Pleasure Island rehab

[RumpleMom]

Just wondering, how the construction at Pleasure Island is coming along.

Has anyone been there lately?

 

[intrep93]

Subbing as we are going in Sept. and I'm curious about this, too!!

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

It looks like Ground Zero.

 

[Jason71]

Canvas "walls" are still up, restricting the main path and totally blocking the view of the Adventurer's Club and BET. "Jungle Juice" stand outside AC is covered. All the stores between AC and Beach Club are still closed and walled off. Even though the areas are blocked of, you can tell both stages are gone. The western end, by BET, looks a lot more open now.

There are signs of progress. The new Harley Davidson shop (next to Mannequins) has opened, and looks good. It has bikes you can sit on to pose for photos. You can also see the new bridge (seems identical to the old bridge), maybe 20 yards closer to the lake. Not sure they will done by September, but I would guess at least by New Year's.

Not to hijack this post, but I keep hearing the new T-Rex restaurant is going into PI. Any solid word where? I would think they would try to get all their construction done at once.

 

[Bºoºbbie]

Wow! I didn't realize there was that much construction going on. We are planning on going to PI a few nights during our trip. Is Adventurers Club still accessible? Anyone have any recent photos?

 

[cinderkelli]

I didn't even know it was under construction! What are they doing to it? Just spiffing it up or getting rid of stuff?

 

[oldschooledge]

i wish that they would change p.i. back to having to buy a ticket just to get in. i used to really love it there but ever since they made the changes i get there and frustrated and bored after like a hour. Am i the only one?

 

[jhorstma]

We were there last week - the clubs are open but the walk is all torn up - totally devoid of character. A huge disappointment for us. Doesn't look like they'll have things put back together anytime soon (meaning anytime this summer), but I could be wrong.

 

[Jason71]

Is Adventurers Club still accessible?

Very much so--just a bit difficult to find if you don't know where to look. Only the outside drink stand is closed. That said, AC crowds are down a bit given that you have to seek it out to find it.

 

[Jason71]

I didn't even know it was under construction! What are they doing to it? Just spiffing it up or getting rid of stuff?

Both. The outside stages are gone, the little shops are gone (tho as I said Harley shop has already reopened larger than ever). They are building a new bridge to west side to improve pedestrian flow, and building a dock where the old hub stage was. All the exteriors are being refurbished, as well.

 

[klwdisney]

This is the first I've heard of this too!!
What's being done? What changes are being made? Are things being taken out? And if so, what are they being replaced with? I need to acclimate myself to the change before I go on my next trip!

And most importantly... Will Frankie & The West End boys still be there when this is all over??????
Last trip we missed them... both times they were listed to play and when we got there it was another band instead. Very disappointing.

 

[Jason71]

And most importantly... Will Frankie & The West End boys still be there when this is all over??????

On The West End stage, no--it's gone. I still occasionally see them at the Beach Club.

So far no clubs are gone (not since the Jazz Co. became Raglan Road), just shops and the fast food place--that said, I still don't know where the new T-Rex restaurant is going, my hunch is it might be what is now Motion.

 

[oldschooledge]

any idea how they are going to work the tickets? will it go back to the old way that you pay when you enter the propeety or will it be a you dont pay until you enter a club?

 

[Linda/MA]

We were there in June and instead of going through the turnstiles on the bridge, we used our pass to get into a club and then were given a wristband that would allow us into the other clubs. There was really a lot of construction going on.

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

any idea how they are going to work the tickets? will it go back to the old way that you pay when you enter the propeety or will it be a you dont pay until you enter a club?

I am wondering this too. I was thinking about buying PI tickets from Ticketmania. Will these tickets still be valid?

 

[brock]

A Place where kids are welcome but parents can still enjoy a cocktail and feel comfortable.
I also read that Disney felt there were enough other nightclub strips in the Orlando area to attract the young early 20's crowds and Pleasure Island couldn't compete with them anymore.
It will be a more Open flow area linked to rest of DTD with several restaurants along the water.
Personally I think a good rehab will be nice, it was due for some change, just keep the Adventurers Club !!

 

[Jason71]

any idea how they are going to work the tickets? will it go back to the old way that you pay when you enter the propeety or will it be a you dont pay until you enter a club?

I would assume they will keep the current method of paying only to enter the clubs, not to enter the area itself. Otherwise it would defeat the purpose of streamlining the path between West End and Marketplace. (Would prefer they return to the old method, but I just don't see it happening.)

Not sure if this was a joke or not, but I was told they are even thinking of changing the name to "Pleasure Walk." The implication being that Disney is largely trying to copy the style/feel of Universal's City Walk, i.e. more restaurants and shops mixed in with the nightclubs, rather than a seperate area of just clubs.

 

[klwdisney]

I'll go to PI no matter what they do to it, but I have to say as a non-child-having adult, it was very nice to have an adults-only place to go after a day in the parks. I love kids and I LOVE watching their faces at WDW, but sometimes it's nice to have some adult down time. The last time we were there, there were little ones EVERYWHERE until it closed. I couldn't believe parents were dragging their little ones out that late at night after a long day like that. And the 15 year old teen queen wannabe's in the clubs that were somehow drinking cocktails was a little un-nerving also!

 

[oldschooledge]

I'll go to PI no matter what they do to it, but I have to say as a non-child-having adult, it was very nice to have an adults-only place to go after a day in the parks. I love kids and I LOVE watching their faces at WDW, but sometimes it's nice to have some adult down time. The last time we were there, there were little ones EVERYWHERE until it closed. I couldn't believe parents were dragging their little ones out that late at night after a long day like that. And the 15 year old teen queen wannabe's in the clubs that were somehow drinking cocktails was a little un-nerving also!

Very well said. i agree it was nice to have a area that was more catered to the adult crowd, as far as making it more family friendly isnt that the same thing they do to everything.

 

[ParrotBill]

The new bridge at the west end will connect the main "street" of Westside directly to PI, and the bridge will rise to the elevation of the street in PI so that stairs are not required.

The Adventurers Club is free from 7 to 9 right now, after 9 you need a wrist band. There are more families and kids there during that time, and especially on Thursdays when there is a DVC block party from 5-7pm - those attending can get free admission to PI the rest of the night.

It did not seem to dampen things too much at the Adventurer's Club, but I did see them check themselves once for not being careful enough with kids around.