DS Update: Cirque Rumor

One of the rumors going around the Springs is that not only is Cirque Du Soleil ending its La Nouba show late this year, the entire building is going to be demolished in order to open up the areas to the west for further expansion of the West Side.  I've heard two different rumors.  One just has the strip along Village Lake become home to more restaurants.  Clearly all the new restaurants in Disney Springs have been a big hit and the Blog's skepticism that there were too many tables and too few mouths to feed has been wrong.  I don't know where all those mouths have come from but Disney Springs has become quite the dining destination.
The second rumor surrounds has Disney putting a new adult nightlife destination out in that area beyond Cirque and House of Blues!

DJ's Everywhere!

During my visit to Skopje, Macedonia, noticed this banner showing top DJ Martin Garrix (NL) was going to be performing an outdoor show here later this month.  Just goes to show you how big the DJ scene has become!

DS Update: Sweeper Art

Spotted in Disney Springs West Side during my last visit was the Disney Park Services custodian who uses his broom to create Disney character art!

Looking at it from the other side.

And another piece of Disney art made earlier that was finally evaporating.

Friday Funny

Visiting Kosovo on Wednesday I learned that former American President Bill Clinton is a national hero here with a busy downtown boulevard named for him and.....

 .....and a large statue of him too!

The statue is famous for depicting Clinton with extra large hands, symbolism you can figure out on your own!

His picture still adorns this apartment building near the statue.

And also adjacent the intersection where his statue stands, this gown store named Hillary!

Bob On The Go!

Bob is on the go this week so we'll use this as a filler article today. My goal had always been to get to 100 countries & territories visited but as I approach that number, I'm extending it to 110.....for now! Country #93 added Tuesday was Macedonia.

And country #94 added yesterday was Kosovo. I'll add #95 later today! Which will it be?

 To see my complete country list, click here!

This Weekend In Techno Town

FRIDAY JUN 9
It's been more than a year since he played Orlando so there should be a big crowd out for Quivver (GB) this Friday night for "HouseFlyz" at Native Social Bar!  DJ Seth Vogt (USA) opens. Progressive House.

FRIDAY JUN 9
One of the veterans of the NYC House scene is also playing Orlando this Friday night as Vinyl Arts Bar hosts DJ Harry "Choo Choo" Romero (USA).  Always great music at VAB!  House.

SATURDAY JUN 10
I've only seen them at festivals so seeing them up close in a club like Gilt Nightclub should be an amazing experience! This Saturday night, DJ duo W&W (NL).  Big Room, Trance.

SATURDAY JUN 10
We don't usually list Tampa events but this one is too good not to mention it!  Over at Ritz Ybor, they've got DJ Benny Benassi (I) in the club!  Electrohouse / EDM.

Club Report: Berghain (Berlin)

Techno was invented in Detroit but it thrives in Berlin. And the world's "Taj Mahal" of Techno is this haunted looking former power plant in what once was East Berlin: Berghain. 

Long queues line up here on weekend nights but only about 20% will be blessed to get to pay the cover charge and enter as famed doorman Sven Marquardt banishes the unworthy 80%!  My plan was to visit on Sunday night but sadly I was too jet lagged to make the attempt.

So close yet so far!

Some of the art work outside on pillars.

Up on the top floor, Panorama Bar features House music.

One of the sides of Techno's hallowed ground. Berghain is currently ranked #12 in the world per DJMag readers!

The bottom of the building is also home to Lab.Oratory, a men's only Gay sex club.

PI Update: Over The Bridge

I'm over in Europe this week so we'll be mixing up some Disney Springs articles with some European club articles. But while I was still in Orlando, I crossed this bridge one more time to beautiful Pleasure Island!

Not a lot of visible changes down under at the entrance to the Neverland Tunnels. Or whatever it's going to be. Disney has announced nothing about it.

And here's our update on The Edison project.  While a little more visible that the other project, this one too has so far been delivered with silence from the Mouse.

DS Update: Food Truck Event

Something new out at Disney Springs took place these past two nights called the Springs Street Eats featuring an assortment of mostly non-Disney food trucks.

Before discovering it, I had noticed just one food truck at Exposition Park where food trucks typically congregate.  I thought that was rather odd.

That's because occupying the paved plaza beside Cirque and just north of House of Blues was Springs Street Eats.

It consisted of a large assortment of non-Disney food trucks parked in a circle along with a few buskers and a DJ!

I was there after 10PM so I don't know how popular the event was.

I think the idea is that on summer weekend nights when all the restaurants are going to be operating at capacity, this will offer additional dining options for those visiting Disney Springs.

At lower price points than the restaurants too!  Good idea.

Club Report: Atlantic Dance Hall

First you have to get past Disney Security at the free parking entrance and then walk up to Disney's Boardwalk Resort hotel.

Then you follow the signs to the Boardwalk itself where you'll find restaurants, shops, carnival games and.........

Disney's only remaining owned and operated dance club, Atlantic Dance Hall.

Last night we found DJ Frankie in the booth playing Top 40, Line Dances and Hip Hop videos. Of course we know Frankie from his days on Pleasure Island leading the live band Frankie and the West End Boys!

Just not a lot of people at ADH last night.

The club is cavernous which makes it difficult to look crowded anytime but it does have its moments when large crowds of conventioneers flow in off the boardwalk!

Spotted on the dance floor: Alex

Spotted busting a move: Dawn

These Pleasure Islanders were part of the about 75 people in the place.

Frankie was quite animated last night, leading many of the dances!

Admission is free.  A good time was had by all.

Friday Funny

House music all night long!

DS Update: More Restaurants Coming

Disney announced earlier this week that Wolfgang Puck Cafe will be closing it's current location in Disney Springs West Side in favor of a newly constructed location elsewhere on the West Side. The new spot is in the vacant lot between the Coca-Cola store and the Exchange Building, the latter technically in the Town Center.  The new location will be called Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill. Construction is underway and won't be completed until 2018. Replacing WPC in the old location will be Jaleo by celebrity chef José Andrés featuring food from mainland Spain.

That leaves Bongo's Cuban Cafe next door as one of the "white elephants" we mentioned in our article last December (Link) when we repeated the Mexican restaurant rumor. Bongo's is Caribbean Spanish but not sufficiently different than the mainland Spanish cuisine of Jaleo to have the two operating side-by-side. So we await an announcement on this one too! (Thanks to Blog reader Troy who alerted us to the WPC announcment!)