jensenrick
Well-Known Member
I'll never forget how awesome Pleasure Island was in the good ol days. That was truly a One of A Kind place- no one else has that experience, at least nowhere I have been. Where else could you pay one price and visit a wide variety of nightclubs and entertainment that was jamming from the time the place opened?! Yes, they were nightclubs but they also felt "Disney", I never worried about safety, or even about having a bad time. Lots of people (us included) would dress up a little (or a lot) to go to the Island. I remember an excellent article about PI during the heyday, saying how incredible it was EVERY venue (including to the reviewer's amazement, the little stage at the low end of Hill St, where the vid screen was) where the performers were always working at top gear, no matter if it was 7pm and hardly anyone was watching, or the last show of the night, when everyone was pumped up! I totally agreed with that, we were always filled with excitement from the moment we stepped "ashore."
I feel really bad for my cousins, Jon, Robert and Sam. When it was the whole family going to WDW (instead of just Linny and I) we would bring the cousins to the Adventurers Club, and for Sam in particular, I think it was his favorite part of Disney. He and his cousins would be over the moon if they got to sit at the bench in front, next to Fingers Zambezie. Being young teens, they would sometimes be teased mercilessly by the characters, "I see your parents brought you to a bar, good parenting" and they would drink it up. Speaking of drinking, all the cousins would say, "Can't wait until we turn 21, so we can go to PI on our own and have a Kungaloosh," yet the place closed before any of them turned 21. They will still go to WDW occasionally, but it soured all three of them- they had been looking forward to that for SO many years. Now that Jon is married, he brings his kids down from Jersey to Magic Kingdom, but he refuses to stay on property (to be fair, the wife works for Marriot.)
I have vivid memories of something that I only saw ONCE at WDW (how many things can you say that about?) - an amazing St. Patrick's Day parade (with floats!) going up Hill St. John McDaniel, the leader for the house band for the Rosie O'Donnell Show was Grand Marshall of the parade (She was taping her show at WDW that week IIRC.) The music and floats were amazing, they would throw beads from the floats, AND I had bought a cheap mask at the kiosk, but talked a CM working the front door of 8Trax into trading masks with me! It was a large, inflatable, Bacardi licensed, jester mask- and as I would walk up Hill St.- random people would say, "Mr. Mardi Gras!" and want pictures with me. It was a hoot! I'm sure I still have those pics somewhere. First time I'd ever had jello shots, too! One of the BEST times I've ever had at WDW.
Linda and I would alternate each year, who would get an Pleasure Island Annual Pass. Included in the PI AP was free entry for a guest on Friday night- One AP, two people every Friday. So, every time we would drive up to WDW for the weekend, our weekend would start with an awesome party on Friday at PI. For the price of 3 or 4 drinks, we would have a blast all night, and then take the boat back to the hotel (usually Port Orleans).
We loved dancing at 8Trax, and how they would play Donna Summer, the Village People, and just before midnight, the Theme from the Jeffersons, and everyone would be on the floor for that one. Because of course you wanted to be out on Hill St at Midnight for the Big New Years countdown and Fireworks, usually in some Huge conga line going all over the Island.
We would drop in on at RockNRoll Beach Club (partly for the big ol Sand Pail cocktails) and Mannequins some times. My aunt Susan loved to go to Mannequins on her birthday. But our favorite was always the Adventurer's Club. Oh my, the Adventurer's Club. The times sitting on the elephant stools at the bar in the Main Salon, and suddenly I'd be descending LOL! Sexy ol "Zeus goes fishing." Once I was picked to be a Bodyguard for Babylonia, Goddess of women and all things fertile LOL! That was hilarious! LOVED watching Colonel Suchbench, especially on nights where he was really riled up about something, or would do the Beer lyrics of "Do Re Mi." My fave performance in the Library every night was Samantha's Cabaret, with Pamelia Perkins and the Maid- many a night I've gone home singing, "We Belong to a Mutual Admiration Society." Oh, how the new people would whoop for "Hard Hearted Hannah," when it got to the chorus. I was also very fond of "Bessie the heifer, the Queen of all the Cows," and even got to hold her (by the hooves, of course) and twirl one night. What show was that? God, it's been so many years, but I hate to think of those memories fading. It wasn't the Balderdash- I still have that one pretty much memorized. Was it the New Member Induction? That was another good one. Hoopla was good, but not my fave.
The Comedy Warehouse- very hit or miss. We eventually stopped going there at all, because it was always a long line for what was often a mediocre show. But even so, it was just an hour (and a walk up all those stairs!) to go to the next thing.
How could I forget the Fireworks Factory! We loved the frozen drinks and real good BBQ that we would get there. Sitting at the front bar, you could watch the people come in at the entrance that came around the Italian place. Oh, we would usually eat there every Friday night, until it closed to become the new country place, whose name slips my mind.
The country places were my only disappointment at PI, especially because Linny loves country. The Neon Armadillo was decorated very cute, especially that big sweeping staircase but it was always so LOUD! Like brain pan shaking LOUD. Like I said, we would dance at 8Trax, Mannequins, RnRBeach, but Neon A? It was always too much. Whose idea was that? Country fans like to DANCE and their dance floor was small, and like I said, ridiculously loud. We never stayed. As sad as I was to lose Fireworks Factory, I hoped the new country place would be better- it wasn't. We tried to eat there one night (hoping the BBQ would be as good as Fireworks) and even though we were on the 2nd floor, we couldn't hear ourselves talk. Then it became Motion for a while, but PI was on the downward slope then. Motion was completely theme free, IIRC they just hung black curtains around the walls, and set up a DJ. Ugh.
Still all in all, it was a wonderful party everytime we'd go. Sometimes (especially at special times like Halloween- SO many wild costumes) we'd sit at the little tables outside The Missing Link with one of their yummy bratwurst, and watch the people go by. Closing PI was the worst mistake Disney has ever made.
Now . . . (sigh) . . . I kind of like the outside bar at Splitsville, especially when they have music, but it's nothing to dance to, and Linny hates it. I kind of like the dock bar at Boathouse, but i need a loan to eat there. We go to DS sometimes, usually to get a discount at World of Disney, but it's certainly not a Friday night ritual like it was, as there is little to do. Now we usually go to Citywalk or I-Drive on Friday night of a Parks weekend. If we go to Disney Springs, usually we just stop for an hour or so on Sunday afternoon on our way home. It's nice and all- but oh the memories of what was.
I feel really bad for my cousins, Jon, Robert and Sam. When it was the whole family going to WDW (instead of just Linny and I) we would bring the cousins to the Adventurers Club, and for Sam in particular, I think it was his favorite part of Disney. He and his cousins would be over the moon if they got to sit at the bench in front, next to Fingers Zambezie. Being young teens, they would sometimes be teased mercilessly by the characters, "I see your parents brought you to a bar, good parenting" and they would drink it up. Speaking of drinking, all the cousins would say, "Can't wait until we turn 21, so we can go to PI on our own and have a Kungaloosh," yet the place closed before any of them turned 21. They will still go to WDW occasionally, but it soured all three of them- they had been looking forward to that for SO many years. Now that Jon is married, he brings his kids down from Jersey to Magic Kingdom, but he refuses to stay on property (to be fair, the wife works for Marriot.)
I have vivid memories of something that I only saw ONCE at WDW (how many things can you say that about?) - an amazing St. Patrick's Day parade (with floats!) going up Hill St. John McDaniel, the leader for the house band for the Rosie O'Donnell Show was Grand Marshall of the parade (She was taping her show at WDW that week IIRC.) The music and floats were amazing, they would throw beads from the floats, AND I had bought a cheap mask at the kiosk, but talked a CM working the front door of 8Trax into trading masks with me! It was a large, inflatable, Bacardi licensed, jester mask- and as I would walk up Hill St.- random people would say, "Mr. Mardi Gras!" and want pictures with me. It was a hoot! I'm sure I still have those pics somewhere. First time I'd ever had jello shots, too! One of the BEST times I've ever had at WDW.
Linda and I would alternate each year, who would get an Pleasure Island Annual Pass. Included in the PI AP was free entry for a guest on Friday night- One AP, two people every Friday. So, every time we would drive up to WDW for the weekend, our weekend would start with an awesome party on Friday at PI. For the price of 3 or 4 drinks, we would have a blast all night, and then take the boat back to the hotel (usually Port Orleans).
We loved dancing at 8Trax, and how they would play Donna Summer, the Village People, and just before midnight, the Theme from the Jeffersons, and everyone would be on the floor for that one. Because of course you wanted to be out on Hill St at Midnight for the Big New Years countdown and Fireworks, usually in some Huge conga line going all over the Island.
We would drop in on at RockNRoll Beach Club (partly for the big ol Sand Pail cocktails) and Mannequins some times. My aunt Susan loved to go to Mannequins on her birthday. But our favorite was always the Adventurer's Club. Oh my, the Adventurer's Club. The times sitting on the elephant stools at the bar in the Main Salon, and suddenly I'd be descending LOL! Sexy ol "Zeus goes fishing." Once I was picked to be a Bodyguard for Babylonia, Goddess of women and all things fertile LOL! That was hilarious! LOVED watching Colonel Suchbench, especially on nights where he was really riled up about something, or would do the Beer lyrics of "Do Re Mi." My fave performance in the Library every night was Samantha's Cabaret, with Pamelia Perkins and the Maid- many a night I've gone home singing, "We Belong to a Mutual Admiration Society." Oh, how the new people would whoop for "Hard Hearted Hannah," when it got to the chorus. I was also very fond of "Bessie the heifer, the Queen of all the Cows," and even got to hold her (by the hooves, of course) and twirl one night. What show was that? God, it's been so many years, but I hate to think of those memories fading. It wasn't the Balderdash- I still have that one pretty much memorized. Was it the New Member Induction? That was another good one. Hoopla was good, but not my fave.
The Comedy Warehouse- very hit or miss. We eventually stopped going there at all, because it was always a long line for what was often a mediocre show. But even so, it was just an hour (and a walk up all those stairs!) to go to the next thing.
How could I forget the Fireworks Factory! We loved the frozen drinks and real good BBQ that we would get there. Sitting at the front bar, you could watch the people come in at the entrance that came around the Italian place. Oh, we would usually eat there every Friday night, until it closed to become the new country place, whose name slips my mind.
The country places were my only disappointment at PI, especially because Linny loves country. The Neon Armadillo was decorated very cute, especially that big sweeping staircase but it was always so LOUD! Like brain pan shaking LOUD. Like I said, we would dance at 8Trax, Mannequins, RnRBeach, but Neon A? It was always too much. Whose idea was that? Country fans like to DANCE and their dance floor was small, and like I said, ridiculously loud. We never stayed. As sad as I was to lose Fireworks Factory, I hoped the new country place would be better- it wasn't. We tried to eat there one night (hoping the BBQ would be as good as Fireworks) and even though we were on the 2nd floor, we couldn't hear ourselves talk. Then it became Motion for a while, but PI was on the downward slope then. Motion was completely theme free, IIRC they just hung black curtains around the walls, and set up a DJ. Ugh.
Still all in all, it was a wonderful party everytime we'd go. Sometimes (especially at special times like Halloween- SO many wild costumes) we'd sit at the little tables outside The Missing Link with one of their yummy bratwurst, and watch the people go by. Closing PI was the worst mistake Disney has ever made.
Now . . . (sigh) . . . I kind of like the outside bar at Splitsville, especially when they have music, but it's nothing to dance to, and Linny hates it. I kind of like the dock bar at Boathouse, but i need a loan to eat there. We go to DS sometimes, usually to get a discount at World of Disney, but it's certainly not a Friday night ritual like it was, as there is little to do. Now we usually go to Citywalk or I-Drive on Friday night of a Parks weekend. If we go to Disney Springs, usually we just stop for an hour or so on Sunday afternoon on our way home. It's nice and all- but oh the memories of what was.
