Monday, March 17, 2014

Breaking News: The Groove Closing; Total Rebranding For CityWalk

Sources tell Save Pleasure Island Blog this morning that a total rebranding of CityWalk is about to happen and included is that club The Groove will be closing in April for a remodeling that team members still don't know will result in a refurbished dance club or yet another restaurant!  Apparently the CityWalk name will remain but a large refurbishment of the entire CW complex is in the works!  Universal previously announced the names a number of new restaurants going there such as Hot Dog Hall of Fame, CowFish and VIVO Italian Kitchen. We're also told that the Latin music nights at Red Coconut Club will be moving into Mexican restaurant Antojito's, the venue that replaced Latin Quarter restaurant which hosted the Latin nights previously.  Sources say that Antojito's isn't doing that well as a restaurant alone and returning the dance club aspect to the location should help.  This is all the rumor information received so far but I do have these thoughts:
A lot of money has been invested into The Groove this past year on lighting, sound, lasers, equipment so it makes little sense to strip the place and turn it into yet another restaurant.  Makes a lot more sense to keep it as a dance club with a fresh new theme, something badly needed anyway.  With all the restaurants already in CityWalk and many more on the way, they sure don't need yet another one. We know Disney Springs is going to become loaded with restaurants but we still don't know where Disney thinks all the diners are coming from. Ditto at CityWalk.

And that brings up the problematic parking model at CityWalk.  Because the garages are also the parking facilities for the theme parks, it costs $16 to park there during the day.  (Yes, there is a validated parking option via the valet lot but valet parking isn't free if you tip.)  The result is that CityWalk is generally a ghost town during the day with most of the foot traffic being those headed to and from the parks. Unless Uni can figure out a way to allow for free parking for those not headed to the parks, all these new restaurants are going to struggle. Why would you pay anything to park to eat lunch or dinner at CityWalk when you will be able to go to Disney Springs or I-Shops at the Orlando Eye and park in their shiny new garages for free?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

If they're going to redo/rebrand/rethink the Groove, it would only make sense to keep it as a nightclub. It they were to change that to something other than a nightclub, CW would no longer have a nightclub and that would seem to be a Disney move that hopefully Universal would not repeat.

Anonymous said...

Wake up people... Clubs are going bye bye bye...
Look at all the $$ CW spent on Latin Q outside before it was closed.. Left hand right hand thing..
That new place is too bright to be a latin club...
Latin?Mexican? Have you tried the food..Taco Bell anyone?
Just turn the damb thing into a special event complex.
Last sat night We could not even get into the groove till late. It was closed to public.!!??
Every night ..more black walls go up..
We drive to tampa now... more consistent etc..

Anonymous said...

Checks my calendar... Nope it's not April Fools Day... :(

Anonymous said...

NO the HIGH end clubs are gone! with all the really good lights sound systems! the HOLE IN THE WALL clubs will still stay! well come and go! fly by night!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Citywalk's night club area is perfect because its upstairs and away from the familys with strollers. But for restaurants its not a good place because no one will see them up there.

DJMadManRay said...

We were at RCC the other night and they added 2 new subs to the right of the back bar and 2 new subs outside the bathrooms (downstairs). The system really sounds better..

Anonymous said...

Hopefully they will just remodel the GROOVE, not change it.
Because City-Walk has been known all these years for it's fun nightlife, and clubs.
P.S. Pleasure Island is already suffering from stupid mistakes, think on that one.

Anonymous said...

Just when they got the music right, too.

Anonymous said...

Save The Groove. Disney is beyond saving and will one day be less relavent than Universal if Universal doesn't make the same mistakes Disney makes by ignoring adults.

Anonymous said...

Maybe this will have to become The Save City Walk blog?

KingBob said...

I promised my sources that I would not begin a SAVE CITYWALK blog!

Anonymous said...

Hopefully they're just going to remodel, and update the Groove.