In what I am sure everyone has now heard, the once popular 5 story arcade of the former Downtown Disney area has now officially closed it's doors last night, permanently. For many die-hard Disney fans, this was a very sad day. The attraction was so beloved that at one time it was considered Disney's 5th theme park, this is an honor that most people still seem to think to this day. In this post I am going to show some videos of last nights closure and give some information and look back on some of the attractions past.
What was Disney Quest?
Disney Quest was a 5 story arcade type "theme park" that was located in the Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) area of Walt Disney World. It existed of a combination of rides and arcade games that would use the latest advancements in technology at the time that it was built.
Here is a great video from Attractions Magazine that lets us sit back and take one last trip through the big blue building..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR96Ffcn84A
So what happened?
When Disney Quest was first built it was intended to be the first of many that would open up around the country. The idea was for them to build in mall type areas, similar to the Disney Store. Sadly this never panned out after the Downtown Disney attraction was built. Ever since then the popularity of the attraction had wavered off and the ticket sales were stumbling. This eventually led to Disney not wanting to fund any updates or enhancements for the attraction. That would eventually cause the technology to become extremely outdated. Slowly Disney started to chip away some elements from the attraction. Once the massive Disney Springs update was announced, a lot of Disney fans thought that Disney Quests days were numbered.
The end to a once great piece of Walt Disney World
And sadly last night it shut the doors, for the last time. The area is slated to be renovated to become the NBA experience. There where fans out in droves last night to witness the end of the era. Here is a video of the lobby area as guests departed Disney Quest for the last time...
https://twitter.com/WDWNT/status/881684001190285312
And here are the doors closing for the last time...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR2NmFUsTHM
And here is a pretty emotional video of a guest leaving the building for the last time including the picture that was handed out to guests last night..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vy6aGq47n8
And that about does it, Disney Quest is now a piece of Disney history. The only thing that I think Disney Springs is missing at its current state is some different kind of attractions that would attract people. In other words, something different from shopping and dining which is where I felt that Disney Quest had fitted in. Hopefully they have more plans in the future to add some different types of entertainment to the complex. But we will see what the future brings, from now on we still have a countdown to NBA experience, Winebar Gorge and The Edison which will all be opening soon. Are you going to miss Disney Quest?
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