Thursday, January 15, 2015

PI Update: Chilly Day On The Island

Had not been out to beautiful Pleasure Island so far this year so I was overdue for a visit.  The holiday crowds are gone and its a lot easier to get in and out of the complex although I continue to avoid the new parking garage because it's a lot easier to park across Buena Vista Drive in the surface lots.
Chilly day on Wednesday with a dusting of ice and snow at the higher elevations.
Construction continues to move rapidly on The Boathouse and the exterior is already taking on its color scheme which includes a green lighthouse tower and blue main building.
Our exclusive SkyCam view shows the complex is now roughed-in which means interior work can be completed without worrying about the weather ruining anything.
Work continues next door too at The Hangar bar.  Curiously, this large raised boat feature has been added adjacent to it.
SkyCam view shows this too is moving rapidly towards completion.
Access to the Pleasure Island bypass causeway is once again blocked from the Island side and the wall blocks access to Paradiso 37's side patio.  The patio is still accessible from the corner of the restaurant but it's surrounded by the wall.
At he upper left of this photo, the SkyCam shows how the walls surround that patio.  We also see that since our last visit in December, there has been little progress on the patio expansion at the rear of the restaurant.
The only access to the Pleasure Island water taxi dock is from the West Side near Characters In Flight.  The bypass is no longer open to through foot traffic.
It's still there but as you can see it's blocked beyond the water taxi dock and the latest Downtown Disney Guidemap shows that section removed.  However, I believe long term plans show the blocked section to be the remaining connection between the Island and the dock with the currently open section to be what get's demolished.
The new restroom complex was doing brisk business today.  At one time we thought this was going to be the new upscale STK Restaurant.  But if it's not here, where is it?
Is it perhaps going here where Comedy Warehouse used to stand? There's a lot of space here.  One level of the new venue could be in that empty area with a lower floor below on PI's ground level and then a rooftop area on top overlooking the Springs.  Tune in tomorrow for more fresh pictures from beautiful Pleasure Island.

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