It was recently announced that by September 28, 2008, all of the nightclubs on Pleasure Island will close.   Currently, the nightclubs include: 8 Trax, The Adventurer's Club, Mannequin Dance Palace, BET Sound-Stage Club, Motion and The Comedy Warehouse.  According to information provided by the Walt Disney Company, the nightclubs will be replaced by a mix of dining and shopping - to be announced in the future - that will be geared to guests of all ages.  Moreover, Disney is also considering some unique commercial concepts that are inspired from all over the world, but did not elaborate on what concepts specifically. 

Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, Fuego by Sosa Cigars, Curl by Sammy Duval, Orlando Harley-Davidson and outdoor food and beverage locations on Pleasure Island will remain open during the transition.

The move to close all of Pleasure Island’s nightclub is part of a major overhaul of Downtown Disney.  On top of the new shopping, dining and other experiences on Pleasure Island, numerous enhancements to popular Downtown Disney locations are also planned, as well as additional theming and storytelling that some felt were one of Downtown Disney’s biggest flaws.  As such, over the next year (or years), the 120-acre entertainment-shopping-dining complex will add a number of experiences for guests.  Among the experiences to be added include:

• Downtown Disney will have its own attraction; a giant, tethered balloon that will take guests 300 feet into the air to view the sights around the Walt Disney World Resort.
• In fall 2008, T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure will open. The dinosaur-themed family restaurant will serve pizzas, pastas, seafood and more, and will feature life-size animated dinosaurs, geysers, waterfalls and a fossil dig site.
• Hanes will open its own store that features a design-your-own t-shirt element.
• E-brands Restaurants, an Orlando-based, multi-concept restaurant group, will premier its newest concept at Downtown Disney in spring 2009. The restaurant will feature authentic Central and South American cuisine, specialty drinks and live music along the waterfront.
• This summer, Portobello Yacht Club will be transformed into a Tuscan Country resturant. The refreshed menu features authentic Italian dishes and signature favorites and a re-designed interior along with an outdoor dining space.
• This fall, Goofy's Candy Company will add a special new room that will enable families to host one-of-a-kind birthday parties at Downtown Disney.
• The Marketplace Stage will be completely replaced with a larger, covered stage this fall to welcome even more entertainment to Downtown Disney and serve as a new premier venue for Disney Magic Music Days.
• Fulton's Crab House will update its interior fixtures and furnishing and exterior in Spring 2009. The enhancements include a refreshed third floor deck dining area to offer additional Disney guests and larger private parties the traditional Fulton's experience.
• Next year, Wolfgang Puck Cafe will update its interior fixtures and furnishings and will feature an enclosed glass patio offering guests a year-round outdoor dining experience.

As you can plainly see, Disney is intent on completely changing the face of Downtown Disney, with Pleasure Island getting the biggest number of improvements.  According to Disney, the Company is making such drastic changes for a few reasons.  First, the rehab is consistent with Disney’s “commitment to regularly evaluating and refreshing our product to ensure it is relevant to our Guests and providing them with new and exciting experiences they can only have at Walt Disney World Resort.”  Secondly, Disney informs us that they have been told by numerous guests that they want additional shopping and dining experiences at Downtown Disney and the Walt Disney Company wants to position Downtown Disney for long-term success.

            The scheduled changes at Downtown Disney are just an example of the ongoing projects Disney has planned.  It is puzzling to me to figure out how exactly the “new and improved” Downtown Disney will fair against Disney’s Western Way Project.  As you may know, on the western side of the property, Disney is planning a mixed-use tourist commercial district just outside Disney’s gateway entrance.  According to allears.net, “the project combines third-party branded lodging, retail and dining in a pedestrian-friendly environment.”  Early development plans include 4,000 - 5,000 low- to mid-rise, value-priced lodging units and 300,000 - 500,000 square feet of commercial space.  Designed around a retail village, the development will become a convenient shopping and service center for Cast Members, nearby residents, and Walt Disney World guests.  While both plans are still in its infancy, they both seem to clash in identity and theme.  What separated Downtown Disney from the planned Western Way Project is its unique offering of nightlife, particularly the various clubs, pubs, and entertainment at Pleasure Island.  Now it seems the only difference between to these two projects is that one is on the east side of property and one will be on the west side of property. 

            Are their other reasons Disney could be making such a drastic move? Well, there might be an ulterior motive behind this major shift in the offerings at Downtown Disney.  Disney has had more than its share of problems as of late with the complex.  In the past year or so, Disney has been on record to say that it had identified an increase in inappropriate youth behavior and criminal activity at Downtown Disney and in response, increased the presence of both on- and off-duty sheriff's deputies in order to crack down on the situation.   For example, allegations of racial profiling emerged after the Orlando Sentinel reported that 45 of 46 people banned from Disney property over two weekends in 2007 were African American or Hispanic.  One heavily reported case involved a group of Florida State University football hopefuls who were banned from all Disney property for life.  The bans were later mostly lifted after discussion with the boys' parents, with the only remaining punishment being a one-year ban from Downtown Disney.  It may be Disney’s intent to make the entire Downtown Disney is more conducive for families in order to avoid any potential trouble in the near future.

While I am not particularly attached to any of the nighttime offerings at Pleasure Island, I am worried that the Pleasure Island area of Downtown Disney will simply become another shopping district.  I understand Disney’s need to maximize its profit by offering more store space to potential vendors, but won’t Disney saturate the market with their other project as well?  Will there be enough variety for guests not interested in shopping?  Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where only time will tell how Disney’s changes will resonate with guests.