Janosko remembered hearing the news that the sinking Pleasure Island was taking the Adventurers Club with it : “ Well , I basically went through six of the seven stages of grief ... but I never have reached the acceptance point , for I continue to hold out hope that one day , someone high up in the Disney corporation will resurrect the club .
“ We went through shock and denial and pain and guilt pretty fast and went straight to anger and bargaining — and became quite active in the petitions and letterwriting campaigns .”
The 2009 Adventurers Club Reunion at Downtown Disney . PHOTO COURTESY OF IAN JANOSKO
In the years since its closure , fans have been meeting and performing the Club Salute and have even raised over $ 40,000 for charity in the name of adventure . But if the club was closed … how did they do it ?
EARLY REUNIONS AT THE ADVENTURERS CLUB Janosko certainly goes about his business as though the club is still open each night — so he didn ’ t hesitate to let me know about the goings-on of club members since the 2008 closure .
About a year after the Adventures Club officially closed , Janosko attended the first reunion , held on September 26 , 2009 , by The ConGaloosh Society . The club building was still standing and retained all of its decor , available for private rentals .
Organizers Robert Croskery and Michael Gaven were able to secure former Adventurers Club actors for a night that included fan favorites like the RadioThon and Bon Voyage Hoopla . The night was followed by an evening of Pleasure Island history , presented by Disney historian Jim Korkis at the Royal Plaza Hotel , which included a club favorite , the ridiculous Balderdash Cup competition .
But 2010 brought about a disheartening change of venue . The beloved outpost “ was gutted ,” said Janosko , of its ancient artifacts and curiosities , and it was no longer available for private events . Holding reunions inside the Adventurers Club among artifacts procured from around the world by the legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde himself was no longer an option .
INDIANA JONES HOSTS A NEW VENUE While the loss of the club was devastating ,