Reviving this beloved Disney nightclub would be a great way for Disney to win back guests
Disney is doing some special themed lounges for the parks. But if they really wanted a great spot for guests, they’d bring back this classic and still loved waterhole!
For a long time, Disney parks kept away from bars and lounges as Walt had a rule about no alcohol in the parks. That’s been lessened over the years, with Epcot being the first to offer alcohol in some of the World Showcase pavilions. It’s increased since with places from the Victoria Falls lounge at Animal Kingdom to the various Disney Springs spots.
Disney has also used them a lot on their cruise ships, often themed to Disney parks or films. Word now comes that the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World will host a Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern. The artwork hints at a classic pirate-themed bar with the staff dressed that way and even the hint of a show.
It’s not bad yet if Disney wanted to bring back a bar/lounge with a great theme and a wonderful experience, there’s really only one option to go for.
The Adventurers Club.
It’s been gone over 15 years yet anyone who stepped into this club remembers it fondly and how its spirit is something that should be revived.
The history of Adventuring
1989 was one of the biggest years in Disney history with the opening of the Disney-MGM Studios, Typhoon Lagoon, and Pleasure Island. The latter was Disney’s attempt to bring a nighttime shopping/entertainment district closer to WDW rather than have adults head to downtown Orlando for it.
The overall island had the backstory of explorer Merriweather Pleasure using the place to house items he’d collected in his years traveling the world. After he was lost at sea, his sons mishandled the business, the island abandoned before being converted into this area.
The place had some good clubs, from the Comedy Warehouse to the nightclubs and more. Yet the Adventurers Club was the heart of it all, both in location and the spirit capturing the island’s unique theme.
The brainchild of Imagineers Roger Cox, Joe Rhode, and Chris Carradine, the club was obviously based on 1930s movies and stories with touches of other interactive clubs of its type, such as Los Angeles’ Tamara. From that, the Imagineers crafted a theme where it was always 1937, and the club was packed with unique characters. While there were shows, the fun of guests was just mingling around and talking to folks with some fun stuff abounding. And what stuff it was.