Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[zapple]

I really like Epcot Forever and hope that it does come back for a little while. I hope that the fact that they’re extending weeknight hours to 9 and weekend hours to 10 means that either some park hopping or fireworks are coming back soon.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

could they reduce the characters at the end to just be fur characters that could be wearing masks underneath?

Feels like ways to adapt it to making it ok .... I think the bigger thing with Fantasmic! is the cost - if you are not getting $ inc from closer to total park capacity (not reduced limits) hard to justify the cost.

Maybe a heavily modified version that is much cheaper to run? a.k.a Fantasmic!: Alive with Magic

Maybe they decided the nightmare in Fantasmic is no longer relevant given the real nightmare this year has proven to be so they need time to revamp the show.

Fantasmic! Reflections of 2020.

 

[SaintsManiac]

could they reduce the characters at the end to just be fur characters that could be wearing masks underneath?

Feels like ways to adapt it to making it ok .... I think the bigger thing with Fantasmic! is the cost - if you are not getting $ inc from closer to total park capacity (not reduced limits) hard to justify the cost.

Maybe a heavily modified version that is much cheaper to run? a.k.a Fantasmic!: Alive with Magic

We are sharing a brain today!

 

[tlmadden73]

Very interesting timing here. It seems like there are now some conversations about nighttime entertainment actually happening at least at the WDW-level for the first time since March. No definitive timing yet but the goal is sometime within the first half of 2021. There’s a mountain of logistics to sort through apparently, so even once they determine a point where they feel it’s safe, it’ll take a bit to re-launch them. Don’t expect all of them to start back at once and at least one (in addition to RoL, which was already announced) will not return.

It definitely feels like they could have outdoor nightly entertainment easily with the capacity levels. Have a "quick" fireworks show where everyone isn't crammed into the hub .. same with the DHS projection show on the Chinese theater.
Fantasmic easily could just be limited seating.

Any version of an Epcot show in the lagoon should be easy enough to spread out the limited crowds around the lagoon (as there really is no seating, right?)

And AK? Well . that ship has sailed and it will probably have an empty theater for a while.

My guess though is that Fantasmic wouldn't come back .. as it is probably really expensive compared to the others and that feels like a logistics nightmare to get everyone in/out of there still. All the other shows just involve people standing around a central area NOT going to an actual theater.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It definitely feels like they could have outdoor nightly entertainment easily with the capacity levels. Have a "quick" fireworks show where everyone isn't crammed into the hub .. same with the DHS projection show on the Chinese theater.
Fantasmic easily could just be limited seating.

I wonder if they could do the cavalcade version of fireworks where they would go off unannounced or perhaps a few times a night - basically something to prevent people from camping out

Or maybe at least the Castle projections part (sort of like what they do with the Tree of Life stuff) and then maybe have the fireworks at a set time, but something that doesn't involve projecitons so you can see them from around the park and thus are able to spread out

 

[JaxDad]

could they reduce the characters at the end to just be fur characters that could be wearing masks underneath?

Feels like ways to adapt it to making it ok .... I think the bigger thing with Fantasmic! is the cost - if you are not getting $ inc from closer to total park capacity (not reduced limits) hard to justify the cost.

Maybe a heavily modified version that is much cheaper to run? a.k.a Fantasmic!: Alive with Magic

If they wanted to be ironic, they could reduce it down to one character:

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Unpopular opinion, or maybe popular? Rivers of Light was terrible and that theatre is super tight and uncomfortable. If nothing comes back in the evenings at AK, big oh well. All the more reason to leave for dinner at Boma and not go back.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

If they wanted to be ironic, they could reduce it down to one character:

View attachment 534758

I thought you said iconic at first and I was pretty upset on poor Ariel’s behalf, she gets a blanket tossed on her head while everyone else scatters so they don’t catch on fire. Girl is iconic.

 

[Farro]

Unpopular opinion, or maybe popular? Rivers of Light was terrible and that theatre is super tight and uncomfortable. If nothing comes back in the evenings at AK, big oh well. All the more reason to leave for dinner at Boma and not go back.

AK is gorgeous at night. The best time to visit Pandora is at night.
The Tree of Life projections were magic.

I think AK is the best night-time park they have from a purely aesthetic standpoint and I hate it's always the parks that closes the earliest. Doesn't even need Rivers of Light in my opinion.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Unpopular opinion, or maybe popular? Rivers of Light was terrible and that theatre is super tight and uncomfortable. If nothing comes back in the evenings at AK, big oh well. All the more reason to leave for dinner at Boma and not go back.

given the amount of time I have had to defend it, I don't think that is unpopular at all

I loved it though - thought it was beautiful and really loved the music. I did prefer the original version with the performers that came in the stands and were on the ships. I never found the theater itself to be tight/uncomfortable, but getting in and out was definitely an ordeal

I really loved AK at night - I loved all the dance party areas and music and was just a cool vibe to walk around with an adult beverage or two (which AK also excels at)

 

[skeeter31]

I wonder if they could do the cavalcade version of fireworks where they would go off unannounced or perhaps a few times a night - basically something to prevent people from camping out

Or maybe at least the Castle projections part (sort of like what they do with the Tree of Life stuff) and then maybe have the fireworks at a set time, but something that doesn't involve projecitons so you can see them from around the park and thus are able to spread out

The problem I’m thinking of with just a pop up fireworks show, or a “quick” show as stated above your post, it’s a lot harder for Disney to jut rig up a new show. The magic of their shows (especially MK fireworks) is the majesty and beauty, set to music. They would need to completely redo the music and fireworks coordination. Then they would need to reconfigure the firing tubes for the new show and program the entire thing. Not as easy as a backyard fireworks show where you just drop the mortars in the PVC tube and let em fly lol. If they wanted to do a new shorter show, my guess is it would take them until mid 2021 to get it up and running anyway. So probably better to just wait for full HEA to return around then.

 

[Moliphino]

Unpopular opinion, or maybe popular? Rivers of Light was terrible and that theatre is super tight and uncomfortable. If nothing comes back in the evenings at AK, big oh well. All the more reason to leave for dinner at Boma and not go back.

But the ROL dining package at Tiffins was a fantastic deal if you got the surf and turf (or the beef tenderloin/short rib to a lesser extent).

 

[skeeter31]

Unpopular opinion, or maybe popular? Rivers of Light was terrible and that theatre is super tight and uncomfortable. If nothing comes back in the evenings at AK, big oh well. All the more reason to leave for dinner at Boma and not go back.

I agree. Wasn’t wow’ed by that show when we saw it. And I’m ashamed to admit, but I’ve only seen Fantasmic once at HS. Saw it twice at DL way back when but the HS version never amazed me. The crowds in that theater were always a turn off and I could never see myself going into there now.

 

[dislee1164]

AK is gorgeous at night. The best time to visit Pandora is at night.
The Tree of Life projections were magic.

I think AK is the best night-time park they have from a purely aesthetic standpoint and I hate it's always the parks that closes the earliest. Doesn't even need Rivers of Light in my opinion.

Totally agree! Best nighttime park - so relaxing and beautiful. I do hope they bring back a night show, but still worth it without one.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I never saw ROL but AK at night is what made me fall in love with the park. After going to the hottest park on earth a few times in the god awful heat I wasn’t a huge fan. Then in 2009 we did PM EMH. I loved it. Then that stopped for a while.

Finally in 2018 we got to experience it at night again. My DD looovveedd it. I could just hang in AK at night without riding a single ride. I now plan 2 evenings in AK each time we go.

 

[anthony2k7]

Very interesting timing here. It seems like there are now some conversations about nighttime entertainment actually happening at least at the WDW-level for the first time since March. No definitive timing yet but the goal is sometime within the first half of 2021. There’s a mountain of logistics to sort through apparently, so even once they determine a point where they feel it’s safe, it’ll take a bit to re-launch them. Don’t expect all of them to start back at once and at least one (in addition to RoL, which was already announced) will not return.

My moneys on fantasmic not returning.

And something at epcot being the first nighttime entertainment back at wdw.

 

[rteetz]

https://blogmickey.com/2020/10/disn...jly8aLMolhwMFZ50lhcYcVfWFCsUJ1XKNnVICK2wgwfac

 

[Eric Smith]

Unpopular opinion, or maybe popular? Rivers of Light was terrible and that theatre is super tight and uncomfortable. If nothing comes back in the evenings at AK, big oh well. All the more reason to leave for dinner at Boma and not go back.

I thought it was an ok show, but I'm not torn up that it's gone.

 

[figmentfinesse]

That’s what I was referring to with the meh other fireworks/light show at DHS lol, so meh I could not recall the name.

If those are included, I think that’s a strong contender. But F! Has so many CMs in close proximity so that may just prove too difficult?

I know a F! cast member and he said it would definitely be too hard since they have to be close for the snake, flowers etc.

 

[Yooperroo]

I know this is silly but the lack of an option to say goodbye bothers me. F! is such an iconic show, if they cancel it without showing it again, which is a real possibility, it would be super sad it's like when they canceled sww 6 months before it was supposed to start.

My children will literally cry of they cancel it and they didn't get to see it one last time