[Disney6]

I know at one time Disney had plans to open at least 30 Disney Quests around the world. I visited the one in Chicago when it was open and had a good time but was surprised at the lack of people there. Did the one in Philly ever open and how were the crowds there if it did? How does the one at WDW do, anyone know?

[KarenT]

I think the price is what kept people away in Chicago. It was very expensive to go.
I think it was worth it, but I think it was a bit $$$ for the average family to spend a day there. For a family of four with dinner and parking.....an easy $200.00.

I wish it was still here in Chicago..I would go!

[Cavey]

The one in Chicago closed down a few years ago.

My GUESS is you go to Orlando specifically for the theme parks. But you travel to downtown Chicago for other things--museums, Michigan Avenue, Sears Tower, and etc.

Added to that was pretty meager advertising. I see ads for Six Flags near Chicago throughout the summer. But I never once saw an ad for DQ. Perhaps better exposure would have drawn people in.

[Andrea]

I think marketing had a lot to do with it. I had no idea what it was, or even that it existed, until someone I know went to one.

[mickey]

I think a big part of it was the shear cost to run the place. The Chicago one was in a big building, easily 200,000 Square Feet. The rent alone as probably a million dollars per month, plus salary, repairs on stuff and other costs, you were probably looking at over $2,000,000 per month in costs. So, even at $30 per person, you are talking about 68,000 people per month just to break even, or close to 2,200 people per day.

I just can't see taking all my kids there, unless it were a special occasion.

[WishUponAStar]

IMHO, I feel like the original "plan" to have them all over the world failed for several reasons. One being that there were several large and comparable entertainment facilities, such as "Boomers," "Fun Time America," etc... offering the same sort of multi-level gaming complexes at more affordable prices. This concept started to fail all together in the late 90's anyway. In other words, I feel like Disney was entering into an already fading concept anyway.

Also, with the home and portable entertainment market snowballing at a feverous pace within the past 10 years the "target audience" has learned to get bored with the technology already in place at these complexes. It would be too expensive and cumbersome to replace everything in DQ to keep up with the market.

Why do I love the idea of having one in DTD, and why do I think that one does so well? It serves a purpose. In central and southern Florida where inclement weather is a given, there are only so many options for tired wet vacationers. DQ is brilliant in that aspect. Also, even though some may call the entry price steep vacationers may be a little more willing to try something while on vacation, especially in Disney. Don't forget with the popularity of the "magic your way" tickets, many families get entrance options included with the passes anyway. Where as taking your family to a "Disney Gaming Coplex" in downtown Philly for $30/pp seems a little surreal.

Anyway, it's hard to take "Disney" out of the people, but it's even harder to take "Disney" outside of "the World."

(did that make sense? oh well)

-I just burnt a batch of sugar cookies. dang DC.

[Ready2Go]

I never even saw that they had tried to do this. I guess the one in WDW would still have been the closest to me anyway.

[Dana]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

IMHO, I feel like the original "plan" to have them all over the world failed for several reasons. One being that there were several large and comparable entertainment facilities, such as "Boomers," "Fun Time America," etc... offering the same sort of multi-level gaming complexes at more affordable prices. This concept started to fail all together in the late 90's anyway. In other words, I feel like Disney was entering into an already fading concept anyway.

Also, with the home and portable entertainment market snowballing at a feverous pace within the past 10 years the "target audience" has learned to get bored with the technology already in place at these complexes. It would be too expensive and cumbersome to replace everything in DQ to keep up with the market.

Why do I love the idea of having one in DTD, and why do I think that one does so well? It serves a purpose. In central and southern Florida where inclement weather is a given, there are only so many options for tired wet vacationers. DQ is brilliant in that aspect. Also, even though some may call the entry price steep vacationers may be a little more willing to try something while on vacation, especially in Disney. Don't forget with the popularity of the "magic your way" tickets, many families get entrance options included with the passes anyway. Where as taking your family to a "Disney Gaming Coplex" in downtown Philly for $30/pp seems a little surreal.

Anyway, it's hard to take "Disney" out of the people, but it's even harder to take "Disney" outside of "the World."

(did that make sense? oh well)

-I just burnt a batch of sugar cookies. dang DC.

I can't say it better than you, so I'm just going to say "yeah what she said" LOL

[phayes93]

One reason DQ hasn't succeeded is that it's lame. We visited there once at DTD and thought it was too expensive, and just not much fun. Of course, we're old and our kids were 19 and 15 at the time. We go to WDW for the parks and the rides you actually RIDE, not made-up stuff.

Why pay so much for a virtual ride when you can step outside and do a real ride?

As for the one in Chicago, we walked past it once - right past it. Once again - too pricey. And like someone else said, we go to Chicago for other things (like watching the Cardinals whip the Cubbies).

Just MHO, but I simply do not like DQ.

[anaheimboy]

I just wish they'd put one here at DLR in DTD, theres room!

[WishUponAStar]

Originally Posted by anaheimboy

I just wish they'd put one here at DLR in DTD, theres room!

HMMMMM, i like that idea!!

[anaheimboy]

Originally Posted by WishUponAStar

HMMMMM, i like that idea!!

Yea...you, me, and about a thousand gagillion other people, lol.

[missy H]

We only go to DQ at WDW because it is included in our tickets, if we had to pay for it in addition to our tickets we would think twice!
We all love DQ but we would not pay and extra $30 per person!

[dhoughton]

We tried it out at WDW when we were down in September---it was OK.....but the price was a little steep...and I have to agree, it is a bit lame...

[dixie]

same as the above, we were excited to go there but then felt a little let down my DH and DD liked the virtual ride construction but that was about it sadly and it was part of our package luckily as we would have been really miffed if we had to pay an entrance fee.