'Disney Springs' - Downtown Disney expansion officially announced

[scpergj]

Somebody somewhere pointed out that the Lego store has the orange color on one of the Disney Springs overlay maps, an indication that it was being torn down. But it seemed highly unlikely that it would be eliminated since it was just enlarged a couple years ago.

But today I was at the Lego store and walked up to two cashiers that were standing there and asked about that. Both immediately sported ****-eating grins on their faces and quickly denied that they were moving or the building was to be demolished. But their weird unnatural grins did not instill confidence in me about what they were saying.

Something's up with Lego.

As long as they have a store in DTD - or DS or whatever the heck it's name is or will be - I'll be OK with it. The shape of that particular store as well as the entrances kind of make the place feel a bit cramped at times, so a larger new location would be really nice.

 

[G00fyDad]

Somebody somewhere pointed out that the Lego store has the orange color on one of the Disney Springs overlay maps, an indication that it was being torn down. But it seemed highly unlikely that it would be eliminated since it was just enlarged a couple years ago.

But today I was at the Lego store and walked up to two cashiers that were standing there and asked about that. Both immediately sported ****-eating grins on their faces and quickly denied that they were moving or the building was to be demolished. But their weird unnatural grins did not instill confidence in me about what they were saying.

Something's up with Lego.

See. That's what I was saying before. Lego is one of the stores on the sign (photo posted earlier in thread) and I couldn't understand why since that is a store already there. Why have it listed when not one single other store already built there is on the list. Something is going on with that store, but maybe it is being moved to a new location. Possibly even bigger?

 

[Rodan75]

I assure you Florida had no such buildings but that does not mean I disagree with you. Rather the area will represent a post industrial city center. More Chicago than Miami. Didn't HoB start in Chicago? Every way I look at it, it seems to work.

And if I can be indulged to wear my Armchair Imagineering hat for a moment (which I rarely do anymore) a thought keeps occurring to me.

Since they are building a parking facility on the south side of DQ it would be easy to have the main entrance to DQ move to that side. That way a family could visit without having to walk through the West Side. This would allow West Side to be more adult oriented without discouraging young families from going to DQ in the evenings.

But here is the clincher. The top of the new parking garage could be a covered extension of DQ. So all you fellow armchair imagineers, pretty much skies the limit with such a concept. I do not think a driving range is viable though.

OK, that is my Armchair Imagineering for 2013. Thanks for your indulgence.

Have you been to Tampa, or anywhere else in FL that has 'old Florida' elements ?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Have you been to Tampa, or anywhere else in FL that has 'old Florida' elements ?

We're not sure if he's ever actually been to Florida.

 

[GoofGoof]

Somebody somewhere pointed out that the Lego store has the orange color on one of the Disney Springs overlay maps, an indication that it was being torn down. But it seemed highly unlikely that it would be eliminated since it was just enlarged a couple years ago.

But today I was at the Lego store and walked up to two cashiers that were standing there and asked about that. Both immediately sported ****-eating grins on their faces and quickly denied that they were moving or the building was to be demolished. But their weird unnatural grins did not instill confidence in me about what they were saying.

Something's up with Lego.

Could just be that a lot of people asked them that question since the announcement. Then again maybe legoland wants a monopoly on Lego stores in that part of FL. The Lego company that owns the blocks doesn't actually own more than a minority interest in Legoland so I doubt that's the case, but who knows.

 

[Lee]

According the plans, the Lego store will remain where it is.

And my memory about the food trucks location was correct:

 

[tissandtully]

According the plans, the Lego store will remain where it is.

I heard there will be a new Lego attraction opening at DS, the Florida Barefoot Lego Challenge.

"Tourists tempt fate by walking through a concrete maze blindfolded and barefoot among the ruins of stray Lego pieces. Only the strongfooted survive."

Seems legit.

 

[shannon12]

According the plans, the Lego store will remain where it is.

And my memory about the food trucks location was correct:

Oh thanks for that...I'm bad at picturing in my head where things go, and this helped!

 

[Goofyernmost]

I heard there will be a new Lego attraction opening at DS, the Florida Barefoot Lego Challenge.

"Tourists tempt fate by walking through a concrete maze blindfolded and barefoot among the ruins of stray Lego pieces. Only the strongfooted survive."

Seems legit.

Anyone with kids are practically professionals at that particular maze. Wouldn't be a challenge at all. Single folks might have a problem, but they probably wouldn't be at the Lego Store anyway.

 

[dhall]

Arguments and opinions of this new announcement aside, am I the only person that will still call this area "Downtown Disney"? (To be fair, it's been 5 years, and I still don't think I've ever referred to DHS as anything other than MGM)

shoot -- we still call it 'Lake Buena Vista' as much as 'Downtown Disney'

 

[dhall]

The irony in this is remarkable.

The thing Disney helped kill off is the same thing they're going to "resurrect" for the theming of their outdoor shopping mall.

And judging from the concept art, they didn't even do a good job capturing "Old Florida."

Not sure why the mall needs a complicated backstory, but there you have it...

Sorta like how Paradise Pier was the homage to the seaside parks Disneyland helped kill off

 

[lazyboy97o]

Sorta like how Paradise Pier was the homage to the seaside parks Disneyland helped kill off

Which only became weirder when it became the "What if Disney built a seaside amusement park?" Disney did build an amusement park and deliberately avoided the seaside.

 

[All Disney All The Time]

Won't be an American mall/shopping complex if it doesn't have Old Navy, Subway, GNC, Ruby Tuesdays, one of the various "Dollar" stores, a Chinese takeout/delivery place, TJ Maxx and/or Kohl's and a dying Sear's at the far end. Just save a lot of time, energy and effort and put in a WalMart. The gigantic, land whale WalMartians wearing their unwashed pajamas and slippers will need a familiar place to go after a hard day at the parks.

 

[jt04]

What was the false info about the Hatbox Ghost?

Redis claimed there would be a scarier HM at night where the masks in the graveyard would be reversed to something more intense and hatbox ghost would be added plus other stuff. Enigma then kept hatbox rumor going from there.

 

[Lee]

Redis claimed there would be a scarier HM at night where the masks in the graveyard would be reversed to something more intense and hatbox ghost would be added plus other stuff. Enigma then kept hatbox rumor going from there.

Well, there was some truth to the hatbox part.
I have it on pretty good authority that there was work done towards bringing him back, on both coasts.

(I also have proof that the molds for his head are sitting in WDI Florida, awaiting use....if they haven't been already.)

The scarier at night part.....total BS. Told him so at the time.

 

[jt04]

The only thing I can say is I am not in error. Also, that's not quite what I said in my post. Among other things, I said various parts of the architectural package did not fit with the reality of an Old Florida theme. I also said the elevated rail trestle is not accurate to Old Florida, to which you stated the West Side was not going to be a part of that theming. When, in fact, it is. I know that firsthand from the team. So, no, this is not hatbox ghost. West Side will not get the heavy theming that the new sections will get, but as I've noted a couple times, the entire zone will get an overlay that will tie everything together.

There will be a train and tracks apparently in the springs area. That is clear in some of the concept art. So that theme may be used as a sort of aesthetic connection between the lands. There is a train in DAK and a train at the MK but their story line is quite different. Even within the MK the same train has different back stories depending on where it is but it is the same train. Perhaps that is what you heard will "tie everything together".

But if you look at the concept art it appears the elevated track ends on its way towards the area formally known as PI (as you seem to theorize). This is a common sight in cities where sections of elevated track falls into disuse and is repurposed. New York City has done this and Chicago is in the process of doing this. That is what you see in the artwork for west side. Again, nobody has said the west side is part of the springs area. It has been stated there will be four zones. Each seem to have a different theming. And the train depicted in front of the old AC is not on an elevated track. Because the place-setting is within a different place and time.

Please no "Back to the Future" references. Thank you.

 

[Lee]

Because the place-setting is within a different place and time.

Since the AC end of PI is on a higher elevation, roughly matching the height of the elevated track on the West Side, I am assuming that it is all part of the same old, abandoned rail system.

I see it as different "neighborhoods", with slightly different looks, but all in the same time/place...the "town" of Disney Springs.

 

[jt04]

Since the AC end of PI is on a higher elevation, roughly matching the height of the elevated track on the West Side, I am assuming that it is all part of the same old, abandoned rail system.

I see it as different "neighborhoods", with slightly different looks, but all in the same time/place...the "town" of Disney Springs.

I hate to disagree with you as it never seems to end well for me. But if you are right I hope they reconsider unless there is some element like time travel in the storyline because nothing about the West End says "old Florida" to me. Using similar water elements, lighting features and the train concept to create a consistent theming element makes some sense. But trying to claim the West End is 1900's Florida seems forced at best.

Just my opinion.

 

[Lee]

I hate to disagree with you as it never seems to end well for me. But if you are right I hope they reconsider unless there is some element like time travel in the storyline because nothing about the West End says "old Florida" to me. Using similar water elements, lighting features and the train concept to create a consistent theming element makes some sense. But trying to claim the West End is 1900's Florida seems forced at best.

Just my opinion.

I totally see your point.
It's gonna take some substantial placemaking work to tie it all together. The architecture of the West End is...challenging.

But then so will be T-Rex, Rainforest, etc.

 

[articos]

There will be a train and tracks apparently in the springs area. That is clear in some of the concept art. So that theme may be used as a sort of aesthetic connection between the lands. There is a train in DAK and a train at the MK but their story line is quite different. Even within the MK the same train has different back stories depending on where it is but it is the same train. Perhaps that is what you heard will "tie everything together".

But if you look at the concept art it appears the elevated track ends on its way towards the area formally known as PI (as you seem to theorize). This is a common sight in cities where sections of elevated track falls into disuse and is repurposed. New York City has done this and Chicago is in the process of doing this. That is what you see in the artwork for west side. Again, nobody has said the west side is part of the springs area. It has been stated there will be four zones. Each seem to have a different theming. And the train depicted in front of the old AC is not on an elevated track. Because the place-setting is within a different place and time.

Please no "Back to the Future" references. Thank you.

Alright. As I said before, you're looking at the concept artwork too literally. The way you're thinking about MK and DAK's trains also doesn't apply. The West Side is not supposed to be a different place, or a "city" atmosphere - it's all part of Disney Springs, which is the place/name that encompasses the entire redevelopment. Besides my knowledge of the project, this is referred to in the official information released. Tom says in the presentation "...the whole place will encompass this transformation." Kathy: "And of course there's the West Side, and the West Side is industrial buildings with elevated train trestle that you'll be able to sit on top for a lounge area. It'll be shade during the day, and it's really a big celebratory, sort of exuberant, spot. So these four neighborhoods really make up the entire Disney Springs development." It is not within a different place or time. I can't be any clearer. I'm not sure what happened here - you agreed with me in your first response and complimented the post, then all of this. It seems you're reading the art the way you want to, so my suggestion at this point is just wait to see what gets built.

I see it as different "neighborhoods", with slightly different looks, but all in the same time/place...the "town" of Disney Springs.

Exactly.