CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
As you can see from these fresh photos, Motion is definitely still available for use as a banquet facility. The tables and chairs are all set up and there are also some "greeter" tables up near the front. Last month we saw Motion set-up in a Dance Club format with the famous DJ booth making an appearance.
Elsewhere, nothing new on the Island. I got confirmation that there is a third "living statue" but unfortunately he was not out tonight. One person told me he was a guardian angel, the other referred to him as a superhero. At Celebration Plaza there was a trio from Venice, Italy playing classic music with oboe and violins. Not my cup of tea but they had quite a few people watching. Save PI Blog roving reporter Tommy reports that a different band trio last night actually had people dancing out there! Sounds promising for the ultra-lounge. Meanwhile, roving reporter William reports some fresh paint work on Mannequins but I didn't notice anything.
Every time you post pictures of the inside of the clubs it makes me really wish we could have at least ONE more night. I know you've looked into organizing a night were readers of this blog would split the cost of renting out one of the venues but I can't remember what it was that held you back from doing it. As much as I hate giving stupid Disney any money after they have made so many bad decisions one more night to party at PI would be worth it!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Anon.
ReplyDeleteImagine the KILLING Diznee would make if they re-opened a club for ONE NIGHT (or, even better for us, one night a week).
I said numerous times if they did a "hard ticket" event for the first Thursday in June at Mannequins (and worked with a promoter to sell it on the "gay circuit"), they'd make a fortune.
I know, that wouldn't be "family-friendly"... F--- that.
The families can have every thing else at WDW. Let the adults have one thing without kids.
Even the frickin' Disney Cruise Line has Adult areas where kids cannot go.
I agree with Anony and Joe
ReplyDeleteOne more night would be nice.
On September 24th, there is going to be a Mannequins Reunion. First we are meeting at PI for a drink outside of Mannequins, then we will be heading to Atlantic Dance to top off the evening. If anyone wants to go, the invite is open. It will be the 2 year anniversary of the closing of PI.....
just fence off the entire pi area and forget about it....just like river country....forgotten
ReplyDeletewishfull thinking is not going to change the decisions to abandon pi....if a national chane restaurant cant make it there..why should any more energy and resources be expended
ReplyDeleteAnon at 11:50am: Disney rejected my offer to hold an event there because 1) It was to be billed as a Mannequins reunion and they wanted no mention of that or any other closed club; 2) While I could afford to front the money to rent the place, I needed to recoup my investment by selling hard tickets. They did not want a hard ticketed event there. 3) They didn't like some of the things I had posted on this website.
ReplyDeleteYou could rent Motion right now just like the Orlando Magic did but you just can't sell tickets for it.
Joe, there was a hard ticketed event at Motion for Gay Days 2009 that did not do very well. Sources tell me that some group tried to do another one for Gay Days 2010 but could not come to terms with Disney. But hey, I think a hard-ticketed event every Saturday night would do very well but targeted to all adults.
ReplyDeleteJay, thanks for the notice of another Pleasure Island Reunion this September. That's the first I've heard of it. A LOT of former PI employees attended the 1st anniversary last September 27th (the actual anniversary date), which was on a Sunday night. Scroll back to that date here on the Blog for photos of that event. Appears that this year it will be on a Friday night. Please email me with more details if you have them.
Remaining Anons: We await something happening out there!
Any ideas on how we could pull it off? I know there's more than enough interest/money to make it happen. We just need to figure out how to jump through the mouse's hoops.
ReplyDeleteI like the fence off PI thing!!!
ReplyDeleteI think that is a very good idea it's dead!!
Well the only way to pull it off "on the island" would be to collect money in advance from interested parties and then use the money to rent the place. Then it would not be a ticketed event.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like raising money in an office to have a Christmas party.
But collecting that amount of money from a wide-spread group such as ourselves would be quite difficult.
I was thinking you could open an account in a local bank and post the account number on here. People could make deposits in the amount you specify and the receipt would be their ticket in a sense. When the account balance reached what you need to book then it's party time. How's that sound?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea, I will have an account for you all to deposit your money in very soon. ;)
ReplyDeleteSo KingBob how much was it went you were trying to rent it for the night? That would give us all a idea on how much you need.
ReplyDeleteAt the time of my proposal I was actually trying to rent Soundstage because it was smaller and came with a lower price.
ReplyDeleteBut the price for renting Motion at that time was a $12,500++ (tax & gratuity) plus $1500 for guides. The DJ was extra at $3860. However, those prices included a buffet dinner. My proposal was far less because I did not want dinner and I was planning to bring DJ Peapod.
Obviously we did not come to terms!
they made a decision to not want our money back then...why would anyone give them money now...face it..its dead..forget it and stop chasing dreams that wont come true...this whole reopen mdp or any part there of pi is sky high this blog is good but ridden with rumors and false hopes...let it go...plywood walls are cheaper
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:32 I am with you to the fullest!!!! I spent a lot of money over the years at PI and wow just gone like that!
ReplyDeleteAs long as those buildings remain standing there unused, THERE IS HOPE!
ReplyDeleteHell yea kingbob im with you
ReplyDeletebut you said Disney can NOT knock down the buildings ok well the Mannequins/8TRAX one because of the power sub station!
ReplyDeleteSorry to say KingBob but Disney has closed other things that has never reopened and there where a lot of people who cared for them!!!! so I know that Disney will NOT reopen PI
you have to think why would Disney close PI and then 2 years later reopen PI WHY????
ReplyDeleteDisney would have never closed PI! if anything Disney would have done a A Temp close down for a rehab (a major rehab)? Disney NEVER wanted PI to open it was michael eisner that opened PI it was his Baby!
as much as i hate to say this it is very true!
look at this RIVER COUNTRY IS CLOSED and is going to be made into a swimming pool for the hotel guests I am sure there are people who loved this place and now it's gone!
MY point is this once Disney makes up there minds (as dumb as it is) and as we think it is) it is LAW! the only way to make then change there mind(s) would be for every one to Boycott Disney til we get what we want be you and everyone knows better than that! Disney does what ever they LIKE and wants to do!
heck they could close epcot and or hollywood studios and would people would still come!
There is a 95% chance that PI will never reopen as we knew it. But there's a new leader at the helm and changes are afoot at the top. That big announcement by Jay Rasulo last year about the additions to Fantasyland. Already being changed. See the article at jimhillmedia.com
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how the new guy feels about PI but our best chance of getting some clubs to reopen at PI may rest with convincing this new guy that abandoning the adults was a mistake. I'll have an an article about a new email/letter writing campaign on Monday. We need all readers to participate.
The difference with River Country is they built 2 water parks to replace it! RC was closed in part due to brain eating bacteria in the lake! PI was closed because Disney is greedy and arrogant!
ReplyDeleteI agree, if these things are true about Staggs, There could be hope to get something reopened on the island.
PI will never reopen! the heads have spoken! Like i said before Disney NEVER wanted PI! and this NEW guy can try all he wants to reopen PI in some sort it will NOT! he can't over rule the Disney Members!
ReplyDeletezulemara
MY point is that there where a lot of people who loved river CO.
and still closed it so what they opened two other water parks!
and anyway would you go? of so that just tells Disney they can close things anytime they want and treat you anyway they want and you will still give them your money......
Disney doesn't care about the locals and what we want! we are just in the way! yeah they sell passes but..
If they'd reopen some or all of the PI clubs, darn right I'd go. So would 99% of the readers of this Blog. Otherwise, why bother to read this?
ReplyDeleteAnd I would definitely not say Disney does not care about locals. They wouldn't sell annual passes if they didn't care. We carry them through the slow times.
Closing the PI clubs was a business decision and had nothing to do with locals. It was a BAD business decision but that's all it was. It's their property and they certainly can do with it whatever they want. WE just have to convince them to change their mind.
pi was nothing but a cash burden that they kept throwing money at and could never get it profitable no matter what changes or improvements were implimented and then changed again ...and again. pi is not a classic disney venue and of no value...they cant even keep renting businesses there...since day one..its been a problem lemon from the beginning...CLOSE THE WHOLE DARN JOINT DOWN and stop looking like fools no hope..done
ReplyDeleteNumerous sources report that even in the end, PI clubs overall were profitable. I don't doubt the profits near the end were not as high as they were in the early years but that's because it became stale followed by one poor decision after another.
ReplyDeleteYour opinion is appreciated, even if I don't agree with it.
disney is in business to make a profit which they have a responsibility to make acceptable returns to stock holders. let someone else down the road offer adult nightime entertainment..they do it better..they make returns to stock holders pi never did and never will the island has been a total joke for years celebrate tonite was the latest of stupidity and they learned to give up
ReplyDeletei was at pi on day one and on the last night and knew MANY people involved with operations and decision making..i was more let down than anyone else to see it go but have accepted that it will not come back because everything possible has already been tried to be profitable and NEVER maintained a return as needed by the board of directors pi took its last breath a long time ago
ReplyDeleteyour right Bob I don't buy what your selling
ReplyDeleteDisney did NOT care about the locals!
and I was told that we need to watch what we do because Disney was looking for a good reason to kick us ALL out! not that they need one! but that is what i was told from a CM about 7 years before it closed!
that tells me that Disney doesn't care! plain and simple!
you can think disney does?
and yes they sold passes but that is to keep up the image they care!
go ahead and show Disney that will let them do to us what they want and close more things you love????
my point was that they REPLACED RC with not 1 but 2 big water parks! On top of that, there was a bacteria in the water that made it dangerous to operate.
ReplyDeleteWhen PI was heavily advertised, gated, and had entertainment, it made money. They built the west side as a knee jerk reaction to citywalk which started the problem, then 9/11 hit and they laid off a bunch of entertainment, then ungated in 2004 leading to this argument about families and drunks being mixed together(which all goes back to the WS mind you)
Accepting that someone else does it better? That is not the way Disney used to operate. PI was built to put a thriving downtown nightlife district out of business and it did exactly that! Now what's left? The copy cat Citywalk! How sad!
And you bet, if they opened Mannequins and 8-trax, I'd be there, money in hand. I'd pay 20 dollars just to get into Mannequins again. There was NOTHING like it and sadly I doubt there ever will be.
Mannequins was always one of the top dance clubs in the world. Some other supposedly high-rated clubs I've been to in North America include Pacha in NYC, Studio 54 in Las Vegas and The Guvernment in Toronto. They're good, but DON'T EVEN TOUCH what Mannequins delivered. There is no doubt that Mannequins & 8TRAX could operate as profitible stand-alone clubs.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm in Montreal this evening to check out some of the big name clubs here.
zulemara
ReplyDeleteyou would go and so would others sad to hear this. if they never closed i would be there! but no that Disney has closed PI I will NOT go I keep my money in hand.
think about what you are saying HMM
ok Disney would Laugh all the way to there BANK over your money!
so you don't care how bad they treat you! and that's what they are counting on.
if that's IF they where to reopen I would go and see it ONCE. because I kow that Disney will NOT have the same old PI now that you said this they will double charge you for 1/4 of the old PI
rumor coming in.. just saw a mdp cocktail napkin blowing down the street maybe they are going to open back up?? the elevator light that has been on floor 2 burned out yesterday...they are not going to replace it..i am sure lights are slowly going out on the island
ReplyDeletesome commonalities: 2000 leagues under the sea, zyphers rr beach club, mr. toads wild ride,fireworks factory, the cage, empress lily, motion, adventures club, neon armadilo, 8 tracks, comidy whse, mdp, west end stage, celebrate tonight, mcdonalds, but home depot has alot of plywood available to board up what was pleasure island...now dissapointment island..slide it into the lake and make it a diving site like the titanic
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 8:26 what is your point?
ReplyDeletesome is proof that PI will NOT come back!!!!
Fantasmic is back; Electric Light Parade is back, Captain EO is back. Things do come back!
ReplyDeleteWhile nothing is literally boarded up at PI currently, figuratively, EVERYTHING is boarded up at PI. And people are wondering out loud why everything is closed.
ReplyDeletewarts come back dont they??
ReplyDeletegotta laugh that warts come back, that is really funny
ReplyDelete"Fantasmic is back; Electric Light Parade is back, Captain EO is back. Things do come back!"
ReplyDeleteAND?
come back NOT reopen! these thing you are talking about are easy to made "come back" PI will (might) take thousands of dollars to made to "come back" reopen!
for one the sound system is gone! two the lights are gone!
and three most know that PI is closed! ok some still don't know!
thank god its closed...leave it that way, closed
ReplyDelete