Monday, January 30, 2012

PI Update: Status Quo On The Island

A beautiful January afternoon in the 70's. And what better place to spend it than beautiful Pleasure Island!
No progress on the outdoor amphitheater which is to be built in the foreground, nor on the new pathway to Downtown Disney Marketplace which is to be built in the background. Everything Hyperion Wharf related remains on indefinite hold with no announcements about what's to come.
PI Live Bar was open for business.  Spotlights remain on the top landing but does anyone know what's on the stairs up there? Are those more spotlights, or are those cameras?
Business was brisk outside the Curl by Sammy Duval store for the possibly practical but decidedly unsexy Tom's Shoes which you can have personalized there.
Stroller Rental is operating outside the former Pleasure Island ticket booth.  What's interesting is that they've tapped into an electrical outlet inside the booth but we recall the connections back to Mannequins being dug up in 2009, as shown in this file photo below taken in March, 2009.

5 comments:

Brad said...

It appears power (black wire) and ethernet (blue wire) is going into the booth. The severed connections mustve been something else.

KingBob said...

Good catch, Brad. To further the discussion, I've added one additional photo to the article showing the cut wires coming out of the upstairs door at Mannequins, taken in March, 2009. Supposedly there was an office upstairs with the computer used for PI ticketing. But as you noted, the Stroller booth is connecting to both electricity and a computer line via the old ticket booth!

Jeff - Gainesville said...

Great up to the minute reporting! Thanks for the update.

I have to comment on that stroller parking thing. This simply illustrates which direction WDW is going with DTD. Look at the cart in that one photo. They are selling toys!

As much as I hate it, I don't believe clubs will return to this place.

I hope they can come up with some suitable adult entertainment in among the kiddie and retail areas at DTD.

Why are places like RIX and ADH not more popular that they are now? I don't live there so I can't get a good read on why more people don't frequent those venues.

71 said...

Jeff from G'ville, some thoughts on Rix and ADH:

* Both require you to park in a hotel lot--need to show your license at the toll booth, and in the case of ADH, park like a half-a-mile away (might be a mile once you walk the Boardwalk, or if you're stuck across the street). Annoying if you're a local, or downright creepy when an overzealous guard copies down your license plate number.

* Zero publicity. I forget Rix is even there, there's just no ads, no promotion. Sames goes for ADH. I tell on-site guests about it all the time because they've seen no mention of it in their rooms or on Stacey's show.

* Lack of atmosphere/people. This is sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, but because ADH is usually dead when I go, I generally don't go back. A lack of crowds leads to an even bigger lack of crowds, if that makes sense. If I thought ADH would have a crowd, I'd probably stop by more often (despite the parking hassle).

KingBob said...

71Jason, 100% accurate analysis as always!