The Definitive History of Disney Springs
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- Disney Springs is one of the more interesting Imagineering projects of the Iger era and while not perfect, was a massive improvement from Downtown Disney. Today, this video covers the history of Walt Disney World's shopping district, from the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, to Downtown Disney and finally Disney Springs. As part of the Disney Springs overhaul, a ton of lore and theming was added in to the area to create a cohesive story and so the video will focus pretty heavily on uncovering this as well.
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Despite the name change It will always be Downtown Disney to me!
I wanna call it that too 😅 but then remember we still have Downtown Disney on the west coast!
Youngster. Will always be Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village to the OGs...
@Jay I thought I was knowledgeable, but you just humbled me haha
Walt Disney World Village :)
Love your videos. I do long for the days Disney Corporation cared about it’s patrons…I no longer spend my money at Disney.
Great video! Something I'm surprised you didn't touch on is how there's actually very little "Disney" at Disney Springs, and how refreshing that is. It embodies the spirit of old WDW, especially the Eisner era, when they were more focused on immersing you in new worlds that were filled with world-building details, as opposed to today where they just build marketing tie-ins of things visitors are already familiar with.
I think it's a good balance of both. I liked "Disney" during the Eisner era, as in using the Fab 5 as symbols for the company that cleverly made their way into a lot of stuff like The Contemporary, the TTC or Downtown Disney. It's different than "Disney" theming today, which just feels like cross promotion without any thematic thought behind it. Disney Springs seems to be a mix of the two, with the Marketplace still existing with a lot of that old Eisner era "Disney" theming. Otherwise, I do agree that the original story is really what Disney should be pursuing.
You have a great point about old Disney (Eisner era). To me, the waterparks are stuck in the 90's, in the best way possible. The theming is so engrossing compared to the newer stuff at Disney, as well.
something I never thought I needed: Disney Springs lore
I just wish there was more of it. They did a good job with what's there, but it could be a bit more prevalent throughout certain areas.
@@PoseidonEntertainment yea and I used to be kind of an oldhead not really liking the name change from downtown Disney, but this gave me some appreciation for it.
I love Disney springs, when my parents knew they couldn’t afford Disney tickets but still wanted to bring us to Florida they would spend a whole day at springs with us so we could still feel some of the magic. It’ll always have a special place in my heart
It's a great place and I like how accessible it is to everyone. I just think it could benefit from more entertainment though.
Last year, we only spent 3 days in Orlando, after a transatlantic cruise, as we didn't have the time nor the budget to visit any theme parks, we spent a day at Disney Springs to still get some Disney atmosphere into our visit. It was a nice relaxing day for us. As it was a weekday and we arrived there around 10AM, the area was really quiet. We enjoyed this very much.
As a former CM of Disney Springs I loved this because when I did orientation they spent almost a full hour deep diving the lore of Disney Springs and most of it goes unnoticed. Glad it’s finally getting some attention :)
I'm a former CM at Disney World and have a friend who still works at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar and I'm pretty sure you has a more complete backstory of her location than what Disney gave to her.
I definitely learned some stuff of the history of my work locations than I learned working there.
Awesome content as always!
I was surprised at how little information people knew. I went up to a lot of the hosts at the restaurants and they often didn't know much. I only found a lot of the information online or from Disney itself.
Yeah, having gone through location introduction tours at both Hollywood Studios and Blizzard Beach, they are decent but there is still a lot of lore that isn't introduced that I've learned through channels like yours, yesterland, expedition theme park, defunctland etc.
This channel really needs 10x the subs you have, your content is really good.
@@PoseidonEntertainment former Disney employee. They really don't tell us shit other than when our shifts start. I would disappoint customers all the time not knowing random trivia about whatever ride I was working at lol
After watching a second time, I will add that, within Morimoto Asia, there is a beautiful thematic element you've missed.
Above the foyer, there's a huge kinetic sculpture featuring crafted Springs Mineral Water glass bottles. It is meant to represent the overhead conveyors from the old bottling plant. You can find photos of this amazing art piece online. Thank you again for the great video!
Yeah, they failed to share that when I went in lol. I'm disappointed to have missed it.
It's cool to know that (part of) Disney Springs has a detailed backstory built in. I love that sort of thing.
This was a more thorough examination of the lore than my actual disney training when they first built everything. Disney should pay u to use this video in their training
I do find it odd that for how much backstory was built into it, Disney hasn't seemed to document it very well. Explanation of the theming is scattered among various Disney Parks Blog posts, but it's still difficult information to find.
Former CM who spent 15+ years at Downtown Disney/Springs, I have been eagerly waiting for this video!! Thank you so much for the hard work! Fabulous!!
Did I miss anything important lol?
@@PoseidonEntertainment I added a comment about the themed sculpture inside Morimoto Asia. 😀
@@ugaldk31 Ah, I'm going through the comments oldest to newest and haven't gotten there yet
Man, nothing beats 90s theming! Today this all just looks like a furniture catalogue tbh
So sad your hatred of mannequins. It was such an amazing club. Some of the best music. One of the few remaining rotating dance floors (rumor is they didn’t destroy the rotating floor they just built over it.). So many amazing memories there. Totally loved it. The fact they destroyed mannequins and adventurers club is so depressing. I genuinely hate Disney Springs. All of the whimsy and character that downtown Disney had was destroyed for a generic Florida outlet mall. I hate how Disney continues to take out all of unique touches that used to make it disney. Just disgusting. Like the new DVC at Poly and all of these remodels including the upcoming destruction of the Grand Floridian lobby. It’s sad to see how far they continue to fall and miss the mark on everything they are doing. I’m ready for Epic Universe and and Universals continuing up and coming to take over.
Oh my goodness. I had forgotten all about the Lake Buena Vista shopping district. My grandparents would take us there when we were kids. Back when Epcot was still going to be a town. So many memories flooding back. Thank you.
That initial decade/decade and a half seem to be the only really interesting era concerning the park. By Eisner the atmosphere and reason d’entre was all changed. Poseidon’s video histories are always fascinating though
@@pauldavidartistclub6723 I do think that the Eisner era changes to the park were interesting, even if extremely misguided. I would easily take Epcot in 2005 over the park today.
@@PoseidonEntertainment a big, perhaps biggest problem, is that the original Disney parks were designed in and for a time and place, which can’t last forever; and with billions of dollars in investments they can’t just come to a natural conclusion (or forced out by real estate development like with Palisades Amusement Park in NJ). Epcot was an attempt at salvaging something of Walt’s megalomaniac but startling vision, and at least had the Seattle, NYC and Montreal World Fairs in mind as a template. That idea had built-in problems but was again a concept for a much different (better in my opinion) era. But what’s been the point since then? Sure kids first encountering the parks in the late 80’s or 90’s have that as their gold standard, but kids growing up in those decades, or since, have a warped view of movies, music, comics, TV, books, etc, since they weren’t exposed to the good stuff which laid the foundation for what came afterwards. And unlike kids growing up in the 1950’s, 60’s or 70’s who had easy access to even older material before our time, they live in a ten to twenty year bubble (I work with numerous 20 and 30 somethings who have never seen an episode of I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, or The Odd Couple…if you don’t know the basics, don’t speak of what shows are “terrific” today). Disney parks, movies, and entertainment are now just running because of built up momentum of decades past, and there’s not much they or anyone else can do about it (unless dollars dry up completely)
Thank you so much. My daughter went to college and worked in Orlando in the late 80’s through the early 00’s and this brought a lot of memories of a lot of time spent in that general area. I remember buying the official Disney guide and reading about pleasure island opening. We psyched our daughter up about a teen only dance club at pleasure island but by the time we arrived from Philadelphia ,which I think might have been in the first year it was open, the teen club had already closed. We couldn’t go in some of the clubs with a child so not sure what we ended up doing first trip.
I do remember at one point in time being in the adventurers club sitting at a bar stool that imperceptibly lowered until you were almost looking up at the bar. Very weird feeling. I also remember going into an almost empty country and western club with a bunch of very thematically dressed young people doing line dances. I still don’t know if they were actually a really enthusiastic group of actual friends out for the evening or cast members assigned to the club to give it “atmosphere”. I tend to believe the latter but I’ve wondered about that for years .
Thanks again for a job well done,
Were you thinking of Videopolis East? I know that it opened with Pleasure Island but was removed quickly. I believe the Neon Armadillo was likely the country club.
@@PoseidonEntertainmentthanks! yes, videopolis east might have been the name of the teen/preteen club! In retrospect this kind of club doesn’t sound like such a great idea but at the time i read about it it just sounded like fun for my daughter. I’m sure you’re right about the neon armadillo! Great research! I would still love to know if those line dancers were regular patrons or people paid to liven up the atmosphere. It was just a very stilted scene and stands out in my memory 30 years later. Thanks for the trip in the “way back machine”
Finally! I’m not a huge Disney fan, but I love the lore.
I kept asking my fiancé what Disney springs was about since she said there was some lore attached to it, but she didn’t know the whole story.
This was great! Had no clue there was a full back story to the springs like this. Always worth a visit during a down day or to end each night during my visits
Working there they told us the whole storyline. I always saw it as Disney bought the land off the family naming it Disney Springs when it was Springs, Fl. Essentially the layout is:
West side is your downtown- there was a traveling circus act and they liked them so much they built the circus tent and the elevated tracks are from the railroad on the landing.
The landing is your industrial district. You’ll also see that Gideon’s was the old library.
Town center is your “tourist trap” they wanted to draw a crowd to the town.
And marketplace is just that- a marketplace.
The family built up the town. Started at their home then to marketplace to the landing/downtown and finally the town center. The welcome center is just as it says it is- it was to welcome the people to Springs, FL.
The parking garages were once groves of the fruit they are named after.
I worked at WOD and would tell this story to all the new cast members. For WOD the story was that it was the old farmers market. You can see the sign above the doors where the 100th stuff is now. Disney made it an animation studio and they all went to Hollywood studios once that opened. They then turned it into the original world of Disney Store. During a refurbishment they saw the old design of the building and liked it (kind of like what happened with the New Amsterdam Theatre in NYC) and changed it to the store design it is now.
I wish the Cast Members I encountered had the knowledge you did. When I asked, very few of them really knew anything. I didn't know about Gideon's because it always seems like such a mess to get in there, but I'm glad to know that it works into the story too.
My parents purchased a winter home in Bay Hill in 1977. Several times a week we’d drive over to Lake Buena Vista after dinner. My parents would go to a jazz club (can’t remember the name) while my sister and I would go to Toys Fantastique. It had a very different feel, back then. Much, much quieter. The new iteration is a product of its time … crowded and basically a mall. I miss the earlier WDW aesthetics, before all the theming took over. I loved Horizons at Epcot.
I had a run in with Goofy at Fulton's Crab House In the early 90s. I don't remember exactly what happened, but Goofy almost threw me off the boat during a character breakfast...as a kid it was a very frightening experience has my chair was being pulled towards a door he opened. My parents got a good laugh.
When I was little my family and I were watching the parade on Main Street and Goofy tried to say hi to me but he freaked me out so I turned and climbed up my dad like a tree to get away from him. Unfortunately I didn’t realize until I climbed all the way up that he wasn’t my dad so I screamed in some poor guys face while my dad was a couple of feet away cracking up.
I did see some old pics of Mickey meeting there, but I figured it was probably Mickey's Kitchen. It's cool that they had characters on the boat.
I wish Disney would develop something similar in Downtown Disney in CA. It could really be a great opportunity to make the retail area feel new and dynamic. The theming of Disney Springs always makes me want to come back and stroll around!
It would be interesting to see what a real team could do with it, but their new plans are not great. While Disney Springs has been criticized for being a bit generic, I think the aesthetic makes sense with the story they're telling. On the other hand, I don't trust the gutted Imagineering of today to produce anything interesting and it seems like they're converting Downtown Disney to generic retail simply because they're incapable of doing anything else.
Through a series of family trips over two decades, I got to see the WDW Village, Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney incarnations of this area, but Disney Springs was after my time, although it does look impressive and I like that they're making an effort to draw it all together somehow.
They started doing that in 2006
Good Lord. I think not many Disney World visitors and fans know that there is actually a story behind Disney Springs if you know where to look. I'm glad that Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar continues to build on the S.E.A. lore but for the Springs in general the traces all over leave you with so many questions and thankfully this video gives the in depth answers.
Had no idea there was Disney Springs lore! About to head to WDW in a few days and I’ll be over there at least once during my trip, so I’ll keep an eye out for these small details. I love Disney imagineers so much. Now I just need to brush up on the Society of Explorers lore so I can notice the Easter eggs in the parks, lol
My favorite weekend getaway when I was a kid. RIP Disney Quest, Virgin Megastore and Old PI
It was definitely a different experience. Still, I think its evolution was overall a positive one.
I still regret that by the time I was old enough to go to Pleasure Island, it was closed. Even as a kid, ads for the Adventurer's Club thrilled me.
Was a CP CM during 2005 and I "performed"/worked at Downtown Disney as "Guest Show". I loved discovering aspects & lore of Disney I didn't know till working there such as the lore of Pleasure Island with the many hidden hidden plaques telling the fictional story of the island, it's characters, and the locations.
Due to nostalgia I miss Downtown Disney when I was a CP and by knee jerk reaction I still call it Downtown Disney (or DtD on posts).
Furthermore the last time I was there the bus placement that once had two spaced out bus drop/loading areas became only one which was lacking for accommodating tired shoppers and the visual "Weenies" when driving down the roads past it once advertised what's within now the area is mostly covered by lacking of theme or visual info garages.
But dispite all of that I do like the "Disney Springs" theming and finding it has lore as well. They did a well done job having a visual synergy of the Marketplace area's Arts and Crafts architecture with the new built theming of the island vs the past Downtown Disney's Marketplace and Pleasure Island sudden shift in visual tone & disconnection.
I do agree that from the outside, the lack of visuals is a loss to an extent. I remember being a young kid and seeing it all from afar, especially Planet Hollywood, and wanting to go. That being said though, when I was sifting through old footage, I did see that the West Side was essentially covered behind an ugly industrial wall with signs on it.
@@PoseidonEntertainment The West Side "Weenies" during 2005 when I was a CP I recall from the road going to it was first Cirque du Soleil building (a strong start and visually strong architecture), then DisneyQuest with the Mickey Ears Quest design and lights. Then it got weaker with Virgin MegaStore gaint building and red neon sign. The back of the AMC building is the weakest part of the roadside visuals Weenies that to cover just seeing a blank uninteresting building some metal lifters was place to distracted from it, some lights, and billboards and other signs to advertise what's found within West Side. Then it got back to very strong with the Planet Hollywood Observatory building. From there Pleasure Island and Marketplace which had fitting outside visuals. The West Side due to that AMC wide stretch of a visually uninteresting building and no decorative aspects from that side was always it's weakest visual Weenie for it's time. While I didn't hate that at least informing new guests that never been to WDW coming from the road towards what was found within West Side with that outside section but I wished during then a giant beautiful mural with a theme/tone fitting for that area was made but I don't know what "Red Tapes" Disney has with that AMC.
As a past WOD Cast Member this was so amazing to watch! Thank you for sharing its lore ❤
RIP Disney Quest - The best of memories 😢
I'd always wondered if there was some type of theming for Disney Springs that I just missed... This was actually super interesting! Looking forward to your next "land-lore" video
Jock Lindsey's hangar bar is awesome. Im a big Indy and S.E.A. fan but I didn't realize it was a reference until I looked into the lore after my visit. Id love to go back.
Also I remember loving downtown Disney when I visited as a little kid. The Lego store and the T Rex cafe absolutely blew me away lol
The Lego Store used to be so much better lol. I still go often, but really only to buy specific sets.
I LOVE this kind of content. All your content rocks. Thank you.
Love Disney Springs. Thanks for the lore behind it!
Yayyy I’m so glad you made this! I love Disney springs and I’d rather watch a comprehensive analysis likes this than a vlog
My man completely missed that Splitsville used to be a two story Virgin Records CD/Bookstore that my childhood misses dearly lol
I’ve grown to quite appreciate the theming of Disney springs thanks to this video (Same can be said about your video on Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. That one made me appreciate the theming of both water parks)
Downtown Disney was very nostalgic for me but when I went there in 2018 and 2019 it just wasn’t the same as it was in 2011. The new iteration just doesn’t do it for me but it’s still cool.
I think it depends on what you're going for. The largest appeal for me is its restaurant selection, but I think it could use a lot more entertainment. I agree that it's not as exciting as Downtown Disney, though I think its changes were necessary.
Never have I ever wanted to swim in a fountain more than I've wanted to swim in that freaking spring lake!!!!
I used to work at The VOID (the VR place that was next door to Bibbiti Boppiti) and I think Disney Springs could use another attraction similar to it!
Yeah, I definitely agree. I never got to experience it, but Disney Springs definitely needs more miscellaneous entertainment.
I couldn’t not agree with you more about your take on d Lux burger. Great video! Very interesting
Wow! I could have not imagined in a million years that Disney Springs was so heavily themed, especially in the areas that look so boring design wise
I miss the old downtown disney. Its too luxury and i just miss having more "disney" in disney.
So many more reasons to love the Springs. Amazing job.
It definitely needs a bit more entertainment though. I understand why The Void was removed, but I'm disappointed to not have experienced it.
I absolutely love Disney Springs, anytime I'm in Orlando I go to Disney Springs!
Excellent. Now I know what to look for when/if I return to WDW. Thanks.
This is a excellent video! While, I have not been to Disney Springs it does look entertaining; on the other hand I did get to go to Pleasure Island. All I can say is you really have to appreciate about the Disney of the past because they weren’t afraid to take giant chances, and throw enormous capitol behind those chances.
I was too young to experience Pleasure Island but it was a fantastic idea. I agree, and I miss the Eisner era where they really went all out on many of their projects.
Really cool. I REALLY miss the old downtown Disney. Disney Springs is REALLY confusing to get around. I just miss the old Disney and the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village and the villas they had. My GREAT memories of Disney was them and how Disney got COLD in Dec and it felt like Chrismas.
I do agree that Disney Springs can be a bit confusing if you're not familiar with it. While the layout makes sense to me because I frequent it often, I do like how it can feel like you're meandering into different districts though. There's a sense of discovery that I think allows it to feel like an attraction itself.
I caught the 2nd version "Downtown Disney" I was a lot of fun eating, shopping, La Nouba, I also would visit/buy from Virgin Mega Store. Took a water taxi. This was before they charged to park. You could easily spent a day/night or two there. I hears Society was amazing!
There is no charge for parking. The garages are free.
Honestly, it sounds stupid but from an international perspective, it’s quite nice that it has generic shops. Part of visiting America to us is visiting different shops/restaurants we see on tv and that, and by having a few in Disney spring it means you can experience a bit off it without taking time out of your trip to go to an actual shopping centre if that makes sense. It kinda has a novelty to us!
You forgot to talk about Amorette’s Patisserie! It has a beautiful story that could be linked to the rest of the Disney Springs development.
Hearing him pronounce Cocina KOKINA did psychic damage.
love ur vids!! btw at 15:27 it's co-SEEN-ah :D ! keep up the cool theme park vids tho!!!
Prolific: You keep using this word - I do not think it means what you think it means...
Ironically PE is himself very prolific indeed
Ah, yes well that's embarrassing. Thanks for the correction lol.
Disneyland’s Downtown Disney really needs a thematic upgrade like this:
They took the worst parts of Town Center and doubled down on its problems.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I agree- Disneyland’s downtown Disney could really benefit by an actual theme and story.
I've been watching your videos recently, and I gotta say, you do a fantastic job researching, compiling, and presenting these videos. Consider myself subscribed!
I'm team Universal but always love going to DS.
This was fascinating to me. So much time we have spent here and I never knew about the current backstory
Nice timing. I just got back from a trip. We spent a few hours here. Very interesting!
Is it just me or does D-Luxe Burger building look alot like Restaurantosaurus at Dinoland USA?
I once visited someone staying at the old vacation homes that used to stand where Saratoga Springs is now located. While there wasn't any theming to them, they were still pretty nice.
Also, is it just a coincidence that Port Orleans is located just up the river from the Marketplace? Or did they just repurpose the original extension plans for the Marketplace to build the Port Orleans resort?
BANGER AS ALWAYS MATE
Having worked near WDW Village, I can also tell you that you would not find Disney character merch in the Village except at the Apothecary. Toys Fantastique was non-Disney toys. The Village used to be a nice relaxing place to browse and do some shopping. It was rarely crowded and not many people (guests) knew about it. I used to go there frequently on my days off. Now I wouldn't be caught dead at what it has become.
Thank you for the correction. While the Village is fascinating, I did find information to be a bit difficult to come by.
Something I've always wondered: can the Disney Springs carousel and train flat ride be considered Walt Disney World attractions? I mean, they actually _are_ rides that are located on the WDW property so....yes, I guess? I've always thought that was a funny little technicality nonetheless lol.
I've always considered them to be attractions as a joke. I've never been on them though. Perhaps it's time.
@@PoseidonEntertainment it’s always been a joke to me as well lol. I will eagerly await your review and thoughts on the theming (or lack thereof) of the Disney Springs flat rides in your next video 😂😂🤣
I once heard a CM refer to it as "The only free thing Disney does".
Thank you for doing this! I'm a Disney fanatic and didn't know a lot of this stuff 💜💜
This is an OUTSTANDING video!
you're my hero
Two things
1) I believe that the loss of the Adventures Club is one of the greatest losses and entertainment history it was one of the most imaginative and well themed entertainment venues I'd ever been to.
2) I worked for a number of years the late genius designer Stewart Johnson Sr. Most people would know as the designer of the whale at House on the Rock in spring Green Wisconsin however he was also the designer and builder of mannequins AT pleasure Island you'll find it interesting that he thought the place was weird also. He decided to the specs that Disney requested from the mannequins to the revolving floor.
And then he was surprised a few years when it became a gay bar. (He apparently didn't mind the change he was just surprised).
Every time I'm in Orlando, I come here for Chicken Guy and Gideon's.
I still haven't been to Gideon's because it always seems like a mess. The two mornings I went and "rope dropped" Disney Springs to get the video footage, the majority of people ran over to Gideon's and waited in line, seemingly angry that they all were not first and had to wait. I understand that there's a virtual queue, but it was still full of angry people in a line down to Morimoto Asia.
Last time I went to Disney Springs, I tried to see a film at the AMC there, but it was closed off by a bunch of police. Needless to say, I didn't get to watch the movie.
That's odd
Odd lol
Disney Springs is nice but my heart will always belong to Downtown Disney. I really wish Pleasure Island lasted long enough so that I could enjoy it. I could really see my twin sister and myself loving the Adventure and Comedy clubs.
An updated version of Pleasure Island would be welcome. I miss when Disney attempted to try its hand at a variety of other industries and Disney Springs definitely needs more active nightlife.
Wow, I never knew there was an actual theming with lore for DS! This was very interesting and informative!
I literally didn't know anything about the history before Downtown Disney and current Disney Springs lore lol but this is a Great video for those who want to learn the history of what is now known as Disney Springs! I love that place! They need to bring back Disney Quest tho.
They need to do something with the new building at least. I can't believe it's just sitting there with no purpose.
I visited for the first time a few weeks ago. I didn't spend a ton of time there, but I guess I wasn't there long enough to work out the story elements, especially since I spent more of the time in the more generic areas. I did enjoy it though!
huge fan of your stuff, keep it up!
Honestly, I prefer the new inter connectivity of Disney Springs over the old Downtown Disney. I much prefer the new aesthetic over the disjointed ones of old. The Lego Store will always be a highlight for me. It just gives off so much nostalgia and the huge Lego figures of characters always seems to impress me.
Watching through old footage, I will say that I think the old Lego Store was far more exciting. While I think Disney Springs is an improvement, Downtown Disney was still quintessentially "90s" in a way that I really appreciate.
I was bummed when I found out the cigar shop closed before I could pick up a stogie.
I remember it from when it was called "Lake Buena Vista Village". I definitely miss Pleasure Island, and wish they would have left that, but I do like the "new" Disney Springs (although I always call it Downtime Disney.) While I was initially against the parking structures, but I will say they were the best things built. They should also bring back Disney Quest.
My favorite spot for me whenever I visit the Orlando resort. Especially when it's hot and you don't want to stay in the parks too long, Disney Springs actually a nice place to escape too. I kinda wish they still had the NBA thing open but I understand how much of waste that is. Hopefully they just convert to a cool sports bar or area like what you see in college towns.
City Works is actually a great sports bar that's still open. I believe it's a franchise, but it's still a nice addition to the Springs that serves what I would describe as elevated bar food. They also have a really extensive beer selection and source from a lot of local breweries. The only thing I would avoid there is the pasta which is quite bland in comparison to their other menu items.
I remember when it was called Disney Village
If I had a time machine, it's a place I would be curious to visit.
As a DCP in 1991-spent way too much time and money at Pleasure Island. STILL miss ADventurers club and Mannequins!! And the backdoor to Fireworks with CM discounts on Thursdays! The new Disney springs is pretty but it is also really boring
Long live Adventurers and mannequins.
I can't say that I find it boring, just different. It's largest issue is a lack of entertainment.
Damn, I've been so many times, and yet was blind to all of that lore until now
I always wondered why there was a turn table in the middle of a bunch of bars but now it makes sense.
I may be wrong, but I remember the hot air balloon being added to the Disney Springs area when I was a kid. It used to be orange. I think it was put there to celebrate a Disney World anniversary, but I honestly don't remember. I think it was the mid 2000's?
It was called Characters in Flight and to my knowledge, was added sometime between 2013-2016. I just couldn't find a specific date or when it was rethemed to the Aerophile. It certainly could have been added earlier, but I did watch a news report stating that it was to be added as part as Disney Springs which is where I get the range of dates from. It's quite possible there was still a large balloon located around the area earlier though.
After Googling for a bit I'm pretty sure the balloon first opened in 2009. You can specifically find a video from Attractions Magazine that lists the opening date as April 21, 2009. Likewise, the retheming appears to have happened in 2017.
Never even knew there was a story or theme to the place. You can obviously tell there are certain areas that all have a similar aesthetic, but I couldn't have told you there was anything more than just a bunch of shops and restaurants that occupy the spaces with similar theming have somewhat similar expenses or vibes. I mainly just go down there for the LEGO Store anyway, so not to poopoo on anything Disney has done, but I'm just not overly concerned with what happens in the area so long as nothing happens to the LEGO Store. There are areas that are certainly more pleasurable to walk through though and experience the atmosphere, so I will give it that.
I do wish the Lego Store was more interesting though. Watching through old footage, I forgot how much more interesting and exciting it used to be. I do go there often, but only to pick stuff up and not really explore it.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yeah, the remodel kind of ruined it in addition to conforming to some of Disney's standards when it comes to the exterior paintjob. The Interior has a lot less visual flare than it once did, but it is easier to navigate when still crammed full of people unlike before. What I certainly miss most though is the removal of the window displays along the outside of the store. People's creations also used to be shared more, but that's a rarity these days. And of course the Pandemic really killed the play areas for the kids.
Having once worked there (2017 Holiday Season), I was one of the few people that actually wanted to run the play area when some people would rather run the register all day, which I came to loathe because I was not at my best at the register. I was much happier walking around the store and helping guests, but the hour I got to run the play area was the best. It really refueled my own creativity seeing the kids design their cars for the races, and even though I was running things, it was more just an hour of fun that I was getting paid for than necessarily work. Last time I went there in January, everything was still all roped off, which is such a shame.
I miss the Adventurer’s Club soooooooo much.
I miss the Adventurer’s Club (
My most prevalent memory of Downtown Disney is going to Cooke's of Dublin. Nothing else.
I can't tell if that's meant to be derogatory or not. I haven't eaten there.
bring back the clubs that’s all i want
I love Disney Springs and would even go so far as to call it one of my favorite areas of the resort, although I wish I had been able to experience Pleasure Island while it was still around
Same. I was too young to experience Pleasure Island and never even walked through it.
This place died the day Disney Quest shutdown 😢
Kangaroosh! I miss the Adventurers Club.
I was JUST looking at a video on your channel, too!
Is there enough content to make a video of those million dollar mansions on disney property?
While I cross over a lot of ground with other channels, I try not to cover the same stuff too often. ReviewTyme already did an excellent video on those homes if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/mtDA57ZfDLg/v-deo.html
I wish they had moved forward with the Hyperion Wharf version they released that got shelved for a few years and then changed to Disney Springs. Even Springs is missing parts of its orignal great concept art like the overhead walkway/performance spaces. They started building them and then abandoned the concept so we got left with those weird “remnants of the overhead railway.”
Why would they have abandoned it? The current design seems very purpose built to only leave some remnants behind.
I will always call it the Marketplace.
0:00 - real-world history of the area.
12:19 - in-universe Disney Springs lore
Nope.
Downtown Disney West Side & Marketplace
Bring back Pleasure Island & Disney Quest
So much of my life is intertwined with that place….I want to be able to fully relive my memories :(
Pretty sure you mentioned it in an older video but Brightline was in talks to have a station inside Disney Springs and while the deal was cancelled in favor for a stop closer to Universal, I wonder if things didn't fall through we could of seen a fully themed train station the fits with what ever area of Springs it was built in.
Unfortunately we'll probably never know and from statements said by a Disney spokesperson from when it was cancelled, it sounds like the two companies weren't really working closely together.
Yup cuz Disney didn’t wanna share. They didn’t want Universal to benefit at all. Now Disney is totally out and Brightline is literally going to drop off right beside Epic Universe. I can’t wait to ride it up from West Palm and visit the park.
Disney is stupid to not want to share Brightline stations, especially since the "Universal" station isn't even on Universal property. I think it's interesting that a station is still being built close to Disney Springs, so Disney still manages to benefit, even if they don't play along.
From what I've heard Disney might have to run shuttle buses from one of the stations, although I don't know if it would be from the future convention center or I drive station.
Still think its a shame because there are a few early renderings of what the convention center station could look like, and while not ugly iirc the station was supposedly going to go by the orange garage near the west side so it could of been really cool if the station shared the world fair theming. Although that might of been a long shot since I don't think the station at paris disneyland is that themed aside from a few towers at the entrance and I don't really see current management going above and beyond for something so minor.
I still call it Downtown Disney out of habit. lol
I don't know Disney Springs is called Disney Springs as it's not Disney enough. Despite me saying this, I still love it, and I can get my Disney fix. I just feel like it needs more Disney touches.
I really miss Disney Springs/Downtown Disney, definitely beats Disneyland’s version…
Disneyland's DTD is a mess and is getting worse. I hate walking past the Jazz Kitchen and seeing what they're doing to it.
Boathouse or Splitsville?
When I was younger, I thought Pleasure Island was a collection of strip clubs and brothels. My parents were vague about the content, so the only parts I knew were "pleasure" and "21+". I challenged that thought when my parents went together with my much older brother and sister and then I was like "oh wait. Disney doesn't do that".