The long delayed restaurant and nightclub, The Edison at Disney Springs, opened to the public for a $150 ticketed event on New Year’s Eve 2017, and our own Nick LoCicero was there to check it out.
A giant clock is on display when guests enter.
I never thought I would see quite that much cleavage in a WDWNT post, but there it is. The Edison will not allow children after 10pm in the evening Thursday through Sunday, when it becomes a nightclub rather than a restaurant. We assume that these costumes will not appear until then.
Burlesque dancing makes up some of the entertainment guests will find inside of The Edison. There were also short acrobatic acts.
Live music will also play big role but Nick said he wouldn’t pay the $15 cover charge to see it after 10pm on a regular night.
A look at two of the alcoholic beverages. Nick said that all of the drinks that they tried were fantastic.
The Edison Burger.
Corn Dogs and Truffle Mac and Cheese.
Crab Cakes.
Lamb Meatballs shown (blurry) above.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup.
The bar is well-stocked.
The themed-elements are nice where they do appear, but if you are expecting detail at the level of The Adventurer’s Club that once stood here, you are not going to find it.
Not to be negative, but how did this take so long to build?
The event was quite different from how a normal night at the establishment will go, featuring carving stations and buffet style serving.
Everything in here reminds me of the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at Universal’s Citywalk. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing…
LOOK AT ALL THAT INTERIOR DECORATING!
A railing keeps guest from touching the mural.
A lighting fixture guests will find inside.
When you wait a long time for something, the anticipation only gets higher and higher, and at first glance, The Edison doesn’t necessarily seem to deliver. Nick stated that all of the food was good but very plain, the drinks were very good, but the interior will likely leave a lot to be desired for guests of any kind. The real question is if the entertainment will connect to guests, or if it is just too weird for a Walt Disney World audience to put on a nice jacket for (there is a dress code in place, at least for now).
Regardless, we will return to review The Edison during its regular dining and nightclub operations, which are set to begin later this week.
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So I guess Nick was really bored after 10:00pm.
I agree with you Tom, based on the pictures, why did this take so long to construct?! At first glance, pretty disappointing, especially compared to the great “clubs” that used to occupy this area in the past.
My gut says maybe the performers needed to wait for the venue to be complete to rehearse and that could have taken some time….maybe.
Ugh…
What a joke. Tom, your article is spot on. Disney should be ashamed of their performance. They should have just made it all a mall area, and let 3rd party people who know how to make and run a business come in. A Cheesecake factory could have done better. Heck. Burger King could have done better.
I cannot think of a worse operator in current times than Disney World in Orlando. And not just bitter because their stock is doing so poorly. They just don’t care very much about their product or value anymore.
This is third party…
Most of the dining is Patina Restaurant Group. Just ate there last night, it’s beautiful, and all of the food delicious. I was even surprised at how not over priced it was, having the aged prime rib. I didn’t know it was 3-rd party considering how detailed and old Pleasure Island it felt.
https://www.patinagroup.com/ They have lots of places all over the world.
Why did it take so long? If you have never done commercial construction, then you don’t know the joys of waiting for each little component to be inspected, making required changes, waiting for another inspection, and so forth. Sometimes the hold up is getting the equipment and manpower you need in a timely fashion and sometimes when you have those, you don’t have the materials you need so you have to reschedule. It’s a hair-pulling process under the best of circumstances and delays are almost inevitable, which is why they say things like “Opening late fall” rather than a specific date.
They were delayed over a year…
Two things of note:
1. It looks like a House of Blues knockoff
2. I guess the Corndog King was able to insert his product onto the dining menu.
I have a feeling Nick was wearing his Google glasses that night
This review is feckless. Just create a review on another site from the soft opening and the theming, decor and food all look phenomenal. Maybe the New Years Eve event wasn’t worth it but the pictures and comments I am seeing now are way more impressive than what is captured here. I think you need a return visit.
It looks like it has really caught the feel of the original Edison in downtown Los Angeles. I’m excited to see it at WDW, but I agree that I’m not sure the audience will be there. It’s pretty hipster which isn’t the typical WDW visitor.
So Dinsey turn down pleasure island to rebuild pleasure island. Dancing girls = Mannequins. Live bands = Beach Club.