What's Still On and What's Now Off

[Jrb1979]

With D23Expo moved to 2022 will see what damage has been done to what we were to get and compare it from what we get...Especially Epcot...I won't be surprised if The experience exhibit shutters down within the year due to many things not happening..

There is going to be big changes coming to Disney and not in a good way. Its sad to see this happening. The worse part is the amount of people that don't believe this is happening.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Disney doesn't have to do anything to cause a "flood" in 2022 other than bring back operations to pre-covid. If there is a vaccine and normal disney that place is going to be PACKED. I hate crowds but we will definitely be there. Canceled a trip this year and by 2023 my oldest son will have aged out if the period where he thinks the characters are real. So soon as meet and greets are back we will be planning a trip.

Yep...and that’s why it’s bad

 

[Brer Panther]

All of them???

Well, except the Splash Mountain rethemes, apparently.

 

[GoofGoof]

Well, except the Splash Mountain rethemes, apparently.

Well they have a good excuse to drag their feet on that project too if they so choose.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well they have a good excuse to drag their feet on that project too if they so choose.

That’s the only one I’d bet any money will get off the ground

 

[Brer Oswald]

That’s the only one I’d bet any money will get off the ground

I think so, but not before the nearly finished attractions are open to the public. They’d be out of their mind to rush this in the next year and a half, ahead of the nearly finished projects, to open a half baked Expansion. It would be bad for them financially, and it would bring them a lot of bad publicity (mostly from the Twitter Warriors expecting a modern masterpiece, less so from blokes like us).

Mind you, this is all speculation based on common sense.

 

[GoofGoof]

I think so, but not before the nearly finished attractions are open to the public. They’d be out of their mind to rush this in the next year and a half, ahead of the nearly finished projects, to open a half baked Expansion. It would be bad for them financially, and it would bring them a lot of bad publicity (mostly from the Twitter Warriors expecting a modern masterpiece, less so from blokes like us).

Mind you, this is all speculation based on common sense.

This is my thinking too...then again I’m also using logic and common sense which is not always the best way to handicap a Disney parks decision I’m also biased because I‘d like to get one last ride in on Splash before it goes so would be very happy to see that project delayed indefinitely. Only issue is they are not going to fix any of the broken effects on a ride that’s getting scrapped so if the project gets delayed several years the ride could get pretty rough from a show quality perspective. They won’t risk safety obviously but no incentive to put money into broken AAs that are going to be shelved soon.

 

[Brer Oswald]

This is my thinking too...then again I’m also using logic and common sense which is not always the best way to handicap a Disney parks decision I’m also biased because I‘d like to get one last ride in on Splash before it goes so would be very happy to see that project delayed indefinitely. Only issue is they are not going to fix any of the broken effects on a ride that’s getting scrapped so if the project gets delayed several years the ride could get pretty rough from a show quality perspective. They won’t risk safety obviously but no incentive to put money into broken AAs that are going to be shelved soon.

Apparently they fixed the projection of the Brers on the hill just 2 weeks ago. That was broken on my last trip.

Unless the extended closure of Disneyland somehow incentivizes them to push up the Florida retheme and delay the Californian retheme indefinitely, and can the potential Tokyo retheme that they want, I expect it to go like how insiders and others have been saying.

California’s goes down some months after the parks reopen. Florida’s goes down as soon as they can come up with a theme OLC can agree with. Or if that takes too long, they can allocate the funds to a non cloned PatF flume, so long as the California one is well received (which it will, thanks to the cupcake bloggers).

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

There is going to be big changes coming to Disney and not in a good way. Its sad to see this happening. The worse part is the amount of people that don't believe this is happening.

What changes are coming? Please elaborate

 

[Jrb1979]

What changes are coming? Please elaborate

IMO I believe that a lot of the free entertainment they offered isn't coming back. Covid is a good excuse to cut a lot of the things that have low ROI

 

[GoofGoof]

IMO I believe that a lot of the free entertainment they offered isn't coming back. Covid is a good excuse to cut a lot of the things that have low ROI

They don’t need an excuse to cancel stuff. They have done it for years. Once Covid restrictions are completely behind us they will absolutely look to make up for lost time. There’s no reason to believe any permanent changes to operations. On the capital spend side there is definitely a risk of less investment now on new projects as they try to get through the down period. That delays large projects and even smaller ones potentially. If demand picks up those things will pick up too. It all depends on the timing of an economic recovery.

 

[Jrb1979]

They don’t need an excuse to cancel stuff. They have done it for years. Once Covid restrictions are completely behind us they will absolutely look to make up for lost time. There’s no reason to believe any permanent changes to operations. On the capital spend side there is definitely a risk of less investment now on new projects as they try to get through the down period. That delays large projects and even smaller ones potentially. If demand picks up those things will pick up too. It all depends on the timing of an economic recovery.

There is a reason. Remember Chapek said that the CM's are the entertainment. Parades and Fireworks will come back but I'm not so sure about the little things like the Grand Orchestra.

 

[techgeek]

They don’t need an excuse to cancel stuff. They have done it for years. Once Covid restrictions are completely behind us they will absolutely look to make up for lost time. There’s no reason to believe any permanent changes to operations

I think @Jrb1979 is speculating along the lines of things like:

- Grand Floridian Society Orchestra
- Electric Water Pageant
- Disney Springs entertainment
- Select EPCOT World Showcase acts
- Streetmosphere at HS and AK.

None of that kind of stuff is on a park map, tied to specific revenue, or really advertised. It’s ‘bonus’ entertainment. A lot of it has been flying under the radar for years anyway, but it’s very easy to imagine an ‘operational change’ in which these sorts of acts wouldn’t be missed by current management. Not that there’s any entertainment management left anyway, so there’s that part also... I fear the stuff that will return will be the stuff that drives the gate, and little else.

 

[GoofGoof]

They have been cutting stuff for years and occasionally adding stuff back to replace it. I guess I just don’t see Disney feeling like they need an excuse to cut stuff like that. There’s an operations budget and if the revenue comes back there’s no reason to cut more expenses. Short term, yes I agree, long term makes less sense.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There is a reason. Remember Chapek said that the CM's are the entertainment. Parades and Fireworks will come back but I'm not so sure about the little things like the Grand Orchestra.

I’m not even sure parades and fireworks will come back.

Work is still being done on harmonious, but that doesnt mean it’s operational budget hasn’t changed (pyro $$$).

 

[drew81]

I think @Jrb1979 is speculating along the lines of things like:

- Grand Floridian Society Orchestra
- Electric Water Pageant
- Disney Springs entertainment
- Select EPCOT World Showcase acts
- Streetmosphere at HS and AK.

None of that kind of stuff is on a park map, tied to specific revenue, or really advertised. It’s ‘bonus’ entertainment. A lot of it has been flying under the radar for years anyway, but it’s very easy to imagine an ‘operational change’ in which these sorts of acts wouldn’t be missed by current management. Not that there’s any entertainment management left anyway, so there’s that part also... I fear the stuff that will return will be the stuff that drives the gate, and little else.

You’re right.

I think all 4 parks won’t see several shows and offerings brought back. Even when #Normal returns.

 

[GoofGoof]

I’m not even sure parades and fireworks will come back.

Work is still being done on harmonious, but that doesnt mean it’s operational budget hasn’t changed (pyro $$$).

Short term or long term? If parades and fireworks and other entertainment don’t come back neither will crowds. Disney wasn’t losing money pre-Covid, the parks were wildly profitable. Almost embarrassingly profitable. I’m not sure why there would be a need to cut a lot of the stuff that makes their parks special and popular.

 

[techgeek]

They have been cutting stuff for years and occasionally adding stuff back to replace it. I guess I just don’t see Disney feeling like they need an excuse to cut stuff like that. There’s an operations budget and if the revenue comes back there’s no reason to cut more expenses. Short term, yes I agree, long term makes less sense.

I’ll agree these things have always been cyclical, but never before has there been an event like covid to totally take us back to square one. Before, there needed to be intent to cut some of these things from the schedule... they were there because in some cases 50 years of inertia. Now, there needs to be specific intent to add them back in.

I like your optimism though!

 

[drew81]

Here’s another question:

How do you staff a parade or stage show with little to no approved performers?

 

[Jrb1979]

Short term or long term? If parades and fireworks and other entertainment don’t come back neither will crowds. Disney wasn’t losing money pre-Covid, the parks were wildly profitable. Almost embarrassingly profitable. I’m not sure why there would be a need to cut a lot of the stuff that makes their parks special and popular.

I can see them keeping the cavalcades in place of the parades and fireworks going the way Universal does them. They didn't do the night time show in the slower season. I think now more then before they really look at the ROI on everything.