Defunctland: The History of Pleasure Island (Part 1)
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- Опубликовано: 2 апр 2017
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***Note: The perj.com has now been moved to defunctland.com (Due to this change, some original articles are no longer available)
In this episode of Defunctland, I take a look at the closed nightclubs on Disney's Pleasure Island.
Site With All Pleasure Island Plaques:
www.mouseplanet.com/9044/The_...
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The audio sucks. I know it. You know it. But luckily, it gets better. Please don't let it turn you away, as every episode starting with Back to the Future should be better than this weird low-pitched whisper. Thank you all for watching regardless!
What did you do to your voice? It sounds pitch-shifted and unnatural.
Defunctland I have a name. It's CEO Farquad
nice shoutout to my hometown
do one about the land that Pandora replaced, camp Minnie mickey
You wanted a better nickname for Eisner? Just call him "the Enzyte guy" because he looks exactly like the man from those commercials.
Conincidentally, after Pleasure Island opened, lots of little boys disappeared, accompanied by a sudden drop in the prices of both donkeys and salt.
Rubashow sooo Pinocchio?
This guy gets it
it was run by slave driver Merriweather Pleasure
Sarcas 18 that’s the joke
X'D X'D
I would go to an underground bar for Disney Villains. That sounds awesome.
Its now a unferground restaurant... Enzos hideaway
Imagine the conversations the villains would have during games of poker.
Bruh I made the like count to 666 and your talking about Disney villains lol
@@DuckandMikeyfan49 James the red engine
A speak easy if u will
I like the weird (and weirdly in-depth) backstory they gave the island. "This is where he beamed morse code at aliens. This is where he kept his beloved cactus collection. Also there were armadillos."
This sounds like it would have worked if it wasn't designed by people who had never set foot in a bar before.
It amazes me how complex and overlooked the backstories Disney wrote for so many of their theme park projects are, especially with how most visitors would probably not notice the lore at all. Really recontextualizes how heavily they seem to rely on pre-existing IPs nowadays, so there's less of a need to write those original ideas and teach them to guests.
I kinda wish they made the villain themed bar. I'd check that out.
maybe if we ever get that long rumored Dark Kingdom... or just a villain themed land... the closest we ever got was Cinderella's Castle Mystery Tour in Tokyo Disneyland
@@Viking_Luchador man i never got to see the cinderella castle mystery tour, because when i came there it isn;'t finished yet
@@lookatmyfacern "because when I WENT there, it WASN'T finished yet"
@@Viking_Luchador 🤦♀️
@@lookatmyfacern I didn't get to go on that either since the line was ridiculous
I was there at the beginning: hired after auditioning to play in the house band at Xzfr's (btw, it was pronounced "ZE-fers"). Rehearsals began a month or so before opening, and the bigwigs really gave us the VIP treatment, although things went downhill pretty quickly as far as our treatment by management. So much I could comment on, and I've even thought about writing a book, but Disney would surely sue the crap out of me for all the stuff I would have to expose. In short, the cast members and artistic talent were amazing overall - good, talented, hardworking folks; it's oversimplifying, but the basic problem - at least during the first couple of years while I was there - was MANAGEMENT: mostly upper and middle level, who tended to sh*t all over lower management as well as the aforementioned cast members. They struggled with how to reconcile the wholesome, kid-friendly "Disney image" with having a cutting-edge collection of adult night clubs (example - we were supposed to be a hip rock band, yet they required we cut our hair short in compliance with employee regulations). In all, it was an example of what all can go wrong when trying to fuse concepts that do not necessarily belong together. After about 10 months of poor attendance, they brought in Art Levitt, a youngish corporate hotshot who decided to take our one successful night - New Years Eve '89 - and make that a nightly event. Again, I could go on and on, but one last cool factoid: although we peons mostly agreed the skate track at XZFR's was stoopid, celebrities LOVED it and would show up just to skate, including Tom Cruise (while filming Days of Thunder over in Daytona) and Michael Jackson, who jammed air guitar to my solo on Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" while skating round and round with a collection of pre-selected kids. Lots of good times and great memories and I have lifelong friends from the experience, but the work culture under Eisner SUCKED and was very stressful!!!
Wow descriptive
crustafari awesome
Crustafari's legit. I went there a few times myself. Met Bono there one night.
I’m trying to reconcile “Michael Jackson” and “collection of pre-selected kids” being in the same sentence, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences buddy! My mom worked at disney in the mid/late 90’s and I love looking back on that interesting time.
"No jury in the world would convict me"
I AM OFFICIALLY DECEASED
We have surpassed Big Dick Energy
I'm genuinely shocked by how honestly funny that was. Unexpected as hell lmao
"Pleasure himself"
I like ur channel art
I couldn't help but giggle every time he said that! I'm so immature
You have to wonder if they thought of rewriting those passages
69th like ::0
VirageQuit pleasure himself pleasured himself after he errected...
"Which sounds dangerous because it was probably really dangerous."
This episode was awesome and highly entertaining as always, but that line alone would've made the video worth it. LOL.
First off, my boyfriend and I (both former Disney cast members) love this series!! I was devastated when I arrived to Disney for my CP in 2016, finally old enough to go to Pleasure Island, only to find out it had been closed like 8 years.
I used to play regularly at the Pleasure Island, mainly at The PI Jazz Co. It was a weird experience. Nobody ever came in that club. Some of the areas around PI were almost seedy (which nobody should ever say in the same breath as “Disney”). It didn’t gel well with Disney in general. It was claustrophobic and really dark. Universal Citywalk was a far more successful implementation with more room and better lighting. You see drunk people in Citywalk but something about the lighting and logistics of PI made it seem almost creepy. It was a strange place that didn’t have the magic of Disney and one of the few defunct Disney attractions I don’t miss.
I think it's because of the name and the restriction to country only. The age limitation didn't made it any better, so either keep it dark and sell it as something shady and villainous or rework it completely
Shane Barber what’s there now
I took my family and my boyfriend to Disney waaay back in 1995. I was 21, and Pleasure Island was a HUGE highlight of the trip. I remember treating my mom and boyfriend to $5.75 long island ice teas that came in enormous sippy cups, and reading those plaques outside of every club. The Adventurers Club was hands down the most mysterious, and so very Disney.
The amount of times they wrote “Pleasure himself” could not have been an accident
I laughed like an idiot during the X ZFR description just because one sentence started with "Pleasure himself."
Shouldn't have used his family name in that context unless the guy making those did it on purpose
My mom once told me a story of how she thought she was "hip" and "cool" because she went to mannequins
Nathaniel Okrepkie same! I've heard so many story's from my mom about mannequins, and how the floor spun around.
Nathaniel Okrepkie Thursday nights at M' was cast member night and the place to be! 😉
Nathaniel Okrepkie mannequins was so fun! A revolving dance floor and stream showers in the middle of the floor every X minutes. They even had dancers occasionally dressed as human disco balls come out and pose
My parents loved that place!!!
There was no place like Mannequins,It was a trip and you didn't have to take any drugs,lol.I enjoyed it,immensely!
1. These videos satisfy my Disney curiosity
2. I laugh so hard at your captions in the videos.
Do I hear a slowed down version of Love Shack?
ITS SO DISTRACTING
Amen.
So glad I'm not the only one distracted by this!!
It sure is!
I noticed it too and nearly bust out laughing
Those plaques describing the lore of the island are simultaneously way too complex for a series of nightclubs, yet also extremely lame.
I know it is like a lame Alone in the Dark game if you do not know what I am talking about look it up very old game but great at the same time lol.
Nickname for Eisner?
Maybe "Lord Farquad"?
Ahh fuckwad
My favorite part is when he reads of the origin story of each club they contradict each of the other stories
I'm starting to get the indication you don't like Micheal Eisner.
that's weird, none of the rest of his videos ever really mention the guy
Oh wow, a homestuck
Kinda,
Sorta,
Not really,
In a way.
Rycore XIII ya just jealous that if it weren’t fo him there would be no Disney today I Guess.
@@kevinwebster7868 Disney today is awful so I'd have to say he was a mistake.
"I take 'em to Pleasure Island, and they never come back...as boys."
another nickname for Michael Eisner - Mike E. Cheese
My buddy deviled coffee (at a Disney building in LA)... So some much older broken down souls that worked there asked "...can you please move that?!??! Mr. Eisner is on his way down and shouldn't see that" ...a small hand cart with boxes of coffee by one of many elevator doors in the lobby. Fifth or Sixth world problems I'm guessing?
👌👌👌👌
Michael
Entertainment
Cheese
A *very* powerful rat with the name of
• *CHARLES*
• *ENTERTAINMENT*
• *CHEESE*
This is missing a little bit of context in that at the time Orlando had developed a bit of a reputation as a party city, with Church Street Station and other hotspots detracting many WDW visitors to spend valuable dollars elsewhere.
Considering all the lore they made up for Pleasure Island, it would have been cool if they did a Disney Kingdoms comic about it. Neat stuff.
I alwase assumed that the name Pleasure Island came from the Amusement Park / Boy to Donkey Conversion Trap from Pinnochio
LegolasNordark me too, it makes the most sense
I agree, always thought that too. Pleasure island was great, only went there once, but it was entertaining.
I'm honestly surprised that's not the case, it's what I believed for years.
I assume that really, that's where it gets its name from. I'm betting that during the island's conception, the Pinocchio reference was suggested and agreed upon, but that afterwards, it was decided that an alternative backstory had to be created because.... while Pinocchio's Pleasure Island could be alluded to via name, they didn't want to directly reference an island that serves as a seedy, sinful den of filth where young boys are pumped full of cigar smoke, porn (presumably offscreen), and alcohol until they turn into donkeys and get used as slaves.
LegolasNordark that's what I thought for years
It probably won't happen, but I could see this area being turned into a Guardians of The Galaxy themed land for adults, modeled after knowhere. You could even have a club where you could watch little VR beasties fight each other, with Rocket as your virtual host in some areas. Perhaps a Collector themed building in the spot of the Adventurer's Club as well? :)
Douglas Booth that sounds awesome
H Bomb Star Wars cantina, done.
This area can't be turned into anything because it's already been done. The new Disney Springs area is there and still being added to.
D Booth that would get annoying imo
And with robot hookers too!
Why call it pleasure island? Did Mikey want his guests to turn into donkeys? 😖
What
Catmandu101, I was talking to the commenter
Catmandu101, can I nickname you Kathmandu101?
I know it is a name from a Disney movie, but Pleasure Island sounds like it would be a better name for a gentleman's club than something at a family-geared park.
And you have to say "Pleasure Island" in a breathy voice.
The rumor I heard was that it was to deter kids from wanting to go due to Pinncohio or at least it was to me and it worked as my mom would say she'd drop me off there (I was raised in Orlando) if I was bad and I'd freak out lol.
I used to think Pleasure Island was a tribute to the amusement park from Pinocchio.
Why didn't they just model the clubs after the ones in the movie?
@@Generationrhino they had trouble turning people into donkeys--it was an imagineering snafu :)
I'm honestly still laughing at the attempt to humanize Mikey. This is some of the best content on youtube, and I'm glad I found you.
Then do not watch the video about Hong Kong Disneyland. No spoilers, though.
@@ericandy88 what, are they really bad?
They should bring this back tbh this would be LIT as hell. Imagine hitting up Disneyworld and then at night heading to Pleasure Island to drink and dance all night.
I believe when they said “immortalized the armadillos in neon”, they mean that they paid homage to them by naming the venue after them, rather than actually killing them. Could be wrong, but that’s what I got after hearing you say it😂 love you Kevin
I so fucking miss Pleasure Island! As great as it was to visit places in Disney World that made me feel like a kid again during the day, vacationing at Disney felt more complete having to go somewhere at night where there was loud music, no kids, and blessed alcohol! Disney needs to open places like this again because I'm so tired of having to make that hour long trip to Citywalk to get my nightime fix.
jediknight38 same. It really became a victim of its location, because it would eventually be stuck between the west side and marketplace. Having families walk through adults drinking and smoking outside probably wasn’t a good look.
times were great until 2008 every thing sucks after 2008
jediknight38 the boardwalk hotel has a club
The words "pleasure" and "himself" should never be used in succession unless you want to get a few giggles.
At least I’m not the only one who chuckled at that
Right?! 😆
"Which sounds dangerous because it was probably really dangerous" is the greatest quote of all time. Keep up the good work!
Oh my god were you playing a slowed down instrumental of Love Shack this whole time? I think I love you more than my family.
The simple, straightforward delivery of “Which sounds dangerous, because it was probably dangerous”… gold.
My parents took my to Disney in the early 90's when I was little and I remember we walked around Pleasure Island. The only thing I remember was the country music and the Jessica Rabbit logo. Thank you for covering Disney attractions that I grew up with!
Your voice in this video makes me think you're gonna force Jamie Lee Curtis to do a striptease.
ok mike went too far with the word "pleasure" being right next to jessica rabbit. I'm all for a lil innuendo here and there but come on dud
Well the plaques constantly talk about how the founder pleasured himself.
I loved the fictional history of the Island and Mr. Pleasure, why hasn't this been turned into a TV movie?
Between the "eccentric billionaire" persona and the details of his various projects (movie studio, crazy malfunctioning plane that he built himself), it seems that Merriweather Pleasure was inspired in no small amount by Howard Hughes. A good guy to craft a theme park attraction around, most certainly!
forgot about the voice changer in these early episodes. I remember my parents leaving us at the hotel after a day at the park to party on pleasure island. Was so cool hearing about the moving dance floor and new years party that happens every night. Thanks for the great episode.
Surprised to see vancouver mentioned in this series. Granville Island is a ton of fun to explore. Never thought people at Disney knew about it
Man, your videos are causing me to have flashbacks to my time as a cast member from 1994-1995 at WDW. I got a free ticket to see Bryan Adams play the Island in 1996. Living in Orlando causes weird memories. PS. Props for the subtle B-52s in the background.
It sounds so wrong that the guy was called Pleasure and his "projects"
If Pleasure himself is responsible for the area, why not name it after him ;-)
bsholmes1993 Unless he picked the name himself, he probably had a rough time in high school.
This was hilarious! The little stories made no sense whatsoever.
Man, Disney did some weird stuff. It's like some odd fanfiction of Disneyland come to life. 😆
Those writers clearly made it a sport to cram in as many 'pleasure' entendres as they could.
Jesus, dude, your info is interesting as hell, but your voice modulation makes me afraid you're holding someone for ransom.
I know right! And having a pic of Brad Pitt like its him makes it more weird.
RenTin hahaha that’s what I’ve been thinking
Sounds like he's congested with digital phlegm...
Go to his website and check the "About Me". I have no idea what the bit is supposed to be but its clear that it's something
thats just how he sounds
Honestly, a video for Nickelodeon Studios would be fantastic.
Tim McClain your Wish came true
his new vid is about the hotel not the studios at universal Doll Bun
Crow It was SO cool to have been able to visit in 92!
Adventurer's Club was one of the coolest places to visit in Disney. I went a couple times and was hooked.
I can't believe how lucky I am to have seen this in 1992. They celebrated New Year's Eve every night - we got tickets to be there on the actual December 31st countdown. I remember on the bus ride over that some didn't have tickets (we got ours months in advance - very bright shiny silver things). When asked if we had tickets to get in we pulled out our prized trophies, feeling a bit like Charlie Bucket. Those who didn't have tickets just about cried. The island that night was absolute pandemonium in the best way possible - there were live acts everywhere you looked (Sheena Easton on one stage, the Fabulous Thunderbirds on another if I remember correctly), something new around every corner, and free champagne at midnight. The fireworks were so intense that it got a little hard to breathe! In case you couldn't tell, it's one of my favorite memories.
I forgot about your weird voice phase...sigh...still adore your content and 2019 voice...keep up the great work!!
Don't think I don't here that slowed down "Love Shack" in the background!
I went to PI on my high school's senior trip like 20 years ago and knew zero of this weird lore. It makes the whole evening just a little weirder.
these videos don't get enough credit. this is simply one of the best mini-documentary series on youtube.
ACTUALLY, the restaurant modeled after Tony's from L&T was built in Magic Kingdom as part of the Town Square Theater. The underground bar for Disney villains definitely exists but I just don't remember where it was place. I think it was a limited running attraction at Hollywood Studios last year.
My childhood consists of distinct memories of not being allowed in these places and just dealing with the fact that my parents were, until now. Now all is well, and I'm realizing I didn't really miss out on much. But, boy, did it feel like I did. Thanks Mikey Eisner.
The Disney Villains Hideout is just the Disney gay bar we deserve
I'm a 55 year old 12 year old, every time a plaque say "Pleasure himself" I spitake.
It's actually Automaton (Aw-tom-a-tawn), not automation. Great video, though! I'm currently binging the entire series.
honestly, i kind of like this idea they have of different types of buildings themed around different music genres.
I remember a club or restaurant you didn't mention, called the Fireworks Factory. The inside walls looked like there was a big fire, and the backstory was, as I recall that the factory blew up one day. I enjoyed Pleasure Island, lots of great memories.
I've been to the island, I was in 4th grade, and it was definitely after dark.
The only place I can remember out those mentioned in this video was the Neon Armadillo, which is odd for 2 reasons: None of my family members have ever enjoyed country music except for my younger sister. She was about 2 years old at the time, and had been left in the care of a baby sitter provided by our resort on that night.
PLEASE, PLEASE do a review on the abandoned Treasure Island from Disney! While I have no good sources on this, I’ve heard rumors of it being overran by animals that were abandoned at the park. Would love to see an episode on this!
"Pleasure himself." 5:18 and 5:27. LOL!
Michael Sparks Pleasure himself errected...🤣
I love that these videos have gone from 10-15 minute videos to 30-40 minute video essays
Loved the Adventurers Club, Comedy Warehouse, which was improv, (actually got picked from the audience to be on stage) and the West End Stage for great live bands.
That magical TGI Friday’s tho
I love the slowed down version of "Love Shack" playing in the background 😂
Maybe they shouldn't have referred to him as "Pleasure himself" ;-)
Oh my gosh this is awesome! Jumped out of my chair when I saw this in my sub-box!!! Cannot wait to see part two!!
I thought pleasure island was a name inspired by Pinnochio
Catie K it is
I worked construction at pleasure island in 88-89 at MGM and Pleasurre Island
history comes to life in youtube comments
I loved when it was the place to play for 70's has been bands. Seems like K.C. and the Sunshine band played open air almost weekly.
"It sounds dangerous because it was probably really dangerous" LOL 🤣
Extremely well done. Thanks for sharing. As much as Eisner gets vilified he sort of was the right man at the right time for Disney. Under Ron Miller's tenure they were almost the victims of a hostile takeover. Still, your video proves that under his tenure they came up with many ideas that just plain lacked the heart and soul of something Walt would do. It was formulaic and felt hollow and empty, especially the forced backstories they try to write to explain the fictional facade. Things aren't much better under Bob Iger. When John Hench chose the color palette for New Orleans Square he knew what he was doing; by contrast Iger's crew used bright ToonTown colors that make it feel like you're browsing a cruise ship, today. Well done on this video. Thanks.
Eisner was good for the business side of things, major failures aside (coughEuroDisneycough), but he absolutely sucked at maintaining the heart and soul that made Disney so popular in the first place. He should have been the number two guy or the right hand man to someone that had a better understanding of what made Disney work in the past to keep things balanced.
Eisner can be Eisney
The first few weeks of Pleasure Island's grand opening, they served free drinks. I'm not kidding. They probably wanted to lure locals from Church Street in downtown Orlando.
Wow, your content has been great since the beginning, but going back and watching one of my favorite episodes just shows how much growth your channel has gone through! I can't wait to see where it goes in the future.
Omg, I keep laughing everytime you say "Pleasure himself" I giggle like an asshole.😂😂
7:38 actually made me laugh.
Discovered this series recently and have to say I'm loving it and the concept - thank you for doing it.
I love that they called it Pleasure Island and had Jessica Rabbit on the sign.
Twister the ride.
Take a shot each time "pleasure" is said omg
Farewell, original liver. Did not need you anyway.
"Pleasure himself" - something so nice, Disney told us twice...
(@5:16)
So much madness to comment upon here, (and that their plaque actually references, "Maxwell's Demon"!) What a stupendous episode you've created here! Many Congratulations on your great writing, graphics and narration.
"No jury in the world would convict me."
I love this series
"What up" is my favorite season 1 Defunctland intro.
Funny how they finally use the concept of a restaurant theme after Tony's restaurant from "The Lady and the Tramp" at Disneyland Paris (it's called "Bella Note")
I would like to request Disney MGM Studio Backlot Tour.
The E! show Stand Up/Sit Down Comedy Hour was taped at the Comedy Warehouse in mid 1992 Admission was free and everyone that attended was given a free pass to PI ( There was an admission charge after 7PM IIRC) The shows were about 30-45 minutes although the late comedian Dennis Wolfberg performed for nearly an hour. The final show was 30 minutes of their stand up routine followed by a 30 minute interview with comedian Robert Klein who was also the shows host. I think it lasted for a season or two but a lot of fun to attend.
I went to Pleasure Island once in 1999. I was only 20, so I couldn't really enjoy myself as much as I'd have liked. My boyfriend had just graduated college, so I played DD and babysitter for him and bunch of his fraternity brothers. Good times! Some of the clubs were different when I went there. I think Mannequins was called something else...sponsored by BET, I think. Anyway...it was 21 and up only, so I couldn't go in.
One question: Where's the Walrus Pit?!
Funny I would of thought it be based upon Pinocchio or something. Wasn't that island all the bad little boys went to called Pleasure Island?