Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-78106.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Upscale Bowling Alley Coming to Downtown Disney</b></a> <p>CFNews13.com reports (based on an article in the Orlando Business Journal) an upscale bowling, billiards, dining and nightlife entertainment center called Splitsville is coming to Downtown Disney. They also report the Hyperion Wharf Pleasure Island rennovation project has been put on hold. </p>
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I thought it was coming to the Wide World of Sports. And hey I like bowling, not sure I would do it at WDW though I guess it's no different than going golfing.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros There was definitely an announcement about 2 years ago that they were going to build a huge (I think over 80 lanes) bowling facility at WWS, but there has been no word on it since that first announcement. It will be interesting to see how this pans out, since I think a lot of Lucky Strike-type places have had financial problems. I know the one at Anaheim Gardenwalk (also in a shopping area near, but not immediately adjacent to, some theme parks) was one of GW's first places to go bankrupt. Will this be going into the Virgin Megastore location, or somewhere on PI? Either way, it seems like there's lots of room (especially if they go for a e story multi-use building), and that they're not planning WOC any time soon!
Originally Posted By leobloom We're that much closer to getting a "Big Lebowski" ride. Billboads on I-4 will advertise: The Dude's kind of E-ticket. Join the Dude on the greatest bowling adventure of all time. And of course the souvenir t-shirt will have Donald Duck's face and read, "Shut the (bleep) up, Donald!"
Originally Posted By ChiMike Virgin Megastore These Bowling Concepts did well 7 years ago and have a hard time keeping their margings in the longterm. Best of luck, I hope it works out, it will really help the Westside. As far a WWoS, it has been pretty well known that the AMF thing was on indefinite hold. I can't imagine Splitsville would come without assurances from Disney that the AMF project was dead-dead, and now prohibited.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA CityWalk, at Universal Studios Hollywood, has had a 'hip, black lit' bowling alley for about 10 years I think... It's very cool.
Originally Posted By PotNoodle Let's see: Dine-In Theater-check Trendy, affordable celebrity-insprired women's clothing store-check Rainforest Cafe-check and now, Upscale, adult bowling alley Wow, there's a recreaton of my local mall at WDW!
Originally Posted By ChiMike Welcome to LP.com PotNoodle! I don't understand why people spend their expensive vacation time at Downtown Disney Orlando, but they do. I think this Bowling Alley will be a big success for no other reason that folks do look for things to do late at night and in some communities people sometimes are hesitant to go to their local alley thinking it is dirty and/or unsafe. I can see this being a hit. Might end up like DisneyQuest where it has to support lower numbers than expected in the long term. As long as the business model can support it, than it should be fine. Disneyquest by the way is supposedly holding its own.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Sometimes I wonder if Disney would have been better off just building a larger outdoor mall -- expanding the Disney Village Marketplace. Like Crocker Center near Cleveland. <a href="http://retailtrafficmag.com/mag/Bridge%20-%20Talbots%20web.jpg" target="_blank">http://retailtrafficmag.com/ma...0web.jpg</a> Or even The Grove near Farmer's Market in Los Angeles -- <a href="http://you-are-here.com/location/the_grove.jpg" target="_blank">http://you-are-here.com/locati...rove.jpg</a> But The Grove, and the other one in Glendale <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/13/americana_2.jpg" target="_blank">http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...na_2.jpg</a> These organizations seem to have outdone Disney in many cases... But, that 'party time' atmosphere that seems to be forced upon the setting of Universal Studios Hollywood CityWalk and the Walt Disney World Downtown Disney locations seems, well...sort of forced. It's like the forced hipness of The Block at Orange -- is that place still limping along? Seems to be. They have Lucky Strike Lanes at their location...plus a Dave & Buster's -- the epitome of 'forced fun.' Hey, how's Garden Walk doing? Still struggling? When's the next big new idea?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>the epitome of 'forced fun.'<< LOL -- Reminds me of Planet Hollywood. When the one in San Francisco opened years ago, there was a huge line to get in. Once inside, there was a huge wait for a table. In the bar, there were large video screens, showing fabulous people partying at the grand opening of other Planet Hollywood grand opening galas. Truly, one of the stranger experiences. And then you walked through the restaurant, with odd props from 80's action B-movies. Just... strange.
Originally Posted By ChiMike ^^ I agree Kar2oonMan. It was very odd. I am shocked that the PH in Orlando's Downtown Disney still survives. A head scratcher. Perhap's because it is up front in the shape of a globe? The Planet Hollywood location in Chicago had a great location but was turned into a Gino's Pizza. Not my type of Chicago deep-dish so I don't head over there, but when I have it was pretty odd walking into the place repurposed. A lot of PH finishes still noticeable.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>Sometimes I wonder if Disney would have been better off just building a larger outdoor mall -- expanding the Disney Village Marketplace. << They did to an extent. They built/developed Crossroads outside the Hotel Plaza gate. I agree with all on here, that I wish they would not have piggybacked on the village. But I understand why they did. Now lets just hope they fix it.
Originally Posted By leobloom Jim, your photographs remind me of downtown Celebration -- there's a movie theater there, several restaurants, and some shops I believe. Celebration has that kind of "clean" postmodern/conservative architectural look, just like the pictures you linked to. You could make a case that that sort of look is more sophisticated or at least more inviting than the Vegas-style shock-and-awe that comes with places like DTD and CityWalk. I also agree that the "party" atmosphere can feel forced at CityWalk and DTD. Universal Florida's CityWalk, though, at least has going for it the proximity to the two theme parks. Adds some energy to the space, I think. DTD, on the other hand, is only related to the WDW parks by virtue of the Disney name -- even the drive to DTD gives me the feel that it's an obnoxiously overblown strip mall. I dunno what the answer is -- but I do know that when we lived outside of Florida and traveled to WDW, we rarely spent any time at DTD. It just didn't seem like a very good use of time -- most of the stuff there we could find in our hometown.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Years ago, we walked into CityWalk Hollywood, in the middle of the afternoon on a week day, and the music was cranking so loud, that I couldn't even talk to the person next to me. That's what I call 'forced fun.' ChiMike, I'm familiar with Crossroads -- it's had semi-success although the way-overpriced grocery store Gooding's has been having trouble -- is Jungle Jim's still there? It was popular 20+ years ago. I was thinking more along the lines of an expansion of the original Disney Village shopping concept. More resort shops, maybe a few other corporate type shops, but more subdued -- more sophisticated.
Originally Posted By ChiMike Would have been great Jim. As you know, the original pre Eisner plans would have been just that with their own New Orleans Square type district and hotel complex. No way it being the late 80's with eisner flexing the change mandate would he not go for the in your face route
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA ^^^I'm not sure that I do know that, ChiMike. Sounds great though.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Wow, there's a recreaton of my local mall at WDW!<<< We have a winner, shut the thread now.
Originally Posted By Bolna <<Wow, there's a recreaton of my local mall at WDW!>> Maybe that's exactly what they are going for? It seems like a lot of international tourists make a point of visiting quite a lot of malls when in the US. So perhaps that's an audience they want to get? I have friends here in Germany who would be all excited about that bowling place, but who have no desire to visit the MK.
