DTD Component-PI

[Dano2007]

Has anyone seen anything recently about the plans for PI? I had heard that WDW wants to create a better flow through to both sides of DTD and is revamping the PI component to be a non fee based area with national brand clubs and restaurants.

 

[Disneybag]

Changes are already happening.

West Side Bridge has been moved to where the West End Stage used to be.

Ticket trolleys are only on the Marketplace side, West Side must visit Guest Relations. You can purchase tickets on the island in ATM type machines next to 8Trax.

The elimination of the stage at the West End has really done wonders (in my opinion) to the area in front of the Warehouse. They have lots of tables and chairs for chatting, a VERY small stage for live music throughout the late afternoon and late evening, and it's very well-it.

The shops (recently Harley Davidson, the Missing Link, etc) between The Adventurer's Club and Rock and Roll have been shut down and supposedly will be turned into some sort of Landry restaurant with a TRex theme.

Next to the Rock and Roll Beach Club, they've opened up a dock for the ferry to/from Marketplace and West Side.

A cigar lounge is going in below the DJ booth by Raglan Road.

Club age (save the Warehouse and AC) has jumped to 21.

Personally, I could care less about the changes as I rarely go anywhere but the Warehouse. However, for the big drinkers and partiers...this seems to spell disaster making the Island more family-friendly which doesn't make for a good party atmosphere... It looks like absolute crap with the state it's in right now. I'd be pissed to spend 22 bucks to feel like I'm walking around a construction site.

 

[mitros]

Changes are already happening.

West Side Bridge has been moved to where the West End Stage used to be.

Ticket trolleys are only on the Marketplace side, West Side must visit Guest Relations. You can purchase tickets on the island in ATM type machines next to 8Trax.

The elimination of the stage at the West End has really done wonders (in my opinion) to the area in front of the Warehouse. They have lots of tables and chairs for chatting, a VERY small stage for live music throughout the late afternoon and late evening, and it's very well-it.

The shops (recently Harley Davidson, the Missing Link, etc) between The Adventurer's Club and Rock and Roll have been shut down and supposedly will be turned into some sort of Landry restaurant with a TRex theme.

Next to the Rock and Roll Beach Club, they've opened up a dock for the ferry to/from Marketplace and West Side.

A cigar lounge is going in below the DJ booth by Raglan Road.

Club age (save the Warehouse and AC) has jumped to 21.

Personally, I could care less about the changes as I rarely go anywhere but the Warehouse. However, for the big drinkers and partiers...this seems to spell disaster making the Island more family-friendly which doesn't make for a good party atmosphere... It looks like absolute crap with the state it's in right now. I'd be pissed to spend 22 bucks to feel like I'm walking around a construction site.

I thought that T-Rex thing was going into the parking lot near McDonalds

Yea, getting rid of that stage was a good idea. All it did was attract large, drunken, raucous crowds. Nothing family friendly about that..........

 

[Jason71]

I thought that T-Rex thing was going into the parking lot near McDonalds

That's my understanding as well. The empty storefront in PI is just too small to hold a Rainforest Cafe-type restaurant. If I had to guess what will go there, I would think another "nicer" quick-service place, comparable to Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich. Doesn't look big enough for much else.

Yea, getting rid of that stage was a good idea. All it did was attract large, drunken, raucous crowds. Nothing family friendly about that..........

While I do miss Frankie and the West End Boys, I have to agree with Disneybag that, overall, it's an improvement. Much more open and airy when you walk in, and the crowd flows more easily. Now if we could only get live music "on the waterfront" behind Mannequins/8-Traxx.

 

[Luv2Roam]

DH and I think the opposite of the missing stage. It really makes the area BORING now. No surprise discounted PI admissions have been sold.
I am hoping this is a project still in a lot of work phase, because they certainly have made PI a sad and boring place. Thank goodness for AC and CW. Otherwise there would be absolutely no reason to go near PI.
And I would guess the club traffic is light since last time we were at CW it appears they are no longer a seven night a week club. (According to their seating time signs.)
It is nice to have a seating area. But considering there is no reason to sit now, why bother?
We have seen PI on Saturday nights that should be busy, and it is dead. If there were crickets, you could hear them.
Of course I have been bitter since they removed the Jessica sign.

But we were at PI during their PartiGras, or whatever they called it. That was sad indeed and made the area even seem more depressing and lack luster. It only emphasized what is NOT at PI and what USO does for Mardi Gras. No comparison what so ever. Better not to do anything and ignore Mardi Gras than what few attempts they made.

 

[snoopy two]

On what nights is the comedy warehouse open?

 

[Luv2Roam]

I could not recall the nights listed, as we rarely go except on a Saturday evening. DH said the signs read Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

 

[Disneybag]

The Warehouse is open 7 nights per week.
Sunday-Wednesday, they have 4 shows.
Thursday through Saturday, they have 5.
The times tend to change, but never stray too far from 8,9,10:30,12 (with the 5th show on weekends around 1). Currently, the first show starts at 7:55.
It's wise to get there around 7:45 for the first show anyway.

 

[Jason71]

Thank goodness for AC and CW. Otherwise there would be absolutely no reason to go near PI.

If you miss live music on the stage, why not stop by the Beach Club? The bands vary, but if Hip Kitty or the Leonard Brothers are playing, you're in for a good time.

Agreed, BTW, removing the Jessica Rabbit sign was a crime.

 

[Disneybag]

Yes, The Jessica is greatly missed. On holidays (I wish they would do more), they have been having Streetmosphere hanging around that open area chatting with people through microphones which are being pumped into that area. Valentine's Day was especially good as the two characters (a couple of evangelical-looking yet sleazy lounge singer-types) starting picking out celebrities as the tourists walked onto the island. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Menneudo!" "Hey! It's Cher and Ellen DeGeneres!...Oh. Sorry, sir." Most people had no idea what was going on. It's nice entertainment for the Warehouse line...which probably isn't a big enough audience to keep it going save the holidays.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I hope to be there this Saturday. I will pay more attention to the seating times sign at CW. I do recall there being two signs, and not all days of the week were listed -- as the sign use to read. I know there were less shows (or one less show) on some weekday nights.
From the new signs we gathered there were nights CW was not open, as all days of the week were no longer listed.
The music and dancing is not why we go to PI. We really have no interest in Beach Club or any of the others. But at least having a stage with large screens showing videos and/or live bands gave some life to the place. Esp for those walking through or waiting. That was more of an enticement I would have thought for guests who cared to find out what was in the clubs. Now it is just a loud disc jockey heard throught PI. About every 2nd or 3rd time we go we see stiltwalkers. And they are very good.
At this time (in our opinions) PI is a shadow of it's former self. Even the midnight fireworks have been gone for over a year. PI can only go up from here. I like to think there are bigger plans in the works.

 

[Disneybag]

The CW hasn't listed times for all days of the week for quite some time. They just recently (about two weeks ago) put signs back up over the bar to list showtimes. For the past few months, they've resorted to a small easel near the beginning of the queue. I was there last night (Wednesday usually has a great cast) and the first show sat at 8 and the last one sat at 11:45. Saturday's shows will most likely seat at 7:45.

I miss the live music as well. But the live music doesn't make the money that the restaurants do, so there you go.

Without a stage, they can't really make a big production out of it like they used to, but it'd be nice to have the fireworks back.

The stiltwalkers and the people with those pogo-stickish stilts are usually hanging around the Raglan Road area at the beginning of the night.

 

[Luv2Roam]

We went to AC and CW last night.
The signs are different than just a few weeks ago.
Now they are large, square orange signs with no days of the week.
A few weeks ago the signs were smaller, white and rectangular, with only a partial week listed. (And one was even mounted on top of the building. So it looked permanent at the time. )

Both clubs just as great as ever!

 

[Disneybag]

Those CW times listed are magnetic...apparently the signs themselves are as well? They look a lot like the ones they had before the major rehab of the area. What did you think of the seating/open area in front of the Warehouse? I'd be interested in seeing what the "live music" is that happens on that tiny stage...

 

[Luv2Roam]

We never have seen live music in that seating area.
Although we have seen a few times live music on a little stage that is behind the dance club (8 Trax ) next to CW.
The seating area is just an outdoor patio looking seating area. Nothing unique in any way. And no reason to really linger and sit, unless I guess people do want to buy a drink, wait for someone or just rest and sit. Good smoking area I guess.

Yeah -- the show times do look magnetic. But it was not just the times. The signs were completely different just a few weekends ago.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I wish they'd bring back the live bands. I was one of those drunken revellers in front of the stage...except I wasn't drunk just happy to have a live performance and danceable music.

They need something that'll draw the crowds to the area and thence entice them into the clubs. It doesnt have to be live music...a live outdoor show would be good too... Not just streetmosphere...if need be let some of the performers from EPCOT come over...

 

[Disneybag]

They really don't have anything on the West Side entrance to make people want to come onto the Island. Like I mentioned earlier, the stiltwalkers, etc. gravitate toward Mraketplace side in the early hours of PI. I'm also baffled why they still have the "Happy New Year" on top of the arch at the entrances to the bridges. No more fireworks, folks. No more New Year. It'd be nice if they shot of a small round of fireworks on the hour starting at dark. Nothing major. Maybe just a few rounds... Maybe just a minute's worth.