'Disney Springs' - Downtown Disney expansion officially announced

WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Genie of the Lamp said:
It seems in addition to Meg, Tom, and Kathy being present at the presentation announcement on Thursday, Bruce Vaughn was their as well.
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Everyone except the Prez of WDW himself it seems ...
 
WDW1974

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
bogdig said:
Just read that Tom Staggs is in Arizona tonight talking to the NFL owners about customer service... He seems to be VERY visible as of late...

He is on a panel that includes Les Moonves and the CEO of McDonalds.
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Oh, what I'd give to be with that group. :)
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
WDW1974 said:
I think you are getting to what you think the theme is (and likely what Disney wants people to think), but I haven't heard much of that talk at all. Disney wants to place an Old Florida 'overlay' on the entire development (which would be decoration) and call it placemaking (which would be theming).

The Westside is still going to look largely like a concrete 90s lifestyle center with some decorator touches thrown in to 'age' it.

I certainly agree this is shallow. I also don't really care all that much. It was a Disney mall before and will be a nicer Disney mall later. Not much more to say (despite the number of pages).
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I don't think Disney is going to acknowledge the idea of trying to created a faux festival marketplace, but its very similar to the concept that is being imitated with Disney Springs and aging of the Old Florida motif. There would be no aging or "repurposing" if it was a straight up Old Florida concept.

In terms of decoration versus theme, its a bit of an oddity if the theme is lacking in distinctive authentic experiences to bring into the themed experience. Festival marketplaces were never very strong in their application of the history theme.
 
Yensid1974

Yensid1974

Well-Known Member
We've been hearing some vendors/restauranteurs that may be coming in. Some are what you would expect, some are much better. One may make people who liked the AC happy even it isn't actually bringing back the AC but it may just be the closest we'll ever get to it. Whether they all actually come to pass is always the issue though. Only time will tell...
 
L

Longhairbear

Well-Known Member
We go to DTD for at least one evening when on vacation, and haven't bought a thing there except a pin. We browse the Disney kitchen stuff, and have bought the Mickey head ice cube trays for our DVC fridge, and fried egg mold to use for breakfast before going to the parks. Mostly we hang out at the higher end art store, and sometimes buy a book to read after the parks close. There's no place we like to hang out for cocktails there. And the last time we went, there was nothing we wanted to purchase, nothing.
We personally know someone in marketing at Disney, and some fabulous products cross his desk, only to be nixed further down the pipeline. Case in point, he brought us a plastic modeling kit from a well known company that wanted to license and sell in the parks, and DTD, Disney movie, but non park related model kits. He asked us for ideas.
My first suggestion was the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues, and then Herbie from the movie. On and on I suggested cars/ spaceships from Disney movies, Cruellas's car, Flubber, Black Hole, Tron. But in the end, the presentation went south. Both he and we thought it was a great idea for a stand alone store, ie: Legos, or in the toy sections of WOD. It died in committee.
 

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