Disney Is Building 4 New Lands, But This Awesome Space Is Still Abandoned

Don’t get me wrong, I’m super excited about the new lands we’re getting in Disney World in the coming year.

Villains Land? I don’t think I could be more thrilled, and my family has loved Monsters, Inc. since it came out, so I’m already seeing if I can talk my parents and brother into a family trip when the new land opens in Hollywood Studios. But one thing I, and many other Disney fans, can’t get over is the fact that Disney has a MASSIVE unused space that used to be wildly popular and it’s just…sitting empty.

Over in Disney Springs, DisneyQuest opened on June 19th, 1998. The building is located in the West Side of the shopping and dining district, near House of Blues, Cirque du Soleil, and the AMC Theater.

DisneyQuest was essentially Disney’s Prototypical V.R. Center. From the outside, it was just a large blue building, but when guests stepped inside, they found an elaborate, multi-floored complex filled with virtual reality-style attractions and activities! It was an extra cost to enjoy DisneyQuest, but it was very popular from the start. There were FIVE different floors here split into different themed zones: Ventureport, Replay Zone, Create Zone, Explore Zone, and Score Zone.

However, as technology evolved, DisneyQuest did not, and soon guests were preferring to visit the more technologically advanced rides in the parks instead of visiting the outdated DisneyQuest. Finally it was announced in 2016 that DisneyQuest would be turned into the NBA Experience, and it officially closed its doors on July 2nd, 2017.

The NBA Experience opened in August 2019 and was…not a hit. It featured 13 different basketball activities you could participate in across 2 floors, and while it closed with the rest of Disney World in March 2020, it has never opened its doors again. Yes, so for a whopping 4 YEARS, this building has been entirely empty and not used for anything. When you visit now, you’ll notice the building is empty and has no outside signage, which is especially sad because it’s MASSIVE and could house so many interesting attractions.

So we asked our readers and AllEars YouTube viewers what they think should be here instead, and it turns out that MANY of them agree with me, which is DisneyQuest 2.0! Not only would it give a sense of nostalgia, but with updated technology (that would need to CONTINUE to be updated, not be forgotten about like the first DisneyQuest), I think a similar entertainment offering could be really beneficial in this area. Especially for families or friend groups who have a half day left on their vacation and they don’t want to/can’t afford a whole other set of park tickets for that day, they could head over here for some fun at a cheaper cost!

Another suggestion was a Disney-themed escape room, similar to the Escape Rooms you can find over at Universal CityWalk! Those rooms do very well over at CityWalk, and while a spooky/creepy vibe likely wouldn’t work well in Disney World, escape rooms can be fun and silly while be challenging at the same time! Just imagine — you could set an escape room in Maleficent’s castle, in Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland, or a whole number of choices!

Bottom line, there are SO many options that could benefit Disney, and I think everyone’s expecting that whatever is going in this area will be an additional cost, so as long as it’s not outrageously priced, many families and guests will likely be open to trying out whatever experience is here. So Disney, let’s get cracking on some ideas! Disney Springs is already fun as it is, but let’s add in an option for people who want an activity that isn’t eating or shopping!

We’re always here to bring you all the latest Disney World news, so stay tuned to AllEars!

Disney Still Doesn’t Know What To Do with 5 Abandoned Attractions…and We’re BAFFLED

What would you like to see go in this spot? Tell us in the comments!