The Adventurer's Club

[fo'c's'le swab]

"Hmmm, yes, ahh, see here now: the lads and I feel we are not as well-represented in Adventureland as we so rightfully deserve.
After all, mates, where would you all be without adventurous hunters and explorers and scientists such as myself, now, eh? It is we who brought back news, and photos, and specimens from these dark, dank, dangerous locales...it reminds me of my time in Calcutta: we were surrounded, and the theiving locals were out for our blood, and they were not to be denied. I remember Randolph, poor chap, had already taken one in the ribs, and he was fading fast--we had not eaten for three days; Thompson had just boiled and ate his shoes, if I remember correctly, when he slowly turned and said...."

Okay, you get the idea. Adventureland needs an over-the-top Adventurer's Club. This is certainly no new concept, but what I would wish to see is a little different. I would like an exclusive well-appointed restaurant. It would offer a complement to the ultra-exclusive Club 33, with out the pricey buy-in. But pricey would be the watchword for the menu itself. I imagine a lavishly decorated 'Trophy room', offering true 'fine dining' to the public within the berm.
As we have recently seen, people have been conditioned (and in some cases are eager) to overpaying for anything Disney.

I would, personally, love to see an Adventureland improvement to the NOS restaurant, The Blue Bayou. I think it would not only be a FANTASTIC thematic element, but a lucrative venture considering the lack of quality dining establishments offered to the Public.

What do MiceChatters think? It has been established time and time again that Disney fans will pay whatever Disney asks in exchange for a quality experience. Why not extend this principle to encompass Park restaurants? Wine would need to be served, IMO. What are your ideas about the 'New Adventurer's Club'? How would you like to see dining change in DL? Or is it just fine as it is?

[techskip]

Swab... isn't there already several threads devoted to this exact same goal?

But my obvious vote is a yes.

[fo'c's'le swab]

Swab... isn't there already several threads devoted to this exact same goal?

But my obvious vote is a yes.

"What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done there is nothing new under the sun"

[mousechild]

"What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done there is nothing new under the sun"

Very sage like, besides heaven forbid that mice chat have only on thread on a topic.

[fo'c's'le swab]

Very sage like, besides heaven forbid that mice chat have only on thread on a topic.

Just so no one accuses me of ripping off King Solomon, it is a passage from Ecclesiastes. What do you think about the dining establishments currently offered? Should there be a higher 'tier' presented as an alternative to those not just looking to 'fuel up'? If so, in what land would you wish to see it? A restaurant atop Innoventions might be intertesting--of course motion-sickness capsules should be offered as an appetizer.

[TheManator]

Two words:
Yes

[fo'c's'le swab]

Two words:
Yes

HA!! You still have one word left: how 'bout telling us which land you would like to see the new dining option be located in?

[TheManator]

Do I have to?
Why not: Toontown.

[mousechild]

For purposes of this discussion is Blue Bayou considered upscale?

[fo'c's'le swab]

Do I have to?

Unfortunately, participation in my threads is mandatory. Sorry.

[fo'c's'le swab]

For purposes of this discussion is Blue Bayou considered upscale?

I would say no--at least in terms of the standards by which the 'new' establishment is to be measured.

[fo'c's'le swab]

Originally posted by Kath2188 (in Jungle Cruise Refurb thread):

Adventurer's Club
"This highly unusual club is a combination of a lounge themed as a gentlemen's club in the 1930s and improvisational comedy. As you mingle through the club, you'll encounter an odd cast of characters who perform cabaret style productions in the library. The Adventurer's Club is the most unique club on the island and shouldn't be missed for those looking for something a little different."

This was posted yesterday by Kath2188. I overlooked it, but I think it deserves mentioning: do you all think the 'new' establishment should be a 'dinner theatre'? Should any form of entertainment be offered, if not a full stage production (i.e. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies in The Golden Horseshoe)?

[mousechild]

I would say no--at least in terms of the standards by which the 'new' establishment is to be measured.

With it established that Blue Bayou is not upscale enough for this discussion, I think there is enough demand that a restaurant of high quality could be opened inside the park. There are probably enough visitors that a high quality restaurant could do well. There are IMO a few caveats and for the purpose of illustration I will use Blue Bayou and Napa Rose as examples with most of us are familiar.

One of the attractions of Blue Bayou is that it is inside an attraction. It also happens to be in a relatively quite spot in the park. Quite spaces inside the park are hard to find, and compared to just outside the park BB is quite noisy. Imagine if the Blue Bayou was walled off with glass to lower the noise level, it would probably loose some of its appeal. Napa Rose is only a couple hundred feet outside the park and offers superior noise levels and a pretty good menu.

Fitting a restaurant inside the park is expensive, the space probably could be found but the cost to build inside the park is probably pretty high making the ROI pretty hard to cover. Would it make money, probably but Disney could probably have an easier time making its ROI by spending the money in other ways. That being said if the restaurant was built while a ride was being built or refurbished the cost to build could be lowered.

Napa Rose's prices outside the park are only slightly higher than BB inside the park with a noticeable increase in quality. Gut instinct tells me that it is a complicated process to deliver high quality food inside the park. Complicated usually results in high cost and high prices. I have no idea how high prices would have to be for Disney to feel that the Restaurant was making enough money.

All that aside I think there certainly room in the park for a restaurant, and the demand is probably great enough to support one. Would it make financial sense for Disney to open one I am not sure.

If the restaurant did use a ride as its hook to which ride should it be tied?

[Bruce Bergman]

Do I have to?
Why not: Toontown.

That location would be more fitting for a restaurant like "The Ink and Paint Club", but unless the "Midway Mania" tech can be plussed even more and pulled off seamlessly you'd have a heck of a time pulling that one off...

For purposes of this discussion is Blue Bayou considered upscale?

Kinda sorta, more or less... In the Disney view of how things work they consider it Upscale, they certainly charge Upscale prices for it. But most of the Upscale is just in the limited access - if you plopped the Blue Bayou down on La Cienega Blvd. "Restaurant Row" in Beverly Hills and they had to compete against real Upscale locations, it would die a slow and painful agony.

Disneyland needs more variety in dining choices, and more variety in the menus at both new and existing locations. (This is a recording.)

Reopen Lucky Fotune Cookery (with more than just the rice bowls they had at the end) and a similar Chinese outlet in Disneyland. Get Panda Express in as a consultant, they've figured out how to do it as a steam-table tray slide and make it work, you have to cook the entree items fresh in small batches as the sales are made. It will NOT work if you try to cook in big batches and hold it for hours.

Figure out a place to do Greek dining (theme an area after Hercules), with Gyros and Souvlaki and Spanikopita and Hummus dishes for the vegetartians. That one could also work in ToonTown.

Find a spot over in Critter Country for the BBQ, with a real wood-fired pit oven. If they built a tunnel so it wasn't a problem with the rafts, you could put it over on Tom Sawyer's Island, have a good reason to rebuild the Fort.

I'm going to stop doing Imagineering's job for them. There's money to be made, go out and get it.

--<< Bruce >>--

[fo'c's'le swab]

If the restaurant did use a ride as its hook to which ride should it be tied?

Interesting, as I hadn't considered it being physically tied to an attraction. Since the appeal of Club 33 relies on it's mystique, I was hoping a small, lavishly-appointed 'reservations only' place could survive, and even thrive if they furnish some of what Club 33 does: fine dining atmoshpere, better quality food, wine, real table service, peace and quiet, and an air of exclusivity. If it were tied to an attraction, it wouldn't be as much of an 'escape' from the Park crowds, IMO. Do you think it would ultimately be a liability or an asset to have an attraction be visible from an upscale dining establishment? I suppose one would have to consider if 'turnaround time' and 'maximum capacity' are principles that would or would not be foundation for the new restaurant (these are two elements that seem to be given the HIGHEST priority nowadays ).