Mannequins Dance Palace (Pleasure Island)

This is the opening light show at Mannequins @ Pleasure Island @ Walt Disney World. This show ran every night @ 9:30pm. It was supposed to be a retrospective of past Mannequins music. The lighting programming was redone about four years previous to the club closing. Most of the work was done by one team of lighting programmers and then everyone added their own style stuff. Different ops had different light shows. It all came to an end on September 27, 2008 when all the night clubs on Pleasure Island closed forever. Long Live Mannequins and Always Remember Pleasure Island!

[@bradmears6206]

I'm so glad I lived in Central Florida in the mid-90s and got to experience the real Pleasure Island. Those were unforgettable times.

[@mcopilot]

I was a pleasure island explosion dancer from 1994-1996 and miss and love it. The cast members and the locals were great!!!!!!!!! MISS YOU ALL

[@jeremyphillips7827]

I started going to PI in '95, so I'm sure I must have seen you dance. You guys did an amazing job, and the shows were always a blast. Thanks for the memories.

[@elenaalvarez3867]

Some of my best memories took place here!!!! I actually met my husband in Mannequins on July 4th, 1992!!!!! I used to go every weekend, had a yearly pass. He also had a yearly pass, but it was that night that we met for the first time. He asked me if I wanted to dance and when the 🎊 confetti came down we exchanged numbers .... We got married on July 3rd 1993! 😊 This summer we will be celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary, 25 years!!! Thank you Mannequins!!!!!!!! When my husband and I go to Disney Springs now with our 23 yr old daughter and our 17 yr old son we always talk about Mannequins, all the memories we had there, how much we miss the music & their rotating floor! Can anyone else say they met their spouse there AND that they're still happily married?? My husband and I can 😊. . Mannequins will be forever a special place for the 2 of us.... Miss this place so much 😢....(like they needed more restaurants or stores 😡) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS VIDEO 💗

[@jeannestark6293]

Elena Alvarez my husband and I dated in the early 90s 89 to 9091 that’s how we solidify things we don’t have any kids but that place is awesome

[@TDJUNKIEOZ]

My wife and I celebrated out marriage at Mannequins and PI! We got married at the wedding pavilion and spent the night with friends celebrating all over PI. It's a shame to see it all gone, but the memories will never fade!

[@samanthacarroll8105]

My parents met there in 1991 when my mom worked at Disney and my dad was in the navy they are still married to this day!

[@kerzwhile]

Wow! Can't believe Nobody has Given this Programmer Props!!! That's Insanelly Tedious work we just watched!! Kudos to whom ever was the lighting Director!!

[@UConn95]

Was stationed at Orlando Naval Hospital in the early 90's. Had an annual pass to PI (actually still have it LOL). Mannequins is the best dance club I've ever been to. So fun to relive the memories of a better world. Orlando in the early 90's was the best place on earth.

[@peanut388]

Sad this club is gone. :( I used to go and had a year pass during Mannequins best days. I loved their dance mixes and seeing their dancers and great light shows. It's a shame to see the club closed when I visit Pleasure Island these days. I hope they open it again someday.

[@Kajehart]

I grew up in Orlando and left in '94 at age 28 and really missed Mannequin's--it was TOTALLY AWESOME--like a continuous concert with pounding sounds, laser lights, smoke, robotic dancers, rotating floor, 3 levels--Disney, you really BLEW IT when you did away with this place!!!

[@suzii6690]

Karl Gephart I agree!! My friends and I always had a blast at PI...why it closed is a mystery..Disney Springs is SOOOO boring.

[@jnoname3890]

loved this place. Met one of my exboyfriends there. It was an awesome place. I feel so bad it's closed. I was there the summer of 1994. Always will have great memories of it. I met a lot of people. It was an awesome club.

[@DJMadManRay]

Love that story Elena, so many great memories of Mannequins!! Thanks for sharing, long live Pleasure Island in memory..it will never be and can never be duplicated!

[@DancingSouless]

I missed Mannequin. there are no other clubs like this one. Disney makes dreams come true I think not .they have tooken alot of the best things ever and now it looks like horror world. I use to dance there all the time. I am very disappointed they took the club away. Things will never be the same again.I hope one day they Bring it back. I also had a yearly pass there. Mainly that was the only club i liked out of all of them.They really need to bring it back.I know many miss it.

[@srarcade]

Best lighting and sound system of its day. Best equipment money could buy. Disney spared no expense on building this world class club and it's a benchmark establishment. Still one of the best systems I've ever heard in my life to date. Saddens me every time I walk by this empty building just sitting there.

[@jfjfjf]

wait seriously? can you talk more about hte sound system lol

[@jamespkuzman]

@@jfjfjf I realize this is coming two years after your comment (went down a KZbin rabbit hole and ended up here), but the system at Mannequins was a custom Meyersound installation. Turntables were Technics SL-1200, with, I believe, Ortofon cartridges.

[@jfjfjf]

@@jamespkuzman amazing

[@ericberry]

It's like the death of Studio 54. I had the pleasure of dancing on the floors of Mannequins. It moving rotating floor and the nitro blast made my college experience and disney. Thank You and Forever Good Bye

[@BethElaineSmith]

I was there EVERY WEEK! Dang I miss it!

[@powermixx]

Once my time machine is complete, I know when/where I'm going...

[@MrDb406466]

My Wife and I always had a great time at Mannequins! Everyone we would bring there would too! Our favorite club by far at Pleasure Island!

[@jeannestark6293]

I miss that place wow

[@sharonrogers9629]

Loved Mannequins!!!

[@ashbarlowe1575]

Sad. Many of us still sad to this day about its closing. My one friend in particular. We went every weekend. Him more. Great great amazing memories. I had to leave Tampa area just to find some proper dance clubs. Pleasure Island had them all. But this....this was HOME

[@Coachd1g]

How could you get rid of such an iconic place?

[@abdulrahmansaad6886]

There will never be another Mannequins! I HAHA HAHA HAHA MANNEQUINS!

[@marvelharris9540]

I remember going to this club in 89 and 90...the beginning- with lines around the building... great times!

[@starlinayei]

thks for post this...i used to work in the clubs and i always watch this opening show. it was amaizing!!!!!! THANKS!!!

[@jdebernardi]

I worked there, played there and left the planet from there on a few occasions.

[@jeremyphillips7827]

Ah, so many memories. Heading out to Pleasure Island for a night of fun was often the highlight of my week back in the mid to late '90s. I had an annual pass and one of those secret passes that let you go in through the back door at Mannequins so you didn't have to wait in line at the front of the club with all the tourists. When I first started going there, they had a nightly Phantom of the Opera show at the stroke of midnight that I really loved, but they replaced it with a cowboy-themed number the next year. Pleasure Island was such a great place with an array of dance, music and comedy clubs. It's a shame that they replaced all of that with overpriced restaurants and retail stores. I don't think I'll ever see another place quite like Pleasure Island again, but it would be nice.

[@anastasiatheodoridou6883]

Just gorgeous I must have minimum 7654 dance hours there....

[@BethElaineSmith]

I wanna be there now!

[@DJMadManRay]

Me too! Miss that place!

[@brad71forfsu]

The song that starts at 2:42 , 3:50 , and 5:50 You have an excellent video. I've always been to Disney World but too young to go to Pleasure Island clubs, now I'm old enough and they shut down. It's a shame, at least I can watch these videos. Thank you.

[@Phillster2015]

The light show once incorporated the Xplosion Dancers, the O Fortuna, and the opener from One Night in Bangkok

[@bradmears6206]

O Fortuna was really incredible to watch.

[@Spiewick]

I worked at World of Motion and Horizons in 89 91 LONG LIVE THE MANICAN DRINK!!! giant garbage can full of every liquor in the house LOL one of the cast members fav place to hang.

[@kaydwessie296]

UGH MAN THIS SETLIST TOO WHY DO PEOPLE CLOSE SUCH GLORIOUS PLACES?

[@kaydwessie296]

Came back because I still have a silly dream of creating a modernized version of this place if I ever get rich

[@mavohq]

RIGHTTT.. gold standard lighting and sound (for the time at least, personally it’s still amazing even now), banger setlists and a damn rotating dance floor.. it’s such a tragedy that this place is gone. a millionaire should just give you money right now to revive it i think

[@Jal8919536]

Reminds me of the communication scene from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".

[@JasonHurder]

This was the best part of Disney, such a cool club

[@jfjfjf]

Got chills

[@blaketech512]

They never should of closed this Thursdays have never been the same ;,(

[@DJMadManRay]

So true!

[@mavohq]

im going to college an hour away from disney world and wow would i have loved to hang out here

[@sharonrogers9629]

You definitely missed a great club! Nothing to this day touches that place! Was #1 in the country!! Rotating dance floor, music and light show!!!!

[@cadenschmidt2752]

I would have loved to go here

[@pijuel]

sooooo sad that there is not going to be more PI!!!

[@starlinayei]

i have some photos and i used it to make a little video with my coworkers. i didn't post it but i going to do it ;D if you want the photos just let me know

[@TerrySchermerhorn]

Thursday night was cast member night.

[@tdg911]

Thanks for the reply and Happy new Years!

[@Coachd1g]

Is there another club on Earth like this one?

[@Phillster2015]

ok, there's the O Fortuna at 8:25.

[@ceecoursian]

The music is pretty much the same as they played around 1991 when I was last there .

[@DanielStPierre]

I worked at EPCOT in 1991-1992, and we used to hit Mannequins every single Thursday night after we got drunk at Fireworks, where drinks cost only $1 for cast members... It was a-w-e-s-o-m-e!!! That being said, I was a lost soul back then but now, by the grace and mercy of God, I am saved! Do you know Jesus? If not, inquire within... #TGBATG

[@lexfacitregem]

OH yes........ DV8...... when the Gay cast members came out to play! I so miss those days!!!! Some of the best nights of my life have been at DV8 Thrusdays at Mannequins!

[@portorillo]

@tdg911 song 6:20 NUMBERS BY KRAFTWERK (1981)

[@tdg911]

I've been to this club years ago and I must say it's the best I've ever been to. I do believe it was rated the #1 club in the country. This is the sickest light show I've seen. Well done!!!!!! By the way..does anyone know the name of the song and artist at 6:20 ? I've been trying to find this song for a while. When did Mannequins close? If anyone knows the song please email me. Thanks

[@johndrews206]

OMG 7:48 Apotheosis!!!!

[@DJMadManRay]

O Fortuna! 😃👍

[@liquidtoez]

I predict it will re-open by xmas 2008 and will be renovated to include 8 Trax,

[@jeffhtg]

do you remember the rig? would love some tech details!

[@diegoalba931]

Jeff Kenney I don't know if this is the rig for this video, but I do know that Mannequins used a lot of High End Systems gear (Technobeam, Dataflash AF1000, Studio Color 575, Emulator, and X-Spot)

[@mursalat]

they are not re opening any clubs.. they will turn the clubs into resaurants.. no more PI:(

[@kaydwessie296]

There are enough restaurants in the world! They should put this back!

[@TimmyTheTinman]

1:56 the “Night and Day” song? Can anybody find it for everybody?

[@marcosmendez5712]

My Work pla e for 4 years

[@robertk617]

I have yet to see a better club then this....

[@brad71forfsu]

Do you have a song list?

[@bblovesu22]

9:36

[@suzii6690]

I met my ex-husband there in 2001.

[@storm9685]

Closed because of gangs *cough BET soundstage anyone*? Should have left it alone keep the unsavories out at the front with metal detection