Pleasure Island - Here Today - GONE Soon?

[ntsammy5]

PI is a mere shadow of itself. When they took out the west end band stage it was all down hill from there. Rebuild the entire thing including AC into something new and different!

 

[roxannex]

Personally, I'd rather see something else than what's now at Pleasure Island. I only really went two times. Once, when I was 18 on a trip with my mom before college. And then on a short trip with my then boyfriend (now husband). I would never go now because I have a young child and don't want to leave the kid in babysitting (I go to Disney for a family vacation.). Also, as I get older I am less and less into any club scene. I'm tired after a long day at theme parks! I'm an old fogey.

It just seems like the majority of people who come to Disney are families, and probably more of them with young kids. Doesn't seem like there is a huge audience left for Pleasure Island. But what do I know! To be honest, I never liked The Adventurers Club either. I'd probably like it now that I'm older more than I did when I was younger.

I'd like to see more things offered like Cirque du Soleil or Blue Man Group...more family friendly great entertainment options that I can't usually see back at home. I'm not a huge fan of Pleasure Island or the whole downtown Disney area. I've always thought it was sort of strange that there weren't more and better stores. Also, I remember when Disneyquest was introduced and I just haven't heard about more innovative things like that since that time. Maybe I'm out of the loop!

 

[CanadianGuy]

Week long refurb? Hmm.. that's not very long..

It seems unlikely they'd mess with P-I before what could possibly be the second highest revenue week of the year coming up during Gay Days.. .. but then maybe I'm overestimating the 'take' at the PI cash registers for that week.

Knox

 

[TSR6]

I have a friend in ticketing who has been telling me of the downfall since early 2005. It appears this time he might not be blowing smoke.

I know your source.

 

[yitbos96bb]

I think...as odd as this sounds, its location is the problem...how it splits east and west side. I wouldn't be surprised if it's either one of two things that are going to happen:

1.) Disney is looking to create another more adult themed area near the new hotels

2.) Disney has abandoned the less than family friendly idea of the clubs and are going for more family based experiences.

Either way, they'd better not close Raglan Road!

We keep hearing Disney Quest/ESPN zone rumors... I wonder if an ESPN zone will be one of these places... or maybe a Gameworks/Dave and Busters/Jillians type place.

 

[yitbos96bb]

Week long refurb? Hmm.. that's not very long..

It seems unlikely they'd mess with P-I before what could possibly be the second highest revenue week of the year coming up during Gay Days.. .. but then maybe I'm overestimating the 'take' at the PI cash registers for that week.

Knox

How much of that business is going to Citywalk instead though?

 

[yitbos96bb]

Well, really Pleasure Island as it once was is almost gone already.

I love the Adventurers Club and would be horribly sad to see it go. As AdventureKat already pointed out, it would be a real mistake for Disney to eliminate the evening entertainment options that are left. I don't want to see a movie while I'm at WDW, but sometimes I don't feel like going to a park, either. If WDW closes the Adventurers Club then I'll start going off Disney property in the evenings. Eventually it might be easier to stay off site as well.

However, since they've already changed Pleasure Island itself so much, I don't care too much about them keeping what's left of the Island as-is. They could easily do away with "Pleasure Island" as a concept and still keep the Adventurers Club, Comedy Warehouse, a dance club, and Raglan Road. They could lease the rest of the space to outside entities and actually make the Downtown Disney/West Side area more popular than it is now. That would make ticketing a bit more complicated for the remaining clubs, but it's certainly not impossible to do.

I would be sad to see Pleasure Island go, but it hasn't been the same since they opened the Island to everyone and got rid of the Jessica sign! And if they could increase traffic to the area while keeping the Disney branded Clubs as well, then that would be an improvement in my opinion, even if means bringing in other "outside" venues.

Not that I think they really will keep the Clubs, but I hope they will. The last few times I've gone to the Adventurers Club it's been quite crowded. It would be a mistake to close it just because they want to change Pleasure Island. I would think that Raglan Road should be safe, since it fits with what they seem to be planning to do with the area. I just don't see why it has to be an either/or situation - it seems to me that Disney owned options (like the AC, CW and Mannequins) and outside venues could exist quite well together.

Maybe its TIME for them to do away with ticketing altogether and just concentrate on Alcohol sales. THAT'S were the money is...

Maybe have the AC, Comedy Club and the BET or Mannequins with a cover... but in this day and age and with how much we spend at Disney... Do they REALLY NEED a cover? Aren't overpriced, waterdowned drinks enough?

 

[yitbos96bb]

That's exactly how I feel about the CW. If that goes, I'll have no reason to go Downtown other than AMC. It's really the only place on property that I visit on a regular basis.

See I'D love another Dualing Piano Place... Jelly rolls is so tiny and it can be a pain to get to if you aren't at the BW/BC/SD... One at PI would be great...

Now a big CW fan, but mainly thats because I think the current people and format aren't all that funny. Its like bad Second City, IMHO. Id love to see headliners come in... Guys like Artie Lange, Dave Atell, Jim Florentine, Colin Quinn, Larry the Cable Guy, Dave Chapelle, etc.

 

[yitbos96bb]

All I can say is that I would hate to see the demise of something as unique (it doesn't exist anywhere else in that form) and entertaining as the Adventurers Club in order to put in another restaurant - which would most likely be a chain restaurant that I can visit in any other city. And I like food. (If they do put in a restaurant I do hope it's owned by a company that doesn't want to mess with the dining plan.) At a restaurant, you eat, you leave. Then you need to find something else to do. You don't spend several hours being entertained.

I don't know much about the other clubs except CW. It's not exactly unique but I would hate to see that go, too. It's more unusual than just another restaurant.

I have to agree... this chain trend of Disney's is getting annoying. Why do I want to go to Rainforest Cafe? The food is mediocre and I can go to one in most big cities. Now I'm not bashing Landry's but I want unique offerings... T-Rex at least seems to be unique... I guess Planet Hollywood is now since most of them closed....

But I miss the Disney Restaurants. 10 years ago, they had great menus... larger menus, and better food. Now the same dish is on HALF of the menus... I mean I love Fois Gras, but I am seeing it show up on a bunch of the menus know... Scallops is another example. I enjoyed Jiko immensely, but lets face it... its more an American menu than anything else...> I really was hoping for Upscale African.

 

[Disneybag]

See I'D love another Dualing Piano Place... Jelly rolls is so tiny and it can be a pain to get to if you aren't at the BW/BC/SD... One at PI would be great...

Now a big CW fan, but mainly thats because I think the current people and format aren't all that funny. Its like bad Second City, IMHO. Id love to see headliners come in... Guys like Artie Lange, Dave Atell, Jim Florentine, Colin Quinn, Larry the Cable Guy, Dave Chapelle, etc.

Sorry you feel that way about the current cast. It makes me wonder who you've seen. There are a few duds in the current cast, but there are about 6 of them that I can't imagine NOT being there. You've also got to remember that in the improv setup they have a large factor in the success of the show is the audience. I've seen shows where the audience was almost nonexistent. If people aren't providing setups then they don't have anything to work from. Conversely, if the audience is full of drunks who only seem to be able to shout out things having to do with bodily functions...then that's going to suck as well. There's some real talent in that cast. But that's just my opinion. I'm a die-hard fan.

I don't think the headliners would work. They used to have headliners in from time to time and they also used to have a straight mostly scripted format for the show before they went to the complete improv format they have now. There aren't too many headliners that have a set that is clean enough for Disney. Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to see stand-up comics come once per month or so, but if you weed out the comedians who have blue sets...then you're really limiting your options.

 

[yitbos96bb]

Sorry you feel that way about the current cast. It makes me wonder who you've seen. There are a few duds in the current cast, but there are about 6 of them that I can't imagine NOT being there. You've also got to remember that in the improv setup they have a large factor in the success of the show is the audience. I've seen shows where the audience was almost nonexistent. If people aren't providing setups then they don't have anything to work from. Conversely, if the audience is full of drunks who only seem to be able to shout out things having to do with bodily functions...then that's going to suck as well. There's some real talent in that cast. But that's just my opinion. I'm a die-hard fan.

I don't think the headliners would work. They used to have headliners in from time to time and they also used to have a straight mostly scripted format for the show before they went to the complete improv format they have now. There aren't too many headliners that have a set that is clean enough for Disney. Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to see stand-up comics come once per month or so, but if you weed out the comedians who have blue sets...then you're really limiting your options.

1) You are right, I shouldn't have said CAST in that. The cast does a fine job. I meant the CAST format in general, not the specific people.

2) Improv has never been my favorite format. While you are right that it is dependent on the audience, my experiences having watched a lot of improv at a lot of places is that there is ONLY so many ideas the audience will shout out. Ultimately, in my experience, the show will take one of a few finite paths with minor variances.

3) The blue sets... yeah, you bring up a great point. My feeling is that Disney needs to go more adult with the CW... not EVERYTHING has to be kid friendly at Disney as it WASN'T for years when PI was still gated. I wonder at times if THE ignoring of adults and the adoption of FAMILY ONLY at Disney has led to the issues at PI and other parts of the park (and by that I mean, Disney has ALWAYS been Family Oriented, but for a while they also marketed and have activities for Adults, Teens, etc... Its one of the few things I will say the Eisner seemed to GET. Now it seems like EVERYTHING except for a few places is family oriented and I feel that turns off people looking for a night experience who either don't HAVE kids or want to get away from the kids for an evening.) Maybe look at having later, bluer shows with the headliners or going to 18 over for ALL shows would be the way to go. But if they are unbudging on Blue Sets, then you are right it won't work well. Heck Bob Saget is one of the dirtiest comedians out there and he has the Mr Clean Cut rep.

 

[Jason71]

How much of that business is going to Citywalk instead though?

I'm far from an expert on gay days, but I thought the main nightlife was the private after-hours parties at the various theme and water parks.

In any case, I didn't get a date for the proposed 8-Traxx refurb/"touch-up", presumably it could be finished by June--or postponed until sometime after the first week. Everything seems rather fluid right now.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Well Pleasure Island usually does a VERY brisk business that week from those unwilling to dance without their shirts at the other events.

Ahem.

Knox

 

[rpmdfw]

Well Pleasure Island usually does a VERY brisk business that week from those unwilling to dance without their shirts at the other events.

Ahem.

Knox

"very brisk" indeed! The island gets so crowded you can barely move. We make sure to get to the Adventurers Club as early as possible and not move for fear that we won't get back in.

 

[ntsammy5]

"very brisk" indeed!

OT. Neat dog!

 

[rpmdfw]

OT. Neat dog!

Thanks! He's a sweetie.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Appears that the trend is an island full of shops and restaurant/lounges with just one "dance" club and that being Mannequins under the guise of 8TRAX and even that will likely be non-Disney owned. The Mouse gets a percentage of everything with no employees to worry about.

I don't think that Universal really steals much from Disney. While there are plenty of locals at PI due to a pretty decent annual pass deal, Citywalk is much closer to metropolitan Orlando with PI a very long trek for most. Citywalk offers an all-club pass but only for the night. They don't offer an annual. I guess the Groove competes with Motion but otherwise they're pretty different offerings.

BobK/Orlando

 

[stemikger]

We ate at Raglan Road last year. I wasn't happy with my dinner, but the place was fun. (I posted on another thread how disappointed I was).

We were walking around Pleasure Island and all we could say was what happened to the fun.

Two years prior they were having parties in the streets the band was playing on the outdoor stage. It was a great place. Last year it was like a ghost town.

My sister-in-law came with us last year and we were telling how great Pleasure Island is. When we got there she said, what happened to the place you described. I told her, it is not usually like this. It felt more like a ghost town then a fun town.

I don't know why Disney would go this route. I will not be going back this year. It actually depressed me.

I know Disney has to a make the shareholders happy, but I don't see this concept working, when people have such great memories of what Pleasure Island used to be like.

This sounds like another awful victim of outsourcing. If Disney keeps thinking about nothing but the profit, it will lose what makes it so special and become a shadow of it's former greatness.

As far as Adventurers Club goes, (I was never really into it). In fact, I kept on going back because of all the many fans on these boards and I kept leaving with the same feeling of just not thinking it was funny. (I always thought I was missing something). I love to laugh, but the humor was just too corney and cheesy for me and I actually thought it was pretty boring. I always felt like I was watching high school students putting on skits for the talent show.

 

[Jason71]

Well Pleasure Island usually does a VERY brisk business that week from those unwilling to dance without their shirts at the other events.

Ahem.

Knox

Guess PI is just too boring for Wanzie and Doug to talk about on the radio? I swear they did like 10 minutes on Typhoon Lagoon's party last year, it did sound like a crazy time.

Back on topic, that does make any sort of closing/"major change" on June 1 seem short-sighted. Still wouldn't shock me, tho, the way things have gone recently.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Guess PI is just too boring for Wanzie and Doug to talk about on the radio?

Wanzie and Doug!

Those guys crack me up!