Will Pleasure Island come back?

[Cfabar1]

I have heard that some pleasure island merchandise has returned to Disney Springs in recent years.

Any chance they will bring it back? That would be great if they did! What a legendary experience. I wish I had been able to go just once and experience the magic of New Years.

 

[kilik64]

Nope

 

[OKW Lover]

No, PI is not coming back. You're just seeing Disney merchandising it like other old attractions

 

[WEDWDW]

That would be a HARD no.

 

[gharter]

As much as I loved PI, the current version is SO much better than the original. Yes, I miss the midnight fireworks and the live bands playing outside and the Adventures club. But, everything else is a HUGE step up.

 

[Cfabar1]

As much as I loved PI, the current version is SO much better than the original. Yes, I miss the midnight fireworks and the live bands playing outside and the Adventures club. But, everything else is a HUGE step up.

For those of us who never saw it, how so? When you watch the trip planning videos it looks so exciting and alive.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

No.

For those of us who never saw it, how so? When you watch the trip planning videos it looks so exciting and alive.

Other than the Adventurer's Club, it was basically just a bunch of themed dance clubs. That's fine, but its not really what I go to Disney for (others must have shared that sentiment because I always met a lot more locals than WDW guests at those clubs). There are other much, much better vacation destinations than Disney if you really want to go to clubs

 

[SteveAZee]

Comedy Warehouse was a lot of fun as well... a nice evening between that and Adventurer's Club... perhaps dinner and/or a pint at Raglan Road as well.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Comedy Warehouse was a lot of fun as well... a nice evening between that and Adventurer's Club... perhaps dinner and/or a pint at Raglan Road as well.

Adventurer's Club was a unique experience, Comedy Club was pretty funny most nights - other than that, not sure I miss the overall set up of PI. I like the dining and shopping options more now.

 

[gharter]

No.


Other than the Adventurer's Club, it was basically just a bunch of themed dance clubs. That's fine, but its not really what I go to Disney for (others must have shared that sentiment because I always met a lot more locals than WDW guests at those clubs). There are other much, much better vacation destinations than Disney if you really want to go to clubs

The Adventurer's club and comedy club were our favorites.
There were a few shops and a few restaurants, but mainly dance clubs.
DS has expanded to be much larger in size than Pleasure Island and offers so much more now.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

The Adventurer's club and comedy club were our favorites.
There were a few shops and a few restaurants, but mainly dance clubs.
DS has expanded to be much larger in size than Pleasure Island and offers so much more now.

I forgot about the comedy club. That was good too. And I'm not trying to bash PI. It was fine for what it was and I had some fun evenings there. Its just not what I go to Disney for. I prefer more shops and interesting dining

 

[gharter]

I forgot about the comedy club. That was good too. And I'm not trying to bash PI. It was fine for what it was and I had some fun evenings there. Its just not what I go to Disney for. I prefer more shops and interesting dining

It was fun for its time. I don't think it would do well today if Disney tried to bring it back. I do miss those 2 clubs and the Jazz club. DS is much more family friendly and I'm sure brings in more money than PI ever did.

 

[maltdizzy]

For those of us who never saw it, how so? When you watch the trip planning videos it looks so exciting and alive.

Well, first and foremost those planning videos are staged with extras pretending to party. In reality, it was rarely a very "happening scene".

To distill down why PI didn't work, consider this juxtaposition ... "Walt Disney Adult Entertainment District". Imagine trying to sell customers on that concept?

By the late-1980s/early-1990s, the last Baby Boomers were settled down and America saw the tail end of the American cocktail, nightclub, and red light culture die off; society in general became more conservative. more introverted, and more family-friendly. And that was a new market that everyone from Disney to Times Square to Las Vegas was trying to break. But Boomers were too old and Gen X was too "punk" and cynical for "manufactured" party scenes. There just wasn't a market. Today, in a world of theme bars, pop ups, and safer/controlled fun, maybe there would have been the right market for PI. But, regardless of era, bars are only hot for so long, then people want something new, so I;m not sure a permanent party district can keep up.

 

[OKW Lover]

Well, first and foremost those planning videos are staged with extras pretending to party. In reality, it was rarely a very "happening scene".

To distill down why PI didn't work, consider this juxtaposition ... "Walt Disney Adult Entertainment District". Imagine trying to sell customers on that concept?

By the late-1980s/early-1990s, the last Baby Boomers were settled down and America saw the tail end of the American cocktail, nightclub, and red light culture die off; society in general became more conservative. more introverted, and more family-friendly. And that was a new market that everyone from Disney to Times Square to Las Vegas was trying to break. But Boomers were too old and Gen X was too "punk" and cynical for "manufactured" party scenes. There just wasn't a market. Today, in a world of theme bars, pop ups, and safer/controlled fun, maybe there would have been the right market for PI. But, regardless of era, bars are only hot for so long, then people want something new, so I;m not sure a permanent party district can keep up.

interesting take. But the reality was that it had become a gathering place for some unruly groups when they removed the entrance fee. It went downhill from there.

 

[gharter]

But the reality was that it had become a gathering place for some unruly groups when they removed the entrance fee. It went downhill from there.

Forgot they removed the entry fee. But, I do remember reading about issues with groups there toward the end.

 

[DodgerGirl]

When Walt Disney World debuted Pleasure Island in 1989 Disney for many years before Pleasure Island was even developed had always wanted to attract the adult audience and so with the family oriented theme parks making huge money and garnering large audiences of visitors every year Disney thought of creating a theme park that targeted adults so the adults could have time to themselves without kids while the kids were watched by a babysitter. And so they took this idea and created Pleasure Island and by adding comedy clubs dance clubs and restaurants geared to adults Disney knew that this was the theme park that could work for the adult crowd very well. But what I think caused Pleasure Island to go downhill was when they added a charge for teens who ordered food and drinks like sodas and Shirley Temples in the dance clubs and they also had a cover charge for teens to dance in the dance clubs too. And I think this hurt Pleasure Island a lot and so they changed their image to a more adult format. But if Disney was to make a newer version of Pleasure Island it would gain more of the adult crowd and add some clubs where famous singers and local bands would perform and add sports bars too and it would be a huge hit if it existed