Everyone now knows that the NBA Experience is heading to Disney Springs in Walt Disney World, but that means the sad and hard-to-watch demolition of DisneyQuest . Last month, holes were made into every outside wall of the DisneyQuest building to prep for the building to be torn down, but movement has been slow since that time. Now, a lot is being done and there are no soft steps being taken as the building is being torn down and these photos show the destruction.
It was first revealed back in 2015 that DisneyQuest would close in the future for the NBA Experience to take over that valuable piece of land in Disney Springs. After that, it was rather quiet for a while but things got moving and the huge arcade closed down for good on July 3, 2017.
Since then, the signage outside of the building had been taken down and construction walls were put up all the way around it. A little bit was done here and there, but nothing major had happened to DisneyQuest until Friday morning when the loud noise and destruction started taking place.
People gathered outside to take pictures and say their final farewells as the construction crew started moving at a quick pace to get it down.
The side of DisneyQuest facing East Buena Vista Drive is currently being worked on first, and they are not doing a lot to hide it. Considering the height of the building, it isn’t as if they can put up walls nearly high enough to block out the demolition, but it is going full force right now.
Guests can look straight into the building and see stairwells and railings to know exactly what part of the building they used to be in.
This is the side facing La Nouba and not much has been done to it at all yet. The same can be said for the side facing the shops and Disney Springs AMC 24.
The same can be said for the opposite side of the building facing into Disney Springs/West Side which doesn’t have the signage up, but still looks almost the same. The famous Mickey Mouse ears that signified DisneyQuest are still there, but likely won’t be for long.
On Thursday, the Disney Parks Blog gave some more information on the NBA Experience which is going to take the place of DisneyQuest and will open in the summer of 2019. It is obvious that Disney felt as if the old structure could not be changed enough for the purpose they had in mind and the newly released concept art shows that the NBA is getting a beautiful new home.
First Look: The NBA Experience at Walt Disney World Resort is coming to Disney Springs in Summer 2019! https://t.co/HbV3WDOJbo pic.twitter.com/ZLF139Riqb
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) October 19, 2017
Disney Springs has really blossomed in the last two years as new shops, restaurants, and interactive experiences have built it up from what it used to be. With the NBA Experience opening in the summer of 2019 and more new restaurants and shops, this is becoming one of the must-see locations in Walt Disney World . While it’s exciting to see what the future will bring, it is hard for longtime fans to see the destruction of DisneyQuest from what it once was.
[Featured Image by Danny Cox]