 | |||
| One of our sources down on the Island tells us that management at Atlantic Dance Hall is considering the idea of having a Pleasure Island night every Thursday night. They would have drink specials and music from the different clubs. Sounds like a great idea; the Thursday night cast member nights at Mannequins are legendary. ADH's recent attempt at Karaoke on Thursday nights was a bust. But bringing PI back alive once per week could be a winner if they stick with one club each Thursday night and not try to mix music from all the clubs into one night. They kind of already do that and nobody goes. We'll be watching this rumor. Atlantic Dance Hall is the only remaining Disney owned & operated dance club at Walt Disney World. It's located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort. |
Sounds like about the WORST idea.
ReplyDeleteWhat every person that walks into that space FAILS to understand is that ADH draws a VERY small local crowd on it's slow nights. But brings in a VERY BIG tourist / convention crowd on it's busy nights.
Those locals, doesn't buy nearly enough drinks to support it, and those tourists DO. Yet everyone talks about catering to the locals with these silly "theme nights"
To make matters worse, the locals CHASE out the tourists / convention folks half of the time. So now you end up with a half full place, trying to do a theme night, when you've got a ton of convention folks who want to drink and dance but, don't want to listen to whatever "theme" it is that night.
This idea, if implemented will last about as long as the ill fated karaoke night (that btw, lost upwards of 30k in "Disney money")
If ADH were not paid for by the conventions line of business and had to succeed on it's own, as a evening nightclub it would have been shut down and broke a LONG time ago.
In simple terms, the way to look at how to manage and run ADH is this.
It's not going to turn a profit based on being open nightly, it's going to make it's money as a wedding and convention business. So you cater the room to what weddings / conventions needs in terms of equipment, space, features. If you can use some of that then, to make it a nightclub at night great, but that's not it's main purpose.
I noticed they stopped collecting the $5 at the door when I was there a few weeks ago. That's certainly an improvement.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 8:16, Thursdays were very busy at Mannequins. If done well it could be a very good thing and it shouldn't interfere with the weekend conventions too much on Thursday. Plus I think the conventioners would like it just as much since it was all dance music anyway at the clubs. Besides I'm just glad to get a good rumor. We haven't had anything decent these last two years since the supposed reopening of Mannequins that never happened.
ReplyDeleteAbout the only rumor were likely to get is that "the tunnels" project could include a restaurant that is open till 2am and has a DJ in it.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, nightlife as so
many knew it at pleasure island is dead and gone and not coming back. Hat shopping and razor's is were the money is!
BTW, House of blues tried a Thursday night, failed horrible.
There is also an issue with Disney NOT wanting 1000's of college program kids trashing the boardwalk and causing guest complaints from those staying at the boardwalk hotel.
Which is why, I would encourage those in positions of management to stop even thinking it's a good idea, the can of worms they are going to open isn't worth it.
Money is money and they shouldnt care where it comes from if they can get more of it then theyre getting now.
ReplyDeleteI am a tourist and would go out of my way to go to this.
ReplyDelete@ February 25, 2015 at 8:16 AM
ReplyDeleteREALLY? HELLO most of the people at PI was from out of town! most who went didnt really care about the music! they wanted to DANCE and have fun! I even heard someone say "I don't know this music but who cares""I can not dance so I will just wiggle"
$5 at the door I would turn around and LEAVE!
BTW one time we where there I had heard from others? one of the ADH managers tell the DJ and others "do NOT cater to the PI people" SO why now? I tell you why they are getting not enough income!
Awesome idea! 8Traxx night; here I come!
ReplyDeleteTrust me, they never get enough income unless it's on a night that a large convention group walks in thru the door.
ReplyDelete70% of the time on a nightly bases the place looses money or just breaks even if all costs of operation were to be factored in.
Anonymous @ 4:59pm you are a thorn in the side to everybody on this blog that would like to see decent nightlife return to Disney. We all know who you are. You're the one who insists the rotating dance floor is gone and the one who SPEAKS IN ALL CAPS and cannot figure out how to use correct ".?" punctuation. Normally I just skip your conspiracy theorist remarks but you started out your post with "REALLY?" And that really irritates me. So I'd just like to ask you and Anonymous at 10:13am just what are your intentions for posting on this blog? Both of you are dead set against this idea that King Bob had heard was being considered. So do you two want decent nightlife or not? How bout some positive suggestions instead of all the criticism of PI people (Anon @ 10:13) and negativity.
ReplyDeleteSorry, correction. The negativity toward PI People came from Anon @ 4:59pm not 10:13am. But both of you seem to be against nightlife at Disney.
ReplyDelete#aintgonnahappen #piisdeaddealwithit #conventionsdontjusthappenonweekends #castmembershelpedkillpi
ReplyDeleteWe are not dead set against the idea of nightlife (at least speaking for myself.)
ReplyDeleteI happen to just be a realist and know that nightlife IS NOT in Disney's playbook anymore! No matter how much this blog or it's readers wish it were otherwise.
The dance floor isn't coming back to life, mannequins and 8Trax is gone and PI will never come back from the dead.. just is how it is.
FROM February 25, 2015 at 4:59 PM!
ReplyDeleteto February 26, 2015 at 1:11 AM
I am not the only one who has said the floor is gone?
I did NOT type in all caps! go read it again.
correct ".?" punctuation. sorry professor! I am not as smart as you i guess?
my intentions? no real intentions just making a OPINION. we all do not feel the same about things and can disagree.
I am sorry you thought that was a criticism/negativity. would LOVE to see what part you thought was criticism/negativity?
unless House of Blues and Atlantic dance hall has closed there is night life @ disney.
@February 26, 2015 at 11:09 AM thank you for saying this.
I am sorry you are hurt by PI closing WE all are!
Alright, thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the fascinating discussion!
ReplyDeleteHate to sort of agree with the original anonymous poster, but Boardwalk has never attracted a local crowd, I don't think PI Night would make much of a difference. Won't do anything to make the club more accessible to local drivers, and while "Pleasure Island" means a lot to those of us of a certain age, keep in mind kids 27 and under never visited the place and drank legally. 21 - 26 year-olds have no nostalgia for PI. Besides, the marketing would be lame anyway, it's Disney.
ReplyDeleteI do find it interesting that first the karaoke debacle, now this--maybe they decided they can't just close the place after all? Probably the most cost-effective move if WDW is no longer contractually obligated to run a nightclub for Swan/Dolphin.
I think the the number of comments alone on this article shows there is interest in this subject. If I remember right an article about Mannequins Dance Palace garnered the most comments ever on this blog. Whether Disney will admit it or not I think there is a huge interest in night clubs still at WDW.
ReplyDeleteI was told that the contract with the Swan/Dolphin was renewed last year. So ADH will remain. So why not make it profitable?
ReplyDelete71, you make a very good point that given the time since PI closed, most everyone still in their 20's doesn't even know what Pleasure Island was.