Pleasure Island, the nightlife portion of Walt Disney World, an island strip mall of nightclubs, restaurants and stores, closed last year. With it, many of the resort’s best entertainments vanished. Among them an audience participation comedy club, a country and western club, the BET club, an upscale dance club, a 70s disco, a rock bar and first and foremost – The Adventurers Club – which was as far as I (and I’m not alone) am concerned, was one of the reasons to go to Disney World in the first place.
It’s really kinda sad. With Pleasure Island closed, you can still walk through what to those who remember what was is now a ghost town. No gates at the bridges, no lights, closed doors of the clubs, and high above what used to a DJ booth for the whole strip – a sign still lit that says “LIVE” over the darkened “PLEASURE ISLAND” sign.
There are still some stores here so there are still shoppers. They walk through, sometimes curiously looking at the closed doors of clubs like archeologists looking at the statues of Easter Island. They wish they knew their secrets and could live their lives.
There are rumors that one or two of the clubs (hopefully the Adventurers Club) may reopen either here or at another location. Let’s hope so. WDW just isn’t the same without this place.
huh, why did they close, was it the economy and not as many people going there?
ReplyDeleteT.
Disney's official line has been that the closure last year was in response to guest feedback for more family friendly entertainment and -not- due to lack of attendance. There were also rumors of gang violence but that's just rumor.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it should be noted that the most missed of all the Pleasure Island clubs - The Adventurers Club - was both family friendly (if a bit PG at times) and always well attended. Check my entry on their final week, the photos show no standing room.