Disney statement on Walt Disney World entertainment

[wannabeBelle]

For Magic Kingdom, the Dapper Dans are on a balcony in Frontierland doing their routine and it was awesome. The cavalcades are nice and a good touch. Could they replace the parades? Im undecided about that, but they are cute. The Mariachi Cobre and the Jammitors are both not equity from what I was told by another CM, so they believed they would be safe, although this CM's team had been cut and it was her last day. My heart was breaking for her. She was so wonderful and determined to make the day the best one ever!!
Epcot needs the entertainment back more than any of the others, the Studios could benefit greatly as well. Props to Animal Kingdom, they are working with what they can do with characters and live music on barges in the rivers. It isn't perfect but it was a damn sight better than Epcot!! Based in what I saw in terms of crowds at Epcot and Disney Springs, entertainment could be brought back specifically to break up the crowds and have things more spread out. DS on Saturday looked like a regular night pre-Covid. Marie

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The Mariachi Cobre and the Jammitors are both not equity from what I was told by another CM, so they believed they would be safe,

Both have been advertised as part of the arts festival as well. So it looks like they are safe short term.

I wonder if Mariachi Cobre is partially paid for by Mexico, or it is otherwise in that pavillions agreement. They are extremely talented, but not more so than other long term CM’s that were recently let go.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Honestly I couldn't tell you. I did make a point of seeing Mariachi Cobre the other day and they really are super talented. I always enjoy the Jammitors so that hasn't changed. Voices of Liberty weren't performing so no option there. I was not happy with my Epcot visit at all though. I did speak with Guest Services. She kept saying "due to Covid" even though we had explained that some of these cuts were very much pre-Covid by years, she didn't have any other answer. Marie

 

[Communicora]

She kept saying "due to Covid"

Ugh. Meanwhile they decide to keep the indoor Frozen singalong which is pretty much one of the worst entertainment offerings they could have from a safety standpoint.

 

[HauntedPirate]

How would that work? Serious question given a lot of people have prebought tickets (whether for canceled/postponed trips or APs or AP vouchers, etc) - would those people be able to get refunds on already paid tickets?

What about when they do bring back some parades or fireworks, etc and prices go back up? Do they allow the discounted tickets to provide entry? Do they make guests pay an up charge?

Are other parks discounting (regular single day) tickets? I’m being serious cuz I don’t know how other places are handling it.

My gut would tell me that the best way to handle the concept you are saying is to still sell at full price but allow guests to apply for a refund (say online to minimize staff costs) for any day they go and entertainment is not running. That would allow them to cut it off at a whim whenever they feel the “stuff” has reached a threshold to warrant full ticket prices.

Quite honestly, there's no logical reason why Disney continues to charge full price for a 60% parks experience, at best. AP's have already received an extra month on their expiration dates and they could easily tack another month or two on if they wanted to. Those who have pre-paid for their passes could be issued a refund or given a room credit if staying on-site. New tickets would obviously reflect a discounted rate. They have/had options, like the one you mentioned about applying for a refund, but choose to not use them.

Laying off 28k CM's while charging full price for tickets is not a good look from any standpoint. If I'm looking at this objectively, there's no way they can save face now.

 

[Judi8281950]

We stayed there on my first trip, in 1976, when I was seven years old. My mama called the Contemporary every night we were there, hoping for a room opening. We were rewarded on our last night there, and stayed one night in the Contemporary. It's still my favorite.

Aww, the Contemporary! We were supposed to stay there again this past August with my son, DIL, and granddaughter, but canceled because of Covid. We had the atrium level, first time and was really looking forward to it. Oh well, we will go again but not until everything returns to normal......hopefully, it will.

 

[nickys]

Speaking as an Australian living in Europe, no-one is thinking about a WDW vacation anytime soon regardless of the live entertainment.

I don't like these cuts and suspect they are far too deep, but I would more or less count international travel out of the equation for WDW for at least the first half of next year. In Europe a second wave is gathering strength and a whole new series of lockdowns are being announced across the continent. Australia, meanwhile, has opted to more or less close the borders until further notice. There is talk of opening them to New Zealand and some Asian countries that have minimal cases, but I can't see anything beyond that until well into next year.

For the foreseeable future, it will be the domestic market and perhaps Latin America sustaining WDW.

Agreed at least in part. But people want something to look forward to.

Everyone from Europe and further afield who had booked for this summer are likely to have just pushed the trip back a year. It remains to be seen what happens there. Will they get the option to do so again? Many U.K. based tour operators cancelled all packages for 2020 when it became obvious that “the experience would be severely diminished”.

And people have been booking holidays for 2021 where they can, perhaps more in optimism than realism. So I would expect a push by travel companies to encourage booking for next summer come the winter. And if Florida and WDW in particular want a share of those bookings they’ll have to demonstrate the “experience” will be returning to normal. Otherwise it’ll be ignored and people here will focus on European destinations.

 

[crispy]

I have a hard time understanding mentality like this. Many people are very afraid of the virus and yet they want Disney to pack people in for shows, crowd people together for street entertainment, and have all these other things going on that could potentially cause bottlenecks and lead to the disease spreading easier.

We're also criticizing an organization for their decisions made during a situation we've never faced in modern times. Of course it won't be perfect and I would suspect 90% of what got cut will come back in some form or another. Some of it might be better than before.

Disney is in survival mode. Like it or not.



I mentioned this as well. Reducing ticket prices is not as simple as many seem to think. It could get them into a huge mess of trouble for those with pre bought tickets, AP's complaining that since ticket prices are lower their AP price should go down, etc.

As for the atmosphere, I understand that. I do think a lot of people on here are not giving Disney enough credit though. They still ran food and wine, they still have tons of holiday treats for Christmas, they're still decorating for the holidays, doing holiday cavalcades, etc. When I was there a few weeks ago the singers were still on Main Street in magic kingdom, and I've heard that there's going to be some entertainment and things like that at least in Epcot for the holiday season.

Many people in the know have commented that they aren't even hitting their current targets so getting more guests in isn't going to make things unsafe. Plus, entertainment actually spreads the crowds around. When you cancel everything, they are concentrating all the guests in the few rides they have open.

 

[TTLUTS]

I think this is part of a bigger movement by WDW to get rid of all live entertainment and lower costs by eliminating their most expensive part of running their parks, the people...... I think WDW was planning all these cuts and COVID just accelerated their timeline and presented them the opportunity to do it all at once........Remember when it took a HUGE petition to have the Photopass Photographers put back in place after they were removed from their jobs and replaced by technology? Why would they get rid of atmosphere like entertainment (stuff that didn't pose a problem due to CIVID/social distancing, etc.) like the GF orchestra, green army men, etc? They are trying to eliminate all the entertainment that makes Disney, well Disney..........I understand if people still like to go, but there's almost nobody out there that if they had the choice and it was no cost to them that wouldn't choose to have all those options vs not have them..........I think its a BIG problem and most of these offerings will never be back

 

[crispy]

Quite honestly, there's no logical reason why Disney continues to charge full price for a 60% parks experience, at best. AP's have already received an extra month on their expiration dates and they could easily tack another month or two on if they wanted to. Those who have pre-paid for their passes could be issued a refund or given a room credit if staying on-site. New tickets would obviously reflect a discounted rate. They have/had options, like the one you mentioned about applying for a refund, but choose to not use them.

Laying off 28k CM's while charging full price for tickets is not a good look from any standpoint. If I'm looking at this objectively, there's no way they can save face now.

As far as refunds, when Universal decided to close Volcano Bay, guests who bought 3-park tickets were asked to go to guest services to get a gift card. We bought season passes so they extended them for 2 months (so basically we go a 17 month pass). There are ways to handle it.

 

[Dan Deesnee]

Many people in the know have commented that they aren't even hitting their current targets so getting more guests in isn't going to make things unsafe. Plus, entertainment actually spreads the crowds around. When you cancel everything, they are concentrating all the guests in the few rides they have open.

You really feel they only have a "few" rides open? The vast majority of rides are open. I would think maybe 90+%.

People mover is being refurbished / repaired. What other ride at MK is not open due to Covid? Voyage of the Little Mermaid is closed at Hollywood (and isn't a ride, but I'll list it anyway). EDIT - Primeval Whirl is closed, not Triceratops Spin -

 

[MichWolv]

You really feel they only have a "few" rides open? The vast majority of rides are open. I would think maybe 90+%.

People mover is being refurbished / repaired. What other ride at MK is not open due to Covid? Voyage of the Little Mermaid is closed at Hollywood (and isn't a ride, but I'll list it anyway). Triceratops spin is closed for good (happened pre-Covid I think).

Triceratops Spin is open. Primeval Whirl is closed.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

You really feel they only have a "few" rides open? The vast majority of rides are open. I would think maybe 90+%.

People mover is being refurbished / repaired. What other ride at MK is not open due to Covid? Voyage of the Little Mermaid is closed at Hollywood (and isn't a ride, but I'll list it anyway). Triceratops spin is closed for good (happened pre-Covid I think).

I think the poster you quoted was referring to all parks having very few rides and filling out the park with shows and atmosphere entertainment.

MK has a fair number of rides. Still a low number for the worlds most visited theme park imho but the other 3 parks have crazy low numbers of rides for $100 per day theme parks.

The WDW Railroad, Steamboat, and Peoplemover are all 3 down. All 3 have a pretty high capcity.

 

[LastoneOn]

The cavalcades are nice and a good touch. Could they replace the parades? Im undecided about that, but they are cute.

I think they offer more flexibility, seasonality for sure. So much to choose from instead of the same large set pieces year.

 

[Tha Realest]

Joy frolicking in the grass for 10min in 90 degree heat? Better drop $5000 to see that /s

I saw it in person. It felt like a CM was having a mental break. Maybe that's what they were going for given the source material, but it is....odd in person

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I saw it in person. It felt like a CM was having a mental break. Maybe that's what they were going for given the source material, but it is....odd in person

This makes it even better. I don’t know why but this is making me laugh out loud.

 

[Tha Realest]

This makes it even better. I don’t know why but this is making me laugh out loud.

This kind of captures it.

 

[JoeCamel]

I saw it in person. It felt like a CM was having a mental break. Maybe that's what they were going for given the source material, but it is....odd in person

The CM's must be lining up for that gig. A chance to break free onstage!

 

[Dan Deesnee]

I think the poster you quoted was referring to all parks having very few rides and filling out the park with shows and atmosphere entertainment.

MK has a fair number of rides. Still a low number for the worlds most visited theme park imho but the other 3 parks have crazy low numbers of rides for $100 per day theme parks.

The WDW Railroad, Steamboat, and Peoplemover are all 3 down. All 3 have a pretty high capcity.

True but when park hopping comes back a Disney ticket is still the best value around. I agree that right now with one park a day it's probably not a super value outside of magic kingdom. But again I don't think any park I've ever been to beats it when you have the ability to go to two or three amazing WDW parks in one day for that price.

 

[MaryJaneP]

This kind of captures it.

Looked like Joy from inside-out on some heavy, heavy pharma.