History
Pleasure Island opened emulating Church Street Station in Downtown Orlando, Florida. At that time, this was a highly successful gated attraction which offered admission to multiple clubs for one price.
Pleasure Island is thought to be named for 'Pleasure Island' from the book The Adventures of Pinocchio, upon which Disney's 1940 film Pinocchio is based. In the book, children on the island are allowed to play and never work. These unsupervised children smoke, drink, and generally misbehave (sometimes in adult-like ways). They are eventually punished by being changed into donkeys that are forced to work in salt mines. But in reality, this Pleasure Island was based on the fictitious legend of its owner, Merriweather Adam Pleasure, and was carried on into one of its clubs, The Adventurers Club.
Every night at midnight, "New Year's Eve" was celebrated at Pleasure Island with a fireworks show. This tradition lasted from 1990 through New Year's Eve 2005.
On June 27, 2008, Walt Disney World Resort announced that over the next two years, Pleasure Island's night clubs would be replaced with new stores and restaurants. Disney denied rumors that these changes were due to a decrease in attendance there, stating instead that the company is responding to guest feedback asking for more family friendly experiences. The entertainment venues, including night clubs and comedy clubs, ceased operations on September 27, 2008.
Read more about this topic: Pleasure Island (Walt Disney World Resort)
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