Thanks for the golf, Disney!

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

If they were replacing them with other entertainment options I would be less concerned, but they aren't.

{snip}

I think that many of the people who think that outsourced shops and restaurant are a good substitute for the Adventurers Club aren't familiar with it . . . which isn't surprising, since Disney has done little in recent years to let guests know that it isn't a typical nightclub.

Actually, we don't really know what all Disney is going to do with this space. So far, all I've seen are some basic drawings representing a handful of ideas. I'm not sure why you are assuming it will contain all outsourced shops and restaurants. I'm sure there will be a few, as was the case with PI, but there is plenty of space and plenty of possibilities for that area. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Scurvy]

You're right - it's possible that Disney will announce something of their own to go in that area at some point in the future. At this point, everything that has been announced is an outside venue. And of course the stated reason that they are closing PI is to bring in more "shopping and dining options", which certainly makes it sound like they are no longer focusing on entertainment.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

It's not that I don't believe you but can you direct me to where Disney said that PI will be replaced solely with shopping and dining establishments?

 

[Scurvy]

It's not that I don't believe you but can you direct me to where Disney said that PI will be replaced solely with shopping and dining establishments?

http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2008/06/30/daily8.html

This is the one I bookmarked, but I'm sure there are others as well. In it, Kevin Lansberry (VP of DTD) is quoted as saying "Our guests tell us they want additional shopping and dining experiences at Downtown Disney" . While I'm sure that's true, I doubt many of them wanted the unique entertainment that's currently available to be replaced by the shopping/dining. In a resort the size of WDW there should easily be room for both.

 

[imthatgirl]

i would bet they do put in at least one restaurant that has a great bar and it may even be themed and a lot of fun, but the idea of anything adult is over. anything they put there will be for all age groups.

 

[Ember]

Whatever Disney replaces PI with, I hope they keep in mind that adults might like a night out. I was never big into the club scene, but it was nice to go somewhere where there were no children. The comedy club was often quite funny and AC will be dearly missed. I would love to see a nice jazz lounge, maybe a few more adults only restaurants, perhaps some more upscale shopping...

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2008/06/30/daily8.html

This is the one I bookmarked, but I'm sure there are others as well. In it, Kevin Lansberry (VP of DTD) is quoted as saying "Our guests tell us they want additional shopping and dining experiences at Downtown Disney" . While I'm sure that's true, I doubt many of them wanted the unique entertainment that's currently available to be replaced by the shopping/dining. In a resort the size of WDW there should easily be room for both.

Right in the article that you linked to, it talks about things that don't fall under the category of outsourced dining and shopping establishments. As for entertainment, they talk about the balloon as well as a bar with live entertainment. As well, it talks about making more use of the Marketplace Stage. And that is just a sampling of what the plans are.

It's true that Lansberry talked about the additional shopping and dining experiences that guests are demanded but he also said, "We are currently considering a number of unique concepts from around the globe as we re-imagine Pleasure Island and look forward to sharing our progress over the coming months."

That sounds exciting to me! It's far from a few shops and chain restaurants.

 

[gobnu1]

i would bet they do put in at least one restaurant that has a great bar and it may even be themed and a lot of fun, but the idea of anything adult is over. anything they put there will be for all age groups.

Hooters????

 

[Scurvy]

Right in the article that you linked to, it talks about things that don't fall under the category of outsourced dining and shopping establishments. As for entertainment, they talk about the balloon as well as a bar with live entertainment. As well, it talks about making more use of the Marketplace Stage. And that is just a sampling of what the plans are.

It's true that Lansberry talked about the additional shopping and dining experiences that guests are demanded but he also said, "We are currently considering a number of unique concepts from around the globe as we re-imagine Pleasure Island and look forward to sharing our progress over the coming months."


That sounds exciting to me! It's far from a few shops and chain restaurants.

The balloon will not be on Pleasure Island so there's no need to close anything on the island to accomodate it. The Marketplace Stage is the venue used for Magic Music days and the like; certainly it will be nice to have it covered instead of open to the elements but it is not the sort of scripted "Disney" entertainment that they are eliminating. I understood from the article that the concepts they are exploring are for shopping and dining venues - perhaps they are looking for entertainment concepts as well but I fail to see why they would eliminate the ones they already have when they don't even have anything planned to replace them. I understand why they are closing Pleasure Island as a whole, but the Adventurers Club (and even the Comedy Warehouse) should not be closed.

The bar with live entertainment is in a restaurant and sounds to me like what they have at Raglan Road. Certainly, if it is, it's no replacement for the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventurers Club. I hope that you are right that and they will announce more exciting things in the future, but that is not what I am hearing from cast members.


And if you're interested in another view on the closures of the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventurers Club, check out
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_stage_theat/2008/06/what-will-pleas.html#more
in particular the comment by Robert Dutton.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

So, basically you're upset about them closing 2 entertainment establishments not that they are bringing in additional shopping and dining? I'm not sure how you can get upset at this point when we really don't have any sort of idea what the vision for this new area is.

 

[lockflow]

This may (is probably) posted elsewhere but in today's mail was a card from Disney. On it, they stated that as of September 28, the Water Park Fun & More Option on our tickets will no longer include admission to PI.

This isn't a surprise but what I did find amazing is that Disney is offering in it's place, a relaxed, nine hole walking course round of golf at Disney's Oak Trail Gold Course!

Now, I know that some of our golfing friends are turning summersaults at the prospect, but what about those of us that don't golf?!

Disney, it's called O-P-T-I-O-N-S!! Sure PI was one place but with many things to do!

Thanks for taking away something and replacing it with nothing as far as my family is concerned!

wow!!

 

[lockflow]

By options, I meant they could offer either golf OR mini golf. I guess I'm just sad to see PI change so dramatically even though I know from Walt's own mouth that WDW would forever be a change in progress.

I wonder if, since it seems so popular, they have considered putting the Adventurer's Club maybe at the Boardwalk?

i would love a little mini for the kids!

 

[Scurvy]

So, basically you're upset about them closing 2 entertainment establishments not that they are bringing in additional shopping and dining? I'm not sure how you can get upset at this point when we really don't have any sort of idea what the vision for this new area is.

Yes, I'm upset because of two entertainment establishments. I'm unhappy that the things they have announced are not entertainment of the caliber they are removing. I'm unhappy because they have said they are doing this because they say guests want more shopping and dining, even though there is room to keep those two venues and add shopping and dining. I am unhappy because no matter what their future plans, they won't include the Adventurers Club which is the most uniquely "Disney" venue outside of a Disney park.

But I'm glad that you are excited that they are "considering new concepts". I hope they are as exciting as you expect them to be. And I hope that all of the cast members and people who know imagineers who have told me that they are eliminating Disney entertainment in favor of outside dining and shopping are wrong. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Yeah, I have heard from more than a few PAP-ers, DH included, that this may very well be the last year of their PAP.
If you don't golf, or use the water parks a lot, the removal of PI pretty much wipes out the reason for a PAP.
DH goes to the water parks. But most likely will go less often and just buy a ticket when he does.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Yes, I'm upset because of two entertainment establishments. I'm unhappy that the things they have announced are not entertainment of the caliber they are removing. I'm unhappy because they have said they are doing this because they say guests want more shopping and dining, even though there is room to keep those two venues and add shopping and dining. I am unhappy because no matter what their future plans, they won't include the Adventurers Club which is the most uniquely "Disney" venue outside of a Disney park.

But I'm glad that you are excited that they are "considering new concepts". I hope they are as exciting as you expect them to be. And I hope that all of the cast members and people who know imagineers who have told me that they are eliminating Disney entertainment in favor of outside dining and shopping are wrong. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Like I said, we'll wait and see. There's no one that you can possibly know, no matter how many ins you have at WDW, that more people won't prefer the new area as opposed to PI.

If Disney didn't think with some certainty that they could better utilize this space and make more money, why do you think they are closing PI?

 

[Scurvy]

Like I said, we'll wait and see. There's no one that you can possibly know, no matter how many ins you have at WDW, that more people won't prefer the new area as opposed to PI.

If Disney didn't think with some certainty that they could better utilize this space and make more money, why do you think they are closing PI?

I don't doubt that Disney can earn more money in the short term by acting as a landlord on Pleasure Island than by running their own unique entertainment venues. I'm sure that's why they're closing them. I'm just disappointed by it.

 

[gobnu1]

Let's look at the big picture. With energy prices rising crazily, it would benefit Disney to not actually own anything and just license it's name.

http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky061008a.htm

 

[EnnEss]

Let's look at the big picture. With energy prices rising crazily, it would benefit Disney to not actually own anything and just license it's name.

http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky061008a.htm

Kevin Yee makes a lot of assertions. Oil is near 160 dollars a barrel. His previous article says at that point WDW would look to sell MK, AK, DHS, and Epcot and just live off the licensing. We're about 1 month from that, I dont see any for sale signs. You can read that in the link you posted. He actually says he took a lot of heat for it but it looks like he'll be right. What? We are literally days away from that 160 mark, he's off his rocker.

His opinions are best when applied to day to day operations and observations of the parks. Macro economics are beyond him and mice age should consider pulling him as a blogger or directing his energies to something he knows about. His blog is irresponsible at best if he's attempting to "report". He presents his blogs as factual is the main problem, when they are obviously rumours. He should relocate to Jim Hill, the site hes on used to be a good source for reliable info ahead of time (like all the DCA changes) and Al Lutz still does a really good job. Mr. Yee is out of his depth.

 

[gobnu1]

Kevin Yee makes a lot of assertions. Oil is near 160 dollars a barrel. His previous article says at that point WDW would look to sell MK, AK, DHS, and Epcot and just live off the licensing. We're about 1 month from that, I dont see any for sale signs. You can read that in the link you posted. He actually says he took a lot of heat for it but it looks like he'll be right. What? We are literally days away from that 160 mark, he's off his rocker.

His opinions are best when applied to day to day operations and observations of the parks. Macro economics are beyond him and mice age should consider pulling him as a blogger or directing his energies to something he knows about. His blog is irresponsible at best if he's attempting to "report". He presents his blogs as factual is the main problem, when they are obviously rumours. He should relocate to Jim Hill, the site hes on used to be a good source for reliable info ahead of time (like all the DCA changes) and Al Lutz still does a really good job. Mr. Yee is out of his depth.

I think you missed the point, he wasn't commenting on the fact that he knows Disney is going to sell at $160. He is merely pointing out that at some point it will no longer be to Disney's benefit to actually own anything. No one thought we would get to these prices of oil in such a short time and if you do not think that Disney does not have people studying this then I think you have blinders on. Disney is about profit and rarely does anything else figure into the equation.

 

[angelmav]

Like I said, we'll wait and see. There's no one that you can possibly know, no matter how many ins you have at WDW, that more people won't prefer the new area as opposed to PI.

If Disney didn't think with some certainty that they could better utilize this space and make more money, why do you think they are closing PI?

I dont think you have been paying that close of attention to what has been announced/proposed. This is going to be a shopping district minus the entertainment. They are putting in a hanes make your own T-shirt store, have announced a tie in that will presumably go into PI with Dave and Busters and further shopping venues. Oh and the balloon that they have at DLRP, which is a seperate charge and doesnt handle many folks anyway, even when its running. You still think this new idea is going to be a big 'draw' especially at night? I am not saying that PI was a perfect incarnation, but every attraction at DW spreads folks out and appeals to a different segment.

IMO, disney doesnt care if its a big draw or not, there no longer operating there just leasing space, so it effectively doesnt matter going forward if/when it pulls people in as long as their tennants pay the rent on time.