Fantasmic gets cut to just 2 shows per week

[Timmay]

All evidence points to this being a cost saving move. Having thought for a day before posting, I can't really see any good coming from this and if it is a cost saving move, I think it is pretty silly on their part. I think in the long run, they will lose more money from this than save.

WDW continues to cut, cut cut...and US keeps adding and adding. I see bad times coming for WDW.

We are lucky enough to get to go to DL here in a couple of weeks. It is something that just fell into our laps. From what I hear, DL and DCA seem to be doing very well. My wife and I will talk when we get back and decide where are future lies in Disney vacations. If the cutting at WDW continues, a trip to the west cost might take the place of our WDW every two years. We have been thinking about this for several months now...WDW just seems to keep pushing us in that direction.

 

[magicdance]

There is an abundance of cast available for F!
As stated before, I believe the problem is two fold;

1. The show can be very expensive to run; 50+ cast members, stunt performers, tech crew, costuming, staging, cosmetology, pyrotechnics, use and upkeep of the boats, etc.

2. The want/need to 'force' people to watch AI. I think disney has put a lot of eggs in a basket on this one and they are afraid the show is going to break. I, personally, don't see AI become very popular as it will probably lack some 'disney magic' since it based on reality TV. (this is all speculation as it could be the best show ever- I'm just not holding my breath)


I am just very curious to see what they are going to do with the cast members who do BPB and rely on fant! to get their full day of work in.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I read that, but since I didn't see any person's name or title in the article, I was unsure how official it was.

Well, I guess it's simple then. By taking away Fantasmic!, they are hoping people will choose The American Idol Experience as their night time entertainment.

....or ride very popular attractions like TSM, ToT, and RnR, and spend money. The later, moreso than the former. While sitting in the F! theater, there are a few thousand people not walking through giftshops.

 

[coasterphil]

I wouldn't read too much into it. This is no different than Spectro being cut back to select nights in the off season. No one seems to get upset when that parade doesn't occur every night. I do enjoy Fantasmic, however, it's been running pretty much the same for almost ten years if not more. It's time for an update. I speculate that the reduction has to do with staffing more than anything else. Fanstasmic is a cast intensive event. The off season seems to struggle with enough cast members for all positions in all parks.

This is an interesting point. Maybe Disney now sees the AI finale as the park's nighttime "spectacular" and Fantasmic! as additional entertainment, just like Wishes is the big closer every night and Spectro is the extra something thrown in at MK. If that's the case, I really think Disney has too much faith in AI (or not enough depending on how you look at it).

....or ride very popular attractions like TSM, ToT, and RnR, and spend money. The later, moreso than the former. While sitting in the F! theater, there are a few thousand people not walking through giftshops.

They may not be walking through a shop, but the shops are walking through them. Disney isn't shy about trying to sell the folks as much as possible when they are sitting in the theater.

 

[Hakunamatata]

They may not be walking through a shop, but the shops are walking through them. Disney isn't shy about trying to sell the folks as much as possible when they are sitting in the theater.

True to an extent, but its night-time related merchandise. Light toys, water downed sodas, stale popcorn, and overpriced cotton candy. It wouldnt suprise me one bit if Disney didnt have data to show exactly how much retail sales drop the hour prior to and during F!.

 

[wickedfan07]

I wouldn't read too much into it. This is no different than Spectro being cut back to select nights in the off season. No one seems to get upset when that parade doesn't occur every night. I do enjoy Fantasmic, however, it's been running pretty much the same for almost ten years if not more. It's time for an update. I speculate that the reduction has to do with staffing more than anything else. Fanstasmic is a cast intensive event. The off season seems to struggle with enough cast members for all positions in all parks.

I would have to disagree. Wishes is the major nighttime entertainment at the Magic Kingdom, and Spectromagic comes second to that. At the Studios, Fantasmic is the MAJOR nighttime entertainment offering. If Disney is now choosing to see the new American Idol grand hoopla finale show as nighttime entertainment as well, it should be in second place like SpectroMagic is to Wishes. In other words, if something should be operating only two nights a week, it should be American Idol, NOT Fantasmic. There's a problem somewhere in someone's logic when a popular mighttime spectacular is going to have to play second fiddle to an overblown karaoke night (which is my personal opinion of the entire American Idol series).

2. The want/need to 'force' people to watch AI. I think disney has put a lot of eggs in a basket on this one and they are afraid the show is going to break. I, personally, don't see AI become very popular as it will probably lack some 'disney magic' since it based on reality TV. (this is all speculation as it could be the best show ever- I'm just not holding my breath)

They should have thought about that before they decided to go ahead and build it. It was probably a no-brainer at the time it was conceived: a popular TV show tie-in for the ailing Studios park that will be popular enough to carry the park for a few years. And, the best part is, it doesn't cost anywhere near the $100 million an E-ticket would. But now...AI's popularity is beginning to slip a bit and Disney's worried it got in too deep.

Quality over cost, always. Disney is forgetting that slow and steady wins the race. All of these cost-cutting, profit-raising tactics may look good on paper now, but it's going to come back and bite them in the behind eventually, and it's going to bite a nice chunk out of their reputation and good name, too.

Some imagination, huh?

 

[PhotoDave219]

Quality over cost, always. Disney is forgetting that slow and steady wins the race. All of these cost-cutting, profit-raising tactics may look good on paper now, but it's going to come back and bite them in the behind eventually, and it's going to bite a nice chunk out of their reputation and good name, too.

Some imagination, huh?

Like the "Paul Pressler" days? Here and i thought the Mouse had just broken free from those..... :shrug:

 

[2gether]

Intelligence

True to an extent, but its night-time related merchandise. Light toys, water downed sodas, stale popcorn, and overpriced cotton candy. It wouldnt suprise me one bit if Disney didnt have data to show exactly how much retail sales drop the hour prior to and during F!.

I think this is the most intelligent post of this whole thread.

 

[2gether]

After a day of consideration....

I am not in alarm mode as most are.

I trust Lassiter and the folks now running the parks. I have watched all the documentaries and read some books concerning these folks and do not believe he is going to let the parks get completely whacked.

There have been cutbacks. LTT losing its characters and this seem to be the two big ones. I think LTT is justifiable: Tony's was the only place in MK you could go with no characters and a lot of people would just rather sit down and eat (some of my family among them). This is a bit more out there....but unlike many I believe they are going to do something good.

If the management can save millions of dollars (and believe me, they will) on this attraction that they can use to pump into something mind-blowing that they have on the table but have not told us about yet, then I say God bless 'em every one. That is what I believe is going on here.

 

[disnyfan89]

As for this being a cost cutting measure, I too, do not believe that is the reason. It's the off season. DL doesn't even offer Fant! in the off season.

As for what will happen to CM that staff Fant!, that's easy enough. They extend meet and greet hours along with adding additional showings of HSM and possibly running Block Party twice a day. Easy enough.

What we need to do is just give Disney time. All will become clear.

Disnyfan89
-Liberate your Appetite and your mind!

 

[nemofinder22]

As for this being a cost cutting measure, I too, do not believe that is the reason. It's the off season. DL doesn't even offer Fant! in the off season.

As for what will happen to CM that staff Fant!, that's easy enough. They extend meet and greet hours along with adding additional showings of HSM and possibly running Block Party twice a day. Easy enough.

What we need to do is just give Disney time. All will become clear.

Disnyfan89
-Liberate your Appetite and your mind!

For DL it also gets very nice upgrades such as the LED princess barges, all brand new lights, and finale. As do the big boats since DL's isnt shown with out the Columbia. This fall its said to get HD projections and later in spring maybe even a new dragon. Now if the darn Ursula barge would come back one day.....

So maybe during the days it isnt shown its going to be getting upgrades/refurbs? It could work out well kinda how HM went down and got the same improvments as DL's did or how they split the Pirates re-furb in 06 to 2 parts so the spring break crowds still got to see Pirates. But at the same time the show is still going? Maybe its just temp for the off season???

 

[Vernonpush]

For DL it also gets very nice upgrades such as the LED princess barges, all brand new lights, and finale. As do the big boats since DL's isnt shown with out the Columbia. This fall its said to get HD projections and later in spring maybe even a new dragon. Now if the darn Ursula barge would come back one day.....

So maybe during the days it isnt shown its going to be getting upgrades/refurbs? It could work out well kinda how HM went down and got the same improvments as DL's did or how they split the Pirates re-furb in 06 to 2 parts so the spring break crowds still got to see Pirates. But at the same time the show is still going? Maybe its just temp for the off season???

Maybe they are going to add Pixar characters to it. :lol::lookaroun

 

[MousDad]

drew smith just announced in another thread that they will also be cutting Block Party Bash back to 5 days/week in January. I find it interesting that one show is getting cut to 2 days and one to 5 days. Do these shows use the same cast? Is there any possibility this could be some labor/union issue, and not a cost-cutting issue?

 

[bgraham34]

I am a huge fan of Fantasmic and just spent the last 30 minutes reading all the posts. Maybe it will just be happening during the slow season but more nights added during the peak season. Its not going to work out good if people have to show up 3 hours before Fantasmic starts to get a seat and someone shows up 1.5 hours before and has not shot in getting in. Its a complete waste of peoples time and money.

 

[Lucky]

True to an extent, but its night-time related merchandise. Light toys, water downed sodas, stale popcorn, and overpriced cotton candy. It wouldnt suprise me one bit if Disney didnt have data to show exactly how much retail sales drop the hour prior to and during F!.

But data on when people buy stuff doesn't necessarily have anything to do with how much total stuff people will buy.

If you cut one of a park's most popular attractions, fewer people will come to the park in the first place, and then they'll be buying no stuff at all.

 

[NewfieFan]

If this is a cost cutting move, it actually makes quite a bit of sense why Fantasmic would see fewer showings when up against Illuminations and Wishes. There is a major difference between Illuminations/Wishes and Fantasmic.

Because Fantasmic is in a theater, it has a fixed number of guests who can enjoy the show (does anyone know the actual capacity?). It is also an experience that requires guests to queue up to see, often times hours in advance (granted, the reduction in showings won't help this). Essentially, these guests are out of commission from the perspective of purchasing food, drink, and merchandise. It does not really help to keep these guests in a park later, as it is not really helping to boost revenue. I am guessing that they make more money off the guests who are not waiting to see Fantasmic than those who are.

On the flip side, Illuminations/Wishes have a capacity that is essentially equal to that of the park attendance. Also, because there are countless locations where these shows can be viewed from, it does not require guests to queue. Sure some stake out a spot early and are equivalent to being in a line, but most guests are mobile and free to spend money on food and merchandise. In this case, it does benefit WDW and the bottom line to keep guests in the park later, which also may be why they want to shift the nighttime crowd seeking an end-day show to Epcot or MK.

And while some point out that the PI, LTT, and now Fantasmic changes are a sign of doom, I am actually very glad that they made the decision about PI that they did. While LTT and Fantasmic appear to be cost cutting moves, PI changes are definitely a move to create and improve revenue streams from an otherwise stagnant position. If the PI changes prove to be successful (and the current popularity of the rest of DTD indicates it should be), that will help to prevent future cutbacks, and maybe even bring back Fantasmic to being a nightly event.

I've never thought of it from this angle but it makes so much sense!

 

[markjohns1]

As for this being a cost cutting measure, I too, do not believe that is the reason. It's the off season. DL doesn't even offer Fant! in the off season.

Well, technically it is a cost cutting measure if they're making this change for the off season. I agree, though, that this might not be the only reason for this change.

Contrary to many other opinions, I do not think this is just about AI (if at all). Because we don't have any idea regarding schedules of how the AI show is going to work or when it will take place, or whether it would even occur at the same time as Fantasmic, I think it's a little premature to assume Disney is worried about filling the seats. If they made this change after AI had already opened, I think that may be a more accurate assumption.

I'm more inclined to think that if this move is being made to shift crowds to other nighttime destinations, they're actually wanting to move guests to MK, Epcot, and DTD. I would imagine those locations have a better chance of generating revenue than filling seats in Fantasmic or AI. Nighttime novelty toys and popcorn are great, but I'd imagine they'd much rather see guests in shops buying T-shirts for the whole family.

I also wonder if the issue with the sagging economy isn't about filling rooms at the resorts, but rather a decline in the guests' budgets for food, drinks, and souveniers. Even if the parks are full to capacity, guests not spending while in the parks presents a huge problem.

 

[Lucky]

This is somewhat puzzling as popular opinion was that Disney is trying to make DHS back into a full day park again, Fantasmic is a big part of that park, and although it's my least favorite of the three night time shows, it seems counterintuitive to what we all thought their objective was for that park. Combine that with the now seemingly dead plans for Rivers of Light and it gets confusing as to whether or not they really want to have two 1/2 day parks.

I can't imagine this is all for American Idol, as I don't believe that theater can accommodate anywhere near the number of guests that Fantasmic can. This has to be for cost cutting purposes, which is unfortunate, but such is the reality that is the business world.

I agree, and also agree with all of Steve's posts on this. Most of the DHS shows - LCA, B&B, Indy etc. - except in peak seasons have their last showing in late afternoon, and without Fantasmic there wouldn't be much to hang around for afterward. Instead of spending money at shops and restaurants before Fantasmic, guests will go somewhere else, many of them off property.

What is the AI "grand finale" that is supposed to be such a good substitute for Fantasmic? How will it be any different from the thing people have been watching on TV for 7 years?

 

[wdwmagic]

As for this being a cost cutting measure, I too, do not believe that is the reason. It's the off season. DL doesn't even offer Fant! in the off season.

As for what will happen to CM that staff Fant!, that's easy enough. They extend meet and greet hours along with adding additional showings of HSM and possibly running Block Party twice a day. Easy enough.

What we need to do is just give Disney time. All will become clear.

Disnyfan89
-Liberate your Appetite and your mind!

DL is primarily visited by locals. For them, no show in the off season isnt a problem, as they just see it later in the year.

WDW is very different, in that it is primarily visited by "once a year" type guests. People who go infrequently. Many dont have an opportunity to visit later when the show is running. WDW is all about offering "everything" - "all the time". No matter when you go to WDW, you should get (almost) the same experience.

There is no chance of Block party being ran twice a day, so I would forget that one.

 

[ptaylor]

Just reading this thread, and some of you are really looking at this and totally missing the reality of what is going on. Which is that Disney are very concerned about guest count predictions for 2009.

Disney are clearly cutting costs. Lets look at what has happened recently.

- Fantasmic! cut to twice per week
- Pocahontas show closes
- All of the Disney operated PI being shut and replaced with external vendors
- No announcement on the Contemporary Resort expansion, because they are unsure of what to do with it now
- Speculation of removal of Family Fun Day and Woody's Cowboy Camp
- Some characters removed from dining
- Some characters removed from meet and greet
- Attractions not being maintained (specifically things like Everest - the show there is now almost non-existent)
- Things like sauce selection being reduced in counter service restaurants
- Removing premium cuts of meat (Fillet Steak) from the sit down restaurants

Nothing here is catastrophic yet. But some of you are clearly in denial that this is cost cutting. Regardless of the positive spin will put on things (bold new vision etc), there are real concerns that guest counts are dropping, and that Disney need to be in a position to handle that.

Not only is the attendance predicted to be lower, but its lower right now. You only need to visit the parks now to see that attendance is not what it was. In several recent trips over the last few weeks, the parks have not been as busy as usual for this time.