Is It Bad That I’m The Only Person That Loves Fantasyland Theatre?

[Disney Irish]

Blame a company too greedy to pay entertainment employee unions.

I think its more complex than that.

 

[Disney Irish]

Okay, I'm might be overreacting, but after seeing what Disneyland is using Fantasyland Theatre for parties and Disney never used the Hyperion Theatre for a long time, I'm starting to have a funny feeling that Disneyland might not do stage shows anymore. Ever since I missed Mickey and the Magical Map (Even though it had a great run), I was hoping Disneyland will make a show similar to MATMM, but now, I feel like giving up hope for Fantasyland Theatre and Hyperion Theatre, because a lot've fans including OrangeGrove55 want it to be replaced by attractions. Sure, we still got parades, street shows, Fantasmic, and World of Color, but it won't be the same without shows from Fantasyland Theatre and Hyperion Theatre. I blame the pandemic for this, cause I feel like making stage shows are expensive. I guess DIsneyland will have to live without stage shows. I'm not going to like it, but I'll have to suck it up.

We don't know what is happening, just that things are on pause for now. We still don't know what if any 70th entertainment will include any use of either theater, or their use longer term. So as mentioned take a deep breath and just wait and see what happens.

 

[Professortango1]

We don't know what is happening, just that things are on pause for now. We still don't know what if any 70th entertainment will include any use of either theater, or their use longer term. So as mentioned take a deep breath and just wait and see what happens.

This trend of cutting entertainment has been happening for quite awhile. While they may have something back for the 70th, the clear trend is that entertainment is being removed from the parks. D20 had "live" interactions with screen characters. Disney is trying to eventually have screens and remote-controlled characters replace the need for actors in their parks.

 

[Disney Irish]

This trend of cutting entertainment has been happening for quite awhile. While they may have something back for the 70th, the clear trend is that entertainment is being removed from the parks. D20 had "live" interactions with screen characters. Disney is trying to eventually have screens and remote-controlled characters replace the need for actors in their parks.

And that may be, but we're still in early days and we don't know anything for sure yet. So too early to just "freak out" about live entertainment being completely removed permanently from both FL Theater and Hyperion.

My personal belief is that there will always be some type of live entertainment in some form or another, as for whether it'll be in FL Theater and Hyperion, I don't know.

 

[Professortango1]

And that may be, but we're still in early days and we don't know anything for sure yet. So too early to just "freak out" about live entertainment being completely removed permanently from both FL Theater and Hyperion.

My personal belief is that there will always be some type of live entertainment in some form or another, as for whether it'll be in FL Theater and Hyperion, I don't know.

The early days of a process that's been happening for a decade?

We know that modern Disney is out to maximize profits by cutting what is included in general admission a reducing operational costs by cutting staff and practical effects that require upkeep.

If 10 years ago you were to tell me that Disney would have their two big theatres sit empty for years, I would have called you crazy.

 

[Disney Irish]

The early days of a process that's been happening for a decade?

We know that modern Disney is out to maximize profits by cutting what is included in general admission a reducing operational costs by cutting staff and practical effects that require upkeep.

If 10 years ago you were to tell me that Disney would have their two big theatres sit empty for years, I would have called you crazy.

To be fair it hasn't been "years" that they've been sitting empty, its been less than a year for one and a little over a year for the other. As Lion King ended its run at FL Theater in Jan 2024 and Rogers the Musical ended it show at Hyperion in Aug 2023.

I know it seems like its been longer, but it really hasn't been that long in the large scheme of things. And that is what I'm talking about when I mean early days. We're still in the early part of this process, we don't know what they will do.

 

[TsWade2]

To be fair it hasn't been "years" that they've been sitting empty, its been less than a year for one and a little over a year for the other. As Lion King ended its run at FL Theater in Jan 2024 and Rogers the Musical ended it show at Hyperion in Aug 2023.

I know it seems like its been longer, but it really hasn't been that long in the large scheme of things. And that is what I'm talking about when I mean early days. We're still in the early part of this process, we don't know what they will do.

TBH, I don't know what came over me. Maybe I kind of read it to hard.

 

[Disney Irish]

TBH, I don't know what came over me. Maybe I kind of read it to hard.

We just have to be patient and see what happens. Who knows they may announce a new show any day now for the 70th, or sometime after for a long term run. We never know until it happen.

 

[CaptinEO]

I think its more complex than that.

How so?

 

[wdrive]

I mean I think it’s clear they don’t place a huge amount of importance on live stage shows. There’s not even any rumblings that a new show is in the works for either.

The fact that both theaters sit empty for such long spans of time is wrong to me

 

[Rich T]

Has the absence of those free live shows stopped enough people from going to the parks to cause beancounter concern?

Are adults still willingly lining up to pay high prices for exclusive nighttime entertainment events?

Are many fans praising and defending TBA for being “good enough”?

Vote with your wallet.

 

[mickEblu]

Has the absence of those free live shows stopped enough people from going to the parks to cause beancounter concern?

Are adults still willingly lining up to pay high prices for exclusive nighttime entertainment events?

Are many fans praising and defending TBA for being “good enough”?

Vote with your wallet.

I appreciate the sentiment but voting with your wallet in this case is like voting Red in California for a Presidential Election. You’re just not going to make a dent. Hahah. May as well continue enjoying what you do enjoy about the parks assuming one enjoys other things about them.

 

[Rich T]

I appreciate the sentiment but voting with your wallet in this case is like voting Red in California for a Presidential Election. You’re just not going to make a dent. Hahah. May as well continue enjoying what you do enjoy about the parks assuming one enjoys other things about them.

Just pointing out that this is the reality. Until enough people stop paying for something, there is no reason for a corporation to change course. Things will just continue along the “charge more for less” road.

 

[mickEblu]

Just pointing out that this is the reality. Until enough people stop paying for something, there is no reason for a corporation to change course. Things will just continue along the “charge more for less” road.

Sure but the reality is that standards would have to take a precipitous drop and be consistently bad across the board for some period of time for people to vote with their wallet in meaningful numbers. Remember, for every TBA there is a POTC. For every empty FL theatre there is Wondrous Journeys or PTN.

Unfortunately the bones of Disneyland and most of the old attractions are so great that they can skate by on “good enough.” My hope is that change will come from within. From taking Pride in what they do. From a creative leader who gets it and has some pull with the suits. If you average out all the newer stuff - GE/ ROTR (Good/ Great) MMRR (average) and TBA/ Avengers Campus (Bad) you get “good enough.” Now throw in all the classic attractions, beauty, and solid bones of DL and they re just playing with house money. Not to mention - who’s their competition in California? Maybe it’s good Disney has no real completion in California. Then maybe they’d bulldoze our ROA for something stupid too.

 

[Parteecia]

I will throw in my complaint about holiday entertainment. In previous years DCA had the perfect Mistletoes->Mostly Kosher->Blue13->Phat Cat Swinger regular schedule. This year the groups all have fewer dates that are sparsely and oddly scattered throughout the calendar. It gets more annoying because with 6 reservations during a sell-out season, planning is more complicated than it needs to be.

 

[Disney Irish]

Has the absence of those free live shows stopped enough people from going to the parks to cause beancounter concern?

Are adults still willingly lining up to pay high prices for exclusive nighttime entertainment events?

Are many fans praising and defending TBA for being “good enough”?

Vote with your wallet.

Your message here would have to reach millions of people that go every year to DLR to have any effect, there isn't enough that are willing to give up going for what some here consider diminished service.

 

[Rich T]

Your message here would have to reach millions of people that go every year to DLR to have any effect, there isn't enough that are willing to give up going for what some here consider diminished service.

It takes time. How long all depends on how bad things get, value-wise. And how good the competition gets. And how quickly a company can pivot when they realize a mistake has been made. I think the message is already reaching millions of people (not through me, of course, just from people going to the parks, looking at what they spent vs. the experience they had, and then making future entertainment decisions accordingly).

Change doesn’t happen overnight (especially with families making a vacation decision once every few years), but it happens.

But my main point (which I think I muddied up a bit) in this particular thread is: Why is anyone surprised that there are two huge venues sitting unused at the resort that once hosted wonderful included-in-admission shows?

 

[Disney Irish]

It takes time. How long all depends on how bad things get, value-wise. And how good the competition gets. And how quickly a company can pivot when they realize a mistake has been made. I think the message is already reaching millions of people (not through me, of course, just from people going to the parks, looking at what they spent vs. the experience they had, and then making future entertainment decisions accordingly).

Change doesn’t happen overnight (especially with families making a vacation decision once every few years), but it happens.

That makes assumptions on the public at large that just might not be accurate. Only time will tell. But the reality is that enough still find enjoyment in DLR even with recent additions that I doubt any real impactful drop in attendance will happen. But again only time will tell.

But my main point (which I think I muddied up a bit) in this particular thread is: Why is anyone surprised that there are two huge venues sitting unused at the resort that once hosted wonderful included-in-admission shows?

Well this thread was started by a user 2 years ago. And since then they have had shows start and finish in both theaters. So really I think most of this thread was a bit premature. As I mentioned just the other day it remains to be seen what will happen with both theaters, maybe they aren't used again for their intended purpose of hosting live shows. Or maybe they trot out a new show that will debut soon, ie in the next 12-18 months. We just don't know. But I think its a bit premature to talk about the demise of live shows at DLR.

 

[Phroobar]

Has the absence of those free live shows stopped enough people from going to the parks to cause beancounter concern?

Are adults still willingly lining up to pay high prices for exclusive nighttime entertainment events?

Are many fans praising and defending TBA for being “good enough”?

Vote with your wallet.

I don't think the absence or presence of those live shows harms or helps attendance. It's just another attraction. People will go to it if is available. People aren't going to show up because it doesn't exist. People still show up to the park even when half the park is behind walls and packed. People still buy Magic Key passes even though what they are getting is subpar.

 

[Rich T]

I don't think the absence or presence of those live shows harms or helps attendance. It's just another attraction. People will go to it if is available. People aren't going to show up because it doesn't exist. People still show up to the park even when half the park is behind walls and packed. People still buy Magic Key passes even though what they are getting is subpar.

Exactly. What motivation is there—for the people who currently run Disney—to spend money putting shows in those theaters?

I’m really looking forward to the two live theater shows opening with Epic Universe— They look wild! (And Universal needs to address the huge empty theater spaces at the other two UOR parks after Epic opens.)

One thing I’m really glad that DL does NOT do that MK wallows in is— Using the castle as the main daily live show space, turning the tried-and-true hub-and-spokes design into an annoying donut for big chunks of the day.