EPCOT Entertainment cuts

note2001

note2001

Well-Known Member
I'm curious as to why Disney has decided to make so many changes all in one year. There are so many different reasons that could potentially exist, so I won't start to guess.

The news of the changes would be a little easier to take if they had just replaced one group at a time over the years instead of many all at once.
 
I_heart_Tigger

I_heart_Tigger

Well-Known Member
I'm so sad that Off Kilter is leaving. I was there for the very first show (and many MANY more in between) and I wish I could be there for their last one to have a beer and toast to a great group of guys.

I understand they are absolutely gutted. What a shock. Just a "thanks for your work and see ya later!"

Now there will be musicians scrambling to find work that pays decent enough to support their families. It's just heartbreaking they weren't offered anything else but I guess if it's budget cuts there is no point shuffling people around.

As for anyone who doesn't think Off Kilter has anything to do with Canadian culture...WRONG. This IS Nova Scotia, beer drinking, celtic rocking, gaelic toasting, kilt wearing, highland dancing friendly folks. Does it represent ALL of Canada? No and no one ever claimed it did. Just like the buildings and the gardens represent certain provinces or areas the entertainment represented Newwwwww Scotland!

Forget your British lumberjack song (though I do love Monty Python) we Canadians were raised on our own lumberjack song. Any Canucks out there remember this classic?

 
hopemax

hopemax

Well-Known Member
Bparso87 said:
As a business person this makes sense the other act made a lot of money cut that person and find some as good for cheaper it happens in sports all the time. I bet Indy colts fans hated to get rid of manning but got a good qb for a cheaper. No luck is not manning but for saving money not a bad move.
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Hardly a fair comparison. Manning had a serious neck injury and NFL QB's always come with a finite shelf life. Were the Epcot acts facing a similar "expiration date?" The quality of their future play at risk? If Manning had another 20 years left in him, would the Colts have been so eager to send him packing just to cut payroll? Also, the Colts replaced Manning with a "significant investment," because #1 overall, draft picks are not cheap. They could have replaced Manning with an undrafted free agent, but they didn't. They invested heavily in upgrading their aging infrastructure. WDW is doing no such thing.

First post here, but some may recognize the name from other sites.
 
TubaGeek

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
RSoxNo1 said:
What confuses me is that changing these acts can't really amount to a substantial cost savings. If the changes resulted in an annual savings of $1,000,000 I would be shocked. $200,000 would be surprising.
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Yeah, but you know that, if they could, TDO would fire a thousand CMs if it meant saving a dime.
 
LuvtheGoof

LuvtheGoof

DVC Guru
Premium Member
I am more than willing to give the new acts a chance, well, except for anything having to do with actual chain saws. That is just absurd. Also, I have not heard of any replacements for the World Showcase Players, so there won't be any comparison with them.
 
Foolish Mortal

Foolish Mortal

Well-Known Member
note2001 said:
I'm curious as to why Disney has decided to make so many changes all in one year. There are so many different reasons that could potentially exist, so I won't start to guess.

The news of the changes would be a little easier to take if they had just replaced one group at a time over the years instead of many all at once.
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Well on the bright side, at least they're holding off on the inevitable Holidays around the World cuts.
 
S

Sesuit2

New Member
"BAD SHOW"...what else can we say. All entertainment being retired? I for one am going to "retire" my family' annual pass when it expires in March. Epcot was always considered unique for its entertainment...putting a "Lumberjack" program in place of Off Kilter did it for me. It is a sad day that everything needs to bring in $$$ or else it is "retired"...Disney cares only about the bottom line and not what we as their customers may want....did they ever ask anyone what we wanted??? The money we'll save on our Annual passes can be used in places where we'll be appreciated. Time for Disney to put on a "GOOD SHOW" rather than the "BAD SHOWS"...
 
I_heart_Tigger

I_heart_Tigger

Well-Known Member
photoginit said:
It will if you are replacing them with 3rd party contractors who you don't have to pay benefits to and are not union.
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You hit the nail on the head with that one. Now we have unemployed musicians in Florida looking for a gig with benefits. Those aren't easy to come by. Yes they may have had it lucky to have them with Disney but it just compounds the hurt of springing the news on them last minute that they will be out of a job in 30 days.
 
GeneralZod

GeneralZod

Well-Known Member
Sesuit2 said:
"BAD SHOW"...what else can we say. All entertainment being retired? I for one am going to "retire" my family' annual pass when it expires in March. Epcot was always considered unique for its entertainment...putting a "Lumberjack" program in place of Off Kilter did it for me. It is a sad day that everything needs to bring in $$$ or else it is "retired"...Disney cares only about the bottom line and not what we as their customers may want....did they ever ask anyone what we wanted??? The money we'll save on our Annual passes can be used in places where we'll be appreciated. Time for Disney to put on a "GOOD SHOW" rather than the "BAD SHOWS"...
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You'll be mi-ised.
 
note2001

note2001

Well-Known Member
I_heart_Tigger said:
You hit the nail on the head with that one. Now we have unemployed musicians in Florida looking for a gig with benefits. Those aren't easy to come by. Yes they may have had it lucky to have them with Disney but it just compounds the hurt of springing the news on them last minute that they will be out of a job in 30 days.
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If Universal's smart they'll grab up and find a place for a band or two. A non-competitive clause may keep them from playing the same music, but they can still play music in the style of the band.

FYI - OffKilter has their own page at http://www1.offkilter.net/index.html, but it hasn't been updated since 2010.
 
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Monty

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
wannabeBelle said:
@Monty Any opinions on this one?? Marie
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Morgan and I made a point of seeing Off Kilter today. It was sad because it's likely the last time Morgan will ever see them and sadder still because the bagpipes weren't there. I might get a chance in late September, but I'll be here for a wedding and my schedule isn't my own.

The silly lumberjack costumes at the pavilion are more tribute than our Canadian history in the business really warrants, a lumberjack show seems like a horrible proposition.
 
BrerJon

BrerJon

Well-Known Member
LuvtheGoof said:
The lumberjacks show cannot seriously be about guys (or gals) with chain saws cutting wood in a Disney park. Really?!?!?!? If so, how did they ever get that past the lawyers? What happens when one of the chain saws breaks a chain and it heads off into the crowd? What about the noise factor? Are they going to pass out ear plugs so we don't have to hear the noise? C'mon, this can't be what it is going to be. :banghead:
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Hmmm, Universal massively cutback the chainsaw guys at last year's Halloween Horror... maybe Disney noticed some of them were out of work and has decided to find a new home for their talents.

Well, they need to find something to scare the guests more than the gate prices.
 

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