Recently Ken, one of our loyal readers, brought to my attention this video that was put onto YouTube just late last month. This is a look at Pleasure Island as it looked in 1991. Back then Rock'n'Roll Beach Club was called XZFR Rock'n'Rollerdrome and 8TRAX was The Cage. The building that preceded Motion was the restaurant Fireworks Factory, and what we knew as BET Soundstage was the Neon Armadillo. The video spends too much time in a couple shops but other than that, the glimpses of PI back in the years when it first opened are fascinating! Thanks, Ken!!
14 comments:
Very Cool. Memories. I used to love going to the movies at P.I. back in the day, not so much now.
Look at that, you can feel the energy just from the video. PI was a great place and now.. it's nothing. Shame on you DISNEY!
the Original west end stage. the video hub stage. WOW!
Why would Disney take Dreams away?
WHY? Pleasure Island was a safe haven for many tourists and locals. We have made so many friends who have become family. Why would Disney do this to a large population of people? What happened to Disney's motto: Making Dreams Come True? I am with so many people, very sad with the outcome. I hope Disney will let Pleasure Island come back with the energy it once had.....
Talk about the Happiest Place on Earth!
16 years ago this week (I believe) in March of 1994 I discovered Pleasure Island for the very first time, and it was the start of a wonderful dozen year relationship. I used to plan entire holiday weekends centered around Pleasure Island. Of course P.I. (and all of Downtown Disney) was so much nicer during the latter portion of the 1990s than during its slow and steady downfall from grace during the early-to-mid-2000s. One bad decision after another eventually led to its inevitable demise.
That was a very nice video. I wish I had known about P.I. during those first 5 years.
It's amazing how nice the place looked, despite the fact it painted to look like dilapidated, old warehouse buildings.
I also love how open the area around AMC is...no big ugly blue Planet Hollywood restaurant or other crap.
Mannequins was the only music club that survived from beginning to the end, unfortunately not included in this video. Both comedy clubs made it all the way too!
I can only imagine what the music was like inside Mannequins during those very early years before Trance, Techno, and House had really developed - and even before Eurodance exploded in the early-to-mid-1990s.
Does anyone on here have any vivid memories of those first few years ?
Major my first visit to PI was sometime around 1994 or 1995, so I can't say what the late 80's were like.
But I do recall that Mannequins was always advertised as a venue for techno music. Keep in mind that electronic music continued to develop after the Disco era ended and by the time Mannequins opened, House music had already exploded. Dutch/Belgian "bands" like Technotronic (Pump Up The Jam) and 2Unlimited (Get Ready For This) unleashed a flurry of dance hits around that time.
I didn't know what techno was and I spent way too much time in BET Soundstage during that first visit, but I recall that I really liked the music in Mannequins better.
I do I started to go to Mannequins in the first year! Bob is correct about the music Technotronic and 2 2 Unlimited. they used to play Snap 2 in a room (wiggle it) MR lee (get Busy) Madonna! the light show (as far as liked it) was better!? they would start the night out with Prince (1999) for the first 5 years anyway then they would have 3 they would start the night with Prince (1999) Madonna (in the groove) or C&c music factory (Gonna make you sweet) they did this for 7 more years for the 1st 3 years had a NYE count down Thursday til Saturday nights. Mannequins had confetti shoot out from air cannons usually with the same songs every night small confetti. it was all over the place if you went a lot you had it in your car,hair, floor shower everywhere! one of the things i missed (before they closed) is the Mannequins neon sign!!!!! on fri-saturday nights they would have have 3 servers upstairs 5 down they used to take everyone to the 3rd floor bartender up there as you got off of the elevator! it WAS a lot of fun!!!!!!!!
Brian's right. I worked there in the early 90's when Pete Werner was still DJ and it was THEE place to be with the jaw-dropping sound system, light show, stage performances and spinning enormous dance floor. Nothing else like it anywhere that combined all the right elements. It set the pace for other clubs to follow. All the PI cast members wanted to transfer there for the energy level, and all the WDW bartenders wanted to transfer there for the paychecks. Music ? ..the terms "Techno" and "Rave" didn't quite hit our shores yet (mid-90's), lots of top 40 dance chart hits mixed with the real floor-packing, crowd-pleasing progressive, euro, underground dance songs, mostly coming over from Europe, just like in the 80's and just like they still do. Yep - the elevator would trickle people into the club via the third floor unless you knew the back door person and could skip the front entry ceremonies. Sure do miss those great times on PI and all those drunk, smokin hot, foreign tourists ;-)
Brian & Charles, thanks for those GREAT reports! I wish I could have experienced it. Even in 2002 when I became a regular at PI after moving here, I can recall having to park WAY OUT and having long lines at each club waiting to get in. There was a feeling of exclusivity being on the island since it took an fairly expensive ticket or AP to experience it. Opening the island to "through traffic" and the lack of advertising definitely began the demise.
Thank You Brian and Charles for those truly vivid memories of those very early years at Mannequins. My first P.I. experience was in 1994, but I think that it was 2 years later before I eventually made it into Mannequins and instantly fell in love with the jumpin' joint. I remember the confetti everywhere (even in my car), the live dancers, and the 3RD floor elevator entry. I felt like a V.I.P. there. Mannequins (and P.I.) generally peaked during those late-1990s party years !
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