Walt Disney World Resort Non-Park Discussion Thread

I think this will add some much needed flair and life to Downtown Disney at night. The whole area has been a bit lacking for a while. I just hope they don't charge highway robbery for the food. Sure, it will be more expensive than their other locations. 15% or so would be fine, not 40.

I am absolutely looking forward to checking this place out when it opens. The structure looked ridiculously large back in May when I visited.

^Not only nightlife, but also another great "take a break from the parks" option while staying at the resort!

I can only imagine how well Splitsville will do. It's certainly something our little group will take part in on a regular basis!

I've always been a lousy bowler, but even I like what they're doing with Splitsville. I remember hearing jokes about "bowling alley sushi"--but now they've come true!

I would do it for a night off from the parks. Sounds like a lot of fun.

How is the dine in at the theater going over? Haven't heard much since it opened.

I think it will be a lot of fun. I would definitely give it a few visits. A TPR takeover would be a lot of fun!

Disney to shut down online movie store

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Walt Disney Co. is shutting down its Web movie service, Disney Movies Online, saying the site wasn't keeping up with user demands.

 

In an email to users, the company said the site would be closed as of Dec. 31.

 

The site allowed visitors to buy and rent movies from the Disney library, including films made by its subsidiary Pixar. It also allowed people who purchased physical discs to stream the movies from the website.

 

On Monday, movies on the site no longer appeared to be available for purchase or rental. The site said people who had already redeemed disc purchases can continue to stream the movies on the site through the end of the year. People who bought movies on the site previously are being offered refunds.

 

"The digital environment is rapidly evolving and Disney Movies Online does not have the flexibility that many users today demand," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. "We made a business decision to close the service until we are able to provide the greatest value and experience to our customers."

 

Disney did not announce when its expected replacement service, Disney Movies Anywhere, would be launched.

 

Disney Movies Online did not attract many customers and had limited capabilities. Users couldn't download their digital movies for offline playback, there was no support for connected devices like game consoles, and it only offered movies for streaming on Web browsers.

 

Disney is the only studio of the six Hollywood majors that has declined to participate in UltraViolet, a standard that gives consumers the ability to view their movie purchases on multiple devices. It is developing its own technology called KeyChest that performs a similar function.

 

Studios hope that giving consumers the ability to do more with their movie purchases will help boost sales.

 

Since launching in October of last year, UltraViolet has had about 6 million people sign up.

 

For the nine months through September, U.S. sales of DVD and Blu-ray discs were down 3.8 percent at $5.4 billion, according to the industry consortium, The Digital Entertainment Group.

 

More people are turning to subscription video services like Netflix and digital rentals through video-on-demand services connected to their TVs. When factoring in digital forms of movie consumption, U.S. home video revenue is up 1 percent at $12.3 billion this year.

Las Vegas Review/Journal

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-golf-disney-droppped-from-pga-schedule-1210,0,4039092,full.story

The PGA Tour has dropped the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic hosted annually at Disney World from its 2013 schedule.

 

The event also lost its title sponsor and its future is unclear.

 

“It was a mutual decision between us and the Tour,” said Tony Morreale, the sports public relations manager at Disney World. “Really over the years, our sports business and our golf business has changed a lot so that’s kind of where it came from.”

 

Sponsorship deal didn’t play a factor in the decision according to Morreale, who also said that this past tournament was the last.

 

“We’ve come to an agreement with the tour that this past year was the final year with the tour,” Morreale said. “We enjoyed our great 40 year-plus relationship with them. There have been some great moments through the years. Obviously, we wish them all the best.”

 

The Disney tournament was traditionally the last stop for players hoping to make enough money to earn their PGA Tour cards for the following year, providing some drama to the event late on the calendar. However, in 2013, the PGA is moving to using FedEx Cup points as the measuring stick for those who retain their cards rather than the money list.

 

As a result of the decision to drop the Disney tournament, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill from March 18-24 will be Orlando's sole PGA Tour event.

 

Disney first began hosting a PGA golf event in 1971. The event has primarily been played on the Disney Palm and Magnolia golf courses.

 

Here is the full 2013 PGA Tour schedule:

 

Hyundai Tournament of Champions Dec. 31-Jan. 7

Kapalua Resort (Plantation), Kapalua, Hawaii TV: Golf Channel

 

Sony Open in Hawaii Jan. 7-13

Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, Hawaii TV: Golf Channel

 

Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation Jan. 14-20

PGA West (*Palmer, Nicklaus)/La Quinta CC, La Quinta, Calif. TV: Golf Channel

 

Farmers Insurance Open Jan. 21-27

Torrey Pines (*South, North), San Diego, Calif. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Waste Management Phoenix Open Jan. 28-Feb. 3

TPC Scottsdale (Stadium), Scottsdale, Ariz. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Feb. 4-10

Pebble Beach/Spyglass Hill/Monterey Peninsula (Shore), Pebble Beach, Calif. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Northern Trust Open Feb. 11-17

Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 18-24

Ritz-Carlton GC (Dove Mountain), Marana, Ariz. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

The Honda Classic Feb. 25-March 3

PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship March 4-10

Doral Golf Resort (TPC Blue Monster), Doral, Fla. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com March 4-10

Trump International Puerto Rico, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico TV: Golf Channel

 

Tampa Bay Championship March 11-17

Innisbrook Resort & GC (Copperhead), Palm Harbor, Fla. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard March 18-24

Bay Hill Golf Club and Lodge, Orlando, Fla. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

Shell Houston Open March 25-31

Redstone GC (Tournament), Houston, Texas TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

Valero Texas Open April 1-7

TPC San Antonio (AT&T Oaks), San Antonio, Texas TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

Masters Tournament April 8-14

Augusta National GC, Augusta, Ga. TV: ESPN/CBS

 

RBC Heritage April 15-21

Harbour Town GL, Hilton Head Island, S.C. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Zurich Classic of New Orleans April 22-28

TPC Louisiana, New Orleans, La. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Wells Fargo Championship April 29-May 5

Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

THE PLAYERS Championship May 6-12

TPC Sawgrass (Stadium), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

HP Byron Nelson Championship May 13-19

Four Seasons Las Colinas (TPC Four Seasons), Irving, Texas TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial May 20-26

Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance May 27-June 2

Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

FedEx St. Jude Classic June 3-9

TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

U.S. Open # June 10-16

Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa. TV:ESPN/NBC

 

Travelers Championship June 17-23

TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

AT&T National June 24-30

Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

The Greenbrier Classic July 1-7

The Greenbrier (The Old White TPC), White Sulphur Springs, W.V. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

John Deere Classic July 8-14

TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

British Open # July 15-21

Muirfield, East Lothian, Scotland TV: ESPN

 

True South Classic July 15-21

Annandale Golf Club, Madison, Miss. TV: Golf Channel

 

RBC Canadian Open July 22-28

Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario, Canada TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational July 29-Aug. 4

Firestone Country Club (South), Akron, Ohio TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Reno-Tahoe Open July 29-Aug. 4

Montreux Golf & CC, Reno, Nev. TV: Golf Channel

 

PGA Championship # Aug. 5-11

Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y. TV: TNT/CBS

 

Wyndham Championship Aug. 12-18

Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, N.C. TV:Golf Channel/CBS

 

FedExCup Playoffs

The Barclays Aug. 19-25

Liberty National Golf Course, Jersey City, N.J. TV: Golf Channel/CBS

 

Deutsche Bank Championship Aug. 26-Sept. 2

TPC Boston, Norton, Mass. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

BMW Championship Sept. 9-15

Conway Farms Golf Club, Lake Forest, Ill. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola Sept. 16-22

East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga. TV: Golf Channel/NBC

 

The Presidents Cup

Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin Ohio TV: Golf Channel/NBC Sept. 30-Oct. 6

...

Splitsville, an "upscale bowling alley" at Downtown Disney opens to the public on December 19, and we recently got to check out a preview of this new entertainment location. We really liked it at LOT! The way the lanes were put together so you can rent out "pods" of them, the food service, and the more "adult atmosphere" was really fantastic! It seemed like a "Dave & Busters...but with bowling!"

Here was the dedication ceremony:

Check out some of the photos...

Splitsville opens on December 19th, and I think it's something that really needed at Downtown Disney.

The exterior of the building looks great. Has a really nice feel to it and adds to the West Side area of Downtown Disney.

At the dedication ceremony, the managers of Downtown Disney, the owners of Splitsville, and of course GOOFY were all on hand to welcome their guests!

Yay! The preview is open!

Everyone pose for a photo...*click* got it? Great!

Like I said, the exterior looks great! Fits in so well with the rest of Downtown Disney.

Thank you for letting us check it out!

So, as you can see... it's a bowling alley...but...

..it's a bowling alley with style and attitude!

And a little bit of "Disney" touch!

Love the Mickey & Minnie themed bowling balls!

Yup, you roll balls and things down here...

What's cool about Splitsville is that the lanes are put together in these sort of "pods"...

It's a very relaxing area...plenty of room to hang out, get food or drinks, and just have a good time.

You'll be able to reserve or rent out multiple lanes and make a kind of "party area" out of it. I think it's a great concept for a bowling alley, especially works well for Downtown Disney where you'll have lots of families and want to just hang out.

Let's talk about the food...because it was yummy! Very well made and high quality.

I thought the pizza was also very good!

Rockin' the fold at Splitsville!

There's a full sushi bar and other yummy things on the menu. We'll get a better look at it once it officially opens.

And there is no shortage of stuff to drink at Splitsville!

They threw quite a party for us!

There were at least three bars in the location that we saw, which is great, because I have a feeling they will be very busy!

I love how there is a huge glass window to the outside of Downtown Disney allowing people to get a good idea of what Splitsville is. Kind of wish DisneyQuest could have done something like this. Such a good idea...when guests at Downtown Disney see people at Splitsville having a good time, I'm sure they'll want to join in the fun!

Here's an overview of the downstairs area from heading up the escalator.

Really like that at has such a relaxed atmosphere, yet at the same time kinda hip, cool, and a party vibe!

I really think they'll see a lot of people wanting to rent multiple lanes to just come in here, hang out for a couple of hours, bowl, have dinner, and drink!

The lanes have kind of a retro-ish feel to them. Really liked the lighting and the theming of the place.

There are also a few pool tables, and other things to do besides bowling. There a seating area if you just want to come in and get food as well.

The outdoor balcony patio area was really nice! I could see this being popular up here to just hang out and have a drink.

And it offers a GREAT view of Downtown Disney!

There is an area where a DJ can play, and I've also heard they do have live music at some of their other locations, so I'm sure this will turn into a pretty rockin' place at night.

I'm cool with all those things!

And yes, they are showing some Florida pride!

No matter how much you've had to drink...don't forget to return your bowling shoes when you leave!

Splitsville - Opens December 19th at Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney!

This looks like a nice addition to Downtown Disney. And having good food in a bowling alley is definitely a plus.

Looks like a great place. Some nice pool tables, any shuffleboard tables?

The place looks fantastic. I can't wait till my next Orlando trip to check it out. It really does look like it fits perfect in Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney has needed something like this for a long time. There are other things around the resort that are kinda in the same category as this, like mini golf and Disney Quest, but the location is more convenient than the mini golfs, and this will have more family appeal than Disney Quest.

This is the perfect thing for families to do on their arrival or departing day.

How much does it cost for everything there?

Pricing was not available when we were there for the preview, nor has it been established on the website yet. I would assume that later this week, this page will probably be updated: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney/entertainment/splitsville/

If you look at some of their other locations, Tampa, for example, one website says "the cost for four people to bowl two games and rent shoes: $60-plus", on the menu from Tampa, Pizzas are about $10, Sushi is between $8 - $12, and entrees are $12 - $18. I would imagine that at Disney it would be a bit more expensive than that.

Here's the actual website from Splitsville: http://www.splitsvillelanes.com/ They don't actually give pricing for lanes or anything on their site (at least not that I've found), but I would imagine that Disney would want them to have it on the WDW DTD site.

--Robb

Looks pretty awesome. I'd definitely bowl a couple games there if I was in Disney. The last time I was at downtown Disney was in 2001, and I'm sure things have changed but it looks like a great addition to the area.

Looks very similar to a upscale bowling place her in Jacksonville called latitude 30. I've only been there a few times to have a drink but I've never actually bowled because the lanes are always booked solid (I'm sure Splitsville will see similar success). Looks like an awesome addition that perfectly fits the vibe of Downtown Disney.

How many total lanes did they have? I remember that building being HUGE when it was the Virgin megastore, but in these pictures of Splittlsville it doesn't feel as massive as it did as the Virgin store. It's probably just me.

This looks awesome! I think bowling is a lot of fun and I believe this is a perfect addition to the Downtown Disney area. I have always loved Downtown Disney and this gives me even more reason to enjoy it.

I'm not a big fan of bowling, but this looks like a great addition to Downtown Disney. Since they basically dismantled Pleasure Island, there's been a great need for some "adult" entertainment. I love that families can still hang out together, but that they were smart enough to dedicate the 2nd floor to the over 21 crowd later at night during weekends. A lot of times I go there without any children in our group, and this looks like a great place for us to hang out. Can't wait to try it out!

Sushi and bowling? SWEET. This place looks awesome, and as someone above said, a great place to hang on a late arrival day.

Looks like a cool bowling center. I ex specially like the old style Brunswick masking units.

That does indeed look truly amazing for a bowling alley of that caliber. If I ever make it back down to Orlando sometime in the future I'll make sure to check this place out by myself or with family/friends. I like the whole approach made with the place in which it makes you think you have returned to the 1950's era alley. Thanks for sharing the photos as always!

How much does it cost for everything there?

According to the sign posted at the Disney Parks Blog meetup last night, pricing is:

Sunday - Thursday for 1 & 1/2 Hour of unlimited bowling & shoes:

10a-5p $15 per person

5pm-10pm $20 per person

10pm-close $15 per person

Friday & Saturday

10a-5p $15 per person

Evening & Late night $20 per person

Billiards $9 per hour per table

They busted out the Moët for the opening?!?!?! Now that MY type of party!!!!