End in sight for Pleasure Island

Dewayne Bevil | Theme Park Ranger

September 19, 2008

The end is in sight for nightclubs at Pleasure Island, the Downtown Disney entertainment complex that opened in 1989. The final night for all six clubs -- Motion, Mannequins, 8Trax, BET Soundstage Club, Comedy Warehouse and the Adventurers Club -- will be next Saturday. Plans for the area are sketchy,

but Disney says to expect more shopping and dining options.

Here are five things we'll miss about P.I.

The rotating dance floor at Mannequins Dance Palace

Dewayne Bevil Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

Part dance floor, part horseless carousel, part theme-park ride, part lazy susan, the big wheel creates an ever-changing scene. If you doubt its importance, wait for an unscheduled stoppage, and you'll feel the energy drain from the room.

The singalong nature of 8Trax

Folks flashing back to 1980s videos tend to belt out "Total Eclipse of the Heart" or "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" more than other folks. It's intoxicated mass karaoke at its best, with a little "Safety Dance" thrown in.

The stuff on the walls

The inside of Comedy Warehouse is a trove of Disneyana, ranging from giant, defaced photos of Mouseketeers to signage from past P.I. clubs (Cage, Videopolis). Across the way at Adventurers Club, 1930s "artifacts" line the browse-able walls, including talking masks (pictured), vintage photos, a crusty Colonel character and assorted bric-a-brac.

The 'Kungaloosh' crowd

The official greeting ("kuhn-gah-LOOSH!") of the Adventurers Club captures its spirit: We adventurers know a hidden Disney treasure, complete with songs, oaths, running jokes and unique characters. And you don't. Kungaloosh!

The rumor mill

When the closure announcement was made in June, it confirmed the long-running notion that Pleasure Island was on the outs. But breathless theories always have been in abundance. They're putting in bowling alleys! Tearing down the stage! Running off country-music fans! Gloria Estefan is interested! Jennifer Lopez! Cirque du Soleil! And the latest: Donna Summer (right) to perform "Last Dance" on the last night. (Disney says it isn't so.)

Tidbits from P.I.'s past

Less than a year after Pleasure Island's official opening, Disney lowered the admission price to enter all clubs from $14.95 to $9.95. Lowered! At the time, downtown Orlando's Church Street Station charged $14.95 after 5 p.m.

XZFR Rockin' Rollerdrome, a P.I. original, featured guests on skates. There was a spotting of then-Disney chairman Michael Eisner and then-superstar Michael Jackson. In 1990, the venue morphed into Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club, which remained open (and wheel-free) until this February.

In 1993, the Pleasure Island Jazz Company was introduced in the building that was once eatery Merriweather's Market. In 2005, that space became home to Irish restaurant Raglan Road.

Singer Bobby Brown was charged by the Orange County Sheriff's Office after a 1995 fight at Mannequins. Brown reached a settlement with a Chicago man who had to have part of his ear reattached, and the charges were dropped.

There have been two country-music-driven venues: Neon Armadillo (1989-1998) and Wildhorse Saloon (1998-2001).

In the '90s, some legends played the West End Stage, including Johnny Cash, Bo Diddley, Waylon Jennings, the Temptations and Little Richard. Less-luminary-but-notable acts included Boy George, Sheryl Crow, Weird Al Yankovic, Hootie and the Blowfish, Trisha Yearwood, Air Supply, Al Jarreau, Marc Anthony, Men at Work, Mandy Moore, Enrique Iglesias, Goo Goo Dolls, Heart, Dru Hill, LFO, Rick Springfield, Selena, Loverboy, Chubby Checker, Spyro Gyra, Bryan Adams, The Guess Who and (of course) K.C. and the Sunshine Band.

Dewayne Bevil can be reached at 407-420-5477.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com