Pleasure Island (Walt Disney World)
The final logo of Pleasure Island.
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| Location | Walt Disney World Resort, Downtown Disney, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, U.S.A. |
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| Coordinates | 28°22′16″N 81°31′05″W / 28.371°N 81.518°WCoordinates: 28°22′16″N 81°31′05″W / 28.371°N 81.518°W |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Operated by | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts |
| Opened | May 1, 1989 |
| Closed | September 27, 2008 |
| Status | Closed |
Pleasure Island was an area of the Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment district at Walt Disney World Resort. It officially opened on May 1, 1989. In September 2008, all of its clubs were closed, but its retail stores and restaurants remained open. The area is now called The Landing as is the middle part of Disney Springs.
Pleasure Island opened emulating Church Street Station in Downtown Orlando, Florida. At that time, this was a highly successful gated attraction which offered admission to multiple clubs for one price.
The legend the Disney Company created is that Pleasure Island was based on the fictitious owner, Merriweather Adam Pleasure, and was carried on into one of its clubs, The Adventurers Club.
Every night at midnight, "New Year's Eve" was celebrated at Pleasure Island with a fireworks show. This tradition lasted from 1990 through New Year's Eve 2005.
On June 27, 2008, Walt Disney World Resort announced that over the next two years, Pleasure Island's night clubs would be replaced with new stores and restaurants. Disney denied rumors that these changes were due to a decrease in attendance there, stating instead that the company is responding to guest feedback asking for more family friendly experiences. The entertainment venues, including night clubs and comedy clubs, ceased operations on September 27, 2008.
On November 18, 2010, Disney announced that it would be renamed and rethemed to "Hyperion Wharf." This revitalization project was expected to be completed by spring 2013.
During 2014, Disney closed access to the Pleasure Island portion of Downtown Disney, as additional retailers and theme restaurants were brought into the mix. Disney ultimately decided against using the name "Hyperion Wharf.". Instead, in April 2015, Disney reopened Pleasure Island as the middle link of the Downtown Disney shopping area. This section of the complex is now called "The Landing." The former dance clubs, jazz club and Adventurer's Club are no longer part of the concept. Instead, the area focuses on retail and restaurants.
Former coaches from the Fort Wilderness Railroad, which operated from 1973–1977, were used as ticket booths located at the entrance to the island.
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