DJ Peapod Cancels & Other Updates

Latest update is that DJ Peapod (Jim Fox) has decided NOT to play at the Groove. This appears to be true. As previously reported by a well-placed source at CityWalk, Peapod was to play Dance music at the Groove on Wednesdays and Fridays beginning next month. Now we hear this has been cancelled. From what Jim told me previously via e-mail, they wanted him to mix hip hop into his dance mix and he told them he was not a "Motion DJ" and wouldn't do it. Apparently neither side conceeded and the deal is off.

This is unfortunate for all of us! I can understand both sides. The Groove gets packed on both Friday and Saturday nights with its current crappy mish-mosh of music and they fear losing what they already have. Likewise, DJ Peapod is NOT a hip hop DJ and to ask him to include that stuff in the highly popular style he played at Mannequins (quite successfully for years) is unreasonable. There was so much excitement when I posted the announcement about his return to the booth. Now there is sadness.

In other news, Mannequins' Thursday night DJ Dave Cannalte is spinning Thursday nights at the House of Blues. Apparently they've moved their Sunday night Hospitality Night to Thursday nights at HOB and Dave has simply taken his show over there. This will be highly popular with Disney CM's who have free bus transportation available to them. This won't help CityWalk with their attempt at a Thursday night hospitality industry night. Details at:
http://www.myspace.com/dv8thursdayshouseofblues

And as for DJ Doc at Red Coconut, DJ Peapod reports that Doc will be spinning between band sets. On Thursdays he'll be playing 80's and on Saturdays he'll be doing a Motion kind of mix but perhaps with less hip hop. It looks like 70's Disco is not in the cards at this time. DJ Baby Anne continues her downtempo and breaks at Red Coconut on Tuesday nights through year-end.

Thanks to Jim for the updates!

Rumor: PI To Reopen For the Holidays?

According to a posting today on the internet site Screamscape, one of that website's sources is saying that Disney might reopen some of the Pleasure Island clubs during the busy holiday season. Another source says that some of the 3rd party operators who had planned to move to PI with their store/restaurant projects are now second-guessing the costly ventures because of the state of the current economy. Update: No one out at PI this past Wednesday could confirm this rumor.

In other news, I contacted Disney last week about booking a 1-night party at Mannequins on New Year's Eve. The initial reaction was that this couldn't be done but after having discussed my plans a bit further, they took my name and number and said they would have someone call me. Why not? If the clubs aren't already reopening for the holidays then why not earn a large amount of revenue that night? I would lease it and sell tickets to pay for it.

Would you come? Don't make your New Year's Eve plans just yet!

South & Central American Restaurant/Club

The ONLY thing that has been announced so far for Pleasure Island is a South & Central American restaurant that turns into a night club in the later evenings. The concept is similar to The Samba Room on Sand Lake Road and Latin Quarter over at CityWalk. This is definitely going into the building that previously was the home of the Missing Link Sausage Company, a fast-food restaurant. The building was closed and extensively renovated a couple years ago but never reopened. Apparently the renovations were insufficient to meet the needs of this new venue because it is being renovated again; actually gutted.

If you click on the photo with the signs you'll see what they're willing to tell about the place: Waterfront Dining & Street Foods of the Americas. Very interesting. We know there are large windows facing Village Lake. Will there also be outdoor seating along the water? And Street Foods of the Americas? Reminds me of food carts or food stations each serving local specialties al la EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. We''ll be watching closely because this is the ONLY new venue announced so far for PI.

Latest News

BET Soundstage was open last night (Saturday). Perhaps it was a previously booked group but they were letting anyone just passing by in. Update: This was an event booked prior to the announcement of PI closing.

DJ's will also be returning to the PI Live booth overlooking PI beginning this coming Monday, talking and playing music until 11pm weeknights and midnights on weekends. Apparently Pleasure Island is so dreary at night that pedestrians may be afraid to walk through it!

It Was Like Pleasure Island At Sea

Have you ever gone on a cruise? This past weekend I got to experience a special 2-night sailing of the Norwegian Pearl, a relatively new ship by Norwegian Cruise Lines. A 2-night sailing basically results in just 1-day away which was fine. And like the more-typical 3-night cruises out there, it was a PARTY CRUISE. But what made the PARTY so much fun on this cruise was that the music being played was like a trip back to Pleasure Island!

First night in the Spinnaker Lounge: 70's Night Nearly every cruise I've ever been on has a 70's night and this was the same only this time it was more special since 8TRAX is no longer a weekly option. They played all the 70's disco classics, the Entertainment staff was dressed in their finest 70's threads and there was even an obligatory appearance by the Village People! So 8TRAX was on my ship. What about Mannequins?

First night in Bliss Ultra Lounge: Yes, Mannequins! There was no revolving dance floor but they did have nice cushiony sofas and beds and the DJ was spinning techno! And the place was absolutely packed. (Ironically there is a club in downtown O-town with the same name.)

Second night in Spinnaker: On each cruise NCL runs something called the White Hot Party. Little did I realize that this was also techno! I asked the DJ if he was playing techno all night and he replied, "House". House, Techno, Whatever, it was mostly Mannequins music. They were handing out the glow necklaces!

Second night at Bliss: Hip Hop (oh well, can't win them all.)

So I got to visit both 8TRAX and Mannequins during my 2-night cruise. My PI withdrawal symptoms still have not set in because of stuff like this!

Sign Changes at PI as of 04 OCT

As reported, there have been some sign changes at PI since the closure. Here we'll compare before and after photos.

First of all let's compare the entry signs. The original one had the PI logo and the club logos. It was a professional looking sign. The new sign looks like crap! Look at all the wrinkles on the paper they slapped up there. People stare and mumble that there's nothing here!

There have been no real changes at Mannequins. The huge metal sign is still attached to the building and the marquee style overhang is still there. The "Mannequins Dance Palace" signs along the two angles of the marquee are no longer there but I think those were just there electronically anyway and they're missing only because someone turned off the switch. Nothing was taken down that I can see.

As previously reported, the 8TRAX signs have been painted over.....poorly, I might add. Black paint was used but you can still easily see what was on there before.

Over at Motion the sign has definitely been removed.

No picture, but there are barricades back up surrounding the building that at one time housed the Missing Link Sausage Company and a few shops. I'm pretty certain that the South American restaurant/night club is going into the waterfront side of that building. That remains the ONLY thing that has been announced for Pleasure Island.