Lights Out for Pleasure Island?

WDWNT on March 31, 2008

More rumors are beginning to swirl about the future of Walt Disney World’s Pleasure Island district at Downtown Disney, according to our good friend Jim Hill at JimHillMedia.com. Beyond reporting that the famous PI spotlights will be leaving the island and going up for sale, Jim also reports some rumors on the remaining clubs that might possibly be going “lights out” sooner than later. To see the full JHM article, go HERE, and be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more becomes available of the fate of Pleasure Island.

Walt Disney World Update

WDWNT on March 11, 2008

Our good friend Denise over at Mousesteps.com has a new photo update from Walt Disney World featuring pictures of the newly remodeled Wolfgang Puck Express at Downtown Disney, Animal Kingdom Lodge construction, and much more. To see the full update, go HERE.

“But I Want To Sit Inside!!!”

WDWNT on March 3, 2008

The currently under rennovation Wolfgang Puck express location at Downtown Disney’s Marketplace is nearing it’s re-opening on March 6 and appears to be almost complete. While the interior changes remain a mystery, it is now clear that the building now envelopes what was the outdoor seating area. This may be nice during bad weather, but a problem this particular restaurant has always faced is a small number of seating. This place can become quite busy and sometimes even expands into the generic Downtown Disney seating area across the way. My only hope is that this refurbishment has added seating to what is one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite at Walt Disney World.

Construction Express

WDWNT on January 31, 2008

The Wolfgang Puck Express dining location in the Downtown Disney marketplace is currently going through huge renovations. It is scheduled to re-open in Spring 2008, but it is unclear if there will be any menu changes in addition to the complete remodeling going on right now. I hate to inject my opinions into a news story, but Wolfgang Puck Express is one of my favorite counter service locations at Walt Disney World. I am hoping that the delicious pizzas that the restaurant is known for will return with the restaurant on March 7, 2008.

Another Downtown Disney Change

WDWNT on January 25, 2008

From bizjournals.com:

Cuhaci & Peterson Architects LLC has started work on the redesign the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop in Downtown Disney. Orlando-based Cuhaci & Peterson is preparing the construction documents for renovations on the 4,015-square-foot store, says Carlos Sobrin, senior project coordinator for Cuhaci & Peterson. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The project entails the addition of a chocolate tower to the roof, flat-screen televisions on the building exterior, signage updates and a complete renovation of the soda fountain area, Sobrin says. The store is expected to remain open during the renovations, which are scheduled to be completed in March.

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., founded in 1852 by an Italian immigrant, is America’s longest continuously operating maker of premium chocolates.

Upcoming Evolution of Pleasure Island

WDWNT on January 22, 2008

Christopher Boyd | Scott Powers and Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
The slow evolution of Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island continues with the recent opening of a second specialty apparel shop, the impending shutdown of a live-music nightclub, and the anticipated reuse of a long-closed building. Opening shortly before Christmas was a new, two-story shop called Curl by Sammy Duval, named after the water-skiing legend and featuring name-brand surf and skateboard fashions, boards and gear. Closing Feb. 3 will be the Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Club, a venue known for its nightly live music. Along with Raglan Road, which often features solo musicians or acoustical combos, the Beach Club has been Pleasure Island’s live-music venue.

Nearly completed is the overhaul of a retail and venue building, along Village Lake, which has been vacant since the Orlando Harley-Davidson clothing store relocated and two other stores closed in 2006. Renovations appear to provide four retail storefronts plus side entrances for a multistory venue behind them. Disney officials would not discuss plans except to say something will be announced soon. Together, the three changes are consistent with a more than 2-year-old strategy pursued by Walt Disney World to broaden the appeal of Pleasure Island beyond nightclub patrons. Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez declined to elaborate on plans for the Beach Club building, which features a panoramic view of Village Lake, though she dispelled rumors that the building would be torn down. All employees are being offered jobs elsewhere in Disney World, she said.

The Beach Club building has undergone major change before. It opened in 1989 as the XZFR Rockin’ Rollerdrome, with a roller rink inside. The rink was deemed too dangerous and was removed in favor of a beach-club theme, according to The Official Encyclopedia Disney A to Z, by Dave Smith.

News From Around WDW

WDWNT on January 15, 2008

‘-One of my favorite restaurants, Citricos in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, is now open seven days a week. For many years the restaurant was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

-Rock and Roll Beach Club at Pleasure Island will be the first club to close this February. Many more of the long-standing clubs will also close soon to prepare for the addition of more shopping, dining, and maybe even a bowling alley.

Replacing Pleasure

WDWNT on December 15, 2007

Screamscape.com is reporting the following rumor:

“Fans of the Pleasure Island nightlife will want to take note of this latest rumor. According to Screamscape sources we’ve heard that there could be some fairly significant changes to Pleasure Island starting in 2008. In fact, as early as January we could see Disney begin the process of shutting down the various nightclubs one by one. I don’t know if this is just for remodeling, a total revamp of the PI concept, or something else entirely. I’m also not sure if the term “club” applied to just the drinking/dancing clubs or if this rumor also applies to the Adventurer’s Club or the Comedy Warehouse.
I know that in the last year or two Disney completed a new remodeling of Pleasure Island to allow foot traffic to better flow through it from the West End to the Marketplace side. This along with the admission changes were supposed to be just the first step of many for a complete overall remodel of the Pleasure Island concept. Back when that was all still just a rumor I had heard at the time that Disney was in talks with Lucky Strike Lanes to convert the Beach Club into one of their high-end bowling clubs. I’ve got to wonder if that deal is still on the table or if it was just one of many that were in the works. Can anyone shed a little light on just what might be going on?”

I have also been hearing these same rumors, especially on a new bowling alley, about Pleasure Island. This is still a rumor at this moment, but we will keep you posted as more information on this becomes available.

T-Rex Press Release

WDWNT on October 24, 2007

The following is a small article from the Orlando Sentinel on the new T-Rex Restaurant coming to Downtown Disney next summer.

Two life-size dinosaurs will grace the outside and dozens more robotic dinosaurs will decorate the interior of the T-Rex restaurant and store under construction at Downtown Disney.

The restaurant, slated to open next fall in Downtown Disney’s Marketplace section, will be the second in a new chain designed by Steven Schussler, who created Rainforest Cafe, and developed in partnership with Landry’s Restaurants. The 30,000-square-foot project, much larger than the Kansas City prototype, will include a cocktail bar, a 3,500-square-foot retail shop and enough educational and entertaining decor to qualify as an attraction, Schussler said.

“We’ve got over 35 different dinosaurs on the inside, a quarter of a million dollars in fossils embedded in the men’s room and ladies’ room, with educational comments so you can learn about them. Most of that stuff in there is literally 45 [million to] 80 million years old,” Schussler said.

T-Rex Restaurant News

WDWNT on October 14, 2007

The T-Rex Restaurant at Downtown Disney is opening Summer 2008, according to the construction walls surrounding the site. Even if the restaurant opens by the end of the summer, that only gives them 10 months to complete the new restaurant. This would probably make the people involved in the construction of the new Yak and Yeti restaurant at Animal Kingdom look bad, as they are once again struggling to meet their second opening date.