News Goodbye to The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra

[Notes from Neverland]

Universal continued and amped up pace of the capital spending, even has an opening date while Disney once again halts it though. It is important to distinguish the different types of investments vs operating costs. Disney can't blame the pandemic on their typical spreadsheet ways. Tron was announced in 2017 and started construction years ago. Universal has had supplemental entertainment open when they could have cut more. A much better balancing act than Disney's method.

Do you have a source saying Universal has increased capital spending? Their layoffs - which more are coming - paint a different picture. Basing this off of a coaster that was well on its way pre-pandemic, like TRON, isn't proof they've done anything differently than Disney.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Universal continued and amped up pace of the capital spending, even has an opening date while Disney once again halts it though. It is important to distinguish the different types of investments vs operating costs. Disney can't blame the pandemic on their typical spreadsheet ways. Tron was announced in 2017 and started construction years ago. Universal has had supplemental entertainment open when they could have cut more besides the low guest satisfaction minor attractions that are temporarily closed(and they found homes for the entertainers and any crew they could from said shows, as many of Disney's are still furloughed with no estiamted return. A much better balancing act than Disney's method.

“When Roberts was asked about Comcast's upcoming capital investments, Roberts said of the parks,

"At the right time, we can invest in theme parks, but not now. So we've slowed down some investments in theme parks, but I hope they will come back and I want them to come back."

Universal officials earlier this summer confirmed that the company has "paused" development of its announced Epic Universe theme park, which was to anchor the new south campus of the Universal Orlando Resort, located next to the Orange County Convention Center. However, construction continues on the as-yet-unannounced new roller coaster in the Jurassic Park land of Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, and new Super Nintendo World lands are nearing completion at Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood, where a new Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! dark ride is finished and ready to debut as soon as that park is cleared to return.”

Comcast CEO Remains 'Bullish' on Theme Parks

www.themeparkinsider.com

Universal has slowed down in many areas and capital investment is one of them. They are taking the same approach Disney has, and it’s based around where in development a project is.

It’s fine to discuss entertainment cuts, but let’s not act like each company isn’t suffering due to a global pandemic.

 

[celluloid]

Do you have a source saying Universal has increased capital spending? Their layoffs - which more are coming - paint a different picture. Basing this off of a coaster that was well on its way pre-pandemic, like TRON, isn't proof they've done anything differently than Disney.

The evidence of the coaster having an opening season(and date not announced yet to the public) and working around the clock is evidence enough. The capital spending was in reference to that specific project(and some others internationally) not as a whole. Tron is proof Disney is still doing what Disney does, that is the issue and why it will be the last new attraction to open next year when things ideally start to return.

Yes, there are operation layoffs of part time and some behind the scenes spots at Universal. But for example, when the parks shut down, coaster construction amped up so there would be an earlier time table for opening. Disney halted construction completely. Disney still has most of their performer positions and their crews furloughed. Universal has most of its entertainment offerings open or altered so that people stay entertained or employed. That is a fact. You wanted comparable, and away from the coaster there you go.

No one is saying Universal has not had to make hard decisions to survive. But you would be hard pressed to find people that actually work for the companies to think that Disney treated people and choices made better during this situation. Proof is in the pudding.

 

[Thelazer]

No one is saying Universal has not had to make hard decisions to survive. But you would be hard pressed to find people that actually work for the companies to think that Disney treated people and choices made better during this situation. Proof is in the puddin

They have both sucked.

 

[celluloid]

Um....
You haven't been "Backstage" or in some offices at Universal lately then.

I actually have. Last week I had my last day. You did not read the comparison. No one is saying Universal has not made difficult choices and layoff people, but as a whole, they have cut or ceased much less. It does not mean you are going to make everyone happy, and even many who are have felt that things were handled better than corporate Disney. That is the Comcast backing.
But instead of trying to be clever and coy, why don't you give some examples of what was said?

 

[Thelazer]

Not being coy, it was in the news.

The difference is, Disney gets away with using the term "Furlough" (when it's indefinite, with no end, in other words... ) vs Universal who just decided to use a non PC term and said "bye bye" to a bunch of it's back of house and creative staff in one shot thru phone calls and zoom meetings.

 

[mdcpr]

With so many cuts and the deluxe resorts losing some of its uniqueness, I wonder where would those with money and international travel will go next. The resorts at Universal are starting to look much better.

 

[Lilofan]

With so many cuts and the deluxe resorts losing some of its uniqueness, I wonder where would those with money and international travel will go next. The resorts at Universal are starting to look much better.

There were published reports that Universal resorts had and continue to have mass layoffs. It seems like a bad sign and doesn't look better.

 

[wannabeBelle]

There were published reports that Universal resorts had and continue to have mass layoffs. It seems like a bad sign and doesn't look better.

No question that everyone is hurting these days. I think that we have established that the Orchestra was not let go due to Covid (or at least not the only reason) and that this has been a pattern by Disney to eliminate live entertainment at the parks and the resorts over a number of years. The building style for attractions such as coasters, thrill rides etc. has always been different from one company to the other. Live entertainment can be reinstated pretty easily. Give me the budget and a few phone numbers and I could even do that. The question is will this happen? Universal has shown that they are looking beyond the current difficulties to enhance their offerings, I'm not so sure about Disney!!! Marie

 

[homerdance]

Never stayed at GF, never plan to. But thoroughly enjoy the live music when we go to visit. Pinching pennies by a company that has spent almost $50,000,000,000 in stock buybacks sucks.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Never stayed at GF, never plan to. But thoroughly enjoy the live music when we go to visit. Pinching pennies by a company that has spent almost $50,000,000,000 in stock buybacks sucks.

It’s also really really bad for employee morale to let 30+ year cm’s go like that. Anybody with any leadership training knows that.

 

[rreading]

My friends and I were discussing how over the years the resorts seem to have become nothing more than a place to sleep. Guests seem to feel if they don’t spend their day at the parks from EMH open to EMH close then they’re losing out, and with that came the decline of the resort experience at the resorts. People stopped taking time to come back to the room to refresh, put on their evening resort attire, and go for a nice dinner and cocktail. I think of the Polynesian second floor, and how over the last decade it’s just become a mob of over tired sweaty families all over the place waiting for their table at ohana after being in a park since 7am. Hardly anyone looking relaxed or refreshed for the evening. Same with grand Floridian, the band was great but I feel like their audience was dwindling. But who’s to blame, Disney or the guests? Who was leading this change in vacation dynamic? Also I feel a missed opportunity was to leave the band where it was and add a couple cocktail servers in the lobby, would have been an easy way to monetize the entertainment offering and add some energy to the lobby area. That was a lot of rambling thanks for reading.

Such a true perspective! We always enjoyed the mid-day refresher and relaxing is the afternoon at the resort before heading back for the evening into the parks. It really is probably our own fault. Separately, I distinctly remember my father having a whiskey sour in the GF atrium when I was a teenager (he rarely drank but it was for special occasions for him), so drinks in the lobby were available in the past - you're right that was a missed opportunity over the last few years. It's too bad, but times change, I suppose. We used to take the boats out on the lake - I'm sure that now that no one uses them either that they're on the short list to go as well.

 

[rreading]

Since those three things don’t necessarily go together, and since the band was an integral part of the GF for decades, I don’t understand why anyone would try to excuse this obviously bad decision.

My impression is that the writing was on the wall once they bumped them from the balcony. We were last at the GF over corona so no band playing but their new location looked terrible and would not likely be at all useful for acoustics. I'm not surprised by this at all. But my disappointment was in moving the band in the first place

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

My impression is that the writing was on the wall once they bumped them from the balcony. We were last at the GF over corona so no band playing but their new location looked terrible and would not likely be at all useful for acoustics. I'm not surprised by this at all. But my disappointment was in moving the band in the first place

Yes, it was pretty obvious how much their future was considered when they moved them. The whole point of their original location was to provide live music for guests in the bar as well as the lobby. By moving them as far as possible from the bar, it’s clear what the intentions were.

 

[wannabeBelle]

On a related note, has anyone heard what happened to the new and improved (?) band that went into POFQ after they redid Scat Cats ( Which looks lovely BTW) and had gotten rid of Jason and Billy who performed there when they were still right off the main lobby? I saw one or two videos of them when they first started then absolutely nothing. Marie

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Uh....if the Chairman of Parks and Resorts has to "justify" the cost of a rounding error atmosphere entertainment group in a single hotel at a single resort to the CEO and the Executive Chairman of the Company then his title is a complete joke and he really is an assistant manager.

Yes, yes and yes.

While I love to imagine Chapek clutching his Anna and Elsa dolls demanding the orchestra be cut so he can have his precious IP based singalong back, if he is demanding the cuts than Josh has no power. If he isn’t involved then it was a decision made under Josh’s leadership.

I have nothing bad to say about Josh, but the employee morale that I saw at Disneyland was the worst I’ve ever seen under his leadership. I’m not sure what people are supposed to be impressed with other than he has a personality which compared to the Bob’s makes him look amazing.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

This is very sad news! It was the "thing" that made GF special and set it apart from other resorts. It truely made the Grand Floridian "Grand".
It is sad when the little extra magical touches that disney used to do, just because, are becoming extinct. Those little touches were a special part of WDW and set them apart from other theme park destinations.

 

[LSLS]

Honestly, I don't think RobWDW1971 is off here. If everyone blamed Chapek for the park cuts in the same role, I'm not sure you can still say it's all Chapek and say Josh isn't deserving of blame. I have no inside knowledge of anything, but I do think that's a fair point.

 

[UNCgolf]

Honestly, I don't think RobWDW1971 is off here. If everyone blamed Chapek for the park cuts in the same role, I'm not sure you can still say it's all Chapek and say Josh isn't deserving of blame. I have no inside knowledge of anything, but I do think that's a fair point.

He's not. D'Amaro probably did decide to dump the orchestra (or more likely someone under D'Amaro and then he approved it, although it's certainly possible they weren't considered a big enough item for it to even come across his desk). But it's not as though he just randomly decided to fire them out of the blue; I'm sure he was given an order by Chapek to cut a certain percentage of spending in certain areas and that was one of the easiest things to eliminate. The same is true for when Chapek was head of P&R -- although he was a disaster for parks fans (and fans of theming at the resorts), I don't think he was some sort of cartoon villain intentionally trying to eliminate as much as possible. Most of it was likely mandated. Not the specific cuts themselves, but the amount of money that needed to be cut from the budget.

 

[techgeek]

If you’re managing by spreadsheet, need to cut x% off an entertainment budget, and you hit ‘sort by’... cutting the orchestra looks like a perfectly rational decision. In fact, it may look like the only rational decision.

The problem here is the overwhelming tendency of Disney to manage by spreadsheet in the last 20 years. Now, when it’s crisis mode, there’s no institutional ability to manage any other way. Almost like a finance guy was running the company, not a creative....