Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[MickeyWaffles]

I get what you are saying but I think I just like how random and smaller the cavalcades are and not something you have to plan a chunk of your day around

Like I said, I think best case is FoF comes back to MK but the cavalcades remain at the other parks

I do want to see at least some traditional l meet and greets come back, but I would also be ok with a slight reduction of how many of them there are in exchange for keeping some of the random characters around (like Joy and Pooh in the field at Epcot or the Country Bears on the roof of their building, etc)

This all makes sense - totally agree.

At AK and HS, I want them to stay when m&g’s come back- with holiday versions. Epcot just doesn’t have enough room. MK I think it’d be neat if they divvied up the old parade into calvacades + holiday variations. Having more than one chance to see it helps with crowd control (which would still be good post-covid; who actually enjoys parade crowds?) and flexibility in touring. Having times listed post-covid would be nice though.

The “random” appearances (rooftops etc) are nice too. Makes the park come alive.

I’m all for more random appearances! That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about going to Disneyland - so many spontaneous character appearances.

I just can’t give up on a big elaborate MK parade. Been going to WDW since I was a baby but one of my earliest WDW memories was seeing Mickey’s birthday parade in the late 80s when I was 4 or 5. Everything seemed larger than life and like I was in a different world. Became a parade person right then and there and have seen (and loved) every day parade since I will take cavalcades in addition to a big MK parade though!

 

[skeeter31]

For the people who like the cavalcades and prefer them to a scheduled elaborate parade like FOF ...

Would you still like the cavalcades as much if you could do real traditional meet and greets again?

IMO, the cavalcades add more character time to fill the covid-related parade AND meet & greet voids right now.

While the cavalcades are spontaneous and fun, would they be as much of a hit if you could meet and personally interact with pretty much any character you wanted again?

FOF is such a production from start to finish - I think it would truly be a loss if it never returned. All the dancers/choreo, character performers, the huge cast, the big show stopping floats ... would be pretty disappointing for the small cavalcades to replace something like that long term.

I’m not a fan of meet and greets, but that’s because its just DW and I and we don’t stand in the long lines for characters. The cavalcades are fun because we get close to characters we don’t normally see and get nice pictures of them. Also not a fan of parades, except for the fact that other areas of the park clear out while everyone is lined up for them. But trying to leave the park during a parade is a top 5 worst WDW experience. I hate pushing through those crowds.

Plus, the cavalcades have had some characters that are rarely, if ever, out for meet and greets, like Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh.

 

[New Mouse]

The problem with cavalcades vs meet and greets and parades is that they arent people sucks. I enjoy them more than meet and greets but they couldnt replace them. It would be nice to have cavalcades and then one finale parade.

 

[rpb718]

For the people who like the cavalcades and prefer them to a scheduled elaborate parade like FOF ...

Would you still like the cavalcades as much if you could do real traditional meet and greets again?

IMO, the cavalcades add more character time to fill the covid-related parade AND meet & greet voids right now.

While the cavalcades are spontaneous and fun, would they be as much of a hit if you could meet and personally interact with pretty much any character you wanted again?

FOF is such a production from start to finish - I think it would truly be a loss if it never returned. All the dancers/choreo, character performers, the huge cast, the big show stopping floats ... would be pretty disappointing for the small cavalcades to replace something like that long term.

Just to speak for the bolded portion - there's more than enough Disney characters around that can be used for cavalcades to not affect any M&Gs that return.

Yes a parade will return eventually, but that's quite a ways off since the "huge cast" you mention are likely no longer employed at WDW. I'm sure it'll be reported here or at least on this board when WDW is looking to hire (or rehire) for entertainment purposes. However, my gut is also telling me that the parade that does return might end up not having as many floats and/or as many dancers, etc. as before.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

Speaking of laid off entertainment CMs... if anyone is on TikTok many of them have been making goodbye/recap videos of their time at the parks and oh the feels....

Here’s one of my favs so far:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJnNESoH/
Really wistful for the larger entertainment part of Disney- that’s one of the many ways they’re more than ‘just a theme park’ to my family. And I really hope when it’s safe to bring them back, they do so without hesitation and budget cuts won’t interfere.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Just to speak for the bolded portion - there's more than enough Disney characters around that can be used for cavalcades to not affect any M&Gs that return.

Yes a parade will return eventually, but that's quite a ways off since the "huge cast" you mention are likely no longer employed at WDW. I'm sure it'll be reported here or at least on this board when WDW is looking to hire (or rehire) for entertainment purposes. However, my gut is also telling me that the parade that does return might end up not having as many floats and/or as many dancers, etc. as before.

Oh yeah, I think it’s a long ways off yet, but I do think a bigger parade will return at some point and we’ll definitely know before it does.

My question wasn’t so much about staffing the cavalcades/meet and greets, but more so if people would find the cavalcades as fulfilling and exciting if meet & greets were back full force and they could have more personal character interactions again.

I also think it’s interesting that some people would prefer the low key cavalcades to a big cohesive production like a traditional parade. Just seems like a big downgrade to me. I’m all for cavalcades now during covid, and even long term - but not if it means no big parade. Will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[corn princess]

For the people who like the cavalcades and prefer them to a scheduled elaborate parade like FOF ...

Would you still like the cavalcades as much if you could do real traditional meet and greets again?

IMO, the cavalcades add more character time to fill the covid-related parade AND meet & greet voids right now.

While the cavalcades are spontaneous and fun, would they be as much of a hit if you could meet and personally interact with pretty much any character you wanted again?

FOF is such a production from start to finish - I think it would truly be a loss if it never returned. All the dancers/choreo, character performers, the huge cast, the big show stopping floats ... would be pretty disappointing for the small cavalcades to replace something like that long term.

I definitely see what you're saying! We missed meet & greets for sure. I also love FOF parade but it's always a struggle for us to see! I loved the randomness of the calvacades and how excited my girls got when we happened to see one! Personally if I had to choose between meet and greets with the FOF parade or the random calvacades well for sure option 1 BUT I would love to see the calvacades stay around after the other things come back!

 

[FrankieWinthrop]

Having more than one chance to see it helps with crowd control (which would still be good post-covid; who actually enjoys parade crowds?) and flexibility in touring. Having times listed post-covid would be nice though.

Having times would make them much better at MK. I know the point is to keep people from waiting, but I almost think it does the opposite a little bit. We wasted a lot of time hanging out, waiting to make sure we saw all the cavalcades (high priority for my son) when we could’ve been else where. I love FOF - that and the Nemo show are my favorite attractions. I know it’ll be back someday, but I did enjoy seeing holiday floats I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I’d almost rather them keep that spirit alive by doing random, rare characters on floats instead of the same few, non holiday ones they’ve been running since July. As long as there’s the mouse, the others could be anyone!

 

[yulilin3]

Having times would make them much better at MK. I know the point is to keep people from waiting, but I almost think it does the opposite a little bit. We wasted a lot of time hanging out, waiting to make sure we saw all the cavalcades (high priority for my son) when we could’ve been else where. I love FOF - that and the Nemo show are my favorite attractions. I know it’ll be back someday, but I did enjoy seeing holiday floats I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I’d almost rather them keep that spirit alive by doing random, rare characters on floats instead of the same few, non holiday ones they’ve been running since July. As long as there’s the mouse, the others could be anyone!

easiest way to see them all without wasting time is to see them when they first step out in the morning OR the last one of the day since the times for those 2 are on MDE. The in between are the harder to schedule

 

[HikingFam]

easiest way to see them all without wasting time is to see them when they first step out in the morning OR the last one of the day since the times for those 2 are on MDE. The in between are the harder to schedule

Yep- if you stand at the hub around 10:40, you’ll see all the cavalcades nearly back-to-back. At least that was the case for the holiday ones that started at 10:30.

 

[HikingFam]

Oh yeah, I think it’s a long ways off yet, but I do think a bigger parade will return at some point and we’ll definitely know before it does.

My question wasn’t so much about staffing the cavalcades/meet and greets, but more so if people would find the cavalcades as fulfilling and exciting if meet & greets were back full force and they could have more personal character interactions again.

I also think it’s interesting that some people would prefer the low key cavalcades to a big cohesive production like a traditional parade. Just seems like a big downgrade to me. I’m all for cavalcades now during covid, and even long term - but not if it means no big parade. Will be interesting to see what happens.

We don’t really wait in lines for characters, so the surprise characters and cavalcades have been great! If we want 1:1 time with characters, we are more likely to book a character meal.

I would love FOF to come back, but I wish they had a morning and an afternoon time slot. It’s the mid afternoon timing that has always made it hard for our family.

 

[corn princess]

We don’t really wait in lines for characters, so the surprise characters and cavalcades have been great! If we want 1:1 time with characters, we are more likely to book a character meal.

I would love FOF to come back, but I wish they had a morning and an afternoon time slot. It’s the mid afternoon timing that has always made it hard for our family.

Oh I would LOVE a morning/afternoon time slot for FOF!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I love the cavalcade but I think when Covid goes, they go. Aside from AK, they work because the parks are at 35% capacity. Clearing the space for the cavalcade would be harder with a lot more people in the way.

 

[HikingFam]

I love the cavalcade but I think when Covid goes, they go. Aside from AK, they work because the parks are at 35% capacity. Clearing the space for the cavalcade would be harder with a lot more people in the way.

The AK ones are actually our favorite! And I agree, it seems pretty easy compared to the others.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I love the cavalcade but I think when Covid goes, they go. Aside from AK, they work because the parks are at 35% capacity. Clearing the space for the cavalcade would be harder with a lot more people in the way.

Are the cavalcades (at least the MK ones) that much different than the move it shake it whatever it dance party things?

EPCOT I think would be hard at least on the weekend during festivals ... Maybe they could have them mid week as an extra draw?

DHS would be tough - maybe could do Random Character Palooza type things where they used to do the Star Wars show?

 

[chicagoshannon]

Are the cavalcades (at least the MK ones) that much different than the move it shake it whatever it dance party things?

EPCOT I think would be hard at least on the weekend during festivals ... Maybe they could have them mid week as an extra draw?

DHS would be tough - maybe could do Random Character Palooza type things where they used to do the Star Wars show?

they should put the characters in speed boats in the EPCOT lagoon. I'd LOVE to see that! OR they could get the hand gliders (or was is hot air balloons) out again for characters to fly around.

 

[SaintsManiac]

At this point I would stand in line for a meet and greet or stake out a spot for any parade. I'm desperate. lol.

 

[corn princess]

Are the cavalcades (at least the MK ones) that much different than the move it shake it whatever it dance party things?

EPCOT I think would be hard at least on the weekend during festivals ... Maybe they could have them mid week as an extra draw?

DHS would be tough - maybe could do Random Character Palooza type things where they used to do the Star Wars show?

Nope they are very similar to the move, shake it dance party! In fact they use the same float!

At DHS it's not that much different the March of the order they used to have.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Are the cavalcades (at least the MK ones) that much different than the move it shake it whatever it dance party things?

EPCOT I think would be hard at least on the weekend during festivals ... Maybe they could have them mid week as an extra draw?

DHS would be tough - maybe could do Random Character Palooza type things where they used to do the Star Wars show?

Ultimately I land on once it’s possible to bring back parades/meet n greats these cavalcade things are toast. The logistics would be messier and- probably more importantly lol- with parades/meet n greats why pay for cavalcades? I can’t imagine one person who says “everything else is back but they took away cavalcades I’M CANCELLING!!” (Well I can. But a month later they’ll post about booking another trip to WDW )

Obviously they have much longer to operate so still plenty of time to enjoy them as parades, etc are not coming back anytime soon.

 

[rpb718]

Nope they are very similar to the move, shake it dance party! In fact they use the same float!

At DHS it's not that much different the March of the order they used to have.

I really miss March of the First Order.