Atlantic dance hall closing?

worldfanatic

Well-Known Member
I enjoy drinking in there, but it's always pretty empty.
Strangely, just steps away, Jellyrolls is generally packed until early in the morning.
So there definitely is already a place for late night adult fun.
If Atlantic Dance is indeed closing, I hope they come up with an idea that's popular with the Boardwalk crowd, and it doesn't just become a place that's only used for occasional banquets.
 

wild01ride

Well-Known Member
Dangit, I wanted to take my girlfriend there if we ever went to Disney World together. She loves Atlantic City and probably would have gotten a kick out of the place.

If she likes Atlantic City, then the Boardwalk area in general should be enjoyable. The Boardwalk itself has a lot of energy and bygone ambiance which is nice if you enjoy that sort of thing.
You won't miss out on much if you can't make it to the Atlantic Dance Hall.

Hope you get to enjoy it!
 

tissandtully

Well-Known Member
I enjoy drinking in there, but it's always pretty empty.
Strangely, just steps away, Jellyrolls is generally packed until early in the morning.
So there definitely is already a place for late night adult fun.
If Atlantic Dance is indeed closing, I hope they come up with an idea that's popular with the Boardwalk crowd, and it doesn't just become a place that's only used for occasional banquets.
I really hate that Jellyrolls has a cover charge, it's mostly full of CMs because they don't have to pay one. Seems very un-disney like.
 

tissandtully

Well-Known Member
And yet it's still always packed.
Can you imagine the line to get in if there wasn't a cover charge?
I happily fork over $10 to get in fairly quickly.
It would be as packed as any bar on WDW property, which isn't that bad. And like I said, it's only packed because of all the CMs.
 

the-reason14

Well-Known Member
Really sad to see this go, even though it isn't official yet, more then likely it will go. The place rarely has anyone and has been that way since I first went back in 2012. Once I finally turned legal, pleasure island was closed, so the only place me and a friend could go was the dance hall. I didn't drink at the time, but it was nice to get away from the typical "disney" that I had known all my life and do something more adult. It wasn't until recently that me, my brother, and friend would go there after drinking around epcot, and it was nice to just cut loose and have fun. Oh well, it's not a huge deal. However I'm glad I've gotten my fair share of vacations to WDW out of my system, because each year it seems like less and less of a reason to go....even when I have a friend that can get me in for free.
 

worldfanatic

Well-Known Member
It would be as packed as any bar on WDW property, which isn't that bad.
I tend to make a habit on my trips of visiting many, many bars on WDW property. Jellyrolls is consistently the most crowded........almost without exception.
Perhaps there are many cast members in the crowd, but I'm pretty much always in line behind several people who are paying the cover charge. A lack of this cover would certainly only make it more crowded.
It'd be nice if the Atlantic Dance location could bleed off some of this demand. But even without a cover, it's never been able to do that.
 

Notes from Neverland

Well-Known Member
I think a big part of the problem is the signage and marketing. Even when you're walking by right outside, aside from "Dance Hall" on the side and a sign which says no cover, there's really no clear indication of what the place even is. It barely even looks like it's open when it is actually open. There isn't a welcoming entrance or any kind of indication of what someone should expect inside.

An improved entrance and some people outside might make it a bit less intimidating and increase traffic inside, but those points might be moot if it's closing.
 

bunnyman

Well-Known Member
Disney went on a building spree in the 1980's/1990's with large clubs to counter Church Street Station in Orlando and eventually Universal City Walk. Unfortunately, trends/demographics changed, and they never kept up with them. Should have been redone years ago.
 
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MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
I think a big part of the problem is the signage and marketing. Even when you're walking by right outside, aside from "Dance Hall" on the side and a sign which says no cover, there's really no clear indication of what the place even is. It barely even looks like it's open when it is actually open. There isn't a welcoming entrance or any kind of indication of what someone should expect inside.

An improved entrance and some people outside might make it a bit less intimidating and increase traffic inside, but those points might be moot if it's closing.

This is a big part of it, I think. It makes you wonder how much more crowded it could be if Disney actually tried to promote it. Hotels in Vegas have signs (or even TVs) promoting their clubs in the elevators, and leaflets in the rooms. Even if Disney didn't want to go that route, they could at least have the check-staff mention it to the guests as they hand them the room key.

In the end, I wonder if it's just the "Disney guest" demographic problem. Disney Cruise Line has always had problems getting cruisers to dance in their clubs, trying a variety of theme nights and scheduling tricks, and yet the dance floors are always deserted. Most cruise lines don't seem to have this problem, which makes me wonder if the type of person that goes on a Disney cruise or stays at Boardwalk just isn't the clubbing type.

The Dance Hall is an architecturally beautiful space though and it would be a shame to see it redesigned. Since there is a stage there, I wonder if a better approach would be to host live local bands or standup comedians, and run the place as a standard bar with a small cover charge.
 

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
Is this true?

I go there every trip, have never noticed an abundance of CMs.

I'm surprised as well... I went once or twice in my CM days, but over the years it seemed like parking had gotten more and more scarce for non-guests.

It seems like now 90% of the lot is for hotel guests or valet (the latter of which, incidentally, always seems empty), and the only spots left for non-guests were way in the back of the lot to the left of the security gate. And even when spots there were available, it made for way too far a walk to Jellyrolls for CMs tired from work.

That was just my experience though.
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
I didn't drink at the time, but it was nice to get away from the typical "disney" that I had known all my life and do something more adult.
We went to Trader Sams bar at the Poly for the first time a few nights ago. That is adults only after 8pm but still has a silly Jungle Cruise humour atmosphere and was the one of best nights I've had a Disney. It's odd as it felt very Disney and very adults only at the same time.
 

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