So What's Coming to the New Pleasure Island?

Looks like this will be the last week of Pleasure Island as we currently know it with Laffers Cantina closing after Sunday night (May 5, 2013). Entertainment acts (bands) that currently perform at West End Plaza's Purple and Green Stages are moving to the "park" area in the West Side adjacent Bongo's. The human statues are moving to Marketplace in front of Pollo Campero. Those that work in the offices underneath West End Plaza also vacate next Monday, moving to a construction trailer located out in the Q-Lot beyond House of Blues.

After that, construction walls could go up anytime as the next phase of demolitions on Pleasure Island begin!

BobK/Orlando
SAVE PLEASURE ISLAND BLOG
 
Great thread, Bob. Instead of starting a new thread I will post DTD news here.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/General...n_Skees_to_head_up_Disney_Springs_project.htm

The Disney Springs project will have Imagineer Theron Skees as its project leader. Theron has worked with Disney since 1991 in a variety of roles, first as a consultant, then officially joining the company with Imagineering in 1997. Other roles include art director during the revamping of Walt Disney World's Tower of Terror, field art director for rockwork at Disneyland Paris' Pirates of the Caribbean, and opening Hong Kong Disneyland.

He finds his inspiration for design from movies, books and traveling. He said, "I love immersing myself in new cultures all over the world."

Click link for more details.
 
http://damouse.com/2013/04/16/rainforest-cafes-lava-lounge-opening-date-delayed-again/

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We have been following the construction and renovation project that has seen substantial changes to one of Downtown Disney’s iconic landmarks, the Rainforest Cafe’s Volcano. Da Mouse reported just last month about the construction completion date that should have arrived earlier this month but for the often-delayed project this is just one more twist in the soon to be simulated lava flow. During the lead up to our previous report it was hinted to us that the process of getting approvals and moving forward on construction projects at Walt Disney World can be quite tedious and understandably more challenging with Disney’s rigorous standards. The expected opening date for the new Lava Lounge has now been pegged for early May and though there is seemingly little work left to be done we wouldn’t be shocked if even that time frame is somehow pushed back as well.

Click link for more details.
 


I take it that Fuego's is still set to close at end of Sept. 2013 and they did not find them a new home. Was hoping to see them one more time the fall but not down till end of Oct.
 
I take it that Fuego's is still set to close at end of Sept. 2013 and they did not find them a new home. Was hoping to see them one more time the fall but not down till end of Oct.

Not sure of the exact closing date. It's when their lease expires.

BobK/Orlando
 


http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/rain...fe-lava-lounge-and-volcano-now-fully-open.htm

-refurbishment at Downtown Disney's Rainforest Cafe is now complete and both the erupting volcano and Lava Lounge bar are now fully open to guests.
The spectacular volcano smoulders throughout the day, but come dusk, it erupts with an elaborate fireball show. You can see it every 30 minutes, on the hour and half hour. Each eruption takes around 2 minutes, and can be seen from all around the Marketplace. During testing it was certainly stopping guests in their tracks to see the show - check out our video of the volcano testing earlier this week.

The Lava Lounge bar sits on the side of the building overlooking the lake, and is built into the base of the volcano. It has a number of waterfalls reaching 18ft high, and a near 15ft long crocodile animated figure. The main dining room in the restaurant remains open as normal, and continues to offer the familiar favorites.

The Rainforest Cafe is typically open from 11am to 10:30pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11am to 11:30pm on Friday and Saturdays.
 
wow this thread has gone quiet! kinda strange now stuff is finally starting to happen on the island.

For those who dont know, kingbobs site has been publishing lots of pictures in the last few weeks of the demolition on the island.

So lots of demolition going on... but still no real news on whats coming!? anyone heard any more rumours???? even if they're from bus drivers?! :rolleyes1
 
Were there any announcement made at D23? Everyone seemed to think we'd get an update there. I saw some photos of a model on display.
 
wow this thread has gone quiet! kinda strange now stuff is finally starting to happen on the island.

For those who dont know, kingbobs site has been publishing lots of pictures in the last few weeks of the demolition on the island.

So lots of demolition going on... but still no real news on whats coming!? anyone heard any more rumours???? even if they're from bus drivers?! :rolleyes1

I think most of us who were holding onto any glimmer of hope that they might have something that resembles what pleasure island once was have finally given up all hope.

I know I can't wait to go to WDW to shop in an outdoor mall with all the same 3rd party stores selling the same stuff I can get at the malls at home or online then go over and go bowling or see a movie just like I can at home as well.
 
I think most of us who were holding onto any glimmer of hope that they might have something that resembles what pleasure island once was have finally given up all hope.

I know I can't wait to go to WDW to shop in an outdoor mall with all the same 3rd party stores selling the same stuff I can get at the malls at home or online then go over and go bowling or see a movie just like I can at home as well.

Wow...this is a sobering and 100% accurate account of the reality at downtown.

Pleasure island is as dead as river country or discovery island.

And the reasons are classic Disney trying to reinvent the wheel. The bars were never busy enough to meet what their legion of accountants deemed they should be...but you never see a bar go out of business... Pretty easy to survive when they make $150 worth of drinks out of a bottle of vodka...but not good enough

I know when I was an employee... There was alot of rub between the bartenders who worked PI and the corporate idea of what the employees should make. They just couldn't be tolerated. One of the largest tourist locations on earth selling highly overpriced drinks making good money... We just couldn't have that. Tips and wdw always comes down to the same fundamental problem... They are basically a minimum wage labor market for everyone else ( wasn't always that way) and they pay their managers nothing. They highly defend their management wages as "competitive"...but the reality is its more like "below industry standards". PI messed with those things. They have slashed waiter hours and table assignments over the years as well to attempt to limit this "problem"
I guess you can't foresee that your waiters are gonna make $90K if you put them in a place where people pack in at $30 a head for eggs and run out in a half an hour to go on rides, huh? While the manager makes $33k on a 50 hour salary. (Oh dear...have I given away the secrets?)

The other thing is the "local" issue. Management has always dealt with locals with "necessary disdain "...they want them around when the planes aren't flying in to OIA packed with free spending tourists...but want them to go away the minute they're not needed. Locals never would spend at PI the way they wanted them to...it's orlando (big and poor) and they could never afford it. There was some blame linked to "bad behavior" in this regard..but that's a smokescreen. There were relatively few incidents...and anytime you mix a chemical compound of alcohol, estrogen , and testosterone...there will be the occasional firework anyway.
But the reality is that they probably feel they'll get more pound for pound out of a banana republic and an apple store from locals/Florida residents than they ever did out of the adventurers club.

They are probably right.

Just a couple of thoughts.

PI lost its champion when Eisner was shown the gate and his parkhopper was seized. He always pushed ( and rightly so) that there was nothing wrong with adult entertainment options too if structured properly... It's part of the condition and doesn't have to be always a giftshop
And a character meet and greet.
But park operations appear to be more and more run by a select group
Of people...and those people are 25 year old green Wharton MBAs and factory managers who make pins and vinylmations outside of Shanghai
 
Nothing new but here are some Disney Springs Info Links:

On March 14, 2013, Walt Disney World announced a multi-year transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs. This video shows the model of the new Disney Springs that was displayed at the D23 Expo in the Journey Into Imagineering pavilion.

The sections of Disney Springs will be The Town Center, The Landing, The Marketplace and the West Side.

Announcement link:
http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/03/disney-springs-announced-for-walt-disney-world-replacing-downtown-disney-with-new-waterfront-shopping-dining/

Disney Springs Model Youtube clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e61b4h2CZfw

"Start of construction of Disney Springs parking garages means the end of the road for WDW's Pleasure Island nightclub complex" ~ Jim Hill Media

http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2013/09/05/start-of-construction-of-disney-springs-parking-garages-means-the-end-of-the-road-for-wdw-s-pleasure-island-nightclub-complex.aspx
 
Disney has constructed a "causeway" around half of Pleasure Island. It is designed to carry pedestrian traffic between the West Side and Marketplace around the western part of PI. In the near future when heavy demolition and construction begins to take place in the area where BET Soundstage and Adventurers Club stand, pedestrians will have to use the causeway to travel around the Island instead of through it. For the moment use of the causeway is optional.

The causeway opened for use today and it contains a number of pieces of Disney Springs concept art along its walls. Here's the link to some of them:
http://savepleasureisland.blogspot.com/2013/11/breaking-news-disney-springs-concept-art.html

BobK/Orlando
 

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