Hyperion Wharf by Steve Russo
RIP Pleasure Island
Read it here!
Hyperion Wharf by Steve Russo
RIP Pleasure Island
Read it here!
My take on this is that the area has been more or less a big nothing for so long now that anything new gets compared to the nothing, and not to what was there in Pleasure Island's heyday. I wasn't a big regular at PI, but I did enjoy a visit from time to time, and like most I lament the loss of a truly unique experience to be had at the Adventurers Club. I'm a little less pessimistic, Steve - I'm willing to wait and see, and to enjoy the new outing for what it is, not comparing it to what once was.
Dan
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
- James Taylor
I agree with you, Dan. I hope I didn't come off as overly pessimistic. It will appeal to a slightly different demographic. As I said, I don't think it will be Pleasure Island but that might be OK.Originally Posted by danyoung
Steve
The last time DW and I visited DTD we only went to the Disney store for potatohead parts. The time we spent going there and returning was longer than the amount of time we spent there. This will definately be a wait and see but I'm not holding my breath. So far I see nothing that screams "Man, I have to go see this" like the Adventurers Club used to.
"Although we think it's DOPEY that Pluto has been downgraded to a dwarf planet, which has made some people GRUMPY and others just SLEEPY, we are not BASHFUL in saying we would be HAPPY if Disney's Pluto would join us as an 8th dwarf. We think this is just what the DOC ordered and is nothing to SNEEZE at."
I'm going to commit a Disney sin here by saying that I never set foot in The Adventurer's Club, and I do sort of regret that, but that aside I was always so turned off by Pleasure Island as a whole. The few times I walked through it, my Disney World Bubble instantly popped and I couldn't wait to get out of there. I found it to be cheap and garish.
I remember reading that Walt was always disappointed with the 'honky-tonk' that opened around Disneyland soon after it's opening. I have to say, and I accept that I may be in the minority here, but that was my first thought the first time I stepped foot on Pleasure Island, after a loud and audible "Yuch" from both my wife and I.
Sorry, I know people lament it's passing, but I was thrilled when the word hit that it was going away. I hope Hyperion Wharf is bit classier.
CB
wow....my husband and I always thought the same thing. We've been visiting together since 1993 and had never made it to the Adventurers Club either. We really get where you are coming from when you say that you felt "out of the bubble", as we've long thought the same.
Welp, we will give it another try once it's completed I suppose.
At this stage, Hyperion Wharf holds little appeal for us. We weren't big PIers to begin with but we always enjoyed dancing a few hours away at 8Trax!
Not sure what to say about this new development. Being a DVC owner and spending most of my stays at Saratoga Springs, I have a new found like of Downtown Disney. I spend more time at the AMC theaters, the restaurants and just walking around absorbing the people and what little entertainment there is. While PI is very much gone, and sorely missed, in my opinion, something needs to tie the two ends of DTD together. I hope Disney builds something for everyone that isn't all food. Entertainment is critical to draw the crowds in. I would love to see a bar like Jellyrolls or even a revival of the comedy warehouse in some form. The amphitheater is great, lets just hope it gets used. I am sure that's not what Disney has in mind, but oh well.
In any event, something is better than nothing, which is what currently fills the space.
For me, it was just instant...POP...The lights, the neon, the drinking, the bad cover band playing outdoors...you couldn't get me out of there fast enough. Funny, because this past summer walking through City Walk over at Universal, I didn't feel the same. It's loud and tacky and all that, but I wasn't already "inside the Disney bubble." There was no bubble to burst. So, it was almost acceptable there. When I crossed that bridge onto PI for the first time...unacceptable.
Although, everything I've heard and read about the Adventurer's Club does make me wish I had checked it out. Oh well.
In the category of WILD speculation with absolutely no basis in any actual knowledge: I thought the stage area looked similar to the World of Color area. Perhaps they could stage something like that there?
Cathy
Not that it matters, but I do recall AC members being very adamant about this. There is no apostrophe in Adventurers Club. It's a club full of adventurers, not a club owned by an adventurer.
Dan
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
- James Taylor
The first thought that came to my mind when I saw the sketches.....it looks like our local mall with laser lights!
pleasure Island
It's funny, but I stopped enjoying Pleasure Island years before it closed. I remember going there and feeling uncomfortable and even a little unsafe. It stopped feeling like and extension of DisneyWorld and started feeling like a "Jersey shore" episode! I had always enjoyed the comedy show, and it is a shame they could not figure out a way to keep it open, but I think unfortunately P.I. had turned into something Disney never intended. I would like it if they would add more than shopping and Movies- we will just have to wait and see!
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