Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Is it just me, or am I the only one who hears the words "grassy knolls" and immediately thinks of a third shooter?<<< Nope. I guess this third shooter took out PI?
Originally Posted By vbdad55 yeah bad, stupid Disney -- they cannot get 3rd parties to come in and drop significant coin in a time when NO ONE but no one is opening new shops and stores in any kind of numbers. Look around people- look in the nicest areas in your city and find 2/3 emtpy strip malls where high end shops used to be. No one has any money people ! The economy is trumping vast expansion in almost all arenas. I live in one of the priciest areas of Chi town and the economy has hit hard here also. Median income has dropped $20K in just a few years and while it is significantly aahead of the national average- stores here are closing laos- empty shops where niche boutiques used to be. Some are surviving as well as some high end restaurants- but not all. So just how is Disney supposed to get all these 3rd parties to invest in the West Side ? Sprinke pixie dust in their stockholders and actuaries eyes ? Why is Virgin gone from their space ? Because they were losing money. But yeah it's dumb ol Disney using rest areas as placeholders ( and I am sure the manicuring wil be just fine) - until something changes- would you rather see shuttered stores ? Now that would be the ghetto look. I really don't get how they are supposed to operate outside the realm of the real workd in which they do business.. many 'reclaimation' areas in ctiies downtowns - usually involving train stations - or docks etc- are bleeding stores faster thanone can blink their eyes- being replaced by dollar stores - thrift shops and low end fast food places. I am a member of the Chamber of Commerce where I am and if you have a sure fire plan for attracting new business ventures from quality operations in today's economy..please let me know..we're trying to keep the ones we have with shrinking revenues and higher taxes and overhead.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I suppose now Disney are providing grass legally to visitors of PI ------------ you mean they stopped ?
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<The economy is trumping vast expansion in almost all arenas.>> Exactly. SO why did Disney think it was a good idea to do this in a time when no one was going to build? Seems like common sense to me.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Maybe, just maybe, when this plan was being developed they didn't understand or know how deep and long lasting the recession would be.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 or maybe it was because people are pulling out out DTD, especially the West Side and they need to have some plan in the interim. As I said, the last thing I want to see there is shuttered stores..how many have ended their agreements in the last few years ?
Originally Posted By plpeters70 <<As I said, the last thing I want to see there is shuttered stores>> Agreed, but couldn't Disney re-purpose these spaces themselves? Why don't they run some stores there? They do it in the theme parks, why not there? And if not stores, they could surely come up with another use for the space.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I am sure they would love your ideas, and mine and anyone elses. How many more stores do they need - and if they open more some will rip them a new one for that as well. Art of Disney in DTD takes care of the high end collectibles- WoD the everyday Disney items- OUaT the gaming angle- there are pin shops and even a store for vinylmation already. More places to eat- got enough of those too down there-- the west side was once the domain of the specialty shop- 3rd parties looking to cash in on DtD shoppers with money. Well those days are gone. Do you have any collectible stores near you any more. Almost every single one I knew in the Chicago area has closed- there is no disposable income for that stuff any more - at least at present.-- I know they ran surveys galore for ideas as well-- I think much like even the highest end shopping areas, they have to ride out the economic storm first. Woodfield Mall near me is the second largest mall in the country- a tourist destination believe it or not-- yet the amount of shuttered stores and re-purposed stores for temporary attractions is sad. Disney is not immune
Originally Posted By plpeters70 <<Disney is not immune>> No one ever said they were. But, the last time I checked, Disney World was still as crowded as ever. Sure, maybe people aren't buying as much as they once did, but Disney World as a whole is probably still making quite a bit of money. Disney could operate a few stores or small attractions in those spaces to keep from having empty storefronts. Sure, they might have to run them at a lose, but frankly, all of the attractions at the parks basically run that way anyway. But better that than have the place looking like a sad strip mall that can't keep it's tenants. Image is everything - and that's especially true at a place like Disney World where they're trying to create this "magical" experience for the guests.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Maybe, just maybe, when this plan was being developed they didn't understand or know how deep and long lasting the recession would be.>> Then maybe, just maybe, a smart buisiness person would say, "You know, we've got a few clubs here that DO fit into the Disney mold and also carry a big fanbase. Maybe we should keep them around while we knock down the rest of the failing clubs. That way, when we do come out of the recession, we'll have popular attractions for incoming companies to build their success around, instead of a barren wasteland." Or am I just naive?
Originally Posted By plpeters70 <<the west side was once the domain of the specialty shop- 3rd parties looking to cash in on DtD shoppers with money>> And I must say that I never really understood how those places ever made any money. I used to enjoy browsing in them, but never actually bought anything. Most of that stuff was just so pointless, and not something that I would be looking to buy while on vacation. I've always been amazed that the West Side shops lasted as long as they did.
Originally Posted By Tony C Honestly it's an area I visit for a few hours on an off day from the parks. They want to put grass in there for now fine.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I haven't been able to talk myself into reading all 92 posts, but I think I've got this figured out. Replace Epcot grassy lawn plaza with concrete: Horrifying! Replace Pleasure Island concrete with grassy lawn: Horrifying! Uber-fan opinion of ANYTHING Disney does: Horrifying!
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Replace Epcot grassy lawn plaza with concrete: Horrifying! Replace Pleasure Island concrete with grassy lawn: Horrifying!>> Right, because those two examples have an obvious correlation.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Uber-fan opinion of ANYTHING Disney does: Horrifying!" It certainly does seem that way at times.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<It certainly does seem that way at times.>> Only to those that don't pay attention. I'm not denying that there are some that are that way, but this line of thinking is why so many idiotic arguments occur on message boards. One side thinks the other side only thinks one way, and vice versa.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Actually, downtown Disney is a vast wasteladn of concrete. Probably the place in all of WDW that has the greatest area with no grass at all. I think a little grass leading to the lake will be a nice thing. Sounds almost like an old-time city park. Rather Disneyesque, don't you think?
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Rather Disneyesque, don't you think?>> Not when it replaces one of the most Disney-esque attractions to ever be built.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<<<Rather Disneyesque, don't you think?>> Not when it replaces one of the most Disney-esque attractions to ever be built.>> Although I've heard Walt was rather fond of his drink, I certainly wouldn't consider a collection of bars to be one of the most Disneyesque things ever built. Of the whole mess the only one that was very Disney-like was the Adventurer's Club. That will be missed. The rest? Meh...
