Pirates New Queue Update?

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
I worry that they’re doing this with the idea of keeping Pirates on Lightning Lane

Most likely but I can’t understand why. The perceived value doesn’t really change because of POTC. Unlike DCA where they added Mermaid to increase the perceived value of LL for families with little ones.
 

DrStarlander

New Member
It's hard to see the utility of using Port Royal Curios as extended queue for Pirates unless the Royal St. Veranda (in red) goes away to allow a connection to the existing queue...and to devote its outdoor seating as additional queue space.

But even then, it's a modest amount of square footage to add for queue, and the project seems questionable as to whether it's worth losing a quick-service food location and retail. The only way it really makes sense to me is if this is all to allow for a staircase connection (inside Port Royal) to the Dream Suite/Disney Gallery/apartment space above, where the queue would continue, allowing for a more comprehensive solution to the Pirates queue problem.

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mickEblu

Well-Known Member
It's hard to see the utility of using Port Royal Curios as extended queue for Pirates unless the Royal St. Veranda (in red) goes away to allow a connection to the existing queue...and to devote its outdoor seating as additional queue space.

But even then, it's a modest amount of square footage to add for queue, and the project seems questionable as to whether it's worth losing a quick-service food location and retail. The only way it really makes sense to me is if this is all to allow for a staircase connection (inside Port Royal) to the Dream Suite/Disney Gallery/apartment space above, where the queue would continue, allowing for a more comprehensive solution to the Pirates queue problem.

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The rumor is that the queue will be expanded into the Royal Street Verranda and Port Royal space. They probably just don’t want construction walls up during the 70th. Not to mention having the eatery down. But good point, if they were serious about this they would use the Dream Suite space too. Maybe they have their eye on a Club 33 expansion. Or perhaps they re not willing to part with those 15k dinners they charge people. I wonder how often that’s booked?
 
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wityblack

Well-Known Member
The rumor is that the queue will be expanded into the Royal Street Verranda and Port Royal space. They probably just don’t want construction walls up during the 70th. Not to mention having the eatery down. But good point, if they were serious about this they would use the Dream Suite space too. Maybe they have their eye on a Club 33 expansion. Or perhaps they re not willing to part with those 15k dinners they charge people. I wonder how often that’s booked?
Tokyo uses the Dream Suite space. But also, it's not just having an expensive place for dinner, it's that they can host important business partners there. They can wine and dine potential collaborators.
 

chadwpalm

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
It's hard to see the utility of using Port Royal Curios as extended queue for Pirates unless the Royal St. Veranda (in red) goes away to allow a connection to the existing queue...and to devote its outdoor seating as additional queue space.
The removal of the Royal St. Veranda was part of the original rumor. Take a look at their current menu. They went from serving gumbo and bread bowls to now only offering chicken salad sandwiches and cheesy biscuits. A menu in slow decline seems like a good indicator that the restaurant is on its way out the door.

But even then, it's a modest amount of square footage to add for queue, and the project seems questionable as to whether it's worth losing a quick-service food location and retail.
If you add up the restaurant area with the shop and "possibly" the court next to it, you'd gain a pretty descent amount of queue space. I don't believe the goal is to completely get rid of overflow into the riverfront, but more to keep the queue from going out as far as Tiana's Palace on really busy days.

Again, the loss of the quick service is part of the rumor, and the entire point of opening up the HM gift shop outside its exit was to move all of the HM merch from the Port Royal shop to there so that the space can be used for the extended queue........such as the rumor goes.

The only way it really makes sense to me is if this is all to allow for a staircase connection (inside Port Royal) to the Dream Suite/Disney Gallery/apartment space above, where the queue would continue, allowing for a more comprehensive solution to the Pirates queue problem.
I personally doubt this as the suite (now called 21 Royal) is still an active income stream for Disney. https://www.21royaldisneyland.com/

If you take the time to do a search, we've already had pretty extensive conversations here about the subject back when it was first rumored.
 

wityblack

Well-Known Member
Here's a look at what some of the extended queue looks like for Tokyo's Pirates, which is set up just like ours. Their extended queue is on the left though, where our treehouse is, ours would be on the right. You can also see where it goes upstairs into the Dream Suite space. If they put the same care into it that they did with Haunted Mansion, I'm certain it will be a tactfully done job.

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Check out this video to see the queue:
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Here's a look at what some of the extended queue looks like for Tokyo's Pirates, which is set up just like ours. Their extended queue is on the left though, where our treehouse is, ours would be on the right. You can also see where it goes upstairs into the Dream Suite space. If they put the same care into it that they did with Haunted Mansion, I'm certain it will be a tactfully done job.

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Check out this video to see the queue:


The little area between Port Royal and Piece of 8 would be a loss unless they incorporate it into the new queue which I imagine could be done very easily. It’s a cool little Court of Angels-esque spot which we already lost. Well, us peasants did anyway.
 
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DrStarlander

New Member
I personally doubt this as the suite (now called 21 Royal) is still an active income stream for Disney. https://www.21royaldisneyland.com/
I do sometimes think the value of that revenue is over-stated. Even if they do $18k per night, booked 365 nights a year, it's $7 million gross. Then you have all the ops nuisance (it's a weird side-gig), chefs, servers, booking, food costs. So even less goes to the bottom line. I'm not sure it's booked every night, with all considered, who knows, maybe it does $5 million net? It sounds like a lot until compared to the fact that to make $7 million they just need an extra 100 guests at the park each day.

For me, it's not hard to see that if they "hide" the PotC queue inside the building (using 21 Royal too) the perception of Disneyland being "overcrowded" can be ameliorated and that can increase attendance, perhaps a few hundred additional guests per day, on average. That is, there's more, easy, money to be made.

The perception that Disneyland is crowded is what keeps a lot of families from booking trips, it's a big friction on attendance, and revenue. I think Disney would be wise to take on several "queue-hiding" projects throughout the park to get queues out of walkways...(especially with the explosion of stroller size and mobility vehicles in recent years). PotC and Matterhorn being the top targets (Matterhorn getting a 2-story S.E.A. themed chalet queue filled with mountaineering and abnormal snowman artifacts).
 

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