Very busy Fantasmic shows with reduced performances

[Club Cooloholic]

I'm an "APer" and after seeing the show for the second time I have one word......B-O-R-I-N-G!

Funny how everything at WDW that has been built in the last several years gets shredded on this forum and the one attraction that probably deserves to be critisized, gets a pass. As a proud APer, I really don't care if they shut that show down for good and put something interesting in that spot.

We actually agree on this. This has been hyped so much. I thought the story didn't flow well. I also feared getting batted in the head with a one of the MANY lighted swords of junk they sell. Yes, lets cram people in like sardines then hand the tots a bunch of hard plastic swords.

 

[lnsemsf]

So has anybody noticed that starting Feb 15th Fantasmic is at 3 shows a week? for a week or 2 in April it's back to nightly for spring break, and theb back down to 3 shows a week towards the end of the month.
As I've thought, they'll add more shows until the find the right balance to let everybody who wants to see it see it, and not play to a half empty house.

 

[MousDad]

So has anybody noticed that starting Feb 15th Fantasmic is at 3 shows a week? for a week or 2 in April it's back to nightly for spring break, and theb back down to 3 shows a week towards the end of the month.
As I've thought, they'll add more shows until the find the right balance to let everybody who wants to see it see it, and not play to a half empty house.

Can you provide proof, either concrete or anecdotal, that F! has ever played to a half empty house, on a single showing night, ever?

 

[drew81]

Can you provide proof, either concrete or anecdotal, that F! has ever played to a half empty house, on a single showing night, ever?

I doubt anyone could because it rarely happened. Maybe sometimes because of rain or bad weather it would. For all the times I've seen Fantasmic it has always been full or very close to it even in the slow times.

 

[techiegsy]

Not to mention the new pyro spreads and lighting effects it got a year or so ago. What an East Coast mess. I guess the DHS upgrades are stalled now (yes, they were planned).

Do you know what type of updates were planned?

 

[gardener14]

So has anybody noticed that starting Feb 15th Fantasmic is at 3 shows a week? for a week or 2 in April it's back to nightly for spring break, and theb back down to 3 shows a week towards the end of the month.
As I've thought, they'll add more shows until the find the right balance to let everybody who wants to see it see it, and not play to a half empty house.

I have visited WDW many times in January when attendance at the parks was noticeably slower. Fantasmic always was nearly full even during these times with nightly showings. Clearly, they have cut Fantasmic to save money due to the economy, not because of lack of an audience during slower times. On top of that, during my visit this January the parks seemed more crowded than usual for the time of year which compounded the problem of running Fantasmic on a reduced schedule.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I've never seen half empty houses, but I have been there multiple times when the CM's have closed off the extreme side sections.

I've seen this happen during slower times (November, January) and during the 2nd later show during the summer.

 

[GothMickey]

I doubt anyone could because it rarely happened. Maybe sometimes because of rain or bad weather it would. For all the times I've seen Fantasmic it has always been full or very close to it even in the slow times.

And most times during bad weather the show is outright cancelled.

 

[wdwmomof3]

So...do I wait in line for the entire day, or miss fantasmic?..

OMG DECISIONS!!!
ahem...
WHY?!?

While I like the show, it's NOT worth waiting in line all day. IMO

My children really want to see it again when we go next time but I am not about to wait in line like that. Hopefully since we are going in Oct, during Fall Break, they will be showing it more that twice a week.

 

[lnsemsf]

No, it's not played to half empty houses, what I'm saying is that it's possible it could if it's over played. What if it's filled to 5/7ths capacity every night, that wold mean that 2 shows a week are not needed for the people who want to see it. It is filled to overflowing and complaining at 2 shows, so now it's 3. If it fills the same way, i'll bet you'd see a 4th, then 5th. This economy is in bad shape right now, and it's easier to be safe than sorry when it comes to the money you spend. You've had over 210,000 jobs lost in 5 weeks. They have absolutely every right to cut corners until things get back on the upswing. I'm absolutely against them cutting out services and raising prices for the most part, but what if paid attendence is down far enough in 2009 that 7 days a week that people wouldn't be filling the seats? Seriously, with everything else going on in the economy right now, if this is the biggest issue Disney faces over the next year, you should all be thankful.

 

[WDW1974]

Can you provide proof, either concrete or anecdotal, that F! has ever played to a half empty house, on a single showing night, ever?

To be fair, I have ... on more than one instance in the past 2-3 years.

Now, it's usually been in a slower period and almost always when there were TWO nightly showings and it was the later one.

But it wouldn't be fair to say the show always packs them in ... still, I don't agree with what they have done.

 

[MousDad]

To be fair, I have ... on more than one instance in the past 2-3 years.

Now, it's usually been in a slower period and almost always when there were TWO nightly showings and it was the later one.

I did say single showing night.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Now, it's usually been in a slower period and almost always when there were TWO nightly showings and it was the later one.

Don't they usually schedule a 2nd nightly showing when the crowds are expected to be higher? In other words, not a slower period?

 

[WDW1974]

I did say single showing night.

Yeah ... my bad, I read right over that. Sorry.

I don't think I've ever seen a half-empty one showing F except when weather has been a factor.

That place is always packed for one show. No doubt about it.

 

[WDW1974]

Don't they usually schedule a 2nd nightly showing when the crowds are expected to be higher? In other words, not a slower period?

Not always.

Especially recently on EMH nights (usually Mondays) you might have an 9-8 operating day with 8-11 EMH and they'd have two showings (one at 7 and one at 8:30).