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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 |
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Are you ready to explore five floors of virtual fun? Then head over to this climate-controlled high-tech theme park in a big box building. |
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Fly down the streets of Agrabah on a magic carpet through the magic of VR goggles. Channel your inner Sid from Toy Story to design a creepy toy that you can then buy. Navigate a Buzz Lightyear-themed bumper car, sucking up foam balls that you can shoot at other players. With the help of Bill Nye, design your own roller coaster and ride it. These are just a few of the many things you can do at Yester-DisneyQuest. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Sign at the entrance to DisneyQuest, with its “Hurricane Mickey” logo |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2015 Cybrolator to Venture Port |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Venture Port |
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Begin your DisneyQuest journey at the Venture Port. This crossroads leads to four entertainment environments: Explore Zone, a virtual adventureland where you’ll be immersed in exotic and ancient locales; Score Zone, a superhero competition city where you can match your gameplaying skills against the best; Replay Zone, a carnival on the moon where you’ll experience a retro-futuristic spin on classic rides and games; Create Zone, a private “Imagineering” studio for artistic self-expression and invention. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Virtual Jungle Cruise |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Aladdin VR |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Waiting for Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2015 Experiencing Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Invasion! An ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Ride the Comix, a world of comic book heroes and villains |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Arcade games, including Sega Daytona USA |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 More arcade games |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Vintage arcade games |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Cyberspace Mountain |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2015 Bill Nye, the Science Guy, explaining how to design a roller coaster |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Sid’s Create-A-Toy |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Animation Academy |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Radio Disney Song Maker |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 Wonderland Cafe by Cheesecake Factory |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 DisneyQuest Emporium |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2007 DisneyQuest at night, with the “Hurricane Mickey” logo sign lit up |
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Was that fun? You have to admit that this is far more than a big video arcade. This place is to traditional video arcades as Disneyland is to traditional amusement parks. |
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DisneyQuest opened at Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) on June 19, 1998. It was part of the 1997-1998 expansion that added the West Side with Cirque du Soleil, House of Blues, Bongos Cuban Cafe, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Virgin Megastore, and more. |
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Photo by Chris Bales, 2000 DisneyQuest in its early years |
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DisneyQuest at Walt Disney World was supposed to be the first of many. On August 7, 1997, an article in the Wall Street Journal (“Disney to launch high-tech arcades for families, teens” by Bruce Orwall) reported, “Walt Disney Co. said it will build 20 to 30 high-tech arcades for families and teens in coming years, a move that will expand its presence in the crowded location-based entertainment field.” Unlike outdoor theme parks, DisneyQuest indoor theme parks would be able to operate in any large city worldwide, in any climate, all year long. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2000 Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster at DisneyQuest in Chicago, Illinois |
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On June 16, 1999, a year after the first DisneyQuest opened, a second DisneyQuest opened one block west of Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile” (N. Michigan Ave.) at Rush and Ohio streets. The Chicago offshoot was very similar to the Florida original, with a newly-built five-story structure housing the same attractions organized into the same “zones.” In Philadelphia, construction began on a third DisneyQuest, with an opening planned for summer 2000. Disney would be able to keep DisneyQuest fresh by spreading the development cost of new attractions across all these locations. There would be amazing new simulations for returning guests, leveraging new technology and Disney IP. The first — and last — of these was Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold. It replaced Hercules in the Underworld in late 2000 at both DisneyQuest locations. Work on Philadelphia stopped when it was just a hole in the ground. DisneyQuest Chicago closed permanently on September 4, 2001, after two full years and one additional summer. The location had been good for tourists, with many hotels within a few blocks, but not so good for suburban families arriving by car. Traffic could be a nightmare. Parking structures in the area charged some of Chicago’s highest rates. Schools throughout Chicagoland were on more-or-less the same schedule. When school was in session, DisneyQuest would be empty. When crowds did materialize, the low-capacity attractions would often require long, boring waits. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 The final paint scheme of DisneyQuest |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2015 DisneyQuest entrance in its final years |
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Once again, there was just one DisneyQuest. Without a whole chain of DisneyQuests to fund the development of actual new attractions, changes were minimal, limited to such things as changing out video games. The biggest change was a new paint scheme on the building. It was almost as if Disney was trying to hide DisneyQuest under gray paint. Guests with Walt Disney World Park Hopper Plus tickets could use them for admission to DisneyQuest. It was a good option for guests, especially on arrival or departure day, or when the weather wasn’t conducive to a water park visit. Disney continued to staff and maintain most of DisneyQuest, but not to invest in it. DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney closed permanently on July 2, 2017. Disney demolished the building and built NBA Experience in its place. DisneyQuest was never the success that Disney executives hoped it would be — but it had a run of 19 years. NBA Experience closed after just seven months, never to reopen. |
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© 2024 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated October 4, 2024 |
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