PI Update: No PI Component To Next HOM Expo

The next House of Mouse Expo will take place on January 20-22, 2023 at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista South in Kissimmee. This is on SR535 south of I-4 and just before the intersection with US192. You may recall the last Expo in November, 2021 included a seminar with former Adventurers Club cast members as well as Pleasure Island club sets ft. DJ Elliot (USA). So far, nothing on the listed schedule for the new Expo indicates any Pleasure Island component to it. We'll keep you updated if that changes. More details including advance tickets here.

 

This Weekend In Techno Town

Holiday weekend and all the clubs will be open but just several big name events:

FRI  01JUL     IRON COW     DJ Robby Clark (USA)

FRI  01JUL     VANGUARD     DJ James Hype (GB)

SUN 03JUL    MYTH (Jacksonville)     DJ Baby Anne (USA)

SUN 03JUL    Memento Mori @ Barbarella 2.0     DJ Lavidicus (USA)

DS Update: Celebrating Canada Day

We think everyone knows that this weekend we'll be celebrating America's Independence Day on Monday, July 4th with many fireworks shows taking place on Sunday night. But it's likely few of you know that this Friday, July 1st, is Canada Day. You can celebrate that too by dropping by The Daily Poutine in Disney Springs Town Center and ordering the Canadian specialty, poutine.

If you're not familiar with poutine, it's simply an order of  pommes frites doused in hot brown gravy with cheese curds added on top. (My order above was without the curds,)  It's a delicious treat and one of the more inexpensive items to eat at Disney Springs. Check it out!

CW Update: CityWalk Axes Club Operating Hours

Blog sources at Universal Studios CityWalk in Orlando have confirmed that beginning this past Friday night, club operating hours were cut and all remaining clubs will be closing at Midnight. One of our readers had contacted Save Pleasure Island Blog / Orlando Entertainment News via email to report the lights coming on at 12 this past Friday and patrons being told to go home. None of our CW sources could provide a reason behind the decision or whether the cut is just for this summer. However, the email source told us that lower level management on the scene was telling patrons that "upper management is wanting them to be more like restaurants rather than nightclubs" and thus the earlier closure time. Indeed, most of the remaining venues are restaurants too but have always had a late-night club component to them.

We don't doubt that the shuttering of CityWalk's main dance club The Groove impacted overall club attendance in the complex. Remaining clubs include Rising Star, Bob Marley's, Margaritaville & Pat O'Briens while we're not sure of the current status of Red Coconut Club.We also don't know if concerts at Hard Rock Live are impacted.

Concert Report: Resurrection - Ladies Of Bass (Melbourne)

DJ Navitas (USA) was just one of seven female DJ's playing last night at Resurrection - Ladies of Bass to help support Genesis House for Homeless Women and their Children in Melbourne. Our sister website Orlando Entertainment News was there to cover it and the pictures are here.

 

Club Report: Skylounge At Amway Center

Her flight was late but DJ Fatima Hajji (E) finally made it and delivered the Techno. All the pictures are on our sister website, Orlando Entertainment News, here.

Friday Funny

You know that feeling!

Concert Report: Kraftwerk (Dr. Phillips Center)

Considered among the originators of electronic music, Kraftwerk (D) performed last night at the Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts in downtown Orlando. Our sister blog Orlando Entertainment News was there for the pictures. LINK

 

This Weekend In Techno Town

Another big weekend of events!

WED  22JUN   DR PHILLIPS CENTER     Kraftwerk (D)     Tonight!

FRI  24JUN     SKYLOUNGE @ AMWAY  DJ Fatima Hajji (E)

FRI  24JUN     VANGUARD     DJ Flux Pavilion (GB)

SAT 25JUN     IRON POST (Melbourne)   Ressurection: Ladies of Bass

SUN 26JUN     ELIXIR BAR     DJ Pawsa (GB)

PI Update: Remembering Our Prior Article

Remembering our Blog article from Saturday, September 27, 2008 recapping the prior night on beautiful Pleasure Island!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Friday Night Report

Whereas Mannequins was the only dance club to reach capacity on Thursday night, all the dance clubs except Mannequins reached capacity on Friday night. That's not to say Mannequins wasn't crowded.....it was packed too. But they were able to use the normal front entry rather than the side stairs. They still have the ropes along the side stairs so we may see that being used tonight.

Both comedy clubs had long lines but you could get in if you didn't mind waiting.

Tonight's the night that everyone has been both anticipating and dreading. Comedy clubs open at 6pm with first performances at 6:50pm. Dance clubs open at 8pm. DJ Peapod at Mannequins reports that he's up first as each of the 3 main DJ's at Mannequins play their final sets. It will be interesting to see what each DJ selects for their final song. Outside, Frankie & the West End Boys make their final appearance ever at PI. They were the main band to play on the West End Stage before that was demolished. They still have a PI drink named after them.

Recommend that you arrive early to be sure you get in to whatever club you want to go to. Those on my e-mail list have my phone number and you're free to call me after 4pm and I'll let you know if there are any lines forming at that hour.

This is it..........the END of Pleasure Island has arrived.

Trip Report: University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign

One of my accomplishments on this trip to Chicago was to make the drive about 2-hours south to Champaign-Urbana to visit my alma mater, the University of Illinois.

Perhaps the U of I does not offer a summer semester because it was pretty abandoned around campus and all the classroom buildings were locked tight. This is the grassy area known as the Quad. Most of the campus is located in Urbana, Illinois while a smaller part (including Memorial Stadium) is located in Champaign, Illinois.

The Undergrad Library was built underground because.....

.....it's adjacent the Morrow Plots and they couldn't have a building shadow cast upon it.

During the Fall semester the corn rows would be tall but during this June visit, growth had just begun.

David Kinley Hall was already elderly when I attended the University and it's even older now. As one of two main building dedicated to Business & Commerce, much time was spent here back in the day.

Located on the Champaign side of the school, "Campustown" has grown quite a bit since my days here.

Trip Report: Chicago

Publishing a filler article here today. Continuing our visit to downtown Chicago and strolling along Michigan Avenue, passed the T-Mobile store.

And in the lobby, our first set of DJ's encountered on the trip!

Trip Report: Chicago

We were visiting Chicago yesterday and one stop was this rooftop bar overlooking Millennium Park and the famous "bean" sculpture. The pics are posted to sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

Friday Funny

PI Update: Where Are Our 8TRAX Bartenders?

Do you all remember Diana, Jen, Erika and Taryn from 8TRAX? We saw a few of them at a couple Pleasure Island reunions post-closure but its been at least a decade since we've seen any of them. Does anyone know where they are?

 

This Weekend In Techno Town

Summer begins with a weekend load of DJ entertainment!

WED 15JUN     Orlando Amphitheater     DJ Flume (AUS)  TONIGHT

THU  16JUN     Gilt Concert Venue     DJ Konstantina Gianni (USA)

FRI   17JUN     Celine     DJ Baauer (USA)

SAT  18JUN     Vanguard     DJ Ookay (USA)

SAT  18JUN     Celine     DJ Ferreck Dawn (NL)

PI Update: Gay Days PI @ PH

In the years after Pleasure Island closed, club Parliament House used to conduct an event during Gay Days titled PI @ PH. With PH now closed and demolished, it's been a few years without those popular events that often included many former PI cast members.

But as we previously reported, Parliament House is coming back and it will be located right at the corner of Orange Avenue and Pine Street in the heart of downtown. By this time next year, it will be operational.

PI Update: The Gay Days End Of Club Motion

It was 9 months after the Pleasure Island clubs had closed and supposedly Disney management had allowed the DTD management to reopen a couple of the clubs for private event rentals. Such was the case during Gay Days 2009 when Motion reopened for one night only for a dance club event. Of course Motion was kept blocked-off and you had to know there was an event there to get past the planters and the security guard. If you just wanted to wander over to see what was happening, they turned you away.

The opener was Orlando's own DJ Joanie (USA). The headliner DJ Manny Lehman (USA) would come on much later.

The bartenders ware lined up ready for action but our visit was early so not a lot of patrons just yet.

2009 drink prices were Disney-expensive but seem quaint by 2022 standards. As this was not a Disney event but Disney supplied the liquor, you had to purchase drink tickets from the Disney employee stationed nearby and then give the tickets to the bartenders.

Our visit was early so just a few patrons upstairs. But it was just such a great feeling being inside a Pleasure Island club after that long gap!

Save Pleasure Island Blog roving reporter Thommy attended later in the evening and reported that Manny Lehman played a lot of non-vocal House and only three songs with vocals (Poker Face, Sorry & Womanizer). At the time, with the reemergence of electronic dance music still in its infancy, the real House music probably shocked the crowd as it was way ahead of what Orlando was otherwise experiencing. We're not aware of any other dance events in Motion before it met the wrecking ball beginning in December, 2010.

Club Reports: Aero Bar, The Vanguard

There he was, the amazing DJ Maceo Plex (USA/E) last night at The Vanguard. All the Saturday night pics are on our sister blog Orlando Entertainment News here.

Club Reports: AC Skybar, Wicked Whiskeys, The Vanguard, Treehouse, Neon Beach

DJ U4EUH (USA) was at one of numerous stops visited last night by our sister website Orlando Entertainment News. You can view the Friday night pics here.

Friday Funny

15 years? I think this is already happening now!

 

DS Update: Get Your Dole Whip!

Did you know that you can now get a Dole Whip at Disney Springs? Yes, you can find the delicious concoction at a place called Swirls on the Water in Disney Springs Marketplace. It's in a kiosk on the bridge that runs between Rainforest Cafe and Paddlefish. It's in the former location of AristoCrepes.

This Weekend In Techno Town

 Activity is definitely picking-up this weekend!

WED 08JUN   McQueens     DJ Boris (RUS/USA) TONIGHT

FRI 10JUN     Vanguard     DJ Party Favor (USA)

FRI 10JUN     Celine     DJ RL Grime (USA)

SAT 11JUN     Elixir     DJ Dennis Ferrer (USA)

SAT 11JUN     Vanguard     DJ Maceo Plex (USA)

SUN 12JUN    Elixir     DJ duo Eli & Fur (GB)

SUN 12JUN    Sundown Sundays @ The Patio     DJ Danyelino (I)

TUE 14JUN    Heist Lounge     DJ Degs (GB)     

PI Update: Where's Jenny?

The fishing trawler "Jenny" from the film "Forrest Gump" used to sit in the water behind Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney. When renovations took place that turned DTD into Disney Springs and Planet Hollywood into Planet Hollywood Observatory, the water surrounding PHO was eliminated and "Jenny" disappeared. Does anyone know what became of her?

DS Update: Summer House To Replace Beatrix

Big thanks to Blog reader DJMadManRay who alerted us to this story on BlogMickey. The spot in Disney Springs Westside previously occupied by Bongos Cuban Cafe and was to be replaced with a Beatrix restaurant, will instead be replaced with Summer House. The small chain, with locations in Chicago and North Bethesda, MD, will open in 2023. The full name is Summer House Santa Monica although the Disney Springs location appears to go by the Summer House On The Lake name. It will feature California influenced cuisine, certainly one of the food niches not currently in the Springs. We'll keep you updated with any additional news as well as construction photos along the way!

 

Club Reports: Elevate Rooftop Lounge, Barbarella 2.0, The Robinson

Fun times last night at The Robinson with 70's Disco! All the Saturday night pics are on our sister website Orlando Entertainment News here.

 

Club Reports: Juke Joint, SkyLounge, Masquerade (Atlanta)

The Goths come out at night. Our sister website Orlando Entertainment News likes to check out the local scene when traveling and last night that travel was to Atlanta. The pics can be found here.

Friday Funny

Trip Report: License Plates Of Europe

One final post from this past week's trip to Europe. Posting photos of the license tags of each country visited although Germany and Austria are missing. This one is Hungary.

Norway

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

Sweden. Our ferries also stopped in Finland and Aland Islands but we did not get off so we're not counting them here. Perhaps next week we can post some Pleasure Island material again!

This Weekend In Techno Town

After last weekend's festivals, activity slows down a bit this coming weekend:

FRI JUN 03     Vanguard     DJ ALOK (BR)

SAT JUN 04    Gilt Concert Venue     DJ VNSSA (USA) CANCELLED

SUN JUN 05   Elixir Bar     DJ Luukvandijk (NL)