districts in any medium size or larger city in Dixie, and you'll find many different high end shopping malls, INCLUDING in Orlando! Up here in Jacksonville, we have the St. Johns Town Center, which is quite upscale, including a Tiffany, Coach, Apple store, and many others. The area also includes several high end restaurants - Capital Grill, Cantina Laredo, Mitchell's Fish Markety, j. alexander, P.F. Chang, Cheesecake Factory...and in the evenings, some of these have (gasp) outdoor bars to serve waiting clients adult beverages!
Downtown Disney, and the area formerly known as Pleasure Island, has become nothing more than another shopping mall. Admit it, and get over it - TDO messed up big time.
I could see this store being a compatible neighbor of a re-opened dance club next door.
Raven?? Lee?? Can either of you comment on this??
jt04
Well-Known Member
Disdain? What are you talking about?
Obviously you are trolling for an argument. Sorry, won't work. And the crowds at DTD prove you and others are woefully ignorant of what the overwhelming majority of Disney's consumers want from their excursions to WDW. Have a nice day.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
I disagree. The Marketplace has some fun restaurants, and some of the best shops at Disney, not to mention a fantastic ice cream shop. This has always been what The Marketplace is. Not to mention the fact that the setting is picture perfect.
The West Side has a bit left to it with Magic Masters, House of Blues, Planet Hollywood, and Cirque De Soleil.
Pleasure Island is the disaster of DTD. The lack of imagination that has gone into that area astounds me.
Thunder Kz
Active Member
http://shop.apricotlanespringfield.com/Store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=12
Who is making the decisions here? Disney seems content to let the highest bidder define its bold new vision. DTD has got it all wrong. The phrase isn't "If they come, we will build it." DISNEY should be creating and developing this amazing location, not some tending retailers looking for a marketing strategy.
Who is making the decisions here? Disney seems content to let the highest bidder define its bold new vision. DTD has got it all wrong. The phrase isn't "If they come, we will build it." DISNEY should be creating and developing this amazing location, not some tending retailers looking for a marketing strategy.
jt04
Well-Known Member
What lack of imagination? They have not even started major construction yet.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
That's because they have absolutely no clue what they are going to build.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
Exactly. How long have those clubs been dormant now?
