American Idol Experience To Close

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
You all are talking about people losing jobs

While I may be wrong here, I bet most of the staff is cross-trained and will go to the other attraction or will be trained on another attraction. I really don't think disney would fire you because yur attraction closed. Because don't they pick your attraction.

Equity. All those actors on stage? Equity.
 

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
Oh gotcha. Well maybe they should look into that lol.
As I understand, Frozen will be moving to the old AIE theatre. MY source says that Echo Lake and the theatre will stay, with Star Wars moving into the Streets of America and Backlot area.
Actually he really is British. He really has had somewhat of a successful performing career (he was in Larry the Cable Guy's movie! Also wrote/directed an acclaimed show at Fringe). And he really is that snarky in the real world.
Sure, ONE is British. I doubt that all Simon-types are though.
Always sad to see how immature people are and how happy they are that lots of people will be losing their jobs. The show wasn't hurting anyone by existing and no ones entirely sure what's going on with the space either so you're applauding another cut.
All signs point to the space being used pretty quick after its closure. This is a theme park. Nothing is gonna stick around solely because people work there. Omelettes and eggs, man.
 

71jason

Well-Known Member
Equity. All those actors on stage? Equity.

Also at least one or two backstage "audition" positions were Equity as well. At least 10 positions I imagine. And with the clowns leaving, more actors looking for fewer jobs.

Although yes, the $9/hour kids will be reassigned, or simply work at Frozen as soon as the new show starts.

BTW, despite the hemming and hawing about EPCOT, doesn't this mean three D/E-tickets at DHS are now princess-based--arguably same as MK? (I don't consider the Mine Train a Snow White ride). Four if Princess Sofia counts.
 

SoccerMickey

Active Member
Hmmm. Looks like I was right.
Well I don't think anyone was questioning if you were right or not, the issue, for me anyway, is that the cast had not been officially told. Granted, there had been a lot of grumblings around the water cooler that it was happening sooner than later, the right thing to do would be let them have a day to be told, cry it out, and have a moment in peace before they come online and see in message boards and twitter feeds a litany of fanboys jumping and screaming how thrilled they are that the show they all worked hard at for the past five years is shutting its doors for good.
And to be honest, I never understood the hatred of the show. I understand it wasn't a Disney property but neither was Indiana Jones nor Star Wars when they were first introduced into the parks. But it did a lot of things that people complain that Walt Disney World doesn't do anymore. 1. It brought back the feel of live production into what is now a defunct movie/television studio. The production quality between the audio, lighting, and video quality was top rate. 2. When Walt Disney World rolled out the Year of a Million Dreams they were able to convince a park guest that winning a set of mickey ears was fulfilling a life long dream. Here people with the dream of being a pop star had the chance to do it, not just for the 90-seconds they were on stage but during the whole audition process. 3. For quite some time this message board was flooded with messages regarding "Save the Adventurers Club" and this venue became home to lots of the Pleasure Island talent in its early days. I get that the people would have rather see them perform at Downtown Disney but what about supporting the production that is giving these beloved performers the ability to make a living as an actor instead of loudly vocalizing how lousy you think the show is without giving it a real chance.
As a Disney fan I'm excited to see what comes next, hoping its something good. But as an Orlando local,who have gotten to know a lot of the cast members at the attraction and all the hard work that goes into getting these shows up and running my side is with them. And for further proof they were doing good in that facility just search americanidolexperience on twitter and see how much of a difference that attraction made in a wannabe popstar's day.
 

tl77

Well-Known Member
So AI closes Aug 31, Frozen Summer ends Sept 28, and The Osborne Lights were just announced to begin Nov 7. That gives them about 2 months to switch the theater out to accommodate... maybe a Frozen Holiday show beginning to begin in Nov with the Osborne lights?
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Well I don't think anyone was questioning if you were right or not, the issue, for me anyway, is that the cast had not been officially told.

Thats not my problem.

If Management drags its feet? I have no control over that.

I don't work for the company and I don't toe their line.

If your managers don't respect you enough to tell you the truth, I can't fix that.
 

Sped2424

Well-Known Member
Well I don't think anyone was questioning if you were right or not, the issue, for me anyway, is that the cast had not been officially told. Granted, there had been a lot of grumblings around the water cooler that it was happening sooner than later, the right thing to do would be let them have a day to be told, cry it out, and have a moment in peace before they come online and see in message boards and twitter feeds a litany of fanboys jumping and screaming how thrilled they are that the show they all worked hard at for the past five years is shutting its doors for good.
And to be honest, I never understood the hatred of the show. I understand it wasn't a Disney property but neither was Indiana Jones nor Star Wars when they were first introduced into the parks. But it did a lot of things that people complain that Walt Disney World doesn't do anymore. 1. It brought back the feel of live production into what is now a defunct movie/television studio. The production quality between the audio, lighting, and video quality was top rate. 2. When Walt Disney World rolled out the Year of a Million Dreams they were able to convince a park guest that winning a set of mickey ears was fulfilling a life long dream. Here people with the dream of being a pop star had the chance to do it, not just for the 90-seconds they were on stage but during the whole audition process. 3. For quite some time this message board was flooded with messages regarding "Save the Adventurers Club" and this venue became home to lots of the Pleasure Island talent in its early days. I get that the people would have rather see them perform at Downtown Disney but what about supporting the production that is giving these beloved performers the ability to make a living as an actor instead of loudly vocalizing how lousy you think the show is without giving it a real chance.
As a Disney fan I'm excited to see what comes next, hoping its something good. But as an Orlando local,who have gotten to know a lot of the cast members at the attraction and all the hard work that goes into getting these shows up and running my side is with them. And for further proof they were doing good in that facility just search americanidolexperience on twitter and see how much of a difference that attraction made in a wannabe popstar's day.
Him stating it online would be better for unsuspecting folks would it not? I would rather have an insider tell me the attraction I am working for is going away rather than hear it a couple days before it happens. I Think most people would. Also you do realize it's not like this is his decision? He was just informing folks that this show was closing.
 

startraveler

Active Member
So AI closes Aug 31, Frozen Summer ends Sept 28, and The Osborne Lights were just announced to begin Nov 7. That gives them about 2 months to switch the theater out to accommodate... maybe a Frozen Holiday show beginning to begin in Nov with the Osborne lights?

Hey, what about October? Anything special then?
 

SirLink

Well-Known Member
Well @71jason mentioned The Clowns/Giggle Gang & the royal merry makers

So wait after opening in 2012 they are getting rid of that entertainment in 2014 ... I don't ... I really want to do a sit down interview to find the logic of what the role of side entertainment is and why its important ... but I s'pose they would scream in a Mr.Palin "Gumby" sort of a way ... "MONEY ... AW MY BRAIN HURTS".
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
So wait after opening in 2012 they are getting rid of that entertainment in 2014 ... I don't ... I really want to do a sit down interview to find the logic of what the role of side entertainment is and why its important ... but I s'pose they would scream in a Mr.Palin "Gumby" sort of a way ... "MONEY ... AW MY BRAIN HURTS".

That's what Jason heard. I'm still trying to vette The information. I feel it's pretty solid though. (The clowns more so)

I mean they have to find a way to pay for Anna and Elsa somehow… you'll forgive me if I am somehow not "understanding" of how Disney can cut 20 year acting veterans at the drop of a hat only to replace them with some college girl in a dress. Smdh.
 

SirLink

Well-Known Member
That's what Jason heard. I'm still trying to vette The information. I feel it's pretty solid though. (The clowns more so)

I mean they have to find a way to pay for Anna and Elsa somehow… you'll forgive me if I am somehow not "understanding" of how Disney can cut 20 year acting veterans at the drop of a hat only to replace them with some college girl in a dress. Smdh.

Well after literally just watching Monty Python "Gumby visits the Brain Specialist" sketch it makes a little sense that all the executives scream "OW ... MY BRAIN HURTS" its the only explanation.
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Well after literally just watching Monty Python "Gumby visits the Brain Specialist" sketch it makes a little sense that all the executives scream "OW ... MY BRAIN HURTS" its the only explanation.

Its the budgets. Entertainment will sit there and say "we are still spending the same amount of money" and that may be true… instead of one character actor that it entertains a crowd of people, you have four copies of one person so they can have that character meet and greet guests from Park open to park close.

Management will continue to claim that it's the most amount of entertainment they've had but it's all on how they want to juke the stats
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Its the budgets. Entertainment will sit there and say "we are still spending the same amount of money" and that may be true… instead of one character actor that it entertains a crowd of people, you have four copies of one person so they can have that character meet and greet guests from Park open to park close.

Management will continue to claim that it's the most amount of entertainment they've had but it's all on how they want to juke the stats

Not to mention that 8-12 CP girls for Frozen are a LOT cheaper than Equity actors. And Disney even gets to charge them rent as they sleep 4 to a undersized room.

Delicious!!! as Elliot Carver once noted...

#YearOfAThousandCuts
 

71jason

Well-Known Member
And to be honest, I never understood the hatred of the show.

I'll defend it to an extent. The set was top-notch, and the few times I caught the show, it was as often as not entertaining, minus the obvious filler to pad it out to 25 minutes (e.g. the Ryan Secrest and Jordin Sparks videos).

That said, it arrived far too late to be relevant--had it premiered with, say, Season 3, it could have had a nice 6 - 8 year run. But it was a lot of money to blow on a show that was always going to have a shelf life--it felt dated a year in when the judging lineup changed on TV. And it never really caught on because most guests have no intention of staying in the Studios all day, which winning a preliminary show required you to do (that's not snark, that's a legit issue the show faced in recruiting contestants).

At the end of the day, had all that money been spent on a D-ticket dark ride to balance out TSMM, I think the vast majority of guests would have been happier.
 

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