Bye Bye Rock & Roll Beach Club

[HillaryIn2008]

Just passing along information that the RRBC at Pleasure Island will be shut down as of February 3rd, with the last operating night being the 2nd. There is no word what will happen with the building itself, however rumors are quite strong that it will be demolished for a walkway around Motion (between Portobelo and Fultons) to the new T-Rex restaraunt. There is now nowhere at PI to see live bands. Another strong rumor for PI is that the next club to be shut down will be Motion...it however will remain intact for conventions and special events only.

 

[KidDurango]

RRBC is nowhere near anyplace that would serve as a path to T-Rex. If anything, you would need to demolish Motion and Portabello to make a path between RRBC and T-Rex.

 

[Cricket2]

What happened to the bowling alley rumor?

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I'll check out this rumor tomorrow evening when I'm out at PI. Permanently closing it would reduce the number of music venues included in the entry fee to 4 unless it is replaced with something else. There have been two country music venues over the years and they both failed. It's all about liquor sales. They don't have a Latin music venue on PI; Citywalk does. Not sure that is a market Disney wants to try to draw since there are many such clubs around south Orlando. Closing Motion would be a surprise; it's usually one of the more crowded clubs.
Closing Rock'n'Roll AND Motion; you'd be down to 3 dance clubs. The whole PI concept would be finished.

There is already a walkway around Motion and Porobelo; not used much. T-Rex is right out in the open so no pathway is needed to it!

I'll report back.

BobK/Orlando

 

[pjpoohbear]

I thought there was a rumor about a year ago that a lucky strikes bowling alley was going in where RRBC is right now. Upscale bowling, with neon and music.


Pj.

 

[HillaryIn2008]

pjpoohbear,

The building is not nearly big enough for the bowling concept once proposed and a demolishion/rebuild would have cost way too much for a third party operator to invest in.

KINGBOBOFTHENORTH,

The whole PI concept is pretty much finished anyway. With the gates being gone the current administration is looking for DD Florida to be much more like DD California, one big SHOPING area with restaurants and a couple of places for entertainment.

Yes there is currently a walkway around Motion that is hardly used (and this is the reason for the RRBC demolition rumor to make that area more accessible.) The walkway around the front of Raglan Road gets way too crowded and will become even more so when T-Rex opens.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

One of the headlines right here in Disboards confirms that this is true:

The Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club is closing as of February 3, 2008. No announcement has been made as to what will be replacing this venue.

BobK/Orlando

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

OK, according to sources at Pleasure Island:

1. RRBC is definitely closing.
2. The building will be demolished.
3. It will not be replaced by another music venue.
4. Another building (much smaller) will go there; unknown what it will be.
5. The right to use the B.E.T. name at B.E.T. Soundstage is expiring so the name will be changing. No details whether the hip hop music format is also going to change.
6. Heard a rumor that Gloria Estefan (who is already involved in Bongos Cuban Cafe) may be bringing a Latin-themed music venue to PI. This is only a rumor and not from PI sources.

I'll update this thread should I hear anything else.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Jason71]

With the Beach Club gone, I fear the Adventurers Club and everything else on PI is living on borrowed time. The diversity of clubs and immersive party atmosphere is what made PI work in the beginning (and made Church St. Station work before that). I don't see people paying a $25 cover for two or three dance clubs and two comedy clubs with no consistent theming between them.

 

[doconeill]

Adventurers Club at least is a Disney thing, more so than some random dance clubs. I think they'd want SOME entertainment venues to remain. I'm just unsure if the AC has enough popularity (read: net income) to be retained. It wasn't terribly crowded when I was there last.

I do remember the crowds around the West End Stage though. Wall-to-wall people back then.

 

[Jason71]

Adventurers Club at least is a Disney thing, more so than some random dance clubs.

Trust me, back when it first opened, Mannequins was very much a unique Disney attraction, not some random dance club. Same was true of both country bars that have graced PI, and "Videotropolis" (name?, what 8-Traxx used to be). Throw in live bands throughout the island and fireworks every night, and yes, the place was packed, even when everyone there had to pay a cover.

 

[Cricket2]

... Throw in live bands throughout the island and fireworks every night, and yes, the place was packed, even when everyone there had to pay a cover.

I remember not being able to walk down the street and when the outside bar lines were 20 minutes+ long. All clubs were at capacity and even the Fireworks restaraunt could hold a crowd.

Times sure have changed.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I remember not being able to walk down the street and when the outside bar lines were 20 minutes+ long. All clubs were at capacity and even the Fireworks restaraunt could hold a crowd. Times sure have changed.

Yes they have. Not sure what caused it to go downhill. After the PI/CityWalk combo pretty much put Church Street Station out of business, there probably were far fewer places to go. Now downtown Orlando has a LOT of clubs, many quite good, and it's is certainly better located for more people. I think opening the island to pedestrians was a mistake. The air of exclusivity is no longer there and there are too many teens and families hanging around. Perhaps all the boomers that made PI so popular ten years ago are too old to party anymore (present company excluded) and for Gen X and Y, it's too darn expensive for what PI is delivering. I don't know. But it's sad that the Mouse is letting this happen.

BobK/Orlando

PS to Jason: 8TRAX prior names were Videopolis East and The Cage.

 

[walter]

Hey WebmasterCricket,

Off the subject, but what do you think about whats going on with Brian Campbell?

 

[Jason71]

PS to Jason: 8TRAX prior names were Videopolis East and The Cage.

Thanks, far too many drinks over the years since it first opened.

While I agree 100% that taking down the gates was the main cause of PI's decline (as you say, it removed the air of exclusivity, and also increased the creepiness a lot of us feel having to drink while dodging strollers), I think the decline in theming of the clubs also contributed. Mannequins used to feature animatronics, live dancers, a light show...now half the time they don't even use the elevator at the entrance to give that "Studio 54" feel. The Jazz Co. somehow managed to convince you had wandered into a smoky little club in Chicago or New Orleans. Compare that to, say, Motion, where for years Disney couldn't even be bothered to take down the remnants of the old Wildhorse Saloon's decor. Even after its eventual renovation, it's nothing more than a generic top 40 dance club, no different from the clubs in any small city in the country. And none of those places has a $24 cover.

Like DisneyQuest, PI may stick around a bit longer, to justify the upcharge on MYW tickets when it's too cold for water parks. (Does anyone really pay full price for a DQ ticket these days? The place is falling apart, but that's another rant.) But it seems obvious WDW is content to let it whither on the vine.

 

[CanadianGuy]

I miss the 'old' Pleasure Island.. before they opened up the Island and back when it still had the West End Stage.. and the nightly fireworks..

Those were some good times.

Don't get me wrong.. I still had an awesome time on my most recent visits in December.. five nights of fun for 28$ and change.. I was ok with that. (plus drinks of course)

Knox

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I think the decline in theming of the clubs also contributed.

Thanks for the description of how things used to be; I've only been here 4 years so most of that pre-dates my becoming a regular visitor. However I do recall visiting one time in the late 90's and it was as you've described. The lines were long, the clubs were packed, everything was themed to the extent that you felt you were in another Disney theme park, but for adults only.

I was told last summer that PI (or maybe Disney) management went out to Vegas studying the clubs there for ideas. Many of the big dance clubs there are quite "themed". Well if they learned anything they sure haven't used any new ideas. The good news is that Mannequins has a new marquee and new front signage; the front facade of 8TRAX is freshly painted. So there is some hope that they're not going to shut the entire place down.

BobK/Orlando

 

[AdventurerKat]

With the Beach Club gone, I fear the Adventurers Club and everything else on PI is living on borrowed time. The diversity of clubs and immersive party atmosphere is what made PI work in the beginning (and made Church St. Station work before that). I don't see people paying a $25 cover for two or three dance clubs and two comedy clubs with no consistent theming between them.

Now Jason, you know when you say things like that it makes me cry.

I miss the way PI used to be as well. It was a heck of a lot more fun than it is now. If it wasn't for the AC, I'd probably never go there.

 

[bbyee]

So this begs the question - where do adults who stay on property without kids go in the evenings? Hang out in at the Deluxe hotel bars? I remember the days of PI - first trip was 15 years ago (give or take) and a few in the late 90s/early 2000s, and it was a great way for the adults to wind down after the day at the parks. My husband and I loved the jazz club.

Am planning another trip for May 2009 and the nightlife on WDW property is a consideration as to where we stay. We're not diehard partiers, but we do like a couple cocktails at the end of the day on vacation.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

So this begs the question - where do adults who stay on property without kids go in the evenings?

Well the hotel bars are a consideration for a cocktail but not much of an option for an activity that lasts more than an hour. I understand Coronado Springs has a new more upscale bar (read pricey). But keep in mind that PI is hardly dead; Saturdays are still packed, Fridays can be, Thursday is cast member night and some of the clubs get pretty full. Jellyrolls (dueling pianos club) over at the Boardwalk is very popular. If you have a car, CityWalk at Universal Orlando is a lot like PI with multiple clubs.

BobK/Orlando