DisneyQuest

[dr.gumbo]

I know this place is going to close but what is this place like, it looks intresting and the site gives little info. So if you mind, could you give a little review or info about this park!

 

(Especialy Cyber-space mountain )

[thefitness]

Well ive been there two times and the first time (i was younger) I thought it was really fun. the second time was kinda boring and VERY Crowded.

 

As for Cyberspace Mountain...i wasnt very impressed. The Pirates Of the Caribean Simulator thing Is my Favorite attraction there

[Gnome]

^ yea, the pirates attraction was definately the best thing there.

THey hav4 other things like this arena where you shoot balls at each other, and arcade games that are included in the admission, as long with several other special games which are based off of actual disney attractions.

 

As for cyperspace mountain. It's not very good because you don't feel any sensations at all. Its basically like No Limits except crappier and when your done, it will flip you around a bunch of times. It was sort of fun but nothing impressive.

[pvcoasterguy]

I went to the one in Chicago. (It's long since gone...) I thought that it was pretty fun, although then they charged extra for the arcade games (now in FL they don't). The stuff was pretty fun, however, it was really crowded when we were there. However, the river rapids simulator, Pirates game thingy, huge pinball where you control the ball with your movements, and Cyberspace Mountain were really fun.

 

It was like an arcade, but "Disney-fied." It was a great arcade, just expensive.

[FlippyTrick09]

Oh I remember this! We had to bug the crap out of our dad to let us go.. I remeber the Buzz Light Year Bumper Cars where you shot balls at people (doesnt sound right) and the river rapids.. I remeber them escpecially because where I was sitting was were the person who told the people what to do had to sit, and I didn't know that so I was freakin out and yelling random stuff (ahh good times)... I do remeber the CyberSpace Mountain.. I got to control how it was design so I made it with alot of loops and when I rode with my dad he was freakin out ... and I remeber the Aladin thing, because my helmet kept coming off.... But I did have fun and I remember alot from it... I need to go back to Disney....

[map2]

It's closing, NOOO!

 

Ok I'm over it!

 

Really it's like this HUGE arcade with lots of games that are more interactive. I thought the Pirates of the Carribean was awesome, but I also really liked Aladin and the Buzz Lightyear ride thingy. As for the Cyberspace Mountain, it's no different from the other roller coaster simulators, except you have to wait in a slow moving line for this. It's a nice place, but its so expensive to go to. The admission is more expensive than some theme park admissions.

 

Has anyone done that Alein Encounter thing on the 5th floor? Ever since I saw the ride at Tomorrowland, I was terrified to do it.

 

Yeah anyways, CityWalk has been taking away a lot of Downtown Disney's customers

[haiderodes]

There were a lot of cool aspects of this "park", but over time its gone way downhill and as mentioned is dying a slow painful death which is a shame.

 

Other stuff that people havent mentioned yet...

 

- You enter through one of two elevators on the ground floor. Inside the elevator there is a little movie with special effects with the Genie (from Disney's Aladdin).

 

- My two favorite attractions were the Mighty Ducks pinball game (or whatever its called). You stood on these hover board things and played the game via this huge video wall. The other was the Pirates of the Caribbean 3D game.

 

- Near the Buzz Lightyear bumper car game they had tons of old school video games. They were all included with the price of admission so that alone was cool to be able to play them over and over again.

 

- The Alien Encounter thing was ok. Kinda confusing at first, but it was ok. You and 3 others sit in a room with screens all around you. You use "weapons" to retrieve materials, blast aliens, etc. For some reason I was expecting the thing you sit on to move.

 

- The create your own CD thing was one of the best times I had when I was on my Disney College Program. Me and few friends made a song that I still have today!

 

All in all, it was an ok place. I guess I was just spoiled because the times I went they were running a special free admission for CMs. I was cleaning my closet yesterday and came across two PI/DisneyQuest/Waterpark comp passes good through October. Maybe I should make a visit before they close?

[disneyfan1313]

It is just a rumor that it is going to close. I would *highly* doubt that it will anytime soon.

[SLUSHIE]

^It's not so much as a rumor as it is... um... fact.

[blackcurrent]

Yes confirmed closing early 2008 to become a EZPN Zone

[dr.gumbo]

I hate I when they shut things down that are unique for a company to buy and make yet another version of something else

 

As if they havnt got enought in the first place

[disneyfan1313]

^It's not so much as a rumor as it is... um... fact.

 

 

Until the Walt Disney Company announces it - it is still a rumor... A rumor which was started by jimhillmedia - not the most reliable source by any stretch of the imagination.

[obeygiant]

I went to Disney Quest a while ago and I have to say..I wasn't impressed. The only cool thing was the POTC thing and the Buzz Lightyear bumper cars... It was way too much money...I think $40 for one person..that's ridiculous. I'm glad it's going, but I'd actually rather see that there than a Nascar restaurant...Nascar just doesn't fit in with Downtown Disney.

[Jumboshrmp]

I was about to make a thread for this but first searched it and found it here.

 

I really am considering going, but I would like some detailed information please.

 

Are all of the major attractions included in admission?

What is designing rides for CyberSpace Mountain like?

How many directions does the simulator turn?

 

Is it worth my $40 if I have never been?

I like this kind of thing.

I think it would be worth my $40 just to avoid spending my day in the mall with the rest of my family who actually like malls.

 

Are there any fan websites about Disneyquest that have more information?

 

Yes confirmed closing early 2008 to become a EZPN Zone

WHAT THE HELL?

SPORTS SUCK!

[coasterville]

Since the OP asked, here is the review I wrote for Dinsney quest last year:

 

Finding Disney Quest

 

Upon arriving at Downtown Disney, I soon realized that the boat dock, and Disney Quest are about as far as you could get from one another. Man, that was a haul. I checked my watch and realized I would have about 80 minutes at DisneyQuest before it closed. I might as well make the most of it. I pulled out my Ultimate Park Hopper Ticket, and walked inside.

 

Entering Disney Quest

 

I inserted my ticket into the turnstile and entered DisneyQuest. I received a handstamp and then was shown to a waiting elevator. DisneyQuest is five floors of fun, and to make sure you are totally and completely disoriented, the elevator has you come up in the center of the 3rd floor. This being Disney, of course this is no ordinary elevator. Looking through a window on one side of the car there is a video that plays, and some special lighting effects. Nothing to write home about. What is noteworthy is that there are no call buttons so you can't exit the facility the same way you came in.

 

CyberSpace Mountain

 

I checked the electronic tip board in the main hub, liked what I saw. And saw the wait for Cyberspace Mountain was 5 minutes (Yeah, uh huh, whatever) . I also saw on my watch that I had about 70 minutes to close, so I decided to head first to my main reason for coming, and that was Cyberspace Mountain. I followed some signs down a flight of stairs, through some rooms, and I finally got to the entrance for Cyberspace Mountain. Ahh, they must mean 5 minutes to enter the experience, not 5 minutes until you ride.

 

I waited in line for the next available Navigator (as associates here are called), who asked me if I wanted to ride a pre-built coaster, or design my own. I opted to design my own, so I was handed a plastic card with a barcode on it, and shown to a workstation in the Coaster Design Studio.

 

You first swipe your barcoded card so that your project can be saved to your card, then you watch a short orientation video on how to design a coaster and how to use the kiosk. Basically your coaster creation will be assembled on the main screen, where countdown will keep track of how much time you have left to complete your project, and how much more track you are allowed to use in your coaster. Along the sides of the screen are the track piece selector buttons, color coded of course. Green track elements are gentle, yellow are medium, and the red buttons, clearly labeled DANGER are extreme elements. In addition the touch screen often offers other track pieces that are not always available. At the bottom of the console are your Go Back and OK buttons.

 

First you choose a theme for your coaster (say outer space, or ice age), (I went with Ice Age) then you choose a speed (Ahh, it must be a launched coaster, and you get to choose Slow, Medium or "Hang On For Dear Life") Yep, I chose the fastest possible setting. You don't need a lift hill, you don't need to worry about direction (as you can't really turn anyway), and you don't need to make a complete circuit, although the computer "tests" each new track addition as you build, I didn't see any warnings for faulty layout due to physics. You can also be assured that I limited my element selections to the red DANGER buttons, and the DANGER items that sometimes were offered in the special. The ride I built is a nightmare on any street. We'll also excuse them for the catapult leap and track jump track elements. Clearly realism is not the issue here. The design studio then ranks your coaster, and you get to name your coaster (from a list of pre-approved names) The computer then tells you to take your card, and get in line for the ride experience. Hello, paybacks? "You made your bed, now sleep in it?"

 

Remember that hell on wheels coaster you just designed, now you, yes YOU have to go ride it. You are allowed to bring one friend along to share the fun (or misery as the case may be) with you. You enter a slow moving queue to wait for the next available coaster simulator (I think they have up to 8 two-person simulators) When a simulator becomes available you are told to head to a numbered door, and oh, be taking all loose articles from those pockets. Before your ride, the ride operator, allows you to place all your stuff into a courtesy locker, and you get to hold the key, which has an elastic band so it fits on your wrist. I happened to have all my stuff ready when the cast member came to me, and he comments "I see you've done this before", and I responded "No I read the warning signs", to which he answered in shock amazement "You mean somebody actually reads those things" (I mentioned it was a slow moving queue, didn't I). Luckily I was able to chat it up with a fellow park guest for most of it.

 

I was then taken into the torture chamber, (Oops, I mean ride simulator). I must admit I was worried when I entered the ride, not because I had created a wild hellish ride, but because I had read that large park guests sometimes can not fit into the ride. The simulator is sunken into the floor so much that when the hood is raised, you have to walk down some stairs to get into the ride tub. You then take your seat, and the overhead restraints lower automatically and lock into place. I must admit I was relieved when I heard the reassuring click as the mechanical locks engaged. The cabin done is then closed around you. Up front is a big movie screen, and in case you really need it, there is an "I want off of this ride NOW!!!" plunger sized button located within reach. The ride started,a and I soon realized that all the simulator can do is rock back and forth and roll over. No sideways movement (which my be why no turn pieces are offered). I was expecting a simulator with more axis of movement, what it is, in reality is a rider customizable simulator with about as much movement as a Haunted Swing ride. Forwards roll, backwards roll, except that in this case you are actually the one rolling, not the room. I also noted a nameplate on the ride "ZAMPERLA" which is a nice Italian ride manufacturer, and I think the same people who supplied the latest rebuilds of Dumbo, Flying Carpets, Astro Orbiter, Tricreatops Spin, and after a recent re-organization they can be held technically responsible for primeval Whirl. I exited the ride at its conclusion, where I noted the ride operator took my key and unlocked the locker for me. You don't think all the lock boxes are keyed the same do you? Having retrieved my stuff, I walked down the exit stairs and neglected to stop by the booth where you can buy a video of you riding your coaster.

 

I looked around the room I was in, and noticed they had a place where you can learn to draw a Disney character, some electronic sketchpad, a build your own toy workshop, a record your own music recording studio, and other similar attractions, all of which are free and most of which also have the potential to sell you your finished creation.

 

Alladin's Flying Carpets

 

Not knowing the layout , I started wandering through the facility. I next came upon Alladin's Flying Carpets, the VR experience. I merely had to wait until the next 'ride'. You are issued the inner working of a hard hat which you (literally) screw onto your head this has spots to which the VR helmet on the ride locks onto to. Its a nice touch which makes sure that the (expensive) helmet does not come off mid-ride. It also fully ensures that the helmet controls all that you can see and hear. The helmet also has motion sensors so that if you look up. down, or around the viewpoint changes so that what you see matches the way your head is turned. You then receive brief instructions on flying a magic carpet. You are seated on a bike seat. Lean forward to go down, lean back to go up, and steer with the handlebars, push forward on the handlebars to go faster, pull back to go slower. The ride itself is at its heart a VR videogame., fly and pick up the jewels while trying to rescue someone, You fly through and explore a fantasy world, lots of clever flying, and lots of decision, making points, though I wonder if you always complete the game. I mean we got all the way to the end on our game, and I noticed that those who flew down alternate passages were put back on the right course.

 

I next walked down a stairway and saw a row of what looked like a rowing videogame. Its the Virtual Jungle Cruise, where you and your group has to row a rubber raft (virtually of course) in accordance with what you see on he screen ahead of you. I passed on Virtual Jungle Cruise. I did go into Virtual Pirates of the Caribbean.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean - the VR experience

 

In Pirates you are first issued some heavy duty 3D goggles, yes goggles, with a neck strap that tightens. You are then shown to your pirate ship. Onboard the group has to elect one person to man the ships wheel, and effectively steer the ship, the other members of the group stand alongside the edges of the deck and man the cannons. There are more cannons than people so you may have to run around the deck of the boat to find the most advantageous cannon to use. The cannons have limited aiming ability, and to fire, you have to yank on the rope. All around the very real deck of your virtual pirate ship is a wrap around screen, presenting in 3D, the ocean around you, and more importantly the rival pirate ships that your are trying to plunder and loot (Wake up me hearties, YO HO!) I don't quite get how it happens but when you sink a ship, you get all the treasure that was on board that ship. I would have thought that since you never leave your ship, and you have decimated the other ship, the treasure would go down with the ship. The game gets progessively harder as you go along, until finally you have to fight the ghostly pirates to claim the prize. Its a cute game. I decided to skip its counterpart, Alien Encounter which is a similar concept, only 360 degrees instead of 180.

 

Next off in my travels I stopped for a quick game of Marble Madness (and with my pathetic performance, it was a quick game) All the arcade games in DisneyQuest that don't offer prizes are included with the admission. Just hit start!, On some of the older classic machines, or arcade games that don't normally allow for free play, they have installed a button right where the coin slot would normally be. Press the button and one credit is added to the game.

 

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters

 

I explored further and I found Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. These are Dodgems taken to the next level. The Dodgems are contained in an entirely enclosed environment, with clear walls and doors surrounding the L shaped floor. In addition the cars have fully enclosed clear cages for their riders. You may ask why all the high security. Well this isn't your grandfather's Dodgem car. Oh no, these cars have a vacuum mounted to the bottom of the car that can scoop up basketball sized "asteroids" that are littered along the arena floor. Just roll over one to snag it, it will appear in an ammo bin between the cars two seats. One you have an asteroid, you place it into the Astro Blaster and fire it at another car. Your goal is to hit the target on another car. This will cause the cars interior strobe lights to flash, the driver of that car to loose control, and that car to spin for a few seconds. What's not to like!

 

 

These Dodgems also come with a safety training. Mostly stuff like only one asteroid in the astro blaster at a time and since both the arena and your car doors are locked, it your astro blaster jams, you will be defenseless for the remainder of the ride. A truly sad fate. They also tell you to inspect the weaponry before the ride starts, to make sure the loading hatch on the Astro Blaster is OPEN, and that the ammo chamber is empty. This is to help make sure you don't have a jammed gun right from the start. Other tips involve seatbelts, If the belts are not fastened the car will not move., and to stay out of one end of the arena floor. Its a black hole and cars seem to get stuck there. Again if you get hopelessly stuck or your car malfunctions, there is nothing that can be done about it once the ride starts. I did not have a ride partner so I would have to be both Driver and Gunner in my car. The ride is ideally meant for teams of two. Also some ground rules: NO picking up asteroids while walking to and from your car, you may only use asteroids your car picks up during the ride. NO preloading the cannon.

 

Okay briefing open, the arena hatch was opened, and I made my way to my craft. Once seated inside my craft, I did the recommended weapons system inspection, then I familiarized myself with the craft. In front of the driver is a steering wheel which well you can figure it out, on the floor is a foot pedal which controls the speed of the car, (supposedly), but a new addition has been added in the form of a gearshift. You have forwards and reverse gear. The idea must be to make these some of the most manueverable Dodgem cars on the planet, even if they are huge and bulky. I then inspected the Gunners station. There is a bin between the seats to pick up asteroids you have found, and a huge cannon in front of the gunner. The cannon has limited aiming potential, it also has a fire button located at its base, and a knob on the side. The knob opens and closes the ammo loading chamber. Behind both seats is a netted shelf for storing loose articles. I then made sure both doors were closed, then I fastened the seatbelt on the empty Gunner's seat, before I fastened my own. The cars use standard 3-point automotive style seatbelts. The attendants come around and perform a safety inspection. (There are also tattle tale lights on the top of the cars that tattle on those with unfastened seatbelts) The ride then started, I think the car doors maglock, then remember that big plastic clear cage that surrounds you. You would be relieved when you hear a nice cooling fan turn on to circulate fresh air into your plastic cage.

 

whew, this is fun! I was at a disadvantage flying solo, but all in all I had a real fun ride, and the rides seemed to be a lot longer than your average dodgem ride. It did not take to long for e to learn how to pilot my craft, now if I could only load and fire cannon and drive at the same time. That would be an artform. As an extra bonus, due to the low crowds that night, we were offered a DOUBLE RIDE. Due to the ride control system we had to unfasten the seatbelts, wait until the ride reset, then refasten them, but Whee HEee DOUBLE RIDE! I want a set of these closer to home. What a wonderful way to help you take out your frustrations.

 

Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam

 

I wandered some more and came to Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. hmm, a pinball themed game, I could hardly resist.

 

This one isn't that great. You stand on a giant joystick, by leaning on the joystick you can move your ball around the pintable. Yep its pinball in name only. Hit the targets, score goals, it a lot of players at once in this 'pinball' free-for-all.

 

I looked at my watch, 10:57, not really time to get to anything, but DisneyQuest also has a wide, wide, (and did I mention WIDE) selection of arcade games. I stumbled upon pinball alley. I played a game of Rollercoaster Tycoon pinball, and confirmed that even when its free and its at Disney, that pinball machine is still crap.

 

towards the end of my pingame, I thought that there must be a FunHouse machine just around the corner. Right at 11, I hear a grandfather clock go BONG, BONG, BONG, some yawning noises, but instead of "The funhouse is now closed" I hear "DisneyQuest is now closed..." Its a fitting closing announcement as DisneyQuest is very much Disney's modern answer to a funhouse!

 

Which leaves you this chilling challenge: To Find A WAY OUT

 

Remember that disorienting and purposely confusing layout, well the one thing that doesn't seem to be well marked is the EXIT. I walked around the same floor a couple times, and noted that in un Disneylike fashion, the cast members were not being overly helpful at helping you locate the exit. The goal seems to be to find the down staircases and make your way to Level 1, then find the exit turnstiles on level 1. I finally found one of the elevators that was configured for guest use, and instructed the Happy Vertical People Transporter that I would like to go down. As you may know Happy Vertical People Transporters like going down more than they like going up. It just so happened to be my luck that when the doors opened on Level 1, I was right next to the exit turnstiles. It should come as a surprise to nobody that the exit turnstiles let you out into Disneyquests giftshop, which was still operating.

[TheGrayGirl]

Oh, man! I am really sad to hear that this place is going 'down hill'.

I have great memories of going there with cousins and having a blast!

I have passd by it while on Orlando trips, and always wanted to go back, but now it looks like I may not get a chance...

I absolutely love the Buzz Light year bumper cars!!

I hope that y'all decide to go and check it out, just reading everyones own memories brings back a few lol moments.

[Jumboshrmp]

That was an EXCELLENT POST.

THANK YOU!

I am really looking forward to going again sometime soon!