Why the Club was so entertaining
It’s hard to describe just how magical the Adventurers Club was. From the moment one entered, they felt the spirit of the place take hold. The actors never broke character when talking to guests and entertaining in cabaret shows, which often had audience interaction. The best ones were a radio show with audience members bungling lines or sound effects and audiences getting involved in the closing night Hoopla songs. They’d even make jokes about the “New Year’s Eve every night” party. In other words, no experience was like the other, and that brought folks back over and over.
There was also how welcoming it was from the song to the club creed and the signature odd handwave and “Kungaloosh” slogan. While so much of Disney World felt tight and scripted, the Adventurers Club just cut loose, embracing a sense of “anything can happen” and always going out of its way to being special.
That’s what made it a favorite for Orlando residents as much as Disney guests, as one could easily spend an entire night there and never get bored. It was better on holidays, such as special Halloween, Christmas, and other themed nights. In short, any Disney vacation involving the Adventurer’s Club was a fun one.
The Club’s end
Sadly, by the mid-2000s, Pleasure Island was seeing issues from more crime to Disney themselves in some financial trouble. Thus, in the fall of 2008, the entire area closed down. There was a huge fan petition to try to save the Club, but it failed. Disney might have actually been ahead of the curve as the economic recession of late 2008 no doubt would have hit the area hard.
The last night was September 27, 2008; the Club packed to the gills with a special turn, as normally, the Balderdash Cup was won by Emill thanks to the audience's applause. Instead, the audience decided to let Otis win, paying off on decades of coming in second place.
The Club lived on for a bit, rented out for private parties before finally demolished in 2009. Over the years, the actors have reunited at various events for a “Night of Adventure,” yet Disney hasn’t made a full comeback. Which is a shame as it would be fantastic.
Why the Adventurers Club needs a comeback
Once more, for those who experienced the Adventurers Club, it felt like nowhere else on Disney property. The detail, the immersive experience, the sheer level of fun, it was infectious and a spirit Disney needs to recapture. Either a new club or a recreation of the old one somewhere in Disney Springs would be an instant hit and draw folks in.
If anything, following the pandemic, a return to something fun and about sheer entertainment is needed at Disney World. The Club eschewed the Disney motifs and even poked fun at them as they just wanted to give folks a good time. They succeeded there as any Club patron can still recite the creed and song from memory.
Overall, it’s that magical spirit of fun and adventure combined with a good place to sit back and enjoy an interactive show for a few hours that should be a draw for Disney. Forget Star Wars, Pirates or other properties, guests would easily spend hours buying drinks at the Club, something Disney clearly would want them to do.
There’s also how nostalgia is pretty big these days, so bringing back a beloved past Disney spot that utilizes a 1930s motif could work out well. Even just the announcement of the Adventurers Club returning would be instantly buzz-worthy for WDW fans before it even opens.
Maybe it’s just a dream, but a return to the Adventurers Club should be something Disney considers. Their creed finished with the line, “If you entered here a stranger, you will exit here a friend.” Disney could use a lot of the friendship of guests back, so a return to this land of Adventure could be beneficial for both.