Disney Quest Closing

DisneyQuest Closing At Downtown Disney

DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney will close next year to make way for the NBA Experience.

The 100,000-square-foot indoor virtual theme park and hands-on entertainment center with video and virtual games first opened in 1998 at the entertainment district's West Side.

Ed Chambers, president of the Service Trades Council coalition of Disney unions, said new jobs will be available for DisneyQuest workers.

Disney earlier this month announced it was planning a new NBA-themed attraction that will include high-tech experiences, a restaurant and a store. Downtown Disney is currently undergoing an expansion, and it will be renamed Disney Springs.

Kinda bummed ... my son really liked it when I took him there last year and I was looking forward to taking him again. Not that I'm surprised, though, because it's seemed like it's been dead the last few times I went.

As expected when they announced the NBA Experience. Too bad they couldn't keep DQ updated, because it was like a time warp in there. That said, my son and I had a good time when we went for the first time a few years back.

Yet another thing i wanted to do with my sweetie on his first trip to Disney. I wish Disney would concentrate on one area & complete it before closing more. The ongoing construction walls everywhere are just not appealing. I realize updates & changes are needed but I would like to go to one park without it being overwhelmed by barriers.

I am surprised it lasted this long. They announced they were going to close it around 2007? I think; but then did not close it for some reason.

I've never set foot in there, but I know a lot of people enjoyed it. I doubt I'll check out the NBA experience, either. Not really in my interest area, lol. But I am all for anything new at WDW!

My DD and her friend were there earlier this month and enjoyed it. That was until they wanted to go to DHS to star hunt. Some Disney channel stars were at the park. I think they spent three hours there. It looked shabby at the entrance, I didn't go in with them.

I never went inside either. I know some folks have enjoyed it a lot but have also heard a number of reports that things were dated or not in good order.

I will miss it very much. :( It had games that reminded me of my uncle's arcade.
For me it was like stepping back in time ... real good memories! :thumbsup:

Besides that, it was a good option for those first those first & last "half days" of a vacation, it was a very popular option in extreme rain or when I had to wait for my driver to pick me up to get to my Florida house - it was easy to get in & out, so you could play to the last minute (almost) and then leave when it was time without much fuss. At least I always found that option easier than leaving from the 4 main theme parks. :mickey:

I will give the NBA attraction an honest try of course! :)

It was really cool the first time I went, which was 1997. Lots of cutting edge technology. The idea back then, was that it was to be proving ground for new and innovative ideas that might eventually be used in other attractions in the parks. I was supposed to constantly evolve. They were even talking about opening versions of it in cities around the country (didn't they open one in Chicago for a short time?).

Unfortunately, nothing has been added or updated since then. The only notable thing to come out of DisneyQuest: the 3D shooter technology used in TSMM is a direct descendant of the Pirates of the Caribbean 3D attraction.

But it was really cool when it first opened.

Steve

Yes, there was one here in the late 90's (98?) right off Michigan Avenue, I believe. I was in 8th or 9th grade and we got a season pass, and went many times. I thought it was really cool! It was only open a year or so, though. Have never been to the one in Orlando, but could see how it would be dated if they had all the same attractions from when it opened.

This makes me sad. We spent a lot of time in DQ and are planning to spend a lot of time in there again in September - I guess it will be our last hurrah. I don't envision needing the Waterparks and more option after this year.

IMHO - this was a missed opportunity for Disney. Universal will probably pull another day of our vacation when Nintendoland opens

I liked DQ, but only went when it was free as part of the trip package. NBA Experience NO WAY!! will never set foot in there for that.

I'm not surprised that it's going away. The entry price turned a lot of people off especially since I never thought they were effective on communicating what was inside. I used to go often in it's first 5 years of operation. I loved the Alien Encounter tank game, the pirates game and I would spend hours on retro arcade.

We were just talking about Disney Quest yesterday in "Nightlife, Shops & Waterparks".....Not surprised it is closing. They have not updated it since it opened 15 years ago.

My kids are going to be crushed. We are headed back in November and have two nights slotted at Quest. Wait until they hear that this is the last time they are ever going to go there. They play and DH and I get to sit and relax a bit. It is one of their favorite things at Disney. It was old and needed updating. I was surprised last time we went in May 2014 that nothing had been done to it since our first trip in 2010. What a shame. It could have been awesome if there was some upkeep and lots of updating of the games. My Jersey shore boardwalk has more updated games in their arcade. Come on Disney! You are falling way behind and not just at Quest. They could have had a great thing there if they just updated it.

While I am intrigued by some of what Disney Springs is about, overall I am beginning to think of it as an upscale Outlet Mall.

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Originally Posted by dobby2010

Yes, there was one here in the late 90's (98?) right off Michigan Avenue, I believe. I was in 8th or 9th grade and we got a season pass, and went many times. I thought it was really cool! It was only open a year or so, though. Have never been to the one in Orlando, but could see how it would be dated if they had all the same attractions from when it opened.

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That's right, it was on Ohio just west of Michigan. We went there just once -- the game screens were lousy, the floors were sticky and it was hot and smelly. I was surprised at how un-Disney it felt, but I see how it could appeal to young teens. It was only open from 1999-2001, but it was part of a larger entertainment area on that stretch in Chicago, including the ESPN Zone and Jekyll and Hyde Club, both of which also closed.

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Originally Posted by Aurora

That's right, it was on Ohio just west of Michigan. We went there just once -- the game screens were lousy, the floors were sticky and it was hot and smelly. I was surprised at how un-Disney it felt, but I see how it could appeal to young teens. It was only open from 1999-2001, but it was part of a larger entertainment area on that stretch in Chicago, including the ESPN Zone and Jekyll and Hyde Club, both of which also closed.

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If I remember correctly they were also supposed to build one in Philadelphia, but it fell through for some reason.

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Originally Posted by NJGIRL

If I remember correctly they were also supposed to build one in Philadelphia, but it fell through for some reason.

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Yes. And one was announced for Toronto, I believe. They were also planning for DisneyQuest at DLR as they were designing/building DCA and Downtown Disney there.

But with the failure of the Chicago location, everything else was cancelled and the operation of DisneyQuest in WDW was transferred to theme park operations. DisneyQuest had been a separate business unit up until then.

Steve

Not surprised to hear this but probably a good thing if they couldn't keep it updated. I have some fun memories of DisneyQuest and I'll keep those as they are without having to plan for another visit and being disappointed.

It is most certainly not that they could not keep it updated. With the amount of money the Disney company brings in, it was simply a choice to leave it static.

Ding Dong the attraction is gone!

Won't miss it. But can't say the idea of the NBA experience excites me either. Now the PGA experience would be cool.

We enjoyed DQ a few times my kids loved it. I would let it go quietly into the night if maybe a NFL experience was taking it's place but NBA experience? No thank you very much will not waist my vacation time on basketball.

That is too bad, DQ was a nice option and about the only reason, we still had to go to Downtown Disney. (With the lack of unique clothing or souvenirs only available at certain locations,(you can pretty much get the same souvenirs at every park). I agree with many, that the lack of updates and upkeep, was a monetary decision, for WDW management. I can't see this NBA experience doing much better than the Richard Petty driving experience. It appears that the plan for Disney Springs, is to be a overpriced strip mall. And I have had no real desire to return to Universal studios, since the first time we were there in 2000, but as it become glaringly obvious that profits have been put before innovation (there needs to be a balance, and as long as they've been doing this, they should be better at hiding this fact,(understanding of course that they are a for profit business, just, a bit of the magic is lost when that fact seems to be top priority and in your face), anyhow I am ready to go west to DL, and my next trip to Florida will definitely be less Disney.

Sad to see this as I always enjoyed Disney Quest. We didn't spend a lot of time there, we would usually go in an evening. 'Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for Buccaneer Gold' was one of my favourites as it was a good one to work together in a team and have fun as a family. On the plus side I guess this means we keep our unbeaten record...

Will also miss some other games with good memories here such as Cyberspace Mountain, Virtual Jungle Cruise and Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters. :(

I genuinely just had to Wikipedia search NBA to work out if that meant basketball or baseball. That could just be a cultural thing though as neither sport is particularly mainstream in the UK. :blush:

I remember a post concerning the closing of the hotel arcade rooms? Does anyone know if that actually happened? I think the reason had something to do with florida gambling laws?

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Originally Posted by gratuspater

I remember a post concerning the closing of the hotel arcade rooms? Does anyone know if that actually happened? I think the reason had something to do with florida gambling laws?

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That just applied to the prize counters at the larger resort arcades, like the Contemporary. They closed the counters. The arcades are still open.