Social distanced Fantasmic coming by February.

[larryz]

Personally, I feel I'm already appropriately socially distanced from F! and I plan to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.

 

[TTA94]

Is this rumor actual true of F! coming back in February?

 

[techgeek]

Is this rumor actual true of F! coming back in February?

I don’t know, but if it was... we are only six weeks from February. Allowing for time for cast and crew to be recalled, rescheduled, training and rehearsals, all considering “Disney time frames” for doing such... I would have to think it would be common knowledge among hundreds of CM’s at this point and we would have seen multiple reports of it leaking out of front line cast, not to mention the appropriate winks and nods from the usual insiders here.

(Checks back through thread...)

Nope. I don’t see any of that.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Are the cast for this show laid off or furloughed? If laid off are they required to hold auditions?

What’s the normal rehearsal time frame for F!. 2 weeks? 4?

 

[drew81]

I don’t know, but if it was... we are only six weeks from February. Allowing for time for cast and crew to be recalled, rescheduled, training and rehearsals, all considering “Disney time frames” for doing such... I would have to think it would be common knowledge among hundreds of CM’s at this point and we would have seen multiple reports of it leaking out of front line cast, not to mention the appropriate winks and nods from the usual insiders here.

(Checks back through thread...)

Nope. I don’t see any of that.

Let alone getting all the equipment up and running after sitting idle for nearly a year.

The dragon had issues before this. Hate to see how she’ll operate after this.

 

[SpectroBro]

Are the cast for this show laid off or furloughed? If laid off are they required to hold auditions?

What’s the normal rehearsal time frame for F!. 2 weeks? 4?

A lot of the F! cast is furloughed or temporarily transferred. It’s normally a 4 week training process for F!

 

[Disone]

Interesting to see how they’ll do most of the scenes. I’m unsure of how they can keep the monkeys apart from each other, is there enough room on the barges? Will it be Rafiki, Timon, and a shoehorn Simba puppet (maybe King Louie and Baloo)? I imagine the flower gets cut, and I guess the Pocahontas scene has no canoes and no hand-to-hand fighting? Princesses alone on the barges, or else on opposite ends from their princes? How would the Queen transform without the cauldron double? No snake, island finale, I guess...

Kinda kills most of the big scenes besides the opening and the closing, huh?

In all of Disney's policies you are allowed to pass other people well within your 6 foot bubble. You're just not supposed to stand within 6 feet and have a conversation. Keep that in mind when envisioning how fantastic would be restaged. The monkeys on the barges would likely be fine and continue as they were. Same for the transformation of the evil queen 2 the old hag. The two performers would just be passing each other not hanging out next to each other. In many cases there was already a additional barriers, often the costume themselves, between the performers that would be more protective than the Plexi glass between you and a cast member you're speaking to which you step to the side of because you can't hear the cast member.

 

[mm52200]

In all of Disney's policies you are allowed to pass other people well within your 6 foot bubble. You're just not supposed to stand within 6 feet and have a conversation. Keep that in mind when envisioning how fantastic would be restaged. The monkeys on the barges would likely be fine and continue as they were. Same for the transformation of the evil queen 2 the old hag. The two performers would just be passing each other not hanging out next to each other. In many cases there was already a additional barriers, often the costume themselves, between the performers that would be more protective than the Plexi glass between you and a cast member you're speaking to which you step to the side of because you can't hear the cast member.

Once again though, Disney has decided that they don’t want any performers in masks, therefore requiring everything to be staged six feet apart, including fur. For example in the Mickey Christmas cavalcade, on the Christmas tree float normally Mickey and Minnie both stand on the float beside each other. This year Minnie is seated on the float in order to accommodate the six foot rule. Fantasmic would have to restage a lot.

 

[nickys]

Is this rumor actual true of F! coming back in February?

The OP has been reliable in the past. And “by February” gives them 9 weeks of it were to return the final week. So I’d say it’s possible, certainly that plans are underway. Maybe some are getting recalls as the best Christmas present they could get right now.

Are the cast for this show laid off or furloughed? If laid off are they required to hold auditions?

What’s the normal rehearsal time frame for F!. 2 weeks? 4?

This is how @mm52200 explained the situation to me when I asked a very similar question:

Most of them are still on furlough, took a transfer, or like you said laid off. But there are enough still waiting to be called back to work in general or called to return to their original role.

That percent isn’t really true, it’s a little more complicated. All part time were laid off, but the entertainment techs didn’t have many part time. Then full time after a certain seniority date were forced to take a transfer or lay off, with the rest above that date remaining on furlough. So it just depends how many voluntarily took the layoff.

So the tech crew are furloughed, easily recalled. And experienced performers could cope with re-staging. I imagine, if true, the directors / choreographers will be working things out now easy for performers to return maybe mid January for rehearsals.

And IIRC many of those laid off also have a year during which they can be re-hired, presumably without needing to be formally re-recruited.

 

[gerarar]

Is this rumor actual true of F! coming back in February?

Once we get aerials again of HS, we can see if the amphitheater is still drained or not. If it’s not drained anymore, that might indicate testing and rehearsals might be underway soon. Although, that’s just one of many other variables already discussed here.

It’s been drained since the summer and they have been actively doing maintenance around the amphitheater like the lights, seats, etc.

 

[Disone]

Once again though, Disney has decided that they don’t want any performers in masks, therefore requiring everything to be staged six feet apart, including fur. For example in the Mickey Christmas cavalcade, on the Christmas tree float normally Mickey and Minnie both stand on the float beside each other. This year Minnie is seated on the float in order to accommodate the six foot rule. Fantasmic would have to restage a lot.

Maybe.... I have see resistance Stormtroopers pass each other as they're on patrol at Galaxy's Edge. No they don't stand right next to each other but they do occasionally Criss-Cross. It doesn't seem to be taboo. Point being is yes they might have to do some creative staging but I don't think they have to eliminate effects. They could do Fantasmic with just some staging reworks.

 

[Thelazer]

It's not just the staging you see. It's all the backstage stuff you DO NOT SEE.

Trust me, it's tight back there, going to be a nightmare trying to figure out how to keep everyone distanced while running around trying to make stage entrances, move props and trigger cues. I'd dare say it's not even really possible to do it.

It would be FAR easier to bring back fireworks at MK, or bring Humongous online.
Than it is a nightly show with a cast / crew that large.

 

[cjkeating]

It's not just the staging you see. It's all the backstage stuff you DO NOT SEE.

Trust me, it's tight back there, going to be a nightmare trying to figure out how to keep everyone distanced while running around trying to make stage entrances, move props and trigger cues. I'd dare say it's not even really possible to do it.

It would be FAR easier to bring back fireworks at MK, or bring Humongous online.
Than it is a nightly show with a cast / crew that large.

Or even easier to bring back the retired Rivers of Lights (assuming AK was open after dark).

 

[nickys]

It's not just the staging you see. It's all the backstage stuff you DO NOT SEE.

Trust me, it's tight back there, going to be a nightmare trying to figure out how to keep everyone distanced while running around trying to make stage entrances, move props and trigger cues. I'd dare say it's not even really possible to do it.

It would be FAR easier to bring back fireworks at MK, or bring Humongous online.
Than it is a nightly show with a cast / crew that large.

Daily PCR testing with rigorous enforcement is how a few London theatres re-opened. Briefly, before the latest close-down. So, for example, if a lighting rigger tests positive, anyone who had contact with them is sent to get the full test and only allowed back if negative.

 

[zulemara]

 

[drew81]

It's not just the staging you see. It's all the backstage stuff you DO NOT SEE.

Trust me, it's tight back there, going to be a nightmare trying to figure out how to keep everyone distanced while running around trying to make stage entrances, move props and trigger cues. I'd dare say it's not even really possible to do it.

It would be FAR easier to bring back fireworks at MK, or bring Humongous online.
Than it is a nightly show with a cast / crew that large.

Not sure the dragon will work without people working close together. Maybe they’ll make some changes. Who knows?!

 

[Disstevefan1]

It seems strange that FANTASMIC would be the first nighttime spectacular to be brought back. It will be impossible to social distance when entering and exiting the theater. Guests also move around during the show. Seems like a mistake to me. Unless they are desperate to keep people in that park. I would have rather seen Epcot have a nighttime show instead as there is plenty of room to social distance. It would also be nice if we could have Fantasy in the Sky return as it can be viewed from anywhere in the park.

Agreed, the “normal” Fantasmic was a total mob fest; the queue to get into the actual queue snaked through the park. In my opinion it seems it will be easy to make a socially distanced version.

Mark off the seats you can’t sit in.
Implement a reservation system in the MDE app that limits capacity.

 

[KevinYee]

Not to brazenly steal from the Tiki Room, but why not a version where the show is the constant, and the audience is moving? Could they craft a 7-minute show that allows for backstage social distancing, and then in the viewing area just thread a massive conga line. When the front of the line gets to the final spot, everyone stops where they are, turns to the stage, watches the 7-minute show standing, and then shuffles off afterward to be replaced by the next conga line. The mini-show could repeat like every 15 minutes.

Not that I think they are actually planning this. Just armchair imagineering.

 

[Goofnut1980]

I agree with everyone on the exiting. It will be a nightmare. Heck look at the projections on the castle. People were parked there last week when we were there. They were so close to each other. We kept hearing guests ask when the show was starting.

 

[drew81]

From what I hear there has been some basic routine maintenance being done at Fant.

Though I’m not sure this has anything to do with the the show reopening rumor.