Best gay-friendly bar at Pleasure Island

[vyse22]

This is my first trip to Disney and we will be there from May 30-June 6. My birthday is on Saturday June 3 and we are going to Pleasure Island that evening. Just wondering which bar would be a good place to go and not feel uncomfortable.

 

[PHILCT]

Having come out in the 70s, I loved the sound of the DISCO before it became popular and other 70s as well as 80s sounds.

I haven't been to Pleasure Island in a few years, but I loved 8 TRAXX.
Not sure of the spelling.

When the cast members got off of work they seemed to hang out there as well. (I meant gay cast members and their friends).

My other friends took me to Mannequins, again not sure of the spelling.
I am not even sure it is there anymore.
Mannequins was not my favorite, it was kind of artistic, dark.

What do I know I am 55 now.

I am curious to see what others like.

Next time I go to Pleasure Island I have to take my 30 year old friend
Ruth who is craving to go dancing there, but her husband will not go with her.

 

[ILuvDVC2]

I don't know if it's still the case, but Thursday nights at Mannequins used to be called "DV8" and was the "unofficial" gay night there, which a friend from Orlando told us about. When we went there, the place sure seemed to have a good mix of GLBT and straight folks. A Google search I just did confirms that this is still the case, because I haven't been there in several years. 8Trax was also mentioned as being gay-friendly, however they do have an underage crowd there, and Mannequins is 21 and over only.

Have Fun!!!

 

[majortom]

I don't know if it's still the case, but Thursday nights at Mannequins used to be called "DV8" and was the "unofficial" gay night there, which a friend from Orlando told us about.

Thursday nights were Cast Night at Fireworks Factory and as such became gay night. Sometime before Fireworks closed, Mannequins started its own cast night (also on thursday). PI started Cast Night on thursday (Cast Members get in free) which has made Thursday gay night on the Island. Mannequins still has the biggest gay crowd, but you will find many gay people in most clubs except BET (from my experience it seems to draw a young thug crowd - all races, just all thugs ).

/carmi

 

[OrlandoMike]

Isn't that gay day this year? If so you wont be able to swing a dead cat (or a man bag) over your head without hitting a gay person.

So I would choose the club baised on your age.

Adventures is fun for relaxing and if your older.

8-Trax is great for the old 70's disco.

Maniquins will be tough to get into, there is always a huge line on gay day, and its retro young crowd stuff.

If you are alone, I would suggest Adventures Club early, let it be known its your birthday, and you will have a ton of friends within an hour!

Happy Birthday by the way!

Yes I just checked, it's gay days, pretty much the whole Island will be gay that night, so your birthday should be pretty festive!

Mike

 

[vyse22]

I won't be alone, my girlfriend will be with me. I am turning the big 3 0 this year and she is 34 so they all sound good to us. I personally don't care as long as we have fun. I know she will want to go to 8-trax because she likes that kind of music. Plus there are a couple of places that sound like they have some cool drinks. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

 

[OrlandoMike]

I wasn't thinking very good last night. By the time you get here everything from the west end stage to Rock and Roll Beach club will probably be closed or leveled, so the Adventures Club will not be an option. But 8-Trax, Manaquins, and Groove will still be open.

Hope you have a great time!

Mike

 

[Boston5602]

like Orlando Mike said , it is gay day night that saturday night, although I've never been to PI on the saturday and always went somewhere else, like the MGM party with 65,000 gay people

 

[SeattleRedBear]

I wasn't thinking very good last night. By the time you get here everything from the west end stage to Rock and Roll Beach club will probably be closed or leveled, so the Adventures Club will not be an option. But 8-Trax, Manaquins, and Groove will still be open.

Closed or Leveled??! What does that mean? Are they getting rid of pieces of PI? Have I been completely out of the loop?

 

[Viki]

Mike! Darling! Are you feeding the rumor that the Adventurer's Club will be closing? Say it ain't so!!!

 

[Saxton]

I heard rumors about PI but I thought they would find a way to keep the Adventurer's Club ... I guess I was wrong. Well, at least I know what I'll be doing when I'm down there next week!! Mike - any inside info. on plans for the area?

 

[OrlandoMike]

OOPS was that a rumor that everything from the West End Stage to Rock and Roll beach club was going to be leveled and replaced by 3rd party restaurants?

Sorry!

I hate when that happens.

 

[cityofweasels]

Those rumors are on hold right now. All I think is known for certain is that the West End Stage is history (to become a walkway to the West End) and the Hub stage is going, too (turning into a boat dock.) Most of the shops on that side are closing for good; the Harley store is going across the street to where Changing Attitudes is now. The Adventurer's Club is (mercifully) safe for now, and rumored to be for the foreseeable future. No word on RRBC, but just given the general attendance there, I do wonder.

Replying to the original post: I agree with the other comments, the entire Island is extremely gay/lesbian friendly, on a regular basis; there are always a fair number of same sex couples, and a large number of the CMs are gay. So you probably wouldn't feel out of place there on a regular night - much less on the dates you mentioned, on which things will be on a whole different planetl. (Even speaking as a straight guy, GD is my favorite night of the year on PI.) Mannequins (trance/techno/dance) is typically the center of activity. It used to be absolutely wall-to-wall packed; last year was way, way down, either because of Universal or the MGM stuff or something else, I don't know, but still a lot of fun.

 

[RainbowCloak]

My favorites are Adventurer's Club, 8-Trax, Mannequins, Comedy Warehouse.. But all of PI tends towards the gay friendly. If you are there on Thursday, then you owe it to yourself to be there.

 

[RainbowCloak]

My favorites are Adventurer's Club, 8-Trax, Mannequins, Comedy Warehouse.. But all of PI tends towards the gay friendly. If you are there on Thursday, then you owe it to yourself to be there. Have a great time!

 

[kid@heart25]

I used to work at Disney when I was in college and I would suggest going to a non disney club/ Pleasure Island is cool but Orlando has a large amount of gay/lesbian clubs in the area. It has been a while since I have been but I used to go to Southern Nights a lot and always had a good time there.

 

[OrlandoMike]

On the Saturday the OP mentioned, the island will be about 95% gay, so even if you dont hit a club, you will have a good time on that night!

 

[SeattleRedBear]

Isn't that gay day this year? If so you wont be able to swing a dead cat (or a man bag) over your head without hitting a gay person.

A man bag??! What's a man bag? Do you mean a purse? (Mike, it's OK for men to have purses...it's the 21st-century).

Husbear has a shoulder bag that he typically refers to as his "murse" (he just can't bring himself to call it a purse). Of course, I ALWAYS refer to it as his purse (because I'm one of those guys that generally doesn't carry a bag, instead relying on overstuffed coat pockets).

 

[OrlandoMike]

Geesh! By your screen name I pictured some big old red headed guy who couldn't wait to hit the Country Bear Jamboree on Gay Day at 1:00 with the other bears! Now you tell me you allow your parner to carry a "murse"? What's next? A skirt? Ooops or is that a "Utilikilt"? (Woof! Nothing better than a bear in a kilt!....Viva Off Kilter!)

BTW I am liberal, as long as the "murse" matches the shoes, and no white between Labor Day and Memorial Day (even in Florida!) go for it!

 

[joanjett1976]

Murse

Have a great time at PI. I had a blast at 8Trax on a recent trip. The crowd was (on our evening) much friendlier there than at mannequins. But we'll be giving mannequins another try during our may trip.

Kind of off-topic but when I was but a youngun visiting WDW with my parents, Mannequins seemed like some mysterious nightclubbing shangri-la. I had visions of Studio 54 (most likely from staying up late, watching far too much trashy tv at a young age). Needless to say, I was rather disappointed first time i walked in!!!!