The "Hurry up and reopen the Adventurers Club Thread" per Lee's request.

[WDW1974]

Doesn't matter. DTD was never a huge part of the WDW revenue. Especially the clubs. If they were making any money at all it was not much. The marketplace did O.K. over Christmas. It is quite possible that the clubs being closed was actually a net gain financially.

DD has done phenomenally well for The Mouse. The profits made at some of those places from WoD to RC are very handsome, indeed.

As to the clubs, at one time they were all extremely profitable. The last 3-4 years I honestly have no idea. But any place that sells alcohol like they did, wasn't operating in the red.

You kid yourself if you believe DD is anything but a hugely profitable mall for the Mouse.

Again, talk to me about DTD in two years because it will take that long to see who was right.

OK Disney, bring on that ESPNZone......please.

At the rate Disney is struggling to fill the site that was PI, I think you're going to need more than two years.

And ESPN Zone will wind up in the Westside ... if not in Disney Quest, where it was originally going, than likely in Virgin ...

Of course when that opens, Disney will likely shutter the ESPN Club and replace that with God knows what ...

 

[jt04]

HAH!!!

Are you serious? Surely you jest.

Disney couldn't care less about Orlando as a whole except for how things affect them and their business.

Disney isn't reacting to Universal and Sea World because they lack the vision to see beyond the next fiscal quarter's resort load levels. They're not reacting because they are afraid to. Plain and simple. They don't want to start the major work at the Studios and DAK (the parks that were supposed to see the biggest and most extensive projects) out of fear that the economy will get even worse before it gets better.

It's all a short term mindset.

Forget about WDW in a decade. Just make sure you can meet projections in February and March.



You know what? For the better part of the past two decades Disney has marketed itself as being for all kinds of families, including those with no brats in tow, singles, retirees, extended families etc ... Disney decided to close PI simply as yet another short-sighted business move. It's a lot a cheaper to get Cheesecake Factory, Smith and Wollensky's, PF Chang's and California Pizza Kitchen (all approached by Disney, btw) to open locations and pay ridiculous rent to Disney then it is for Disney to run, staff and reinvent (something they forgot about in the late 90s) clubs.

Wanting to be more kid-friendly sounds 'nice' but it's simply not true.

And clearly there is a market for clubs at WDW, especially with all the conventioneers with big budget expense accounts (hence the opening of Rix at Coronado Springs.

Your basic idea that families with kids are the only people who come to Orlando and therefore clubs don't work is faulty.

Tens of millions visit every year sans kiddies. ANd even many of those who have kids still want an adult experience.

Disney is ceding that market to Universal.

Stupid.

If I were Uni creative, I'd be working on a version of AC right now.

That is what I have been saying all along. Disney does not want to be in the nightclub business (except at the resorts) at their version of CW. They want a family friendly area for families after the parks close.

The clubs at the resorts are quite a different thing compared to DTD. Apples and oranges.

 

[jt04]

DD has done phenomenally well for The Mouse. The profits made at some of those places from WoD to RC are very handsome, indeed.

As to the clubs, at one time they were all extremely profitable. The last 3-4 years I honestly have no idea. But any place that sells alcohol like they did, wasn't operating in the red.

You kid yourself if you believe DD is anything but a hugely profitable mall for the Mouse.



At the rate Disney is struggling to fill the site that was PI, I think you're going to need more than two years.

And ESPN Zone will wind up in the Westside ... if not in Disney Quest, where it was originally going, than likely in Virgin ...

Of course when that opens, Disney will likely shutter the ESPN Club and replace that with God knows what ...

I said the market place did ok over Christmas.

I thought the spin was how dead DTD was after the clubs closed?

The unprofitable part was PI. Disney wanted out of the club business at DTD and they succeded.

 

[CaptainMichael]

If I were Uni creative, I'd be working on a version of AC right now.

They already have a sign that says "Navigators Club" in IoA's Port of Entry

 

[markc]

I know it does not usually seem like it but I have come to the conclusion that Disney is interested in the overall health of the Oralndo tourism business. That is why they are not reacting immediately to Uni and SW additions.

You've come to the wrong conclusion then - or at least concluded based on poor inferences.

Disney does NOT care about the Orlando tourism business as a whole - they care about theirs and theirs only. They have focused their efforts for the past twenty years in building it up as an all purpose resort. They aren't just going to throw that away and say (in a stupid goofy voice) "Golly...I sure hope Sea World and Universal are doing well. Folks should spend more time there and less time at WDW" They have a self-sustaining resort, for the most part - they need guests to visit Lake Buena Vista, NOT the greater Orlando area.

If Disney cared about the growth and health of the Orlando tourism industry in general, they would do what they do in Southern California, and offer a multi-day pass that allows admission into Sea World, Universal, and the Disney at a discount. In Southern California, they need to do this, as it's far less of a all inclusive self-sustaining powerhouse resort than Walt Disney World is.

Them not reacting to the coaster additions at SW and Universal is just Disney being cheap and conservative. Their idea of a "coaster addition" is going to be Space Mountain's overhaul.

Also, and of major importance is; Disney wants the new DTD to be for families. They have said this so it shouldn't be a suprise the clubs have closed. Disney is taking a hit finacially at DTD but they have long term goals for what they want DTD to be. And when all those folks who are club hopping at CW eventually settle down and have families, do you think they will be taking their kids to the clubs at CW or the family friendly DTD?

For once Disney is planning for the long term. We should celebrate that.

Again - you are using poor logic here and not making any points. When those people club hopping at CW, that you refer to, settle down and have kids, sure - they may go to DTD, but the kids in the generation prior to them are going to want to go club hopping - and those same parents are also going to want to escape for a night or two on their vacation to club hop and do adult things, and Disney will not have that.

On top of that - there's nothing "family friendly" yet about what is going into the former PI area. Last I checked, "Fuego" and Raglan Road are far from "family friendly", and the new Tequila Bar addition is anything BUT family friendly.

Disney has no real intention of turning PI into a family friendly area. That was just the spin they put on the closing of the clubs. The real issue that Disney had was that they did not want to manage clubs or take the risk of the liability of the clubs. They would be fine with having 3rd parties come in and lease the space to run clubs of their own - but they dont want their name attached to it. It's for that reason that Mannequins is still fairly intact, as is most of the other clubs.

 

[Rosso11]

I am convinced closing PI had the exact effect Disney wanted. Again, a healthy SW and Uni is good for WDW in the long term. For once they are looking beyond the next quarter.

Wow this gave me a good laugh this morning. Do you honestly believe this? Disney wanted to drive business away? Disney wanted to loose money? Disney wanted to give more money to their biggest Orlando competitor? Disney has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars over the last two decades to keep people on property. Now they mysteriously decided, we're hurting our competitor too much lets help them out and send our customers to you. I don't think so.

Closing PI the way they did was simply stupid. There's no way to spin it. If they wanted to get out of the club and restaurant business which seems to be their intention these days, including inside the parks, then they should of had third parties ready to start construction the day it closed. If not they should have been closed one by one as leases were signed.

Also, there is no way Disney wants only family entertainment on property now. Disney is not only fighting With Sea World and Universal, they see their biggest competitor as a whole being Las Vegas. Las Vegas and Disney World are two of the three biggest tourist destinations in the country. Disney keeps a very close eye on what is happening In Vegas. They are not only competing with Vegas on vacation dollars but more importantly on the convention crowd. Vegas and Orlando are also the top two convention cities in the country. Most people do not realize how important the convention crowd is to Disney. When I was working for the mouse I heard a figure around 30%-40% of total profits at DW came from them. During the slow season its conventioneers who pack in the hotels and parks. Their a big reason why Disney doesn't have a slow season anymore. These people want and need nightly entertainment. Without it Disney will start loosing some of its extremely profitable convention business.

 

[kucarachi]

Cant everyone just go to a nightclub in orlando and watch a real comedian? I mean from what i've seen firsthand and on you tube the adventurer's club is only funny if 1. you are in the skit or 2. you have been drinking an 8 dollar drink before they started the skit. In times of great economical breakdown why would you fight for such a low class version of whose line is it anyway...which is already a low class version of the drunks laugh at anything game.

And if you think people that were going to P.I. at 10:00Pm are now going to sea world or universal then thats nuts as well. First off sea world closes somewhere between 5 to 7 most nights. And Universal is almost the same thing as Downtown Disney minus mickey mouse ears. So if they are going elsewhere for entertainment its because they like variety not disappointment that P.I. remains deceased. Disney must keep the higher ground here by only serving up family entertainment. If you cant take your 5 year old son or daughter to it without making everyone else in the room uncomfortable then its not disney. Its for grown ups that dont want to drive 10 miles to Universal to see street vendors juggling flaming axes.

And the overall economy isnt going to benefit if most parents are hung over and throwing up all day at the parks, making life miserable for the kids and everyone around. Nothing ever good came from P.I. personally i think it was mostly just a really nice hookup place for people that like over priced drinks.

 

[Lee]

Cant everyone just go to a nightclub in orlando and watch a real comedian?

No thanks. Why would anyone want what can be found in any city in the coiuntry?:snore:
Besides, AC was not a comedy club. It was a whole different beast.

I mean from what i've seen firsthand and on you tube the adventurer's club is only funny if 1. you are in the skit or 2. you have been drinking an 8 dollar drink before they started the skit.

Absolutely, positively, entirely, 100%......wrong.

1) In all my time spent at the Club, I was only involved in the entertainment a couple of times.
2) I don't drink, so I wouldn't know what effect that would have on anyone's enjoyment of what went on.

And still, somehow, I fell in love with the Club the first time I walked in the door. Hit me like a ton of bricks, and gave me the most enjoyable, visceral and magical experience I have ever had on any Disney property.
It wasn't just about comedy, it was about atmosphere, show, and comaraderie.
Wasn't for everyone, but that is what always made Disney great: Something for everyone.

Just my opinion, of course. Keep in mind I would trade the whole of Epcot to get the AC back. (No, I'm not kidding.)

 

[wannabeBelle]

I couldnt agree more. I Am not a huge drinker by any means but I think that a place for adults only isnt a bad thing. You have the vast majority of the property for Family entertainment. A more grown up section is not a bad thing, especially to keep guests on property spending money on drinks, admissions, etc. I for one was quite happy to frequent the PI Clubs and know that I didnt have to drive back to the hotel. Even within the scope of Walt's thinking on Disneyland, there is a place that is more adult in nature (Club 33) within the park, so I dont believe that it has to be exclusively one or the other way. I believe that the two can work together as a part of a greater entity. That having been said, I do believe that a nighttime, adult oriented area should certainly enforce a 21 and over rule to even enter these areas, as they may not be suitable for kids. JMHO. Belle

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Keep in mind I would trade the whole of Epcot to get the AC back. (No, I'm not kidding.)

What about EPCOT Center?

 

[maggiegrace1]

No thanks. Why would anyone want what can be found in any city in the coiuntry?:snore:
Besides, AC was not a comedy club. It was a whole different beast.


Absolutely, positively, entirely, 100%......wrong.

1) In all my time spent at the Club, I was only involved in the entertainment a couple of times.
2) I don't drink, so I wouldn't know what effect that would have on anyone's enjoyment of what went on.

And still, somehow, I fell in love with the Club the first time I walked in the door. Hit me like a ton of bricks, and gave me the most enjoyable, visceral and magical experience I have ever had on any Disney property.
It wasn't just about comedy, it was about atmosphere, show, and comaraderie.
Wasn't for everyone, but that is what always made Disney great: Something for everyone.

Just my opinion, of course. Keep in mind I would trade the whole of Epcot to get the AC back. (No, I'm not kidding.)

I respect your opinion but that just amazes me..I guess because I did not get or enjoy AC at all..:shrug:..Oh well..we all have differences of opinions..

 

[CaptainMichael]

I had a grand total of one alcoholic drink (Kungaloosh) on my 21st birthday. When I was underage, I bought the overpriced virgin daquiris. Yet, I fell in LOVE with the place, and there is rarely a moment that passes through the day where something happens to me or around me that reminds of that place. It can be something simple as squirrel scurrying by (the Gray Squirrel song and dance) or someone saying bye and not being to stop myself from saying Kungaloosh to them in return or someone saying hoopla and I reply HOOPLA much to their bewilderment. No other Disney Park experience compares to the immersiveness I felt and still feel at the Adventurers Club.

 

[Lee]

What about EPCOT Center?

Definately.

Stand back....I'm gonna play with fire....(puts on Kevlar vest)...Ooooohhhh kinda scared, but here I go.....:drevil:



Adventurers Club > Epcot (in any of it's mutations)...*


There...I said it.:lookaroun


I await shunning and banning.....A scarlet "E" pinned to my shirt....


*Disclaimer: That statement reflects only the opinion of Lee hisownself, and does not, nor is it intended to, reflect the opinion of any other person or entity, living or dead, who may or may not agree at any point in time, hereafter or henceforth, in perpetuity.

 

[jt04]

Wow this gave me a good laugh this morning. Do you honestly believe this? Disney wanted to drive business away? Disney wanted to loose money? Disney wanted to give more money to their biggest Orlando competitor? Disney has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars over the last two decades to keep people on property. Now they mysteriously decided, we're hurting our competitor too much lets help them out and send our customers to you. I don't think so.

Closing PI the way they did was simply stupid. There's no way to spin it. If they wanted to get out of the club and restaurant business which seems to be their intention these days, including inside the parks, then they should of had third parties ready to start construction the day it closed. If not they should have been closed one by one as leases were signed.

Also, there is no way Disney wants only family entertainment on property now. Disney is not only fighting With Sea World and Universal, they see their biggest competitor as a whole being Las Vegas. Las Vegas and Disney World are two of the three biggest tourist destinations in the country. Disney keeps a very close eye on what is happening In Vegas. They are not only competing with Vegas on vacation dollars but more importantly on the convention crowd. Vegas and Orlando are also the top two convention cities in the country. Most people do not realize how important the convention crowd is to Disney. When I was working for the mouse I heard a figure around 30%-40% of total profits at DW came from them. During the slow season its conventioneers who pack in the hotels and parks. Their a big reason why Disney doesn't have a slow season anymore. These people want and need nightly entertainment. Without it Disney will start loosing some of its extremely profitable convention business.

You are right about Vegas but drawing the wrong conclusion. Even WDW can't compete with the scope of Las Vegas IMO. So, I believe Disney recognizes this and realizes it needs other Orlando based magnets to keep the tourism business thriving in central Florida. Hence why I think Disney wants a successful CW, IoA, SW and Universal. It's all very "big picture" I know, but Vegas is a huge threat not to mention the sleeping giant Dubai is when it comes to theme parks that will draw masses from Europe and Asia that would have gone to Orlando. Simple deduction.

 

[jt04]

Definately.

Stand back....I'm gonna play with fire....(puts on Kevlar vest)...Ooooohhhh kinda scared, but here I go.....:drevil:



Adventurers Club > Epcot (in any of it's mutations)...*


There...I said it.:lookaroun


I await shunning and banning.....A scarlet "E" pinned to my shirt....


*Disclaimer: That statement reflects only the opinion of Lee hisownself, and does not, nor is it intended to, reflect the opinion of any other person or entity, living or dead, who may or may not agree at any point in time, hereafter or henceforth, in perpetuity.

Hmmmm, AC at Epcot? Yeah, definitely works for me!

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I know it might be really out of place in the parks, but is there an area that it would fit into as a live entertainment option?

I was thinking the Diamond Horseshoe is vacant at the moment, but really doesn't match the theme at all.


I'm not sure it would work in a park that doesn't serve any drinks, either

But it might be a viable option somewhere on property other than in a nightclub scene.

 

[CaptainMichael]

I know it might be really out of place in the parks, but is there an area that it would fit into as a live entertainment option?

I was thinking the Diamond Horseshoe is vacant at the moment, but really doesn't match the theme at all.


I'm not sure it would work in a park that doesn't serve any drinks, either

But it might be a viable option somewhere on property other than in a nightclub scene.

Animal Kingdom is the only place it would fit in its current form.

I would really like to see it go to the Boardwalk and replace the ESPN Club when the ESPN Zone allegedly opens in DTD..

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Animal Kingdom is the only place it would fit in its current form.

I would really like to see it go to the Boardwalk and replace the ESPN Club when the ESPN Zone allegedly opens in DTD..

It really doesn't fit well there either.

AK is an interesting idea...people always complain about a lack of nightlife at AK. Perhaps this is a good way to get a nighttime "show" at AK without setting off the dreaded fireworks.

 

[CaptainMichael]

It really doesn't fit well there either.

AK is an interesting idea...people always complain about a lack of nightlife at AK. Perhaps this is a good way to get a nighttime "show" at AK without setting off the dreaded fireworks.

You could make it fit at the Boardwalk, most definitely.

It would work at the Animal Kingdom in a location like the Rainforest Cafe and have entrances in the park and outside of the park.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

My personal preference would be Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom, or even better, at Disneyland, where it could have an entrance from both within the park and Downtown Disney. Just imagine: an Adventurer's Club near the Temple of the Forbidden Eye that Indiana Jones could show up every once in a while...