Pleasure Island changes with confirmed dates

[RPMdfw]

I go back to WDW a couple times a year, and I used to kill to get to PI, but now I only go on the first Thursday of June which, to me, is the only fun night at PI / Mannequins anymore.

If you can get in. The line for Mannequins last year was all the way to Comedy Warehouse and that was WITHOUT the construction walls blocking walkways and the waterfront area housing the carnival games and porta-potties. I think that this years "Thursday Night of the First Weekend in June (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)" is going to be quite the nightmare. Opening up the Waterfront as an "extension" of Mannequins was the only way to get that many people through the door at that club. With the waterfront used as a walkway, games, potties area; I think the Mannequins line is going to be even worse.

 

[tirian]

Yeah, that's about the only night of the year that PI actually makes a lot of profit... :lol:

CHANGE TOPIC

I was really surprised when PI didn't pull out all the stops for New Year 2006! I suppose the era of several A-list bands and non-stop fireworks and confetti are gone forever.

Farewell, PI.

 

[markc]

In my opinion, PI lost its special touch when it tried to become like every other club hotspot and focused on college kids instead of adults. The new atmosphere isn't very appealing to adults (PI's target audience) and is too "Disney-fied" for most college students (except, of course, for CPs, who have arguably helped PI develop a bad reputation as a Disney CM-hangout). Which clubs should stay and which should go is a matter of opinion; but Mannequin's has definitely embarrassed Disney lately (drunk character CMs unloading their complaints on Guests).

PI didn't lose it's touch when it tried to focus on the under 30 crowd (it never specifically focused on the college aged group); to survive, Disney was always going to have to move away from placating all adults in general. Where it failed, was that it did not know how to adequately cater to that group while keeping a consistant quality to it. It's not that it's too Disney-fied; in fact, I fail to see much of Disney in those clubs...it's weakness is that it's lame, for a lack of better words. City Walk has been able to capture that under 30 group, hence why more locals go there than they do Pleasure Island.

I agree that Mannequins has embarassed Disney, but not for the reasons you mentioned. The biggest way to turn off guests is to have an unofficial night where it turns into a gay club. I don't mean to offend anybody by this in anyway possible, however, put yourself in the mentality of an average guest who walks in there thinking it's a normal club only to find out differently? It's generally a shock and most people get turned off by that.

 

[TiggersPooh]

everynight at Mannequins is gay night

:lol: the biggest turnoff for me at PI is seeing all the little children out past midnight...just never made sense to me (that and having your child out till 2 am for MK EMH)

 

[RPMdfw]

I agree that Mannequins has embarassed Disney, but not for the reasons you mentioned. The biggest way to turn off guests is to have an unofficial night where it turns into a gay club. I don't mean to offend anybody by this in anyway possible, however, put yourself in the mentality of an average guest who walks in there thinking it's a normal club only to find out differently? It's generally a shock and most people get turned off by that.

It IS a normal club. People go there to dance, enjoy adult beverages, and perhaps meet new people. Who the people are and the people they might be trying to meet should in no way make a difference. Disney is inclusive and celebrates diversity. It's well known, various boycotts have drawn attention to that. No one should be shocked that it's more enlightened and thus draws a more diverse crowd. What's off-putting is the notion that certain people should stick to "their own kind of bars".

 

[markc]

It IS a normal club. People go there to dance, enjoy adult beverages, and perhaps meet new people. Who the people are and the people they might be trying to meet should in no way make a difference. Disney is inclusive and celebrates diversity. It's well known, various boycotts have drawn attention to that. No one should be shocked that it's more enlightened and thus draws a more diverse crowd. What's off-putting is the notion that certain people should stick to "their own kind of bars".

I don't want to get off topic here, and while I completely agree that there should be no distinction between the kind of bars there, it is a reality in our world...and both sides subscribe to it. The fact that Disney hires a separate DJ who is skilled in "gay club" music on that night clearly marks a deliniation between the "straight" nights and the gay night. If a straight person walks into a bar that is predominately filled with gay men or women and there is an atomsphere which promotes the stereotypical atmosphere (i.e. specific music and entertainment), then they have no want or desire to participate in that, and it is unfair to expect anybody to not be dissapointed if they were not aware of such a night.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I don't want to get off topic here, and while I completely agree that there should be no distinction between the kind of bars there, it is a reality in our world...and both sides subscribe to it. The fact that Disney hires a separate DJ who is skilled in "gay club" music on that night clearly marks a deliniation between the "straight" nights and the gay night. If a straight person walks into a bar that is predominately filled with gay men or women and there is an atomsphere which promotes the stereotypical atmosphere (i.e. specific music and entertainment), then they have no want or desire to participate in that, and it is unfair to expect anybody to not be dissapointed if they were not aware of such a night.

I agree with you. It would probably make me a bit uncomfortable if I walked into that with my girlfriend without any warning. It is just unexpected at Disney World.

 

[DisneyGrown-Up]

As long as they keep 8TRAX, The Adventurers' Club and The Comedy Warehouse open, I'll be absolutely fine.

Sincerely,

John "DisneyGrown-Up" Kilduff

 

[tirian]

PI didn't lose it's touch when it tried to focus on the under 30 crowd (it never specifically focused on the college aged group); to survive, Disney was always going to have to move away from placating all adults in general. Where it failed, was that it did not know how to adequately cater to that group while keeping a consistant quality to it. It's not that it's too Disney-fied; in fact, I fail to see much of Disney in those clubs...it's weakness is that it's lame, for a lack of better words. City Walk has been able to capture that under 30 group, hence why more locals go there than they do Pleasure Island.

By "Disney-fied," I meant "lame," from a typical (i.e. not a Disneyhead) PI Guest. It's like Disney tried really hard to be hip...and failed miserably. I agree with you; you caught me with a bad choice of words.

As far as Mannequins is concerned, people of all sorts and lifestyles frequent that place and have contributed to its bad reputation. It's fairly well-known as the only place at WDW where people can simulate...well, you know...and not get in too much trouble for it, because they're "dancing." (If you call it that.) For example, my best friend refuses to go back to PI because his last time there--last November!--he had so many people (girls and a few guys) grab his backside that he left feeling extremely uncomfortable. The ironic part is that when this happens on Church Street, he laughs it off; but he doesn't expect it at Disney. I told him that people are people no matter where you are.

Is this a psychological thing? Yes. But whether anyone reading this post personally agrees with it or not, the fact is that such incidents have generally hurt PI's reputation, simply because it's on Disney property. And rallying to Disney's defense on an online forum doesn't change the public's perception of what "should" and "shouldn't" be going on at a Disney-owned club.

 

[RPMdfw]

I don't want to get off topic here, and while I completely agree that there should be no distinction between the kind of bars there, it is a reality in our world...and both sides subscribe to it. The fact that Disney hires a separate DJ who is skilled in "gay club" music on that night clearly marks a deliniation between the "straight" nights and the gay night. If a straight person walks into a bar that is predominately filled with gay men or women and there is an atomsphere which promotes the stereotypical atmosphere (i.e. specific music and entertainment), then they have no want or desire to participate in that, and it is unfair to expect anybody to not be dissapointed if they were not aware of such a night.

That's like saying "because some people are uncomfortable with integration, we shouldn't end segregration because it's unfair to people who don't want to see that." How absurd.

I've personally never thought that Mannequins is an embarassment to P.I. and I've never heard of it's "bad reputation". I've heard that Motion can get some rowdy crowds of the "under 21" variety, but never heard a thing abour Mannequins before this. But I'm just a non-castmember who lives in the Orlando area and is at Pleasure Island two to three times a week. What do I know?

 

[ToTBellHop]

That's like saying "because some people are uncomfortable with integration, we shouldn't end segregration because it's unfair to people who don't want to see that." How absurd.

I've personally never thought that Mannequins is an embarassment to P.I. and I've never heard of it's "bad reputation". I've heard that Motion can get some rowdy crowds of the "under 21" variety, but never heard a thing abour Mannequins before this. But I'm just a non-castmember who lives in the Orlando area and is at Pleasure Island two to three times a week. What do I know?

I've heard of its reputation...

 

[redsfan4life]

As long as they dont close the only two clubs i attend AC and CW I am happy .

 

[markc]

That's like saying "because some people are uncomfortable with integration, we shouldn't end segregration because it's unfair to people who don't want to see that." How absurd.

I'm not going to run this into the ground, but you are clearly missing the point. Segregation of water fountains and clubs where people go to hookup are clearly two different issues. Whether or not you choose to accept those differences are totally up to you, but what I have said regarding Mannequins and it's "special" night has been brought up by many people in complaints and is one of the many reasons some locals avoid PI on Thursdays. It's not so much the nature of the club as it is the "shock" of finding out that it's something they didn't think it was. If you're not ever planning on going to a gay club, chances are you don't want to accidentally walk in on one, thinking it's a normal club. It's clear you have personal feelings towards this issue which make you biased to realizing the other side of the issue. Chances are, if you're one who frequents the Thursday night Mannequins get-together, you aren't going to see the other side of the argument. Personally, to me, I don't care either way..but I can understand the viewpoint of those who are upset to find that it's something that they weren't expecting. Whether you agree with it or not, isn't the issue here, it's simply realizing that this is one of many issues which has left a sour note in PI's lack of popularity with the mainstream Orlando public and those going out to clubs in Orlando.

I've personally never thought that Mannequins is an embarassment to P.I. and I've never heard of it's "bad reputation". I've heard that Motion can get some rowdy crowds of the "under 21" variety, but never heard a thing abour Mannequins before this. But I'm just a non-castmember who lives in the Orlando area and is at Pleasure Island two to three times a week. What do I know?

It does have a reputation...perhaps you are there on the nights where you don't witness it?

 

[GaryT977]

I don't want to get off topic here, and while I completely agree that there should be no distinction between the kind of bars there, it is a reality in our world...and both sides subscribe to it. The fact that Disney hires a separate DJ who is skilled in "gay club" music on that night clearly marks a deliniation between the "straight" nights and the gay night.

The music they play on Thursdays is the exact same music that's played on the BPM channel on my XM Radio. It's not called the Gay Music channel, it's BPM. It's also pretty much the same music they play on Mondays or Saturdays or any other night I've been. If you don't like the music, walk down to Motions and listen to Top 40, or walk down to BET and listen to Hip Hop. Dance music is dance music, not gay music, or else everyone in Europe would be gay.

Just because you don't like it doesn't make it gay. :brick:

 

[GaryT977]

Just one more thing, this supposed 'embarrasment' that PI has become. I've never heard this before and it surprises me to hear it. One of the great things about PI is that you know going there you're going to be safe. The bathrooms are clean, the clubs are clean, there are no drugs or obnoxious drunks or fights or anything else to worry about. And I'm sorry, but I've been to Citywalk a few times, and it wasn't busy, and it was very shady.

 

[uklad79]

As always this has turned into the gay debate. Anyway back to the topic. So when do we think the bridge will open so I can get easier access to the gay club..... errrr I mean PI. Also any sign that the stages have been cleared away so that the land can be paved? I am sure paving it once the land is clear will be done very fast. They can repave parts of the parks over night.

 

[GaryT977]

I haven't been since last Thursday, when both stages were gone. Actually, it was kind of wierd being able to see the BET Club coming across the bridge from the West Side.

Anyhoo.

You can get to any club you want to right now. While it ain't all that pretty outside, there's absolutely no difference inside.

 

[TravisMT81]

I have never heard Maniquins of having a reputation. BET and Motions have probably had the most issues with underage drinking and disordely conduct.

 

[markc]

Gary, I'm well aware of the music they play and where it can be heard. However, there is a gay "stereotype" of music (Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and any other "hi NRG" dance music). Hell, go browse the "techno/dance" section at the Virgin Megastore and tell me how many specific CD compliations are labeled as "gay compliations"...there's quite a few. ; and in this instance, however, I'm not labelling the music as gay...the DJ that they hired did. Go up and talk to him sometime, he'll tell you what I'm telling you. Disney specifically hired the same DJ that (will tell you himself) "specializes" in gay club music.

The music they play on Thursdays is the exact same music that's played on the BPM channel on my XM Radio. It's not called the Gay Music channel, it's BPM. It's also pretty much the same music they play on Mondays or Saturdays or any other night I've been. If you don't like the music, walk down to Motions and listen to Top 40, or walk down to BET and listen to Hip Hop. Dance music is dance music, not gay music, or else everyone in Europe would be gay.

Just because you don't like it doesn't make it gay. :brick:

 

[TiggersPooh]

let it go...
its all the same to disney gay/straight...as long as youre spending money disney will love you and cater to you.