When Pleasure Island opened, it was markedly different in tone than what is currently in place…and under construction. There was a fee to enter the island after hours and it was a sometimes raucous place due to the various nightclubs and late-night partiers. It was Disney’s attempt to focus vacationers away from Church Street Station, in downtown Orlando, and keep them on their property.
It was highly successful in that regard, but like a lot of things at The Walt Disney World Resort, change was inevitable. Marketing stopped segmenting sections of the property and revised their planning on family fun at every destination across their property. A targeted nightclub district did not fit in with the changing vibe and ever since then, Pleasure Island has floundered with little to no identity. Currently, the area is undergoing yet another refurbishment and I am hopeful that it will bring some vitality back to the island.
One of the cooler things that I remember on the island was the giant animated signage of Jessica Rabbit. It sat atop one of the retail locations on the island, but the obvious attraction was this fantastic sign. Enjoy…
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