Predictions on when evening hours and nighttime shows can resume?

TTA94

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Any predictions on when we could see evening hours, mainly MK, can return and maybe nighttime shows?
Nighttime shows I can see may take a little bit, possibly when Covid cases drop significantly, but I’m sure they Could be done with limited capacity and marked off areas to stand in?
 

Touchdown

Well-Known Member
I expect park hopping to come back first. I also think because it’s the latest open currently, the least popular park, the easiest show to social distance for, and I believe written into many resturant contracts Epcot will get its night show first.

At MK I expect multiple OUAT shows to happen soon after but it be awhile before HEA returns.

DHS and AK I suspect will be the last to get their nighttime shows and hours back.
 

techgeek

Well-Known Member
I wouldn’t be surprised if daily nighttime shows were a casualty long term. In a regular year now with regular insane attendance, MK hardly needs to provide motivation anymore to keep people around until 9pm. The nighttime parade has already successfully been eliminated. Daily operation probably doesn’t ‘need’ the crowds to stay, exception being if the park can be resold for parties as often as possible.

The conventional wisdom was that a daily lagoon show was essential to keep dining booked at Epcot... once attendance picks up to normal this may be tested. Did Epcot really need Illuminations nightly to make their festival f&b targets? Was Disney already spooked by the lackluster reception of Epcot Forever?

F! has been subject of rumors of performance cuts for years. It’s insanely labor expensive with a huge cast. It needed a full rework pre-pandemic which is now highly doubtful. It’s not a headliner for the studios anymore. Keep a projection / minor pyro show running at the Chinese, but no other park except Disneyland has two major nighttime shows. Until they need to suck up a lot of evening crowds, no F!.

RoL can’t cost much to run, but it also isn’t a destination show either. Pandora drives nighttime hours at AK, the show fills out the bill.

I guess the question becomes, did any of these shows sell enough cupcake viewing parties and dining packages to hold their own? I think they will all be back, eventually, but the company is going to be in cutback mode for years and I doubt they will return immediately upon the fight being ‘won’ against Covid, and perhaps even never again to the level we were all used to. Maybe unfortunately weekends and seasonally only, for the ‘new normal’? Shows with less labor, less pyro and more projection? I think the future is perhaps more murky for the nighttime shows then anything else parks related. I hope I’m wrong, but it’s an obvious place to make some deep long term operational cuts.
 

Touchdown

Well-Known Member
They tried this before at DHS to disastrous results, I don’t think the night time shows are gone for good. Without those shows a whole lot of people are going to leave late afternoon and eat somewhere else (like offsite or best case DS but Disney doesn’t directly own most of those restaurants.) I think it’s going to take awhile (probably 2021 unless a vaccine happens) but they’ll be back.
 

DoleWhipDrea

Well-Known Member
For the official 50th anniversary next year in October. Disney will market it as a huge gain for guests, get around having to design a brand new fireworks show and parade. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they design a special cupcake “themed” to either.
 

Crazydisneyfanluke

Well-Known Member
Any predictions on when we could see evening hours, mainly MK, can return and maybe nighttime shows?
Nighttime shows I can see may take a little bit, possibly when Covid cases drop significantly, but I’m sure they Could be done with limited capacity and marked off areas to stand in?
MK probably be the third one to have their entertainment return fully. The crowding in the hub would need a lot of CMs to keep social distance.

EPCOT might be first due to the large area where people can view the fireworks and it will help keep people there are spending money on F&B.

AK has ROL which has seating, which would be easily transformed into social distanced seating for the show. One thing to note, AK might not go to nightime hours for a while.

DHS has F! Which has a very large capacity. The only issue will be with the performers. Will they be on stage with masks? No. Will there be social distancing with performers on stage? I don't think so.

Entertainment should be phased back in slowly, when it makes sense to. Some of the venues have the capability to do social distancing, but would require a increase in CMs.
 

Crazydisneyfanluke

Well-Known Member
Would be nice if we could get evenings back at MK by November/December so we can enjoy the Christmas decorations lit up. I see no reason why they wouldn’t still decorate, even if no parties this year.
It would be great. I hope they don't keep them down to save money. I tend to have a higher budget for when Christmas decorations are up....
 

peter11435

Well-Known Member
Would be nice if we could get evenings back at MK by November/December so we can enjoy the Christmas decorations lit up. I see no reason why they wouldn’t still decorate, even if no parties this year.
I would imagine they will decorate but it will be drastically scaled back. Remember how many resort decorations were cut following 2001. It wasn’t until 2016 that most of the resort dining locations finally had decor back that was removed after 2001.
 

Sweet Thing

Well-Known Member
MK probably be the third one to have their entertainment return fully. The crowding in the hub would need a lot of CMs to keep social distance.

EPCOT might be first due to the large area where people can view the fireworks and it will help keep people there are spending money on F&B.

AK has ROL which has seating, which would be easily transformed into social distanced seating for the show. One thing to note, AK might not go to nightime hours for a while.

DHS has F! Which has a very large capacity. The only issue will be with the performers. Will they be on stage with masks? No. Will there be social distancing with performers on stage? I don't think so.

Entertainment should be phased back in slowly, when it makes sense to. Some of the venues have the capability to do social distancing, but would require a increase in CMs.
Not to mention some of the performers in F! are Equity. So, until their union comes to an agreement with WDW, they will not be returning.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Any predictions on when we could see evening hours, mainly MK, can return and maybe nighttime shows?
Nighttime shows I can see may take a little bit, possibly when Covid cases drop significantly, but I’m sure they Could be done with limited capacity and marked off areas to stand in?
Wow...

Not really watching the ballgame too closely right now, are ya?
 

oceanbreeze77

Well-Known Member
Would be nice if we could get evenings back at MK by November/December so we can enjoy the Christmas decorations lit up. I see no reason why they wouldn’t still decorate, even if no parties this year.
I didn't think of this. Itlll be interesting to see how they handle this. The tree lighting always attracts tons of people
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I would imagine they will decorate but it will be drastically scaled back. Remember how many resort decorations were cut following 2001. It wasn’t until 2016 that most of the resort dining locations finally had decor back that was removed after 2001.
I didn't think of this. Itlll be interesting to see how they handle this. The tree lighting always attracts tons of people
The problem with nighttime’s/decorations is that low light conditions will make it harder to enforce masks/distancing. Those parks aren’t “well lit” - by design. It’s part of their charm.
 

ifan

Well-Known Member
I'd say early/first quarter 2021 based off mass availability of a vaccine later this year going into early next. Yes, I realize people are still skeptics of a vaccine being available that soon - but I am more optimistic based on reading where the Phase 3 trials are at. Oxford scheduled to get results next month, Moderna in November, etc. I'd be shocked if some vaccine wasn't available in at least enough quantities for nursing homes by the end of the year.
 

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