What Was The Disney Stop?

When you think of Disney and Main Street, you probably think of the original classic Main Street USA in Disneyland, or perhaps the follow-up version in Orlando Florida. However did you know that for just under a year, on a little known project, we almost got a Disney Main Street in South Carolina?

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📔Sources

📰The Atlanta Constitution
“Disney to catch the mousebound” (Jan 24 1996)

📰The Orlando Sentinel
“Disney teams with AAA to provide multipurpose rest area for travelers” (Jan 25 1996)
“Disney, AAA encounter potholes while planning South Carolina rest stop” (Jul 11 1996)

📰The Palm Beach Post
“Themed tourist stop in S.C. will point way to Disney” (Jan 24 1996)

For their next collaboration, #TheDisneyStop, as it was going to be called, was planned to be over ten times larger than the Ocala stop at 46 acres. For comparison, that’s just under half the size of The Magic Kingdom. Disney chose the small town of Hardeeville, South Carolina for its location. Sitting off of exit 8 on I-95, The Disney Stop would be a five hour drive from Disney World, and just a 20 mile drive to Hilton Head Island. That second part was relevant because beyond just being a popular tourist destination in South Carolina, it’s also where Disney was planning to build their next DVC resort. Disney figured that this would be the perfect spot to grab the attention of tourists heading down I-95 to Florida as well as locals who might be heading to the island.

And with a $35 million dollar budget, Disney didn’t want just any old interstate rest stop. According to Tom Elrod, the President of Marketing and Entertainment at Walt Disney Attractions, The Disney Stop was going to offer a “level of entertainment that people expect out of Disney.” The complex would feature a travel center, obviously, a hotel with 550 rooms, a combined 2,000 dining seats spread across multiple restaurants, an auto service center, a kennel for travelers to keep and care for their pets, and between thirty to forty thousand square feet of retail shopping space. To top it all off, everything at The Disney Stop was going to be tied to a central Main Street that was going to be themed to a 1950s midwestern American town. So think less Main Street USA and more American Graffiti.

Disney themselves would own and operate very little of the center, however they’d overlook the design in order to standardize the look and feel of all the buildings there. They even began to reach out to prospective businesses to work with them on emulating their older looks from the 50s and 60s. If they weren’t around back then they were asked to instead emulate the style of design that was popular for the era.

Taking a slightly different approach for the advertising, the lead up along I-95 to The Disney Stop would trade in the subtle and authentic theming of the 1950s for large and bold Disney related props along the road, which were described to be “like those adorning the All-Star Resorts” in Walt Disney World.

As for the big picture, if all of this worked out, the plan was for AAA and Disney to collaborate on an entire chain of similar rest stops across the country.

[ReneeStevens]

How do you keep finding these fascinating Disney facts? Just when I think you've covered it all, you surprise me with something new! ✌❤🌎

[salbertron]

Everyone knows that "South of the Border" is the true "Disney Stop"

[glenngoodale]

Difference between you and other Youtubers is your not lazy. You have no problem moving the camera 65 thousand times for the viewers and you also take pride in the videos you make. Keep up the good work sir!

[HelloKittyfouronesix]

I was born and raised in Hardeeville! LOL. It's surreal hearing my town's name.

[debrakrook]

Sounds like Disney Springs everywhere. Interesting 👍🏼

[dy]

As a resident of a "small town", I can say it ticks me off that the people of these small towns will sit around and complain that there are no jobs and income, but then they fight tooth and nail to keep jobs and income from coming in. This isn't the 1930's, 40's or 50's anymore. companies like Disney and Walmart are the best, and most the time only options to save the town, and I say that from experience. Our town was less than a year from being dead until they built a new Walmart 4 years ago. Sure we are considered a "Tourist town in the mountains" but with only a scenic train and the mountains, there was nothing. Now we are alive again. Yeah, traffic is heavier, and people are "strangers" (which is fine by me), but new small business are opening again, and income is coming in.

[HappinessandSweetTea]

Neat to know! I had no idea. I love cool facts.

[akfasso]

I usually pride myself on knowing Disney history, but your channel has certainly put me in my place. ;) Loved this video! I had no idea...

[elizabethbostick]

I have never heard Ocala, FL pronounced the way you did.

[JacobHillSBD]

As someone who used to live in Florence, SC, just 2 hours from Hardeeville, I would have loved this!

[floridafun]

Instead, maybe Disney should help plan and sponsor something tried and true like another Fort Wilderness? Locate it close to their original plan -- somewhere in the Carolinas, near I-95.
Cabins, RV hookups, restaurants, shops, a small lake with boating and fishing rentals, playgrounds, horseback riding, walking trails, campfire sing-a-longs, outdoor movies. AND, most importantly, Disney attention to detail and customer service!
Some motorists and RV'ers will stay the night, but most will just stop and relax for an hour or two.
Good idea, huh?
And if someone at Disney likes this idea and wants to get it green-lit in seconds, all they need to do is include a Disney Vacation Club Preview Center in the proposal! =]

[Ryotsu]

RIP Ocala Disney Welcome Center. We always stopped by there on the drive to our WDW vacations to get hyped up. We also listened to Disneyworld radio when we got close enough as well, but I guess that’s gone now too.

[Wesrl]

If we had learned anything from this channel it is that Disney is ambitious

[Tryingtohaveityall]

This would have killed South of the Boarder - which is kind of okay but also heartbreaking because South of the Boarder is so kitschy cool. I really wish they would have done it. Bucees in Texas just like South of the Boarder is a destination along the way. They should revisit this idea

[FransLebin]

dang, I remember that Ocala rest stop. I was 5 years old and we'd been driving down to Florida for nearly 2 days. I was so excited I thought we'd finally arrived at Disney World

[lemapp]

In the 80’s, I remember HardeeVille as being a large rest area. A local restaurant, Hardee’s was there. Now they are the East Coast Carl Jr’s. Before Hardee’s, Stuckeys operated their themed rest areas along the Interstates. You had to walk through the gift shop to reach the bathrooms. Like a Disney ride in reverse.

[dtnbabcock]

Great historical work!! Well tied together... Can you do one on Disney America (if you haven’t already)? As a Virginian, I’ve often given that the “what if” treatment, complete with having visited the prospective site, the office bldg Disney used put plans together, etc... Would be glad to turnover my research if it helps!

[chuc]

I remember the Disney rest area in Ocala...I’d forgotten all about that!

[UmmYeahOk]

Never knew of this project. Have you ever been to a Buc-cee's (people will sometimes wear shirts with their beaver logo). It's sort of a travel center. Imagine a massive truck stop, only for passenger vehicles and motorcycles only. No matter which location you go, it's ALWAYS busy! Lots of souvenirs of either the store, or the local area. The idea is that you'll get gas, use their super clean restrooms, get a bite to eat, snacks to go, and then continue your journey. I imagine that if Disney were to have implemented its "travel center, " it would be like this, a rest stop. You showed video of a Stuckeys, imagine the Super Walmart of Stuckeys.

[GAFarmGirl]

I live on the very edge of Hardeeville and have stayed at the HHI Disney resort many times....yet, I've never heard about this. Very interesting! It kinda makes me sad that this never came to fruition. On a positive note...Hardeeville now has a Latitude Margaritaville community....so we're pretty excited about that!