Pleasure Island Clubs To Close?

[dreamfinder]

but the drinks is not the only source of revenues. WHat about tickets & annual passes? Personally, I bought a PI annual pass only and only for the Comedy Club and Adventure Club, I rarely step into the dance clubs.

Drinks should bring in alot more money than tickets and annual passes. I don't know exactly how much the drinks are, but a usual beer at 5-6 bucks only costs a buck or so from the keg, same for 7-8 dollar mixed drink with a buck or two of alcohol. Someone having 2 drinks in one night brings in about the same amount as a ticket, much more so if the ticket is one of the plus options on their Magic your Way ticket. The same numbers will apply for the passes, but on a much larger level. Most people will have at least that one drink each time they go, so it does add up.

 

[TravisMT81]

btw well drinks(skyy vodka) are only 5 dollars, which is pretty affordable I think.

 

[sknydave]

Pretty much any club anywhere is going to have high drink prices

 

[kdzgon]

Look back to the glory years of PI and you'll see that, first the Island was gated. You had to be 18 to go into most clubs and 16 for others. Not many parents brought there kids. The island was also, not a "part" of DTD. There was no "West End" so there was no traffic flow issue of tourists having to go thru the mess of drunken people. Of course, there were hot bartenders at the time. There was stage and they did bring in big name acts.

But now let’s fast forward to today. Hot bartenders make more money in Vegas, or LA, they don’t work at Disney. Disney’s isn’t “The Place” to be if you’re a hot bartender. The West End creates a traffic flow issue, forceing tourists to wade thru the drunken mess. There is no fixing that, without removing the drunken mess. Nightlight in general has changed; big clubs are no longer trendy. Small lounge clubs, VIP, that’s all the rage (hence the new RIX place) Sexiness is in (see any club in Vegas) large industrial spaces are out (see PI, and btw Disney could never do “sexy”)

Therefore and this is the takeaway, the island can no longer exist in its current state. It must change. The problem is "What" it will change into. There seems to be no overall plan or focus. Until someone gets an overall plan we will continue to see these odd rumors of one club going, or some crazy bowling ally... or the knockdown of a wall to expand 8-Trax (Nothing new, the talk on that started 2 years ago… and is the DUMBEST idea ever)

I'm sure the closing of the military base (bases) contributed to the decline in attendance as well. I know my DD & DSIL spent a lot of their down time at PI while stationed in Orlando.

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

my sugggestion: plus PI, maybe double-plus it (sorry to sound orwellian).

1) keep the AC and comedy club. They're big draws and work really well.
2) maybe use the AC formula in a different environment. Maybe a Club 54 disco-rama crowd straight from the 70's?
3) bring in a bowling alley/ Dave n Busters/ family type place (no not disneyquest) something teen friendly

***First things first: bring in hot bartenders. No offense to the people who tend at PI but anyone knows that sexy folk sells booze. Seeing the Cast wearing those silly shirts just doesnt work it.

4) dare i say it? c-a-s-i-n-o (let the flaming begin)
5) maybe bring in top drawer cover bands, like the ones who do the whole show. Like Led Replica and such.

and last, but definitely not least:

AA Karaoke. Basically you'd have 'Mickey's party jam' where the gang would be in AA form and MC while people sing karaoke. I think it'd be a huge huge huge success. It'd be super family friendly and you'd draw a lot of people.

ok, there's my 3-cents

Well worth 3-cents! They'll never put as casino on property. And I don't think they should (personally). Club 54 disco idea - love it. And I think they addition of a bowling alley/Dave and Busters type plave is a good idea too.

Finally, I totally agree with the hot-bartender-not-wearing-losery-costume thing. Hot chicks sell lots of drinks. My brother specifically walked halfway across Universal during Mardi Gras just to buy a beer from a certain bartender he slipped his number to. It even works at .... um, 'adult entertainment' clubs (if you catch my meaning). There could be four, er, beautiful and scantily clad girls on stage, but the bartenders are usually even more attractive - and make just as much in tips!

 

[DKampy]

btw well drinks(skyy vodka) are only 5 dollars, which is pretty affordable I think.

My Thoughts exactly...everyone talks about how exspensive the drinks are...but I can get a Long Island Ice Tea for just over $5.00...that is very affordable considering....You would be hard pressed to find that paticular drink less then that anywhere else...I don't drink beer...perhaps that is why the exspensive drinks discussion...perhaps beer is more exspensive at PI then other places...I can only go by the drinks i partake in.

 

[Thiger]

Ug... my last post on this one because I'm growing tired of talking to a wall... If "no one goes clubbing", then why in the world is 8 trax pulling in the sums of cash that they are. If you don't know how much cash it's pulling in, then i would say you're not exactly qualified to say "it's not working".

And to respond to a few items below:

1.) They're not "big draws" as far as consuption goes. Drinks are what make a club profitable. Comedy is NOT an extremely profitable location. See multiple previous posts by myself and others on this.
2.) 8-trax anyone?
3.) is there really a big difference between D&B and DQ? Other than that D&B is not as big, serves full meals, and charges per game instead of per admit?
*** hot bartenders? Doesn't sound like a disney hiring policy to me...

I actually love 8 trax and spent most of my time there last trip.
As for attractiveness being a part of disney hiring policy I ask you this...have you seen any princesses who weren't attractive walking around the parks?

 

[hokielutz]

but the drinks is not the only source of revenues. WHat about tickets & annual passes? Personally, I bought a PI annual pass only and only for the Comedy Club and Adventure Club, I rarely step into the dance clubs.

You could spend more on drinks one night at PI than you did on the PI annual pass. Heck a one day pass with the 5 days-for-5 additional dollars special is not going to protect Disney's bottom line.
Their profits come from the sale of drinks and merchandise.

 

[sillykid]

I don't know why, but I love this thread.:shrug:

I think it's funny to see everyones opinion on what to do with this prime real estate. I say prime, because even though there is so much land within Disney, this place is already built up. There is a reason to go here. DTD is a destination due to it's shopping, due to some great stores and it's relaxing atmosphere compared to the parks. the only input I can give is what I know running bars for the last 12 years......

-Conventioneers need a place to drink. Whether that's ESPN Club, renting out Dance Hall, or taking over a club at Disney, they will contniue to come. Yes, they will go to the resorts bar, but Swan & Dolphin huge and these groups spread out. I know from experience. We took over ESPN one night and Motion another.

-If you run good numbers in the biz, liquor cost shoud be around 18%. With Disney's deep discount for bulk (people say that disney doesn't even pay for Coke for fountain drinks, only the bottles the carts sell), they could run 12-14%. So for every $10.00 drink they sell, or every 2 $5.00 drinks they sell they make at least $8.60. So that hut outside AC, yeah 2 $5.00 drinks just paid for an hour that bartender just worked.

-This is a profitable place, the only reason Disney asks, should we change it up is because they are looking at how they can even make more money. These clubs could go from 6 (not including AC & CW) to 4 and still be okay. RNRBC takes up to much space and could be used to drive more revenue.

-Lastly, the reason that you could make more is because as of right now RNRBC opens at 8 or 9. With a bowling alley or such, all of a sudden you can make money from 10am-2am vs 8pm-2am. All the while using the same piece of real estate. Reservations for per hour lanes could be booked on credit cards weeks in advance. Think of the hourly rate they could charge. The hourly rates for Lucky Strike in Chicago are $45 before 9pm and $65 after nine, lus shoe rental. That price almost makes me sick.

Just my $0.10....Just my $0.02

 

[echoscot]

I don't know why, but I love this thread.:shrug:

I think it's funny to see everyones opinion on what to do with this prime real estate...

What I would like to know is what everyone one would do with some prime rib?:lol:

 

[sillykid]

What I would like to know is what everyone one would do with some prime rib?:lol:

If it's cooked on the North side of Chicago, I'd probably eat every drip of it. I would lick the plate at home if it was cooked right, and if out on the town, I would say thanks to the chef. Then I'd probably wake up and need a wheel barrel to get around.:ROFLOL:

 

[Brian Noble]

have you seen any princesses who weren't attractive walking around the parks?

This is one of my wife's very few gripes about Florida vs. California. For some reason, the Florida climate simply does not, ahem, agree with the Princesses...

 

[Thiger]

This is one of my wife's very few gripes about Florida vs. California. For some reason, the Florida climate simply does not, ahem, agree with the Princesses...

lol!
thats hilarious
not as hilarious as my brother and I attending the princess character meal...my gf was a little miffed (and disturbed) by that.
hahaha

 

[bugsbunny]

are we talking about the AC and headlights being on for safety? :ROFLOL:

 

[Brian Noble]

No, rather that let us say the pool of potential "special friends" of the various Princesses in Southern California is, ahem, deeper than the same pool in central Florida.

 

[nickbrec]

Oh No...

I dunno... but if the Ad Club closes.. that might be the straw that breaks the camel's back with how sick I am of them removing my favorite attractions and NOT return... I would just die if they closed PI or especially the Ad Club.

 

[echoscot]

... that might be the straw that breaks the camel's back...

Hilarious, I just used that phrase in another thread...Maybe it needs to be the "phrase of the week" or something:lol:

 

[MIDisneyFamily]

Ok...get rid of Pleasure Island... we can always use more shopping, cant we.
or turn the Whole Island into an Earl of Sandwich

 

[Tom Morrow]

This is one of my wife's very few gripes about Florida vs. California. For some reason, the Florida climate simply does not, ahem, agree with the Princesses...

Even though the Cast Members at WDW come from all across the country? It isn't Florida's fault.

WDW = much bigger than DL = a LOT more places to cover = a lot more princesses needed, so they can't be incredibly picky on how exact they look.

 

[TravisMT81]

I have seen some of the face characters at DL and they are not dipping into the greatest gene pool either.