Waterfront District "Hyperion Wharf" Set to be added to Pleasure Island

[Victoria]

I'm really enjoying this concept art. If the finished product is 1/2 as good as the art it will be a great addition to the area. I have confidence in the project since concept art has been fairly accurate lately. It's just too bad that this won't be able to be part of the 40th celebration.

 

[raven]

Good job Raven!

P.S. I like the new name better than the older one.

It leanes toward the nautical angle a little more but the other one kinda envelopes the original idea. Either one works for me.

 

[Lee]

I noticed that too. And with the building in the concept art, I wonder if there is anything going on there.:shrug:

Where is that?
I don't see it in the art....

 

[ABigBrassBand]

Looks great, like a Florida Paradise Pier. Can't wait, at least they put that land to use.

 

[imagineer boy]

No, Citywalk reminds me of DTD or Church Strret Station. Citywalk came way later.


I have always thought that DTD was just a mess. When DTD first opened is was called the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village and it was a very nice shopping district that allowed access for locals and vacationers to visit without an entry fee and get a little Disney magic while sharing their money with the mouse. Over the years it grew. First the addition of PI. PI was a gated area for people 18 years of age or older and you had to pay an admission just to get onto the island. This was added to compete with the very popular Church Street Station. I will say PI was a lot of fun back then with the Westend stage and bands always playing on the street. You could go into what ever club you wanted to and come back to the street and listen to the live band. I really enjoyed that part of PI except having to pay to get on the island, but something had to pay for the entertainment. Well then West side comes along and now to get there from the Market Place you have to take a bland, unthemed sidewalk out by the parking lot to go around PI to get to the West side and the shops, theater and restaurants. This was a big flaw in my eyes. With the locked down PI in the middle you had no choice but to go around. This really isolated each area and limited the growth of the West side. So I have to assume after many thousands of complaints from people over the years and the complaints from the businesses on the West side that PI was opened up for people to walk through during the day to get between the shopping districts. At this point there was no charge to get on the island but you had to pay at the door of the clubs. Well this started to spell the end for the West end stage. Disney was not about to give people free entertainment. These people would come to PI and have a few drinks on the sidewalk and Hill st and listen to the music for free and that cannot last. Now the west end stage disappears and the fall of PI is well under way.

Connecting all three areas and blending their offerings will do wonders for DTD. It would not be in the situation it is in now if some better planning was done when the West side was added back in the mid 90's.

What they could have done was build an extra shopping area behind PI that would connect the Disney Villiage with the West Side. Families would be able to pass from one side to the other without witnessing the more PG-13 activities of PI.

 

[MMFanCipher]

it was also announced that Pirates of the Caribbean is coming in Lego form this summer. So, I am sure we will be sing lots of Lego Star Wars, Toy Story and Pirates in the new space!

I bet there will be a BIG area for Lego Harry Potter stuff too!!!!!! :lol:

 

[MKeeler]

If the original idea was Disney's Electrical Waterfront...

Any chance they could overhaul the Electric Water Parade to make a new improved version to serve as nighttime entertainment for DTD and Saratoga Springs?

 

[lazyboy97o]

I know at a certain point, PI tried different two-price structures. I think at one point, you could pay JUST to go into AC & CW. Either that, or one price got you into all the dance clubs, and you had to pay more in order to also be able to go into AC & CW.

At its end the Adventurer's Club required purchase of an All Club Admission or an Annual Pass. As you stated, people were paying to just go to the Adventurer's Club. Just remove all of the free access and let the market figure out the best price. Start at around $40 and let people linger all night. If crowds prove too much, then move up the price. If some times are more crowded, then charge more for that time. The Adventurer's Club never went through with kicking people out of the club after the Library Show, so the issue of people staying around was there fore nearly 20 years.

The benefit of the new plan (and I'm sure the reason for PI's demise) is that you now have a contiguous concept from one end of DTD to the other and that all of the businesses can now all have much longer and the same business hours.

The biggest problems with Pi was that it was (A) a virtual stop sign for people who wanted to shop or dine at the West Side or Marketplace, (B) didn't do business during the day, (C) the nightclubs were run by Disney who simply wanted out, and (D) the "undesireables" that were brought to the area because of the nightclubs.

The West Side is still going to be a problem. It was intended as a shopping and dining component addition to Pleasure Island, not an extension of the Marketplace. Disney has to move people away from the Marketplace Bus Stop and that is going to still be difficult without giving people bigger options int he West Side and easier transportation.

 

[raven]

If the original idea was Disney's Electrical Waterfront...

Any chance they could overhaul the Electric Water Parade to make a new improved version to serve as nighttime entertainment for DTD and Saratoga Springs?

I think DTD West Side has enough entertainment personally. I don't believe they would though due to the music polution bleeding from the other entertainment around the area.

 

[Thurp]

I was thinking... the turn of the 20th century, uh? That could, sort of, include 1937.

 

[SeaCastle]

Now this is a bold, new vision I can really sink my teeth into. Great job, Disney! I can't wait to rock down to Electric Avenue come 2013.

 

[JEANYLASER]

yeah! this will be awesome!

 

[Captain Neo]

Certainly looks nice in the concept art. I just hope there are actual cool things to see and do there instead of just more rainforest cafe style eateries.

 

[JustInTime]

I still can't believe we got such big news today! We have all just been waiting for sooooo long!

 

[Captain Neo]

That's exactly right. There is no way you are going to see WOC at DTD. WDW has two night shows that need attention, Fantastmic and RoE, and they are inside parks, with paying guests.

Disneyland had a free water & light musical show outside the parks at the resort up until about 2001. So its not unheard of.

 

[jt04]

Beautiful!

-- Bringing Imagineering in was a great and necessary decision
-- The overall theme is easily adapted to any vendors and looks solid to me. Meaning few cutbacks.
--The waterfront is a critical addition. I'm certain more announcements are coming that take advantage of it.
--Perfect aesthetics and concept IMO.

Thanks for the extra artwork Steve.

:sohappy:

PS- Yes, I am shocked by the Lego decision. But very pleased. The mouse has grown up a bit.

 

[puntagordabob]

Anyway, I think they would be good to put a ferris wheel in this concept

Ya know I was just recently at DCA's Paradise Pier and avoided every ride on it (TSM was closed lol) BUT FUNNY THING IS I LOVED PARADISE PIER! The ferris wheel was just freaking awesome looking!!!!!!!! Only problem is to enjoy the view you would almost have to be looking at it from across the lagoon, imho thats what makes Paradise Pier so charming.... oh and yeah WoC show would be awesome but I cannot imagine Disney putting it at DTD as that would not truly make good economic sense.... cool idea though!

 

[CBOMB]

-- Bringing Imagineering in was a great and necessary decision
-- The overall theme is easily adapted to any vendors and looks solid to me. Meaning few cutbacks.
--The waterfront is a critical addition. I'm certain more announcements are coming that take advantage of it.
--Perfect aesthetics and concept IMO.

Thanks for the extra artwork Steve.

:sohappy:

PS- Yes, I am shocked by the Lego decision. But very pleased. The mouse has grown up a bit.

Is this the vision of DtD that you felt was coming or something entirely different?

 

[jt04]

Is this the vision of DtD that you felt was coming or something entirely different?

It is definitely in line with the many types of concepts I thought they might use. It is very close to exceeding any of my expectations though. I think it will truly be relaxing and fun place to spend time. The lighting concepts bring it all together IMO. Imagineering has done a great job here.

I was hoping for the Aquarium but I like the lighting concepts even better.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I'm not sure. It looks like DCA's Paradise Pier and WDW Boardwalk thrown together- with a bit of modern flair. But I don't really see substance.