Sunday, August 31, 2008

Pleasure Island IS Closing

The information card shown here is now included in hotel brochure racks around Orlando along with the usual theme park and attraction brochures. You can click on the image to read it.

Monday, August 18, 2008

The End Is Near II

Disney Transportation bus drivers have been informed that the Pleasure Island bus stop is closing effective with the closure of PI. Bus service will migrate to the West Side bus stop at the far end of the Downtown Disney West Side parking lot. This is also an existing Lynx bus stop. (Service will remain at the Downtown Disney Marketplace bus stop.)

Is this the final nail in the coffin? It's certainly one of them.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The End Is Near :(

I hate to say it.....but I'm afraid the end of Pleasure Island is near. There has been no new good news. There have been no new rumors. And then take a look at this posting by poster Tuckenie over at the Jim Hill Media website: (Copy and paste the link below; then scroll down)

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/jhmcomments/16201.aspx

I spoke to the club manager of Mannequins last week and she isn't high enough in the company to have seen the presentation mentioned. If I happen to see her manager walking around PI tonight I'll ask him about it. But if this poster is telling the truth (and there is no reason not to believe him), then PI as we know it is finished and we cannot save it.

I will follow up with the owners of Destiny and see what is going on over there. I can inquire with Universal management to see about getting more techno played at The Groove like they used to do a few years ago. I'll keep everyone informed through this website.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

About This Blog

This blog is dedicated to the story of Pleasure Island, it's proposed closing and the fight to save it. PLEASE READ ARTICLES FROM THE BOTTOM UP. (Articles begin on the second page.) This blog will be updated on a regular basis when there is news to report. Your help is needed to try to save PI! Please keep in mind that everything on here is the opinion of the moderator and is not presented as fact. If you'd like to receive e-mail alerts, send your e-mail address to: kingbobofthenorth@gmail.com

Friday, August 8, 2008

CityWalk Makes Play For PI Regulars

Home delivery copies of today's Orlando Sentinel (Friday, August 8) included a sticker/pass redeemable for a Universal CityWalk Party Pass. Valid for Florida residents only, the Pass gets you into all of the clubs at CityWalk for one night and has a value around $12. It is valid until 12/31/08.

Unfortunately the Sentinel editions at newsstands that I checked did not include the sticker since I would have bought at least 10 more. Apparently this was for home delivery editions only......LOCALS.

Clearly this is the first salvo by Universal to get locals to make CityWalk their new "partying" location once Pleasure Island closes. There is a lot of speculation about where current PI regulars are going to go and it looks like Universal wants us.

Bravo to Universal for recognizing that if Disney is going to give up hundreds and hundreds of local customers for free, they're happy to take them! And what better way to introduce or re-introduce locals to CityWalk than by giving them a free ticket!

Another coupon in Orlando Sentinel's Friday, August 15th edition.
Another coupon in Orlando Sentinel's Friday, September 5th edition.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Is Disney Reconsidering?

On Thursday evening a contributor named Cheshire Figment posted the following message on Disboards:

When I was in California a few weeks ago I heard (from reliable sources) that upper level people in Disney Corporate were concerned about the number of complaints referring to the notification that the PI clubs are closing.

Also, I have been dealing with a hotel on Hotel Plaza Blvd for an upcoming convention and I was told by my Sales Manager there that the on-site Disney Rep had officially asked the Director of Sales if they have lost groups and/or rooms because of the PI closing, and needed a count with detailed information. The SM told me that had lost a few conventions because of it. Also, it appears that it is being asked of all the non-Disney resorts on property.


If true, this brings hope to all of us. Those letters and e-mails are making an impact. More important, apparently Disney may now be recognizing that there is an impact beyond just revenue at Pleasure Island. Disney World and Orlando compete with other cities for meetings and conventions. Conventioneers want evening activities. Las Vegas is always #1 because of the tremendous amount of things to do when the meetings are over. When you take away Pleasure Island, what else is there? Most conventions take place at the Orange County Convention Center or in hotel meeting space in the Attractions corridor. Without Pleasure Island being there, Disney has ZERO to offer for those looking for evening activities. So it appears that some of these meetings are being lost to other cities. When that happens, there are fewer hotel rooms sold, fewer airline tickets sold, fewer restaurant meals sold, fewer theme park tickets sold AND of course no alcohol revenue at Disney clubs. Perhaps the latter was taken into account, but not everything else. The ramifications are huge!

If Disney is really reconsidering closing everything, August is critical! Please....if you've not already sent an e-mail (or better yet, a real letter via the real mail), please do so now. Be polite but tell them how important Pleasure Island is to you and to the local economy. The addresses are in the posting below. Thank you!