Sad news.......PI closing forever 09/27/08!

[PghLybrt]

Ok I hate to admit........but even though I have been to Disney over 40 times (give or take) I have never been to PI!

Is it worth flying down for the night to check out before it closed?

 

[Vijoge]

My comedy warehouse! my beautiful comedy warehouse!



Forget the budget, I've got to get over to WDW again before Sept 27th...

Oh, my, this is not good. I love that place!

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Corey and I are going to be there. Corey's friends from back home in Florida are coming out to dance the night away at 8Traks and Mannequins with her on the 27th and I am going to be focused on enjoying the AC with a group of Dis'ers, some of them are making a special trip for one last good time.

Knox, I would love to see you there! You are so photographic when buzzed.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Knox, I would love to see you there! You are so photographic when buzzed.

What if I told you I was sober!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

My boyfriend and I were big fans of 8Trax. We're bummed! Like what we really need are more shops & restaurants! We're gonna need ideas on what to do (besides eat & shop!) when the parks close early and we're wired to party! Hang in the lounges? We could do that in Jersey!

jon

What, don't you have any clubs you can go to in Jersey, I mean club, lounge, bar, in the most simple form, they're all the same. Sure you get some different music and different ambience, but its still a club, bar or lounge.

I've been to Pleasure Island once or twice. Sure, it was fun, to dance, but it really didn't fit with Disney, it never made sense to me in terms of family entertainment. Now on the flip side, you look at Universal and City Walk, that fits to me because although Universal does have their share of family visitors, lets be honest it is geared up a few degrees for an older crowd (Halloween Horror Nights, City Walk, etc.), the clubs fit there to me. And plus they also cater to the high end with their valet (if you've ever been and valet parked at night, just look at some of the cars there, damn!) and their offerings they have for that adult crowd.

I think in the end, despite the loss, losing Pleasure Island will be a good thing for Downtown Disney. Maybe they'll add a few more clubs/bars, but just make them dispersed through out more, so it's not so central and short of a better word menancing on the image of Disney.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

What if I told you I was sober!

Dude, you admitted to spending $400 a week on booze at WDW in another thread. If you are still sober after drinking that much, we need to introduce you to these lovely 12 steps.

 

[wallyb]

signed up.

Hey, Here's what would be novel...
Another MALL!

Yes, America "Land-O-Malls" needs another one.
Brilliant!

 

[turkygurl]

What if I told you I was sober!

I would say you were lying. I was there for some of the pictures in question. I wasn't sober either. Oh how I wish I had a drink right now. And yes, I am aware it is 9:20am my time.

 

[wallyb]

So they are closing ALL the dance clubs!-
Dang I was looking forward to

dirty dancing with rpmdfw in November!

 

[JensenRick]

This sucks out loud, for sure.

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

3779 signatures on the petition so far. As my gramma used to say -- it couldn't hurt...(for the Dizwiz's to take a second look at this decision)

 

[I'm The Candyman!]

And this is a tough subject to talk about on my first post. I was never a big fan of Pleasure Island. I liked the concept, but we are not night club types, so when we went there it was for the midnight fireworks. I've never been inside one of the clubs there.

I think this is a good idea. I have heard that the place has gone downhill with troublemakers over the years. Disney has an image to project and to protect. Having a place that draws losers and their ilk is not what Disney wants or needs.

I really like Downtown Disney on both coasts, with my favorite being the Westside at WDW. I'm sure that the area will become a much better bridge between the Marketplace and the Westside.

Did I do ok with my first post?

 

[zulemara]

And this is a tough subject to talk about on my first post. I was never a big fan of Pleasure Island. I liked the concept, but we are not night club types, so when we went there it was for the midnight fireworks. I've never been inside one of the clubs there.

I think this is a good idea. I have heard that the place has gone downhill with troublemakers over the years. Disney has an image to project and to protect. Having a place that draws losers and their ilk is not what Disney wants or needs.

I really like Downtown Disney on both coasts, with my favorite being the Westside at WDW. I'm sure that the area will become a much better bridge between the Marketplace and the Westside.

Did I do ok with my first post?

8-trax, mannequins, AC, and CW are unique and a fantastic addition to Disney's list of things to do for the adult crowd. While Disney is about the family in pretty much every way, Walt himself said if you only aim for kids, you're dead. Adults are only kids anyway. Disney created PI to keep its visitors on property spending money with them instead of going to downtown Orlando.

I practically lived at PI in 2004-2005 and I never noticed anyone causing a problem. Initially admission was required to even enter the island. Disney changed that and if it brought troublemakers it's their own fault! Disney security is all over the place so I really don't see how these "rough crowds" are causing an issue. PI used to have a LOT more entertainment and provide even more. The guy in charge of DTD even admitted that the clubs were STILL PROFITABLE. It's absolutely absurd to take the one night time entertainment venue for adults and close it.

It used to be that Disney did everything itself because it did it better than anyone else could. For instance, they didn't just build a techno club, they went hardcore with an awesome light system, sound system, and rotating dance floor. 8-trax isn't overly unique in design, but unique because of the music it plays, CW has some of the best improve comedy I've ever seen and AC is what some consider to be the most unique thing Disney has.

Now, however, Disney is interested in selling the land Walt fought so hard to buy, outsourcing imagineering, IT, restaurants, hotels, and golf courses and collecting the licensing fees.

The guy in charge of DTD has been purposely KILLING PI to justify closing it to the execs and that's exactly what is going on here. The closing of PI is tragic and will mean thousands of CPs, CMs in general, and frequent guests will no longer be able to relive the memories. As tragic as it is, what's even more scary is the direction the company is going with its own land and attitude regarding money. I'll be surprised if the people in the magic kingdom are actually Disney cast members in 20 years.

 

[Disneysoloist]

So I'm staying at OKW in late January without a car. What do you guys recommend for night-life with an easy ride back to the homestead? I'm thinking Raglan Road, but I can only take so much Irish music!!

 

[ConcKahuna]

So I'm staying at OKW in late January without a car. What do you guys recommend for night-life with an easy ride back to the homestead? I'm thinking Raglan Road, but I can only take so much Irish music!!

Jellyrolls is always fun, it's a dueling piano bar on the Boardwalk. There's also Atlantic Dance, but it tends to be pretty empty.

There's also a few of us who are local, so it might be possible to work out a carpool to somewhere off property

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Did I do ok with my first post?

You did just fine with your first post! This is a topic on which feelings run deep here but it's good for all of us to hear all sides. I've only been in the AC (and only once at that) but it was a ton of fun and I was (am still) hoping to go again sometime.

 

[hematite153]

Well, we signed it...they're in the 4000s...perhaps getting high enough to have influence.
We aren't good late night people so, although we've intended to visit the AC several times we've never made it.

But, now we're determined that we must get there during our Sept. trip.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Raglan Road isn't always all Irish Music.

Disney's outsourcing, lack of training (they've reduced the new CM training from three to one day, or so I'm told-that was some time ago) and getting rid of adult venues is very telling. It's moving away from the Disney we've come to know and love.

 

[MarioParty]

LOL as someone who is a single guy moving to the area I am disapointed - I don't really drink or care much for bars, so I was hoping this might be a Disney-fied alternative.

Guess I'll just have to look pretty on the TTA instead, LOL.

MP

 

[ConcKahuna]

LOL as someone who is a single guy moving to the area I am disapointed - I don't really drink or care much for bars, so I was hoping this might be a Disney-fied alternative.

Guess I'll just have to look pretty on the TTA instead, LOL.

MP

There's alwasy the Turf Club bar! Then you get to bug a DISer too!

love the SN, those games are great