Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

[wannab@dis]

Why close the AC and keep 8 trax? Most night 8 Trax is empty. Even on slower night AC and Comedy Warehouse draw a decent crowd.

I agree. I've never seen AC dead when I was there and I usually go during off peak times. However, just because AC is busy doesn't mean that it's a money maker. There's been several times that I've been at the AC and didn't get a drink. I've rarely been at the CW and NOT had a drink. Could be the same for others?

I can see them making changes to PI to attempt to bring in more crowds, but I doubt the changes will go to the extreme this rumor infers.

 

[Shaman]

Perhaps the idea of a PI as we know it is dead...but that doesn't mean that all the clubs will cease to be...as mentioned in the rumor some clubs will remain open...I'm sure AC will remain (even if it's not mentioned)...along with some of the others...but I can see why Disney would want to make way for "contracted restaurants" in that area...it would bring in people and a breath of fresh air into that area of DTD...maybe they'll expand AC....who knows....

Words are tricky that way...Pleasure Island will be put to rest...but I'm sure some of it will live on (hopefully the best parts of it)...I mean was not SGE the same as AE the only difference was the new name? :lookaroun

Maybe it's not the best example....but....

 

[Number_6]

I mean this land here:

 

[mkt]

First of all, flying 3600 miles to see Mr. Toad is a little crazy, even for me.

I did it twice last year, will be doing it again in December, and once more in March... and that's before any other future plans come up

If you were (possibly) not making money at an estabilishement, or at least (definitely) not making as much money as you think you can be making with something else, why would you keep it? Seriously?

Yes... I suppose I could see that, but the AC is making money. That club earns more than its fair share from being rented out in the afternoons for private parties and conventions.... on top of the bar tabs.

Perhaps if they still sold merchandise more money would be made

 

[billybluenose]

Hmmm....

Motion, and BET are some of the most popular clubs in Florida. This would severely impact the number of CP's.

Oh yeah?

In ALL of Florida?

I'm going to disagree with you.

-Billy

 

[Rosso11]

Uh, what? Between those two is a GIANT LAKE! And if you are going the other way ... then you are talking about having all of DTD between them ...

I always take that if part of a rumor is false, then it all is false.

I'm pretty sure they are talking about the parking lot between Saratoga Springs and West Side. When I was a CM I was told that was to be used for expansion of Downtown Disney. There is a lot of room over there. Walk from West Side to Saratoga one night. Its a big piece of property.

I would be very surprised if this entire story turns out to be completely true. Does anyone know if BET is run by Disney or leased out to them because I'm pretty sure its leased out. If this is the case they can't just knock it down like the other clubs. Adventure Club has such a strong following I would also think its safe. When ever I go to PI Motion is always the busiest so I don't see this one going either. However, I'm pretty sure the Beach Club doesn't have a chance. Its always empty. I can see them demolition from Motion up to Adventure club taking out the Beach Club and all of those stores. I see this as the most likely scenario, but honestly who knows for sure. I hope this is the case because the clubs that would remain would leave a nice well rounded selection of popular music and entertainment.

 

[billybluenose]

Nope.

Uh, what? Between those two is a GIANT LAKE!

There's actually a very large parking lot and a small green area.

-Billy

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

The only reason I ever upgraded to a Premium Annual was for that club. I find myself there more often than I do at the parks. Without that club, I just will not renew my pass, when a property optioned MYW ticket will suffice my WDW requirements for a year at a lesser price.

Agreed. The Adventurer's Club is the ONLY reason that I've considered purchasing or upgrading to a Premium Annual Pass. That says a lot about Pleasure Island as well too... the Comedy Warehouse is always a 50/50 chance of being an enjoyable experience and most of the dance clubs reek of a time long since past. 8 Trax staying? You must be joking. There's nothing more disturbing than to look inside that outdated club.

 

[Thelazer]

ADClub isn't going anywhere. The 2 buildings in question are "Mouse House" and "BET"

 

[Shaman]

ADClub isn't going anywhere. The 2 buildings in question are "Mouse House" and "BET"

THAT makes much more sense!!!!

 

[Number_6]

Why doesn't Disney knock out the Virgin Megastore, Guitar Gallery, the cigar shop, the rock and roll memorabila store, and the designer eyeware :veryconfu store (I think the guitar store is already closed?) ? Plus there is a Disney art store and a recording studio :veryconfu.

You cannot tell me that those seven stores make more money than AC, Comedy Warehouse, Motion, 8Trax, Mannequins, R & R Beach Club, and Raglan Road. But Disney's mentality is keep the shops (that I rarely see anyone buying anything in), and tear down the clubs?

Virgin Megastore is actually a good thing to keep. Virgin Holiday(which a large number of the guests from the UK seem to use) has people that use their service pick up their park tickets and anything else they may have purchased in their package at the desk just as you walk in to the left. So it actually does have a second purpose for being there. But you're right about the others, I can't really see them making more, unless the rent they are being charged for having those locations is more beneficial to Disney than the profit after operating costs of the clubs at PI. Since the PI clubs are Disney owned and operated(CMs) rather than run by an outside company on Disney property(Operating Participants) then there is a chance that Disney feels that by adding the number of OPs and decreasing the need for CMs at that location, they would make more money, or at least have to pay out considerably less. I don't agree with the decision, but then it's unfortunately not mine to make.

 

[BeachClubVillas]

Why doesn't Disney knock out the Virgin Megastore, Guitar Gallery, the cigar shop, the rock and roll memorabila store, and the designer eyeware :veryconfu store (I think the guitar store is already closed?) ? Plus there is a Disney art store and a recording studio :veryconfu.

You cannot tell me that those seven stores make more money than AC, Comedy Warehouse, Motion, 8Trax, Mannequins, R & R Beach Club, and Raglan Road. But Disney's mentality is keep the shops (that I rarely see anyone buying anything in), and tear down the clubs?

I couldn't agree more. I also agree with the person who posted that PI went downhill went they built West Side. To me, at least, PI was always intimate and casual and fun to visit. Then, when West Side went up, the whole place became run-of-the-mill and kinda honkey-tonk. Not Disney-like at all. PI alone still felt like Disney. I'd much rather see the stores go and keep the clubs.

 

[BeachClubVillas]

ADClub isn't going anywhere. The 2 buildings in question are "Mouse House" and "BET"

That makes much more sense! I wouldn't mind seeing 8Trax live in eternity either

 

[MickeyTigg]

Unless they mean along the far side of the lake between Cirque and SSR...but that's quite a ways away from everything.

 

[wdwishes2005]

Didn’t they just build AC a few years ago? I have not been yet; I hope this rumor does not pan out.

 

[Nut4Disney]

Why can't they put a restaurant where BET is and where the Beach Club is and leave AC alone. I guess they are thinking that they have to top CityWalk somehow. I thought that there was a rumor that Beach club was going to become a bowling alley.

 

[MickeyTigg]

AC has been around for a while....prior to 2001 I know for sure...

 

[Number_6]

Didn’t they just build AC a few years ago? I have not been yet; I hope this rumor does not pan out.

Adventurer's Club was one of the earliest clubs at PI. It was one of the first things that I got to go to back after it was built. Although, I will admit to missing the Fireworks Factory, a restaurant that used to be in the building that is now housing Motion.

 

[billybluenose]

Shops

Why doesn't Disney knock out the Virgin Megastore, Guitar Gallery, the cigar shop, the rock and roll memorabila store, and the designer eyeware :veryconfu store (I think the guitar store is already closed?) ?

I can't speak for the others, but I can tell you that the Virgin Megastore makes alot of money for WDW. The rent is based on sales so the better it does, the better WDW does.

Plus there is a Disney art store and a recording studio :veryconfu.

Yes, I think you are very confused. The art store isn't open yet and there is no recording studio.

You cannot tell me that those seven stores make more money than AC, Comedy Warehouse, Motion, 8Trax, Mannequins, R & R Beach Club, and Raglan Road. But Disney's mentality is keep the shops (that I rarely see anyone buying anything in), and tear down the clubs?

You've drifted. The rumor isn't that P.I. will be demolished, only a portion of it. And if you've never seen anyone buying anything on the Westside, then you must be staring at the pretty lights because everyone of those shops does well. Even the magnet store which baffles me daily.

-Billy

 

[Rosso11]

Why doesn't Disney knock out the Virgin Megastore, Guitar Gallery, the cigar shop, the rock and roll memorabila store, and the designer eyeware :veryconfu store (I think the guitar store is already closed?) ? Plus there is a Disney art store and a recording studio :veryconfu.

You cannot tell me that those seven stores make more money than AC, Comedy Warehouse, Motion, 8Trax, Mannequins, R & R Beach Club, and Raglan Road. But Disney's mentality is keep the shops (that I rarely see anyone buying anything in), and tear down the clubs?

I'm sure Disney makes a ton of money off of the rent for Virgin Mega store. As far as all of those little stores are concerned, theres so little because there just hiding the back of the movie theater. Theres really not much they could replace those stores with except more little stores.

A lot of the rumors that have been coming out about Downtown Disney as a whole has been involved making it more upscale. I'm pretty sure this is geared mostly towards the Market Place but will evolve into all of DTD. Basically what it comes down to is Disney's #1 competitor, Las Vegas. Vegas has become extremely well known for its great shopping and dinning over the last few years and Disney now wants to try and duplicate the shopping and dinning experiences in some ways. There are going to be huge changes throughout DTD over the next few years. I wish I knew the details I'm really curious about what they are exactly going to do. I know a lot of this has to do with the convention crowd that Disney is constantly fighting for with Vegas. Disney is just trying to level the playing field with higher quality shops and dinning.