PI Update: The Day We Broke The News IHOP Was Coming To Mannequins

We originally posted this story on April 1st, 2011. Downtown Disney officials confirmed in a press conference early Thursday evening that the former Mannequins Dance Palace night club is going to be converted into a revolving International House of Pancakes restaurant slated to open by December, 2011. According to Downtown Disney Vice-President Keith Bradford, this will be the first IHOP ever on-property and first revolving IHOP in the world. He called it an exciting new addition to Pleasure Island.  "Surveys continue to show that our Guests want more restaurant options when visiting Walt Disney World and there has been in particular requests for something open 24/7. We listen to our Guests and are thrilled to be able to offer this option."

Describing the upcoming renovations, three sides of the building will have mostly glass walls to give diners an extensive view outdoors as the central area of the restaurant completes one full revolution every four minutes. "Evening diners will be able to view the dancing fountains in Village Lake as well as activities at the waterfront Amphitheater."  "The thousands of lights that transform the area into an electric wonderland will be fully visible," he said. Likely to become a tourist attraction in its own right, the IHOP will feature Mickey-shaped Belgian Waffles. When questioned about his reference to Pleasure Island, Bradford conceded that when they learned that the cost to replace that huge Pleasure Island sign on top of the Mannequins building alone was over $8 million, they decided that there was no real need to change the name to Hyperion Wharf.