Virgin Megastores, including Disney location, will shut down this summer

[71jason]

Too dumb? Or just too proud to admit they made a terrible decision? I'm sure they know it was stupid, but I highly doubt we'll see them eat crow and admit it.

Ahh, but the problem is the bosses didn't listen to them soon enough! If only the had closed PI and that accursed Adventurers Club years earlier, traffic flow through DTD would have improved dramatically and the archaic "record store," the expensive art gallery and the just-plain-cheesy Planet Hollywood overstock store would be making beaucoup bucks. Really, it's Frankie & the West End Boys' fault, not Kevin Lansberry's.

(BTW Kevin, if you're still lurking here in between trips to Monster.com, if I see you in a month or so, yes, I do want fries with that...)

 

[gus ghost]

Coming soon for your future enjoyment: Rainforest Cafe Westside!

 

[Master Yoda]

I'm all for a huge casino. Why not? That would be a great replacement for PI. This would give you the chance to win back the cost of your vacation.

I know, not likely...

Especially since casino's are illegal in Florida except for on Indian reservations.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Especially since casino's are illegal in Florida except for on Indian reservations.

Move them from the back of Frontier Land.

 

[hardcard]

Of course, they can always convert those 50,000 sq. ft. of retail space into the latest concept from Schussler Creative, the proud developers of Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex Cafe...

How about... Orange County Choppers America's RoadHouse™ ?

Or the Hot Dog Hall of Fame ?

Maybe Motown Cafe wants to give it another go with West Side instead of CityWalk...

:lookaroun

Doubtful considerng Landrys Restaurants (the owner of said Restaurant Chains) is on the verge of Bankruptcy.

 

[GothMickey]

Awesome..

Since they have an ESPN Zone why not a Fox Sports Restaurant?

1. Why lower themselves with a Fox Sports brand anything?

2. Disney owns ESPN which competes with Fox Sports.

3. That would be like Universal opening a Disney merchandise outlet in CityWalk. Ain't happening.

 

[GothMickey]

Or how about a Playboy club, like at the Palms in Vegas? Wouldn't it be great if they opened a huge strip bar? There's something noone would expect. You could have dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table and get a lap dance from her later that night. They'd make a killing.

I know, not likely. Maybe at Universal...

Nice. I am all for a strip club in Disney. You know, so you can bring in horned up, drunken men to harass the females walking in West Side. Cause, ya know, they didn't have enough riff-raff with those dagged clubs in PI.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Nice. I am all for a strip club in Disney. You know, so you can bring in horned up, drunken men to harass the females walking in West Side. Cause, ya know, they didn't have enough riff-raff with those dagged clubs in PI.

Mind you many of them would need the blokes to be inebriated to get harassed, given the high level of houndship.

 

[GothMickey]

Mind you many of them would need the blokes to be inebriated to get harassed, given the high level of houndship.

Well, yea... :ROFLOL:

 

[bgraham34]

Nice. I am all for a strip club in Disney. You know, so you can bring in horned up, drunken men to harass the females walking in West Side. Cause, ya know, they didn't have enough riff-raff with those dagged clubs in PI.

Aren't there enough men harassing the females there anyways.

 

[WDWFigment]

For what it's worth, ME!

I am a collector of physical media - DVDs and CDs. NOT soundfiles.

It feels SO much more special to me to have a really-for-real OFFICIAL CD release that I can hold in my hand and store on my shelf as part of my official collection. This will have the official artwork that the artist wanted with their album, and liner notes which often have lyric sheets, production credits, etc. Like vinyl records, a CD release represents an "official" work, a sequence of songs that were put in the order they are in because of artistic choices made by the artist.

I have no interest in downloading individual tracks, and the only way I would consider downloading a complete album is if that album is completely unavailable on a officially released physical CD. Otherwise, owning "files" on a computer just doesn't feel the same to me as owning the REAL CD version with the artwork.

If I don't own the real officially released CD, I don't feel like something is part of my collection!

Please note that I am not attempting to start an argument here about downloading vs. physical media, only attempting to illustrate how the loss of the Virgin Megastore is VERY dissapointing to me!

Because, since I am not into most cotemporary pop, which makes up the largest percentage of most CD retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, having a store like Virgin was a godsend! (I live seasonally in Orlando). Virgin blew away even the Best Buys, Borders, and Barnes in Nobles in selection.

I enjoy classical and soundtracks, and Virgin had a great selection. And most of the "bands" or "rock/pop" artists I like are UK/European artists, (mostly from the 80's and 90's) who often have titles that are only available in the US as imports. I've seen a lot of imports and other titles in Virgin stores (and the late, great similar Tower Records chain) that other stores simply don't and won't carry.

I guess I'll have to get an account with an online retailer to still have access to OFFICIAL physical CD releases of the more obscure titles/artists I collect, although I'm not crazy about ordering online because I'm on the go so much.

And there is NOTHING like the thrill of finding it on the shelf and being able to buy something INSTANTLY that you had been looking for and that you were wondering if you would ever find in a store and voila, there it is, thanks to Virgin!

Farewell, Virgin Megastore, you will be deeply missed

I respect your opinion, and am the same way with wanting a fixed tangible medium for my movies, but there is really no need for argument. Simply, the need for argument is precluded by economics. Digital audio is rapidly capturing market share from fixed mediums. Given that projections show this continuing at a brisk rate, a store that primarily carries these mediums, especially one that locates itself in retail space with extremely high costs per square foot, is no longer viable.

Team Disney Orlando.

Also, couldn't Virgin Megastore just go and ask for some bailout money? Everyone else seems to be getting it.

See above. Once a company loses viability, no amount of bailout money can rebuild it (although that doesn't mean it can't get bailout money, apparently...).

I'm honestly surprised Planet Hollywood hasn't had more financial trouble. They were on the verge of bankruptcy in the late 90s, when the economy was actually prosperous.

 

[fireworkz]

Can't understand how you're all saying DtD is now dead with this announcement, was there twice this week and it's still packed everyday - still have to wait anywhere from a hour to hours for a restaurant at night. Sure they shouldn't have closed some of the PI clubs like AC, but until I see all of parking lots half filled and the ability to walk into any restaurant and get a table at dinner I don't think DtD is in trouble of becoming a ghost town.

 

[GothMickey]

Aren't there enough men harassing the females there anyways.

Yes there are.

 

[GothMickey]

Can't understand how you're all saying DtD is now dead with this announcement, was there twice this week and it's still packed everyday - still have to wait anywhere from a hour to hours for a restaurant at night. Sure they shouldn't have closed some of the PI clubs like AC, but until I see all of parking lots half filled and the ability to walk into any restaurant and get a table at dinner I don't think DtD is in trouble of becoming a ghost town.

It will be closer to a ghost town. There are a load of closed down, unused buildings there. Crowds may still be there, but, mind you, that is for Marketplace. I doubt the crowds are as high for PI and West Side.

 

[Thelazer]

Yes and no.

if you follow the overall trends, you'll see it's not as busy as it once was.
The question is, what is being done to reverse this.

The answer.. it appears, not much.

Can't understand how you're all saying DtD is now dead with this announcement, was there twice this week and it's still packed everyday - still have to wait anywhere from a hour to hours for a restaurant at night. Sure they shouldn't have closed some of the PI clubs like AC, but until I see all of parking lots half filled and the ability to walk into any restaurant and get a table at dinner I don't think DtD is in trouble of becoming a ghost town.

 

[fosse76]

I have to admit, I haven't been to DTD in so many years. We don't even bother. :snore:

The closing doesn't shock me, considering the technological world we live in...people are downloading and iPod-ing more than buying CDs.

Oh well. Let's hope Characters in Flight helps boost the morale!

That's not why they are closing. The owners of Virgin Megastores are closing them because they think they can get more money in rent from other tenants. They are closing the one in Disney because they want to phase out all the stores...eve the ones where they don't own the building. The Virgin stores in New York were HUGELY successful. It's greed that's causing them to close...and in this economy I hope the owners go bankrupt.

 

[Huck]

Breaking news! In an attempt to counteract the planned opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, the Disney company has purchased the rights to the Mad Max franchise. They have already begun converting sections of what is currently known as Dowtown Disney into a virtual wasteland. Guests will be able to immerse themselves in a futuristic environment characterized by vacant buildings, the accrid stench of failure, roving bands of terrorizing teen-agers and a one of a kind futuristic arial adventure in "Mad Max: Above Thunderdome"(formerly known as Characters in Flight).
Also watch for future lakeside development as Disney taps into the vast popularity of the box office smash Waterworld featuring life-like Kevin Costner animatronics and a full service "Urine Bar"!

:lookaroun

 

[uklad79]

Well I hate to say I told you so but I did. Bring on the great closing down sale and then the ESPN Zone which will open in it's place.

 

[MichWolv]

Well I hate to say I told you so but I did. Bring on the great closing down sale and then the ESPN Zone which will open in it's place.

Quite frankly, Pleasure Island/DtD has needed, IMO, a sports bar for some time. The ESPN Club at Boardwalk is great for that part of the property, but it isn't big enough to handle the crowds. Put an ESPN Zone with some outdoor big screens and you'll add some atmosphere and a bit of excitement outside. I'd prefer the ESPN Zone go in the former Mannequins or RnRBC location, but I'll take it in the former Virgin Megastore if that's what they decide.

My bet, though, is still an Apple Store with an added entertainment component. The Virgin store was built as a retail location. Converting it to an ESPN Zone seems like it might be somewhat difficult (NOTE: I have no expertise is this area -- just guessing), while converting it to an electronics retail store seems like a piece of cake. Taking into account Steve Jobs' role on the Disney board, the fit seems right to me. An Apple Store downstairs with a coffee bar/internet cafe upstairs, maybe, plus another component that I'm not smart enough to envision.

 

[BelleGurl]

Aw, that's sad to hear the store is closing. I've never bought something in there. But I have been in there before, and was planning on buying things.