DS Update: Cirque Files For Bankruptcy

The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has filed for receivership yesterday in the Superior Court of Quebec which is where Cirque is based. More details from the Las Vegas Review-Journal here. What impact this will have on a Cirque show reopening at Disney Springs West Side remains to be seen.

PI Update: 10 Years Ago!

Let's cross the No. 2 Bridge one more time and escape to Pleasure Island ten years ago this month!

So different than today; big crowds wandering the streets of our beloved Island.

Turning left at the Hub and heading up Hill Street in 2010.

We'll never forget the fiasco that was Celebrate Tonight up at West End Plaza (then renamed Celebration Plaza).

After about a year of trying, the final night of CT took place that month.
Spotted: DJ G Clef (USA) second from the far right, in blue.

Alternative entertainment brought-in included live statutes.

They would actually last around 5 years before finally disappearing for good.

Downtown Update: Wahlburgers Closing Permanently

Downtown Orlando's Wahlburgers restaurant is permanently closing, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel here. This is yet another blow to Church Street, which is now mostly a vast wasteland of closed storefronts all the way from Orange Avenue to Interstate 4. The venue had been open approximately 4 years.

Club Reports: What’s Open & What’s Not?

Under the Governor's new order, bars and clubs can no longer serve alcohol effective yesterday. Restaurants with bars could still serve. So what was open and what was closed in downtown Orlando last night?  Check out our sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

Friday Funny

We're always trying to help!

PI Update: Night VS Day

There just is no comparison between Pleasure Island of old and Pleasure Island of today. It's as different as night and day! (Big thanks to Blog reader Michael P. of Utica, NY for the night photo. We'll have a few more of his old shots next week!)

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY JUN 25
DJ Saymyname (USA)     Celine     Trap

 THURSDAY JUN 25
DJ duo Cocodrills (USA)     Elixir Bar     House
Cancelled/Postponed

THURSDAY JUN 25
DJ duo Black Caviar (USA)     Gilt Nightclub     EDM / House Anthems

FRIDAY JUN 26
DJ PLS&TY (USA)     Celine Rooftop     EDM

SATURDAY JUN 27
Iron Cow has reclosed indefinitely due to Coronavirus concerns.

SUNDAY JUN 28
Sundown Sundays at The Patio has reclosed indefinitely due to Coronavirus concerns.

DS Update: The Sunshine Rail Line

If you look real careful on the lower level of Pleasure Island, you can find a faded old mural advertising the Sunshine Rail Line. Long gone from the Florida travel scene, the steam locomotives of the former SRL brought northerners to the warm shores of Disney Springs.

Of course the Sunshine Rail Line predated Amtrak by many decades. There isn't a lot of written history about the line but if you wander about Disney Springs West Side, you can still find remnants of the system. The line was elevated as it entered the Disney Springs community from the west.

Several remaining trestles or "hi-lines" still remain standing.

Here another remaining trestle stands by what is now the AMC 24 Theaters. Back in those days it was probably called the AMC 1 Theater.

We're not really sure why the City of Disney Springs never removed them but if anything they are useful for creating shade.

One thing we never understood is why this last trestle on the extreme east end of the West Side curves? With that curve, tracks could never have lined-up with the bridge ahead. But we do have some recollection of the bridge having been repositioned at some point in time so the track must have indeed lined-up with the bridge prior to that!

One can't tell anymore that the bridge at one time carried a train track over it.

On Pleasure Island itself, the railroad yard has long-ago been pulled-up but there remains embedded track at West End Plaza adjacent STK Steakhouse. One can also make out an old turntable used to turn locomotives around for their outbound journeys.

The original Disney Springs train depot still stands.  It was long-disused and only recently was repurposed for Men and Ladies WC duty. If you use the facilities, you're sitting (or standing) in a historical building where thousands of happy travelers once congregated. Come check it out for yourself.

DS Update: Still Not Open

The restaurant Jaleo by Jose Andres along with the adjoining quick-serve venue Pepe by Jose Andres have not yet reopened.

NBA Experience and the adjoining NBA store have not yet reopened.

Cirque du Soleil has not yet reopened.

House of Blues Restaurant and House of Blues Smokehouse have not yet reopened.
These are all large space venues in Disney Springs West Side. Couple these closed venues with construction at the former Bongos site and you have a LOT of empty space out west.

Club Reports: Celine, Kevin O'Ryans, Independent Bar, Elixir Bar, Aero Bar

With the reported increases in Covid-19 cases across Florida and much of the country this past week, Orlando's downtown club and bar scene is in trouble. Many venues were pretty empty last night during our rounds. See the pictures on sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

Club Reports: Elixir Bar, Ember, Celine

DJ Eskuche (RUS/USA) at Celine was just one of our club-hopping stops last night in downtown Orlando. Check out all the pics on our sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

Friday Funny

NO.....we're already reopened!

PI Update: Gideon's Bakehouse Coming To Island

Gideon's Bakehouse, a popular cookie/snack venue in Orlando's East End Market, will be opening a new location on Pleasure Island. Many of their cookies weigh a half-pound according to their website, which doesn't give a lot of information about the new locale. "We would tell you more, but we’re nothing if not a little dark and mysterious," states a message on their site. 
However, the Orlando Sentinel indicates it will be across from Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar. The only place we could think of was the circled location on the photo above where The Basket walk-up window is currently located on the lower level of the Wine Bar George building. On further thought though, perhaps it's that corner spot where Erwin Pearl Jewelry used to operate and is now home to Rustic Cuff.  Either location seems to be removed from the pedestrian traffic walking by but the smell of hot fresh cookies and other desserts could be enough to get them noticed. Yum!!

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY JUN 18
Radio Gaga with DJ Kimball Collins (USA)     Independent Bar     80's Classics

FRIDAY JUN 19
Opening Night     Ole Red @ Icon Park     Country

FRIDAY JUN 19
DJ Eskuche (RUS/USA)     Celine     House / Tech House

SATURDAY JUN 20
DJ's Andy Hughes (USA), DJ Sandy (USA), DJ Berto (USA) and many more. Noon - 11PM
Ace Cafe Outdoors
Breaks / Old Skool
EVENT CANCELLED

SATURDAY JUN 20
DJ J-Dub (USA), DJ Beni Hill (USA, DJ Andrez (USA) and many more.
Oasis on the River / Sanford
Breaks

DS Update: Construction Continues

Let's give you an update on all the exciting things taking place at Disney Springs. First off, in the Town Center, Lululemon will be occupying the space vacated by Trophy Room. The sign says Summer, 2020 for the opening. Since they've been working on the space for some time now, that does seem plausible.

M&M World is relocating from Florida Mall to this space in the West Side where Curl by Sammy Duval and Fit2Run used to occupy. Progress here seems very slow from what we've seen so we'll see if they can meet their Late 2020 opening date.

We're unsure of the status of Ample Hills Creamery, slated to go into this West Side space previously occupied by Something Silver. AHC filed for bankruptcy back in March and we don't know what will happen here.

Lastly, we have this space where Bongos Cuban Cafe used to stand and where there will be new construction. Chicago-based healthy eating restaurant Beatrix will be coming here but we'd have to say sometime in 2021. While construction "looks" can be deceiving, compare what it looks like now to what it looked like back in March when we last visited here.

The Year A DJ Played The Olympics

The year was 2004 and the Summer Olympics were being held in Athens, Greece. And for the first time ever, the music for the Opening Ceremonies was being choreographed and delivered by a DJ! That DJ was Tiësto (NL). The set was mostly Trance. During the Parade of Athletes, the Dutch team stopped as they passed the DJ booth and began dancing! Officials had to get them moving again.

Club Reports: Kush, Elixir Bar, Independent Bar

You know by now if it's at all possible on a Saturday night, I'm going to visit Independent Bar. And I did. See all the Saturday night pics on sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

Club Reports: The Patio, Aero Bar, Mai Thai, Shine & Hooch, Celine

A good time was had by all as Orlando bars and clubs reopened for business again last night and the Blog was there! All the pictures can be found on our sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

Friday Funny

Downtown Update: Bars v Clubs

We can understand why Elixir Bar was able to reopen over a month ago. In Florida, restaurants were allowed to reopen in Phase 1 albeit with a reduced capacity. Elixir is primarily a restaurant so they were able to reopen their bar and outdoor patio in a bar/club format at night too. But now that we're in Phase 2, there seems to be more than one interpretation regarding reopening. The above photo, courtesy of Ernie Plowden, shows that tables and chairs have been placed on the dance floor. They interpret the reopening rules to say that bars but not clubs can reopen and that there has to be a limited number of table. They're not alone; neighbors Ember, The Patio, The Beacham and Aero Bar will also reopen as early as today.....with tables.

But this is Gilt Nightclub this past Monday night, compliments of Aaron Steel. There are no tables on the dance floor and this is an early evening photo; it got packed later. Tables do exist in certain areas where they usually exist so perhaps those were reduced to the required 50% capacity. Celine opens tonight, they're a club, and it will be interesting to see where their tables are in order to reduce them to 50% capacity.