Sorry to say, the "Escape Room" idea is officially dead...

[Disneyson]

It is a loss in that the S.E.A. interconnected universe, and the story of the Adventurer’s Club, will have to wait a good while longer before resurfacing. As a person who never got to see The Adventurer’s Club, I yearn for the days in which these characters might return and I get a taste of what an edgier Disney World in the 80s and 90s would have looked like, a place that was eager to appeal to adults with rich, story-based facilities and exciting new ideas.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

Since they seem to be done with for at least the next few years, here are the specifics I know.

The story at the Saratoga Springs resort was going to be that the Adventurers Club from Pleasure Island washed away in a storm and drifted across the lake to Saratoga Springs. It would have had original, and replica props from the Adventurers Club. The idea was not to escape, but to find Bleehall’s lost treasure before the waters of the lake sunk it to the bottom. This was the most far along in development. Props and puzzles for this one were in early testing.

The next was at the Polynesian, it was going to deal with Trader Sam and a tiki god (NOT Maui) created at a pact for Trader Sam to live forever. The purpose of this room was to help Trader Sam keep the pact, but it didn't matter if you won or lost, Trader Sam would always live forever. The concept for this one was designed, but there were few puzzles/props actually developed.

I actually love both these stories. No IP anywhere. Wishful thinking here, but they could probably be modified to be the backstories for some proper attractions in the park.

edit: How cool would it be for the Adventurers Club to be washed up in the river banks of Adventureland and we get to go on some quest with the club members.

 

[Jon81uk]

Its possible that once the Covid stuff fully passes in 2 years or so, Escape rooms in general would have gone out of fashion anyway.

 

[asianway]

If they were to have gone through with the Adventurers Club concept people would've eaten that up.

I love the AC and that sounds awful

 

[wedenterprises]

I'm confused as to the business purpose of these. Was it simply to keep people at the hotels as much as possible rather than packing the parks? Or was it to be an additional "free" perk for staying on property?

Apologies if I missed a post answering this.

 

[Disneyson]

I think it is the fact that the “Disney Difference” of staying at an on-site hotel has become less exciting as other (cheaper) hotels have stepped up their game, ride-sharing apps have mitigated the perk of on-property transportation, and the fact that many of these hotel rooms have stagnated in quality, especially from the current state of hotels over at least the past 20-25 years.

In all fairness, the wide-ish food selection, the themed pool, and the ability to buy Authentic Disney Merch at your hotel are the only reasons why All Star Star Sports is any better than a Holiday Inn. And Holiday Inns might even have a free breakfast.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think it is the fact that the “Disney Difference” of staying at an on-site hotel has become less exciting as other (cheaper) hotels have stepped up their game, ride-sharing apps have mitigated the perk of on-property transportation, and the fact that many of these hotel rooms have stagnated in quality, especially from the current state of hotels over at least the past 20-25 years.

In all fairness, the wide-ish food selection, the themed pool, and the ability to buy Authentic Disney Merch at your hotel are the only reasons why All Star Star Sports is any better than a Holiday Inn. And Holiday Inns might even have a free breakfast.

And the free transportation around the resort. Ride-sharing can be used for sure, but if you're using it for every trip every day you're going to end up spending a couple hundred extra dollars (plus using it to get to the Magic Kingdom is much worse than using a Disney bus since it just takes you to the TTC).

With that said, I personally wouldn't ever stay at one of the value resorts.

 

[Disneyson]

And the free transportation around the resort. Ride-sharing can be used for sure, but if you're using it for every trip every day you're going to end up spending a couple hundred extra dollars (plus using it to get to the Magic Kingdom is much worse than using a Disney bus since it just takes you to the TTC).

With that said, I personally wouldn't ever stay at one of the value resorts.

Once you reach any park, you can use most (all?) modes of transportation without a Disney Hotel reservation. All you need is to get to your first destination and from your last. The cost of that, I’m pretty sure, is FAR cheaper than than the inflated price of any Disney resort.

 

[UNCgolf]

Once you reach any park, you can use most (all?) modes of transportation without a Disney Hotel reservation. All you need is to get to your first destination and from your last. The cost of that, I’m pretty sure, is FAR cheaper than than the inflated price of any Disney resort.

It would be roughly $30 a day just going to and from the hotel once. More if you're not staying right there at one of the Disney Springs area hotels or if you have a large enough party to need one of the larger vehicles. If you want to go back in the middle of the day, then you're doubling that. Uber/Lyft rides aren't that cheap.

As I said, though, I wouldn't stay at a value resort at Disney. The moderates are worth the price compared to the non-Disney hotels, though, and the deluxes, while pricey, offer quite a lot that you can't get at the non-Disney hotels. It just depends on what matters most to you.

 

[No Name]

Unlike theme parks, escape rooms are generally cheap and have great ROI, making back their initial investment in weeks or months. The fact that Disney didn’t open these three or four years ago is a loss on their part, but even in the future, even with Disney’s wildly out of control costs, I think they’d be wise to revisit it.

I'm confused as to the business purpose of these. Was it simply to keep people at the hotels as much as possible rather than packing the parks? Or was it to be an additional "free" perk for staying on property?

Apologies if I missed a post answering this.

I’d assume they were going to charge extra for them. Otherwise demand would far exceed capacity.

 

[Giss Neric]

Shame but expected anyways. Disney should just focus on their 50th for next year and attractions currently being built.

 

[biggy H]

Its not a big loss. They should have never even been going in at a resort in the first place. These are a one and done thing, no repeatability at all.

 

[disney4life2008]

It would be roughly $30 a day just going to and from the hotel once. More if you're not staying right there at one of the Disney Springs area hotels or if you have a large enough party to need one of the larger vehicles. If you want to go back in the middle of the day, then you're doubling that. Uber/Lyft rides aren't that cheap.

As I said, though, I wouldn't stay at a value resort at Disney. The moderates are worth the price compared to the non-Disney hotels, though, and the deluxes, while pricey, offer quite a lot that you can't get at the non-Disney hotels. It just depends on what matters most to you.

These conversations are funny to me. I have stayed at all 3 levels of Disney hotels and also at DVC. Excluding the latter, I see absolutely no difference in the 3 tiers except inflated price. The expensive hotels are run down and only look good from the outside and lobby. The rooms are while bigger dont offer anything amazing. The moderates mean you go be going a lot of walking from point a to b. Caribbean is the worst. And rooms in this category are not any better than the expensive. Values, my only issue is that you are paying over $100 which is not value. Needlessly to say, I will always stay at sports.

 

[UNCgolf]

These conversations are funny to me. I have stayed at all 3 levels of Disney hotels and also at DVC. Excluding the latter, I see absolutely no difference in the 3 tiers except inflated price. The expensive hotels are run down and only look good from the outside and lobby. The rooms are while bigger dont offer anything amazing. The moderates mean you go be going a lot of walking from point a to b. Caribbean is the worst. And rooms in this category are not any better than the expensive. Values, my only issue is that you are paying over $100 which is not value. Needlessly to say, I will always stay at sports.

Depends on where you stay at the moderates. If you stay in the right rooms at Riverside (the Royal Guest Rooms) you never have to walk more than 5 minutes to get anywhere. The deluxes mainly about the location -- the Boardwalk Inn, Beach Club, and Yacht Club are easily worth double the values just because of where they are (not worth like $500 a night, though). Animal Kingdom Lodge, of course, offers 10000x what any of the values offer, but I don't like staying there specifically because of the location. It's just so far away from everything else.

But yeah, I personally hate the values (have been at Sports once and at Pop Century once). They're loud and packed and just an overall nightmare. Riverside is peaceful and quiet and never feels remotely crowded; it's relaxing to just be there. Different strokes for different folks, though -- I personally don't really care about the rooms themselves as long as they're clean; I care about the location, the setting, etc. and the values have none of that for me.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Good grief this virus isn't going last forever. We aren't still going bat crap crazy about the Spanish Flu that killed millions or more recently the hepatitus A scare. The idea is stopped for now and perhaps until the memory of this has faded, but we will all be back to picking our noses before long.

 

[Doberge]

What space would these rooms have occupied at Poly and Saratoga? At Poly, maybe the old lilo kids club?

 

[CelebrationGuy]

Yet here we are with many of the Orlando-area escape rooms open (or opening this week) and just limiting it to one party per group. If anything you would think that Disney World would be building up premium experiences like escape rooms where folks do break off into smaller groups.

 

[Rosso11]

Sorry in advance for bringing up an older thread but I thought some of you might be interested in this question I got today on a survey. Honestly I’m not even sure what all of these are but it looked like some are similar to an escape room so I figured this was the best place to share it.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Sorry in advance for bringing up an older thread but I thought some of you might be interested in this question I got today on a survey. Honestly I’m not even sure what all of these are but it looked like some are similar to an escape room so I figured this was the best place to share it. View attachment 538090

BodaBorg is like an escape room, only, there's nothing to escape from. You just go from challenge to challenge (questing) to finish a story arc.

Pokemon Go is a phone app game that is played by visiting real world locations to 'catch' and 'train' and 'battle' pocket monsters.

Meow Wolf is like a giant art exhibit but with secret passages and rooms that may be telling a larger story. They have a giant warehouse that seems to be a supermarket, but has so much more to explore. Another space is about Area 51 and aliens.

Camp is like Summer Camp for families where you can choose to do art projects or cooking other activities together.

TeamLab Borderless is about giant interactive art installations.


Of these, BodaBorg is most like the possible "escape room" like idea of this thread.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

BodaBorg is like an escape room, only, there's nothing to escape from. You just go from challenge to challenge (questing) to finish a story arc.

Pokemon Go is a phone app game that is played by visiting real world locations to 'catch' and 'train' and 'battle' pocket monsters.

Meow Wolf is like a giant art exhibit but with secret passages and rooms that may be telling a larger story. They have a giant warehouse that seems to be a supermarket, but has so much more to explore. Another space is about Area 51 and aliens.

Camp is like Summer Camp for families where you can choose to do art projects or cooking other activities together.

TeamLab Borderless is about giant interactive art installations.


Of these, BodaBorg is most like the possible "escape room" like idea of this thread.

Meow Wolf would have been a better Disney Quest replacement than NBA Experience.