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Disney to close several ESPN Clubs
- Thread starter meekoman
- Start date
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
The ESPN Club is a completely separate venture from the ESPN Zone chain of restaurants.
Tazer19
Active Member
Your link was from today, but it was announced over two week agos that it was closing this week (at least the Chicago location). To your defense, I may have missed it, but I never saw a link about it on here.
Here is the previous thread about this from last week.
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=593043
Erin_Akey
New Member
That is good to know. My kids like the arcade and hubby the food!
tigsmom
Well-Known Member
Was just about to say this and add that the one at the Boardwalk at WDW has always been full anytime we have tried to get in.
And the link in the OP is more about what will happen to the memorabilia that about the fact that Disney is shuttering businesses.
stewdog1
Active Member
I was just at the Baltimore one last week. They told me that even though they are always crowded that location has never turned a profit. It comes down to being in a very high rent district, large building, hundreds of TVs and keeping it in operation.
The thing is the prices are high enough, so they couldn't raise prices. People aren't going to spend outrageous amounts for pub grub.
The thing is the prices are high enough, so they couldn't raise prices. People aren't going to spend outrageous amounts for pub grub.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
High rent seems to be a big factor in the demise of each of the Regional Entertainment ventures. You would think Disney would have seen this and then atempted to buy the property or only expand onto owned property. Even if the ventures failed, they could have tried something else or leased out the property.
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
We really enjoy going to the one at the Boardwalk in Disney. I hope they leave that one open!
Aside from the aforementioned difference twixt ESPN Zone and ESPN clubs, this article mentioned this:
Citing "challenging" economics, owner Walt Disney Co. also is closing ESPN Zones in Baltimore, New York, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
The only version of the larger ESPN Zone left will be the one in Anaheim at Downtown Disney, near the Disneyland Hotel.
The smaller ESPN Club concept had already been wound down in the 1990's and turned into the larger ESPN Zone concept of the 2000's. The WDW Boardwalk location is the only ESPN Club left in operation, and has been for years, and I think it's just being lumped into the news stories of the demise of ESPN Zone.
That would mean the only ESPN Zone left will be at Disneyland, and the only ESPN Club already left is at WDW. Both will remain in operation for now. Since Disney owns the property they are both located on, the rental rate isn't an issue like it was in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, Denver, DC, etc.
The smaller ESPN Club concept had already been wound down in the 1990's and turned into the larger ESPN Zone concept of the 2000's. The WDW Boardwalk location is the only ESPN Club left in operation, and has been for years, and I think it's just being lumped into the news stories of the demise of ESPN Zone.
That would mean the only ESPN Zone left will be at Disneyland, and the only ESPN Club already left is at WDW. Both will remain in operation for now. Since Disney owns the property they are both located on, the rental rate isn't an issue like it was in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, Denver, DC, etc.
prberk
Well-Known Member
I like the one in DC. It is in a nice, touristy area, near the Ford Theatre.
First Planet Hollywood, now ESPN Zone. All that is left there now in the way of chain theme restaurants will be the Hard Rock -- which seems to be the case nationwide. Hard Rock started it all, and has outlasted them all, including the All-Star Cafe.
Wonder what they are doing right that others are not?
When I looked at the ESPN Zone in Washington, it seemed like a lot of space without tables (which is where the money comes from). Hard Rock in DC has tables everywhere, and on several levels.
I also wonder if city subsidies are running out. It seems like many of the theme restaurants were usually part of Downtown revitalizations, with tax incentives that may have had a limited life. Dunno, but I wonder whether these locations were useful as places to offer tax incentives (to help the area around it)? Just don't know, but it seems like they were always anchors for other things nearby, or in the case of Washington, helped build up and sustain other touristy spots as a family destination.
Anyhow, it seems like a trend to me.
Paul
First Planet Hollywood, now ESPN Zone. All that is left there now in the way of chain theme restaurants will be the Hard Rock -- which seems to be the case nationwide. Hard Rock started it all, and has outlasted them all, including the All-Star Cafe.
Wonder what they are doing right that others are not?
When I looked at the ESPN Zone in Washington, it seemed like a lot of space without tables (which is where the money comes from). Hard Rock in DC has tables everywhere, and on several levels.
I also wonder if city subsidies are running out. It seems like many of the theme restaurants were usually part of Downtown revitalizations, with tax incentives that may have had a limited life. Dunno, but I wonder whether these locations were useful as places to offer tax incentives (to help the area around it)? Just don't know, but it seems like they were always anchors for other things nearby, or in the case of Washington, helped build up and sustain other touristy spots as a family destination.
Anyhow, it seems like a trend to me.
Paul
worldfanatic
Well-Known Member
I frequent both regularly, and both seem very busy most of the time.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I haven't been inside the smaller ESPN Club at WDW in years, but the bigger ESPN Zone in Anaheim is always packed. Long waits to get in on weekends, etc. And it's a huge facility with multiple dining options, so they must make a killing.
They recently upgraded the TV's to all 1080P 120hz sets, with the big screens at 240hz for the action shots. The technology on display in ESPNZone in Anaheim is very impressive, and they've been installing the latest models over the past year.
The upstairs portion with all the video games needs a freshening however. It's almost 10 years old now, and it has that late 1990's "Extreme Sports" thing going and it's looking out of style now. Let's hope the upgrades to the Anaheim location go beyond just installing the latest TV sets.
KungalooshAL
Member
Very sad. Great times at the ones in B'more, Denver (long closed), and Vegas. Never understood why the one in Orlando is an ESPN CLUB while Anaheim is an ESPN ZONE. Never understtod why there was an ESPN CLUB when there was already an All Star Cafe.