Pleasure Island - Here Today - GONE Soon?

[HillaryIn2008]

The AC and CW will be opening at 8pm and all of the dance clubs will start at 9pm (8 Trax had been opening at 8), this will start on June 1st. Also the BET Soundstage will start back up with its original Hip Hop/R&B format (no longer Old School) on Thursday 5/22...this after many many many guest complaints and negative feedback on the lack of current music.
On another note, my brother works for a major commercial real estate company and is working with Disney on the development of the "Flamingo Crossing" property at Disney's Western Way. He has told me that they are working on a "very unique adult nighttime entertainment district" in this area of hotels and shoping (Pleasure Island version 2 maybe???) He has not told me much about the new area but did mention that the redevelopment of PI will be finished (no clubs, and all restaurants) when the Western Way project is complete in 12-18 months.

 

[fan of the TTA]

The AC and CW will be opening at 8pm and all of the dance clubs will start at 9pm (8 Trax had been opening at 8), this will start on June 1st. Also the BET Soundstage will start back up with its original Hip Hop/R&B format (no longer Old School) on Thursday 5/22...this after many many many guest complaints and negative feedback on the lack of current music.
On another note, my brother works for a major commercial real estate company and is working with Disney on the development of the "Flamingo Crossing" property at Disney's Western Way. He has told me that they are working on a "very unique adult nighttime entertainment district" in this area of hotels and shoping (Pleasure Island version 2 maybe???) He has not told me much about the new area but did mention that the redevelopment of PI will be finished (no clubs, and all restaurants) when the Western Way project is complete in 12-18 months.

i can't see pleasure island getting removed, it's like anything...it makes down town disney what it is.

it's the same as saying, remove mainstreet USA from the magic kingdom.

it's icons that matter

 

[zulemara]

The AC and CW will be opening at 8pm and all of the dance clubs will start at 9pm (8 Trax had been opening at 8), this will start on June 1st. Also the BET Soundstage will start back up with its original Hip Hop/R&B format (no longer Old School) on Thursday 5/22...this after many many many guest complaints and negative feedback on the lack of current music.
On another note, my brother works for a major commercial real estate company and is working with Disney on the development of the "Flamingo Crossing" property at Disney's Western Way. He has told me that they are working on a "very unique adult nighttime entertainment district" in this area of hotels and shoping (Pleasure Island version 2 maybe???) He has not told me much about the new area but did mention that the redevelopment of PI will be finished (no clubs, and all restaurants) when the Western Way project is complete in 12-18 months.

thank you for clarifying. I was on my way home from a show at 2am in the morning when I talked to my friend so I couldn't remember all the details.
I sure hope PI v2 has another techno club with rotating dance floor!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Please remember that you have to take anything you hear from a CM with a very large grain of salt. I'm not saying that the bartenders/djs/ticketing people are lying, but the amount of misinformation that gets passed around backstage is astronomical! Well meaning CMs then pass along that information to the general public.

I will say that I hope they do close PI. I did a CP three times, and have never been impressed. To me, Disney is about families- Walt envisioned it as a place where everybody in the family could have fun. I like Disney precisely because it is a departure from the rest of the adult world. AC and CC are cool, and I'll admit Mannequins can be fun, same thing with RRBC if they have a decent band, but I don't think it belongs at Disney. I would like to see DTD become more family again.

On another note, two my sources cited the on-going problem with 'roving youths / possibly gangs' .. The DTD complex as a whole attracts distracted tourists with cash in their pocket and who may have let their guard down because "I'm at Disney". So as for the 'gang' problem.. I see that more as opportunistic thievery and I don't see how removing P-I will help that for the most part.

I had a very negative experience my first CP in the PI parking lot. I was coming out of a midnight showing of a movie and none of my friends would walk me to my car. There were several groups of "thuggish" teens hanging about, which was a little disconcerting. As I was walking to my car, several men in a large SUV flipped a U Turn and started following me. As soon as I saw my car, I sprinted for it, and they sped up. We reached the car at the same time. They stopped and started to get out, I hopped in my car, locked the doors, and turned it on. Once I was in, they shut their doors and sped off. I pray they were only trying to frighten me, but to this day it terrifies me to think of what might have happened if they had caught up with me before I reached my car. IMO, PI attracts this kind of crowd, and that is not what Disney needs.

 

[CanadianGuy]

i can't see pleasure island getting removed, it's like anything...it makes down town disney what it is.

it's the same as saying, remove mainstreet USA from the magic kingdom.

it's icons that matter

I'd like to agree with you.. but I'd be shocked and surprised at this point if PI -- in any form we know it as -- survives past Feb of 2009.



Knox

 

[Disneybag]

The AC and CW will be opening at 8pm and all of the dance clubs will start at 9pm (8 Trax had been opening at 8), this will start on June 1st.

I was at CW last night and they've already started the 8pm opening.

 

[CinderellaPug]

I was just thinking about this question and posted a new thread about it when I came across this thread!

CP

 

[zulemara]

Please remember that you have to take anything you hear from a CM with a very large grain of salt. I'm not saying that the bartenders/djs/ticketing people are lying, but the amount of misinformation that gets passed around backstage is astronomical! Well meaning CMs then pass along that information to the general public.

I will say that I hope they do close PI. I did a CP three times, and have never been impressed. To me, Disney is about families- Walt envisioned it as a place where everybody in the family could have fun. I like Disney precisely because it is a departure from the rest of the adult world. AC and CC are cool, and I'll admit Mannequins can be fun, same thing with RRBC if they have a decent band, but I don't think it belongs at Disney. I would like to see DTD become more family again.



I had a very negative experience my first CP in the PI parking lot. I was coming out of a midnight showing of a movie and none of my friends would walk me to my car. There were several groups of "thuggish" teens hanging about, which was a little disconcerting. As I was walking to my car, several men in a large SUV flipped a U Turn and started following me. As soon as I saw my car, I sprinted for it, and they sped up. We reached the car at the same time. They stopped and started to get out, I hopped in my car, locked the doors, and turned it on. Once I was in, they shut their doors and sped off. I pray they were only trying to frighten me, but to this day it terrifies me to think of what might have happened if they had caught up with me before I reached my car. IMO, PI attracts this kind of crowd, and that is not what Disney needs.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience and it's too bad this kind of thing is happening.

However, I don't think there's anything wrong with PI or the idea that it is adult based entertainment. Yes, Disney is for the family and that was Walt's intent, but with such a large area of everything Disney, people get burned out and sometime just wanna relax and have fun. That is where PI comes in for the adult crowd. I was a door host at 8-trax many nights on my second CP picking up extra hours. There were so many people that gave me comments about how much fun they were having that it pains me to think of it closing.

Of course from a pocketbook point of view, why let people spend money in DT orlando when they can put the money into Disney's pocket? That's also why PI was built, but it seems that doesn't matter now. They increased stroller prices by 68% to make up for the alcohol sales they will be loosing

 

[CanadianGuy]

I was a door host at 8-trax many nights on my second CP picking up extra hours. There were so many people that gave me comments about how much fun they were having that it pains me to think of it closing.

I can honestly tell you .. that Pleasure Island and 8-Trax in particular is a HUGE draw for me personally. I always have a great time there. No exceptions. And people are so friendly and willing to put themselves out there.. not to hit on you, but just to say hi, it's fun!

They increased stroller prices by 68% to make up for the alcohol sales they will be loosing

Best theory YET for the stroller increase !

 

[Jason71]

Just before the Hoopla last night, "Pamelia" confirmed that as of Sunday, the AC will open at 8; also, don't think this was mentioned before, but no more free preview. Neither she nor the bartenders seemed particularly upset by the news--she made a joke about no longer doing a show "for six people," so it sounds like lack of guests was a driving factor.

 

[gdaysboi]

It is sad the PI is changing, but they let CityWalk just take away revenue left and right.

Unique concert events and celebrations used to be special and had a wow factor, but now they are few and far between and well aren't enough to carry them through.

It could be that way again if they got creative and did some over the top stop, but I don't expect it to happen.

The funny thing is some of the clubs are really quite awesome inside and the views from BET's back window to see the fireworks is sweet, but no one knows about it.

However, I have heard that some clubs or formats will remain. Ad Club, 8 Trax and some sort of dance club but not sure if Motion or Manequinns will survive.

The potential that is there is huge but it is not Disney's focus, they could turn it around but it appears that it is not their plan for now.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Walt envisioned it as a place where everybody in the family could have fun.

OK, but "everybody in the family having fun" can include the adults who have a baby sitter or older sibling and want to get away one night. It can include the thousands of visitors to WDW who are adults without kids. It can include the adults who are on Disney property or nearby because of a convention. PI only got a bit stale because they let it, not because it was a failed idea.

I was out at Citywalk a few weeks ago and the large crowds in the clubs were impressive. There is quite the variety. I still think PI has a better, more unique variety but why in the world would Disney concede anything to Universal. And wouldn't putting something we can temporarily call PI2 way out at Flamingo Crossings even further remove themselves from metropolitan Orlando and the money locals can contribute? DD is already far enough away.

BobK/Orlando

 

[djlexus]

I must be crazy or something but i go to pi almost every weekend i even take ppl from work there all the time. We always complain about the huge crowds. I mean there's always a line for mannequins always for comedy warehouse maybe im crazy but i always see tons of ppl. At 90 bux i think for an annual pass the locals eat this up its a good time and yes i agree Adventures club is great and unique but what about the fact that Mannequins has the worlds largest spinning dance floor. Ill admit having Bet Soundstage and Motion is kinda like why. They basically play the same music. But I always see a crowd. What am I missing. I think Pi is unique in its self they just need to go back to the roots of Pi. Like dose anybody know the story of how Pi was founded the Wdi story they made. There's a lot of hidden things that could make Pi great. I think if they brought back the nightly New Years deal and just cleaned the place up put gates back up keep the kids out they would do fine. I mean come on have u seen the comedy shows at Comedy Warehouse not for kids. Im sry if i get upset but i hate the way Disney just pawns things off don't even give it a chance. Will see what happens but i hope Pi stays open that would be a huge loss imo.

 

[muffyn]

Just before the Hoopla last night, "Pamelia" confirmed

no more free preview.

yeaaaaaaaaaa (keep the rif raf out)


Neither she nor the bartenders seemed particularly upset by the news--she made a joke about no longer doing a show "for six people," so it sounds like lack of guests was a driving factor.

6 people?

when has there ever been so few people? I always thought it was packed//
(ok, what time did it start before this?previously?)

 

[Jason71]

6 people?

when has there ever been so few people? I always thought it was packed//
(ok, what time did it start before this?previously?)

Used to open at 7:00 (and I guess will still do so for two more nights). While I rarely make it over there that early, it usually is pretty dead that first hour--and of the few people in there, I'm not sure how many actually paid to get in. Doesn't really start to build up a crowd before 9ish.

 

[rpmdfw]

Used to open at 7:00 (and I guess will still do so for two more nights). While I rarely make it over there that early, it usually is pretty dead that first hour--and of the few people in there, I'm not sure how many actually paid to get in. Doesn't really start to build up a crowd before 9ish.

We were there last night and the "Welcome Party" started with the library half full. By the time it ended, there were only a couple seats available. (many people with their kids, who are obviously there for the free preview)

I think this is more typical for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, however.

The performers on the whole, are happy with this change. As well as the decision to do away with the free preview.

I have to say, that personally, I'll be happier to see fewer looky-loos and fewer children wandering around the bar. But then, I've been called a snob.

 

[WDWCastMember]

Can I just add that I still really miss Frankie & The West End Boys and the West End Stage....and the dancers, and Kabang and The Leonard Brothers....yeah I miss the 'good old' PI...and when it was gated (don't flame me) but it was nice then.....

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Can I just add that I still really miss Frankie & The West End Boys and the West End Stage....and the dancers, and Kabang and The Leonard Brothers....yeah I miss the 'good old' PI...and when it was gated (don't flame me) but it was nice then.....

When Disney became more concerned with getting shoppers at Disney Marketplace over to shop at West Side (and v.v.) and took down the PI gates, that was the beginning of the downfall.

Djlexus, the AP is less than $60, not $90. Locals keep PI in business. I agree with you. The fundamentals are all still there to keep it open as a unique party place. They don't have to shut the place down. If these rumors are true it's only because they feel they can make greater profits doing something other than what they're doing now. Given the profits that bars can make, I find it surprising that more restaurants will deliver greater profits than nightclubs. As I said a month or so ago, there are only so many mouths to feed.

BobK/Orlando

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

When they stopped the fireworks (because of resort rooms being built closer to DTD), I think that started a downward trend for PI. Then, they made it accessible to everyone. I did the college program last year, worked there, and I wanted to tear my eyes out because it was SOOOOOO empty sometimes! I mean, stand by a door for 3 hours and only see 3 people...it could make anyone go crazy!!! I know that many people have suggested teen clubs, but Disney has researched that and is totally against it. So, I believe that since mostly families come on vacation, they have decided that it's just not worth it. I see PI slowly disappearing....just not Adventurer's Club! Please!!!

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I noticed last night that the RRBC signs have never been removed from the building. Usually when something closes the signs come down immediately.

So the optimist in me says maybe they'll refurbish the place and reopen it. The pessimist in me says they left the signs on merely to keep the area from looking abandoned.

BobK/Orlando