New Rumor Says Further Demolitions Cancelled & Clubs Could Reopen!

mydogipluto

New Member
I think Hyperion Wharf is a great name. Harkens back to Walt Disney's original history and beginnings. Also, the Wharf name fits with the lake. And several wharfs (Fisherman's, Canary, King's) inspire the thought of tourists.

I was never wild about the PI name. PI in Pinocchio was not somewhere you wanted to go! :fork: Why not name it Hades and do a Hercules theme or use to Chernobog mythology from Fantasia
 

disneyny

Member
I don't post that often but have been reading about allof these changes for years. I don't see why so many people think it has to be one or the other. There is no reason why Disney can't move forward with most of the Hyperion Wharf plans and yet possibly consider not doing a few planned demolitions and instead renting them out. I think they could make a perfect mix of some of everything- shopping, restaurants and club/bars. They already do this in a great way at the Boardwalk which has dancing. Do some people just want to ignore that it does already exist on property? So obviously TDO is not totally anti club. Maybe they are just being careful in not ruling out any options. It doesn't mean the project is dead but it could be a last hope for some who want clubs like AC to come back. I hope things get moving soon because the fighting over this has been going on for years.
 

flavious27

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't mind the comedy club reopening. I loved it. A refurbishment that would make it a dinner and show would do wonders.

The Adventures Club could easily become a store focusing on Adventure and the Soundstage could easily become a restaurant, without demolishing the buildings.

Another neat route to go would be to do something similar to what Disney's doing to The Disneyland Hotel. They already have a building themed to adventure, so one theme to fantasy, frontier, and tomorrow would be really neat. It would require only minor tweaking to everything else.

I liked the way it was, with drinks and apps served. AC would make more sense to be a dinner show. As for the soundstage, why not convert it to a techno club in the spirit of the end line lounge? We can get some AAs modeled after daft punk out of it.
 

Skipper Dan

Active Member
Guess I will ask this.

What if they made AC into a dinner/show - club?

Are Arabian Nights, Pirates dinner show, Medieval Times, Sleuths Mystery dinner show and any others I did not mention doing well?

Would this be a compromise that you could accept for AC?

They could have a show similar to but bigger than the old show. They could have the bar area and serve food as well. If it is this or no AC at all would you accept it?

Exactly my feelings!

I highly doubt there will be any resurrection of a night club on WDW property, Im certainly not arguing that. But what I will say is that PI was the victim of way too many over skewed negative rumors coming from people who had never even been there. You can believe whatever you read on an internet forum and twist the story and re post, or you can speak from actual experience. Call me a "PI Fan boy" or whatever simply because im happy there may be a tiny glimmer of hope, but I grew up there. With my family. Through the years growing up I have countless memories created every weekend or so from XZFR and The Neon Armadillo, etc. At least 2 times a month, I would be in a PI night club even as a small child. I spent every Birthday of my life on property mostly @ The Fireworks Factory, and since 18 in PI @ Beach Club. And man I loved celebrating New Years every night! So needless to say I was heartbroken when I heard the news of TDO deciding to close PI. Aside from a CM, and compared to the average frequent WDW visitor, I have lots of PI experience and can honestly say that I NEVER witnessed ANY events that I would deem necessary to close PI or start an onslaught of truth-less rumors.

With that said PI is and was a part of my life. I genuinely cherish every memory. So I dont like hearing things like "PI Fanboi" and maybe taking it the wrong way, but do take offense. I do hope that whatever TDO decides to do with PI, they will do it well. I dont know about you, but even after countless years, TDO very rarely disappoints me.

You're a very lucky person. I never even knew I could step foot in PI until it was too late. All of that time I was told i had to be over 18, when I could've just been accompanied by an adult. It honestly, sickens me.

In each of my trips to Florida for the past 6 years I have visited DTD. I think I may be closer to the average Disney guest in saying that I never ventured once out of the Marketplace. There was no reason to.

In my thinking there wasn't anything to see that I couldn't see at home for the most part. Do I wish I had seen the AC? Yes, but I didn't even know it existed until a month or so before it was announced it was closing.

That's me, exactly. All of my life, I have rarely left the Market Place, and didn't really know of the AC until right before it's demise. Sadness feels my heart. :(
 

Master Gracey

Well-Known Member
Wait... "Pleasure Island" is a better name then "Hyperion Warf?" You can't be serious. I'm not for changing things just to change them, but "Pleasure Island" is hardly classic or meaningful.

I frequented PI several times a year between 1998-2003. I loved it, but the actual silly name holds no nostalgic reverence.

I was never wild about the PI name. PI in Pinocchio was not somewhere you wanted to go! :fork:

Actuallly, Pleasure Island has a strong meaning and has nothing to do with Pinocchio. The name comes from a time when Imagineers still put a lot of time and effort into securing down every last detail of their project, from backstory to final product.

Merriweather Adam Pleasure was the ficticious founder of the island, and it was thus named after him. A summary of his life's story can be found here http://www.mouseplanet.com/8150/In_Memory_of_the_Original_Pleasure_Island_Story (Personally I prefer the 68 page Cast Member study guide, but I don't have the time to re-type that here) and as you will see is quite colorful and adventurous.

I think they could make a perfect mix of some of everything- shopping, restaurants and club/bars. They already do this in a great way at the Boardwalk which has dancing. Do some people just want to ignore that it does already exist on property?

Not as much as some people forget that is exactly what Pleasure Island started out as. Up until the early 2000's in addition to the seven nightclubs, Pleasure Island boasted at least eight stores and four restaurants that were open during the daytime and nightclub hours. Hopefully we will we see this business model come back.

Lastly, I'd like to say on this 1st of May 2011, HAPPY 22ND BIRTHDAY PLEASURE ISLAND! May the Disney Co. re-learn the battlecry of your founder Merriweath Pleasure, "Fun for all, and all for fun"!
 

NoChesterHester

Well-Known Member
Actually, Pleasure Island has a strong meaning and has nothing to do with Pinocchio. The name comes from a time when Imagineers still put a lot of time and effort into securing down every last detail of their project, from backstory to final product.

Merriweather Adam Pleasure was the ficticious founder of the island, and it was thus named after him. A summary of his life's story can be found here http://www.mouseplanet.com/8150/In_Memory_of_the_Original_Pleasure_Island_Story (Personally I prefer the 68 page Cast Member study guide, but I don't have the time to re-type that here) and as you will see is quite colorful and adventurous.

I remember the backstory quite well. In my opinion if you need 50 pages to explain why non-descript warehouses are "themed" then you are covering up for something. There was a lot of this overblown backstory stuff in the 90's. Reminds me of... Prince Charming's Regal Carousel.



Not as much as some people forget that is exactly what Pleasure Island started out as. Up until the early 2000's in addition to the seven nightclubs, Pleasure Island boasted at least eight stores and four restaurants that were open during the daytime and nightclub hours. Hopefully we will we see this business model come back.!

I think the model still works. I don't buy that people have changed that much. Frankly, I like that we can actually see the water now. Reoccupy the clubs Disney... we will come back.
 

Mouse Detective

Well-Known Member
I think they could make a perfect mix of some of everything- shopping, restaurants and club/bars. They already do this in a great way at the Boardwalk which has dancing. Do some people just want to ignore that it does already exist on property? So obviously TDO is not totally anti club.

I agree that a mix of shopping, restaurants and clubs/bars would be very successful.

From what I've read, the dance club at the Boardwalk is only there because they are contractually obligated to furnish a club for the Dolphin and Swan hotels. I think I read the contract expires in 2013 or 2014. The fact that Disney provides close to zero advertising for the club is an indication they don't like it any more than they liked the clubs on Pleasure Island.
 

hrcollectibles

Active Member
I hope this is true. I have no problem with Hyperion Warf offer shopping, dining and clubs. That is one of the reasons I enjoy City Walk and the main reason I have an Annual Pass for Universal Studios (complimentary Valet). I may be wrong but are the clubs at City Walk third parties or are they owned and operated by Universal? If they are third party, then it seems to work well for them. Hopefully this does happen as I would like to have other options other than Atlantic Dance Hall and Jellyrolls.
 

mydogipluto

New Member
Actuallly, Pleasure Island has a strong meaning and has nothing to do with Pinocchio. The name comes from a time when Imagineers still put a lot of time and effort into securing down every last detail of their project, from backstory to final product.

Merriweather Adam Pleasure was the ficticious founder of the island, and it was thus named after him. A summary of his life's story can be found here http://www.mouseplanet.com/8150/In_Memory_of_the_Original_Pleasure_Island_Story (Personally I prefer the 68 page Cast Member study guide, but I don't have the time to re-type that here) and as you will see is quite colorful and adventurous.


Yeah, I guess I do remember something about the back story now that you mention it. Lately, we always associated PI with Pinnochio. All the bars and such fit with the idea from the movie. I agree that if you require that much back story, it probably isn't working. Like having to explain a joke.


Not as much as some people forget that is exactly what Pleasure Island started out as. Up until the early 2000's in addition to the seven nightclubs, Pleasure Island boasted at least eight stores and four restaurants that were open during the daytime and nightclub hours. Hopefully we will we see this business model come back.

I do remember the Fireworks Factory. What happened there to close it? Was always packed the few times we were there. What other restuaurants were there? I assume Fultons was there.
 

Ignohippo

Well-Known Member
I remember the backstory quite well. In my opinion if you need 50 pages to explain why non-descript warehouses are "themed" then you are covering up for something. There was a lot of this overblown backstory stuff in the 90's. Reminds me of... Prince Charming's Regal Carousel.

I think the model still works. I don't buy that people have changed that much. Frankly, I like that we can actually see the water now. Reoccupy the clubs Disney... we will come back.


I love the PI name and backstory, but it's time DTD becomes one property – no PI, no Hyperion Wharf, no West Side, no Marketplace – just one contiguous DTD. Let DTD be the draw and get rid of the false boundaries once and for all.

The multiple areas do nothing but act like road blocks for people visiting the area. It will never work as long as they keep the three divided sections. It goes against everything it sounds like they're trying to accomplish.
 

71jason

Well-Known Member
I never went into either, but in the case of the Comedy Warehouse I find it surprising. The reason my DW and I never went was the huge lines that were outside every time we thought about going in. Can you say anything about your source regarding club revenues?

Former (and possibly current) CMs in pretty much ever position on the Island.

Re: Comedy Warehouse. It was mostly a function of the schedule--the shows were so short that the best you could hope to sell was one drink per seat per show. If a show didn't fill up (the first rarely did), not even that. If someone walked in with a drink, another lost sale. Throw in having to pay five Equity performers and it just wasn't a money-maker.
 

flavious27

Well-Known Member
Former (and possibly current) CMs in pretty much ever position on the Island.

Re: Comedy Warehouse. It was mostly a function of the schedule--the shows were so short that the best you could hope to sell was one drink per seat per show. If a show didn't fill up (the first rarely did), not even that. If someone walked in with a drink, another lost sale. Throw in having to pay five Equity performers and it just wasn't a money-maker.

Which is why they had the cover charge for the whole island. Also, that drink would not be counted to the CW, but to the shack out front. Without the CW, the shack may not have made that sale.

Also selling one or two drinks an hour to every seat is profitable no matter the hourly pay rate of the talent, CW can sit 265 people. If there is only one drink sold to every seat, with 5 shows a night, that is over 1300 drinks a night bare minimum. If every drink is $5, that over 2 million in revenue in just drink every year. Disney is not going to get 166k a month in rent.
 

Wilt Dasney

Well-Known Member
I like the dancing moon guy on the PI brochure...reminds me of the Mac Tonight campaign from McDonald's. Maybe there's a connection, in that kid-synonymous franchises trying to explicitly market themselves to adults with "after dark" material was a '90s-era gestalt thing.

At any rate, I'd love to see a nightclub or two -- or even just some more adult-friendly restaurants -- thrown into the mix of whatever HW ends up being. As noted, it seems to work well at Universal. It's nice to walk into Margaritaville for dinner, and down a hurricane or two while listening to music.
 

RonAnnArbor

Well-Known Member
It has to do with supply and demand....the reality is, there is no demand for the old clubs anymore...

Countrywide, the "dance club" model is dying...those that remain are struggling to survive.

But the reality is, Pleasure Island was created to KEEP Resort Guests on Disney Property, spending their money there. With rare exceptions of evenings open later, us old Disney Geezers will recall that the parks closed by 7pm. There were only two parks. People had NOTHING to do after 7 pm. At that time, almost everyone arrived on Disney Property either in their own cars or rented cars in Orlando. There was no magical Express. There was barely a Mears service.

People simply got into their cars and drove away to go to the clubs in Orlando during the evenings. That was the EXACT thing that Disney did not want happening. Pleasure Island was created to keep adults INSIDE Disney property, spending money in Disney bars and clubs, and not driving away.

The reality is, that need no longer exists. DD has become as much a destination as any of the parks. People no longer have those cars, for the most part, and Resort Guests just take busses or boats down to DD. But more importantly, Disney recreated their entire late evening model: they now have 4 parks, some of which are always open until at least 9, and during peak till 1 in the morning...people are already staying on property, so there is no need for additional enticement.

When I was younger, I liked Pleasure Island too -- it gave me something to do, clubs to check out, liquor to buy...now I can get that in the Hotel pool bar, or at any of the parks (other than MK) and I certainly don't want a dance bar anymore....

The model has changed the world over...
 


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