Mannequins Dance Palace

Even though I’m on the sunny side of 50, my favorite nightclub at Pleasure Island is Mannequins Dance Palace, located just across the boulevard from the new Raglan’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. If you arrive to the “Island” after 10:00 p.m., you’ll take the elevator to the second level of the club, where you’ll have a wonderful view of the revolving dance floor below. Several bars are located throughout the venue, and during busier hours, servers wander through the crowd (sometimes, even on the dance floor) to take your order.

I’m always reminded of the cast of the Broadway musical, CATS, whenever I see the actual mannequins overlooking the dance floor. (I’m not sure why, except maybe for the black dance tights they’re wearing.) The mannequins, along with the superb light show (featuring what’s called the “toaster oven” by insiders because the backlights literally blast you when they are turned on), provide the atmosphere, which is incredibly celebratory and edgy. Even if you have two left feet, don’t feel self-conscious. Go ahead. Wander out onto the dance floor, and enjoy the “revolution” while you sip your drink.

Note that on Thursday nights, you can catch a glimpse of a number of Disney cast members letting their hair down (so to speak, since they have haircut standards with which they must comply) after a hard week’s work. They help make the atmosphere all the more festive.