Pleasure Island Changes - Analysis About This Page:

[Lemap760]

Thanks for the info Dave.
I would love to have a private birthday party at Goofy's Candy Co.

[ripkensnana]

Originally Posted by WillCAD

I can't say I'm surprised that the rest of the PI clubs are getting the axe; they were moderately profitable for Disney, but the club-like atmosphere on the island, with open alchohol consumption, smoke everywhere, and sometimes loud and disruptive local teens, was very un-Disney.

Adventurers Club, on the other hand, was the most Disney-like experience on the island, and I can't understand why DIsney would close it down completely. It not only fit the Disney mold, it was completely successful and profitable. If anything, it should have been expanded to fill the whole island.

I totally agree with Will! The roving bands of "young adults" were quite intimidating the one time I had to leave PI by myself in the middle of the night. But the Adventurers' Club was so wonderfully unique and enjoyable (and always packed), that I can't understand why Disney would close it.

Some years ago I had the idea that Disney could save PI by revamping the other clubs along the same lines as AC, but with different themes - a Roaring 20s club, a Wild West saloon, an Aussie Outback pub, and of course - Rick's Cafe American from Casablanca. I even had the idea for a Decades club, where the decor, music, and characters would be changed to reflect a different decade in American history from the 1940s to the 1990s each night of the week.

But alas, Disney doesn't listen to me, and so we bid fond farewell to one of the most imaginative and enjoyable attractions in WDW history - the Adventurers Club.

I love this idea, much better than more shops and restaurants....actually, any of those venues would make really cool restaurants....Too bad Disney didn't listen....

[RobDVC]

Such a shame... I wonder if they're planning to do anything with that area near The Western Way, and if this closing is the first in a series of announcements regarding the future....perhaps a CityWalk/Night Kingdom development...or maybe another site with PI's original "adults only with admission fee" policy.... I wonder what they'll put in the vacated PI buildings.... more shops? more restaurants?

[Starla4436]

sooo sad just called DH ...he is angry.

[Dave Marx]

I hope I manage to cover most of the questions here...

I don't think this is evidence of a policy shift by Disney. More likely, it's just a decision based on specific circumstances. And I don't think we'll see anything like PI at Western Way - there's nothing in its descriptive materials to suggest it, and if PI didn't succeed in such an easy to access location (right off I-4, just a few minutes from I Drive and Orlando's major population centers ), I can't see Disney trying it way out in the sticks.

At the moment, Disney seems to be showing a preference for operating Downtown Disney and similar facilities like shopping malls, with tenants, rather than many Disney-owned facilities (the new hotel project over by the Eagle Pines golf course is also being done by another company). The company has gone back and forth on this kind of thing over the years. Disneyland had concessioneers from the very beginning, and that's how the Disneyland Hotel was built and operated for much of its life. The Crossroads Shops and Hotel Plaza Boulevard in Lake Buena Vista are more examples (they just dusted off that concept for Western Way). That shifts the risk of profitability (and the capital investment) onto someone else. I could certainly see an upper-level manager saying (about PI), "Gee, that seems like a whole lot of work and complication for the money we're making on it." Another factor that comes to mind is that Disney has had challenges finding enough CMs (they have over 60,000, and typically 3,000 job vacancies). If they reduce employment at Downtown, they can shift the CMs elsewhere. A good cast is hard to find, and they've got a bunch of them (in entertainment) at PI.

Disney has been fishing around to "fix"PI for some years. It worked well for a while, but didn't grow in popularity (except, perhaps, among local young people). It's open alcohol policies were by special arrangement with state authorities, and I'm sure the security and legal compliance costs added extra challenges.

While new tenants may certainly find ways to re-use existing facilities, others may decide to start from scratch. Disney's press release says they're currently considering proposals from various companies. We'll just have to see what happens. If you're in the themed restaurant/entertainment business, it must be awfully tempting to be involved with Disney. Like they say in the song... "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere.." The industry exposure and credibility coming from a successful operation as a Disney "partner" is substantial.

[lukeandbrookesmom]

Originally Posted by WillCAD

I can't say I'm surprised that the rest of the PI clubs are getting the axe; they were moderately profitable for Disney, but the club-like atmosphere on the island, with open alchohol consumption, smoke everywhere, and sometimes loud and disruptive local teens, was very un-Disney.

This was my thought, too. As a mom of two small children we never went there. I don't necessarily know if the closings are good thing or not as I have never been to PI, I just think Disney is heading back in the 'family' direction maybe.

Thanks for all the info Dave!

[Dave Marx]

Originally Posted by emtpej

Dave,

I guess with the success of the special events in the parks, they don't think a 'party' area is as important, anymore...

Do you think this part of an over-all strategy to be more appealing to locals / short distance travelers?

A week-end press conference get less attention, but they also get more air time to tell their side of things, as opposed to sound bites?

EJ, you may very well be right on a variety of counts. Between EMH and the special, hard-ticketed events, the money from those operations undoubtedly eclipses anything they could do at PI.

PI/Downtown has always been part of the local/short-distance strategy, which has since been honed with their experience at Anaheim's Downtown Disney. It occurs to me that they may have learned that locals may come back more often for shopping and dining, or are more likely to spend money somewhere that they can't keep themselves entertained with a well-used AP.

Press conference timing? You're right about the benefits of that, especially for organizations that have a tougher time getting media attention and/or want extra air time. The trade-off is in audience numbers. That's not a bad trade-off if you're the local children's zoo - that's classic "soft news," which even if it could draw a local news team might not attract them all, and which could count on being the first story bumped if there's a major pileup on I-4, or a spectacular brush fire. When you're Disney and it's Orlando, you can pretty well demand as much airtime as you need, any day of the week. Changes of this sort at Disney top-line business/economic/employment news in the Orlando area.

[jpod523]

This is not a good decision. At least relocate some clubs. I'm going to really, really miss the Adventurers club.

[DisneyFun-atic]

I'm pretty sad. We really enjoy the Adventurer's Club.

[Mares75]

Oh I'm so sad! TheAC was one of our must do's. I'm glad DBF got to go last time. We're not really shopper's either so the last thing we'd be interested in would be more stores.

[rescuesk]

Shopping holds no appeal to me. However, the AC is a must-do every trip, and I am sad to think that Disney would even think of letting such an icon close.

Two thoughts came to mind immediately upon reading this thread. The first one was that I will seriously re-think any further investment in DVC if Disney is going to start to change things. No characters at LTT, the blander and more structured menus, the closing of the Concourse, the increased cost of the specialty cruises... I feel they are making changes that the casual Disney vacationer might not notice, but the die-hard Disney fans will find hard to swallow. If you've never been to a character dinner at the LTT, you won't miss it, but for those of us that have fond memories of such, it is a low and painful blow.

And my second thought is...where does it end? If they are doing this to make Disney more "family-friendly", what is the end point? Do we close down the ESPN club and the Big River Grille, as well as JellyRolls? Hpw about the lounges at the resorts? Shall they be closed and replaced with another gift shop?

I am by no means a party person, but I enjoy a place where my DH and I can have a drink and some good adult (not x-rated, just mature) fun. I don't think that will be possible in a shopping complex.

[emtpej]

Originally Posted by Dave Marx

EJ, you may very well be right on a variety of counts.

Thanks, Dave. I guess my crystal ball is getting a little more in tune with Disney. There's just so much interference here, at the center of the world (darn satellite trucks).
I'm sorry to see this happen. I've never been much of party person (like Sue), but I have wanted to go to AC for a while, and now I looks like I won't ever be able to. I think it is just my cup of tea, as they say. I'll try and fit it in next month, but I really doubt that I'll be able to do that.

[SouthernBelle]

Oh how , Grumpy and I enjoyed AC on our last visit and were looking forward to going again. I agree this is not a good decision for Disney to make, the AC was a great place. This will truly be a sad day at Disney when it closes!!!!

I am going to go to my corner and

KUNGLOOSH EVERYONE!!!!!

[FanOfMickey]

I will definatly miss AC and the Comedy Club. As for shops? I can go to a number of malls around here in Ma and NH. Sorry, I don't go to WDW to shop. Yeah, I do shop the Disney stores, but nowadays you find one item at one store you find it at the other store. I do to DTD more for Ghiradellis sundaes and a little look though World of Disney.

Luckily I do have a trip coming up in Sept, so I can go for one last time.

[POOH]

I've never be to PI but was hoping to go next year during the PP DoD trip.