The Downtown Disney Thread

[TP2000]

I did go to the one in Galveston-not to eat, but to experience the only Rainforest Cafe ride: imagine a slow-moving GRR where you didn't get wet and went through a RC-quality jungle and that's about what it is.

That's fascinating! I had no idea there was one with a ride. How odd. And how dumb to spend the money for it to turn out like that.

Yeah, that was Ted Nivison and Eddy Burback, and their videos are fantastic to watch back-to-back.

Both of their faces on their title cards look exactly like real life when you were told as an adult "We are going to dinner at Rainforest Cafe".

 

[TP2000]

So Micechat is reporting that Porto’s might not be moving into DTD after all. Apparently they’ve been hearing rumors from Earl and Porto’s employees.

Financing for that sort of thing by a modest mid-sized business can be very tricky, especially now with higher interest rates and banks scared about the crashing commercial real estate market.

Unless you can self finance, and Porto's likely can't, the high rent rates that Disney charges for Downtown Disney can be prohibitive to getting financing in the current economic environment. It would've penciled out in 2015, but not now.

I wonder if Disney would consider reducing rents to help attract a well-aimed selection of dining options? Disney might need to lower their profit estimates for Downtown Disney rental rates for at least the next 5 years until the commercial real estate market can stabilize itself.

 

[mickEblu]

Financing for that sort of thing by a modest mid-sized business can be very tricky, especially now with higher interest rates and banks scared about the crashing commercial real estate market.

Unless you can self finance, and Porto's likely can't, the high rent rates that Disney charges for Downtown Disney can be prohibitive to getting financing in the current economic environment. It would've penciled out in 2015, but not now.

I wonder if Disney would consider reducing rents to help attract a well-aimed selection of dining options? Disney might need to lower their profit estimates for Downtown Disney rental rates for at least the next 5 years until the commercial real estate market can stabilize itself.

Makes sense. A half a dozen donuts cost me $10 the other day at a hole in the wall. Donuts aren’t even cheap anymore. The ice cream truck at our local park charged me $5 for my sons popsicle. He’s also smart and doesn’t put the prices on the outside so he can change prices depending on the area he’s in.

 

[jmuboy]

Honestly, I was never quite certain how a Porto was going to fit in the old bakery building building. I know they were going to tear it down and rebuild it. I always thought a larger building in this footprint would totally look out of place. The small ones almost ranch style house building that has been there since 2001 with a very park like patio on the left-hand side just helps transition from downtown Disney into the Esplanade nicely. I was actually sad to lose that aesthetic. If Earl sandwich ends up, returning to a permanent operation in the old La Brea building, I would be perfectly happy.

 

[Nirya]

Portos buildings are usually pretty big, not sure why they aren't targeting the old ESPNZone building for Portos, especially if you could also work out a deal to then put some of the pastries into the park as well.