Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I really believe this means the end of the PI dance clubs. I feel as if they are doing this on purpose so attendance drops and they can abandon them completly and rent out the space. This move will absolutly not bring in more locals. Most locals who are of age would not be going to PI for the dance clubs. I just don't understand why they wouldn't have made this move before they opened up PI to everyone. If they truly wanted a 21 and up place they should have kept it closed off. Lets be honest they are extremly outdated for the most part. The club scene has changed so much in the last few years and PI has been left far behind. Lately there have been so many 18-20 year olds in the clubs because they have no where else to go and for an 18 year old on vacation PI is actually pretty cool. However, for anyone over 21 there are so many better options. If Disney is truly serious about having clubs that atract the over 21 crowd they need outside help. They need to rent this space out to established clubs out of Miami, New York or Vegas. This would draw more locals , tourists and the huge Orlando convention crowd.
I have to point out a few little problems in here. First, the cities you have cited are very different venues. People do not really go to clubs there to "have fun"; it's a status option. It is a see and be seen situation. Then, the clubs that do not have that attitude exist by not being "those clubs". Orlando will never have that. While Vegas may be a "vacation destination", a largely significant portion is the weekend LA and SF crowd that treat it as an extension of their own hometowns. O-Town is a family destination and, when it comes down to it, not a large city. Furthermore, it has two crowds: the local city dwellers, the majority of which have a very tough time getting to WDW physically. The second is the vacationers (not for a week, but longer). It does not really have the young professional/ubanite crowds that fuel the Miami, NY, and Vegas scenes. Just look at the clubs downtown; they don't last that long.
But, I don't think that means the end of the dance clubs. What I would sooner see would be a reduction in their number. If you take out RnRBC and Motion or BET, you would concentrate the numbers of people. It also would open up some space for additional venues that would round out the offerings. A solid martini bar, a sushi/sake bar, a wine tasting room, the bowling alley idea, a sports bar. There are a lot of options that would diversity PI a bit without changing its club atmosphere.
The other benefit would be that, if they reduce the number of clubs, they should, therefore, reduce the admission price as well. I think people would pay $14 to have access to BET, a revamped 8 Trax, AC, CW, and Mannequins.