Is Pleasure Island a "dead concept"?

I certainly think that to some degree Disney has given up on the idea of an "adult entertainment" section. I think that other than the Adventurer's Club they never really had any "Disney" ideas of how to do adult stuff. Instead they just said "Um...lets open some nightclubs, adults like nightclubs!" I think you hit the nail on the head too that it's going to require locals to support anything like that so you have to have a value proposition for them.

Here's an interesting older post about the closing of the Adventurer's Club. Interesting question as to whether Disney has tuned out the serious Disney fans because they complain every time they change anything.

I strongly concur that Disney needs to invest in finding a way to appeal to adults that doesn't mean "Dance Club." I'd use EPCOT as a better model.

I think this is a Disney plan gone awry. They thought they could infiltrate the adult/convention market through nightclubs, but the adult/convention market wasn't enough to make them fly.

They relied on locals (and the nearby Naval Base) for an audience, but my guess is that locals who want to party, don't want to party disney-style.

Fundamentally, Disney can't be gritty and alienate the families that actually did go to Pleasure Island (yep--there were kids there); and locals don't necessarily want to mix with all the vacationing families.

It was a good idea if Disney could have separated its nightlife reputation from its family-friendly reputation, but they just can't do that. You can't balance that sort of rep split.

I have no idea if this new incarnation of Pleasure Island will solve that problem, but it seems as though Disney has definitely raised the white flag on trying to appeal to the 20-somethings through nightclubs. The new Pleasure Island will be "family friendly" as they say.

I would suggest however that there is room for a "non-sleazy" (for lack of a better word) type of nightlife that appeals to Disney-nerds like myself. Adventurer's Club was a prime example and I think Epcot could give some demos too. Sure you're not going to steal conventioneers, but you might get a lot of locals who DO love Disney to hang there, as well as CMs.

I bet in 5 years the "Pleasure Island" name will be gone and this will just be more downtown Disney West side Shopping and entertainment.

This was another problem with PI. The rules and admission always changed. For a while it was adults only, then it was kids allowed with a bracelet, then kids up to a certain hour, etc. It was confusing.

And the admission price would always change too, understandably. It used to be that you could at it to your "Length of Stay" pass which was fine if you were a vacationer, but I don't think going there on a Saturday night and paying a $20 dollar cover appealed to too many locals.

I have to agree 100% with that. The inconsistent nature of PI admission made it difficult for people to budget and plan for it.

Regarding locals and cost--I know they had a florida resident "Pleasure Island Annual Pass" that many folks bought.

I also agree with Brad that the Epcot World Showcase model (including the Food & Wine Festival and the Flower & Garden Festival) is a very successful one; that park is overrun with locals and tourists alike during those events. Perhaps that should shape the next forays into "adult entertainment" for Disney.

I was just commenting on another thread that some of Disney's adult-only forays have been very successful on the DCL--Palo, the adult beach on Castaway Cay, the adult pool, the massage/spa services, etc. And DCLs kids' programs are bursting at the seams, which would indicate that kids want to get away from their parents as much as parents could use a day away from the kids.

It, in fact, seems as though Pleasure Island is the only adult-oriented project that didn't succeed for Disney

Tell me, is Downtown Disney in Disneyland adult-focused?

It strikes me as odd that the only consistent thing they can come up with for adults is a spa and drinking. I mean clearly lots of us love theming and rides and stuff or we woudln't be in WDW in the first place. You can even throw an extra dose of history and education at us as we have a bit longer attention span. Seems like there should be lots of options there, instead of just shopping, drinking, golf and spa.

Like folks were saying in the other threads, I think Disney's realizing this now..with D23 and this "Disney Museum" idea being the representations. They know we're Disney freaks and that we'll pay for access to that kind of thing.

Yeah, but as far as I can tell their once again going with the approach of, "We're gonna do fun adult stuff, just as soon as we figure out what it is!"

Sounds like the warehouse you go through (or used to go through?) before loading the tram for the backlot tour in MGM

I think at least 30% of the posts in Solo Friendly's blog are about the Star Trek Experience. She's a big fan.

Hee.

I heard they are going to re-open that this year, with the new movie coming out.

Never been; anyone have pics?

If you're talking about pics of the Star Trek Experience, I have a few in my blog posts, but they're not of the best part of the Experience (the rides), where you really can't easily take pics. I have photos of the public areas, though. There are photos in these articles I wrote about the ST:TE.

All Good Things
Star Trek Decommissioning Ceremony (written before the event)
The Big Goodbye (review of the decommissioning ceremony; this one has the most and best photos)
It's Ba-a-ack

And yes! They are reopening it, but in a different location. It used to be at the Las Vegas Hilton, and it is reopening off Fremont Street (Las Vegas) in Neonopolis. In early May (timed to coincide with the new movie), the restaurant and retail shops will open (and possibly the Museum of the Future). The rides will come later. Seriously, if you even remotely like Star Trek, it is SO worth going to The Experience.

2 questions:

1. What if I'm a TNG fan?
2. RIDES?!??!?! Like what??!??!

Bali,

Yes, I think you'd like it if you liked TNG. One of the rides (a motion simulator ride called the Klingon Encounter) featured the TNG cast. Let's just say that when I rode Star Tours at Disney World for the
first time, I thought it did not compare favorably to the Klingon
Encounter.

At the Hilton's Experience, they had actors dressed up as Klingons, Borg, Ferengi, and Andorians walking around interacting with customers in the restaurant, which was pretty cool. I think they're going to try to do that in the new location as well, although some of the actors have gone on to new gigs.

The restaurant and promenade shops are based on Quarks from Deep Space Nine. There was also a 4D Borg Experience that featured characters from Voyager.

I don't really know what they'll change, if anything, when they open in the new location, but I can't wait to see it.

Oh, and Mousetraveler--if you're referring to the boocruise message, I got that. I don't have any other PMs.

Did you go to these events in a costume?

No, I do not. That's just not my thing. There were a lot of fans dressed up in character costumes for the decommissioning ceremony because it was a special event (and I'll admit, that did make it a bit more fun), but I've never seen customers dressed up just to go to the ST:TE. Unless you consider tee shirts, shorts and fanny packs a costume!

Is tee shirt, short and fanny pack the "Star Trek Fan" costume? Maybe I'll go as one for Halloween!

Sounds like fun, though I've never been a Vegas girl.
Review on your blog?

Oh dear...

"Churoq: What's funnier than two dead Ferengi?

Us: Three dead Ferengi.

Churoq: Ah, you're telepaths. Here's another one."

Good blogging, Solo