Disney Regional Entertainment
| Subsidiary of a publicly held corporation | |
| Industry | location base entertainment |
| Fate | closed |
| Founded | July 12, 1996 |
| Founders |
Michael D. Eisner Art Levitt |
| Defunct | June 16, 2010 |
|
Key people
|
Art Levitt (president) Jay Rasulo (SVP) |
| Parent |
|
Disney Regional Entertainment was the subsidiary of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts which developed and operated unique local entertainment concepts. It previously operated the Club Disney, DisneyQuest, and ESPN Zone chain entertainment concepts. The only remaining DisneyQuest, in Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort, is now operated directly by the resort. The only two remaining ESPN Zone restaurants in Los Angeles and Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort are operated by third parties or other Disney Parks and Resort unit.
Disney Regional Entertainment was formed in 1996 to develop local based entertainment concepts. Soon after the purchase of Capital Cities/ABC Inc., which owns 80% of ESPN, Disney CEO Michael D. Eisner moved forward with his idea to having local entertainment based on Disney brands in metropolitan and suburban area. Eisner selected Art Levitt, who was previously Disney Parks and Resorts vice president of resorts and special projects then CEO of Hard Rock Cafe International. As Disney Parks and Resorts vice president of resorts and special projects, Levitt was responsible for Pleasure Island, the Disney Village Marketplace and the Disney Village Resort and spearhead the initial plans for ESPN Club, which was initial conceptually similar to ESPN Zone.
Several concepts were placed in the planning stage.Club Disney was the first to be launched on February 21, 1997 at the Westlake Promenade in Thousand Oaks, Califorina with another in Southern California opened later that year.
On June 19, 1998, Disney Regional Entertainment opened its first DisneyQuest, a location-based entertainment venue, at Downtown Disney West Side in Walt Disney World. The company opened its first ESPN Zone on July 11, 1998 at Power Plant in the Inner Harbor, Baltimore.
On August 28, 1998, Disney Regional announced a expansion for Disney Club for late 1998 and 1999. In December 1998, Disney Regional Entertainment was transferred with a couple of other units into Walt Disney Attractions.
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Wikipedia