Merriweather Pleasure Sails Into The Sunset…

Posted September 30th, 2008 By: Jackie Steele

Editor’s Note:  September 27, 2008 marked the last official night of operation for the clubs of Downtown Disney Pleasure Island.  WDWCelebrations Core Team member (and Mouseportal dude) Jackie Steele took participants at the World Wide Weekend event on an hour-long stroll through the island to take a look back at some of its history before the big change was due to occur.  Here’s a look at some of the information covered during the tour.

THE BEGINNINGS OF PLEASURE ISLAND
Pleasure Island can be traced back long before Downtown Disney.  Walt Disney’s original plans for the Florida Project called for a permanent community known as EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.  These plans would allow for people to live on Disney Property in Florida as part of an experiment in urban design and planning.  Those plans were substantially downsized over the next decade or so.  The earliest versions of the Master Plan for the Florida project showed that original plans called for a small residential development in the northeastern corner of property near I-4 at Highway 535, in preparation for the more-ambitious residential plans within EPCOT later on.  The 1967 version of the master plan estimated that the residential community would have 625 residents by 1971, and 4,000 residents by 1976. The plans ended up changing slightly, but there were still familiar elements. In June 1973, Disney announced plans for the first permanent residential complex on Disney property, known as Lake Buena Vista.  It was to be themed to four different areas, each showing environmental responsibility and energy-efficient construction. It was to be built not far from the location originally outlined in the 1967 master plan. By May 1974, construction got underway on those residential units, and construction also began on a series of retail shops to be known as Lake Buena Vista Village. Another highlight in the construction process was October 1975, when the famed Treehouse Village was completed, with 60 units built ten feet off the ground to protect from potential flooding of the surrounding wetlands.  However talk of selling any of the residential properties to the public had ceased.  This would eventually be attributed to concerns over taxation and voting rights, among other things.  (Of course in recent weeks, the Treehouse Villa concept found new life as a Disney Vacation club resort). The Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village opened on March 22, 1975, with a ceremony featuring Cinderella and friends.  Among its earliest tenants were a craft company, a toy store, and a photo studio, along with several restaurants including an oyster bar and a deli. Over the course of the years, this complex of shops and restaurants would become known as the Walt Disney World Village, and eventually the Disney Village Marketplace.  Nearly a decade later, the entire residential area was transformed into resort accommodations and renamed the Walt Disney World Village Resort.  Four years later in 1989, it would again be renamed the Disney Village Resort.  By 1995, most of that area went under the umbrella of the Disney Institute.  The Village Marketplace became part of what is now known as the Downtown Disney entertainment and retail area, playing host to Pleasure Island.
PLEASURE ISLAND IS ANNOUNCED
By the 1980s, plans were being made for an entertainment district to bring life to the Walt Disney World Resort after dark.  On July 21, 1986, Michael Eisner held a news conference on board the Empress Lilly (more on the Empress Lilly later in this article) to reveal plans for this entertainment district, which would be known as Pleasure Island.  That seemed an odd choice of names… many Disney fans will recall that there was an island of the same name in the 1940 Disney Film Pinocchio, where children got into different acts of mischief.  The Pleasure Island in Walt Disney World would not follow this lead, and would instead cater to a family friendly nighttime experience. Construction on the six-acre island in Buena Vista lagoon began in August of 1986.  It would be completed about three years later.  The island opened in May of 1989 with six nightclubs, along with a number of shops and eateries. Today, it features 72,000 square feet of themed nightclubs and shopping areas.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Walt Disney Imagineering developed a complex backstory for Pleasure Island.  It was one of the first Disney attractions to have such a mythology behind it.  The legend of Pleasure Island says that it was founded in the late 19th-century by Pittsburgh Entrepreneur Merriweather Adam Pleasure.  The story goes that Pleasure wanted to use the island to support his nautical efforts.  Sailing as a means of transporting goods was beginning to fade, but the idea of sailing for pleasure was gaining popularity at the time.  According to the legend, buildings on the Island in Pleasure’s day included a power generating plant, a textile mill, a sail fabrication building, a fireworks factory, a residence for Pleasure himself, a number of boathouses, a private club, and mysterious metal building in which Pleasure conducted research and development on some type of secret device. The story goes that Pleasure and his daughter were presumed to have been lost when their ship “the Domino” sank in a storm while they were attempting to sail around Antarctica in December of 1941. According to the legend, Pleasure’s company went bankrupt in 1955 due to mismanagement by Pleasure’s sons. Shortly thereafter, according to the legend, the devastating Hurricane Connie would hit Pleasure Island, causing untold destruction and destroying any remaining value to the creditors. Hurricane Connie was the same fictional hurricane credited with striking a nearby tropical village, leaving the good ship Miss Tilly floundering atop Mount Mayday and creating what is now known as Typhoon Lagoon. The legend says that Imagineers discovered this island roughly three decades after it was destroyed and abandoned, and set out to turn it into a vibrant entertainment district.
 

MANNEQUINS DANCE PALACE
According to the legend of Pleasure Island, the facility which now houses Mannequins was originally used as an engine factory. The factory had a large rotating assembly floor, which was transformed by Imagineers into a dance floor. The revolving dance floor at Mannequins is 42-feet in diameter, making for a dance floor roughly 1,385 square feet in size. The floor is capable of spinning at different speeds and has speakers built into the surface. The facility is made to appear like a gigantic theatrical warehouse, with catwalks and theatrical rigging, along with stylishly-dressed animated mannequins.  Guests enter Mannequins from a third floor elevator and enjoy performances by the Explosion Dancers.
ADVENTURERS CLUB
According to the legend of Pleasure Island, the Adventurers Club is where Merriweather Pleasure and his fellow adventurers would regale themselves with tales of conquest and adventure. The walls of the club are adorned with treasures which, according to legend, were collected by Pleasure himself and his fellow adventurers.  In truth, the treasures came from as far away as Asia and Africa… and from as near as a local flea market. The club features a mezzanine level, the main salon, the treasure room, the mask room, and the main library.  Many of the rooms are enhanced by a number of animated artifacts which interact with a zany cast of characters and guests.  As such, Adventurers Club is considered by many to be the most “Disney” of all the Pleasure Island clubs.  The club is set in the year 1937, but is meant to convey the sense of world conquest prevalent in the 1850s through the 1930s.
COMEDY WAREHOUSE
According to the legend of Pleasure Island, the building which now is known as the Comedy Warehouse originally was used as a storage area for Pleasure’s collection of oddities and treasures from around the world. The show originally featured more-scripted shows, but now relies on audience suggestions for improvised performances by the Who, What & Warehouse Improv Company players. This format allows for audiences to return over and over again, even on the same night, and still see a different show.
BET Soundstage Club
The building which currently houses BET Soundstage club began operations on Pleasure Island as the Neon Armadillo which, according to the legend of Pleasure Island, was originally a cavernous greenhouse. The Neon Armadillo featured country music performed in a southwestern-themed setting. The Neon Armadillo also played host to a series of television programs produced by Buena Vista Television. The concept for the television show actually came from a December 1992 ABC television special called “The Best of Country ’92: Countdown at the Neon Armadillo.” Despite the name, the original TV special was actually filmed on location in Nashville. However the show was such a hit that in 1993, it spawned a brief recurring series that was filmed in both Nashville and at the actual venue in Florida. “Countdown at the Neon Armadillo” lasted only about a dozen weeks, from September to December of 1993. In the summer of 1997, the Neon Armadillo closed. It was replaced in 1998 by the BET Soundstage Club. The club features a mix of hip hop, R&B, urban, and soul music. Some of the performances are live, while others are video performances controlled by a veejay. Much like its predecessor the Neon Armadillo, the BET Soundstage Club has served as the setting for television programs, in this case shown on the BET network.
8TRAX
8 Trax is a dance club featuring music primarily from the disco era. It opened in late December 1992, replacing a club called Cage, which featured progressive music and had closed earlier in the month. Cage had, itself, been a replacement (or at least a retheming) of a former club. When Pleasure Island opened in 1989, the venue was home to a club known as Videopolis East. The name came from the fact that it was an east-coast version of the popular Videopolis dance club at Anaheim’s Disneyland. That dance club operated in California from 1985 to 1995, when it became the Fantasyland Theatre. It showed music videos on 70 video monitors. Here on Pleasure Island, Videopolis East was a night club where no alcohol was served, and guests enjoyed rock music videos on 170 video monitors. Videopolis East was renamed Cage in April 1990. Meanwhile the name “Videopolis” traveled eastward once again in 1992, becoming the name of the large stage at Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris.
MOTION
The building which currently houses Motion previously was a restaurant known as The Fireworks Factory. As its name suggests, The Fireworks Factory was, according to the legend of Pleasure Island, a facility once used by Merriweather Pleasure to manufacture fireworks. According to the legend, the facility was heavily damaged by a massive explosion. The Fireworks Factory was an eatery that served barbeque in a setting which embraced its explosive past, with blown out walls and blackened metal siding. The Fireworks Factory eatery closed in 1997, and was replaced by a concept called Wildhorse Saloon. The facility featured a BBQ restaurant and country music (filling a void created that same year with the closure of Neon Armadillo). That venue closed in 2001 and was replaced by a nightclub called Motion. The two-story nightclub features music videos in the Top 40 format.
ROCK-N-ROLL BEACH CLUB
Rock-n-Roll Beach Club was a replacement for a Pleasure Island original known as the XZFR Rockin’ Rollerdrome. The Rollerdrome opened in 1989 with a central dance floor, an upper-level rollerskating rink, and a DJ booth suspended from the ceiling. Due to several issues, including concerns over safety, the Rockin’ Rollerdrome was quickly shuttered. It was replaced by Rock-n-Roll Beach Club. Rock-n-Roll Beach Club featured live music from groups performing the hits of the 1950s through the present. The upper levels which originally housed the roller rinks became home to a number of types of games. Rock-n-Roll Beach Club closed February 3, 2008.
RAGLAN ROAD IRISH PUB AND RESTAURANT
The site which currently houses Raglan Road originally was the site of a food court known as Merriweather’s Market. However results were not up to par, and the concept was scuttled in favor of another nightclub. Pleasure Island Jazz Company opened in 1993, just as jazz music was returning to popularity. It featured live music in the setting of a 1930s-era jazz club. Artists from the Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, and San Francisco jazz scene were featured. The facility featured a performance room designed acoustically to allow those even in the back of the facility to hear well. It closed several years ago and is now home to the 2005 addition, “Raglan Road.” Raglan Road held its Grand Opening on October 20, 2005. The restaurant is a 600-seat eatery that covers a total area of 16,500 square feet. It is named after Raglan Road on the south side of Dublin.  The original Raglan Road was made famous by renowned Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh in a love poem entitled, “The Dawning of the Day.” The poem was put to music in the 1960s by Irish folk singer Luke Kelly. It has since been covered by such artists as U2, Sinead O’Connor and Van Morrison. As a tribute to the original poet, a specially commissioned bronze sculpture of Patrick Kavanagh sits outside Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown Disney. Among the highlights of the facility are its four distinct antique bars, which are each more than 130 years old and imported from Ireland. These grand fixtures were crafted from rich woods, such as mahogany and walnut, and feature marble adornments, leaded glass and ornate detailing.
AMC PLEASURE ISLAND 24
The AMC Pleasure Island 24 Theatre originally opened as the AMC Pleasure Island 10.  Organizers used computers to calculate sightlines inside the theatre, and Imagineering worked with AMC to ensure that the theatre would blend in with the rest of the waterfront. It expanded in 1996 to 24 screens, and was then billed as being the largest movie theatre in Florida.

WEST END STAGE
The West End Stage was the central focus of Pleasure Island’s nightly New Year’s Eve celebration. Every night up until the end of 2005, Pleasure Island guests would gather at midnight for a countdown and celebration featuring fireworks and confetti. The West End stage was removed along with the Hub stage in 2007 as part of an effort to create more space in the area and to allow guests to flow freely between Downtown Disney West Side and Downtown Disney Marketplace via a new bridge.  The initiative also resulted in more outdoor seating areas and tables being placed around the area.

PLANET HOLLYWOOD
Planet Hollywood opened in December 1994, just off the main island. It was built to appear as if it was floating on the lagoon. To achieve this, water was drained from the area, pilings were driven into the ground and then covered in a waterproofed concrete slab. The celebrity-themed restaurant features a vast collection of original show business memorabilia inside a unique planet-shaped building that sits on its own island a few yards from Pleasure Island.

PORTOBELLO YACHT CLUB
According to the legend of Pleasure Island, the building housing Portobello Yacht Club was originally Merriweather Pleasure’s personal residence.  The restaurant currently features contemporary regional Italian cuisine, but changes are on the way. As part of a new vision for Downtown Disney, Portobello Yacht Club is expected to be transformed into a Tuscan Country Trattoria, featuring family-style dishes and a re-designed interior and exterior, plus more outdoor seating.

FULTON’S CRAB HOUSE
Fulton’s Crab House is housed inside a 220-foot riverboat designed by Walt Disney Imagineers. The boat was named the “Empress Lilly,” in honor of Walt Disney’s wife Lillian. The ship was christened on May 1st, 1977. When it opened, there were three restaurants inside… The Fisherman’s Deck, the Steerman’s Quarters, and the Empress Room. For eleven years, the Empress Room was considered to be the most elegant restaurant on Disney Property. However in 1988, Victoria and Albert’s opened in Disney’s Grand Floridian resort, and claimed the title. Disney ceased its operation of the facility in April of 1995. It reopened on March 10, 1996 as a 700-seat eatery named Fulton’s Crab House.

MERCHANDISE LOCATIONS
Pleasure Island was once home to a number of retail locations and restaurants which have since gone on, including Superstar Video, the Missing Link Sausage Company, Changing Attitudes, Reel Finds, Zen Zone, and DTV (which was the first official Disney merchandise location on the island). Current shopping includes Fuego by Sosa Cigars (where cigar connoisseurs can savor a smoke and enjoy other tobacco products in an intimate lounge setting where premium wine, beer, spirits, plus specialty coffees and other non-alcoholic beverages are served daily), Curl by Sammy Duval (offering surfers a selection of trendy surfwear clothing and accessories plus skateboards and surfboards), and The Orlando Harley-Davidson store (offering official apparel, gifts and collectibles, along with two Harley-Davidson motorcycles guests can sit on).

PLEASURE ISLAND ADMISSION
The original mode of operation for Pleasure Island allowed guests to walk through the island free-of-charge during the day in order to shop or dine at restaurants. The island would then be closed in the evening and an admission policy would be charged. Just recently, the admission policy for Pleasure Island changed.  The island would remain open to foot traffic free-of-charge at all times. Admission was charged to access the individual clubs instead of the entire island. The new policy allowed guests to choose admission to their choice of several individual clubs, or a blanket admission to all of the clubs on the island. An early set of ticket booths at Pleasure Island can trace their roots to Disney’s Fort Wilderness resort. In 1973, a small railroad began operating at the resort.  However there were numerous mechanical problems, and in 1977, the Fort Wilderness Railway was deemed to no longer be cost-effective. It was dismantled that year, and the vehicles were placed in storage. However more than a decade later, two of the passenger cars were remodeled and brightly painted… they served as ticket booths for Pleasure Island for a short period of time before being replaced by more-permanent structures.

MAJOR CHANGES ON THE WAY
Earlier this year, major changes to Pleasure Island were announced. On June 27th, it was announced that all six night clubs on the island would be ceasing operations on September 27th. Downtown Disney Vice President Kevin Lansberry told the Orlando Sentinel shortly after the announcement that the decision was made in response to public demand for more shopping and dining in the Downtown Disney area. As part of what Disney officials have called a “bold new vision” for the Downtown Disney district, several new concepts have been revealed, including reported plans for a tethered balloon attraction, as well as a custom T-shirt shop and other attractions. New restaurants are also on the way to the area.

COMING SOON: T-REX
One of the new restaurant concepts for the Downtown Disney area is already under construction. Guests will be able to go on an adventure back in time to dine among the dinosaurs when “T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop, Explore and Discover” opens this year. T-Rex will feature dining and retail in a 30,000-square-foot, 600-seat interactive prehistoric environment. The concept is built around water, fire and ice: Guests will be greeted with life-size animatronic dinosaurs, cascading waterfalls, bubbling geysers, a fossil dig site, and other themed elements. Organizers say it will include artifacts such as fossils that are hundreds of millions of years old, as well as a meteorite that was discovered in Argentina. A full-size skeleton replica of Argentinosaurus, one of the largest of the dinosaurs and copied from a museum specimen about 125 feet in length, looms over the entrance, joined by a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. The dinosaur theme carries over to the restaurant’s expected menu, which features items with names such as Caesarsaurus, Raptor Ribs, Pterodactyl Wings, Triassic Tortellini and Gigantosaurus Burger.

COMPASS WEST
Disney has announced plans for a major new Shopping, Dining and Lodging District on the western side of its property. The development is expected to be built in phases over the next ten years or so. It will include a 450-acre mixed-use tourist commercial district at Western Way and Western Beltway. Early plans include 4,000-5,000 value-priced lodging units and a pedestrian-friendly dining/retail village.
 

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