So what drove WDW officials to greenlight the Disney Springs project? The traffic tie-ups and tough parking situation that Guests regularly encountered at Downtown Disney

Jim Hill

12 years ago

So why exactly did Walt Disney World's November 2010 plan
for Pleasure Island (i.e. turn the
center-most section of Downtown Disney into Hyperion Wharf, "a nostalgic yet
modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier" which was
supposed to have "stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants" as well as "thousands
of lights" that would then "transform the area into an electric
wonderland" at night) morph into the far more ambitious Disney Springs project
that Tom Staggs officially announced earlier today? Believe it or not, it was dropping
attendance levels at Downtown Disney.

Seriously, folks. According to company insiders that I've
spoken with, over the past two years there has been a noticeable fall-off in
the number of WDW Guests and Central Florida locals who
were willing to make trips over to this 120-acre entertainment, dining &
shopping complex. And when Mouse House managers began surveying people to find
out why exactly they were now steering clear of the Downtown Disney area, they
got some very troubling responses.

Chief among the complaints that WDW Guests and Central
Florida locals made about this now nearly 40 year-old waterfront
area (Downtown Disney's first incarnation — the Lake Buena Vista Village —
officially opened for business on March 22, 1975) was how difficult it was to
park at. People who had made special trips over to this part of the WDW Resort
just to shop at the World of Disney and/or Once Upon a Toy were especially
vocal about the lack of available parking to be found in & around Downtown
Disney's Marketplace district.

Now factor in the congestion that drivers typically
encounter on Buena Vista Drive, Hotel
Plaza Boulevard and South Apopka Vineland Road as they try & make their way
over to Downtown Disney (not to mention the extremely heavy traffic that
regularly flows through this part of property. Which makes it very difficult
for cars to get in & out of DTD's parking lots), and you can begin to see
why certain veteran Disney World visitors as well as Central Florida locals
have begun avoiding this entertainment, dining and shopping complex.

So while Staggs may have spent most of this morning talking
up how the Company's plans for Disney Springs will effectively double the
number of shops & restaurants that can currently be found at Downtown
Disney, the key component of this project, the aspect of this multi-million
dollar redo that most excites Mouse House managers, are those two multi-story
covered parking garages. One of which will be constructed on the Marketplace
side of this 120-acre parcel while the other will be built on the West
Side.

Combined, these two massive structures will accommodate 6000
cars. Then when you factor in all of the new roadways that will be built in &
around Disney Springs to help ease traffic flow, both WDW veterans and Central
Florida locals will hopefully find this side of property a whole lot easier to navigate
/ much more pleasant to visit once construction is completed in 2016.

Of course, the irony of this whole situation is that —
during this 3 year-long, phased construction project that will eventually
transform Downtown Disney into Disney Springs — WDW officials know that Guest
visitation levels for this part of property will likely fall through the floor
for a while. If only because people who are visiting Walt Disney World and/or
Central Florida locals are going to hear about all of the work that's being
done in & around Lake Buena Vista and then think " … shopping &
dining at a construction site doesn't sound like all that much fun to me. I
guess I'll hold off on visiting Downtown Disney / Disney Springs 'til my next
WDW vacation / when all of this work is finally done."

Which is a tough thing for Disney World officials to have to
share with the various third party lessees who now run most of Downtown
Disney's shops & restaurants. But in order for this side of property to
have a far brighter future, that means that shoppers, shop operators and their
staffs have to get ready for a somewhat unpleasant, rather disruptive 30 – 36
months.

And speaking of disruptive & unpleasant … I have a
somewhat difficult question to ask right now: The way that I heard it, the
initial Disney Springs announcement was originally supposed to have been made during
the New Fantasyland press event (which — as you may recall — was held on
property late last year on December 4 – 7th). In fact, that's why the final
media event (i.e. the "What's New / What's Next" presentation) was
supposedly scheduled to be held at the AMC Downtown Disney 24.

But then at the last minute, there was a sudden change in
this press event's programming. And what had previously been announced as a
"What's New / What's Next" presentation then became an "Around
Our World" session. Where — instead of talking up what was next up for
Walt Disney World — Company officials then briefed the press on Aulani, the
Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and Disney Parks & Resorts' new Limited Time
Magic promotion.

So why the last minute change in programming? From what I
was told by company insiders, December's Disney Springs announcement was
postponed because … Well, I actually heard two very credible explanations.
One was that a third party lessee who was supposed to serve as one of the major
anchors of the Downtown Disney redo project had suddenly dropped out at the
last minute and Disney was then forced to scramble to find another major
restaurant and/or retailer to fill their spot on the site plan.

And the other explanation was that the Florida Department of
Transportation was dragging its feet when it came to approving that new highway
ramp which then would allow drivers to exit I-4 & roll straight into Disney
Springs. Thereby eliminating a lot of the vehicular traffic that WDW visitors
& Central Florida locals typically encounter out on Buena
Vista Drive,
Hotel Plaza Boulevard
and South Apopka Vineland Road.

And I couldn't help but notice that — as part of today's
presentation — we got to see models of those two huge parking garages but heard
no mention at all of a dedicated Disney Springs highway ramp. So do any of you
Company insiders out there now know if eventual direct access to I-4 is still part of the Downtown Disney revamp
plan? Or is that idea (which — the way I understood it — was originally
thought to be a key component of this project's long term success. Especially since
Mouse House managers were hoping that Disney Springs would siphon Central
Florida shoppers away from the Mall at Millenia & the Orlando Premium
Outlets) now off the table?

Your thoughts?