Guess what they are planning on replacing the fireworks and parade with?

[Testtrack321]

CHARACTERS! NO KIDDING! WDWMAGIC.COM reports that they are planning on creating a new entertainment schedule that will alow for a switch off of Fireworks, Parades, and a new Character Meet & Greet on Main Street "with 100 characters that will interact with guests and music." Kinda an anti-parade.

Are you surprised? NOPE. It seems like Disney will soon start closing rides and placing characters in rides and closing them for a day for a meet & greet.

 

[TiggerFreak]

Arrrrrggghhhhhh.
These rumors are sinister.
Say it ain't so.
Please.
Say it.

 

[anim8or98]

This is a good thing! They never have a parade in the off season monday through thursday. Sometimes they don't even have fireworks. The parks closed at 7 pm in the off season last year. Sometimes it was 6 pm. Guests left with nothing. Disney is just trying to give the guests something. This is not going to replace Spectromagic or the fireworks for nights where the park is open later. This is just something for the off season...

 

[Luv2Roam]

If this is an indication of the future cut backs, the reasons will be apparent on why not to return to WDW.

 

[manning]

anim8or98, what's that old saying? "Never say never!"

 

[Bob O]

I would much perfer the fireworks and parades than more meet and greets!!! That may be fine if you have kids who want the autographs but i enjoy the parades/fireworks and cant stand the idea of waiting in more long lines to get a photo autograph. And if you dont have kids in tow there is little there to have you stay at the park longer when you might stay to see a parade or fireworks show.

 

[manning]

The ultimate cost cut.

Eliminate all the lands in MK except one, Fantasyland. Take out all the rides and put in benches. pay $100.00 admission and go sit on one of the benches. Close your eyes and create your own fantasy in your mind. Of course this will present Eisner with a Problem. What will the next cut back be?

LOL

 

[raidermatt]

Before we get TOO worked up, here's the entire rumor:


"The Magic Kingdom is to test out a few things over the next month in regards to entertainment scheduling. They understand that guests want night time entertainment, and also they know how difficult night entertainment is when the parks have such low attendance and short operating hours, specifically closing at 6pm. Keeping the park open until 8pm to be dark enough for fireworks is tricky, but they are going to try one week of low attendance where fireworks will run every night, one week with SpectroMagic running every night, and one week alternating each day. On the back of this there will be lots of guest surveys during this time to see if the new entertainment increases guests ratings and intent to return to the parks. Finally, they are working on an idea where instead of either fireworks or a parade, a huge character meet on Mainstreet USA will take place, with close to 100 different characters interacting with guests with music etc."


So they are at least (apparently) going to try MORE fireworks/parades to see what the impact is.

Its not that I really have confidence that they will do what is best for LONG TERM guest satisfaction, but at least there is SOMEBODY who recognizes that adding parades/fireworks might be a good decision.

Hours were extended to 8:00 from 6:00 for the last week in September, so that would jive with the rumor of trying out adding parades/fireworks.

(Incidentally, even with the new 8:00 closings, hours are still shorter for '02 than in '01)

 

[Peter Pirate]

Listen to anim8tor, would you rather have No parade & No fireworks during off periods (as now happens) or have the meet & greet extravaganza? Come on guys, it's a no-brainer!

 

[Bob O]

Once they start this is the off-season its only a matter of time till they start to do it in pre-time. Maybe once a week at first until its expanded and you only have late parades/fireworks on weekends. Its disney's way of incrementalism, kind of how liberalism has worked its way into society, a little at a time!!
They have enough meets and greets and not enough parades and firework shows which set them apart from other parks by the scope in which they are done.

 

[manning]

Let's hope they don't rig the survey questions so they get the answers they want.

 

[C.Ann]

If in fact this comes to be - another Meet 'n Greet rather than parades and fireworks during the "slow" season - I truly believe that Disney will have slit their own throats and will NEVER be able to regain the loyal following they once had..

Between shorter hours, less shows, no EE, closing of rides and restaurants, and the now proposed Meet 'n Greet in place of parades and fireworks, how much do they think the public is going to stand for? Prices are due to rise this Sunday - what people will get for their money is being reduced yet again.. This is NOT a good business move and no one can convince me otherwise..

Think of the poor souls who don't have access to these boards.. They plan their vacations months ahead of time - book their rooms - book their flights - rent their rental cars - and then arrive in WDW only to find that there are NO fireworks or parades during their stay but rather a mob-scene Meet 'n Greet on Main Street instead.. No way they can even verify what will or will not be available prior to making their plans because hours aren't posted until the actual month they are leaving on their trip and the scheduling of many events aren't being revealed until you ARRIVE at the park and receive a hand out.. I would be SOOO furious if I were caught off guard like this! Disney needs to get it's act together and rather than continue to grouse about low attendance they need to offer an INCENTIVE for people to return - NOT do everything in their power to push them away..

And please - don't even bother to mention the reduced rates at the resorts.. What good are they if the reason you're getting a reduced rate is so that you can sit in your wonderful Disney Resort room and STARE AT THE FOUR WALLS..

Disney is committing suicide - slowly but surely..

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by manning
Let's hope they don't rig the survey questions so they get the answers they want.

You mean like how the customers much preferred the Character Caravan to EE ???

Doesn't take a genius to figure out the surveys will "magically" reveal exactly what Disney WANTS them to reveal..

 

[manning]

I just bought into DVC and am now wondering if I did the right thing. You kind of have to wonder what this will do to future sales.

What has happened to good old common sense. The suits must be getting desparate.

 

[treesinger]

I'm not one to jump into car #1 very often,but here I go. I think it is an interesting idea,even if it isn't altogether original. It sounds like a super-sized character greet whcih,for my young children, might be a real hoot for them! I hope it comes out better in practice than it does on paper.

 

[Planogirl]

This might be great for families with small kids but not so great for those of us with no kids or older kids. All I can say is that I'm so glad that we discovered Disneyland this year! I'm not sure how much they cut back during the offtimes but when we went they had later hours than MK and 2 showings of Fantasmic each night while we were there. I felt spoiled but we were probably just lucky.

As Han Solo would say, I have a bad feeling about this.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by treesinger
I'm not one to jump into car #1 very often,but here I go. I think it is an interesting idea,even if it isn't altogether original. It sounds like a super-sized character greet whcih,for my young children, might be a real hoot for them! I hope it comes out better in practice than it does on paper.

-------------------------------

Ever been lined up on Main street during one of the parades? Now imagine 100 characters in the middle of that same street and EVERYONE in the park congested in that ONE area for a Meet 'n Greet..

Sounds like a nightmare in the making to me..

 

[roymccoy]

It's cheaper....it saves money...
Not really much sense in debating if it's a good idea or not, it's just a way to save money.
And the NERVE to RAISE prices when all they have done is cutback...what's their reasoning? Inflation? The theme parks are having to pay for ABC, Go.Com, ESPN, Fox Family, etc. and all of Eisner's other "winners". Why can't the theme parks pay for the...let me see...Oh, I KNOW! Why can't the theme parks pay for the theme parks!
As I've said before, this theme park thing was Disney's to lose...they were so good they didn't even have competition. Now, they've lowered themselves into the frey with Universal and Six Flags and they're not even doing that great a job of competing with them lately.

100 characters will come and "greet" the mob....SHEESH! It will probably be CM's from surrounding stores that are in the costumes! You know, run back and zip into a Goofy suit and then come out and wave and then back to the film store.

This isn't funny anymore...this is starting to concern me.

Roy

P.S. Hey, did you read that Pressler actually suggested having the "face" characters (Snow White, Belle, Alice, etc) wear pin lanyards and doing pin trading!? I'm surprised he doesn't have them making change and selling balloon animals!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by roymccoy
P. S. Hey, did you read that Pressler actually suggested having the "face" characters (Snow White, Belle, Alice, etc) wear pin lanyards and doing pin trading!? I'm surprised he doesn't have them making change and selling balloon animals!

------------------------Puhleeeeez - tell me you're not serious!!

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by C.Ann
------------------------Puhleeeeez - tell me you're not serious!!

nope...


I refrain from touching this one until I see some more news on it ...but all I can say is OMG what a bad idea. Fireworks, longer hours, and more parades are a good thing...but this other idea "the character mob " is not. Guess where we won't be if it happens?