PI Update: The Bridges Of Pleasure Island

The Blog often refers to the Pleasure Island bridges by number.  In case you've been wondering, here's a summary of the 4 current bridges as well as the new one that is coming.

Bridge No. 1 connects Downtown Disney Marketplace to Pleasure Island.  In the early 2000's it consisted of two side-by-side bridges, one similar to the replacement bridge above but narrower and the other an arch/truss bridge similar to the No. 2 Bridge below.  With the elimination of PI being gated at night, the ticket booth was removed and ultimately the two bridges were replaced with the one wider bridge as shown above.  Because of the kiosks on the bridge, most people no longer realize they're traveling over water onto the Island.

The most famous of the Pleasure Island bridges was the No. 2 Bridge pictured above last month. It connected the Pleasure Island parking lot to the Island.  Back in the day one could not even cross this bridge in the evening without a ticket.  Turnstiles were located near the ticket booth train cars on the parking lot side of the bridge.  The bridge is currently closed due to construction of Disney Springs Town Center in that same parking lot.  Concept art shows the bridge in the future, approximately in the same spot but possibly at a different angle.

The least known bridge to the public was a cast member only No. 3 Bridge that connected the PI parking lot to the Island just to the left of Planet Hollywood where you see that service road.  Indeed, it was used for refuse service for some of the venues as well as a CM entry and exitway. 

We've been calling this Bridge 3.5 but Disney Springs plans have named it Bridge No. 4 so we will begin calling it that even though it has yet to be constructed.  It will connect the West Side very near Planet Hollywood with the lower level of the Island near STK restaurant.

All these years this was called the No. 4 Bridge but plans show this renamed as Bridge No. 5 so we will begin calling it that too.  This bridge connects the West Side to Pleasure Island's upper level at West End Plaza.  It's closure necessitated construction of the bypass causeway around the Island but the bridge recently reopened for through traffic.