Downtown Disney expansion to be officially announced Tuesday 12 March

[RSoxNo1]

When white smoke raises from the chimney, we'll know they've settled on a Downtown Disney master plan. Or something like that.

First and foremost, this is one of my favorite jokes (seeing a smoke stack, acknowledging that they're electing a new pope, I first heard it on a Carlin standup special). Second off, it sounds like black smoke today

 

[Rosso11]

How about opening a branch of Ninja from NYC? This has to be the most high end themed resturant out there. The food and atmosphere is amazing but very expensive. www.ninjanewyork.com/

 

[sshindel]

How about opening a branch of Ninja from NYC? This has to be the most high end themed resturant out there. The food and atmosphere is amazing but very expensive. www.ninjanewyork.com/

Wow, had never seen this, but WOW. I just google-mapped it to see if I could somehow sneak that one in next time I'm in Hartford, CT for a business trip...

 

[Gabe1]

Some "wets" would really hit the spot right now.

Dang that gravy is awesome. Making the pilgramige at the end of the week down to Navy Pier, it is going to be all your fault if my DD and I land in Debevik's.

 

[GLaDOS]

DHS could use ANYTHING.

I completely disagree. That's the kind of thinking that wound up putting Toy Story Playland into WDSP.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

How about opening a branch of Ninja from NYC? This has to be the most high end themed resturant out there. The food and atmosphere is amazing but very expensive. www.ninjanewyork.com/[/quote]


Looks cool and definitely would be an awesome addition to DD/DS as it would be a restaurant I would definitely dine at. So maybe tomorrow it will happen if all things go accordingly. Hopefully on such a nice sunny day, they could announce this expansion/revamp plan to the public at that outdoor/waterside stage theater they have their in DD Marketplace. It would make for the perfect setting with that marina/lake in the background.

(On a side note, I believe I saw an episode of that Snookie/JWOW spin off where they dined at this restaurant and the waiters/staff would sneak up on you and scare the crap out of you when you aren't noticing. Is this the same place we're talking about here).

 

[flynnibus]

You want to do media interviews for a Downtown Disney project at someplace other than Downtown Disney? Not gonna happen. They will do it when feel it is right, so hold tight. There is no need for them to be in a tent at Epcot to do this today.

who exactly are these guys supposed to be presenting to? Local beat reporters they can get on a few hours notice? How do you fill a press junket with no notice?

 

[wdwmagic]

who exactly are these guys supposed to be presenting to? Local beat reporters they can get on a few hours notice? How do you fill a press junket with no notice?

You basically tell the local Orlando news crews that you have Tom Staggs available to talk about Downtown Disney and you watch the TV news trucks arrive.

 

[flynnibus]

You basically tell the local Orlando news crews that you have Tom Staggs available to talk about Downtown Disney and you watch the TV news trucks arrive.

I think that strategy would speak volumes about the audience they care about reaching...

 

[fillerup]

who exactly are these guys supposed to be presenting to? Local beat reporters they can get on a few hours notice? How do you fill a press junket with no notice?

Exactly.

This whole announcement structure doesn't make sense to me. It's weather delayed but all the bad weather has passed the Orlando area (if you trust the radar).

DeWayne Bevil says he was told no announcement was planned for today - rather than being told the announcement was delayed.

But then the announcement to cast will take place, knowing full well it will be leaked within moments.

It's either not a very important announcement or TDO doesn't much care about getting press.

 

[disneyeater]

Said no-one, ever.

Right, no one can be excited about this because you aren't..........richard.

 

[Virtual Toad]

They really should get The Jekyll and Hyde club from New York to open a location in DTD. They just opened a new location in Times Square. The food needs to be improved but the setting is perfect for Disney. http://www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/

Or, better yet, how about the club that was the original inspiration for J&H....

 

[ptaylor]

Exactly.

This whole announcement structure doesn't make sense to me. It's weather delayed but all the bad weather has passed the Orlando area (if you trust the radar).
.

The rain has gone, but it is still dark, misty and grey out there.

 

[TravisMT81]

Town Halls are for MDX.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Cheesecake Factory is fine I guess but it's just beyond me why anyone would fly to a resort for a vacation far from their home and go to a place you can eat at in most malls.

It's like the Olive Garden in Times Square. You're in the city that perfected Italian-American food! It's everywhere!

OLIVE GARDEN?

But it's like eating in the private kitchen of a delightful Italian stereotype.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I completely disagree. That's the kind of thinking that wound up putting Toy Story Playland into WDSP.

Right, but I also think Disney has now realized that their plans for incremental updates to the parks is a dated model. Harry Potter and Cars make much stronger statements in terms of moving the needle. It's rare that a single attraction can result in an attendance spike but an entirely new area has successfully accomplished just that. Unfortunately this may mean that the $100 million more frequent expansions/additions won't happen that often in favor of the $500 million larger scale overhaul's happening every decade or so.

 

[maxairmike]

You basically tell the local Orlando news crews that you have Tom Staggs available to talk about Downtown Disney and you watch the TV news trucks arrive.

The Fantasmic "announcement" about benches pretty much killed Disney's reputation with most of the local news crews. I know at least one of the channels told Disney they better not call unless they have something real to announce as a result of that, and it seems that was the general reaction from most of the local outlets. If they wanted them there, they would have had to put out a little more to them than just Staggs being in town to talk about DTD.

 

[JenniferS]

They really should get The Jekyll and Hyde club from New York to open a location in DTD. They just opened a new location in Times Square. The food needs to be improved but the setting is perfect for Disney. http://www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/

It looks like a pretty pedestrian menu (which will clearly appeal to the masses), but the concept and atmosphere look amazing.

 

[wdwmagic]

The Fantasmic "announcement" about benches pretty much killed Disney's reputation with most of the local news crews. I know at least one of the channels told Disney they better not call unless they have something real to announce as a result of that, and it seems that was the general reaction from most of the local outlets. If they wanted them there, they would have had to put out a little more to them than just Staggs being in town to talk about DTD.

I would still be willing to bet that all of the Orlando news outlets would be there this afternoon if Disney called now and said they have Tom Staggs available for TV spots to discuss the expansion of DTD for tonight's news.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

I'd love to see Copperfield's come back to life. That place sounded really cool.
I know that Penn and Teller are already linked with Universal but I think a Penn and Teller themed restaurant or "walk-through" attraction with illusions would be really cool.