Sunday, May 8, 2016

Club Reports: Retro Room, Atlantic Dance Hall

Hadn't been out to Retro Room since last summer so was definitely overdue for a visit!
DJ Michael was in the booth last night delivering 70's, 80's & 90's retro hits!
The bar area and pool hall areas were pretty occupied.
But the club area including the dance floor were pretty spartan. Far cry from when Save Pleasure Island Blog held an 8TRAX Reunion at Retro Room in 2012 as pictured here.
Michael says the club will be moving further east into Kissimmee later this year, with or without a new name. We'll keep you apprised.  In the meanwhile, Retro Room is located in the Four Corners area on US192, west of Disney World and just east of US27.
Speaking of Disney World, the Mouse continues to operate just one remaining dance club. Located at Disney's Boardwalk Resort, Atlantic Dance Hall is a massive complex open every night except Sundays & Mondays!
DJ Rob was in the booth last night playing the standard ADH tunes!
There was actually a decent crowd in the club but it's huge size makes it difficult to ever look very busy.
See what I mean?
Matt Dirig's Pleasure Island Reunion is taking place here on Saturday, June 18th so if you were a PI fan, please save that date!
At one point DJ Rob delivered a set of five straight EDM songs in-a-row including hits from Alesso, Calvin Harris, Eli Goulding and more!  Can't ask for more than that!
Spotted: Pleasure Islanders Cortez (Motion), Alex (Motion) & Murs (Mannequins).
A good time was had by all!
Also still in business at the Boardwalk across from ADH, the world's only remaining Jellyrolls dueling piano bar!

4 comments:

Troy said...

I just visited both of these places for the first time a few weeks ago. Atlantic was sparse, but I LOVED Jellyrolls. It's my new favorite place on property.

But help me out here. Disney shuttered PI for a number of reasons, partly because it could use that space more widely and it wanted to get out of the nightclub business. But they keep these places open?

Now, I've read somewhere that Disney has an agreement with the Swan and Dolphin that it has to keep these places open. But I also read that agreement had expired?

I'm not complaining - it's great they exist - but just a little confusing!

KingBob said...

The story about the connection to the Swan & Dolphin was first reported by the Blog back in 2009. The deal supposedly expired in 2014 or 2015 and was apparently renewed because ADH is still there. We don't know how valid the story is but it was told to me by an ADH manager back in 2009.

The need for PI and the need for ADH are not related. ADH is not advertised; it's just there by contract. I have only been to Jellyrolls at Disney one time. I had been to one in Atlanta and one in Tampa/Ybor City back when they existed but the one at the Boardwalk is the only remaining property.

Anonymous said...

It's a very valid story. Disney makes money only on the wedding and banquet usage of the dance hall, the nightly DJ thing breaks even at best.. Though they have recently chopped down the entertainment roster at the ESPN club, I would suspect the Dance Hall's days are even more numbed now.

KingBob said...

If there is actually a contract with the Swan & Dolphin to run a club for their guests, then the Dance Hall ain't going anywhere.