Splitsville at Downtown Disney Re-designed and Opening in the Fall

[Wendy]

As more information is released about Splitsville, it seems like the original concept art has also changed as the new picture shows.

splitsville-new-dtd.jpg

The new Splitsville location will take over the former Virgin Records store and span roughly 50,000 square feet. That's about half the size of an average Walmart store. It is expected that Splitsville will be geared to the roughly 15 million visitors who walk along Downtown Disney's main drag each year. While the theme will remain family-friendly bowling, the location is spurring changes.

Splitsville officials spent three years working with Disney to refine the theme, menu, prices, format and operating hours so the location would work with other new restaurants and attractions under construction in the area.

The Disney location will have two floors with a total of 30 bowling lanes and about 750 seats, including the pods where people sit while bowling. Its kitchens will serve everything from chicken fingers and wings to pizza and sushi — anything sharable — plus breakfast for tourists, Revelle said. Like the original Splitsville in Tampa, the Disney location will be something of a combination bowling alley-restaurant-bar-party venue.

To make the bowling more friendly to families visiting the Disney parks, Splitsville dropped its typical format of selling a set number of games. Instead, guests will pay hourly for bowling.

"At a busy bowling alley, you might not know a lane will be open for a couple hours after someone finishes their game — whenever that is," Revelle said. "At Disney, you'll know your lane will be available at an exact time."

"We are excited to have Splitsville coming on board," said Disney spokeswoman Kathleen Prihoda. "It will be a great addition for our guests and a good fit for the lively area."

If all goes according to plan, Disney and Splitsville are optimistic that the new Disney location could open this autumn.

[Tink]

Well I don't like bowling so this leaves me unimpressed. If this is WDW's ides of adult night life, they've missed the boat for me. I'm sure loads of others will be happy with it.

[Wendy]

Well I don't like bowling so this leaves me unimpressed. If this is WDW's ides of adult night life, they've missed the boat for me. I'm sure loads of others will be happy with it.

Snap!

[catrancher]

Tom (... yawn...)

[uscwest]

I wonder whatever happened to the huge bowling alley that was supposed to open at the Wide World of Sports complex and host the ABC Nationals?

[Johnie]

I don't go to Disney to spend extra money on mini golf and I won't spend it on bowling.

[Beccaberry]

Hmmmm, yeah, no thanks.

[catrancher]

Ya know. This whole thread has got me thinking.

Based on the reactions I've heard here so far, it kind of makes me wonder sometimes what Disney is thinking. I mean, they take an attraction that everybody seemed to love (the Adventurers Club) and get rid of it. Then they put in things that nobody seems to care about (Splitville).

Now I know that the Adventurers Club was part of the Pleasure Island complex and much of that may indeed have needed to go. And I also know that Splitsville is not completely Disney. But the whole thing still makes me wonder.

What are they thinking? Or are they?

Tom (... why change what works?)

[uscwest]

This strikes me as something that, if Disney were going to build it anyway, would be better suited for WWoS.

[Beccaberry]

Agreed!