Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: Dixie Stampede Closes
The Dixie Stampede, located outside of Disney World, has closed as of 3pm today... Apparently, they received an offer for that land that was "too good to pass up". They said they are looking at options to build a new facility, but nothing specific right now....
Dixie Stampede Ceases Operations
Employees Told Of Decision When Showing Up To Work
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction in Orlando ceased all operations on Monday after selling its property, and some employees found out about the decision when they showed up for work.
The closing became official at 3 p.m. when the attraction's 13 acres, located along Interstate 4 near Walt Disney World, were purchased by an undisclosed owner, attraction officials told Local 6 News.
Some employees of Dixie Stampede were informed of the decision when they arrived for work on Monday, and officials said they were attempting to notify other workers by phone.
Dixie Stampede will also send out certified letters to all employees, notifying them about their compensation packages, officials told Local 6 News. Officials said workers would receive two months of pay.
Officials said they are searching for a location to open a new Dixie Stampede but would not say if the search was exclusive to the Central Florida area.
"Before we built the Dixie Stampede in Orlando we looked for the best location we could find. Its visibility from I-4 and proximity to major theme parks made it ideal. In the last several years the area surrounding our facility has exploded with development. Directly adjacent to the Dixie Stampede are some of the most successful lodging and retail establishments in the area. Because of this visibility and the success of the area, Dixie Stampede accepted an offer for the property it simply could not refuse," Dixie Stampede CEO Fred Harwick said in a statement.
"The people we have worked with in Orlando have been incredible," Dolly Parton said. "We at Dixie Stampede have been blessed, but I am a firm believer in timing and opportunity. This was an opportunity we could not pass up. We're exploring our options now and we will be back better than ever!"
Dixie Stampede's Web site describes the attraction as "A fun-filled, action-packed Dinner and Show extravaganza for everyone! It’s the perfect place for families, friends and groups to gather for spectacular special effects and amazing stunts by the most talented performers in the area. It’s the only place that brings together stunning performers, amazing horse feats, fantastic stunt riders, magic and audience participation with a delicious four-course dinner extravaganza for one amazing price!"
Three other Dixie Stampede attractions are located in Branson, Mo., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
_________________ Up or Down North, South, East, or West An Adventurer's Life is Best!
Joined: Dec 10, 2007 Posts: 707 Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:
I live at the top of the street.. I couldn't be happier (ooh)!!!! Traffic is SOOOO bad on this street, the change won't effect much but still... that's all the fewer cars for a while!
Joined: Dec 10, 2007 Posts: 707 Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject:
Nothing against' the dinner show (I am from the south, and I don't know anyone who doesn't like Ms. Parton in some way), but th traffic on Vineland Ave. is absolutely IiNnSsAaNnEe!!! I live 200' from SR535, and it takes me 10min to get there!!!!!
Joined: Jan 01, 2008 Posts: 96 Location: Marlton, NJ
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:17 pm Post subject:
My wife worked at the one in Myrtle Beach when we lived there back in 1999-2001. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully they will get a new location down in Orlando.
Joined: Dec 10, 2007 Posts: 707 Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject:
Humpf..
Orlando Premium Outlets is expanding I think. I beleive Simon Malls is purchasing the property. I read something about them adding another 30 or 40 stores where D.S. is now.
Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 5:21 am Post subject:
foxer is correct, it has been announced on local news that Simon Malls (owners of Orlando Premium Outlets) purchased the land...
So I guess the traffic is going to be a little better... but not much... _________________ Up or Down North, South, East, or West An Adventurer's Life is Best!
Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:31 am Post subject:
Wait a second.... after a few months, things have changed:
No sale yet for Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede property
Mark Chediak | Sentinel Staff Writer
November 12, 2008
When Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede abruptly shut down and laid off 162 workers in early January, the dinner theater's owners said they had sold the attraction in a deal that was too good to pass up.
That deal, it turns out, has fallen apart, leaving the 13-acre lot east of Walt Disney World without a buyer and its fate unknown.
Orlando Premium Outlets, which had considered purchasing the nearby property as part of an expansion, recently said it wasn't interested in the site at 7950 Vineland Ave.
"We never said we were buying it; we said we are looking at it," said Michele Rothstein, a spokeswoman for Chelsea Premium Outlets, a division of mall-owner Simon Property Group and operator of Orlando Premium Outlets.
The mall owner had done its due diligence and wasn't going forward with a deal for undisclosed reasons, Rothstein said. Orlando Premium, one of the most successful outlets in the country, recently completed a 114,000-square-foot expansion that added 40 new outlet retailers.
As for the empty Dixie Stampede, which occupies a high-profile location in Orlando's tourism corridor and can be easily spotted by motorists on Interstate 4, its fate remains unclear.
Pete Owens, spokesman for Dixie Stampede LLC, said the company is now searching for a new buyer. Owens said the theater operator does not plan to move back into the empty building, which once held a 1,086-seat theater for shows featuring horses, buffalo, ostrich races and a cast of Civil War soldiers.
Dixie Stampede now operates namesake dinner theaters in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; Branson, Mo.; and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The concept was the brainchild of country singer and actress Parton, who remains part-owner of the company.
At the time of the announced sale of the Orlando location, which opened in 2003, Parton issued a statement saying the offer was an "opportunity we could not pass up."
Now, with the credit crunch hampering commercial real-estate transactions, a buyer might be harder to find.
"We are optimistic even with the current economic situation," Owens said. "We had several groups that expressed interested in the property at the same time that Chelsea was involved."
The property has an assessed value of $14.9 million, according to the Orange County property appraiser. Dixie Stampede purchased the vacant site in 2000 for $3.4 million.
Meanwhile, Dixie Stampede continues to search for another location in Central Florida for a dinner theater, Owens said.
Joined: Jan 20, 2006 Posts: 1040 Location: Lexington, TN
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject:
that would explain why the building still stands and nothing has been done around it if it had been so valuable it would have been torn down by now if the deal had gone through, i think they were looking for an excuse to get out of the building !! _________________
Ich bin der Piraten zu behaupten, was mir jetzt und für immer
Joined: Apr 20, 2008 Posts: 1454 Location: Long Beach, CA
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:
I think they made a good decision. With disney's shows and Other Orlando attractions, the show was probably getting phased out of entertainment in The city. Was this restauraunt part of the International Drive, or away a bit?
Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject:
I've read some rumors that the owners may have been trying to unload the property and used this whole thing as a way to release all of the employees.
Maybe they some how saw the economic slow downs and wanted to get out while they were still making some decent money (although, I doubt they would have seen things get as bad as quickly as it did)... That's just rumor and speculation on my part... _________________ Up or Down North, South, East, or West An Adventurer's Life is Best!
Joined: Jan 20, 2006 Posts: 1040 Location: Lexington, TN
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:11 am Post subject:
near the south end of international dr south of seaworld but they were in such a open location it sticks out like a sore thumb i meanit sit right next to i-4 for pity sake you can't miss it that was why the idea that the owners of the premium outlet wanted it in the first place because of the location _________________
Ich bin der Piraten zu behaupten, was mir jetzt und für immer
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Utilidors Audio Broadcasting / Utilidors.com / uabmagic.com are in no way affiliated with, endorsed or promoted by the Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries.
All Music and requestable media Copyright the Walt Disney Company or their respective artists / Composers.
