The Orlando Sentinel have recently run an interesting story stating that from September 27th that Disney will start a programme of closing down the nightclubs in the Pleasure Island district of Downtown Disney.

They claim that the aim is to make Downtown Disney an area more geared towards the family market. So it is the end for the BET SoundStage Club, Mannequins Dance Palace, 8Trax and three other clubs that have for years catered largely to young, single adults.

Personally, I’m fairly ambivalent as to the closure of the nightclubs, probably because I am one of the Disney customers who’s looking for entertainment that will feature to the “broader” market. Or more to the point, when I’m visiting Walt Disney World even if I had the energy, I couldn’t go clubbing because I’m travelling with the kids. That said, the nightclubs always looked a successful if not “typical” Disney venture.

“Right now we believe we’ve got a shortage of dining capacity and shopping capacity, so we’ll be adding to those areas, and we’ll be looking at some specialized entertainment options also,” said Downtown Disney Vice President Kevin Lansberry.

So what will happen with the area that the Pleasure Island nightclubs took up? Does this story add credence to the rumor of the opening of Disney’s Night Kingdom? Will this be one of the “specialized entertainment options” that Kevin Lansberry discussed? From what I’ve read, the answer is no. It looks like we could end up with more restaurants and shops.