What is Atlantic Dance Hall like these days?

[mouseclick1]

I know this place has gone through a number of changes over the years. Has nayone been lately? What it is like now?

 

[liamsaunt]

I have not been inside, but after our illuminations cruise our captain drove us by it and we looked inside--completely empty. He told us that nobody ever goes there anymore. He said that the original thought was that people staying at Boardwalk and Yacht/Beach would want a place to go and dance without traveling to Pleasure Island, but the concept did not catch on. They've tried a couple of different themes, but none have been successful. He also told us that the locals prefer to go to CityWalk over Disney nightclubs because there are more restaurants and clubs there. (Note this was just the captain's personal observations)

It seems like such a waste of space, doesn't it? I think they should move espn club in there. Then we might not have to wait in such long lines to get in on game days!

 

[Equidae]

It used to be a fun place with live music and swing dancing.. ahhh, those were the days! Mt friends and I used to go there almost every weekend. Now they have top-40 music and no live music. There isn't a cover charge any more. It is frequently empty or scarcly filled. It is, however, often used for special events such as weddings.

 

[PamNC]

I think. My DH and I went one time and it was totally empty. We thought it was a very cool idea to have a place right there for dancing. But it was totally dead at like 10:00 p.m. nobody and I mean not one soul was in there.

In fact, the last several times we've stayed at the Epcot Resort area, I've noticed the whole boardwalk area is lacking the energy it had when it first opened. I guess maybe Jellyrolls is still crowded, not sure. I woud love to see people milling about and see the energy that use to be there. Does anyone else agree???? Or am I just missing something?

PamNC

 

[Equidae]

Pam,

You're very right. The whole Boardwalk area just isn't the same. We were in Jellyrolls not too long ago and once the parks closed it got fairly crowded, but not overly so. The charm of the swing dancing at ADH was partly because that was an 'in' thing to do everywhere, not just there. It was so much fun! It's much quieter around there now though. I know they get a lot of buisness using ADH for private events, so like Ariels, it may be something that's really only used for the private stuff now.

 

[mouseclick1]

That's really too bad. We'll be at the BWV in February, and thought about checking it out. Unfortunately, it doesn't really sound worth it now. I always wanted to go when it had the swing dancing theme, but our boys were younger then and we never got around to it.

 

[Amphigorey]

It's sad; it should still be swing dancing. Unfortunately, Disney did not make friends with the local swing community, and without their support, it died. Now, of course, it's a regular Top 40 club, and no one is ever there.

The bright thing about nobody being there is that you can go in and have the DJ play pretty much anything you want. I went recently with a friend and got a cha cha and a couple of swing dances out of it.

 

[minijeanie]

I love staying at BWV. when kids were younger we didn't to ACH because they were so little. Now that they are older, we still don't go. I am so darn beat and tired at the end of the day that the concept of dancing is just too much for me.
boy am I lame!! (lol)

 

[Equidae]

It's sad; it should still be swing dancing. Unfortunately, Disney did not make friends with the local swing community, and without their support, it died. Now, of course, it's a regular Top 40 club, and no one is ever there.

Well, the whole swing craze died out pretty much everywhere here. There were places in Orlando, Tampa and at Disney that are all gone now. I was big in the swing dance community -- as were many of my friends. It was really one of the better places to go and it was ALWAYS packed. We were college students in Lakeland so it was very convenient for us to go. After graduation I went back and it was just very different and all those other swing dancing places in Orlando and Tampa were gone too. I don't think it was Disney that didn't make friends with the community. I think it was just a 'fad' that went away (very, very sadly I might add. I so wish people went out and danced swing like they did about 5 years ago or so!).

 

[CaptainClapper]

Atlantic Dance Club has definitely died down from years past. Back in the Swing craze, they used to "import" swing dancers to get people in the door and on the dance floor, but since that era has faded, so has the popularity of ADL. As another member mentioned, the place is still fun b/c they'll play anything you want. It's sort of like having your very own house party but w/o the mess to clean up afterwards! There's always TONS of room to dance and they make the drinks really strong too...so if you gather a few of your friends, it's sure to be an awesome time! I personally think Jellyrolls is the place to go if you want to hang out on the Boardwalk! Towards the end of the night, and depending on how much "consumption" takes place, it can turn into a dancing venue as well! The pianists are hilarious and really talented. They know just about everything, including the Kermit song and "Baby Got Back" (if Ray & Scottie are playing!). Tuesday night is Cast Member night (or at least it was as of July 05) so if you're looking for a jam-packed night filled w/ people in their 20's, that's the night to go. If you prefer a more laid back "singalong" where your request is almost guaranteed to be played, you may want to opt for a different night when it's not a pseudo-night-club! Either way, the Boardwalk is definitely a fun place to hang out!!

 

[Amphigorey]

Well, the whole swing craze died out pretty much everywhere here. There were places in Orlando, Tampa and at Disney that are all gone now. I was big in the swing dance community -- as were many of my friends. It was really one of the better places to go and it was ALWAYS packed. We were college students in Lakeland so it was very convenient for us to go. After graduation I went back and it was just very different and all those other swing dancing places in Orlando and Tampa were gone too. I don't think it was Disney that didn't make friends with the community. I think it was just a 'fad' that went away (very, very sadly I might add. I so wish people went out and danced swing like they did about 5 years ago or so!).

There are still swing venues; there just aren't as many and you have to look a little harder.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it's much, much easier to find dance (swing and ballroom) venues there. It's a pity Orlando isn't like that.