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A last look at Pleasure Island's Adventurers Club: 1989 – 2008

Hi everyone!

Earlier this month, I made my final trip to the Adventurers Club in it’s current form. Disney announced in June that Pleasure Island would close all of it’s clubs at the end of the evening on September 27th, 2008. That said, I am very excited that I am part of the NFFC group that will be enjoying an evening at this wonderful club in early October!

I am grateful to have enjoyed one last night at the Club before it closes to the public. Both Pleasure Island and the Adventurers Club have changed so much over the years I’ve visited! The best thing about my last AC visit was that it included some of the original actors, which gave it a wonderful feel of previous years!

I’ve been reminiscing lately about the 19 years I’ve enjoyed at the Adventurers Club. There is so much history! What I did miss – but my friend Jim Hill didn’t – was on occasion, Graves (the Adventurers Club butler) would welcome guests back to the club before informing them that in their absence, he was collecting their mail. Graves would then lower a platter for a guest to take an envelope, which the guest would open and read.

I always thought that this was a wonderful, interactive touch! And while remembering this past history of the Club, it reminded me that Jim had once given me an assortment of these sealed envelopes to keep in my personal archives. Today I discovered these letters and finally opened them! I am very happy to be sharing these letters – until now unread by me – with you.

Below is an example of one of these these letters. To view all the letters and more of my vintage Adventurers Club artifacts, please visit partner site Mousesteps.

To listen to Mr. Hill tell the full story of these letters and more about Pleasure Island’s history, please click HERE: (The Magical Definition Podcast – Pleasure Island Episode). Also please visit Jim Hill Media for more backstory on these vintage Adventurers Club artifacts!

NFFC Florida Convention:

This year’s 3rd Annual NFFC Florida Convention may possibly the very last chance Disneyana fans will get to experience the Adventurers Club. The NFFC bids a fond farewell to this one-of-a kind Disney venue with a special event that promises to be a full evening featuring a buffet dinner, one of a kind in-depth tour of the Adventurer’s Club, and some very special entertainment! The NFFC convention takes place at the Regal Sun Resort (formerly the Grosvenor Resort Walt Disney World) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The dates are October 3rd through October 5th, 2008. See you there!

As always, if you want to request a future DVD idea, Photo Memory topic or comment on anything, just drop me a line at suggestions@JeffLangeDVD.com.

Click here to browse the JeffLangeDVD store.

JeffLangeDVD Travel Update, Disney's Vero Beach Resort, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party & Upcoming NFFC Florida Convention

Hi everyone!

I am less than 48 hours away from my yearly September trip to Walt Disney World. I will be recording video footage for future projects, including this years Trick or Treat 5! I’ll also be exploring Disney’s Vero Beach Resort which will be one of the last completely new Disney experiences that I’ve not enjoyed yet. I have heard great things about the resort, and look forward to giving a full report upon my return. (photos below © Disney)

One of the highlights of my year is the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! I can’t believe that summer has ended so quickly, and that Halloween is just around the corner. I love the decor in the Magic Kingdom, and hope to see the hitchiking ghosts and the bride below again at the event!

NFFC Florida Convention:

I will be attending the upcoming 3rd annual NFFC Florida Convention and It sounds fantastic! This year, the convention takes place at the Regal Sun Resort (formerly the Grosvenor Resort Walt Disney World) at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The dates are October 3rd through October 5th, 2008. The schedule has been released and is available HERE. (Highlights below)

“In case you haven’t heard, Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney’s nightlife fun spot at the Walt Disney World Resort, will be closing the week before the NFFC Florida Convention. Included among the clubs and restaurants set to be shuttered is the very popular Adventurer’s Club, which just happens to be the location of the convention’s closing night dinner party.

Fear not, the Walt Disney Company is honoring its commitment to the NFFC. This means attendees at this year’s 3rd Annual NFFC Florida Convention will be among the last—maybe even the very last—Disneyana fans that get to experience this truly one-of-a kind Disney venue.

Join the fun as the NFFC, the place for Disneyana enthusiasts, bids a fond farewell to the Adventurer’s Club. It promises to be a full evening featuring a buffet dinner, one of a kind in-depth tour of the Adventurer’s Club, and some very special entertainment, especially designed for the Florida Adventurer.

At the conclusion of the Convention and Giant All Disneyana Show and Sale, the World Chapter, the convention host chapter, will host a special meeting at the Regal Sun Resort.”

Halloween DVDs – Available Now:

Just in time to start thinking about Halloween, we have these title available now! Jeff Lange’s Trick Or Treat Vol 1 (2003-2004), Jeff Lange’s Trick Or Treat Vol 2 (2005), Jeff Lange’s Trick Or Treat Vol 3 (2006), Jeff Lange’s Trick Or Treat Vol 4 (2007) and Jeff Lange Remembers Haunted Mansion Holiday!

 

As always, while I am traveling you will still receive the same level of quality service and guarenteed 24 hr shipping you have come to expect from JeffLangeDVD. If you want to request a future DVD idea, Photo Memory topic or comment on anything, just drop me a line at suggestions@JeffLangeDVD.com.

Click here to browse the JeffLangeDVD store.

Click here to browse all Halloween titles.

Walt Disney World Resort Unveils Bold New Vision for Downtown Disney Plans Include New and Enhanced Shopping, Dining and Other Experiences

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (June 27, 2008) – Walt Disney World Resort today unveiled a new vision for Downtown Disney, with extraordinary new shopping, dining and other experiences including a completely re-imagined Pleasure Island. Also planned are numerous enhancements to popular Downtown Disney locations, as well as additional theming and storytelling brought to life by Walt Disney Imagineers.

“We are committed to offering guests new and exciting experiences they can only have at Walt Disney World Resort,” said Downtown Disney Vice President Kevin Lansberry. “Our bold new vision for Downtown Disney reflects the feedback we receive from our guests each and every day and will enable us to continue to offer the high-quality entertainment that is our hallmark.”

Over the next year, the 120-acre entertainment-shopping-dining complex will add a number of one-of-a-kind, immersive experiences for guests. Downtown Disney will even get its own iconic attraction, in the form of a giant, tethered balloon that will take guests 300 feet into the air to view the amazing vistas of Walt Disney World Resort. Other new experiences include:

·In fall 2008, guests will enter a world of prehistoric creatures at T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure. The dinosaur-themed family eatery will serve up pizzas, pastas, seafood and more, and will feature life-size animated dinosaurs that dwell among bubbling geysers, waterfalls and a fossil dig site.

*Also this fall, a design-your-own t-shirt store from Hanes will add to the growing collection of merchandise guests can personalize at Downtown Disney.

*E-brands Restaurants, an Orlando-based, multi-concept restaurant group, will premier its newest concept at Downtown Disney in spring 2009. The high-energy, casual eatery will feature authentic Central and South American cuisine, specialty drinks and live music along the waterfront.

Guests also will enjoy a brand new mix of shopping and dining experiences at Pleasure Island as it is transformed over the next two years.

Our guests tell us they want additional shopping and dining experiences at Downtown Disney,” added Lansberry. “We are currently considering a number of unique concepts from around the globe as we re-imagine Pleasure Island and look forward to sharing our progress over the coming months.”

To make way for the new offerings, all of the clubs currently on Pleasure Island will close on Sept. 27. Other locations on Pleasure Island, including Raglan Road, Fuego by Sosa Cigars, Curl by Sammy Duval, Orlando Harley-Davidson and outdoor food and beverage locations, will remain open during the transition.

To complement these new experiences, many popular Downtown Disney locations will undergo enhancements.

*Beginning this summer, Portobello Yacht Club will be transformed into a Tuscan Country Trattoria. The refreshed menu features authentic Italian dishes and signature favorites and a re-designed interior along with an outdoor dining space.

*This fall, Goofy’s Candy Company will add a special new room that will enable families to host one-of-a-kind birthday parties at Downtown Disney.

*The Marketplace Stage will be completely replaced with a larger, covered stage this fall to welcome even more entertainment to Downtown Disney and serve as a new premier venue for Disney Magic Music Days.

*Fulton’s Crab House will update its interior fixtures and furnishing and exterior in Spring 2009. The enhancements include a refreshed third floor deck dining area to offer additional Disney guests and larger private parties the traditional Fulton’s experience.

*Next year, Wolfgang Puck Café will update its interior fixtures and furnishings and will feature an enclosed glass patio offering guests a year-round outdoor dining experience.

These efforts come on the heels of recent enhancements at World of Disney, Wolfgang Puck Express, Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, Earl of Sandwich and Cap’n Jack’s Restaurant.