Fantasmic to be cut to two shows per week

[jade1]

I just dont see how all these cut backs (hours/shows/days parks are open/DVC booking rules) and price increases (DDP/Airfare/ME?) are supposed to help "entice" someone to come visit? We usually go 3 times a year-now it feels like 911 and am losing any desire to even plan a trip. Thought they just had a banner year? This is the thanks we get?

 

[raidermatt]

This is actually extremely common in the off season, not sure why this is being considered news. Every CP (I did three), during the off season there were maybe two or three shows per week. Fantasmic is our most complicated show. The manpower alone is an enormous cost and when you aren't filling up the amphitheater, it makes sense to take it down to a couple of night a week. The same thing with Spectro, during off season Spectro does not run every night. That's how it's always been.

So the people who have been in these months and say the show was offered more often are lying?

Cutting it to two nights a week is not common at all. And it's news because Disney is issuing a press release to announce the cut, complete with 2 paragraphs of justification.

Are you seriously suggesting they would issue such a release to simply do what they have been doing every year?

I just dont see how all these cut backs (hours/shows/days parks are open/DVC booking rules) and price increases (DDP/Airfare/ME?) are supposed to help "entice" someone to come visit? We usually go 3 times a year-now it feels like 911 and am losing any desire to even plan a trip. Thought they just had a banner year? This is the thanks we get?

And that's why we can't just say "it's slow so it makes sense".

Yes, Fantasmic is expensive, but it also is a huge draw. Not only does it entice guests to visit the park in the first place, it also entices them to stay later, have dinner, etc.

Cuts like this perpetuate a vicious circle. Bookings slow, so Disney makes cuts to try to save money. Then more guests cancel or don't book because of the cuts, and Disney cuts further, and on and on.

You're right, its the same thing that happend after 9/11 and it left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of guests. That's why it took Disney 5 years to get back to setting attendance records while most other tourist destinations were fully back on track in less than 3.

What's more, it's a good bet that another similarity to post 9/11 is that when things do turn around and start trending up, some of the cuts will remain permanent. Disney touted this to investors in the post 9/11 environment and they followed through.

 

[Sk8Leigh]

Wishes, and especially Illuminations, are not a good substitute for Fantasmic! Fantasmic is a whole show with characters! I'm glad I'm going in October, and hope that this will be back on track by the time I make my next trip. It's bad enough that Spectro isn't every night, but it's not a good precedent to do it with Fantasmic, too.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I don't understand this either.
Sure the two remaining nights the Studios will be packed. But now we will be reading where guests think once again this is a half a day park.
And shuttering Fantasmic for all but two nights will really increase the evening crowd levels at MK and Epcot.
I can't imagine Fantasmic was a money loss considering the food, meals (including Fantasmic dinner pricing), shopping, etc. The park will clear out by dinner time on non Fantasmic nights. So I can only assume for whatever reason that is the game plan.
Maybe they hope guests will go to DTD to make up for the ones who will rarely return to DTD once the PI clubs are shuttered.
Makes one wonder why night time attractions and facilities are closing up. I think instead guests will just head back to their rooms for the night. Esp at this close up the night time entertainment pace.

 

[Goofy4]

Wow. And hope you don't have inclement weather on the two nights it is showing.

Yep... A little lightning anywhere in the area and there goes perhaps your only chance to see the show. And/or, the next showing could be packed as a result.

 

[Donald&Tinkerbell]

We will be there 1/23-30/09 and Spectro & Fantasmic are both scheduled for Monday & Thursday nights. If you're trying to save money on CMs, wouldn't it make more sense to have them on different nights?

 

[Sk8Leigh]

Not really, because they'd have to bring people in for each job for each show/parade, no matter what night it was.

But I think it is stupid to have them on the same nights, just for people who want to see both shows.

 

[DisOrBust]

We have gone in January early Feb at least 5 years and Fantasmic was on every night as well as Illuminations. ???Maybe MGM will be closed during the other days....just a thought....

 

[Condorman]

I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but I never saw the appeal of Fantasmic. I waited for years to go, did the dinner package, had a great seat, was all excited, and then sat through the most disorganized, no-narrative, sloppy presentation I have ever seen in any Disney park, and I've been to all of them. I just didn't get it and I definitely didn't like it. Until they come up with Fantasmic 2.0, this isn't heartbreaking news to me.

 

[chartle]

When we went the week before Labor Day 1999. I had to carefully pick what days we were in what park. MK fireworks and the Main Street Elec parade were only on the first Saturday of our trip.

 

[DisneyFanatic1072]

I have to say i'm not quite sure what to make of all the "concern" over Fantasmic. Yes it is a very good show, hwever i would never think of canceling a trip to WDW because of not being able to see a show, or a parade. I guess i get more of a kick out of actually being in WDW than just the glitz and glamor.

 

[mitros]

Personally....WAY too crowded of a show, and that stupid "wave" thing they do. Mass hypnosis if you ask me. Can't stand when huge mobs of people all do the same ridiculous thing. Close it down, we could care less........ {IMHO, of course}

 

[yitbos96bb]

Wow. And hope you don't have inclement weather on the two nights it is showing.
I am surprised too, as I always thought it was busy. However we have only seen Fantasmic once in the last 5 years or so ourselves.

I went Dec 16 of 2007, which is a slow time at Disney and it was packed at Fantasmic.

 

[yitbos96bb]

Personally....WAY too crowded of a show, and that stupid "wave" thing they do. Mass hypnosis if you ask me. Can't stand when huge mobs of people all do the same ridiculous thing. Close it down, we could care less........ {IMHO, of course}

Yeah, I want to shoot the wave people... I'm from Chicago... While its a little more lax than it was in the past, the wave is generally frowned upon in this city. I've seen people get harassed at Bears games for trying to start it...

 

[summergrlshs]

From the rumors I have heard the reason they are cutting Fantasmic back to two nights a week in Jan. is because of the opening of American Idol attraction and how much money they have put into it.

 

[justright6]

When I was looking on the events calendar for our trip dates 1-21-1-27Fantasmic was only scheduled for Thursday and Monday.

 

[tednvon]

We are there for 3 months in Jan, Feb, and March and probably go 3-4 times if friends are visiting and it was always pretty full. I have always been amazed at the number of cast members in full costume who appear for a very short period of time. How they put all those folks on the boat at the end for just 5 minutes is quite a trick.
Maybe they all come from other parks where they have been characters, but maybe it just a very expensive show for a less than an hour.

I agree, dinner package will be a big deal. I would not be surprised to see many more seats assigned to dinner.

Peace...Ted

 

[Sk8Leigh]

Well, for one thing, the CMs play multiple characters, in different scenes. And they're hourly, so it doesn't matter where else they've worked during the day.

It's a lot of people, but I bet the effects they do during each show cost more.

 

[KMovies]

Here's the logic to why both Fantasmic and Spectromagic would be on Monday and Thursdays, and not split up.

It forces people to choose between the two. If Fantasmic was Monday, and Spectromagic Tuesday, you would go to Fantasmic on Monday and Spectromagic on Tuesday. That would be way too many people trying the same thing.

This way, you can only do one, but that makes more sense from a crowd control aspect.

But gosh, Fantasmic is so popular and always full. At least they should start back up the fireworks at Hollywood Studios on Fantasmic's off nights.

 

[Jessfrogger88]

1. First of all I love Fantasmic it's by far my favorite show, parade, firework spectacular in all of WDW.





2.

This is actually extremely common in the off season, not sure why this is being considered news. Every CP (I did three), during the off season there were maybe two or three shows per week. Fantasmic is our most complicated show. The manpower alone is an enormous cost and when you aren't filling up the amphitheater, it makes sense to take it down to a couple of night a week. The same thing with Spectro, during off season Spectro does not run every night. That's how it's always been.

This is simply incorrect.... I know for a fact that it ran every night in January of 07 and 08 weather permitting. It defiantly has to do with the changing economy and probably low bookings im sure by mid feb there will be nightly shows.... so it looks like Epcot and AK are the places to be Mon and Thur in January.