Hyperion Wharf -- New "Pleasure Island"

[PopPhan]

Waterfront District ‘Hyperion Wharf’ Among Plans for Downtown Disney

by Thomas Smith | Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Official Disney Parks Blog
November 18th, 2010

New dining, shopping and entertainment experiences are in the works for Downtown Disney and today we’re sharing a first look at what to expect in the future for the 120-acre complex. Look closely and you’ll see that Pleasure Island will evolve into a vibrant waterfront district called “Hyperion Wharf.”

The district will come to life with a nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier. By day, stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants will draw you in and by night, thousands of lights will transform the area into an electric wonderland.

Taking its name from Hyperion, the Greek god of light, as well as the street on which Walt Disney built his first major animation studio, the wharf district will also feature a relaxing lakeside park and enhanced pedestrian walkways. And its diverse eateries will expand dining availability at Downtown Disney by more than 25 percent.

Along with the new wharf district, other projects are underway at Downtown Disney, including:

* An extensive renovation of Lego Imagination Center, which will increase its overall footprint by nearly 3,500 square-feet and add new Lego exterior models featuring scenes from classic Disney movies.
* Enhancements at AMC Theatres that will take the movie-going experience at Downtown Disney to the next level with new digital technology, a Concession Stand of the Future and Florida’s first Fork & Screen Theater; and…
* Numerous new or renovated retail shops and merchandise vignettes, as well as additional atmosphere entertainment, throughout Downtown Disney.

Construction on the district begins immediately and it’s scheduled to be completed in 2013.

Concept Art Below

[Ed]

Looks pretty nice to me.

Downtown Disney is overdue for some sprucing up, especially since the old nightclubs have been sitting empty for quite a while.

[disneymom15]

Looks great.

[Figment!]

Concept Art

[Imagineer1981]

I am glad to see that its not just a make over and that they are actually redoing the entire area. Poor PI was stuck between too areas of "family" shopping and dining, and perhaps by this complete removal of it, PI could be reborn in another spot on property?

[CAS]

I'm glad to see something coming of it, however it doesn't look like something we will be particularly interested in. There are quite of few districts like that around us and we really don't need even more restaurants and shops. Long live PI

[MyDisneyworld]

Looks interesting........

[TheRustyScupper]

Looks interesting........

1) Yes, it does.
2) But, I will still miss
. . . the Comdey Club
. . . The Adventurer's Club
3) I did not really want more shopping and eating.
4) But, such is life.

[artyboy]

It's in the Sun-Sentinel today with a rendering...not sure how I feel about it.

[Figment!]

Disney to convert Pleasure Island into wharf-themed district

By Dewayne Bevil and Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel November 18, 2010


More than two years after it closed the doors to its Pleasure Island nightclubs, Walt Disney World said Thursday that it will convert the once-thriving nightlife area into a faux wharf with new restaurants and shops.

The revamped district, to be called "Hyperion Wharf," will open in stages through 2013.

As part of the changes, Disney says it will tear down most of the area's former clubs, including Motion, Adventurers Club, BET Soundstage Club and Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club. The moniker "Pleasure Island" will be phased out entirely.

In their place, Disney says it will add new restaurants and shops themed around newly themed seaport setting. The resort didn't provide any details about what kinds of restaurants will be added, but it said the additions will expand overall dining space at Downtown Disney — which, in addition to Pleasure Island, includes the West Side and Marketplace retail areas — by more than 25 percent.

The wharf-themed area will also include a lakeside park and "enhanced" walkways, as well as extensive nighttime lighting.

Elsewhere across the 120-acre Downtown Disney district, Disney said it will expand the Lego Imagination Center and add new digital technology, an upgraded concession stand and a dine-in theater at the AMC movie theater.

Construction work is to begin immediately. Disney said it expects the combined projects to create approximately 1,200 jobs — 600 in construction, 500 in restaurant, retail and entertainment, and 100 vendor- and supplier-jobs.

Disney said the park area will open by next summer. The timetable for the remainder of the "Hyperion Wharf" work will be set once Disney signs contracts with restaurant operators.

[BrerGnat]

Eh...been there done that. We also live in an area where there is an abundance of this type of outdoor entertainment center.

I am happy to see Disney doing something in this area, but how exactly is it different from the current "West Side"? And, how will this theme fit in with the rest of Downtown Disney? As it stands, I think this area is over saturated with dining/shopping options. I mean, it's moving away from even being a DISNEY area altogether, what with all the new dining/shopping being third party merchants.

[Carol]

Here's the Official Press Release from Disney Media;

Vibrant Waterfront District Among Plans for Downtown Disney
Projects Expected to Create Approximately 1,200 New Jobs in Central Florida

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Nov. 18, 2010) – Work will soon begin on a completely re-imagined Pleasure Island and other one-of-a-kind experiences as Walt Disney World Resort continues to bring new stories to life at Downtown Disney. Combined, the projects are expected to create an estimated 1,200 new jobs over the next three years.

“We have made great progress since first announcing our vision to bring new shopping, dining and entertainment experiences to Downtown Disney, many of which can’t be found anywhere else and have already become guest favorites,” said Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney. “We look forward to providing even more ways for our guests to enjoy Downtown Disney, while at the same time creating new jobs for Central Floridians.”

A nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier will evolve Pleasure Island into “Hyperion Wharf.” By day, the bustling port district will draw guests in with its stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants and by night, thousands of lights will transform the area into an electric wonderland.

Taking its name from Hyperion, the Greek god of light, as well as the street on which Walt Disney built his first major animation studio, the wharf district also will feature a relaxing lakeside park and enhanced pedestrian walkways. Its diverse eateries will expand dining availability at Downtown Disney by more than 25 percent.

“Hyperion Wharf will offer guests of all ages a vibrant atmosphere and new experiences that can be enjoyed by day or by night,” said Bradford. “Whether looking for a great place to dine with the whole family or a place to relax and enjoy live music, Hyperion Wharf will provide the perfect setting for guests to make new memories with us.”

In addition to the new wharf district, numerous other projects are underway at Downtown Disney, including:

· an extensive renovation of Lego Imagination Center, which will increase its overall footprint by nearly 3,500 square-feet and add new Lego exterior models featuring scenes from classic Disney movies;

· enhancements at AMC that will take the movie-going experience at Downtown Disney to the next level with new digital technology, a paradigm-shifting Concession Stand of the Future and Florida’s first Fork & Screen Theater; and

· numerous new or renovated retail shops and merchandise vignettes, as well as additional atmosphere entertainment, throughout Downtown Disney.


Combined, these projects are expected to create an estimated 600 construction jobs, 500 restaurant, retail and entertainment jobs and support 100 vendor and supplier jobs.

Other recent additions to Downtown Disney include:

· new entertainment, such as the Characters in Flight tethered balloon ride, the ETX theater at AMC and an enhanced outdoor performance area;

· unique shopping experiences like D Street, littlemissmatched, RIDEMAKERZ,
Tren-D and Disney’s Design-a-Tee; and

· immersive dining, like T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, Paradiso 37 and the recently opened Pollo Campero and Fresh A-Peel, a new quick-service restaurant combining authentic Latin-style chicken and side dishes, as well as fresh, healthy creations such as salads, wraps and gluten-free desserts.

Concept Art

[DizneyFreak2002]

I like it... Looks nice... WIll add life to an otherwise dead area... I see no problem with that...

[Ian]

[Jeany031]

very interesting!

[Mousemates]

Kind of hard for me to get overly enthused about more restaurants and shops...I guess it appeals to some folks, but thats not what draws us to WDW.

[disneykid@hrt]

They have the opportunity to make it really unique and I hope they do...

[disneykid@hrt]

And yaay for the new jobs!

[Joannelet]

Well it sounds nice.
I'll go! Yay for the bigger Lego store!!!

[DizneyRox]

We really used to enjoy hitting the Marketplace (west side has never appealed to us), but now with all the generic merchandise we hardly visit.

For example, in the mid 90's we would stop there the first day to get a Disney fix (we would get just multiday passes and wouldn't want to burn a day at on the the three parks). We would also take a break in the middle of our stay and maybe eat Planet Hollywood, pick up some clothes as we probably didn't pack good enough for the weather and we would compare what was at DTD with what we rmember seeing at the parks. Towards the end of the stay would would go again, and get our last minute shopping done.

Around the turn of the century, we started doing annual passes, so we had no need for the stop in the beginning of the trip. We would still lod up at the end, and about this time was when we were dropping tons of cash on the Disney @ Home store, etc. Still used it for a place to eat in the middle and end of the trip.

Now, the Disney @ Home store is defunct, replaced by a candy shop. There is no diversity of merchandise, so I don't need to stop there to looking for different merchandise, so the middle of the trip visit is gone. THe wad of money we used to blow stays at home as they don't have the merchandise that warrants that spending. We MIGHT hit DTD once per trip. Visits have mostly been extended closer to two weeks since we have the AP, this allows us to spend more time in the parks and less time at DTD filling a ticket void that used to exist.

More stores with the same junk will do nothing to lure me. Food is THE most expensive line item on our trips these days and we're looking to cut that down. DVC allows us to do that by cooking in the room. Will I stop there to check it out? Sure, I might look around, but I don't expect to find anything worth me opening my wallet or spending any more time away from the parks/pool.