Originally Posted By dshyates Jim Hill's track record is splotchy at best, but he get kudos for enthusiasm. But this does sort of jive with what else I've been hearing. Jay Rasulo said, I believe at last years stockholder meeting that they were focusing on non-park locations for Family Resort hotels and niche-type boutique parks with interactive guest experiences referencing Sea Worlds Discovery Cove as an example. Then the guest survey about this very park a while back. The Adventures Club closing in PI. It all seems to fit. m sure that the experiences will get some serious tweaking, but here are some ideas based on what I've read around the web. You arrive to a single large building that is an expanded Adventurer's Club with shiny hard wood floors and wandering waitstaff with trays of fruity beverages. You check in at the front desk and then proceed to plan out your evening. There will be 3 or 4, 4:30 excursions. Explorer: You can board an elephant for a trip to the Ngorongoro Crater reserve where you will see zebra, gazelle, elephant, and maybe the rare Black Rhino. You stop out on the plain at a hut where you get juice, Tanzanian coffee and get to hand feed the Giraffe. Elephant back to village. Adventurer: Zip line across crocs, Canopy Tree house Repelling, and Tarzan Vine Swinging. Scholar: Educational tour focusing on horticulture and zoology aspects of the park. You finish the 4:30 activity just in time for Dinner in one of their 2 gourmet restaurants. One exotic featuring ethnic food from adventurous locals similar to Boma, one more victorian British. Like the Livingstone Room at The Victoria Falls Hotel. After Dinner you have some time to take in some of the walking tours. The most Popular are the South African Diamond Caverns. Stroll deep inside a massive cavern and see the 40 ft waterfall and see the diamonds sparkling in the walls as you marvel at the massive Stalagtites and Stalagmites. Did you notice the bats? Its time for the 8:00pm activity. Board the 6 passenger Land Rovers and grab the Night vision goggles and head out to watch the lions and hyenas discuss the buffett. Or catch the play. They should also have the upcharge ($400/day) Aristocrat Safari. You start at 4:00pm with High Tea sitting on the Stanley Verandah. You board elephants to cross the savannah to the Veldt Spa. You are met by a tray of Mimosas and recieve a Tanzanian Coffee Exfoliation followed by Nile River Rock Massage. You then shower and dress for dinner. You get into air conditioned Land Rovers to make the exhausting trek back to the Village. You make it just in time for a gourmet dinner in the Livingstone Room. After dinner you stroll through the botanical garden to the Theater for a Broadway quality show. At that point, if your not to pooped, you can get back into the Land Rovers for a night vision goggles ride through the Savannah. Explorer: Family Adventurer: Iniana Jones Aristocrat: James Bond Scholar: Geeks and Seniors.
Originally Posted By dshyates These guys have done OK with the concept for a few years. Just check out the African tours particularly the Highlights of Tanzania 2008 Tour. <a href="http://www.abercrombiekent.com/index.cfm?luxurytravel/luxury/travel" target="_blank">http://www.abercrombiekent.com /index.cfm?luxurytravel/luxury/travel</a>
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 And after several drinks, some jerk gets the idea to get out of the Land Rover in the middle of the Savannah?
Originally Posted By aracuanbird Seriously, IF there's anything to this rumor, I can't wait to see how Disney attempts to market/message the thing. People are going to be so confused between "Night Kingdom" and DAK.
Originally Posted By dshyates The name really is not good. Maybe something like "Disney's Adventure Reserve." No, that's bad too. I'll get back to you.
Originally Posted By Mr X Adventure Reserve sounds a lot better than Night Kingdom! Quick, patent it before Disney steals it! Are they really closing the Adventurers Club? Why? I thought it was pretty much the coolest thing in Downtown Disney!
Originally Posted By blueharvest82 the four beach buckets i consumed made me unaware of any impending meteors!!!
Originally Posted By Bob Paris "Are they really closing the Adventurers Club? Why? I thought it was pretty much the coolest thing in Downtown Disney!" Not for me. For the love of GOD I will never understand the appeal of this place. All of PI was like a ghetto dive when I was there. The AC was just more overrated. I am not really a night club person and this whole "Let's go along with the idiot CMs who are pretending they just got back from the jungle with Dr. Livingston" thing was embarrassing and childish to me. But then, I can imagine the 50's kitchen place at MGM would also be my idea of hell for dining, as well. I just find it all a bit juvenile and silly and I am embarrassed for the CMs. They can bulldoze the place and turn all of PI into a Walmart, for all I care.
Originally Posted By jonvn "I can imagine the 50's kitchen place at MGM would also be my idea of hell for dining" It's a great place. You just tell the waitress to knock it off. The decor is lots of fun.
Originally Posted By Britain After hearing for years about how cool the Adventurer's Club is, I finally went to it and it didn't really do it for me. Part of the problem, I guess, is that I don't drink alcohol. But if a place is only entertaining if you're drunk, then I don't think the entertainment is good enough. I loved the concept of many things hidden among the brick-a-brack that turn out to be animated. But maybe my expectations were too high. It wasn't a disaster, but it was a disappointment.
Originally Posted By aracuanbird The quality of The Adventurer's Club is quite fickle and has a lot to do with the performers on any given night and how "game" the audience is. Booze is definitely one way to get folks to loosen up and play along with the goings-on, but I have been there stone-sober and had a great time. To my mind, the club is just getting long in the tooth. Have there been any new shows since 1989? It sure doesn't seem like it. Breathing some occasional new life into the place--in the form of new scripts, new gags, redone theme rooms--would seem to be a requiremnet on a regular basis.
Originally Posted By Britain Yeah, that was probably a big factor for me. The performers weren't very funny. So I may try the AC again someday -if it survives. I'd hate for someone to write off the Jungle Cruise just because they got a poor skipper their first time.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip << You just tell the waitress to knock it off.>> Sometimes, sometimes not. When my wife asked for a plate for her appetizer "sis" told her to use a napkin, that she didn't want to do the extra dishes. My wife made it VERY clear that she wanted a plate and "sis" still refused. It got to the point that my wife said "Then I guess we will go eat at a restaurant where they will give me a plate for my appetizer" before she got one. Needless to say, we have not returned and never will.
Originally Posted By jonvn "Needless to say, we have not returned and never will." You folks are too polite. Or they just took a look at the expression on my face and do as I request figuring it is easier.
Originally Posted By Britain lol! No offence, jonvn, and while I have no idea what you're like in person, but judging by the debates that go on here, I'd hate to be a waitress who tries to get you to play along!
