Downtown Disney rumor

John

Well-Known Member
No wooden coasters or a Buster & Daves....We have four parks for the coasters and I can visit a B&D's anytime I want. Give me something UNIQUE! Starabilias was unique....how many magic shops can you find? PI was unique....where can you find a place that celebrated NYE everynight? I dread seeing stores I can visit at my local mall. Disney pays people (atleast they used to) to come up with unique ideas. Same with the name....Disney Springs? ummmmm no thanks. Glad to hear its just a working title. I dont have to be WOWed at DTD...I just dont want to visit a mall. The same reason we go to WDW in the first place....we can go to our local six flags if we just want to ride thrill rides. We go to WDW because its different ( hopefully). Not to mention I dont care what City Walk has....same as DL. It dosnt matter to me. I like City Walk....for what it is. I want DTD to be more. AC was unique...OHHHHHH I know what the problem is.....it takes money to be unique....nevermind....my bad.
 

bhg469

Well-Known Member
A couple of things come to mind (especially as a DVC owner at Saratoga Springs)

1- Disney MUST find a way to run a bus to/from DTD to/from the theme parks to keep from too many people taking advantage of the SSR buses, especially at night on the way back from the parks. Hopefully the new parking will be a paying thing??? Heck, let's just build peoplemovers/monorails to DTD while we're at it :) lol

2- Disney Springs... don't care for the name

3- the walkway to SSR - NICE... but I would have put it more in the middle of DTD. Seems not to far away from the walkway that exists now but I'll take it

On that note, wasn't there word of some sort of entrance being added near the Africa section of Epcot to allow transportation from DTD? I recall that being mentioned a few months ago and it included a legit small monorail expansion rumor.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Not really. I don't know why, but people (including tourists) in Orlando have a strong aversion to parking garages. Look at all the complaints about Universal, despite the fact they let you park in the shade all day so you can actually grab a hold of the steering wheel when you get back into your car at 6:00 on a Summer day. Look at Premium Outlet Mall, where people cruise the front lots waiting for someone to pull out rather than pull into the garage in the back. Look at Pointe Orlando, which has never lived up to its potential.

A garage will hurt AMC/Splitsville (assuming the current West Side lots are demolished). And a garage does nothing to alleviate the fact that the majority of things of interest to DTD guests are on the east side. Taking away the close parking for the few people who used to get it and saying no one parks close anymore is hardly solving that problem.

Good point. I never really considered this. I am so accustomed to parking in garages I didn't realize people had issues with them. Even a lot of the train stations, malls and office buildings have garages around me so I guess I just take it for granted as a plus upgrade. I know at my office if it's snowing or really hot in the summer people fight to be in the garage and covered even though its a slightly longer walk than the parking lot directly in front of the building. Of course if they demolish the other lots than people will have no choice but to park in the garage;). My guess is they want to funnel all traffic through the "main gate" resulting in extremely valuable retail space in that area.
 

NemoRocks78

Seized
I don't think there'll be an issue with a parking garage. It's needed to stop the never-ending search for parking near the Marketplace. I can't say I've ever heard complaints about the Universal garages (other than that it takes forever to get to the parks from them) - they're wonderful because you'll always be able to find a spot and the moving walkways make it easy to get to CityWalk (DTD CA's garage, on the other hand, is a huge PITA when you get stuck in a far back corner because there's no easy way to get to the front, and then you have to take a tram just to get to DTD). Folks likely go for the lots vs. the garage at the Premium Outlets because that garage is poorly placed. And I don't think a garage had anything to do with Pointe Orlando's problems.

With the likely fees to park in the garage, one has to wonder what happens to the West Side lots as well. Do they stay free, or do they become like DTD CA?
Parking is free for the first 3 hours in the Downtown Disney District parking lot. An additional 2 free hours can be added with validation at AMC Theatres or at select table-service dining restaurants. Each additional hour costs $6, charged in 20-minute increments. The maximum parking fee is $30.00.
 

muteki

Well-Known Member
Interesting to see a revitalization plan so heavily focused on additional retail space when they have issues filling the spaces they currently have. Hopefully something new will bring more people to the table. I would have liked to see more attention paid to West Side but really PI is what needs it most now.

Parking garage is...a necessary evil I guess. Parking anywhere close to the marketplace can be a pain, 5x the space should help things out. Making PI and West Side interesting places to be solves that problem too.
 

articos

Well-Known Member
That's what I hope. I have heard nothing to suggest these plans will stick more than any other recent set ... but Disney Springs is so beyond generic. The only thing worse would be Disney Palms or The Town Center at Disney Palms. BLECH!!!

Nothing says 'generic, ordinary, Florida' more than those terms.
I'm not a fan of that name/branding either. I hope it ends up something better. DS doesn't flow quite right, so it's not memorable. I like parts of this project, and DTD is getting some needed major dollars pumped into it, so I'm looking forward to this, no matter what it ends up being called. Besides the fact it's desperately overdue. I like the various zones being their own identity, and I'm hopeful about the architecture and water throughout - I'm glad The Village Marketplace is being kept, as an homage to its roots. I also like the retail mix is potentially not what you find in EveryMall.

If not executed properly, it could end up feeling like a copy of any of the Macerich/Westfield outdoor lifestyle centers. If they do Americana or The Grove, but Disney and with a unique mix, I'm in. I'm hopeful there will be an adult area still incorporated, but have not heard for sure.
 

Genie of the Lamp

Well-Known Member
Hmm maybe something will actually be announced at that April "Around the World" presentation SS talked about on their site that @GrumpyFan posted in his thread a week or two ago. No night club resurrections, sigh. Disney Springs more like Disney Flings, shings, and dings. How's this for a new name: Disney Crossings (might sound residential albeit but sounds professional). Starbuck's replacing Wetzel's....Major problem with me and makes me angry.:mad: At least some of my favorite stores and restaurants are looking like they'll stay. Wonder what people will call this area more "Disney Springs" or "The Springs". That observatory restaurant has me on board as it sounds like it could be turned into a really cool astronomical restaurant which EPCOT FW or Tomorrowland should have but I'll settle for it here. All said and done, it should and has to be way better than what state it currently is in right now and I think it will.
 

yoyoflamingo

Well-Known Member
That's what I hope. I have heard nothing to suggest these plans will stick more than any other recent set ... but Disney Springs is so beyond generic. The only thing worse would be Disney Palms or The Town Center at Disney Palms. BLECH!!!

Nothing says 'generic, ordinary, Florida' more than those terms.

Flamingo Crossings? ;)
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
Disney Springs? Yawn. The Landing? Now, that's original (that's sarcasm, btw). Town Center? Seriously? What city doesn't have some shopping center named "Town Center"?

C'mon Disney. Even in your current state, you're better than this!

I will hold onto the expectation that these can't POSSIBLY be the final names. There just isn't any way Disney could do something with such an undeniable lack of creativity.
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
I'm still completely at a lack of understanding as to how The Adventurer's Club couldn't work as restaurant/bar. With the rumored plans, it seems like it would be a perfect fit. And wow, what a draw it would be! Rainforest and T-Rex would be in for some serious competition (if it were done right).
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
To add one other thing, under no uncertain terms should the name "Downtown Disney" be changed.

I understand the marketing idea behind changing the name and giving the whole area a rebirth, but the name "Downtown Disney" works entirely too well. It's a fantastic name and makes it sound like the shopping district is the place to be - the center of it all. If you're visiting WDW, you have to visit a place if it's called "Downtown Disney" or it's almost as though you're missing something that's an intregal part of WDW.

If you give it a generic shopping center name, it no longer has the same appeal. It's basically becomes just a mall.
 

lego606

MagicBandit
No wooden coasters or a Buster & Daves....We have four parks for the coasters and I can visit a B&D's anytime I want. Give me something UNIQUE! Starabilias was unique....how many magic shops can you find? PI was unique....where can you find a place that celebrated NYE everynight? I dread seeing stores I can visit at my local mall. Disney pays people (atleast they used to) to come up with unique ideas. Same with the name....Disney Springs? ummmmm no thanks. Glad to hear its just a working title. I dont have to be WOWed at DTD...I just dont want to visit a mall. The same reason we go to WDW in the first place....we can go to our local six flags if we just want to ride thrill rides. We go to WDW because its different ( hopefully). Not to mention I dont care what City Walk has....same as DL. It dosnt matter to me. I like City Walk....for what it is. I want DTD to be more. AC was unique...OHHHHHH I know what the problem is.....it takes money to be unique....nevermind....my bad.


Buster & Daves? I thought it was Dave & Buster's, unless they changed the name or something(?)
 

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