PI Update: Island Musings

With Comedy Warehouse demolished and Laffers Cantina demolished, is the former location of Curl by Sammy Duval next?  And how about the Lombard Promenade hill adjacent the building?

Construction continues on the lot adjacent the Cirque du Soleil building, supposedly a future Castmember or Imagineer building.

The video posted earlier this week shows a new #4 Bridge from the West Side to Pleasure Island that does not have any grade to it.  The photo above shows how the current bridge rises as it carries foot traffic across to the Island.  But if the Island is going to be one level without the hill, the bridge won't need to set at an angle anymore.

Whoa!  Maybe that isn't an optical illusion and the side door to Mannequins really is open! Party!!

PI Update: Final Boarding Call

While we usually focus on Pleasure Island's clubs, let's not forget some of the other amenities that made PI the great place that it was!  One example was PI Live Bar, named after the PI Live DJ booth which was across the main aisle from it.  It's closed and behind the demolition wall so you can consider it GONE.

 Could not immediately find a picture of the PI Live DJ booth itself but did locate this picture of it being demolished.  DJ's would play music from up there that was broadcast over speakers across the Island.. It closed with the Island's clubs in September, 2008.  Unanticipated by DTD management though was the fact that with everything on the Island closed, the place became a scary dead zone at night. Within months they were forced to reopen the booth and play music to passers by!  But it later closed again with the creation of the Celebrate Tonight performances and then was demolished. GONE.

Laffers Cantina too closed with the clubs 5 years ago.  Like PI Live, they reopened it to alleviate the dead zone feeling the Island had taken on. It was immediately adjacent the Celebrate Tonight shows and after CT died its slow death, was part of the Island's "ultralounge" concept.  Demolition was completed earlier this week.  It had a great run but it is now sadly GONE.

Do you remember Stage Pizza?  It was located adjacent the #2 Bridge near Mannequins for years and then was relocated to this spot by Soundstage after the clubs closed. During its run it filled many an intoxicated tummy around 2am but now it is simply GONE. 

Feugo is a cigar bar and a liquor bar located near The Hub.  It's supposed to close when its lease expires which we thought was this month.  But for the moment, Fuego is still HERE.

Just a few years ago this kiosk was called the Adventurers Club Cart.  But shortly after Downtown Disney's "Ministry of Truth" took down all the club name signs and hid the Adventurers Club itself behind tall bamboo plants, the name was changed to simply Adventurers Hut.  Certainly portable if need be, for the moment it remains HERE.  And as a bonus, charge your purchase and your credit card receipt will read "Mannequins Alley Bar".  Ladies and gentlemen, this is your final boarding call for beautiful Pleasure Island.  Come visit before everything you loved is gone!

Orlando's Knight Library Named #2 College Bar In Country!

The national newspaper USA Today and The Daily Meal website have named Orlando's Knight Library the # 2 college bar in the country.  Located near the University of Central Florida's campus, the club has long been popular because students could tell their parents that they were going to the library for a few hours and not be telling a lie!

Also making the Top 15 from Florida were Bullwinkle's Saloon in Tallahassee at # 4 and the Salty Dog Saloon in Gainesville at # 15.  The honor of the # 1 college bar in the country went to click here.  Congratulations to Knight Library!


Guest DJ Dyro (NL) performing at Knight Library earlier this year.

Concert Calender

EDM / DANCE CONCERT CALENDAR:

22AUG ADVENTURE CLUB (CDN) - FIRESTONE LIVE SOLD OUT
23AUG THE CHAINSMOKERS (USA) - VAIN NIGHTCLUB
24AUG QUINTINO (NL) - AMPHITHEATRE
24AUG DJ SANDMAN (USA) - THE GROOVE
29AUG  FEED ME (GB) - FIRESTONE LIVE
29AUG  MARK KNIGHT (GB) - TIER NIGHTCLUB
31AUG CLUB FIRESTONE REUNION -ICEY, MONK, AK1200
31AUG ZEDS DEAD (CDN) - ROXY NIGHTCLUB
31AUG DJ MONDO (USA) - THE GROOVE
01SEP  DJ BABY ANNE (USA) - THE GROOVE
05SEP  ZEDD (D) - HOUSE OF BLUES
05SEP  STEFANO NOFERINI (I) - SUITE B LOUNGE
06SEP  DJ MEDNAS (MA) - VAIN NIGHTCLUB
07SEP  DJ ADRIAN LUX (S) - FIRESTONE LIVE
10SEP  DADA LIFE (S) - AMPHITHEATRE
11SEP  DJs FROM MARS (I) - ONO NIGHTCLUB
12SEP  DJ CHRIS LAKE (GB) - FIRESTONE LIVE
12SEP  NICOLE MOUDABER (GB) - ROXY NIGHTCLUB
18SEP  DANNY AVILA (E) - VAIN NIGHTCLUB
20SEP  GARETH EMERY (GB) - FORUM (GAINESVILLE)
21SEP  FELIX CARTAL (CDN) - AMPHITHEATRE
28SEP  DJ ØRJAN NILSEN (N) - TIER NIGHTCLUB
05OCT MARKUS SCHULZ (D) - AMPHITHEATRE
10OCT AFROJACK (NL) - HOGANS BEACH TPA 
24OCT  DATSIK (CDN) - FIRESTONE LIVE
26OCT  MORGAN PAGE/AUDIEN (USA) - FIRESTONE LIVE
31OCT  MORGAN PAGE/AUDIEN (USA) - AMPHITHEATRE
8/9NOV EDC ORLANDO - TINKER FIELD/CITRUS BOWL

PI Update: Disney Springs Concept Model

Save Pleasure Island Blog reader Ken S. has brought to our attention this new video posted to YouTube from Jeff Lange Video and MouseSteps.  A Blog reader last week posted links to the Disney Springs 3D concept model that was on display at the recent D23 Conference.  This video above scans that entire board and zooms in at various sections.  It's easy to pause the video too when you want to study it in more detail.

This is really fascinating.  The building that replaces BET Soundstage looks a lot like a church.  The Adventurers Club building looks like a 2-story building since the lower level becomes exposed by the elimination of the Island's hill.  That temporary bridge they're currently building must really be temporary because it's not there on the board.  Do you see anything else?  (Thanks, Ken!!)

Club Reports: CityWalk Waterfront Stage, Red Coconut Club, The Groove

Saturday night at the Waterfront Stage in Universal CityWalk, home to a weekly dance party with mostly Top 40 music and Line dances.

On the controls, DJ Smooth (FloridaBeatRadio.com, RadioDanz.com, Pat O'Briens, XM Radio).

Mostly teens in attendance for this event with many dancing down by the stage.

Over to Red Coconut Club for their Thursday/Saturday Latin nights.

With DJ Leony (Sirius/XM BPM, RadioDanz.com, The Fifth, Glitz Ultra Lounge, Mojitos) playing one of his famous House sets during my visit! 

Packed club a mix of both Red Coconut & Latin Quarter regulars!

Besides House, DJ Leony also plays his international mix of Salsa, Merengue, Reggaeton and Bachata.

And Latin Quarter's "Ladies Night" can be found here on Thursdays too!

Spotted on the floor: Roosevelt Disco Duke (8TRAX)!

OK, time to head to The Groove!

DJ Mondo (Amphitheatre, Green Iguana, Party95.com) back in Orlando after opening for DJ Paul van Dyk (D) last Saturday night in Tampa!

Crowded but not packed when he came on around 11pm.

But packed by midnight!

With an incredible 100% EDM set the whole night!

Management throwing out light wands around 12:30am!

Followed by a couple confetti explosions!

Mondo blowing the place up with W&W's (NL) "Lift Off"!

You can never go wrong with Go Go girls!

Mondo returns on the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend, August 31st!

A good time was had by all!  The place stayed packed even for the last song of the night, Armin van Buuren's (NL) "This Is What It Feels Like". A reminder that local favorite DJ Baby Anne (USA) plays here on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend.  Tickets are just $10 and are now on sale at CityWalk Guest Services.

PI Update: Laffers Bites The Dust!

Even after 5 years, the pulse picks-up speed as one approaches one of the many bridges to beautiful Pleasure Island!

And there are always surprises to be had.  This time it's seeing that Laffers Cantina has begun the demolition process!

Laffers Cantina was actually on the bottom level only and served drinks to those waiting in line to get into Comedy Warehouse shows.  The bar in more recent years served drinks to those watching shows in the adjoining Celebration Plaza, or to those just passing through.

The upstairs was originally the control booth for the West End Stage and in later years the control booth for the Celebrate Tonight shows.

They're really starting to get secretive out there on the Island.  The Waterfront is now completely blocked off with construction walls behind Mannequins and 8TRAX.  Can't look back there anymore.

They've even gone to the trouble to put up a construction wall on the new No. 5 Bridge itself so that you can't see them build the bridge! Really?

Well let's just go around and look at it from the other side (until they block this view too.)  The bridge looks far more permanent than temporary and it looks like it will go around the north side the Island.  You know, had they just built this 6 years ago to carry pedestrians around the club district, they wouldn't have had to close the club district!

Lights are on inside BET Soundstage.  Disney Springs concept art shows a completely new building in this spot so the lights are not on for their grand reopening.

So make a night of it and come visit beautiful Pleasure Island yourself while it's still here.  You may have to park out here in Lot Q to find a space.....but it's worth the walk.

Hey Gainesville, You've Got EDM!

Hey Gainesville, the Party has arrived!  Radio station WBXY located at 99.5 on your FM radio dial is now doing business as Party 99.5!  It's owned by JVC Media, the parent of Dance station WPTY on Long Island/NYC!   Gainesville has long been home to lousy Top 40 and Rock stations but a university town deserves better!  The peeps want techno!  Not sure how far their signal carries but the rest of the world can listen here! 

Buenvenidos a Miami

Visiting Miami on a Wednesday night.  Even here in one of the capitols of EDM, there isn't a lot going on during the week.  At least not from a visitor's perspective.  I had thought about going over to South Beach for DJ Miss Cady (BR) playing at Mokai but just wasn't too psyched-up about it. 

But no matter where you are, you can't go wrong with Go Go girls!  Across Biscayne Boulevard from my hotel was the Intercontinental Hotel Miami which last night had this moving image of a girl dancing on each side of their highrise building.  It was an incredible effect done strictly with exterior lighting on the building.  But for this visit to the 305, that was all the dancing I witnessed!

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY AUG 15
Dance & Electrohouse from the California boy with the Deutsche name!  DJ Wolfgang Gartner (USA) at Roxy this Thursday night!
($25)

FRIDAY AUG 16
The NLP group is back at Suite B Lounge, this time with an entire night of competitions including their own Beni Hill, Supagroover and your hostess of hostesses, MC Marybeth!
(FREE < 11pm, $5 > 11pm)

While just a few blocks away, Thee Grotto has a night of Goth, Dark Wave & Industrial from guest DJ Paradise (The Castle) and resident DJ Rob (Independent Bar).  And as a bonus, the irresistable Sonia Solo! 
($5)

SATURDAY AUG 17
DJ Mondo (Amphitheatre, 93.3FLZ, Party95.com) is back at The Groove this Saturday night, bringing a pure mix of House & Dance that one would hear in Mannequins if Mannequins was still around!  Don't miss!
($7)

Dating back to the origins of House music, the legend, the superstar, DJ Eddie Halliwell (GB) in Tampa this Saturday night at Amphitheatre!
($10)

DJ Morgan Page Coming To Orlando

You're about to get totally immersed in a breathtaking new cinematic world!  Get ready to put on your 3D glasses and experience amazing never-before-seen interactive visuals as DJ/Producer Morgan Page (USA) brings his show to Orlando on Saturday, October 26th at Firestone Live.  Advance tickets are just $25 here.  Opening DJ's are Maor Levi (IL) and Audien (USA). 

California Blog Viewers Capture 2nd Place!

Flag Counter:
2.		California	11,904	August 12, 2013
3.		New York	11,898	August 11, 2013
4.		New Jersey	7,531	August 12, 2013

Most viewers of the Save Pleasure Island Blog are from Florida, as one would expect.  New York state has always provided the second highest number of viewers but earlier today California, which had been steadily gaining on New York, moved into second place!  I wonder why there would be so many viewers from California concerned about a nightclub complex in Orlando. 

The Flag Counter supposedly only counts a visitor one time since it places a cookie on a visitor's computer and recognizes that person's later return.  Certainly anyone who clears their cookies regularly would get counted additional times.  As to the number of hits we've had, Blogger keeps it's own count and it's approaching 600,000.  More than a half-million visits to check on Pleasure Island.  Amazing!

The articles with the most readership?  Last week's exclusive photos of the interior of Mannequins has taken the prize, besting the previous champion article from a few years ago when we posted exclusive blueprints of Hyperion Wharf.  Most articles get readers when they're new but then fade away into history.  A surprising article that even today consistently gets high viewership was one done in early 2012 that had to do with DJ's Zedd (D) and Zed's Dead (CDN).  Apparently a lot of people wonder if they're one and the same (they're not) and use search engines to find out.  The Blog article explained the differences between the two in a tounge-in-cheek manner and if you "google" the two names, our article pops up.  Even 1.5 years later that article delivers over 300 viewers per week.

But our focus remains on Pleasure Island.  We're beyond trying to save it; all we can do is continue to tell you about it.  You've heard that misery loves company.  Psychiatrists have long-known that in reality, misery loves miserable company.  And we're all miserable.  Thanks for reading.

PI Update: What Exactly Is The Edison?

Beautiful Mannequins Dance Palace as seen from the Save Pleasure Island Blog SkyCam.  It's a space that's too huge to house a store; too awkward to house a restaurant.  So if you can't or won't tear it down, what do you do with it?  Last March we published some logo boards that displayed brand names of vendors who might be coming to Disney Springs.  One of them was The Edison, a post-industrial steampunk themed nightclub of sorts in Los Angeles.  In the 5 months since that posting there's been a lot of chatter about it being the venue that moves into Mannequins.

Let's hope not.  I've never been to the one in California and have only visited its website.  They do feature Saturday night DJ's but their musical lineup is heavy on Jazz and Motown, neither of which stand a chance for success in heavily casual, heavily touristy Disney World.  Of course a WDW version could be completely different, taking advantage of the stage and revolving dance floor that the MDP location brings with it.  Anyone who brings the place back to life deserves our support.  But if The Edison is really what ends up in there and if they really just plan to bring their west coast game plan to the east coast unchangd, the euphoria could be very short-lived. Orlando ain't Los Angeles.