Originally Posted By SeventyOne I've talked to quite a few people who would know, and AdvClub was modestly profitable (maybe more than modestly if you factor in ticket sales, but I don't think WDW did). 8-Traxx was obscenely profitable, and Mannequins made good money as well. The only money-losers were BET and Comedy Warehouse. CityWalk tends to be busy Thursday through Saturday. Never quite captured the "party in the streets" feel PI (or Church St. Station) had in its prime, tho.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 A nightclub district is not part of Disney's core business. There are many facets of the entertainment business and I think Disney has tried to be too many things to too many people and it has diluted its brand. As for Pleasure Island. You can talk about the number of adults on property and the need to have more adult entertainment, etc. But obviously Pleasure Island wasnt making money for Disney otherwise it would still be open. The closing of PI wasnt an instance of "we have another great thing planned for this location" but more a financial decision. IF Disney truly had decided that building more resturants would be a better use of space and could show that the area could support additional facilities then they would have been able to find companies to open up a resturant. There is also some truth that PI became a favorite CM hangout. I am not sure that there was a lot of drunk CM's out there, but I do know that many of my fellow CM's frequented PI regularly at night.
Originally Posted By CaptainMichael <<<Whatever they do to PI, I would hope they require either a current Disney Hotel card or Theme Park admission to gain access. In it's later years PI seemed to be primarily a place for WDW CM to get obnoxiously drunk. I originally really enjoyed PI. In the later years I was almost scared to be there after 11 PM.>>> Oh yes, this will help business. For PI to survive, locals are a MUST! My friends probably kept the island afloat by themselves and they're all locals. Now, their money goes to Universal and the Hogs Head.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Yeah..I'd say City Walk is staying alive because of locals, including UCF students. I'm closing in on 40 but with kids 7 and 4 I haven't had the opportunity to go to Pleasure Island in a long time. Not that I don't want to. But, when I'm in Orlando I really can't leave them in a hotel room.
Originally Posted By SeventyOne <A nightclub district is not part of Disney's core business.> Nightlife is part of any resort's "core business"--observe Top of the World, a critical part of the Contemporary when it opened. Also, needs to be said again: the Adventurers Club was the pinnacle of imagineering. What "The Godfather" is to movies or "Sgt. Peppers" is to rock albums. I don't see how that could dilute the Disney experience. <But obviously Pleasure Island wasnt making money for Disney otherwise it would still be open. The closing of PI wasnt an instance of "we have another great thing planned for this location" but more a financial decision.> Actually, wrong on both counts. PI made money, but management had a thing planned they thought would make even more money--renting the space to high-end restaurants. Problem was, none of the restaurants they envisioned wanted to relocated in DTD (I imagine a combination of demographics/image and the sky-high rents).
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Pleasure Island wasnt making money for Disney otherwise it would still be open.>> Every source on the subject says that is not the case.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Every source on the subject says that is not the case.<<< It isn't. The PI managers were rewarded for closing it down...
Originally Posted By MPierce >> As for Pleasure Island. You can talk about the number of adults on property and the need to have more adult entertainment, etc. But obviously Pleasure Island wasnt making money for Disney otherwise it would still be open. The closing of PI wasnt an instance of "we have another great thing planned for this location" but more a financial decision. IF Disney truly had decided that building more resturants would be a better use of space and could show that the area could support additional facilities then they would have been able to find companies to open up a resturant. There is also some truth that PI became a favorite CM hangout. I am not sure that there was a lot of drunk CM's out there, but I do know that many of my fellow CM's frequented PI regularly at night. << But isn't the Walt Disney World Resort about the whole, all inclusive, tons of neat stuff to do, experience? Wouldn't that entail an adult relaxation pit for all those folks who like a gownn-up touch to their Disney vacation.
Originally Posted By dshyates I think the PI redo should entail aiming at a more adult clubbing experience. One of the problems they had was in appealing to the young adult crowd. And it could get a little crazy with the drunken early 20s crowd. I think that if they aim it more towards the affluent 30-somethings the problems would have disappeared. You know, have a high-end martini/piano bar, a more mature dance club like the Red Coconut at CityWalk. AndI think the single most bone-headed move TDO has done in recent years is to close and strip out The Adventurers Club.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> You know, have a high-end martini/piano bar, a more mature dance club like the Red Coconut at CityWalk. AndI think the single most bone-headed move TDO has done in recent years is to close and strip out The Adventurers Club. << I agree.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper << I think that if they aim it more towards the affluent 30-somethings the problems would have disappeared. You know, have a high-end martini/piano bar, a more mature dance club like the Red Coconut at CityWalk. AndI think the single most bone-headed move TDO has done in recent years is to close and strip out The Adventurers Club.>> I agree. Perfect idea right here.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I was on the College Program in '92 and hung out there just about every night. (Bought an annual pass to the place.) We did some drinking but we couldn't afford to get obnoxiously drunk. Are you kidding me?>> PI was squeaky clean in 92. It didn't get scary until around 2000 or so. The clubs weren't bad, but the street party could get pretty over the edge after 11 PM or so.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip << I think that if they aim it more towards the affluent 30-somethings the problems would have disappeared. You know, have a high-end martini/piano bar, a more mature dance club like the Red Coconut at CityWalk. AndI think the single most bone-headed move TDO has done in recent years is to close and strip out The Adventurers Club.>> I also agree. I'm not sure how popular this will be with LP'ers, but I think the easiest way to do that would be to implement a dress code. No shorts, no T-shirts, no tank tops. Frankly, I'd like to see them do that at ALL of their "signature restaurants" except those in the parks.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper << It didn't get scary until around 2000 or so. The clubs weren't bad, but the street party could get pretty over the edge after 11 PM or so.>> Sorry, I'm not buying it. Again, I was there almost every Thursday, and a lot of weekends, and I never found it "scary".
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Maybe 'scary' isn't the proper word. I never saw things get violent. But falling down drunk? Yes... I've witnessed that many times late in the evening.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<But falling down drunk? Yes... I've witnessed that many times late in the evening.>> And I've seen that in Epcot all the time. I guess we shouldn't let people drink there?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>And I've seen that in Epcot all the time. I guess we shouldn't let people drink there?<< No, but Disney should manage these situations better.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<And I've seen that in Epcot all the time. I guess we shouldn't let people drink there?>> I wouldn't mind seeing people get cut off more quickly. When we went to WDW when our daughter was in high school, drunks at Epcot would occasionally make remarks and sometimes even grab at her. There is no place for that in a Disney Park. I'm no prude. I really enjoy drinking. But I just don't know that people need to get sloppy drunk at a Disney venue. Other than at Jellyrolls. It should be actively encouraged (and is) there!! LOL
Originally Posted By MPierce >> And I've seen that in Epcot all the time. I guess we shouldn't let people drink there? << Why didn't you come over, and introduce yourself to me Skipper?
Originally Posted By MPierce >>>And I've seen that in Epcot all the time. I guess we shouldn't let people drink there?<< >> No, but Disney should manage these situations better. << That's the solution. Strict enforcement of conduct laws on property anywhere in WDW. They act like it's better for a couple of obnoxious guest to ruin everybody elses's good time. Rather than throwing the offending parties out.
