Downtown Disney is what every downtown should be. The Marketplace section has lots of stores and restaurants, trees and benches and water fountains, helpful maps and guides everywhere, all on the waterfront. Then there's Pleasure Island, a wonderful nightlife area with clubs for all tastes -- from jazz to dance to disco to top 40 and more. You have to pay a fee to get into Pleasure Island, but our park-hopper passes let us get in free, and since both Sarah and I are over 21 we had full access to all the clubs.

We spent Monday night downtown, first exploring all the little stores there (Ghirardelli ice cream store! Lego store with giant Lego sculptures out front!) and then going to the clubs. We stopped in the 21+ dance club but it was empty except for some thirtysomething-year-old guys leaning on the bar, so we left and checked out the all-ages "Motion" club which was packed with people, mostly 18 to 24 year olds. Hot 18 to 24 year olds. Including my wife. Rowr!

So we danced the night away there. Drinks were reasonably priced, amazingly ($4.25 for a rum & Coke) and since half the crowd was under 21, there wasn't a long wait at the bar. The DJ was talented, and had music videos showing on a giant screen above him which was a nice touch. At one point, he played NSYNC's song, "Pop," and three black guys cleared a space and performed, with great skill, a nicely choreographed dance to it in the middle of the dance floor. That was impressive.

We had a great time and went back Tuesday night, the last night of the trip, and danced some more. Sarah and I both enjoy clubbing but we've never really done it for some reason, until now. I think this will give us an impetus to get out a little more around here.

It'd be nice if there was a Disney Downtown in Providence, though!