DTD Update: Yes We Have No Fireworks

Downtown Disney will be absolutely packed tonight for New Years Eve so if you're planning to go, please go early.  It's likely that the new garage, the other surface lots and the alternate parking lots across Buena Vista Drive will all reach capacity.  But please don't go for the fireworks.  As in other recent years in the post-nightclub era, there won't be any at Downtown Disney.

NYE @ ADH

 Haven't decided how to spend your New Years Eve?  Don't forget about the big dance party taking place at Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's Boardwalk Resort.  Ring out 2014 and dance your way into 2015 with ADH resident DJ Willie plus we understand they'll have a live band too. Advance reservations are highly recommended because your confirmation number also gets you free self-parking at the Resort. The party runs from 8pm to 2am.  Admission this year is $37 including tax. Drinks are not included; NYE party favors are!  Call Disney Dining to make reservations at (407) 939-3463.  It's our understanding that you can also make reservations in person at ADH tonight.

DTD Update: Marketplace Causeway Set To Open

Sources down on the Island tell Save Pleasure Island Blog that the Marketplace Causeway is supposed to open sometime this week.  A specific day was not known.

The causeway, which runs from near T-REX Cafe to near Rainforest Cafe, will allow guests to cycle around Downtown Disney Marketplace rather than having to come out the same way they walked in. This will help eliminate some of the congestion found in front of World of Disney.

Club Reports: Independent Bar, Vanity Nightclub, Sandwich Bar

A great winter evening in the low 70's and I started off at personal favorite Independent Bar!

DJ Indie John in the booth playing the Saturday night format of early to mid 80's New Wave!

Good crowd on hand kept the dance floor moderately full.

John says the New Years Eve format will be about 50% Wednesday night Mac & Cheese and 50% Friday (Indie) & Saturday (New Wave)!

Spotted by the dance floor: Another Mannequins crew!  Always great running into MDP friends!

I-Bar is consistently a fun place to hang out!

Next stop Vanity Nightclub, part of the V-Group of clubs that includes Vixen, Vintage & Vyce.

Just back from a 3 week gig in Shanghai, China, DJ Freefall (USA)!

The music House/Dance with just a small crowd on the floor when I arrived.

Taking turns with Disney's DJ Elliot (USA)!  First time I've seen him play since the Pleasure Island Rewind last month.

Dance hit after Dance hit!

And without warning, the dance floor was suddenly jammed!

The lovely Mrs. Freefall joining the boys in the booth!

You can never go wrong with Go Go girls!

Last stop was over in Orlando's Milk District, Sandwich Bar.

Just back from his residencies in Bangkok, Thailand, DJ Kimball Collins (USA) taking over the controls from DJ Atnarko!

The music all House!

The small club was packed.....and a bit sauna-like!

You won't want to miss Kimball's return to AAHZ on New Years Day night at The Beacham!  Advance ticket purchase here is highly recommended.

Spotted on the dance floor: DJ Funkbaby

Spotted dancing: DJ Jerry "The Reverend" Johnson with wife Dana and friend

Spotted by the booth: Former Mannequins DJ Dave Cannalte. He joins Kimball at the AAHZ Decade II event on January 1st!

Spotted on the floor: Promoter Shawn Fenn

Spotted on the dance floor: Blog regular CJ with friend Amy

Spotted by the bar: DJ Pedro Vazquez with friend Christa

Spotted in the booth with Kimball: DJ Carlos Mendoza

Spotted by the exit: Promoter SarahV

Spotted by the speakers: DJ J-Dub with Christina

Kimball would play to 3am and the music, a mix of songs with and without vocals, would keep getting better and better!

A good time was had by all!

Vote For The Top Dance Songs Of 2014

Have you voted for your favorite Dance tunes of 2014?  Listen to song snippets and vote for up to 10 favorites at RadioDanz.com!  Link: www.radiodanz.com/vote

PI Update: Is The Edison Moving Into Adventurers Club?

Adventurers Club on this cloudy winter morning.  Will it become Orlando's home to Los Angeles-based The Edison?

No apparent work has taken place inside yet but outside we see that the head has been chopped-off the entryway statue. Twenty year ancient curse to the dude that did that.  Keep in mind that this level of AC is actually the upstairs of the 2-story building.

The look during happier times.

Concept art for the future facade of the building shows two looks.  The main section of the building to the right (east) shows red brick along with a smokestack, very reminiscent of a former power plant of which The Edison in Los Angeles actually is built in.  To the center, the glass and brass gives that section a very art nouveau look. That is where an outdoor staircase led down to AC's lower level as well as to the offices beneath West End Plaza.  So we expect that to be a separate entity from The Edison.

Not likely that these stairs, seen here in this file photo, would be removed.

And it looks like The Edison's smokestack will stand roughly where AC's tower stood.

With a completely different look than The Edison, that might be the entrance to The Tunnels.  But what are The Tunnels?  We don't know yet but people are speculating that it's some type of adult nightlife district.  Barbara Jacobs is the Chief Operating Officer of The Edison and Kinetscape, a curiosity shop in Los Angeles.  On her Linkedin page here, we see she states:
I have owned a special events production company for twenty years and I am COO of Kinetescape Inc. Our holdings include the Edison Los Angeles, the Edison Orlando, the Tunnels, Orlando, Clifton's, Kinetescape Couriosities.

Adventurers Club and BET Soundstage are one building even though they were designed as separate clubs.  So we don't know if the Soundstage section will be related to what goes into the AC section or whether it will be a third venue.  From the waterside here, you can see the 2-level nature of both former clubs with the upstairs the actual entry level on the opposite side.

We're certain the Adventurers Club is gone. It appears The Edison is going to replace it.

Remaining a mystery for now is the removal of the western service entry to Paradiso 37 and the stairs that were there that ran from Village Lake up to Hill Street.

The stairs used to fit between these two buildings.  They've been blocked off from public use for more than a decade but their removal is intriguing because The Tunnels would be at the rear of this photo view, beneath West End Plaza. Stay tuned!

PI Update: Mannequins Transition

Happy Friday from beautiful Pleasure Island and time for a Mannequins construction update.

The theater marquee has been removed along with the metal neon lighting fixture however the horizontal sign post which at one time displayed "Mannequins" remains imbedded into the front facade of the building.  This likely gets removed once they begin work there.

The south-facing side is completely opened up now to create the future dining balconies of Morimoto Asian Restaurant which is going in here.

Because the PI parking lot is blocked has been demolished and construction walls surround the place, it's unfortunately not possible to get any closer to peer inside.  We'll continue to keep you updated on the progress.