Frozen's Anna and Elsa meet and greet times to be extended at Princess Fairytale Hall

[GiveMeTheMusic]

What, an 8 hour day at $12 an hour? Wow, so much money. Where's the expense aside from costuming?

The expense is that over the past 10-15 years, the park has transitioned from having multiple characters in multiple locations to having a few characters in high capacity locations. With princesses alone, the park has to staff at least 20 a day if my calculations are correct - I know at Disneyland the number of princess shifts in a day can hit 30-40 depending on operations that day. Multiple Mickeys, multiple Tinker Bells, multiple princesses - all in the name of capacity. Didn't used to be that way, so now all the budget that would have gone to character variety is applied to high capacity venues like PFH and TST.

At least, I think that's what @asianway was referring to.

And yes, it's not much money, especially in the grand scheme of WDW revenues, but that's not the point - they want this stuff run as cheaply as possible to maximize profits.

 

[mm52200]

The expense is that over the past 10-15 years, the park has transitioned from having multiple characters in multiple locations to having a few characters in high capacity locations. With princesses alone, the park has to staff at least 20 a day if my calculations are correct - I know at Disneyland the number of princess shifts in a day can hit 30-40 depending on operations that day. Multiple Mickeys, multiple Tinker Bells, multiple princesses - all in the name of capacity. Didn't used to be that way, so now all the budget that would have gone to character variety is applied to high capacity venues like PFH and TST.

At least, I think that's what @asianway was referring to.

And yes, it's not much money, especially in the grand scheme of WDW revenues, but that's not the point - they want this stuff run as cheaply as possible to maximize profits.

It's also a shame that a major expansion in the park (New Fantasyland) featured so many of these high capacity character venues (ETWB, Ariel's Grotto, PFH, PSS) and yet if my understanding is correct the MK entertainment budget wasn't really expanded. You'd think if an increase in operating costs were needed because of something ordered from the big wigs (New Fantasyland) that they would give them more money, but nope. Instead more of the same characters are needed at the cost of character variety.

 

[asianway]

The expense is that over the past 10-15 years, the park has transitioned from having multiple characters in multiple locations to having a few characters in high capacity locations. With princesses alone, the park has to staff at least 20 a day if my calculations are correct - I know at Disneyland the number of princess shifts in a day can hit 30-40 depending on operations that day. Multiple Mickeys, multiple Tinker Bells, multiple princesses - all in the name of capacity. Didn't used to be that way, so now all the budget that would have gone to character variety is applied to high capacity venues like PFH and TST.

At least, I think that's what @asianway was referring to.

And yes, it's not much money, especially in the grand scheme of WDW revenues, but that's not the point - they want this stuff run as cheaply as possible to maximize profits.

Yep dead on. Plus pfth needs a few attendants, photopass, a captain...

That's just one location. Mickey is the worst though. I count 32 performer shifts in tst alone. That's insane. People do not understand that every time they double up at one of the venues it comes at the cost of variety. And it isn't this way in the international parks. A couple dedicated locations that's it-the rest are all pop ups

 

[Dragonrider1227]

BOO! Taking out classic characters for mediocre characters that already have a meet and greet in Epcot. Sucks to be Snow White. She gets her ride paved over for a meet and greet, and now she can't even be in the meet and greet ><

 

[Matt_Black]

BOO! Taking out classic characters for mediocre characters that already have a meet and greet in Epcot. Sucks to be Snow White. She gets her ride paved over for a meet and greet, and now she can't even be in the meet and greet ><

Uh... They don't have a meet & greet in Epcot. The Norway location was always meant to be temporary. As far as the "mediocre" complaint goes, that's a matter of opinion, though I'm sure there are many who'd disagree with you.

 

[alissafalco]

I don't think most people understand how much money is already spent on meet n greets at the MK on a daily basis...I'm surprised they haven't started chopping yet.

Oh cry me a river

 

[drew81]

It's rumored that Elsa and Anna will be split up and meet individually.

 

[wdrive]

It's rumored that Elsa and Anna will be split up and meet individually.

Wouldn't surprise me because then they can cut Aurora too and save a few more pennies. I really do worry how much longer WDW can go on, must be on the verge of bankruptcy now...

 

[asianway]

It's rumored that Elsa and Anna will be split up and meet individually.

I posted that removing Aurora was a good idea last week. TDO, you can send my consulting check to the usual place

 

[Matt_Black]

Umm... You folks know you can meet both Snow and Aurora at EPCOT still, right? It's not like they'd be gone, never to be seen again.

 

[RSoxNo1]

There's talk on twitter of Anna and Elsa splitting up in the Fairytale Hall meet and greet. Is anyone else hearing this?

 

[mm52200]

There's talk on twitter of Anna and Elsa splitting up in the Fairytale Hall meet and greet. Is anyone else hearing this?

Just scroll up a little bit

What's the logic behind splitting them up? Just saving money or is it to try and help speed up the line?

 

[maxairmike]

Just scroll up a little bit

What's the logic behind splitting them up? Just saving money or is it to try and help speed up the line?

From what it sounds like on Twitter, neither. It sounds like they're separating them completely, as in Anna in one half of the Hall, and Elsa in the other. Not sure that would help lines at all unless they think there's a large amount of people that want to meet one and not the other.

 

[Matt_Black]

From what it sounds like on Twitter, neither. It sounds like they're separating them completely, as in Anna in one half of the Hall, and Elsa in the other. Not sure that would help lines at all unless they think there's a large amount of people that want to meet one and not the other.

I would predict that the side with Elsa would be a bit more popular, but we'll see.

 

[71jason]

Not sure that would help lines at all unless they think there's a large amount of people that want to meet one and not the other.

If doll sales and anecdotes from friends are any indication, yes, Elsa is going to have a 4-hour line, while Anna's will be closer to Cinderella's. I don't see how that solves anything, tho, unless they plan on cutting Anna's hours back.

 

[Matt_Black]

If doll sales and anecdotes from friends are any indication, yes, Elsa is going to have a 4-hour line, while Anna's will be closer to Cinderella's. I don't see how that solves anything, tho, unless they plan on cutting Anna's hours back.

On the other hand, setting up a M&G with one character is either than doing so for do. Right now, PFH has 5 princesses; even scaling that back by one is going to make things easier, even if only a bit.

 

[71jason]

On the other hand, setting up a M&G with one character is either than doing so for do. Right now, PFH has 5 princesses; even scaling that back by one is going to make things easier, even if only a bit.

Well, cheaper, I don't know about easier.

 

[mm52200]

I thought by splitting them up they meant that the two would be meeting individually in one hall together? With all of the FP+ reservations already made how could they split them into two separate halls?

 

[MarkTwain]

From what it sounds like on Twitter, neither. It sounds like they're separating them completely, as in Anna in one half of the Hall, and Elsa in the other. Not sure that would help lines at all unless they think there's a large amount of people that want to meet one and not the other.

This sounds like a guest service disaster in the making. No guest is going to want to wait in a three hour line twice.

Not to mention how much of their appeal comes from their chemistry together.

 

[Matt_Black]

Well, cheaper, I don't know about easier.

Well, two characters means double the chances for talking, so that is part of the reason lines are long. Split them up, and chit chat gets cut down a bit and the line will move a bit faster.