Thursday, June 14, 2012

PI Update: Inside Adventurers Club

The Adventurers Club.  Much speculation about the future of this building.  Will it reopen as the Adventurers Club, will it reopen to serve some other purpose, will it be demolished? We've heard all three at one time or another. 
Today we get a first look inside the club since nearly all of the remaining artifacts were removed last year.
The Zeus (aka King Triton) statue remains in the downstairs salon, a black cape draped over his right shoulder and down his back.  One can see the considerable damage caused to the walls from the removal of the hundreds of historical artifacts that once hung there.

Our beloved Colonel's wood cabinetry, both above and below where he used to appear, gone. A toast to the Colonel.....and I'm buying!

Looking a bit more to the left now, we can better see the stairs to the upper foyer.
But further inside, Babylonia surprisingly still remains on the wall!  If they were removing everything, why would they leave these two items?  Very odd.
Back outside, it's ok to take pictures standing in front of the club.  Just don't wear now-copyrighted Adventurers Club costumes.  Big thanks to Blog reader Frank for sharing his photos and commentary with PI fans from around the world!

19 comments:

DJMadManRay said...

Wonder what the piece of paper taped to Zeus says?

Anonymous said...

fortunately, copyrights for costumes on fictional (and now non-existent) characters don't hold much water...

Anonymous said...

So you're saying that copyrights on fictional characters like Marvel aren't valid?

Anonymous said...

There's a difference between copyright on the character and copyright on a costume.
Marvel can't stop you from walking down the street dressed like Spiderman. Hell, they'll even help you do it by selling you the costume.
The copyrights prevent you from stealing the character and making it your own. You can't claim to BE Spiderman. You can't make Spiderman costumes and sell them yourself.
But in wearing a costume, by definition, you aren't claiming to actually be Spiderman.
I don't know Pleasure Island that well, but I do know it's no longer "gated", so I would think Disney has less control over who walks in and out of there now and what they wear.
I suppose if you made a really good Mickey costume that could be confused for the real character, the Disney police could get the real police to say you were causing a disturbance and ask you to leave. But I don't think they could say to the police "arrest that man for copyright infringement"

Anonymous said...

So. . .how are the characters non-existent when they just made an appearance at the Trave Agent convention a few months ago? The Adventurers Club is still quite alive and my bet is it will reopen.

Anonymous said...

ANYONE SEE THIS??? THE COLONEL IS BACK! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5ga2LPl9uM&feature=player_embedded#!

Anonymous said...

NOW clearly you can see that most of the stuff in this club are gone! still no real proof of when taken but you can see the stuff has been moved out!
and why would Disney take all of the stuff out put in storage and reopen this club? don't you think Disney would block the windows if they Planed anything? and take the rest out!

Anonymous said...

Well clearly before they reopen the Adventurers Club they needed to take the artifacts down to redurbish them and before they are rehung the Club itself needs a good refurbishment. Not at all outside the realm of plausible and possible.

Anonymous said...

again I ask wouldn't Disney block off the windows so no one can see in!

Anonymous said...

I hope the comment about the Colonel is true.
Hopefully this maybe the beginning of them refurbishing the A.C. along with the other three remaining clubs.

P.S. Because it's pretty pathetic down there

Anonymous said...

ok let me ask you a dumb Question?? to all and anyone?
Why would Disney reopen the clubs when it will cost most likely thousands if not Million to reopen the clubs?

I say it is a Hugh rick? I think at first the place would be packed but would/will drop off! and will NEVER be the same as it was for most that would KILL it for them!

Anonymous said...

The blocked windows serve the same function as a refurbishment wall anywhere else on property. Disney never want the public to see the progress until the refurb is complete. They would reopen the Clubs because they WILL make money. To this day, guests ask what time the Clubs open, so there is NO risk involved in this decision. Also, the crowds will not die down again as long as Disney does not actively try to kill the Island again. Block off the Island to the family crows with turnstiles again, bring in top name entertainment again, keep up the Clubs and ADVERTISE them again, and do not alienate the Orlando locals and there will be no stoping a reopened Pleasure Island.

KingBob said...

Anon at 3:01am....WELL PUT! And exactly right!

71 said...

"Millions" seems a bit extreme. The buildings are more or less intact, and WDW already has liquor licenses for the area. Those are the two biggest expenses for opening a new bar.

Yeah, new decor and training staff would probably set them back tens of thousands of dollars, maybe even a couple hundred thousand with sound systems and all. But in its heyday, 8-Traxx alone could pull in $50k in bar sales over a weekend ... not counting the $25 cover charges.

Not to mention it would be "good show", as opposed to vacant buildings which are pretty much the definition of "bad show." There was a time TWDC cared almost as much about show as profitability.

Anonymous said...

iv seen comments here about the cost of the lighting and sound systems being one of the biggest expenses in reopening the clubs.

However, surely Disney kept all that in storage somewhere from when the clubs where cleared? or at least some of it?

Alternatively, where do they get all the equipment from for the epcot new years eve event? surely they dont hire it all in do they?

KingBob said...

DJMadManRay: I zoomed in on that that paper taped to Zeus and the best I can make out is that it says, "Eat At Joe's Crab Shack".

Anon at 5:42pm: Thanks for the Colonel link. I don't recall ever posting that but I do recall seeing it when it came out a month or so ago.

Anon at 6:54pm: I still find it odd that Zeus and Babylonia remain behind when everything else was apparently stripped. There has to be a reason for that decision.

Anon at 5:31am: At the time Mannequins was stripped, a few readers posted about some of the equipment ending up at AIE. But there were numerous clubs and lots of equipment and it got spread out and my guess is that a lot of it is in storage. The Mannequins light wall is still inside MDP, we're told.

Anonymous said...

OK then WHY is PI clubs still closed? if no risk?
yeah it will cost Nothing to rehab the clubs to reopen!! SURE?!?!?!

I am sorry but the locals will do as they did before they will come to see the new! and then stop coming as much as they did when it was renew! there where some who never quit going!! SOME is the key word. and MOST quit.

again I ask WHY is PI still closed IF Disney can make money on PI?

and WHY would they let it Die if they wanted to make money?

KingBob said...

>again I ask WHY is PI still closed IF Disney can make money on PI?
BECAUSE DISNEY HAS A CULTURE WHERE THEY CAN NEVER ADMIT THEY WERE WRONG AND REOPENING THE CLUBS WOULD BE AN ADMISSION THAT THEY WERE WRONG.

>and WHY would they let it Die if they wanted to make money?
THEY PURPOSELY LET IT DIE SO THAT THEY COULD JUSTIFY CLOSING IT BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY COULD MAKE MORE MONEY LEASING THE SPACES TO 3RD PARTIES.

Anonymous said...

My bet is that it was a notice from the Walt Disney Achives that says DO NOT DESTROY. Often when something closes someone from the achives is sent to pick out what they want to save