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I agree. It is a pity it closed for something like an NBA experience, or whatever went there, but I definitely get why it closed. They should have kept it all up to date.
Long story short, Disney was too ahead of its time with Disney Quest. I think if they actually updated Disney Quest: Downtown Disney to today's technology, it would've passed over the moon and into the stars. But, they decided to keep the technology from 17+ years ago and expect people to be okay with it while having things like a smartwatch on their wrist and touch screen phones in their pocket. Hopefully, the reconsider a similar concept in the future and actually keep it updated.
But that's the problem, technology, they won't be able to keep up with it, every one or two they would need to update, that won't be profitable for them, because Disney is not a technology company.
The ironic part is last year when DisneyQuest in Orlando got demolished, a company called "The Void" that specializes in immersive new VR tech came into Downtown Disney and created a Star Wars game in a brand new building. Super annoying and unfair that Disney takes away an entire complex committed to VR instead of letting this company re-haul DisneyQuest into something new and cool with multiple floors of innovative games to showcase.
They weren’t ahead of their time. Looking at these Videogames they were still out of date in 1998. Compare them to PSx, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64. When it comes to videogames Disney was always hopeless. They should gave worked with Videogame Companies on this instead of doing it themselves.
DisneyQuest Chicago closed on September 3, 2001. 7:55 "We would love to be in New York at the Trade Center" Orange you glad you didn't build inside the Twin Towers now, Mickey???
If they made a Disney Quest in Detroit in the future it would've worked because it would bring in more tourists and money for both the city and company. Detroit is improving a lot and getting better by the day
Disney Quest in Chicago failed because it was so hard to get into the building. Parking was hard and then you had to wait in line to get into the elevator into the place. Some days there was no problem getting into the lobby. When it first opened though, it was at maximum occupancy and you had to wait 2 hours on the cold Chicago streets or however long for some people to leave Disney Quest so you could simply enter. And everything was super buggy. And it wasn't fun for parents if they didn't like video games. It killed the hype and made people forget it was there after one or two trips, even though it was nearby. It was the only place to find VR in the 90s outside of Epcot though. That was really cool.
Yeah, waiting times were long, but parents who don’t like videogames actually do, it’s just that some adults are heavily in denial cause they still think videogames are bad, like get a life and let your child live, you know they’re fun stop sitting in the 90’s and play.
As a Chicago person that location had on issue. Parking! Parking in the city has always been a hassle and a half and over the years only got more expensive. The last mayor (Daley) privatized the parking in the city and it's only gotten worse. Honestly if they did this more in the suburbs outside of the actual city with more parking being available it could have lasted longer. It would also be away from other attractions like the museums, Navy Pier, and what not.
Parking tends to be an afterthought in Chicago since most everyone uses public transit in the city proper. Even savvy suburbanites tend to take Metra (Metropolitan Rail) into the “Loop” (heart of downtown) and use the “L” and/or bus.
Why has Six Flags Great America done so well for almost 50 years? It's in Gurnee, 20-30 min outside the city. Plenty of parking, and the only other attraction to compete with is the Gurnee Mills Mall.
Disney Quest was always a bit late to the party with this sort of thing, Sega was doing it in the very early '90s and so were a bunch of other companies. But I know a few people didn't like how dark it was inside either, some windows would have really helped.
Larry Bundy Jr Watch some of vids Larry. However I think your confused. Sega had arcade places, but not many, rarely any in the US if I ever recall. Plenty in Japan. There was no VR nor attractions per se. Just their games. Which good is not in the same category as DQ. If they had some in the U.K.awesome, but we were not so privileged. As for the windows, yea everyone wanted them however with the 90's tech have sunlight come in would mess with the screens and projectors and would ruin the equipment faster than normal wear and tear. The top floors were designed to have a darker feel due to the theming. Again would have loved them, but would have been a financial disaster, and before you say it yes would have been worse than it has been.
I was waiting to see if someone would comment on how they were late. VR was just a gimmick by the late 90's and lost popularity. Arcades were also on the decline. It was bad timing. Even if they opened earlier who knows if they would still be around. Other businesses like Gameworks (which Sega was apparently a part of) and Jillian's struggled.
Juichi I agree with this No defending it. They had this technology since '94-'95. They had the same VR and had guests play it in Innoventions at Epcot at that time. The underlining issue they had with this is they never OWNED the tech, the headgear, or ever tried to pay to upgrade any of them. They just paid to keep them funded only. If they tried to invest they may have got improvements and been able to do the things people on here would have wanted, but they never did.
Larry I spent some time looking up Segaworld in London. Looked really cool, but couldn't find any that were in the United States. So sorry, but clearly there is a market here as well. Also Segaworld only lasted for three years and from the looks of it there were reasons. It also was NOT even close to what Disney Quest is. Having one or two attractions and the rest be games, having no real thematics, having the attractions have paid actors to scare people, and be a pay per play place is not what Disney Quest does at all. DQ started as pay per play, but realized it made more money doing a pay once plan. It had 8 attractions, no hired actors, and was all themed. I'm sorry if you think it's equal to Segaworld, but it sadly is not. It's not the tourist nor the finances that have killed it. It is the company and how they wrote it off after they poorly planned making more of them.
The NBA eatery at Universal obviously met it's demise. It was alright, a great experience honestly. I just don't think Orlando, FL and Disney World is a good market for an NBA themed attraction. Certainly not 100,000 square feet worth.
They demo Pleasure Island because of "unsavories"and "riff raff" aka ghetto trash yet they do an NBA "experience" You can't see this but I'm doing a massive eyeroll!
Basically you're saying "NBA is riff raff" is what I gather here. Totally going to believe there isn't any cultural implications there (rolls eyes). I guess is Disney wanted to put everyone to sleep it could be the MLB experience. A great snoozefest that would make Disney Quest seem exhilarating. The NBA is ABC Sports and ESPNs bread and butter. I guess this fact is eluding everyone but this is happening because Disney's current relationship with the NBA.
Hi Jake! I live in Philly... can u believe that the "hole" aka the lot where they began building the foundation from this project still remains on 8th and market! Those of us who live in Philly call it the Disney hole! And oddly, it's prime real-estate, I can't believe nothing has been done with it! You can catch septa trains/subway, and the patco train from 8th and market, meaning you can basically go anywhere in the city, to the suburbs of the city and even into NJ from that spot, making it a great location. They were talking about making it into a casino, or turning it into a sports complex for one of our teams (since we have to take the subway all the way to south Philly to see any of our sports teams, which is unlike most other cities where you go to the middle of downtown to see sports games), but nothing has been done with it. It's essentially a parking lot now, but parking lots like this are quickly disappearing and turning into parking garages in the city. I hope they can do something nice with it because we don't have much in the way of entertainment in our downtown area. As I said, the big arenas for sports game or concerts (such as the Wells Fargo arena) are all the way in south philly and you have to take a subway all the way there or drive. Other than that, we have some restaurants and a few small concert venues but that's about it. The only mall we have downtown is the gallery and it has terrible stores and can even be dangerous. If you want to do anything else like go to dave and busters or a concert, casino, sports game, etc, you have to go out of the downtown area.
I so agree, and back in the day Dave and Busters was insanely busy and you had to be 21+ after 10 pm and on some saturdays starting even earlier, DisneyQuest would have been amazing in Philly and the pit they dug is a disgrace.
My grandfather's company had an attraction on the first floor of Disney Quest in Orlando. It was called Treasures of the Inca. You would stand in front of a monitor with a steering wheel and gas pedal to drive a RC jeep with a wireless camera mounted to the hood to explore a miniature labyrinth. Scattered throughout the labyrinth were 13 treasure rooms each containing an artifact for you to collect. It had an almost Indiana Jones feel to it.
Chad Schmaltz Aw man! Chad if possible try to contact me! I wish I had been around for that attraction. I started working after it was shut down. In case you did not know it only lasted a year at most... Due to the technology one of the cars caught on fire and well no one wants a car in flames under people feet. So they stopped it permeant in 99/00. They took out all the pieces of it back in '08. I have a full intact treasure here sign and one of the remaining cars that survived. Wish I could have seen this stuff in action!
I'm glad I got to play it while it was still open. It was closed around 2004/2005 though, not 2000. @Malak do you know if there's any way to get the music from Disney Quest? I've been trying for months.
meleniumshane90 Thanks for clarifying. I was thinking the Explorer Slide. I went back and ask old coworkers who closed it confirmed it was shut down in '04-'05. As for the music like BGM or Ride music well you won't find it public that's for sure. Best way to go is talk with a current DQ manager or Ride Show Tech at DQ. They would have access to the CDs that they are on and either burn a copy or give an extra. Best way to get it and only way I can think of.
I'll definitely give it a shot. I've been trying for months. My last resort would be to find a quiet place and record, but that would be terrible audio quality.
Your best bet is probably an induction mic. Check out "mmarcuse"'s comment chain on "Space Mountain Third Tunnel Ambient Music" by TheMellowPumpkin for more details, I don't personally know much about it. Should be like the second comment.
when this park closes somebody who works at disney should dump the files for the rides and simulations online so that people/alternate historians like us can play these games on mame and other software so they dont become lost cause they did it with fix it felix so why not the rides and the computers that run this software
Some of the exhibits (I think like the 3 major ones) used an early build of the game engine used in ToonTown Online and are known to be pretty buggy. The engine was once maintained by what used to be a VR game development branch at Disney and used to be proprietary. Panda3D, the game engine, is currently open source and maintained by the Carnegie Mellon University. Because almost all of the more major game exhibits ran Windows (9x and NT/XP era Windows that is), the files to run them are generally in EXEs and all it takes is a machine with compatible hardware to run them. The chances of someone leaking the files is *really* slim though, as I bet no one there would either have the knowledge or guts to do it. Even if you got hold of the files, there might be multiple programs to run and hardware to simulate in order to properly use the exhibit software.
At Disney Springs they'll realize a NBA experience won't be appealing to children like DQ a couple years down the road and redo the indoor theme park experience again but better.
Whether or not you're into basketball, I don't understand the appeal. If you have the money and time to spend there, go ahead. But people won't come to Disney Springs for the NBA Experience - Disney Springs has already defined itself as an atmospheric place to eat, drink, and socialize. I'm just confused who their target audience is. With all of their other offerings, this one just feels out of place. This isn't about Disney Quest - it's about creating an experience that's fun, affordable, and matches the motif already established. We have seen so many concepts come and go at Splitsville's location, and the NBA Experience certainly reminds us of those.
@@Angie2343 The NBA Experience was an IGER project. He was trying to get in with the sports people so he would be recommended for part ownership of an NBA team. Well he won, tore down DisneyQuest and built the ill fated NBA Experience. Thats gone now too and he didn't get the recommendation either.
I live in Chicago! I went when I was 12 years old a few months after it opened! I remember it being so cool! But it was still a little buggy with the technology. I can tell you the problem immediately. Traffic in downtown is crazy! Very comparable to NYC! Try taking a minivan filled with kids and have to pay for parking? A parents nightmare. If they would have built it near the airport or anywhere less congested, they would have seen more tourist traffic. You only go downtown to do some serious shopping...not haul the kids in bumper to bumper traffic.
Just realized how similar in concept DisneyQuest was to the Sony Wonder Lab in NYC which closed last year. To your point about people lining up for new VR experiences, it's interesting that both of these rather out of date attractions have been (or will be) shut down so recently when that kind of technology is so huge right now
once an attraction is built, disney does not spend a lot of time or money updating it. If you pay attention, over the years, certain attractions lose items like animatronics because they remove them. and my favorite, DISCO YETI
I feel that this concept could do quite well if built somewhere like Australia or New Zealand, where we don’t have any Disney Parks. People would likely actually travel interstate for that here, as it’s the closest they’d get to experiencing Disney Magic without having to travel to Japan or the USA.
Gosh though if only we had a present day Disney Quest with present day technology that would be insanely cool but sadly Disney is way more focused on how to make money as a company and bring in crowds than to actually wow the crowds which has always been their issue and why attractions don’t usually live as long as they plan unless they’re the classics. I’m obsessed with the millions of Disney plans and ideas that would have been amazing if they had actually decided to follow through instead of cut costs and make something less intricate. But I guess the magic of Disney is the imagination behind it all.
Jessie Goben didn't ESPN have some spaces for fans experience that were abandoned too? I remember that Baltimore had huge one right in the heart of the city and it was abandoned for years
I happened to go in 2009 and it was already incredibly outdated. I remember some of the rides breaking down. I did not have much fun, except for playing some arcade games.
Disney Quest was like a 90s wonderland. If they had fully embraced the “retro” vibe I feel like it would have stayed pretty relevant. Even though some of the experiences were “outdated” ( I thought they were fine ) I think Disney Quest was pretty cool. Definitely miss this place but I now own one of the actual games from Disney Quest so I get to reminisce on the old days every time I fire up my arcade 😃
After watching the videos about it, I found myself thinking the same thing. They could have tried rebranding it as a "retro" 90s tech/games time capsule place, which probably wouldn't have required *too* much of an expensive overhaul; more of a fresh coat of paint, so to speak.
DisneyQuest was doomed because it was disney. disney does not do a lot of upgrades and as little maintenance as they can. disney does not like to spend money, they just take it. DisneyQuest could have existed if they would keep the attractions up and running and do rolling upgrades or new attractions occasionally. again, that costs money and disney doesnt want to do that. My gosh look at the parks today, that should tell you something.
How funny. My dad used to be a general manager at Club Disney in West Covina. I remember going there a lot and even having my birthday there one year. I remember the Winnie the Pooh area, the little mermaid area, the big jungle gym and computer room where you could play all the Disney cd roms. I used to love it there and sometimes wish it was still around. If it could have stayed I'm sure with better updates and such, it would have brought in the money the company desired. But sadly some things never work out Great video by the way
I used to go to Club Disney all the time! I remember all of those things and you could dress up as different Disney characters, but my favorite thing was the Peter Pan shadow wall
I actually remember going to Disney Quest in Chicago when I was little. It was essentially like one of the big superarcades like Dave&Busters but themed towards kids exclusively, I forget most of it but two memories were strangely: The elevator that went up REALLY fast to take you to the actual Disney Quest area and a Build-your-own-rollercoaster computer in which you could then ride said rollercoaster I've been to Chicago many times since then and never saw it again, which did make me partially wonder if it was some weird dream I convinced myself was real. Cool to know I'm not crazy yet.
I feel like Disney really missed the boat with this one. They're the leader in creating theme park experiences but there are only two places in the whole country where you can visit a Disney Park. It just makes sense to bring that experience to more places on a smaller scale. Build it in the suburbs with a huge parking lot, focus it squarely on families with kids, have some simulator type rides like Star Tours, and make it a place that's fun to just hang out even if you don't do the attractions and games. Maybe some locations could even have a second building with an indoor water park. C'mon Disney, give it another shot!
R.D. Dragon they went to Orlando and Anaheim because of the weather. most Midwest and Northeast states have extreme weather. there are Disney parks in different countries
Marylandbrony my response was for the the Disney Parks, not quest. Disney quest could go anywhere, but Disney Parks would benefit most without extreme cold climates/tornadoes etc. people can handle the heat, and hurricanes aren't too bad in Orlando (they just get the storms)
While Dave and Busters, Gameworks, etc. have a similar concept, DisneyQuest was different in that all you had to pay was one admission price and any food you wanted. It was really ahead of its time.
Same here. I absolutely loved that place! I went several times. I do wish we could get something like it again. I have fond memories of all of the VR games I enjoyed there. Glad I got to experience it.
you would have loved Cyber SPace Mountain. you designed your own track, had a choice of travel through space, under ground molten lava and another choice. The simulators that they used were made for fighter pilots so it responded to the track you designed perfectly. If you were really brave, you could ask the Cast Member to use the "Speed" track, a track that was designed for the most twirls, loops curves and speed. I still hope Cyber Space Mountain will show its face again, but by now, not much of a chance.
LOL Seems like half the Disney "ABANDONED" videos start with "Well, Michael Eisner..." Enjoy your evolving channel. Your delivery has gotten really incredible, and your research and detail far outstrips similar channels. Kudos! Edited to add: I am STILL sad they didn't make this work. They really gave up too soon, and I think it would still work today if they kept up on it.
It's not that he necessarily killed everything he touched at Disney, he just took a lot of big risks. And as you can see, some did not pay off as well as others haha
SoniLOID wrong. Without Eisner there would be no Hollywood Studios in FL, California Adventure, Disneyland Paris, or a lot of the big early 90s Disney movies. He had a huge vision and naturally some of them weren't going to last forever.
Why does Disney always discontinue or cancel the best new properties, I will always be spiteful over the fact that they canceled Disney America and the park that was themed around the world.
Could you do a video on an indoor theme park at a mall in Sunrise, Florida called "Wannado City" that ran from 2005 - 2011? It was a similar fiasco with putting a theme park in the middle of a town/city with not much tourism and doesn't have a lot of light shed on it.
Engei Yeah me too. I was in Florida last year and I saw Disney Quest but I had so many other places I wanted to go to and from what I heard, it wasn't that good so I just skipped it. But now that they're closing, I wish I'd gone in just to see how it is.
I think that the idea in theory could work. It is much cheaper then building a third park. But I think what they should have done is gone for smaller big name cities if that makes any sense. Cities like say Minneapolis, Omaha or even Milwaukee would be better because of the fact that tourists don't have an over saturation of things to do. Plus I think cutting the size in half would help too. Less risk of loosing money then. Overall though I think they would run into the same thing that happened to Journey into Imagination, that being you have to update it at least every 5 to 10 years. BTW great video!
A concept like this, however, would have required constant updates to remain relevant. People wouldn't pay 35$ or so to play 20 year old sub-par video games for an hour or two. Continual software development would have been rather expensive, especially given the fact that the home Video/Computer game market continues to grow and improve (As does the price of overhead for the production of them)- the same market that in a way has nearly killed off arcades in the US. Those that still exist are kept alive by a niche. Targeting a tourist heavy city was likely the best course, as cities like Minneapolis and Omaha have much smaller tourist draws compared to Chicago, New York, or Boston. This concept would have struggled in any city it was put in.
I remember Disney Quest well, I think I was there in the first year in Orlando and it was amazing. Shame it never was kept up with the times. I will always remember it being the best arcade I had ever been to.
I'm just now watching this but I totally agree with one of the last points you made, that Disney could probably be successful if they tried this again. I just feel like they would have to take updating the technology more seriously and they should make sure it's going to work really well in Orlando before even trying to build locations in other places. That's probably what they should have done in the first place with DQ
I'm a CP at Disney and oh my god I love Disney quest!! I love all the outdated games and rides, I know it's weird but I'm going to miss it. And it's one of the only places that you can still take the animation class
meleniumshane90 I don't think they have a soundtrack or a CD you can buy like they had for wishes but if you live in the area I would go over and ask or try calling them. Since not a lot of people go only a few people work there so hopefully you get a real life person
Seth Smith I was thinking of that too. Not many people would be interested in visiting a tall prominent building with no windows right after the Towers went down.
The ironic thing is nowadays, a Disneyquest style arcade would probably work nowadays if they decided to bring it back. No harm in them doing do, nothing else up to now that they’ve replaced it with worked
I'll miss it. Didn't even now it was closing. For what it is, It is overpriced though. Compared to a Disney World ticket to the Magic Kingdom is about only 40% more expensive. It's ok but it isn't amazing. There is this one alladin carpet ride that has a huge headset with low quality models that make me want to vomit. It would be cool to update it considering that my phone can be a VR set. I will miss it deep down.
It used to be worse. It used to cost you $30 to get in, but that $30 was also loaded into a card. That card was then used to get onto attractions, but each one cost some of the money on the card. Once out of money you couldn't do anything unless you reloaded it with more. That didn't last long, though, eventually they made it simply pay for admission and that was it.
Wobbuffet For President I remember wasting a whole day in there when other attractions like Wonderworks were much better. Heck, I forgot where specifically but there was a McDonald's with a goddamned arcade on a second floor and that felt more amusing than the rides in Disney Quest. The most I got out of that day was grinding on a DDR Supernova 2 machine.
That was the GIANT McDonalds you could see off I-4. The one with the building that was painted like one of their French Fry containers. They tore it down, recently, I believe. It's a shame, too, because it was basically just an ENORMOUS arcade (that they were calling the World Largest McDonalds Playplace...but it was an Arcade not some plastic tube slides for the kids like the rest of them XD )
i was too im gonna miss it so much i would go there every year and the line for cyber space mountain was insane because only one was running every other was broken down i tried to add as many loops as possible for my last time
Philly native here: I remember hearing about this happening and was super excited. People talked all the time about how they were looking forward to having Disney in the city! That hole at 8th and Market was like that for years. Sadly it got cancelled and no one knew what to do with it (and still don't; right now it's a street level parking lot, but that will probably change soon). It would have been interesting to see what could have been, especially since a lot in that area is being renovated (mainly the Gallery, but there are new apartments and shops going up as well).
@@BrightSunFilms you should do an abandoned video on The NBA Experience. It replaced Disney Quest in Disney Springs only to close permanently 2 years after it opened
I went to Disney Quest in 2015. It was outdated, but the rollercoaster creator and simulator was pretty fun even though the quality was poor. Only was worth an hour and a half in there though.
I worked at the dept store across from the proposed Philly location. We knew about Quest several years before the official announcement. The store was really looking forward to the increased foot traffic and invested a lot of money into the store. When Disney pulled the plug, the store lost some momentum and was sold in 1996. Quest was viewed as the cornerstone to the larger Market East development project. The canceled project was a huge disappointment to Philadelphia.
i'm 28 years old and i was lucky to attend the first year it was open in chicago. My mom, sister and myself waited 2hrs in line to get admission. IT had some interesting and unique games that i can somewhat remember and i was shocked when it was cancelled.
I’ve always been puzzled why the Disney quest downtown Chicago closed. Like this video many said it’s because it didn’t get much business or traffic. But that’s not true. When it was open in Chicago I remember like it was yesterday and it was ALWAYS a 3-4 hour line wrapped around the building just to get inside.
Vexillum Vixen OMG YES! I lived in Dubai for a while and we would drive past the abandoned place on the way to our house. I always saw it and was like "wtf is that??" Holy shit I haven't thought about that place in YEARS!
Hey Jake! Just wanted to let you know that I went to DisneyQuest 18 days before it closed, and I'm so glad I did. There were some cool things, like the Pirates, Aladdin, and Buzz rides, and the arcade part was cool. It was very outdated, so it was a little awkward. But, overall, I am so glad I went before it closed. Thank you for doing this ride and helping the DisneyQuest spirit live on! -Holly, age 13
I have defended Disney Quest for years and really love it. It is sad that this has deteriorated to such a low level. I still believe it could've been saved if they closed it for six months or one year and give it a massive refurbishment both inside and outside. VR is making a come back and with Disney now having Marvel and Star Wars under their belt they could use those as well. Honestly to why a NBA experience, there was already one in Universal and it sucked. Why couldn't it be NFL or something? It's very sad to see this go and honestly they shouldn't have neglected it just work with what you got and it would have such potential. But one things for sure I will not be checking out this NBA experience and at least I get to say my good bye to Disney Quest. Disney is making a mistake but that's business.
Yeah, it's stupid. The NBA thing over at Universal was a failure and if Disney really wants to get into basketball, why not open it over at Wide World of Sports? I'm just pissed I can't get the music from Disney Quest.
I'll admit I was super young when I went there years ago, but I remember loving it. I might see a lot of it as hokey now, but I remember wishing they would open a Disney Quest around me (which would've been the New York location had that been realized). Granted, a few years back, something similar was opened in my area, just on a smaller scale (called iPlayAmerica). It was cool at first, but it didn't have much return value, and most of the stuff in there either broke down or just was of low quality. Still, that was a locally-owned thing (and its owner is kind of a tightwad), and I can only imagine what a company like Disney would've done with such a complex in New Jersey, where the only big tourist attractions are the shore and Six Flags Great Adventure (which who even wants to go to that anymore).
I went there in 2003 and loved it. I'll always remember that trip cause my dad nearly got arrested by a Disney cop for screaming at my brother outside the front doors.
As someone who played VMK religiously, this was super interesting. I noticed a lot of overlap between some of the original games at Disney Quest and the virtual mini games that I played on VMK. Seems like they were able to utilize the ideas behind these games after all. I’m not sure if you’ve done a video on VMK already, but if you haven’t - you should! I’d love to learn if there’s any other overlap and history between these two concepts.
Interesting video Jake. I've never been to Disney quest and I guess I never will but the concept is an interesting idea. Maybe it would,work better as part of an entertainment complex with theatres, cinema, bowling etc rather than as a stand alone venue, or as an international project in areas without a Disneyland like Australia. I think today Disney could do something interesting especially with the IPs they own now Star Wars, Pixar, marvel etc but I doubt we see another attempt at anything like this again.
I actually worked at the Disney Quest in Downtown Disney from May 2002 to January 2003, one of the very lucky College Program kids to get put in Attractions (at least at the time, most CPs ended up in Janitorial, Food Service, or Parking). Back then, it was definitely more in its element, and it was a blast to work there. I'm pretty sure I even recognized at least one of the cast members in one of those promo videos. I honestly don't ever remember hearing anything about a Disney Quest in Chicago back then, which makes sense since it apparently had already shut down by the time I started. I definitely came out with some amazing stories, both in DQ and just as a Disney cast member. The most popular attraction was definitely Cyber Space Mountain, which had those cylindrical bays (simulators) that rotated 360 degrees on pitch and roll (and yes, the 4:3 ratio cameras). Fun fact, those simulators had a small hole with a cover in the bottom of them, just in case the simulator froze when it was inverted. We'd have to open that cover so we could communicate with the guests, letting them know that the engineers were working to get them out. I can't speak for later, but I only remember it happening twice in the 7 months I was there, which made it very rare considering how popular the ride was. I believe there were 10 bays total that could and many times did operate at once. It was a cool ride because you could design your own rollercoaster, then "ride" it in the simulator. The absolute maximum inversions you could have on a ride was 13, but you had to make some very specific choices when making your track to manage it. Before my shift, I would usually head to the creation stations and make a few of them to give to someone who was particularly determined to have the most inversions but couldn't quite figure out the right track choices. We were told not to do it, but most of us would. The two worst attractions were the Jungle Cruise and that Alien one where you had the driver and 3 shooters. The Alien one was boring and just bad, with winning or losing dependent entirely on the driver. The gunners could miss everything, but if the driver knew where to go, you'd win. I hated if I started the day there. It was on the 5th floor, tucked into a corner. Sometimes it took an hour or more for anyone to make it up there from the time the doors opened. Jungle Cruise wasn't a horrible attraction to run as a cast member, but sometimes the sensors on the air mats just wouldn't interact properly with the oars, making it hard for the guests to control their path. I usually kept an oar with me to help out guests if they'd gotten stuck. Oh...the puck game where you had to throw yourself around this tilting platform thing to control your puck on a video board sucked to run. One of the loudest places in the whole building. I miss that place. My fellow cast members were great, even my managers. I had a blast just walking around sometimes, playing a game with families who needed a few pointers, or even showing off with another cast member on the Dance Dance Revolution game while guests watched. Sounds like I got to enjoy working there when it was still at its finest.
@@MarthaRoseQuartz It was a very neat game. I liked it more than the other VR game at the time, the Aladdin ride. I wasn't a huge fan of my time operating it, though. In my original comment, I mentioned how that hockey puck game (I can never remember the name of that one) was the loudest place in the building. Unfortunately, Ride the Comix was just above it and overlooked it with a big open space. I lost my voice more than once trying to explain Ride the Comix to people. That was actually one of the reasons they would rotate us between attractions. No one could be at Ride the Comix for too long. That wasn't the only reason, but it was definitely on the list.
@@aethyr6776 Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam was the hockey puck game. Do you remember what Zeebub sounded like or anything else about him??? I can (barely) remember him..... iirc he had a Keith David kinda voice but more of Zurg on Space Ranger Spin (AFAIK it wasnt Ken Mitchroney.... it HAD to be a Black voice actor) When i went before Ride the Comix closed I would just talk to the staff about how Zeebub is prounion and he is the demon equivalent of Hoffa.... this had to be 2013. hahahaha
I know it seems impossible but a Disney park in Toronto would be so fun, I live in Canada and am obsessed with the Disney parks the only thing is that they're so expensive, (I live just outside of Toronto) great vid btw love your stuff
Land doesn't sound very cheap in Canada, at least in the areas that are anchored by Vancouver or Toronto. What made Disneyland and Disneyworld possible was the availability of cheap land.
I remember being blown away by Disney Quest in the early 2000's (of course I was just a little kid at the time). Glad I got to take my friend last year. The nostalgia trip was well worth the hour.
It's amazing how many of these episodes are Disney themed. Maybe it says something about their ambition & desire to make things happen. Great video!! Keep up the good work!
thank you so much for making this video! I remembered my trip to Disney quest chicago being both incredibly disappointing, but also one of my most vivid childhood memories.
They're evil, but I make an exception for Marvel, Star Wars, and Tron, as well as some of their older theme park attractions like Alien Encounter and Body Wars.
It's the PlayStation logo. How much of a pansy-ass little wimp do you have to be to be "disgusted" by the PlayStation logo? Soooooorryyyyyyy that I have decent tastes in games, weeb.
Chicago's problem: location. It was right in the middle of downtown. If it had been out in the suburbs, it would've probably been a "whole family goes once a month" type place but no one was driving all the way in to the city for it. Also, that Buzz Lightyear attraction was one of the funnest things I've ever done. They really should bring that back somewhere.
I remember I went to this only once when I was 11, and let me tell you it was one of the best experiences I've ever had at any Disney location to this day
Technology has rapidly progressed and seems pretty realistic now, but we can’t say for sure because of the rate of progression. That hole in Philadelphia is apparently still there, so if Disney tried this again, would it work? Maybe, maybe not.
It was mentioned in the video that Disney intended to replace the attractions on a rotating basis - that was probably their plan for dealing with technological advancements. Apparently it never happened though because of the failure of the main project - see particularly the Windows 98/ME error screen at 10:49, the low-quality video at 11:34 and the use of Comic Sans at 11:41.
That could have been Windows XP using a Classic skin. Vista and 7 would be too new. The Philadelphia hole is apparently now a parking lot, with actually building use being proposed.
I completely forgot about the attraction rotation. But, while it sounded like it would be often, it was probably going to be something like 3-4 years for the average attraction, especially on a large scale. Think about outsourcing hundreds of VR headsets and the programs necessary to run the equipment and the attraction, and how much it would cost to develop. That would never happen on a consistent basis for each location lined up with each other. Some locations will be favored over others. Come to think of it, it could be a huge hit in California, considering the culture there and the fact Disneyland Resort pales in comparison to WDW. Disney Quest would be a technology showcase rather than an ultimate arcade.
Wow, I went to college in the Chicago area in 1998-2002 and I remember Disney Quest. My friends and I went a few times, but it was hard for college students to shell out that much frequently. The Aladdin VR game was really fun. Now that my generation has kids it probably would succeed, as the video says. Especially now that they have added Star Wars and Marvel.
Hi Jake, once again a great video, cheered me right up during a week of being sick and after what has just happened I needed something to cheer me up. Keep them coming. :)
Fan here and worked at DQ years ago. Watched all your abandoned vids. Your research is wrong on why Chicago failed. It was very busy, but it was a bad choice in LOCATION. It was cheaper to build in the financial district of Chicago at the time rather than closer to an outlet mall or place that had tourism. So it was dead on the weekday due to this but on the weekend the line wrapped around the building. Again this is due to being in a bad place but cheaper to build story. Please try to edit this in. If anyone put a fun place to play in Orlando financial district it would fail hard too.
Finished watching the video. Again, the Chicago issue was due to poor location not the foot traffic nor the competition. It stood out enough that it was in a different category to D&B and others. Also you said they had 30 planned. Sorry that's incorrect. They were looking to build almost 50. No, Canada was not in the schematics or plans at all due to get licenses and permits just the USA only. As you said this was a ambitious project, but I say this was a poorly attempted concept. They needed to start SMALL build a few and let them grow and watch the growth. If you think that's what happened you've been misled. This take years to plan and build and they were moving fast per usual. The plan was flawed from the start due to they wanted to build them fast and have EVERYTHING for them once built. That means has all the parts, supplies, and Ride parts before the building were made. You may not think that amounts to much, but it does. Buying enough pens for buildings almost 1,000ft for 50 of those things costs a ton. The list goes on for many other items too. Anyway I'm rambling. Chicago only failed due to poor planning & location. Disney at the time got scarred and pulled the plug without thinking of other options and labeled the project busted. If they hadn't gotten scarred and jumped ship who knows how it would be today? I know only one major thing. If they hadn't gotten scarred they wouldn't have abandoned the Orlando site. Which they did over a decade ago. It survived due to foot traffic and people who wanted to play. However Disney never gave them the $ to help make new or redo areas. Just maintain. This is why Orlando will be gone, which is such a sad state of affairs. If they had more faith and better planning this would have a different scenario.
Too bad they didn't try a smaller park in a smaller city just too see if the idea would be successful. Currently my state has something like Disney Quest in its largest mall but is marketed towards teens and adults.
You worked at the Disney Quest location in Chicago? I went there twice. The first time I went there for my 13th birthday and the second time was because they were doing a survey and they would give you two tickets to come back and my mom did it and got the tickets. My mom asked our friend Mark if he can take me to Disney Quest and she also told him to not tell me where we were going as a surprise and he said yes Judy I will. A few days before the day Mark came over and asked me if I wanted to go to The Museum of Science and Industry and I obviously said yes you know that I love that museum. On the day we left early and we took The CTA Red Line to Grand and State and we walked down Ohio to Rush and I was suspicious of him being I know that in order to get to The Museum of Science and Industry we had to get off at Garfield Stop and take the CTA 55 Bus east to The Museum of Science and Industry. When we got to the building Mark said we got to where we get on the CTA Bus going towards The Museum of Science and Industry and I obviously was suspicious of him. And when they opened up the doors Mark said Brian we're not going to The Museum of Science and Industry I said I know Mark I have been suspicious of you ever since we got off the Red Line where are we going? Mark said Brian we're going to be spending a day at the most magical place in Chicago and you have your mom to thank for this we're going to spend the day at Disney Quest. My mouth immediately dropped open and exploded in happiness and saying yeah!!!!!!!!!
If you're interested in supporting us on Patreon, heres a direct link to it. Thanks for everyone's overwhelming support. You guys are amazing, thank you. www.patreon.com/BrightSunFilms
Bright Sun Films I didn't even know about Disney Quest until now. You guys make good videos!
No, because it wasn't abandoned, it was cancelled. Abandoned would be if they just sorta left it hanging.
oh.Thanks for putting it that there
Bright Sun Films you guys are the best!
Of course! Thanks for the great videos!!
Was super fortunate to experience this place when I was a kid and growing up as a gamer...this place was heaven.
I agree. It is a pity it closed for something like an NBA experience, or whatever went there, but I definitely get why it closed. They should have kept it all up to date.
Same.
I went to the shop but didn't actually go in the attraction :_D
I still remember that virtual roller coaster where you could make your own track and ride it, probably got on that thing a dozen times.
Long story short, Disney was too ahead of its time with Disney Quest. I think if they actually updated Disney Quest: Downtown Disney to today's technology, it would've passed over the moon and into the stars. But, they decided to keep the technology from 17+ years ago and expect people to be okay with it while having things like a smartwatch on their wrist and touch screen phones in their pocket. Hopefully, the reconsider a similar concept in the future and actually keep it updated.
S. Jonas Hope it payed out in the end so they plan for n doing something similar. After all, Entertainment technology evolves quickly
it's more like it was overambitious and we know what happens to ambition, don't we Inafune?
But that's the problem, technology, they won't be able to keep up with it, every one or two they would need to update, that won't be profitable for them, because Disney is not a technology company.
The ironic part is last year when DisneyQuest in Orlando got demolished, a company called "The Void" that specializes in immersive new VR tech
came into Downtown Disney and created a Star Wars game in a brand new building.
Super annoying and unfair that Disney takes away an entire complex committed to VR instead of letting this company re-haul DisneyQuest into something new and cool with multiple floors of innovative games to showcase.
They weren’t ahead of their time.
Looking at these Videogames they were still out of date in 1998. Compare them to PSx, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64.
When it comes to videogames Disney was always hopeless. They should gave worked with Videogame Companies on this instead of doing it themselves.
"We would love to be in Detroit"
That's the first time I've ever heard someone say that
Tim Drake Wayne-Kent that would've been a disaster especially in Detroit
Local shops can barely stay open in Detroit. I don't think a giant arcade would do too well.
DisneyQuest Chicago closed on September 3, 2001.
7:55 "We would love to be in New York at the Trade Center"
Orange you glad you didn't build inside the Twin Towers now, Mickey???
Tim Drake Wayne lol Detroit is not as bad as the media makes it seems
If they made a Disney Quest in Detroit in the future it would've worked because it would bring in more tourists and money for both the city and company. Detroit is improving a lot and getting better by the day
Disney Quest in Chicago failed because it was so hard to get into the building. Parking was hard and then you had to wait in line to get into the elevator into the place. Some days there was no problem getting into the lobby. When it first opened though, it was at maximum occupancy and you had to wait 2 hours on the cold Chicago streets or however long for some people to leave Disney Quest so you could simply enter. And everything was super buggy. And it wasn't fun for parents if they didn't like video games. It killed the hype and made people forget it was there after one or two trips, even though it was nearby.
It was the only place to find VR in the 90s outside of Epcot though. That was really cool.
Yeah, waiting times were long, but parents who don’t like videogames actually do, it’s just that some adults are heavily in denial cause they still think videogames are bad, like get a life and let your child live, you know they’re fun stop sitting in the 90’s and play.
The cold June Chicago streets
As a Chicago person that location had on issue. Parking! Parking in the city has always been a hassle and a half and over the years only got more expensive. The last mayor (Daley) privatized the parking in the city and it's only gotten worse. Honestly if they did this more in the suburbs outside of the actual city with more parking being available it could have lasted longer. It would also be away from other attractions like the museums, Navy Pier, and what not.
I just said parking was an issue. I'm from.Chicago too.
Parking tends to be an afterthought in Chicago since most everyone uses public transit in the city proper. Even savvy suburbanites tend to take Metra (Metropolitan Rail) into the “Loop” (heart of downtown) and use the “L” and/or bus.
I knew it. If parking is an issue, they're gonna be hard-pressed for success
Why has Six Flags Great America done so well for almost 50 years? It's in Gurnee, 20-30 min outside the city. Plenty of parking, and the only other attraction to compete with is the Gurnee Mills Mall.
Disney Quest was always a bit late to the party with this sort of thing, Sega was doing it in the very early '90s and so were a bunch of other companies.
But I know a few people didn't like how dark it was inside either, some windows would have really helped.
Larry Bundy Jr Watch some of vids Larry. However I think your confused. Sega had arcade places, but not many, rarely any in the US if I ever recall. Plenty in Japan. There was no VR nor attractions per se. Just their games. Which good is not in the same category as DQ. If they had some in the U.K.awesome, but we were not so privileged. As for the windows, yea everyone wanted them however with the 90's tech have sunlight come in would mess with the screens and projectors and would ruin the equipment faster than normal wear and tear. The top floors were designed to have a darker feel due to the theming. Again would have loved them, but would have been a financial disaster, and before you say it yes would have been worse than it has been.
I was waiting to see if someone would comment on how they were late. VR was just a gimmick by the late 90's and lost popularity. Arcades were also on the decline. It was bad timing. Even if they opened earlier who knows if they would still be around. Other businesses like Gameworks (which Sega was apparently a part of) and Jillian's struggled.
Juichi I agree with this No defending it. They had this technology since '94-'95. They had the same VR and had guests play it in Innoventions at Epcot at that time. The underlining issue they had with this is they never OWNED the tech, the headgear, or ever tried to pay to upgrade any of them. They just paid to keep them funded only. If they tried to invest they may have got improvements and been able to do the things people on here would have wanted, but they never did.
Larry I spent some time looking up Segaworld in London. Looked really cool, but couldn't find any that were in the United States. So sorry, but clearly there is a market here as well. Also Segaworld only lasted for three years and from the looks of it there were reasons. It also was NOT even close to what Disney Quest is. Having one or two attractions and the rest be games, having no real thematics, having the attractions have paid actors to scare people, and be a pay per play place is not what Disney Quest does at all. DQ started as pay per play, but realized it made more money doing a pay once plan. It had 8 attractions, no hired actors, and was all themed. I'm sorry if you think it's equal to Segaworld, but it sadly is not. It's not the tourist nor the finances that have killed it. It is the company and how they wrote it off after they poorly planned making more of them.
yeah I didnt like how dark it was inside.
Every time I watch one of these videos I expect him to say abandoned.
gustusthread 2256 This is what happens when we get too used to one thing and get another!
gustusthread 2256 Let's have him rename the show to "Abandoned... IDEAS!" ;)
gustusthread 2256 He needs to TM that word.
~2:27
All two times you watched one of these
There was one a UA-cam channel called Bright Sun Gaming that was cancelled. Now it's called Bright Sun Films.
Monty Waggoner It's really more like the same channel that's just changed overtime including the name.
brutal
Bunnyboy King wooosh
Monty Waggoner wooahh
Cancelled - Bright Sun Gaming
The NBA Experience is going to last even less
Good. I myself never follow sports because it's all the same garbage. I'd rather have it be a video arcade mixed with a shopping complex.
The NBA eatery at Universal obviously met it's demise. It was alright, a great experience honestly. I just don't think Orlando, FL and Disney World is a good market for an NBA themed attraction. Certainly not 100,000 square feet worth.
They demo Pleasure Island because of "unsavories"and "riff raff" aka ghetto trash yet they do an NBA "experience" You can't see this but I'm doing a massive eyeroll!
Basically you're saying "NBA is riff raff" is what I gather here. Totally going to believe there isn't any cultural implications there (rolls eyes).
I guess is Disney wanted to put everyone to sleep it could be the MLB experience. A great snoozefest that would make Disney Quest seem exhilarating.
The NBA is ABC Sports and ESPNs bread and butter. I guess this fact is eluding everyone but this is happening because Disney's current relationship with the NBA.
I bet you play a lot of video games.
Hi Jake!
I live in Philly... can u believe that the "hole" aka the lot where they began building the foundation from this project still remains on 8th and market! Those of us who live in Philly call it the Disney hole! And oddly, it's prime real-estate, I can't believe nothing has been done with it! You can catch septa trains/subway, and the patco train from 8th and market, meaning you can basically go anywhere in the city, to the suburbs of the city and even into NJ from that spot, making it a great location. They were talking about making it into a casino, or turning it into a sports complex for one of our teams (since we have to take the subway all the way to south Philly to see any of our sports teams, which is unlike most other cities where you go to the middle of downtown to see sports games), but nothing has been done with it. It's essentially a parking lot now, but parking lots like this are quickly disappearing and turning into parking garages in the city. I hope they can do something nice with it because we don't have much in the way of entertainment in our downtown area. As I said, the big arenas for sports game or concerts (such as the Wells Fargo arena) are all the way in south philly and you have to take a subway all the way there or drive. Other than that, we have some restaurants and a few small concert venues but that's about it. The only mall we have downtown is the gallery and it has terrible stores and can even be dangerous. If you want to do anything else like go to dave and busters or a concert, casino, sports game, etc, you have to go out of the downtown area.
I so agree, and back in the day Dave and Busters was insanely busy and you had to be 21+ after 10 pm and on some saturdays starting even earlier, DisneyQuest would have been amazing in Philly and the pit they dug is a disgrace.
Would probably have been a better launch location i guess.
Boo Hoo
The Justice Hole
My grandfather's company had an attraction on the first floor of Disney Quest in Orlando. It was called Treasures of the Inca. You would stand in front of a monitor with a steering wheel and gas pedal to drive a RC jeep with a wireless camera mounted to the hood to explore a miniature labyrinth. Scattered throughout the labyrinth were 13 treasure rooms each containing an artifact for you to collect. It had an almost Indiana Jones feel to it.
Chad Schmaltz Aw man! Chad if possible try to contact me! I wish I had been around for that attraction. I started working after it was shut down. In case you did not know it only lasted a year at most... Due to the technology one of the cars caught on fire and well no one wants a car in flames under people feet. So they stopped it permeant in 99/00. They took out all the pieces of it back in '08. I have a full intact treasure here sign and one of the remaining cars that survived. Wish I could have seen this stuff in action!
I'm glad I got to play it while it was still open. It was closed around 2004/2005 though, not 2000. @Malak do you know if there's any way to get the music from Disney Quest? I've been trying for months.
meleniumshane90 Thanks for clarifying. I was thinking the Explorer Slide. I went back and ask old coworkers who closed it confirmed it was shut down in '04-'05. As for the music like BGM or Ride music well you won't find it public that's for sure. Best way to go is talk with a current DQ manager or Ride Show Tech at DQ. They would have access to the CDs that they are on and either burn a copy or give an extra. Best way to get it and only way I can think of.
I'll definitely give it a shot. I've been trying for months. My last resort would be to find a quiet place and record, but that would be terrible audio quality.
Your best bet is probably an induction mic. Check out "mmarcuse"'s comment chain on "Space Mountain Third Tunnel Ambient Music" by TheMellowPumpkin for more details, I don't personally know much about it. Should be like the second comment.
NBA Experience sounds like something destined to fail.
Hayes And so, history will repeat itself...
Hayes It really does.
Hayes same, and im pretty sure disney got a deal with the NBA.
Universal had the NBA Experience, it didn't do so well.
Universal's NBA City restaurant does sound similar to what Disney wants to do with their NBA Experience!
Hey, the Chicago one was only like 414 miles away from my house. Super convenient.
Ayden Hascerflef wait hol up....
My mom got to go just before it closed. I've never truly forgiven her for not taking me.
Ayden Hascerflef Same
Ayden Hascerflef Just an average walk, nothing unusual
well they do only win one every 100 years or so
when this park closes somebody who works at disney should dump the files for the rides and simulations online so that people/alternate historians like us can play these games on mame and other software so they dont become lost cause they did it with fix it felix so why not the rides and the computers that run this software
Some of the exhibits (I think like the 3 major ones) used an early build of the game engine used in ToonTown Online and are known to be pretty buggy. The engine was once maintained by what used to be a VR game development branch at Disney and used to be proprietary. Panda3D, the game engine, is currently open source and maintained by the Carnegie Mellon University. Because almost all of the more major game exhibits ran Windows (9x and NT/XP era Windows that is), the files to run them are generally in EXEs and all it takes is a machine with compatible hardware to run them. The chances of someone leaking the files is *really* slim though, as I bet no one there would either have the knowledge or guts to do it. Even if you got hold of the files, there might be multiple programs to run and hardware to simulate in order to properly use the exhibit software.
I REALLY want to experience Ride the Comix again...
At Disney Springs they'll realize a NBA experience won't be appealing to children like DQ a couple years down the road and redo the indoor theme park experience again but better.
Whether or not you're into basketball, I don't understand the appeal. If you have the money and time to spend there, go ahead. But people won't come to Disney Springs for the NBA Experience - Disney Springs has already defined itself as an atmospheric place to eat, drink, and socialize. I'm just confused who their target audience is. With all of their other offerings, this one just feels out of place. This isn't about Disney Quest - it's about creating an experience that's fun, affordable, and matches the motif already established. We have seen so many concepts come and go at Splitsville's location, and the NBA Experience certainly reminds us of those.
@@Angie2343 The NBA Experience was an IGER project. He was trying to get in with the sports people so he would be recommended for part ownership of an NBA team. Well he won, tore down DisneyQuest and built the ill fated NBA Experience. Thats gone now too and he didn't get the recommendation either.
I live in Chicago! I went when I was 12 years old a few months after it opened! I remember it being so cool! But it was still a little buggy with the technology. I can tell you the problem immediately. Traffic in downtown is crazy! Very comparable to NYC! Try taking a minivan filled with kids and have to pay for parking? A parents nightmare. If they would have built it near the airport or anywhere less congested, they would have seen more tourist traffic. You only go downtown to do some serious shopping...not haul the kids in bumper to bumper traffic.
Just realized how similar in concept DisneyQuest was to the Sony Wonder Lab in NYC which closed last year. To your point about people lining up for new VR experiences, it's interesting that both of these rather out of date attractions have been (or will be) shut down so recently when that kind of technology is so huge right now
once an attraction is built, disney does not spend a lot of time or money updating it. If you pay attention, over the years, certain attractions lose items like animatronics because they remove them. and my favorite, DISCO YETI
"excuse me, is that comic sans?" dude I love your videos so much
Daniel Hopmans Fuck you.
Daniel Hopmans stfu
Grammar Nazi, Wtf is wrong with comic sans, It's perfect for Disney
I don’t get it why are people saying saying F**k you She meant that she liked his joke
I feel that this concept could do quite well if built somewhere like Australia or New Zealand, where we don’t have any Disney Parks. People would likely actually travel interstate for that here, as it’s the closest they’d get to experiencing Disney Magic without having to travel to Japan or the USA.
Gosh though if only we had a present day Disney Quest with present day technology that would be insanely cool but sadly Disney is way more focused on how to make money as a company and bring in crowds than to actually wow the crowds which has always been their issue and why attractions don’t usually live as long as they plan unless they’re the classics. I’m obsessed with the millions of Disney plans and ideas that would have been amazing if they had actually decided to follow through instead of cut costs and make something less intricate. But I guess the magic of Disney is the imagination behind it all.
my aunt was a member of Club Disney, we still have a LOT or merchandise from when it existed :)
Jessie Goben keep it as in a couple of decades it will probably be worth a lot
for the short time it was up in Chicago, my uncle used to work there, he told me he was treated like shit
You should do a vid showing it all lol
Jessie Goben didn't ESPN have some spaces for fans experience that were abandoned too? I remember that Baltimore had huge one right in the heart of the city and it was abandoned for years
Jessie Goben it's a seafood restaurant
I happened to go in 2009 and it was already incredibly outdated. I remember some of the rides breaking down. I did not have much fun, except for playing some arcade games.
Disney Quest was like a 90s wonderland. If they had fully embraced the “retro” vibe I feel like it would have stayed pretty relevant. Even though some of the experiences were “outdated” ( I thought they were fine ) I think Disney Quest was pretty cool. Definitely miss this place but I now own one of the actual games from Disney Quest so I get to reminisce on the old days every time I fire up my arcade 😃
After watching the videos about it, I found myself thinking the same thing. They could have tried rebranding it as a "retro" 90s tech/games time capsule place, which probably wouldn't have required *too* much of an expensive overhaul; more of a fresh coat of paint, so to speak.
Same !!
DisneyQuest was doomed because it was disney.
disney does not do a lot of upgrades and as little maintenance as they can. disney does not like to spend money, they just take it.
DisneyQuest could have existed if they would keep the attractions up and running and do rolling upgrades or new attractions occasionally. again, that costs money and disney doesnt want to do that. My gosh look at the parks today, that should tell you something.
How funny. My dad used to be a general manager at Club Disney in West Covina. I remember going there a lot and even having my birthday there one year. I remember the Winnie the Pooh area, the little mermaid area, the big jungle gym and computer room where you could play all the Disney cd roms. I used to love it there and sometimes wish it was still around. If it could have stayed I'm sure with better updates and such, it would have brought in the money the company desired. But sadly some things never work out
Great video by the way
+Smelly Shelly That's awesome!
I used to go to Club Disney all the time! I remember all of those things and you could dress up as different Disney characters, but my favorite thing was the Peter Pan shadow wall
I actually remember going to Disney Quest in Chicago when I was little.
It was essentially like one of the big superarcades like Dave&Busters but themed towards kids exclusively, I forget most of it but two memories were strangely: The elevator that went up REALLY fast to take you to the actual Disney Quest area and a Build-your-own-rollercoaster computer in which you could then ride said rollercoaster
I've been to Chicago many times since then and never saw it again, which did make me partially wonder if it was some weird dream I convinced myself was real. Cool to know I'm not crazy yet.
Keep it up man, love your series on the Disney related stuff!
I feel like Disney really missed the boat with this one. They're the leader in creating theme park experiences but there are only two places in the whole country where you can visit a Disney Park. It just makes sense to bring that experience to more places on a smaller scale.
Build it in the suburbs with a huge parking lot, focus it squarely on families with kids, have some simulator type rides like Star Tours, and make it a place that's fun to just hang out even if you don't do the attractions and games. Maybe some locations could even have a second building with an indoor water park. C'mon Disney, give it another shot!
R.D. Dragon they went to Orlando and Anaheim because of the weather. most Midwest and Northeast states have extreme weather.
there are Disney parks in different countries
Marylandbrony my response was for the the Disney Parks, not quest. Disney quest could go anywhere, but Disney Parks would benefit most without extreme cold climates/tornadoes etc. people can handle the heat, and hurricanes aren't too bad in Orlando (they just get the storms)
GoAskNora there’s tons of parks in the north. Not an excuse
While Dave and Busters, Gameworks, etc. have a similar concept, DisneyQuest was different in that all you had to pay was one admission price and any food you wanted. It was really ahead of its time.
Sega World exists tbough
ScoobaMusic and that's why it's now closed haha
little did disney know that they would soon be sitting on a video game goldmine
and then they would blow it all up for absolutely no reason
Man, I miss Disney Quest. I went to the Downtown Disney location right as they opened up and it was the best thing ever, I never wanted to leave.
Same here. I absolutely loved that place! I went several times. I do wish we could get something like it again. I have fond memories of all of the VR games I enjoyed there. Glad I got to experience it.
I went in 2006. Everything was dated by then, but I grew up playing N64/PS1 games and they looked just like those games, so I enjoyed them.
NBA Experience? What is Disney thinking, we don't want that crap in Downtown Disney :/
But everyone wants to be LeBron
i kinda blame either NBA or ESPN on this one.
DoubleDee I fucking hate sports
ALTEndanger ya good thing I am a cavs fan
Clevelander here. GO CAVS!
This is the first Abandoned/Cancelled Location I've actually been to
I grew up in Chicago and I remember being a child really wanting to go to Disney Quest. I had no idea it only lasted 2 years.
It did. It opened on June 16 1999 and then closed September 4 2001
Lol, watching this on July 2nd 2017. Last day for Disney Quest! :P
I'm nowhere near being a Disney adult, but the child in me still weeps at missing my chance to experience Disney Quest as a kid growing up in Chicago.
you would have loved Cyber SPace Mountain. you designed your own track, had a choice of travel through space, under ground molten lava and another choice. The simulators that they used were made for fighter pilots so it responded to the track you designed perfectly.
If you were really brave, you could ask the Cast Member to use the "Speed" track, a track that was designed for the most twirls, loops curves and speed.
I still hope Cyber Space Mountain will show its face again, but by now, not much of a chance.
LOL Seems like half the Disney "ABANDONED" videos start with "Well, Michael Eisner..."
Enjoy your evolving channel. Your delivery has gotten really incredible, and your research and detail far outstrips similar channels. Kudos!
Edited to add: I am STILL sad they didn't make this work. They really gave up too soon, and I think it would still work today if they kept up on it.
Shay Moore I pretty much see that Michael Eisner kills everything he touches at Disney.
It's not that he necessarily killed everything he touched at Disney, he just took a lot of big risks. And as you can see, some did not pay off as well as others haha
SoniLOID wrong. Without Eisner there would be no Hollywood Studios in FL, California Adventure, Disneyland Paris, or a lot of the big early 90s Disney movies. He had a huge vision and naturally some of them weren't going to last forever.
It was the 90's. People were optimistic and convinced the consumer boom of that decade would last forever.
Shay Moore micheal eisner is the doomed creator. he is to me like a wannabe walt but misserably failed
You're right Jake if they brought back Disney quest today and put modern technology in it would be popular like it was back then
Disney Quest is the greatest thing ever at Disney springs. So sad it's closing in August
It's closing in July actually, but yes it's sad, i will miss it as i've had many fond memories there
Makes no sense to close it since VR and video games are hotter than ever!
Galactic to be fair, disney springs sucks compared to what it once was, universal city walk is 100% better imo
DisneyQuest was built in the wrong time.
Yeah... I agree.
Why does Disney always discontinue or cancel the best new properties, I will always be spiteful over the fact that they canceled Disney America and the park that was themed around the world.
That Disney America idea looked cool as hell.
I would say due to Money issues or due to lack of proper more Funding….
Could you do a video on an indoor theme park at a mall in Sunrise, Florida called "Wannado City" that ran from 2005 - 2011? It was a similar fiasco with putting a theme park in the middle of a town/city with not much tourism and doesn't have a lot of light shed on it.
I kinda want to go to DisneyQuest just for curiosity's sake
You have a month and a little left.
Engei my experience: it wasn't that good but I really hyped it up for myself. that was a while ago so maybe the tech is better now
if you don't just build a sad ice cream dispenser
Engei Yeah me too. I was in Florida last year and I saw Disney Quest but I had so many other places I wanted to go to and from what I heard, it wasn't that good so I just skipped it. But now that they're closing, I wish I'd gone in just to see how it is.
Engei I love it. I live the Aladdin ride and the pirate one and the games are fun. Good if you have kids or you act like one.
I think that the idea in theory could work. It is much cheaper then building a third park. But I think what they should have done is gone for smaller big name cities if that makes any sense. Cities like say Minneapolis, Omaha or even Milwaukee would be better because of the fact that tourists don't have an over saturation of things to do. Plus I think cutting the size in half would help too. Less risk of loosing money then. Overall though I think they would run into the same thing that happened to Journey into Imagination, that being you have to update it at least every 5 to 10 years. BTW great video!
A concept like this, however, would have required constant updates to remain relevant. People wouldn't pay 35$ or so to play 20 year old sub-par video games for an hour or two. Continual software development would have been rather expensive, especially given the fact that the home Video/Computer game market continues to grow and improve (As does the price of overhead for the production of them)- the same market that in a way has nearly killed off arcades in the US. Those that still exist are kept alive by a niche. Targeting a tourist heavy city was likely the best course, as cities like Minneapolis and Omaha have much smaller tourist draws compared to Chicago, New York, or Boston. This concept would have struggled in any city it was put in.
They closed only 8 days before 9/11, which would have ended Disney Quest anyways
Ril Product yeah but the entire entertainment market would shift to focus onto the attack, limiting their sales by a large sum.
9/11 killed a lot of tourism for a good while everywhere, not just NYC.
GamingTV that is not what caused it. Even if it was there was many different factors that caused the recession.
They could have a 9/11 simulator, which would only boost sales!
Emperor Beaducwealm really that's not funny
I remember Disney Quest well, I think I was there in the first year in Orlando and it was amazing. Shame it never was kept up with the times. I will always remember it being the best arcade I had ever been to.
I'm just now watching this but I totally agree with one of the last points you made, that Disney could probably be successful if they tried this again. I just feel like they would have to take updating the technology more seriously and they should make sure it's going to work really well in Orlando before even trying to build locations in other places. That's probably what they should have done in the first place with DQ
I'm a CP at Disney and oh my god I love Disney quest!! I love all the outdated games and rides, I know it's weird but I'm going to miss it. And it's one of the only places that you can still take the animation class
Know any way to get the music they play at Disney Quest? I got a canned reply from Disney when I asked about them releasing it.
meleniumshane90 I don't think they have a soundtrack or a CD you can buy like they had for wishes but if you live in the area I would go over and ask or try calling them. Since not a lot of people go only a few people work there so hopefully you get a real life person
I'll definitely give it a shot. I just found out that since I have an annual pass, I can get in for like $20, so hopefully I have luck.
If you do get the music, would you mind sharing it?
Your not the only one
comic sans at a theme park
*slow claps*
Only 8 days later ( a little more than a week ) of the closer of the Chicago, 9-11 happened which would have probably closed it. Because of the scare
Seth Smith I was thinking of that too. Not many people would be interested in visiting a tall prominent building with no windows right after the Towers went down.
Seth Smith thank you for telling me that eight days is just over a week. I wouldn't have known otherwise.
7:55 Eisner actually mentions "If Chicago works out, we're putting one in New York ........ right in the Twin Towers!!!!"
There would have been a whole bunch of kids inside the Twin Towers on 9/11 if this would have worked out!!!!!
Ah yes, the infamous Philadelphia "Disney Hole."
It’s always Sunny at Disney.
The Justice Hole
The ironic thing is nowadays, a Disneyquest style arcade would probably work nowadays if they decided to bring it back. No harm in them doing do, nothing else up to now that they’ve replaced it with worked
I'll miss it. Didn't even now it was closing. For what it is, It is overpriced though. Compared to a Disney World ticket to the Magic Kingdom is about only 40% more expensive. It's ok but it isn't amazing. There is this one alladin carpet ride that has a huge headset with low quality models that make me want to vomit. It would be cool to update it considering that my phone can be a VR set. I will miss it deep down.
Wobbuffet For President What rides did you go on?
It used to be worse. It used to cost you $30 to get in, but that $30 was also loaded into a card. That card was then used to get onto attractions, but each one cost some of the money on the card. Once out of money you couldn't do anything unless you reloaded it with more. That didn't last long, though, eventually they made it simply pay for admission and that was it.
Wobbuffet would be a better president than trump
Wobbuffet For President I remember wasting a whole day in there when other attractions like Wonderworks were much better. Heck, I forgot where specifically but there was a McDonald's with a goddamned arcade on a second floor and that felt more amusing than the rides in Disney Quest. The most I got out of that day was grinding on a DDR Supernova 2 machine.
That was the GIANT McDonalds you could see off I-4. The one with the building that was painted like one of their French Fry containers. They tore it down, recently, I believe. It's a shame, too, because it was basically just an ENORMOUS arcade (that they were calling the World Largest McDonalds Playplace...but it was an Arcade not some plastic tube slides for the kids like the rest of them XD )
YES A VIDEO ON IT! I was there last month :) its really dead lol
Spectrum how dead on a scale too 1/10
what was your experience? as in how did you enjoy it if you did at all?
i was too im gonna miss it so much i would go there every year and the line for cyber space mountain was insane because only one was running every other was broken down i tried to add as many loops as possible for my last time
I went when I was eight or something, there were Fix it Felix cabinets, and that was the best thing
I went when I was 9 and I LOVED IT. Unlimited games? HELL YEAH!!!
Daniel Adamczyk it would do better if they built some of these in the suburbs instead of the city, since there arnt that many kids in the city
Philly native here: I remember hearing about this happening and was super excited. People talked all the time about how they were looking forward to having Disney in the city! That hole at 8th and Market was like that for years. Sadly it got cancelled and no one knew what to do with it (and still don't; right now it's a street level parking lot, but that will probably change soon). It would have been interesting to see what could have been, especially since a lot in that area is being renovated (mainly the Gallery, but there are new apartments and shops going up as well).
I've been watching your videos for 5 hours straight.. Honestly not ashamed. LOVE your videos, keep up the great work!
Haha thank you!
@@BrightSunFilms you should do an abandoned video on The NBA Experience. It replaced Disney Quest in Disney Springs only to close permanently 2 years after it opened
I went to Disney Quest in 2015. It was outdated, but the rollercoaster creator and simulator was pretty fun even though the quality was poor. Only was worth an hour and a half in there though.
The content on this channel is just amazing... you should have way more subscribers
I worked at the dept store across from the proposed Philly location. We knew about Quest several years before the official announcement. The store was really looking forward to the increased foot traffic and invested a lot of money into the store. When Disney pulled the plug, the store lost some momentum and was sold in 1996. Quest was viewed as the cornerstone to the larger Market East development project. The canceled project was a huge disappointment to Philadelphia.
i'm 28 years old and i was lucky to attend the first year it was open in chicago. My mom, sister and myself waited 2hrs in line to get admission. IT had some interesting and unique games that i can somewhat remember and i was shocked when it was cancelled.
I’ve always been puzzled why the Disney quest downtown Chicago closed. Like this video many said it’s because it didn’t get much business or traffic. But that’s not true. When it was open in Chicago I remember like it was yesterday and it was ALWAYS a 3-4 hour line wrapped around the building just to get inside.
Should the next episode be about Universal Studios Dubailand?
Vexillum Vixen OMG YES! I lived in Dubai for a while and we would drive past the abandoned place on the way to our house. I always saw it and was like "wtf is that??" Holy shit I haven't thought about that place in YEARS!
That sounds like it would be really interesting, I'd love to learn about it!
Was that a young Mandy Moore at 5:05 ????
10:51 "Come on, it's Disney! Disney is always high qu-"
*Sees broken game
"Never mind."
Hey Jake! Just wanted to let you know that I went to DisneyQuest 18 days before it closed, and I'm so glad I did. There were some cool things, like the Pirates, Aladdin, and Buzz rides, and the arcade part was cool. It was very outdated, so it was a little awkward. But, overall, I am so glad I went before it closed. Thank you for doing this ride and helping the DisneyQuest spirit live on! -Holly, age 13
In my fictional world, this project already finished and successful
I have defended Disney Quest for years and really love it. It is sad that this has deteriorated to such a low level. I still believe it could've been saved if they closed it for six months or one year and give it a massive refurbishment both inside and outside. VR is making a come back and with Disney now having Marvel and Star Wars under their belt they could use those as well. Honestly to why a NBA experience, there was already one in Universal and it sucked. Why couldn't it be NFL or something? It's very sad to see this go and honestly they shouldn't have neglected it just work with what you got and it would have such potential. But one things for sure I will not be checking out this NBA experience and at least I get to say my good bye to Disney Quest. Disney is making a mistake but that's business.
Yeah, it's stupid. The NBA thing over at Universal was a failure and if Disney really wants to get into basketball, why not open it over at Wide World of Sports? I'm just pissed I can't get the music from Disney Quest.
meleniumshane90 you and me both man
KingSora3000 It would do much better today, like he explained
I'll admit I was super young when I went there years ago, but I remember loving it. I might see a lot of it as hokey now, but I remember wishing they would open a Disney Quest around me (which would've been the New York location had that been realized).
Granted, a few years back, something similar was opened in my area, just on a smaller scale (called iPlayAmerica). It was cool at first, but it didn't have much return value, and most of the stuff in there either broke down or just was of low quality. Still, that was a locally-owned thing (and its owner is kind of a tightwad), and I can only imagine what a company like Disney would've done with such a complex in New Jersey, where the only big tourist attractions are the shore and Six Flags Great Adventure (which who even wants to go to that anymore).
TackyRackyComixNEO I hear you I'm from New Jersey myself
That one dislike is Michael Eisner.
Original lol
Original There are 12 now!
Looks like Eisner found 48 friends because the count is 49 right now.
Original fucking micheal eisner urgh :/
The one dislike is Zeebub
I went there in 2003 and loved it. I'll always remember that trip cause my dad nearly got arrested by a Disney cop for screaming at my brother outside the front doors.
Cool story bruh
Zeebub has done those things too..... which is why he got evicted in 2014
As someone who played VMK religiously, this was super interesting. I noticed a lot of overlap between some of the original games at Disney Quest and the virtual mini games that I played on VMK. Seems like they were able to utilize the ideas behind these games after all. I’m not sure if you’ve done a video on VMK already, but if you haven’t - you should! I’d love to learn if there’s any other overlap and history between these two concepts.
in 2012 the Disney quest in Orlando Florida had Fix it Felix Jr arcade cabinets.
Lmao when your watching this video and unexpectedly realize the real closing of Downtown Disney quest is actually today, perfect timing 😂
A couple years ago we went there .......it was trash ......very .....very boring........and very......very ....expensive 😂
Interesting video Jake. I've never been to Disney quest and I guess I never will but the concept is an interesting idea. Maybe it would,work better as part of an entertainment complex with theatres, cinema, bowling etc rather than as a stand alone venue, or as an international project in areas without a Disneyland like Australia. I think today Disney could do something interesting especially with the IPs they own now Star Wars, Pixar, marvel etc but I doubt we see another attempt at anything like this again.
MrRobbiemoo what you just described is Downtown Disney/Disney Springs. They have a movie theater & bowling, as well as shopping & restaurants!
I actually worked at the Disney Quest in Downtown Disney from May 2002 to January 2003, one of the very lucky College Program kids to get put in Attractions (at least at the time, most CPs ended up in Janitorial, Food Service, or Parking). Back then, it was definitely more in its element, and it was a blast to work there. I'm pretty sure I even recognized at least one of the cast members in one of those promo videos. I honestly don't ever remember hearing anything about a Disney Quest in Chicago back then, which makes sense since it apparently had already shut down by the time I started. I definitely came out with some amazing stories, both in DQ and just as a Disney cast member.
The most popular attraction was definitely Cyber Space Mountain, which had those cylindrical bays (simulators) that rotated 360 degrees on pitch and roll (and yes, the 4:3 ratio cameras). Fun fact, those simulators had a small hole with a cover in the bottom of them, just in case the simulator froze when it was inverted. We'd have to open that cover so we could communicate with the guests, letting them know that the engineers were working to get them out. I can't speak for later, but I only remember it happening twice in the 7 months I was there, which made it very rare considering how popular the ride was. I believe there were 10 bays total that could and many times did operate at once. It was a cool ride because you could design your own rollercoaster, then "ride" it in the simulator. The absolute maximum inversions you could have on a ride was 13, but you had to make some very specific choices when making your track to manage it. Before my shift, I would usually head to the creation stations and make a few of them to give to someone who was particularly determined to have the most inversions but couldn't quite figure out the right track choices. We were told not to do it, but most of us would.
The two worst attractions were the Jungle Cruise and that Alien one where you had the driver and 3 shooters. The Alien one was boring and just bad, with winning or losing dependent entirely on the driver. The gunners could miss everything, but if the driver knew where to go, you'd win. I hated if I started the day there. It was on the 5th floor, tucked into a corner. Sometimes it took an hour or more for anyone to make it up there from the time the doors opened. Jungle Cruise wasn't a horrible attraction to run as a cast member, but sometimes the sensors on the air mats just wouldn't interact properly with the oars, making it hard for the guests to control their path. I usually kept an oar with me to help out guests if they'd gotten stuck. Oh...the puck game where you had to throw yourself around this tilting platform thing to control your puck on a video board sucked to run. One of the loudest places in the whole building.
I miss that place. My fellow cast members were great, even my managers. I had a blast just walking around sometimes, playing a game with families who needed a few pointers, or even showing off with another cast member on the Dance Dance Revolution game while guests watched.
Sounds like I got to enjoy working there when it was still at its finest.
How about Ride the Comix (VR sword fight)..... I had a crush on Zeebub
@@MarthaRoseQuartz It was a very neat game. I liked it more than the other VR game at the time, the Aladdin ride. I wasn't a huge fan of my time operating it, though. In my original comment, I mentioned how that hockey puck game (I can never remember the name of that one) was the loudest place in the building. Unfortunately, Ride the Comix was just above it and overlooked it with a big open space. I lost my voice more than once trying to explain Ride the Comix to people.
That was actually one of the reasons they would rotate us between attractions. No one could be at Ride the Comix for too long. That wasn't the only reason, but it was definitely on the list.
@@aethyr6776 Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam was the hockey puck game.
Do you remember what Zeebub sounded like or anything else about him??? I can (barely) remember him..... iirc he had a Keith David kinda voice but more of Zurg on Space Ranger Spin (AFAIK it wasnt Ken Mitchroney.... it HAD to be a Black voice actor)
When i went before Ride the Comix closed I would just talk to the staff about how Zeebub is prounion and he is the demon equivalent of Hoffa.... this had to be 2013. hahahaha
“Michael Eisner” - *Defunctland has now entered the chat*
I know it seems impossible but a Disney park in Toronto would be so fun, I live in Canada and am obsessed with the Disney parks the only thing is that they're so expensive, (I live just outside of Toronto) great vid btw love your stuff
Camden Devries Sorry, they had no plans of any going to Canada. Not one, just USA only. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Land doesn't sound very cheap in Canada, at least in the areas that are anchored by Vancouver or Toronto. What made Disneyland and Disneyworld possible was the availability of cheap land.
I love the Tomorrowland theme in the background!
Congrats on over 230k subscribers.
Thanks!
Bright Sun Films You are super cool. Great accomplishment!
Bright Sun Films please do a video about action park please
Thomas K96 True!
God damn it I found your comment again
I remember being blown away by Disney Quest in the early 2000's (of course I was just a little kid at the time). Glad I got to take my friend last year. The nostalgia trip was well worth the hour.
i always get excited whenever you post a new video! Thank you for posting such awesome content!
Disney Quest in Orlando officially closed.
Pateroo G. When
Built in the wrong decade, really
New favorite youtuber? I think YES.
+Ashley Lopez Ayyy
It's amazing how many of these episodes are Disney themed. Maybe it says something about their ambition & desire to make things happen. Great video!! Keep up the good work!
thank you so much for making this video! I remembered my trip to Disney quest chicago being both incredibly disappointing, but also one of my most vivid childhood memories.
Disney is such a sketchy smoke&mirrors company, and its kinda scary. Still fun though.
They're evil, but I make an exception for Marvel, Star Wars, and Tron, as well as some of their older theme park attractions like Alien Encounter and Body Wars.
When is the hhgregg video coming?
Oh shit, this closes today. Like if your watching on July, 3 2017
Hudson Frikken Exactly one month late😭
Fuck you.
Jackson Vasquez Your profile picture disgusts me
It's the PlayStation logo. How much of a pansy-ass little wimp do you have to be to be "disgusted" by the PlayStation logo? Soooooorryyyyyyy that I have decent tastes in games, weeb.
do you like Mass Effect?
Chicago's problem: location. It was right in the middle of downtown. If it had been out in the suburbs, it would've probably been a "whole family goes once a month" type place but no one was driving all the way in to the city for it. Also, that Buzz Lightyear attraction was one of the funnest things I've ever done. They really should bring that back somewhere.
I remember I went to this only once when I was 11, and let me tell you it was one of the best experiences I've ever had at any Disney location to this day
1:21
Is that Steve Jobs in the middle?
Steve Jobs was the head of Pixar at one point
brickman409 yes Pixar was created to show the full potential of Apple computers.
Technology has rapidly progressed and seems pretty realistic now, but we can’t say for sure because of the rate of progression. That hole in Philadelphia is apparently still there, so if Disney tried this again, would it work? Maybe, maybe not.
It was mentioned in the video that Disney intended to replace the attractions on a rotating basis - that was probably their plan for dealing with technological advancements. Apparently it never happened though because of the failure of the main project - see particularly the Windows 98/ME error screen at 10:49, the low-quality video at 11:34 and the use of Comic Sans at 11:41.
That could have been Windows XP using a Classic skin. Vista and 7 would be too new.
The Philadelphia hole is apparently now a parking lot, with actually building use being proposed.
I completely forgot about the attraction rotation. But, while it sounded like it would be often, it was probably going to be something like 3-4 years for the average attraction, especially on a large scale.
Think about outsourcing hundreds of VR headsets and the programs necessary to run the equipment and the attraction, and how much it would cost to develop. That would never happen on a consistent basis for each location lined up with each other. Some locations will be favored over others.
Come to think of it, it could be a huge hit in California, considering the culture there and the fact Disneyland Resort pales in comparison to WDW. Disney Quest would be a technology showcase rather than an ultimate arcade.
I never realized how 90's and outdated disney quest looked in its later years until now....
It's a time capsule to the '90s, sort of like Neil Cicierega.
Wow, I went to college in the Chicago area in 1998-2002 and I remember Disney Quest. My friends and I went a few times, but it was hard for college students to shell out that much frequently. The Aladdin VR game was really fun. Now that my generation has kids it probably would succeed, as the video says. Especially now that they have added Star Wars and Marvel.
Hi Jake, once again a great video, cheered me right up during a week of being sick and after what has just happened I needed something to cheer me up. Keep them coming. :)
dang. it closes tomorrow when I'm watching this.
Idea - New Coke (1985)?
Fan here and worked at DQ years ago. Watched all your abandoned vids. Your research is wrong on why Chicago failed. It was very busy, but it was a bad choice in LOCATION. It was cheaper to build in the financial district of Chicago at the time rather than closer to an outlet mall or place that had tourism. So it was dead on the weekday due to this but on the weekend the line wrapped around the building. Again this is due to being in a bad place but cheaper to build story. Please try to edit this in. If anyone put a fun place to play in Orlando financial district it would fail hard too.
Finished watching the video. Again, the Chicago issue was due to poor location not the foot traffic nor the competition. It stood out enough that it was in a different category to D&B and others. Also you said they had 30 planned. Sorry that's incorrect. They were looking to build almost 50. No, Canada was not in the schematics or plans at all due to get licenses and permits just the USA only. As you said this was a ambitious project, but I say this was a poorly attempted concept. They needed to start SMALL build a few and let them grow and watch the growth. If you think that's what happened you've been misled. This take years to plan and build and they were moving fast per usual. The plan was flawed from the start due to they wanted to build them fast and have EVERYTHING for them once built. That means has all the parts, supplies, and Ride parts before the building were made. You may not think that amounts to much, but it does. Buying enough pens for buildings almost 1,000ft for 50 of those things costs a ton. The list goes on for many other items too. Anyway I'm rambling. Chicago only failed due to poor planning & location. Disney at the time got scarred and pulled the plug without thinking of other options and labeled the project busted. If they hadn't gotten scarred and jumped ship who knows how it would be today? I know only one major thing. If they hadn't gotten scarred they wouldn't have abandoned the Orlando site. Which they did over a decade ago. It survived due to foot traffic and people who wanted to play. However Disney never gave them the $ to help make new or redo areas. Just maintain. This is why Orlando will be gone, which is such a sad state of affairs. If they had more faith and better planning this would have a different scenario.
Too bad they didn't try a smaller park in a smaller city just too see if the idea would be successful. Currently my state has something like Disney Quest in its largest mall but is marketed towards teens and adults.
You worked at the Disney Quest location in Chicago? I went there twice. The first time I went there for my 13th birthday and the second time was because they were doing a survey and they would give you two tickets to come back and my mom did it and got the tickets. My mom asked our friend Mark if he can take me to Disney Quest and she also told him to not tell me where we were going as a surprise and he said yes Judy I will. A few days before the day Mark came over and asked me if I wanted to go to The Museum of Science and Industry and I obviously said yes you know that I love that museum. On the day we left early and we took The CTA Red Line to Grand and State and we walked down Ohio to Rush and I was suspicious of him being I know that in order to get to The Museum of Science and Industry we had to get off at Garfield Stop and take the CTA 55 Bus east to The Museum of Science and Industry. When we got to the building Mark said we got to where we get on the CTA Bus going towards The Museum of Science and Industry and I obviously was suspicious of him. And when they opened up the doors Mark said Brian we're not going to The Museum of Science and Industry I said I know Mark I have been suspicious of you ever since we got off the Red Line where are we going? Mark said Brian we're going to be spending a day at the most magical place in Chicago and you have your mom to thank for this we're going to spend the day at Disney Quest. My mouth immediately dropped open and exploded in happiness and saying yeah!!!!!!!!!
The late 90s just sound like they were the best time ever. I would have loved to go to a Disney Quest!