Sunday, November 29, 2009

PI Update: Demolition Continues

It was a beautiful fall afternoon in the mid-70's at Orlando today so what a better place to spend some time than Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney. Someone I know will be receiving some little mismatched socks for Christmas this year!

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Demolition continues on the island. At Mannequins the stairs to the 2nd floor have been completely removed and only the landing remains. At the former PI Live booth the exterior has also been completely removed leaving just the framework. There has been no additional demolition to the towers that hold the Harley Davidson signs. We await how that gets resolved.

Over on another internet discussion board someone asked to see the inspirational signs placed on the demolition walls. I posted one of them last week and here is the other. There is also new directional signage at the Hub.

Over on the West Side, the Princess Di exhibit thankfully and mercifully closes on schedule tomorrow, November 30th. Located in the former home of Virgin Megastore, sources say the run will not be extended through the holidays as I previously speculated that it might. Adult tickets have been reduced to $10 so don't miss out! Doing much better is the $16 tethered balloon ride. Today was a great day for it and you can see the line of people waiting their turn.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's sad to see Disney take apart the best thing they ever did! can we all say DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KingBob said...

You're referring to DIANA-THE PEOPLE'S PRINCESS, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

Walt probably wouldn't appreciate his name being put on a wall for an area that shouldn't have been closed, much less closed this long in the first place. I think it's kind of insulting. Don't use his integrity to salvage what was a business mishap.

Anonymous said...

no i am referring to PI clubs!

zulemara said...

gosh, they've done such a great job. The island is so much better than it ever was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiSigCeTXUM

KingBob said...

None, thanks for sharing.
Elimination of the parades, elimination of the midnight fireworks, opening the island to non-ticket holders, elimination of the band stages. Closing shops and not replacing them. One thing after another led to the demise. And 14 months post closure, NOTHING NEW!

tralfaz said...

It's just beyond sad to me. If I could understand the thinking, if there seemed to be some reason that made sense... but the Adventurer's Club was more of a "Disney" attraction than many of the things on the drawing board or even some of the things that have been running in recent years. Worse, from a money-making point of view, it could easily have been franchised (seeing as all they care about is money). Someone on the message boards recently complained about the lack of business some of the restaurants over there are getting. Um, of course they are! There's NOTHING to draw anyone over. Sigh. It just makes me sad.

KingBob said...

The imagination(s) that went into creating AC were the ultimate in creativity. It should have been sold to a 3rd party who could have used it as the foundation of a revised format that made better profits. I don't see how the audience at Hong Kong Disneyland is going to "get it" when it comes to the gags. More likely the artifacts will just become meaningless wall items in a HKDL restaurant.

Anonymous said...

I have been in AC and just don't get why anyone would care about this club the way these people do???? it's just BORING! you can go into any local bar and get the same thing what the local bar would be more fun & free to walk into! buy our own drinks no pass needed!

KingBob said...

I know what you're saying. During initial visits to AC I didn't "get it" either. I definitely didn't appreciate the place until it was almost gone. I think in most cases you had to go multiple times and then the references the characters made and the gags they did began to click.

This really wasn't a bar although they did have one. It was really interactive theater with an extensive backstory that evolved over the years. It really was creativity to the Nth degree. The fact SO MANY people took up the fight to save it is not a fluke.

Anonymous said...

AC Not a Bar ok I'll go with that. and that is why it should have been closed a long time ago! closing AC could have saved money to put in to the rest of the PI clubs to stay open! so Disney could have put Ads in news papers and billboards?

think about it PI (Disney) wants to make money and having a "club" that has a small bar that doesn't make much money is just a waste of space and money!

KingBob said...

Yes, but PI was a ticketed event where your admission price included many features. Not all of them were profit centers. Sure they knew which clubs made liquor revenue but the ticket sales themselves could not be directly allocated to the different clubs because once you got your armband, they didn't track where you went. (Unlike CityWalk) Fireworks, parades, band stages, etc. did not earn revenue yet they had those things because it was part of a entertainment package. Nonetheless, sources say AC made a small profit.

Anonymous said...

thats not true I guess you forgot that you (if you didn't have a pass) buying a one night ticket you had to buy the one club ticket @9.99 or a all club pass @19.99! when you bought the one club ticket you had to buy an AC,motion,8traxx or Mannequins so they know where the money was going they even gave you an armband that said the club name on it.

KingBob said...

During the last few years the 1-club and multi-Club tickets were actually more $ than that. Yes, 1-club tickets could be allocated to the club purchased but the multi-Club tickets could not. With one of those they only knew the 1st club you went to but nothing subsequent. Also, AP's had no use tracking whatsoever except in the later years (once the turnstiles were removed) for the first club you visited. They judged club success by liquor sales. That's why the country music attempts both failed as did the jazz club.

Anonymous said...

no the tickets where 9.99+tax I bought them the last few weeks (on Saturday Nights)

Joe said...

Notice the directional sign to West Side is pretty bare. It's like there NOTHING to do there too.

Anonymous said...

there where cranes spoted @ PI this weekend friday & saturday right outside Mannequins!