It’s often said that Disney theme parks are the Imagineer’s playground. Like Walt intended, if they had an infinite budget, they’d keep plussing and plussing things adding more and more levels of storytelling to every square inch. Take for example The Society of Explorers and… Read More »Disney hires top Hollywood producer to launch Magic Kingdom-inspired television series
That post about Disney Princesses done Steampunk style reminded me of a photo I snapped the evening of April 2nd. That was the night that the Central Florida Steampunk Association set upon Downtown Disney in Orlando, Fl to show off their amazing costumes and take… Read More »Central Florida Steampunk Assoc. at Downtown Disney
The once popular Pleasure Island section of Downtown Disney had fallen on hard times. attendance was low, employees were being let go, and even its once-popular nightly New Years Eve celebration had lost some of its magic. Add a few other factors, such as the… Read More »Hyperion Wharf announced to replace Pleasure Island
The status of Pleasure Island has been of much debate in Disney fan circles. The general consensus among fans is that Adventurer’s Club should come back ASAP, but that’s about as likely as Disney offering free admission to the Magic Kingdom for a year. Instead,… Read More »Disney files permits to Raze Parts of Pleasure Island
With the grand opening of the Disney Design-a-Tee store yesterday, I was wondering about what would happen with Pleasure Island, which is where the bulk of change for Downtown Disney is expected. I’ve heard they’re having problems getting new tenants to bite on the idea… Read More »Adventurers Club reopens?
You may not have noticed, but last night was the final call for the Adventurers Club, not to mention all the remaining clubs of Pleasure Island. I don’t have much to say on the matter other than I understand Disney’s motivation here, but still regret… Read More »Salute to the Adventurers Club
I was interviewed by Mike Pesca of NPR’s Bryant Park Project this morning regarding the closure of Pleasure Island’s night clubs including The Adventurer’s Club as well as a few related topics. They’ve now put the segment up on their website so you can listen… Read More »The Disney Blog on NPR’s Bryant Park Project
As we’ve covered before Disney has announced a change in plans for Pleasure Island. Goodbye to night clubs, hello to retail and dining. In the 19 years since Pleasure Island opened, a lot has changed in the habits of tourists and locals in terms of night time entertainment. Disney has done quite a bit of tweaking recently on the PI concept and apparently was unable to come up with a workable solution.
Never-the-less, there is a growing movement to save the Adventurer’s Club. It is the only attraction at Downtown Disney that was created solely by Disney Imagineers (Joe Rhode (of Disney’s Animal Kingdom fame, had a hand in it), it has a huge following, and some of the most unique 360 degree immersive theming found in a Disney attraction.
The bad news is, except for the original “Save Mr. Lincoln” letter writing campaign, I can’t think of a single Disney fan movement to save an attraction that has worked. (Okay, the mid-90s effort to keep Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-Through open may qualify.) I think Disney is happy to see fans get all riled up as it shows a passion in their fan base, it also means free publicity for them. But these days Disney makes decisions based more on business needs than the needs of providing a quality show.
The good news, this time may be different. When Disney announced it would be closing the Adventurer’s Club this fall, along with the other Pleasure Island clubs, there was quick reaction to the news with a lot of chatter on Disney fan sites, a Facebook group, and a petition with more than 3000 signatures in just a few days. There’s also the possibility that Disney just plans on moving
That’s a good start, but not yet the huge outcry of the type that might make Disney re-focus its ideas to rip out the attraction. To make a real difference, a letter writing campaign to Disney corporate and Themepark executives will need to be launched.
Read More »Pleasure Island and Adventurer’s Club, some additional thoughts.