In 1986 Disney announced plans for a new area adjacent to the Marketplace called Pleasure Island. The area would emulate what many Orlando residents new as Church Street Station in downtown Orlando, FL and feature bars and clubs to cater to the “after-hours” crowds of guests, Cast Members, and locals. Pleasure Island opened in May of 1989.
To enter, Pleasure Island guests had to purchase tickets at booths located at the entrance. These booths were repurposed train cars from the Fort Wilderness Railroad.
From 1990 to 2005, Pleasure Island celebrated New Years Eve every evening with a fireworks show that could be seen from the hotels around the area.
In 2006, Pleasure Island underwent a series of renovations in an attempt to increase guest attendance. In addition to no longer charging an admission fee, the stages that once offered free entertainment were dismantled. In addition to these changes, the large Jessica Rabbit that so many people associated with the area was removed from the “Pleasure Island Tonight” sign.
In June of 2008, Disney announced that it would be closing its clubs to make way for new shops and family friendly entertainment. Just three months later a ceremony to mark the closing, including another New Years Eve celebration, was held on the property as all clubs made their last and final calls.
Fueling rumors that Pleasure Island would be reopening some of its closed clubs, Disney announced in 2009 that three venues, Motion, Soundstage and the Adventurer’s Club, would become available for private rental. In March of 2010, the clubs were shut down permanently.
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