PDA

View Full Version : Disney Gallery is CLOSING!



Pages : [1] 2 3

disneyboy
09-22-2004, 08:05 AM
:mad:

http://www.laughingplace.com/default.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-53307-P-1&Refresh=0922090554

napabeth
09-22-2004, 08:19 AM
Noooooooooooooooooooooo :(

Klutch
09-22-2004, 09:36 AM
I'm a bit confused about this issue (yes, and many other things). What's the plan for the Disney Gallery/Walt's Apartment area? Is Club 33 going to expand into this area?

sediment
09-22-2004, 09:37 AM
I'd like to see something from a more credible source before panicking and making speculations

Opus1guy
09-22-2004, 09:44 AM
This has been on my Club 33 web site for over 6 years (new bolding mine):


Right after Walt's death, because there was no longer a need for the private apartment, and the fact that the Club's kitchen served the 21 Royal Street dining room anyway, plans were laid out to expand Club 33 into what is now the Disney Gallery. In fact, the Disney Gallery almost didn't get created because some within Disney wanted to use the space as originally planned and expand the Club. And I wouldn't count this out in the future, as there is still a high ranking Disney executive that wants to someday bump out the Gallery to another location (was going to be Lincoln post-show at one point), and expand the Club to permit more memberships.

http://members.aol.com/opus1guy/page7.html

So if this rumor turns out to be true, I certainly can't say it was at all unexpected. It was a plan originally laid out back in 1967!

soccerlady16
09-22-2004, 09:55 AM
So I guess we're not going to be able to watch Fantasmic! from the balcony anymore. :(

Disneyfreak
09-22-2004, 12:02 PM
I just recently purchaced the haunted mansion stretching elevator posters. It all costed 140 bucks, so I have no idea why they would be closing that place. I dont think they should do that because I wouldn't be able to get genuine props. :mad:

Christiii
09-22-2004, 12:12 PM
I will be so upset if this is true..this and the mime...I just love this shoppev and gallery..so fun to walk thru on each visit!! tho I dont think you can get actual props for $140...prints yes, but not the ones from the actual ride...

tink1234
09-22-2004, 12:20 PM
So I guess we're not going to be able to watch Fantasmic! from the balcony anymore. :(
This was our plan for Christmas! :( Do you think it will still be open then?

mystycalchyk
09-22-2004, 12:22 PM
Im sure they will still have the gallery seating for Fantasmic available...its a huge cash cow for them.

14 seats a $48 a pop? Every night, two times a night? (that fantasmic's showing) oh yeah, they couldnt close that down. :)

danyoung
09-22-2004, 12:38 PM
That's $1344 per night. Take out the cost of food and drink (maybe 2 or 3 hundred?), the cost of the serving staff (say 3 people, at say $10 an hour, for 3 hours = $90). You're down around a grand a night. Chump change for Disney. It'd be nice if this would continue, but to call it a huge cash cow is a bit over the top, methinks.

mystycalchyk
09-22-2004, 12:46 PM
Ok but still making a thou for 14 metal seats? Even if its only for 100 nights a year is 100K. Not bad for some old chairs and desserts already being made for Club 33.

AVP
09-22-2004, 01:15 PM
I've checked with several of my contacts within several departments which would be affected by the Disney Gallery closing permanently, and none of them had heard this as of this afternoon. I'm not going so far as to say it is not true, but I tend to believe that my contacts would have heard about something like this prior to it being made known to rank-and-file cast members.

I'm filing this under "interesting rumor," and we'll see what develops.

AVP

adriennek
09-22-2004, 01:25 PM
Ok, so first the mime, now this rumor. Where's St. CM Matt?

Now, I'm not going to rush to judge until I see something firmer that this is happening but gosh, this does not match what I've heard from legions of people blindly salivating gush on the new prez.

Adrienne

Opus1guy
09-22-2004, 02:00 PM
No question that the Club would bring in more moolah than the Disney Gallery. Heck...$1344 can easily be the bill for just one table at the Club! And even at the low end, figure $100 a head minimum for Dinner at the Club. You could probably fit in at least 15 additional tables into the Gallery space. 2 seatings a night. And that's not counting Lunch and that's not counting the hundreds of thousands of dollars the new memberships would immediately bring in. You do the math.

Of course there would be some capital outlay to convert the space for restaurant use, but that's no problem, is easily depreciated, and can easily be covered by the Club's current income and profits (I'm told the Disney Company is more than pleased with the Club's current performance, not only from continual restaurant operations, but the nice chunk 'o almost pure profit the Club generates in annual dues).

I was told at one point after the initial success and thrust of the Gallery's opening when the sales of high-end signed lithos wained, that it owed much of it's "grant" of continual operations to the fact that they started to consider it an Attraction as well as a Merchandise location. If that "attraction too" mind-set no longer exists, I can imagine it would be hard to justify keeping it open just for the current merchandise sales and Fantasmic seating vs. what the Club could "promise" dollar-wise out of the same space. Especially if now the Gallery is only going to be open a few days a week!

Dollars per sq. ft. generated is what it's all about if it's not considered an Attraction.

So I'm not ruling out the rumor yet. And certainly not ruling it out based on Gallery or Fantasmic Dessert sales! A pittance compared to what the Club could do there. IMHO.

SallySkellington
09-22-2004, 03:18 PM
:mad:

http://www.laughingplace.com/default.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-53307-P-1&Refresh=0922090554

WHAT?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :crying: :mad: :(

cstephens
09-22-2004, 04:11 PM
Before we start holding a memorial for the Disney Gallery or flogging any particular person for the so-called disappearance of the Gallery, perhaps it might make sense to have some kind of even semi-official information first? None of what I've heard so far makes me believe it's true and seems more like something that someone either just made up or made a huge leap based on something that was said in passing or observed.

sediment
09-22-2004, 04:19 PM
Ok, so first the mime, now this rumor. Where's St. CM Matt?

Now, I'm not going to rush to judge until I see something firmer that this is happening but gosh, this does not match what I've heard from legions of people blindly salivating gush on the new prez.

Adrienne
Maybe because it isn't true.
Or extending on Opus1Guy, a larger Club 33 might mean a larger membership would be allowed.
Not only that, but Fantasmic! Balcony could be turned into a Club 33-only add-on event, so that money would not be lost. (Only the public's benefit and money.)

Yo, Opi: ever have trouble getting a Club 33 reservation because that meal was at capacity? If so, maybe they're trying to fix that problem.

sediment
09-22-2004, 04:21 PM
Before we start holding a memorial for the Disney Gallery or flogging any particular person for the so-called disappearance of the Gallery, perhaps it might make sense to have some kind of even semi-official information first? None of what I've heard so far makes me believe it's true and seems more like something that someone either just made up or made a huge leap based on something that was said in passing or observed.
I agree. A post on a message board does not count as a reliable source.

Disneyfreak
09-22-2004, 07:58 PM
I will be so upset if this is true..this and the mime...I just love this shoppev and gallery..so fun to walk thru on each visit!! tho I dont think you can get actual props for $140...prints yes, but not the ones from the actual ride...


No kidding lol. They were big posters and I know they were not the originals but that is the only place where you can get anything like that. Although they are made pretty much out of the same paper as the ones in the elevator. They roll up nicely when I attach it to my replica stretching elevator.

cryan71
09-22-2004, 08:32 PM
This is great news. I can finally get off the waiting list for Club 33!!!! More space = more members = smaller waiting list. Finally, I don't have to eat with the unwashed masses!!!

adriennek
09-22-2004, 08:39 PM
Maybe because it isn't true.

Oh, I totally think it's not worth believing but I just like thinking: gee, St. Matt wouldn't be doing his job then, would he? ;)

Adrienne

sediment
09-22-2004, 08:53 PM
Oh, I totally think it's not worth believing but I just like thinking: gee, St. Matt wouldn't be doing his job then, would he? ;)

Adrienne
Now you're just teasing me. I'm telling Mom.

Opus1guy
09-22-2004, 09:20 PM
One could argue that if St. Matt approves the Club expansion, that he is actually upholding the original designers' plans and wishes!

Keep in mind that that space was never originally designed to be visited by the public. It was private territory from it's creation in 1966 all the way to 1987 when the Disney Gallery first opened. That's 21 years 21 Royal was off limits to the General Public.

Prior to the Disney Gallery, it was planned as Walt & Roy's private apartments, then planned as future expansion of Club 33, was eventually actually opened as the INA VIP Apartments/Lounge (man, was that nice digs!), and then became the Tokyo Disneyland/Disneyland International offices.

He would just be returning it to private territory as it was originally envisioned. A true "old school" Disney traditionalist kinda guy!

;)

Disneynut1955
09-23-2004, 06:05 AM
I have spoke to several people about this and the entire Disney Gallery cast denies the rumor. In fact, there are a few more items to consider before giving strength to this rumor.

First, the club has not been doing well recently. The club is very short on diners and it has been very easy to make a reservation only a day or so out. In fact, the club CLOSED on Independence Day due to a lack of reservations. Attendance at both the park and the club would certainly have to pick up for this to a viable option.

Second, there is NO immediate increase in revenue for the club by expanding the number of members. The money paid for both initiation and yearly dues goes directly to Burbank (not Club 33) as the tradeout for providing "complimentary" tickets. The clubs revenue is generated solely by food and merchandise sales and despite what many people would have you believe, it is not a cash cow.

Third, some conversation about the Disney Gallery space began last week when they announced a member event being held at the Gallery on October 1, 2004. This member event is to showcase the new entertainment for the 50th and some instantly assumed it was to show the space the club would be taking over.

Fourth, how would one get from the Club to the Disney Gallery space? The only way is through the kitchen and/or the tiny silver alley space. Even if they built a walkway, guests would still have to walk through the very tight Trophy Room in order to even get to the kitchen. If they tear out more of the kitchen and send it to the basement like the other New Orleans Square restaurants, the food would be even more cold than it already is upon arrival at your table.

Disney executives have shocked me before and have done the exact opposite of what I expected or what I was told. Upon closer examination of the facts, I believe this to be a only a rumor.