Last night I ventured into the CityWalk clubs for the first time. Ever since I had turned 21 I had never thought to "go out" at CityWalk until driving by the other day and realizing that they actually do have clubs there lol. So off we went...
Overall I was so underwhelmed. Coming from a college town I'm used to drinking in dingy little bars, so I was excited to try something classier, well-themed, etc. The clubs definitely are classier and themed, that's for sure. But they're just not that much fun. They seemed very low-energy and for the price, not anything special. Before I go further I will admit that it was raining last night, and I can see how that may have taken a toll on the crowd that night--but really, it only heavily rained at around 5-5:30 and by 9 it was totally gone so I dont know if I fully buy that excuse. I mean, it was still a Friday night during the summer. Anyway...
We started at Rising Star. Wow how disappointing. It reminded me of a cruise ship lounge in the way it was set up and decorated. The service was absolutely awful. We were sat upstairs (despite there being plenty of room downstairs) and didn't get any service for a good 15 minutes. I went to the bar to just get the drinks myself but had to wait even longer--I dont know where the heck all the servers were but for the price you're paying for these places I expected better. When a bartender finally came over to the oddly empty bar, she tells me sorta half-heartedly that they're out of Fireball after looking for like a full minute (one of our friends wanted a Red Hot). Ok, so your bar is not only devoid of staff, its understocked...cool.
Drinks finally in hand, I sat down...only to see that the crew had taken a 30-minute break. I was surprised that they couldn't spring for two bands/backup singer duos to alternate rather than make us sit for half an hour. Even if the club absolutely can't just have 2 alternating crews, I think the dowtime was handled poorly--I mentioned that the place reminded me of a cruise ship lounge, not just aesthetically but in the way it's laid out. There's no place to stand, dance, etc., so why does the off-time music sound like party music? It should've been, IMO, a more relaxed lounge-atmosphere when karaoke wasn't happening, that would've complimented the design more IMO. Anyway, the one good part was the last karaoke guy we saw--a big, well-built guy singing Rolling in the Deep, he was the man.
Next we went to Pat O'Brien's. I'm a sucker for New Orleans so I was excited. The design of this place is great...but again, it was dead. The back patio was conpletely empty, and the inside was full of a weird crowd--an odd mix of older but sexually-overactive couples and families. The pianos were fun, but the service was terrible again. Took a while to get service and I was not trying to go to the bar this time where one of the aforementioned sexually-overactive couples was getting a little too comfy. As for the drinks (when we actually got them), I was kinda disappointed that all the specialty's were majority rum-based. I was hoping that there would be a little more variety given the broad theme. I do like that you get to keep the cup, but it's a pretty boring cup. One thing I dont get about this place is why they charge cover when there's an empty back patio and why service is so slow when the place is literally half-empty.
At this point we were really annoyed by our whole experience to that point. Wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt, we checked out Red Coconut. Boring. Basic architecture. Overdone theme. Just not what I would expect from a theme park club. So we left. Disappointed.
My question is, firstly, is this a typical experience here? Because, if it is, I don't see the merits of keeping these clubs operating. I mean, who is the target demographic here?
-Tourists? I think the last thing most people want to do after a full day in the hot parks is spend all night drinking. It seems it'd be easiest for them since they're a boat ride away but if last night was any indication, they're not exactly flocking here.
-Locals? I don't buy it. It's overpriced and there are better locations in Orlando that are much easier to get to. I do realize that we missed out on the CityPass option (which seems like a good deal to be honest), but even then, the drink prices are insane and not everyone gets free parking. Plus, it requires driving, and if I'm gonna spend $60 I wanna get drunk, not lightly buzzed but good enough to drive.
So what do you guys think? What are the merits of keeping these clubs and what do they bring to the table of a resort trying to reinvent itself as a prime vacation destination for the mass organized family tourists? Would the space they take up be better served as unique, more accessible entertainment options or more unique dining? Or are they actually fun for a post-college crowd?
Personally, I'll take Miller's, Rocco's or World of Beer nearby. I'll maybe check out Bob Marley's for dinner but other than that, I wouldn't miss the clubs if they left forever.
Overall I was so underwhelmed. Coming from a college town I'm used to drinking in dingy little bars, so I was excited to try something classier, well-themed, etc. The clubs definitely are classier and themed, that's for sure. But they're just not that much fun. They seemed very low-energy and for the price, not anything special. Before I go further I will admit that it was raining last night, and I can see how that may have taken a toll on the crowd that night--but really, it only heavily rained at around 5-5:30 and by 9 it was totally gone so I dont know if I fully buy that excuse. I mean, it was still a Friday night during the summer. Anyway...
We started at Rising Star. Wow how disappointing. It reminded me of a cruise ship lounge in the way it was set up and decorated. The service was absolutely awful. We were sat upstairs (despite there being plenty of room downstairs) and didn't get any service for a good 15 minutes. I went to the bar to just get the drinks myself but had to wait even longer--I dont know where the heck all the servers were but for the price you're paying for these places I expected better. When a bartender finally came over to the oddly empty bar, she tells me sorta half-heartedly that they're out of Fireball after looking for like a full minute (one of our friends wanted a Red Hot). Ok, so your bar is not only devoid of staff, its understocked...cool.
Drinks finally in hand, I sat down...only to see that the crew had taken a 30-minute break. I was surprised that they couldn't spring for two bands/backup singer duos to alternate rather than make us sit for half an hour. Even if the club absolutely can't just have 2 alternating crews, I think the dowtime was handled poorly--I mentioned that the place reminded me of a cruise ship lounge, not just aesthetically but in the way it's laid out. There's no place to stand, dance, etc., so why does the off-time music sound like party music? It should've been, IMO, a more relaxed lounge-atmosphere when karaoke wasn't happening, that would've complimented the design more IMO. Anyway, the one good part was the last karaoke guy we saw--a big, well-built guy singing Rolling in the Deep, he was the man.
Next we went to Pat O'Brien's. I'm a sucker for New Orleans so I was excited. The design of this place is great...but again, it was dead. The back patio was conpletely empty, and the inside was full of a weird crowd--an odd mix of older but sexually-overactive couples and families. The pianos were fun, but the service was terrible again. Took a while to get service and I was not trying to go to the bar this time where one of the aforementioned sexually-overactive couples was getting a little too comfy. As for the drinks (when we actually got them), I was kinda disappointed that all the specialty's were majority rum-based. I was hoping that there would be a little more variety given the broad theme. I do like that you get to keep the cup, but it's a pretty boring cup. One thing I dont get about this place is why they charge cover when there's an empty back patio and why service is so slow when the place is literally half-empty.
At this point we were really annoyed by our whole experience to that point. Wanting to give them the benefit of the doubt, we checked out Red Coconut. Boring. Basic architecture. Overdone theme. Just not what I would expect from a theme park club. So we left. Disappointed.
My question is, firstly, is this a typical experience here? Because, if it is, I don't see the merits of keeping these clubs operating. I mean, who is the target demographic here?
-Tourists? I think the last thing most people want to do after a full day in the hot parks is spend all night drinking. It seems it'd be easiest for them since they're a boat ride away but if last night was any indication, they're not exactly flocking here.
-Locals? I don't buy it. It's overpriced and there are better locations in Orlando that are much easier to get to. I do realize that we missed out on the CityPass option (which seems like a good deal to be honest), but even then, the drink prices are insane and not everyone gets free parking. Plus, it requires driving, and if I'm gonna spend $60 I wanna get drunk, not lightly buzzed but good enough to drive.
So what do you guys think? What are the merits of keeping these clubs and what do they bring to the table of a resort trying to reinvent itself as a prime vacation destination for the mass organized family tourists? Would the space they take up be better served as unique, more accessible entertainment options or more unique dining? Or are they actually fun for a post-college crowd?
Personally, I'll take Miller's, Rocco's or World of Beer nearby. I'll maybe check out Bob Marley's for dinner but other than that, I wouldn't miss the clubs if they left forever.