Pleasure Island out, shopping in

[Seatuck]

I heard rumors that Disney is going to phase out Pleasure Island and open unique stores for shopping. Anyone know anything?

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

More than a year ago a building on PI that used to hold a fast food restaurant and a number of shops closed and was completely renovated. To date it sits empty. Pleasure Island Jazz Company, a music venue included in the PI ticket, was closed and serious renovated to become Raglan Road which is open to all without a PI ticket and appears to be highly successful. Now RRBC is closing and will apparently be torn down. I'm told it has a leaky roof that would cost more than $1M to repair. A surf store just opened where a recording studio used to be. The island itself is open to all pedestrians.

So yes, the whole concept of what used to be an adult island for club-hopping is quickly disappearing and the trend seems to be to put in things that can more more money. It seems hard to believe that stores can make more money than places that sell liquor, but perhaps that is the case.

BobK/Orlando

 

[ChrisFL]

Well I think a lot of PI traffic was locals and I know a lot of them are going to Citywalk now instead.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

I wonder if it was more of a safety issue. Then you have they can close down DTD earlier and cut the Bus staff loose as well. We all know they are stressed to the limits now.

Maybe they thought they could just start slow and still go in either direction and they have made their decision as things progress.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I think it's great--as long as some new restaurants are in the mix. Citywalk is welcome to the nightlife!!

 

[stepnut]

I'm not a nightclub person, so the appeal of PI is slim for me. However, I wonder if I'm not in the minority, for other reasons. What are the demographics of people who come to WDW? Mostly families, with grade school children. It costs a pretty penny to make the trip, and I would imagine few parents actually plan an expensive babysitter in the budget to allow them a night of dancing and partying in an all-adult PI setting.

However, most people typically DO budget for souveniers, so I can see how a retail spot would not only get the traffic, but the cash flow as well. I know for me personally, I adore shopping, and even if I don't budget a big amount for souvies, the temptation to spend is HUGE to me.

 

[paulh]

it will just end up as food and shopping,Citywalk has a better mix at moment
Paulh

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I wonder if it was more of a safety issue . . .

1) We have refused to go to PI since they halted the general admission.
2) There are too many gangs of teens and others.
3) It is the ONLY place at WDW the wife does not feel safe.
4) She will walk New York City streets by herself, but not PI at night!
5) It doesn't help that the clubs were not well thought-out.
6) They were also not well designed.
7) When they heard about City Walk, they rushed into building PI.

NOTE: WDW publicly admits they were thinking about the Studios and PI for years, but rushed into action when Universal was announced. They wanted to beat Universal to the opening in the worst way. And that is how they built MGM - in the worst way.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

1) We have refused to go to PI since they halted the general admission.
2) There are too many gangs of teens and others.
3) It is the ONLY place at WDW the wife does not feel safe.
4) She will walk New York City streets by herself, but not PI at night!
5) It doesn't help that the clubs were not well thought-out.
6) They were also not well designed.

If you've stopped going, how do you know there are too many gangs of teens and others? This is completely false. And after midnight no teens are allowed unless their with an adult.

And your wife will walk the streets of NYC at night but not PI? OMG.

The clubs are not well thought-out or designed? Compared to what? As far as I know there are only 3 revolving dance floors in the world and this one is the largest. Newcomers are struck in awe when they first see it. 8TRAX & BET are very cleverly designed. Adventurers Club has to be unique in the world. What is clever about anything at Citywalk?

Sorry, I've agreed with many of your comments over time but you're increasingly coming across as either a disgruntled Disney employee or ex-employee.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Luv2Roam]

We go to DTD and PI (for the comedy clubs) often. Never had any safety issues or concerns. Not to say something cannot happen. But it could happen at McD's on the corner here in town just as readily.
I think not having hardly any stores on PI for numerous months is a greatly missed opportunity. The place is more of a ghost town now than anything. Just a shell of its former self now there is no live stage, stores, or even a place for a quick bite. With no comedy clubs, there certainly would be no reason to go to PI.

 

[What are we doing?]

I'm not a nightclub person, so the appeal of PI is slim for me. However, I wonder if I'm not in the minority, for other reasons. What are the demographics of people who come to WDW? Mostly families, with grade school children. It costs a pretty penny to make the trip, and I would imagine few parents actually plan an expensive babysitter in the budget to allow them a night of dancing and partying in an all-adult PI setting.

Not to mention that the babysitter would be a stranger.

Hubby and I enjoyed the Adventurer's Club and would like to go back, but it's not worth the ticket or the babysitter.

 

[jcarter29]

PI was a big time draw for Disney workers and College Program folks when I was in the CP (1995) but this was a million years ago in terms of other things available in the greater Orlando area. I can say I have been there multiple times since then (although at 32 and now a mother of 2 I simply feel too old) and I have never once felt unsafe. We always had a great time and never a single problem. That said, where there is alcohol, there are bound to be some problems. I think Disney needs to think a little more outside of the box with PI and do something new and different. I don't think the clubs would be missed by the actual Disney visitors. I would be all for some new, decent dining options...I hate having to go all the way to Universal for Emerils every time. With the new Harry Potter park, new Aquatica park, etc. Disney has some prime space with PI that they need to use in a better way. Maybe go completely against the grain of all of these other new things and do something toddler oriented???

Just my rambling thoughts...
Kim

 

[Disney Doll]

1) We have refused to go to PI since they halted the general admission.
2) There are too many gangs of teens and others.
3) It is the ONLY place at WDW the wife does not feel safe.
4) She will walk New York City streets by herself, but not PI at night!
5) It doesn't help that the clubs were not well thought-out.
6) They were also not well designed.
7) When they heard about City Walk, they rushed into building PI.

I agree with pretty much all of the above. I wouldn't say I don't feel safe there...the last time I was there, there were gangs of obnoxious teens and 20-somethings staggering around making asses of themselves.

The new charges for the Adventurers and Comedy clubs are outrageous.

Plus, they have some beautiful waterfront property there that is hidden because of the clubs. Think of some lovely glass-walled restaurants on the water side and some nice shops on the parking lot side. Much better, IMHO.

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

1) We have refused to go to PI since they halted the general admission.
2) There are too many gangs of teens and others.
3) It is the ONLY place at WDW the wife does not feel safe.
4) She will walk New York City streets by herself, but not PI at night!
5) It doesn't help that the clubs were not well thought-out.
6) They were also not well designed.
7) When they heard about City Walk, they rushed into building PI.

NOTE: WDW publicly admits they were thinking about the Studios and PI for years, but rushed into action when Universal was announced. They wanted to beat Universal to the opening in the worst way. And that is how they built MGM - in the worst way.

Totally agree Scupper and while it's possible for folks to NOT see all of this I tend to think it has more to do with their vacation mode, Disney is idyllic, Disney is perfect attitude more than reality. Also we know some people will apologize for Dinorama or Dining gentrification so it's no wonder these issues come under attack as well.

Oh, as for "what is clever at Citywalk?" ... Well, I don't know about clever, but at least it works.

 

[Disneybag]

The new charges for the Adventurers and Comedy clubs are outrageous.

It IS a rip for Joe Tourist who comes and only wants to see the comedy shows. You're now forced to buy the multi-club ticket. The $10 One Club ticket is only for the dance clubs. My guess is that the suits know you could spend the entire evening in AC or CW. I'm sure a ton of people buy the one club ticket, find that they'd rather be in another dance club and then upgrade. I'd love to see a number for how often that happens. It's not so bad if you purchase an annual pass. I can't tell you how many people I've had walk up to me in line and inquire about the comedy clubs. When I tell them how the pricing works, they walk away saying that it's a rip. I can't blame them. It would REALLY boost attendance if they added those to the One Club ticket. Generally, your older tourists aren't going to want to spend time in BET, Motion, etc. Why force them to pay for those clubs when they obviously are only going to visit AC or CW?

If CW goes, I'll have no reason to visit PI again. It'll be a sad, sad day.

 

[Jason71]

I'm not a nightclub person, so the appeal of PI is slim for me. However, I wonder if I'm not in the minority, for other reasons. What are the demographics of people who come to WDW? Mostly families, with grade school children.

I think you may be underestimating the number of convention-goers, parents with older kids, and parents willing to pay a sitter (or who have Grandma or someone along), to say nothing of locals. The whole reason PI was built in the first place is that Church Street Station was the #2 attraction in Florida back in the 80s. And to beat a dead horse from another thread, PI itself used to get huge crowds back when it was a truly unique place. It was a destination not only for tourists but central FL residents from Daytona to Tampa looking for a fun night out. If they brought back the live bands, and fireworks, and extensive club theming, I believe the guests would return.

And how many stores filled with plush animals and pins can really survive in such a limited area?

It IS a rip for Joe Tourist who comes and only wants to see the comedy shows. You're now forced to buy the multi-club ticket. The $10 One Club ticket is only for the dance clubs. My guess is that the suits know you could spend the entire evening in AC or CW.

Exactly! Neither comedy club has that much capacity. For example, the AC Library holds 100 people. Sell more than 100 single-club AC tickets--or probably a lot fewer, given the number of Annual Passholders--and someone's going to complain that they spent $10 but couldn't see the Balderdash Cup.

Neither comedy club was designed as a stand-alone attraction. Guests were expected to drop in, see a show or two, then wander out again to catch a set by one of the bands or do a little dancing or have dinner at the (long-defunct) Fireworks Factory. PI was meant to be an immersive, total experience, not just a hodge-podge of clubs.

BTW, other than Bob Marley's (which always seems to have a line), I don't know that the clubs, as opposed to the restaurants, at CityWalk are doing much better than PI. Red Coconut is on its third incarnation, Pat O'Briens has had its thunder stolen by the vastly superior Howl at the Moon, CityJazz has been reduced to karaoke and C-list comedians, and Margaritaville always feels like more of a "restaurant" than a "club" even when the band is playing. I admit I get over there less than PI, but it doesn't seem like CW is going gangbusters, either.

 

[sbell111]

It IS a rip for Joe Tourist who comes and only wants to see the comedy shows. You're now forced to buy the multi-club ticket. The $10 One Club ticket is only for the dance clubs. My guess is that the suits know you could spend the entire evening in AC or CW. I'm sure a ton of people buy the one club ticket, find that they'd rather be in another dance club and then upgrade. I'd love to see a number for how often that happens. It's not so bad if you purchase an annual pass. I can't tell you how many people I've had walk up to me in line and inquire about the comedy clubs. When I tell them how the pricing works, they walk away saying that it's a rip. I can't blame them. It would REALLY boost attendance if they added those to the One Club ticket. Generally, your older tourists aren't going to want to spend time in BET, Motion, etc. Why force them to pay for those clubs when they obviously are only going to visit AC or CW?

If CW goes, I'll have no reason to visit PI again. It'll be a sad, sad day.

I'm not sure that I agree. As I recall, you didn't used to have an option for a 'one club' ticket. You used to show up and not be allowed to enter the 'island' unless you paid something like $20. Once you paid, you'd enter and go to whatever clubs you wanted. For us, that pretty much meant the comedy club'.

The only change is that you can now enter the island without paying admission and you can go to one (1) of the dance clubs for only $10. The cost for us to go to the comedy club (and adventurer's) has only increased a couple dollars.

 

[eandt]

We have visited PI on virtually every trip to WDW in the past 14 years. We have seen the quality of experience go down over the years but we still enjoy our time there. We have not had any issues with unruly kids or adults ever. The cost is not all that bad especially if you visit more than once while on your trip as you can pay an additional five bucks for five additional nights when you buy the initial ticket (or use your "pluses" on your resort tickets. They have taken away the live outside bands and the fireworks though which really made for a unique experience. The one thing we think that Disney needs to do is make a location where 15-17 yr olds can hang out much like they do on the cruise ships. A dance club for that age group at PI would be a welcome addition. Our 17yr old doesn't want to come back to WDW because there is nothing for him and his friends to do after dark (we normally travel in the fall/winter when the parks close by 8 or 9). We missed coming down last year but plan to travel next fall, hopefully PI is still around.

 

[Disneydd2]

i agree with eandt. a fun/safe place for the teens to hang out is an excellent idea. my DS is only 6, but he's going to get older, and we're going to continue to go to Disney World. i would hate it if he didn't want to go to the most magical place in the world because he thought there's nothing to do. doesn't Disney Quest stay open later?

 

[Jason71]

i agree with eandt. a fun/safe place for the teens to hang out is an excellent idea.

I still don't know why WDW doesn't do this with Atlantic Dance Hall, at the Boardwalk. As an adults-only nightspot, the place is always dead, but would seem to me the perfect venue for a "teen" club far enough removed from PI to avoid confusion.