Originally Posted By skinnerbox Reading the comments from the OCReg article is quite telling. The restaurants do well and offer validated parking. The shops don't do well and don't offer validated parking. Coincidence? And truthfully, who really wants to shop while vacationing at Disneyland, which I assume is a hefty percentage of the clientele. Locals can do that in more convenient shopping centers with free parking. This project was troubled from the get-go. It's too close to DtD to pull in tourists on the west and north side of DLR, and probably those staying northeast of DL. Walking from HoJo's to DtD is roughly the same distance as walking to GardenWalk. Gee... which mall is more apt to appeal to tourists? It's not rocket science. Unless you're staying at a nearby hotel or you're planning to dine in one of the restaurants to get free parking, I don't see any reason to visit.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <"One idea - What about the thought of Disney buying it?" <I can't see that happening given that the place is losing money. Maybe I'm just not a visionary, but I can't see what value can Disney add that would turn the place around without spending millions of dollars. I think Disney would be better off financially by building new hotels and at DLR and expanding DTD.> As SGV said, this land is potentially very valuable indeed to Disney if and when the Strawberry Field becomes a third park right across the street from GW. Then, all of a sudden, it becomes prime real estate. Especially for hotels. The 3 Disney owns are at near capacity now, and if they build a third park, multi-day stays only become more common. Making a "DTD East" is another possibility, but hotel(s) are going to need to be part of that mix, if a third park happens. Ideally, I'd love to see a mid-priced Disney-owned property; a smaller, more expensive, "boutique" hotel aimed at adults; and a blow-out-the-stops/huge pool area property (sort of what you might do with the DLH if you could level it all and start from scratch). So... what might Disney pay for that property on the potential of it becoming premiere space if a third park opens? Hard to say. If the price were low enough, I think they should grab it. They aren't making any more real estate near DL. But only they know what the plans are (and when) for the strawberry field, and what price makes sense to buy a now-money-losing proposition for the purpose of re-purposing it.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck When I visited a couple years back, I could not find a single bookstore. I knew it was doomed right then.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I predicted this when this project was first announced and I recall several posters claiming that GardenWalk would give DTD a run for its money. The last thing Orange County needed was another boring mall with dull run-of-the-mill retail. Just look at the picture in the link from post 20. Does anyone here think that the place looks a compelling place to visit? I hope the taxpayers of Garden Grove are paying attention.
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<Does anyone here think that the place looks a compelling place to visit?>> Parking is horrendous, the mall layout is frenetic, the shop mix is blah, navigating to the anchor restaurants through the mall is confusing. Take it down to grade and salt the earth so nothing will ever grow there again. It is a very strange piece of property.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA We visited back in November of 2008. GardenWalk was within walking distance of our hotel, so we stopped by. It was very much like so many other shopping centers around the country. In other words -- boring.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "When I visited a couple years back, I could not find a single bookstore. I knew it was doomed right then." Yeah. Many bookstores are the sign of a healthy mall. Brick & mortar bookstores are a booming business.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Since the moment Garden Walk was in financial trouble ... I can just picture the Disney Co. just waiting for the right moment. And when it comes ... (which I think is soon). They'll grab it. And becomes "DtD-East". With the area directly north .. planned to be another colossal parking structure for the DLR .. and the "illusive" 3rd park to the south ....... this is perched right in the middle. And who says they have to keep a bunch of small retail shops. Like those spaces cannot be converted to something else? We're not just talking Bubba Gumps, Cheesecake Factory, and whatever other restaurants that sit along Kattella Ave. here .... Has everyone forgotten the swanky modern Bowling Alley that sits under the movie theaters? Not to mention those movie theaters themselves? Very "1970" chic. Really cool. An IMAX sized auditorium. And Orange County's only "premium theater experience" with wide leather seating, dining experience, while you watch your movie. Currently Disney has the El Capitan in LA. Their only public place for a "higher" movie going experience. At the DLR in Orange County ... the best they have is the very middle-class AMC theaters in DtD. Those theaters are really OC's only "Arclight" type experience. (Arclight .. meaning the posh theaters found at the Cinerama Dome, and Sherman Oaks Gallery) This is Disney's chance to snag up a complex with high-end amenities that would compliment DtD. Because GW fits right in the middle of a longterm master plan for Disney in the next couple decades ..... They probably have been waiting for the ball to drop on GW even lower. I bet they will snatch it up soon.
Originally Posted By DlandDug The saga of Pointe Anaheim (as the development was originally called) has been long and bumpy. The version that finally opened was definitely too little, much too late. Disney may, indeed, have a crafty plan to wait until it is offered at a fire sale price. This version was supposed to open in four stages, each with an accompanying hotel. The hotel pads still exist within the development, and the zoning issues are resolved. There is also still land to be developed, that would offer a better connection from the DIsneyland Resort as it exists to the strawberry field/ThirdTheme Park location. Google Earth this location to appreciate just how integral it is to the entire Disney property in Anaheim. Note the two extensive open fields due east of the shopping mall (those are the hotel pads). Note that Disney own the large surface parking lot due north of Garden Walk. And note the location of the strawberry field due south. Then connect the dots-- depending on the will and the price...
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<Then connect the dots-- depending on the will and the price...>> Can they take care of Tomorrowland first before launching some more off property follys.
Originally Posted By Bellella I've only been to Garden Walk twice in my life. It's very picturesque, but the highlight of the place is a beautiful mural themed to D-land that was done by some elementary school kids. Hope you guys have seen it.
Originally Posted By WestWind I have been to the Garden Walk a couple of times to see what it is all about... but I really don't go to the Disneyland area to visit on off-site mall, no matter how nice. I may visit it again but only if we are near it to eat or something. It won't be on the list of things to do. If we were staying in a hotel at the Garden Walk we may be inclined to visit the mall a bit. It would be exciting if Disney acquired the property ... more expansion possibilities...
Originally Posted By DlandDug Back at the start of the "Disney Decade" (c. 1990), the Company had plans to use this corridor for internal transportation. <a href="http://s325.photobucket.com/albums/k375/newdug/1990s%20Disneyland%20Resort%20Plans/?action=view¤t=SCN_0001.jpg" target="_blank">http://s325.photobucket.com/al...0001.jpg</a>#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs325.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fk375%2Fnewdug%2F1990s%2520Disneyland%2520Resort%2520Plans%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DSCN_0001.jpg
Originally Posted By TP2000 I only go there for the restaurants. McCormick & Schmicks is always a solid performer with the mall's best bar. PF Changs is also good, and Roy's works too. The Cheesecake Factory is fine, but there's always that issue of standing around in that mob out on the sidewalk waiting for a table that I dislike. It goes downhill from there with the restaurants. And the stores are a total mess. I noticed a couple weeks ago on my way from the park to McCormicks that only about 20% of the space is now occupied, and now there's some no-name cheap ladies dress shops in there. It's rather downmarket now. If Disney buys this place, it's going to require major cosmetic surgery with some reconstructive surgery also needed for its weakes bones (access to the upper level, and the horrible parking). Disney would also need to use a lot of arm twisting to get more stores to move in, plus a bunch of new restaurants. Plus, for a place with the word "Garden" in its title, it's heavy on cement and steel. Whoever buys this place needs to invest in a few barrells of MiracleGro ASAP. GardenWalk: What a mess!
Originally Posted By TP2000 "cheap ladies dress shops in there." I meant that just the dresses were cheap. I wasn't trying to make a judgement of the ladies who wear them.
Originally Posted By dshyates I think Disney will buy the place, add the hotels and just make it part of the resort district. Throw in a peoplover to shuttle people to the Esplanade and it would be a nice addition to the DLR.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 If (and it's a big if) they can get it cheaply enough, I could see them buying it just for the land, and essentially closing it down except for perhaps the restaurants fronting Katella and the theatres. Until a 3rd park and/or hotels open there, there's really no reason for people staying at the Disney-owned hotels to go there, even if Disney owned it. Until a real attraction opens up over there, there's no real reason for tourists to go to a run-of-the-mill mall (as many here have said), and locals have better and more convenient choices as well. There's no reason to think that just because Disney owned it, it would suddenly start doing better business AS a mall. And a place with mostly shuttered stores just looks bad - worse than nothing. They could just raze the thing between the Katella restaurants and the theatres and make it an "urban park" - fountains, grass, etc. - essentially a placeholder until they figure out what they want to do with the strawberry field and what new hotels might open up over there.
Originally Posted By Daannzzz If they put a bath / shower into each of the shops they could remodel the whole place into a hotel. Some of the larger shops can be family suites.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck I agree that this place has lots of juicy possibility for Disney, but boy is it gonna cost them. How about a themed mall, with different sections just like at the park, with unique and quality shops and eating establishments from around the world? Similar to World Showcase in Florida? Gut the middle and have nightly water shows to keep guests coming in. The problem is that Downtown Disney would become a morgue.
