Disney Springs - WDWNT Archive 2014

Tom Corless’ 12/23/14 Disney Springs Photo Report (Parking Structure, New Restrooms, New Babycakes Location, & More)

WDWNT Author on December 23, 2014

This weekend, I took a trip to Downtown Disney (Disney Springs), so let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting:

For the first time, I parked at the new parking structure, still an active construction zone for the most part…

This is the Orange garage

A non-Disney food truck at Exposition Park

More Wonderground Gallery merchandise popping up at D Street

STK Steakhouse is either going in the former Adventurer’s Club building or BET Soundstage

This facade we thought might be a restaurant is actually restrooms and they are open now

Very nice, no mirrors yet though

Any doors or windows that are boarded up in the area now have these Disney Springs signs

The building that looks like an airplane hangar is pretty small, may just be a bar or a counter service location

Work has begun on the Town Center

Another look at the airplane hangar

Siding has now been placed on The Boathouse building

Another new restroom near Portobello and some soon-to-open new shops

The new Babycakes location should be going in this building

It should see a lot of traffic here on the main path and not inside a Pollo Campero

The Marketplace bridge should open any day now

The new park area in front of T-Rex

Some new artwork featuring Mickey Mouse and the gang that will soon appear inside the expanded World of Disney store is now on the construction walls

Some new iPhone cases

Another look at the bridge

A look inside the new restroom by Raglan Road

Back to the parking garage

Some really great views can be found from the garage

This pedestrian walkway will open in a few months, temporary paths are in place now

This back of house area will soon be made to look a lot nicer

Work has begun on the Town Center area

“STK Steakhouse Orlando” Coming to The Landing in Disney Springs

WDWNT Author on December 17, 2014

NEW YORK, NY – Dec. 17, 2014 — The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. (“The ONE Group”) (OTCQB:STKS), known for developing upscale, high-energy restaurants, today announced plans to open a STK in Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. STK Orlando is expected to open in The Landing at Disney Springs in 2015, with the full completion of Disney Springs expected in 2016.

The new STK will be located within the waterfront setting of The Landing at Disney Springs, a completely re-imagined shopping, dining and entertainment complex that will double the number of shops and restaurants currently found at Downtown Disney. The Landing is the first phase of Disney Springs and will be home to unique and memorable dining experiences such as STK, Morimoto Asia and The BOATHOUSE, plus a number of still-to-be-announced innovative restaurants and boutique shops.

STK’s unique ambiance blends the elements of a modern steakhouse with a sleek lounge, including a DJ, emphasizing a social, fun environment. At approximately 14,000 square feet, the Orlando outpost will be one of the largest STK locations. STK Orlando will have two dining floors—including a main level and the only rooftop dining venue in Disney Springs.

“We are thrilled to join the Disney Springs family with the launch of STK Orlando,” said Jonathan Segal, CEO of The ONE Group. “The combination of an innovative menu and high-energy atmosphere has driven the success of STK, and we believe it will be an ideal addition to Disney Springs, and will help further cement its status as a place for friends and family to gather for fine dining and entertainment.”

Segal added, “Our entrance into the Orlando market represents another example of our continued growth strategy. We remain on track with our expansion plans for 2015 and hope to continue to partner with exciting world-class brands like Walt Disney Parks and Resorts moving forward.”

“STK Orlando is a welcome new addition to Disney Springs. With its innovative, high-energy atmosphere, STK is the perfect complement to our growing array of dining, entertainment and shopping offerings,” said George A. Kalogridis, president, Walt Disney World Resort.

PHOTOS: Walls Come Down and Walkways Open in Disney Springs, Revealing “The Landing”

WDWNT Author on December 1, 2014

Walls came down around the former Pleasure Island bridge area (near the Adventurer’s Club site) over the Thanksgiving weekend, revealing new facades, concept art, and more for The Landing, the replacement land for PI courtesy of the Disney Springs makeover project of Downtown Disney. Let’s see what’s new and exciting:

Walls came down on the former Pleasure Island bridge connecting to the West Side last week, just in time for the heavy crowds

It has been closed for quite a while, well over a year

This area underneath the Restrooms next door to the former BET Soundstage seems to have been cleaned up

The large open space is where the Comedy Warehouse used to be

New lamps

Continuing the story of the abandoned railroad, there are train tracks in the pavment

Train tracks

Train tracks

One of the new facades, not sure if this is a shop or restaurant

Looking down the main street of The Landing towards Paradiso 37

Another look at this large facade

Sign is up, but nothing is on it…

As much as there have been complaints that the Town Center looks fairly bland, the Landing has some really pretty elements

The former home of the Adventurer’s Club will become a restaurant

Some small store facades in The Landing

Some small store facades in The Landing

Some small store facades in The Landing

The former home of Mannequin’s is transforming in Morimoto’s

Another new facade

Originally meant for just dining, The Landing now includes several store spaces

Some new concept art for The Landing

Looking towards Paradiso 37 and the West Side from the new park area

Concept art showing the Landing, including another look at the yet-to-be-named restaurant in an airplane hangar…

The frame of the airplane hangar building is up

Another beautiful piece of concept art showing what will become of the Adventurer’s Club and BET Soundstage

Here’s what it looks like now

The Landing will open in the Spring, but I can’t imagine these facades will be changed by then

Another new piece of concept art

The Landing neighborhood in Disney Springs will open Spring 2015, although the area will likely not be finished by that time.

PHOTOS: Food Truck Park Opens at the West Side in Disney Springs

WDWNT Author on November 26, 2014

After months of delay, Food Truck Park on the West Side at Disney Springs finally opened to guests today. The area offers a permanent home to the Food Trucks at Downtown Disney and to some live entertainment space along the water:

Walls came down around Food Truck (or Exposition) Park today, located between Bongo’s and Starbucks on the West Side

As reported, the Sunshine Highline is not accessible

There is no more grass, just pavement and planters around the Food Trucks

Live entertainment in the park

Live entertainment in the park

This is where the elevator would have gone to get up to the Sunshine Highline

Another look

Instead of ordering at the truck, there are now podiums at the Food Truck

Signs tell guests to order at the kiosk

Nearby, walls have also come down around the Harley-Davidson store

“Sunshine Highline” Elevated Dining Area for Disney Springs Officially Cancelled

WDWNT Author on November 18, 2014

Disney released an interesting piece of concept art today:

Something missing?

Concept art with the “Sunshine Highline” still there, including the ADA compliant elevator

In back story, the area was an abandoned railroad track

It would seem that the delay in the construction of Food Truck Park on the West Side, now also known as Exposition Park, was the removal of the “Sunshine Highline” second floor offerings, an elevated abandoned train track area for guests to relax and possibly dine. The concept art on the walls for Food Truck Park featured the above art until quite recently it was removed and signs change to reflect the Fall 2014 opening, rather than Summer. Disney is being very quiet about the removal, so it is unknown if it was a budgetary or safety decision. Drunken guests on an elevated platform WOULD be a bad idea. Regardless, it’s sad to see the use of these structures relegated to simply being shade and lighting structures. Oh well…

Tom Corless’ 11/17/14 WDW Photo Report (Disney Springs, Hollywood Studios, New Phone Cases, Big Hero 6, ETC.)

WDWNT Author on November 17, 2014

I recently visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney and I have a great deal of newsworthy photos to share, so let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting:

The dancing ornaments are back at Hollywood Studios!

There are two limited edition pins for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights this year, no passholder pin for the first time in over a decade

CHRISTMAS CUPS!!!

With photo touchpoints at the exit of Tower of Terror, you have a limited window to tap your media in order to claim your photo without going to the counter

Sorry for the blurry photo, but here is what the beautifully themed touchpoints look like

All quiet back at Soundstage 1… for now…

More and more of the Studio Backlot Tour is vanishing…

New Frozen phone cases for 5C and 6 are now at Wandering Oaken’s

Both the summer and holiday Olaf MagicBands available at Wandering Oaken’s

Santa Goofy now also meets before the Spectacle of Lights from 1PM-5PM

Specialty drinks at Osborne Lights this year, notably there is no eggnog…

A child wiped out an entire display of cookies… this was the worst tragedy to strike the park since American Idol closed…

The poor cast members started to restock the shelf as the child still dug through the wreckage to find a cookie she wanted to buy…

Moving to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs, Christmas decorations are up

An elevated track piece has also appeared between Splitsville, AMC, Wolfgang Puck’s and Bongo’s

Work continues on the bridge in the Marketplace over Lake Buena Vista

A ton of new phone case designs were recently introduced at D-Tech On Demand at the Marketplace Co-Op

A look at some of the newer options to choose from

New ladies shirts at Tren-D

3 different holiday big figs are available this year

Walls came down around Riverboat Square, the new area in front of Fulton’s and Portobello

The path between Porotobello and Raglan Road opened, so you no longer have to travel the long way around

Some facades are out from behind walls in The Landing

The Boathouse

Another façade

Waterside Park, now open in The Landing

Another elevated train track by the West Side Starbucks, this one appears to be just a lighting rig and decorative piece

A giant inflatable Baymax from Big Hero 6 was erected for the opening of the film

More Details & Concept Art Leaks for Downtown Disney’s Conversion to Disney Springs

WDWNT Author on November 11, 2014

Well, here we go again. You may remember when we “leaked” the original concept art and plans for Disney Springs in early 2013, but even with a formal announcement following that, Disney has remained very quiet through many stages of the construction process on this overhaul of Downtown Disney. Today, we have uncovered some recently released documents that point to more of what is on the way for Disney Springs.

The now confirmed back story of Disney Springs involves a town that grew around local springs. The Marketplace is essentially the suburbs where residents moved to as the town experienced a boom. The Landing is a commercial district with a train station, bottling co. (Morimoto Asia), dock, and a large ferry boat (Fulton’s). The Town Center is the shopping center of the area and will feature the bulk of the retail options for Disney Springs. The West Side feature remnants of the abandoned train tracks, but is a thriving entertainment district. Further speculative details on the back story can be found in our original pre-announcement story. It seems the original document is pretty much on par with the finalized back story.

Now, let’s get into some new details and concept art for the neighborhoods of Disney Springs, starting with the West Side:

On the West Side, Food Truck Park (which will otherwise be known as Exposition Park) slated to open this Summer will now be opening by the end of November 2014.
The abandoned elevated train tracks in that are will be called the Sunshine Highline. We still expect this to offer lounge and bar areas when completed.

Waterview Park area of The Landing, looking towards Raglan Road

The new park that recently opened in The Landing next to the Boathouse is called Waterview Park. As you can see in the concept art above, there will be a fountain and more trees added soon.
In the next 6 months, The Landing should open with 12 retail locations and 7 restaurants including the Boathouse and Morimoto Asia.
The walkway between Paradiso 37 and the other stores to the West Side should be open by Thanksgiving
BET Soundstage and the Adventurer’s Club locations have been confirmed as venues for new restaurants, so the Adventurer’s Club return rumor can now be ruled out.

New pathway between Raglan Road and Portobello, facing Boathouse in The Landing

The path recently opened while work on the new buildings continues

The new, renovated area in front of Fulton’s and Portobello is Riverfront Square. Walls have come down in this area already:

We did not get much in the form of new details about the Town Center area, but we did get several new pieces of concept art for this area replacing the Pleasure Island parking lot:

The entry plaza for the Town Center

The Town Center

The entrance to Town Center from the new bus loop

The Town Center

The entrance to Town Center from the Marketplace parking structure

New pedestrian bridge over Buena Vista Drive into the Town Center bus loop

Some notes on the Marketplace:

The lake will be called “Lake Buena Vista”, because, believe it or not, it wasn’t called that already.
The World of Disney expansion will come out towards Town Center, modifications inside of the store are already taking place
More pedestrian bridges will be built over Buena Vista Drive leading guests to and from Hotel Plaza Boulevard.

The Disney Springs master plan

A closer look reveals the World of Disney expansion and new pedestrian bridges to Hotel Plaza Boulevard

So, what do you think?

Dirk Wallen’s 11/3/14 WDW Photo Report (Walls Down at Disney Springs, New Concept Art, Big Hero 6, Christmas Merch, ETC)

WDWNT Author on November 3, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Disney Springs, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot this week and he has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us in this HUGE photo report, so let’s get started:

Plenty of roadwork still to be done for Disney Springs

A new piece of elevated track is rising on the West Side, between Splitsville and Wolfgang Puck

We now know this large building with be the Boathouse

Disney announced this new restaurant concept last week

They wasted no time in adding ads to the walls for the restaurant

Concept art for the façade of the Boathouse

The small waterside park in The Landing opened this weekend

A nice little area for relaxing and live entertainment

Some of the buildings are out from behind construction walls in The Landing

New concept art for the area now on construction walls

There is a giant inflatable Baymax from Big Hero 6 on the West Side…

These storefronts in The Landing are just about done

The bridge in the Marketplace is also nearing completion

Two small, temporary stores operated by Something Silver opened by Fulton’s recently

The Marketplace bridge with the Rainforest Café façade refurbishment in the background

Shifting gears, Christmas merchandise has invaded the resort

Ornaments

Some Star Wars holiday pins were released

Plenty of Big Hero 6 merchandise is available around the resort

2015 calendars available

New “I Conquered” shirt

Iron Man and Captain America shirts

New Star Wars character glasses

New Darth Vader t-shirt

Some new merchandise was released at the Art of Animation Resort

Over at Epcot, walls finally came down around the area that was closed when a water main was hit after the Flower and Garden Festival

No visible progress at Norway’s Frozen attraction

We tweeted these weeks ago, but if you haven’t seen, some new retro EPCOT Center merchandise has been released

A quick stop at Animal Kingdom reveals work walls near Pangani Forest and Kilimanjaro Safaris

No visible changes at AVATAR, it’s impossible to see from inside the park

Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, work continues on Starbucks and the Trolley Car Café

Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey…

Big Hero 6 merchandise carts replace the Frozen carts

Banners up in the Animation Courtyard

Work has finally begun on the Big Hero 6 meet and greet inside The Magic of Disney Animation

Big Hero 6 billboard by The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow

Let’s journey inside the new Wandering Oaken’s

Purchase with purchase Frozen bag available

Jim Shore has released some Frozen statues

Osborne Lights are ready to go

No more Backlot Tour…

Morimoto Asia, BOATHOUSE Dining Experiences Coming to Disney Springs in 2015

WDWNT Author on October 27, 2014

Posted today on the Disney Parks Blog:

It was just announced that Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who many of you know from his appearances on Iron Chef America, is opening a one-of-a-kind dining experience in the heart of Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Morimoto Asia will be the Japanese master chef’s first-ever pan-Asian restaurant featuring flavors from across the continent. This Disney Springs dining destination will include unique exhibition kitchens showcasing traditions like Peking duck carving, and dim sum.

“I’m very excited to bring this new concept to Disney, something I’ve always dreamed of,” said Chef Morimoto. “It’s a wonderful chance to share some of my favorite foods from across the Asian continent.”

The two-story restaurant is scheduled to open in the Summer 2015 at The Landing (formerly Pleasure Island) in Disney Springs. Morimoto Asia will feature waterside seating, terraces, a grand hall and a cocktail lounge.

Also today, another new concept dining experience, The BOATHOUSE, was announced for The Landing in Disney Springs.

The BOATHOUSE will be an upscale, waterfront dining experience that’ll immerse guests both on land and on water with live music, guided tours aboard the Captain’s piloted 40-foot Italian Water Taxi with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries and guided Amphicar rides that launch from land, enter the water, and take guests on a 20-minute tour of the landmarks of Disney Springs.

“We are very excited that the BOATHOUSE is joining the Walt Disney World family at Disney Springs,” says creator Steven Schussler. “Walt Disney Imagineering has created a wonderful, interactive, culinary and entertainment experience at Disney Springs. We are proud to be part of this magical experience.”

The BOATHOUSE will open in the Spring of 2015 in Disney Springs. The restaurant’s gourmet menu (served daily until 2 a.m.) will feature steaks, chops, seafood and a raw bar. The BOATHOUSE is the latest project of Schussler Creative, the creators of Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex and Yak & Yeti at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Dirk Wallen’s 10/10/14 Disney Springs/Downtown Disney Photo Report (The Landing, EPCOT Center, Food Truck Park, ETC.)

WDWNT Author on October 10, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Downtown Disney (Disney Springs as it will be known soon) yesterday and has some great newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip: