Bye, Bye, P.I.

Walt Disney World just announced that Pleasure Island as we know it will change as of September 27th when 6 clubs will close.

The Adventurer's Club, 8 Trax, Mannequins Dance Palace, the BET Soundstage Club, Motion and the Comedy Warehouse will be gone for good.

In their place will be new stores and restaurants.
And maybe even a giant tethered balloon that would take guests 300 feet into the air (imagine the view!).

I have to say that although I will miss the Adventurer's Club, I will not miss the drunk conventioneers or the hordes of local teens hanging around outside the clubs late at night especially on the weekends.

Theme Park Basics

Yes, there is a difference between a theme park and an amusement park.

Merriam-Webster On-line defines the two thusly:

Amusement park: "a commercially operated park having various devices for entertainment (as a merry-go-round and roller coaster) and usually booths for the sale of food and drink"

Theme park: "an amusement park in which the structures and settings are based on a central theme"

Think Universal Studios' "Ride the Movies".
Think Dollywood's Great Smoky Mountains & Dolly Parton.
Think Disney's, well, all things Disney.

A good theme park will fulfill 5 basic needs:

Rides, Attractions, Live Entertainment, Dining, and Shopping

A great theme park will make each of those an exceptional, memorable experience.