So is the Hyperion Wharf project dead?

K

Krack

Active Member
I've had about enough of you people! Disney promised a "bold, fresh" concept and they gave you ... seed and mulch. What more do you want?!? Are you trying to tell me a series of night clubs, live music, comedy and a nightly New Year's Eve party is better than seed and mulch?
 
PalisadesPkteer

PalisadesPkteer

Active Member
The 1 way in which Flamingo Crossings might work is for Disney to build a "boutique" park out there.

This way there is something Disney fans will want to go to and then maybe 3rd party's will take up the other space with shops, hotels and restaurants. Without some kind of Disney branded "weenie" out there It really will not work IMHO.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
flavious27 said:
True, but did disney just keep announcing plans over and over again for dca and then stall on it? It is one thing to announce what you want to do and take a little bit of time to work out the contracts. It is another to announce plans, close down the existing attractions, wait, then announce more definitive plans, demo some of the closed attractions, wait, then make another announcement about what the news plans are. That path of actions reminds me of all of the failed proposals along the waterfront in philly.
Click to expand...

Many changes did happen with DCA as plans unfolded. BSD did a good job of documenting those changes as plans changed from time to time. Everyone had to be appeased such as the people who run the parades and those that needed capacity kept to a certain level and then there are always safety issues such as emt and fire rescue access. Very logistically difficult and changes were constatntly being made. DTD faces similar challanges it appears to me. Granted it is a smaller scale project but there are obviously logistical problems with a project that requires so many moves. Add in the variable that the interests of third parties must be accounted for and changes are inevitable.

I read several sources and they all say plans are proceeding although some things may have changed.

Now when Staggs was explaining the changes to the FLE he said that changes were always part of the creative process as WDI projects develop. The same people who defended that statement seem to have forgotten it in this instance. Makes me dizzy. :dazzle:
 
DVCOwner

DVCOwner

A Long Time DVC Member
Here is what I think would go over big in the area that was PI. A Boardway type show that brings many of the traveling Disney shows to WDW. I know I would go every time there was a new show.

I also agree that Disney needs another dinner show. Love HDDR, but would be nice to have something new.
 
menamechris

menamechris

Well-Known Member
DVCOwner said:
Here is what I think would go over big in the area that was PI. A Boardway type show that brings many of the traveling Disney shows to WDW. I know I would go every time there was a new show.

I also agree that Disney needs another dinner show. Love HDDR, but would be nice to have something new.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea - but Disney has recently made a very generous contribution (and are corporate partners, of sort) to the Orlando Performing Arts Center that they just broke ground on - so that those shows can go there.

I do agree about a new dinner show though. It is certainly something for them to consider - unless they are concerned it would just drop attendance at the other shows...
 
Z

zulemara

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
FLE has changed too, but they didn't close existing attractions until they were ready to start construction. That's what's wrong about the whole thing. PI was profitable as a whole, we know that. They closed a profitable location on the assumption they could get 3rd parties in very quickly and make more money. They could have had things inked on paper and truly been ready to redevelop the entire area within 2 years. Instead they have not actually replaced any of the clubs with anything.

My anger over the whole thing is that we could still be having fun while they worked in the background to ink their contracts. Then at least the pain wouldn't be there everytime you walk the island. Instead, we have empty buildings and pathetic attempts to hide them, and a construction area with seed and mulch that probably isn't coming down anytime soon.

JT I can give you the idea that plans change. But I can't give up on the fact that they closed a revenue generating, fun place before they even had concrete plans to begin with.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
zulemara said:
FLE has changed too, but they didn't close existing attractions until they were ready to start construction. That's what's wrong about the whole thing. PI was profitable as a whole, we know that. They closed a profitable location on the assumption they could get 3rd parties in very quickly and make more money. They could have had things inked on paper and truly been ready to redevelop the entire area within 2 years. Instead they have not actually replaced any of the clubs with anything.

My anger over the whole thing is that we could still be having fun while they worked in the background to ink their contracts. Then at least the pain wouldn't be there everytime you walk the island. Instead, we have empty buildings and pathetic attempts to hide them, and a construction area with seed and mulch that probably isn't coming down anytime soon.

JT I can give you the idea that plans change. But I can't give up on the fact that they closed a revenue generating, fun place before they even had concrete plans to begin with.
Click to expand...

It isn't difficult to figure out IMO. Disney wants out of the modern club business because it does not reflect the traditional values of the company and is not a net plus for the company. What small profit it made was lost with every negative story that generated bad publicity for the company.

Disney wants a thriving entertainment scene close by because tourists coming to Orlando for that will also likely visit WDW. There was a time when it made since for WDW to compete directly with offerings such as Church Street Station. That was then. Now it makes more since if central Florida has a strong draw for younger demographics. Orlando can possibly provide that.

The SavePI blog is starting to understand this I think and has commented how downtown Orlando is really starting to improve in the area of nightly entertainment. With the new arena and other facilities opening soon that just makes sense. This is all my opinion but I think in a couple years PI would not have been able to compete with Orlando's clubs anyway. This way everyone wins. Simple as that.
 
71jason

71jason

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
The SavePI blog is starting to understand this I think and has commented how downtown Orlando is really starting to improve in the area of nightly entertainment. With the new arena and other facilities opening soon that just makes sense. This is all my opinion but I think in a couple years PI would not have been able to compete with Orlando's clubs anyway. This way everyone wins. Simple as that.
Click to expand...

While there's no question downtown has seen a bump since PI closed (just like CityWalk), the overlap between the old PI crowd and downtown is relatively small. The locals who go downtown generally are a more hard-core partying crowd--one of the main selling points of PI was that you didn't need to be a club kid or keep up with what is the hottest new nightclub to come out and have a good time. The 30-somethings and single moms who go out once a month at most were always going to choose PI over downtown.

And the 1 in 6 WDW guests who come without kids...I doubt all but a tiny percentage bother to make the 30-minute drive to a not particularly safe or tourist-friendly area of the city.

In other words, while the closing of PI certainly didn't hurt downtown, I think other factors (such as Orlando's rebounding economy) are more responsible for its growth.
 
worldfanatic

worldfanatic

Well-Known Member
unkadug said:
Any "Rowdiness" of the clubs was CAUSED by Disney when they quit charging an admission into Pleasure Island.
Click to expand...

Plutoguy said:
Every one rants only on this thread about PI and how great it was. Honestly PI was not so great and was more trouble to all than good. Drunken stoopers witnessed while walk through on a yearly basis and local yocals trying to pick up vacationers. Not to metion some of the people on the bus completely wrecked coming home from PI. The clubs being shut down and replaced is the best thing that could have happened. I hope Hyperion Wharf happens and completes the rest of DTD.
Click to expand...

Both true.

The rants by PI fanboys who think PI was so awesome are probably because they were the same amatuers who made PI such a crap place to party.
I suppose if you'd never been to nightclubs, and then hit PI, you'd think it was a cool spot. But as Plutoguy says, it wasn't.

To those of us who've partied at nice clubs, the place was a dump, with young rejects that didn't know what they were doing.
A club atmosphere is only as good as the people who visit. And as Unkadug said, the moment they stopped charging island admission, the quality of the people went way downhill.

Pleasure Island was a great concept, but opening it up to every young "wanna be" hipster with limited cash in their pocket was it's downfall.
 
W

wizards8507

Active Member
worldfanatic said:
Both true.

The rants by PI fanboys who think PI was so awesome are probably because they were the same amatuers who made PI such a crap place to party.
I suppose if you'd never been to nightclubs, and then hit PI, you'd think it was a cool spot. But as Plutoguy says, it wasn't.

To those of us who've partied at nice clubs, the place was a dump, with young rejects that didn't know what they were doing.
A club atmosphere is only as good as the people who visit. And as Unkadug said, the moment they stopped charging island admission, the quality of the people went way downhill.

Pleasure Island was a great concept, but opening it up to every young "wanna be" hipster with limited cash in their pocket was it's downfall.
Click to expand...

:sohappy:
 
menamechris

menamechris

Well-Known Member
Plutoguy said:
Every one rants only on this thread about PI and how great it was. Honestly PI was not so great and was more trouble to all than good. Drunken stoopers witnessed while walk through on a yearly basis and local yocals trying to pick up vacationers. Not to metion some of the people on the bus completely wrecked coming home from PI.
Click to expand...

This is the worst part. Now that there is no PI, there is no way for us young local yocals to pick up unassuming vacationers... :rolleyes: All the rest...if you can't put up with a typical bar scene, PI wasn't intended for you anyways...
 
W

wizards8507

Active Member
menamechris said:
What's wrong with bars? Music? Dancing? Adults socializing? Sounds like a good time to me...
Click to expand...

I'm not usually one of the "What would Walt do" crowd, but I really don't think that an area that completely excludes children (and adults 18-20) would fit with his mission/vision for Disney World.

EDIT: That's not to say I have a problem with bars or night clubs as a general rule. I just think that Walt Disney World is the wrong venue.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom