PI Update: Mannequins

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Another beautiful weekend in O-town so let's head to Mannequins to see what's happening. One can see where the stairs used to lead to the 2nd Floor doors. Have to assume that ugly scar will be covered over with stucco. The left photo shows one of the towers they couldn't take down because of the Harley signs.

Contrary to rumors last week, the Mannequins signs remain on the building. For how long, we don't know! But I guess as long as the signs remain up, there is always that chance that Mannequins could reopen and the dance floor cranked up!

On the Waterfront side there are new stairs to one of the side doors. Interestingly, the railings feature black paint which is something different than all the other railings on the island which are more of a brown rust color. New stairs are not ordinarily something worth noting, but these stairs are very significant. Why? You don't build new stairs to a building that is going to be demolished. That's why. The band stand has also had some boards replaced which is an indication that it's not coming down either. Do they even use this stage though? Has anyone played up there since Hip Kitty on the closing weekend?

New Years Eve: EPCOT

See my December 5th entry below for the major New Years Eve options around Orlando. Not mentioned there, but added by popular demand here, is the EPCOT option. I didn't originally include it because I don't consider it a night club option. And let me start off with the negatives. If you don't have an AP, it's expensive. If you're not there by 5pm, you're probably not getting in because the park will be at capacity. There are so many people that they have to open side gates and let people walk on the outer road behind the pavilions. Waiting times for the rides are 2 hours plus. I've done it, it's not pleasant. But let me tell you the positives. The atmosphere is incredible. You get the NYE edition of Illuminations and the midnight fireworks. But best of all, you get great techno and lighting as only Disney can deliver it. Outside the China pavilion you'll have former Mannequins DJ Dominick Morrison (shown, upper left) (Vintage/Nikki Beach Club) and outside the Italy pavilion you get DJ Mark Sanchez (Suite B). Dominick told me that Sanchez plays a harder House mix where his is more of a Mannequins mix. The videos below describe it better than I can. It's definitely a NYE option!

Meanwhile Around Town

Downtown: I previously reported that DJ QBA from Club Space in Miami is playing Saturday night at Bliss Ultra Lounge. I need to add that you can get in for FREE if you bring a toy donation for Toys For Tots. They're also offering $3 beer, cocktails and shots until midnight. I recently reported on the Aahz Reunion of DJ's Dave Cannalte and Kimball Collins at Tabu on Thanksgiving Eve. Look for another reunion next summer, possibly the evening of July 4th. Finally, one of our favorites, DJ Smooth of RadioDanz.com and formerly of XM Satellite Radio, may be appearing at some well-known clubs soon. Stay tuned for details once confirmed.

Over at CityWalk, the Orlando Sentinel reported Wednesday that a Fat Tuesday bar is coming soon. The Save PI Blog published that information back on September 29th! The Sentinel also mentioned the opening of the IMAX at AMC Universal and a Japanese eatery. All these new things and that whole food court thing all occurred after PI closed. You can thank Disney for sending so many of their customers over to Universal. The 80's band Switch returns to 80's Night at The Groove sometime during January, according to their website. Stay tuned for the exact date.

Speaking of the Sentinel and moving over to Disney World, theme park ranger Dewayne Bevil reports on the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review at Disney's Fort Wilderness. In the article in today's issue of the Sentinel's Calendar, he mentions that the comedy doesn't measure up to Comedy Warehouse and Adventurers Club! Finally, check out the website Screamscape which covers theme park news around the world. The website mentions the Save Pleasure Island blog in yesterday's news as well as a few other times during the past couple weeks! For Pleasure Island news and rumors, as bleak as it is, always stay tuned to this Blog!

PI Update: More On Those Restaurants

As a followup to Sunday's article about the new restaurants possibly coming to PI, a different source is reporting that the previously mentioned Hot Dog Hall of Fame is the quick-service restaurant that is going to be going into the previously mentioned lighthouse-shaped restaurant over near where Motion and RRBC now come together. That's the first matching of a possible new restaurant name with a possible location. I'm also hearing that the Ice Bar (official name Water Fire Ice) may be part of Schussler's Winter Wonderland restaurant concept. Rumors!

One of our Save PI roving reporters went out to the island this evening and confirmed that the Mannequins sign is still up and attached to the building. Someone had reported that the sign was down. It's not!

PI Update: Demolition Completed.....For Now

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Updating you with the latest photos from Pleasure Island Theme Park in Lake Buena Vista. On the right above you can see that the former PI Live DJ booth and the lighting catwalk is now entirely gone. The towers (not shown) that hold the Harley Davidson signs remain until they can figure out how to deal with them.

With the DJ booth gone, Sosa Cigars now has a front patio for families to enjoy a fine cigar with their spirits. The left photo also provides a daytime view of RRBC with the sign finally removed. I thought Sosa's patio was going to wrap completely around the building to meet the existing rear patio but it does not. Instead there are stairs and a sidewalk. Right now it's a sidewalk to nowhere but it likely fits in to future changes coming to the island.

Meanwhile outside Mannequins the landing outside the upstairs doors has been removed following the removal of the stairs that had been there. As Mannequins is apparently going to be transformed into a restaurant, there will be many other changes to the look of the building. One thing that won't change are these electric transformers located outside, adjacent Mannequins & 8TRAX. You'll recall the previously reported Blog rumor that the Mannequins/8TRAX building cannot be torn down because the entire power grid for the island is contained behind Mannequins and it would take weeks to restore power if it was removed. Thus, the Mannequins/8TRAX building survives, as does the CW building. But every club building waterside gets demolished! Or so say the rumors.

Parking Disney Style

Keep a supply of these on hand for when you need them!

PI Update: New Restaurants?

I've heard again that 3 of the new venues on Pleasure Island are going to be from Schussler Creative ideas; possibly by the Landry group. Schussler is same creative force that brought T-REX and Yak & Yetti to Disney. Look for Orange County Chopper's America's Roadhouse (bikers, blues, burgers & bbq), Hot Dog Hall of Fame (frankly the best hot dogs, sausages, dumplings & french-fries in the world) and the Polar Ultra Lounge (ice bar). I still think bolting some motorcycles onto the revolving dance floor and letting people ride them around the room is a great idea! Once again though, unconfirmed rumors.
Monday Update: In this weeks edition of The Walt Disney World Update on the MousePlanet website, author Mark Goldhaber states the following: …Steven Schussler (creator of Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex and Yak & Yeti, among other concepts) has teamed with Orange County Choppers and Levy Restaurants (operators of most of Schussler's creations) to open a new concept restaurant themed to motorcycles with barbeque cuisine. Could Backfire BBQ end up coming to Walt Disney World? Uncertain, as it may cause conflicts with existing Pleasure Island tenant Harley-Davidson. Very close to what I published yesterday!
Tuesday Update: Readers should click on my September 16th article and read about the meeting Disney and PI officials had with Schussler in May, 2008. The following month Disney announced that PI clubs were closing! Coincidence? You can click on September over to the right and scroll down to September 16th.

Club Reports: BB King's Blues Club, Ember, Pour House, Antigua, Tabu, Independent Bar

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Finally made it out to BB Kings Blues Club at Pointe Orlando. Like House of Blues, it's hardly a blues club. The BBKing All Star Band takes center stage playing a variety of hit music and a DJ plays between sets. The club is also a restaurant earlier in the evening with southern soul food featured. When I was there the two-level club was full of patrons and dance floor wavered between empty and full depending on what was being played. Cover ranges $5-$10 depending on the night of the week.

Ember downtown is a combination restaurant and bar with most patrons leaning towards the latter, especially later in the evening. It's a great place for happy hour or a great place to begin evening adventures. I've spotted Orlando Magic players here; Tiger Woods is known to hang here as well. Downtown Pour House is a brand new bar that just opened on Orange Avenue and was packed. This is not a dance club but just another place to hang out. No cover.

Over at Antigua DJ Nova (USA) kept things hopping as he mixed mashups. It was kind of empty early but really got crowded after 11:30pm. This is always one of the better downtown clubs. Admission is $5 at the $5 door, $10 at the $10 door....and they both appear to lead to the same place! I tried to get into Bliss tonight but radio station 102Jamz was running an event and the line was way too long.

I finally got to meet DJ Richie Rich (USA) over at Tabu this evening. He'll be spinning House music at HOB during two Sunday night Service Industry Nights during January but on his Saturday night residency at Tabu it's hip hop all the way with some Top 40 and Rap. (I caught him playing the Miley Cyrus dance tune Party In the USA too!) Tabu was crowded. Saturday night admission is typicaly free before 11pm.

Finally Independent Bar is such a cool place and it was packed too! Featuring Old Wave on Saturday nights, I spotted a couple of Mannequins people including Lawrence pictured above dancing with the übercool Sonia! This is one of my favorite downtown places! Free admission before 11pm on Saturday nights; $5 afterwards.

Club Report: Atlantic Dance Hall

DJ Doc Wells led the hit parade at Atlantic Dance last night to a relatively crowded club. I say relatively crowded because it was crowded to me based on my previous visits to ADH but I was told that some recent Friday nights were even more crowded. With PI gone, this is the only Disney run dance club on property and it's always a great feeling to be partying with the Mouse. The music is request-driven Top 40 with a little techno and hip hop thrown in. Great drinks! See the New Years Eve listing below too.

PI Update: RRBC Sign Removed

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The large Rock'n'Roll Beach Club sign was finally removed off the building last night as the building nears demolition. A witness told me that the same crew that had been working on the Hub catwalk removal also took the RRBC sign down. A source repeated that RRBC and Motion are coming down after the first of the year. I also heard again that a lighthouse restaurant/bar combo is coming to that area where RRBC and Motion come together. The only new information is that the restaurant may be a seafood restaurant. Previous rumors said fast food. A new pathway from Marketplace across PI will come through that area on its way to West Side. PI management still hasn't figured out how to deal with the two towers holding the Harley Davidson signs so they can't tear them down yet.

Mannequins was under high security this evening. I guess the revolving dance floor must be protected. An island source says that Mannequins, 8TRAX and Comedy Warehouse buildings are going to be renovated into restaurants. Apparently Adventurers Club and Soundstage are going to be demolished along with Motion and RRBC. The right photo shows no new progress on the removal of outside stairs. The source mentioned that the restaurant going into Mannequins will change the entire look of the building and that's why the stairs are coming down; it doesn't fit into the new look that's coming. That makes sense. But remember, these are just rumors!

Club Reports: The Groove & Latin Quarter

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80's & Ladies: Thursday night was 80's Night at The Groove and Ladies Night at Latin Quarter. Both clubs had moderate-sized crowds with lots of ladies at both venues. :-) 80's Night features DJ Doc Wells from 8TRAX and Ladies Night features DJ Leony of Sirius/XM BPM. The Groove usually gets crowded late on Thursday nights but this evening it was crowded early and then cleared out around 12:15am. I guess people have their holiday shopping to do. Leony returns to LQ both Friday and Saturday night; Doc will be spinning at Atlantic Dance Hall this evening (Friday night) and then he's at Red Coconut Club on Saturday night.

Breaking News: Changes at PI Won't Be Finished Until 2012

Orlando Sentinel writer Jason Garcia reports that tucked inside a Disney report to federal regulators is a mention about Pleasure Island changes not being completed until 2012! Read the article for full but all-to-brief details:

http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2009/12/changes-at-pleasure-island-wont-be-finished-until-2012/

I have inputted the following response on Sentinel website and I encourage all of you to respond on their website too: When they announced that PI clubs were closing, the official announcement said changes were going to occur over 2 years. We are now well-beyond 1 year yet NO changes have taken place on Pleasure Island in any of the 7 former comedy or dance club buildings. Now they are saying changes will be completed by 2012 which means it took 4 years! But they can't tell you what even 1 change is going to be let alone 7 changes. Because quite likely, Disney doesn't even know what they're going to do with the place.

Radio Danz NYE Lineup

I simply have not found a better internet radio station for Dance & House music than RadioDanz.com. I guarantee you that just a few minutes listening will have you bouncing in your chair! You can see the DJ lineup above for New Years Eve day and evening. Included are Orlando's own DJ Mickey Bono and DJ Smooth. Best of all....it's COMPLETELY FREE! And commercial free!

Disney Inspirational Quotes at PI

A third inspirational Walt Disney quote sign has been added to the demolition walls at Pleasure Island. I've posted the other two previously but I thought I would put them all side-by-side here to inspire everyone about the great bold new vision things that are coming to PI. The only thing we've heard is the waterfront lighthouse shaped building housing a a take-out restaurant and bar, to be built kind of in the corner where RRBC and Motion currently are. But that's just a rumor.

New Years Eve

It's not too early to be at least thinking about New Years Eve plans. Here are the official details for some major venues around Orlando. I'll be adding other options throughout the month as I receive details. NYE is on a Thursday night this year.

Updated article has been moved to December 28th.

International Dance Music Awards

I received my ballot today for the 2009 International Dance Music Awards; IDMA obviously has me mistaken for someone important, lol. Anyway, anybody that's anybody will be attending Winter Music Conference March 23-27 in Miami Beach. It culminates with Ultrafest, the world's top techno music festival featuring all the world's best DJ's. That I plan to attend!

Club Report: Roxy

The first Thursday of every month is now "I Love House Music" night at Roxy featuring DJ Mickey Bono. Last night was the very first such night and from the size of the crowd, I would call it a great success. As you can see, it was packed. I don't really know whether patrons came out expecting a techno night or whether they came out because they're regular Thursday night patrons anyway. Didn't matter because what they got was Dance music and they loved it! There was a lot of Dance versions of Top 40 songs and that kept everyone hopping and happy. For instance, back-to-back early songs included Dance versions of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance, Britney's 3 and Mickey Bono's own remix of I'm In Miami Bitch. During my visit there was zero Hip Hop and because of the song selections played, it wasn't missed! Very young crowd.

Cover charge is $5. The main club opens around 11pm but come at least 15 minutes earlier if you want to use the free parking in back. Drinks are free until midnight. The next House night is January 7th. Mickey Bono spins most Saturday nights at Bliss downtown.

Paul Oakenfold Coming to Orlando

This is a DJ you don't want to miss! Paul Oakenfold (GB) returns to Orlando on Saturday, February 6th at Club Firestone. I've been fortunate to see him twice at Destiny and last year at ICON. He's gotten better each time! Advance tickets are now available for $22 at Firestone or Drop Shop; $25 at the door. Based on past experience, the club will be PACKED! Orlando getting Oakie on a Saturday night...GREAT!

PI Update: Adventurers Club

©2009 SHAWN T. (SGT623)
The black film that covered the windows of the Adventurers Club has been stripped off allowing passersby to peer inside. Save Pleasure Island reader Shawn T. sent this photo to me showing what it looks like in there 2-months post the final Congaloosh. As you can see, nearly everything has now been stripped off the walls. AC is definitely not returning....to this location. I hear the Colonel has a one-way ticket on Cathay Pacific!

Meanwhile the Congaloosh Society is planning Congaloosh 2010 during the weekend of October 8-10, 2010. Registration is supposed to begin today (December 1st). If you're an AC fan, don't miss out on this because this WILL be a sellout again. My understanding is that nearly the entire AC cast will be appearing, performing a specially made script. Obviously this event will not be taking place in our Adventurers Club itself but at a venue to be announced. Details and registration at: www.congaloosh.org