Has Disney Parks lost hope in developing great parades and shows?

[DodgerGirl]

There was a time when Disney Parks were known for having great Broadway-style shows and parades but now ever since the pandemic Disney Parks no longer have the once terrific shows and parades and it seems that the only times Disney Parks seem to have parades and good shows is during holidays like Halloween and Christmas and I think it's because Disney Parks are cutting costs for expensive parades and having less Broadway-style shows. The one Disney Park that has started to do this is Disneyland and if you visit Disneyland right now today you'll notice that instead of parades they have calvacades just like they used to when they reopened during the pandemic and to me I think Disneyland is having troubles in the entertainment division because they have stopped with parades in general and they keep wanting to save new parades for their upcoming 70th anniversary which isn't right at all to me. What I also think is going on is that Disney Parks cancel successful shows and parades because they see this entertainment as expensive money. Take for instance Disneyland last year cancelled the Pixar Pals parade in DCA and also cancelled the entire Avengers Campus entertainment such as The Guardians Of The Galaxy Dance-Off show and the Doctor Strange show and when those shows were cancelled people were outraged at this news and instead of bringing those shows back they replaced it with Storytime With Deadpool which didn't last that long. Then Rogers The Musical disappeared from DCA's Hyperion Theater and it was a successful show that DCA SHOULD"VE kept and when that also happened people were surprised at this news. Why I think Disney Parks in general hasn't put out good shows and parades is like I said earlier they might be having troubles in their entertainment division and the only actors they can hire are character actors because I think this is where Disney Parks make big money because when you are a company like Disney you have to hire character actors to portray characters for character dining and meet and greets and performers like marching bands get big money and other performers like dancers and clowns mimes and singers get little money. But in my eyes Disney Parks should return to making great parades and shows once again

 

[mom2rtk]

Paragraphs would be great.

The only thing Disney has lost interest (or hope) in is paying for parades and entertainment.

 

[BrianL]

The parades they have made have been good - they just need mroe of them. MK is getting a new nighttime parade this year, so that's good. It is a shame that they have cut back on live shows, like at the Hyperion Theater. Those were top-notch productions! I fear that theater may sit empty for a while yet.

 

[Cfabar1]

All about reducing labor costs....

The shows were a great idea in the 90s - it was cheaper to pay entertainers than to build rides/capacity...

The economic model has shifted away from that and has pervaded the entire parks division. Consider the Cast member costs/requirements of the Great Movie Ride vs. Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railroad....

 

[DodgerGirl]

What I think Disney Parks is trying to do is turn their focus away from expensive shows and parades and are focusing on developing parades and shows that are less expensive to make because the way I view it Disney Parks sees new parades and shows more expensive to make and they want to save money by creating new shows and parades that are less expensive as a way to save money. What I think Disneyland in general should do is retire the old shows and put something new and interesting in their places. Like take for instance Disneyland and Magic Kingdom should retire The Enchanted Tiki Room and put a new interesting show in it's place and the same with The Country Bear Jamboree because a more interesting show would be much better. As I mentioned in my previous post I think the problem is that Disney Parks have been having troubles in their entertainment division and they simply aren't casting as many roles for shows and parades. And it makes me wonder how much do Disney Parks performers get paid for performing in shows and parades and has Disney Parks had any openings or auditions for characters in the last month? But if Disney Parks were to get back to making good parades again a new nighttime parade like the Main Street Electrical Parade and an interactive parade for the daytime would do the trick for Disney Parks

 

[New Mouse]

I think a lot of it is due to lost creative talent as well. Disney used to be home to many of the best minds in "imagineering" realm within all of their divisions. Unfortunately over the past few years so many of them were kicked to the curb to save money.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I hear you on this, it’s definitely a bummer to see Disney cutting back on those big shows and parades. I remember going to Disneyland a few years ago and being blown away by the parades and Broadway-style performances, so it feels like a real step back seeing things like the Pixar Pals parade and Rogers The Musical get canceled. I’m sure it’s all about the cost-cutting, but as a fan, it’s tough to watch them replace those fan-favorite experiences with short-lived ones. I get that character actors and meet-and-greets are a huge money-maker, but it feels like they’re missing out on what made the parks so special in the first place. Hopefully, they bring back more of those classic shows in the future.

I'm very glad you agree with me on this topic Orbiter5. I also think Disneyland's problem is that ever since the pandemic when they reopened their entertainment started going downhill and starting with the calvacades Disneyland fans were not happy with the changes they did once they reopened after being closed during the pandemic and this change affected the shows and parades and this was a new image for Disneyland's entertainment division. I discussed this topic with my mom and she does agree that Disney Parks has indeed lost hope in creating new parades and shows and my mom thinks that they should develop new shows and parades that everybody can like. But I do think that Disney Parks focuses more on character meet and greets than shows and I think Disney Parks sees character meet and greets as an inexpensive way to make money rather than make parades or shows. But the biggest mistake Disneyland did was cancel Aladdin Live At The Hyperion and replace it with Frozen Live At The Hyperion and when Frozen Live was cancelled due to Disneyland's closure due to the pandemic Disneyland should've never cancelled Frozen Live and kept it running. But I think the only entertainment that Disney Parks seems to focus on are fireworks shows and shows like World Of Color because those shows seem to make Disney Parks lots of money
I'm happy you agree and thank you for your great reply,
Dodger

 

[tgropp]

Refer to Bob Igers new salary.. Cut costs, reduce staff and increase profits

 

[Elijah Abrams]

Refer to Bob Igers new salary.. Cut costs, reduce staff and increase profits

This is why I can’t wait for him to get replaced in 2026, hopefully with someone waaaay better than him.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I believe that Disney Parks mostly want to focus on festivals and other big affairs rather than shows and parades because how I view it Disney Parks sees these festivals as less expensive and easy to do than a show or a parade. Like every year Epcot has the Food And Wine Festival and they have the Garden Rocks concerts as their entertainment highlight and then Disney Parks also have the RunDisney marathons and they seem to make huge money from those two events alone. But the one park that seems to make money on festivals rather than parades and shows is Disneyland and they seem to have tons of festivals like this year they have the Lunar New Year Festival and also every summer DCA also has their own Food And Wine Festival and Epcot also has their Flower and Garden Festival every year. And I seem to think that those festivals cost big money for Disney Parks. But I think Disneyland in general seems to make expensive entertainment costs around Halloween and Christmas with the annual Oogie Boogie Bash every Halloween and Christmas entertainment such as the Christmas Fantasy Parade and when you look at the Christmas entertainment at Disneyland they have to audition Santa Claus actors audition carolers audition characters in Christmas outfits and I can guarantee you Disneyland probably gives the Santa Claus actors big money to play the Santa Claus role. But the one thing that could save Disney Parks in creating great entertainment is if they had a interactive game show where guests could test their Disney trivia knowledge or have a Wheel Of Fortune interactive show based on ABC's Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune and a Disney parade celebrating some of Disney's best movie scenes and it would be called Disney's Movie Moments Parade and it would be a hit and bring back what made Disney Parks entertainment so wonderful as it used to be

 

[DodgerGirl]

Another thing Disney Parks could bring back are dinner theater type shows to the parks because everyone who visits Disney Parks LOVES dinner theater type shows and it surprises me that the only dinner theater type shows that Disney Parks has in Walt Disney World is the popular Hoop-Dee Doo Musical Revue and Disneyland and Magic Kingdom both have The Golden Horseshoe which is a dinner theater type show But what could work for Disneyland is a restaurant with a dinner theater experience like they had in the 90's with the Aladdin's Oasis restaurant with a combination of an Aladdin show plus lunch or dinner. But in this case make it an Encanto themed restaurant with a replica of the house featured in Encanto and it would feature Columbian cuisine and while people eat they can watch an Encanto themed show and it would do well if Disneyland decided to create it. But I think we will see Disney Parks pay more attention to making shows and parades that aren't so expensive to design. Because as I mentioned in my earlier posts in this thread I think Disney Parks sees character meet and greets as their top moneymaker ever since full meet and greets returned to the parks in 2023 after the pandemic ended. Because when Disney Parks suspended character meet and greets due to the pandemic it really hurt Disney Parks entertainment division and that's when the troubles began and that's why so much entertainment got suspended or cancelled especially Disneyland's shows such as Mickey And The Magical Map never returned and The Sword In The Stone Ceremony. But Disney Parks need to really think smart and bring back some original Broadway-style shows and wonderful parades because although calvacades are wonderful some Macy's Thanksgiving Day style parades would be hits with everyone who visits the parks

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Rogers the Musical was excellent. And I’m not even a Captain America fan.

 

[Mle8308]

When was the last time you were actually at Disneyland? Lots of opinions here.

 

[DodgerGirl]

You know what could really shake things up? A rotating dinner theater theme. Like, imagine Encanto one season, then flipping it to a Frozen Arendelle feast, or even a Pirates of the Caribbean dinner adventure

Oh, and while we’re at it, why not tie it to the Genie+ system? Offer exclusive, reservation-only dinner theater experiences that come with perks, like priority parade viewing or a bonus meet-and-greet.

That would be a great idea for Disneyland to do and if it was successful Disney might do the same thing for Magic Kingdom and a package was added like you're describing to Lightning Lane with reservation-only dinner theater experiences people would go wild over it. Because people do love dinner theater shows and this would be a smart idea for Disney Parks to do. But as I mentioned in my earlier post what Disney Parks should do is retire the shows like The Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree and replace them with something interesting like a Moana show could be put in the theater where The Enchanted Tiki Room is and in place of Country Bear Jamboree would be a The Princess And The Frog show in the theater. Because although these shows are Disney Parks classics don't you think it's time for something new?

 

[BeentoallDParks]

I think a lot of it is due to lost creative talent as well. Disney used to be home to many of the best minds in "imagineering" realm within all of their divisions. Unfortunately over the past few years so many of them were kicked to the curb to save money.

I don't think this is entirely fair. The VP in charge of WDW's live shows right now is the same one who put together all those amazing shows at Disneyland Paris for its anniversary that we watched online with such jealousy. And I think he's been with Disney for more than 30 years. So the problem isn't cast members--they're in place and they have done proven good work. The problem is budget. The experienced people who put together shows and parades are not being given funds to do their magic.

 

[Jordanfamily]

There was a time when Disney Parks were known for having great Broadway-style shows and parades but now ever since the pandemic Disney Parks no longer have the once terrific shows and parades and it seems that the only times Disney Parks seem to have parades and good shows is during holidays like Halloween and Christmas and I think it's because Disney Parks are cutting costs for expensive parades and having less Broadway-style shows. The one Disney Park that has started to do this is Disneyland and if you visit Disneyland right now today you'll notice that instead of parades they have calvacades just like they used to when they reopened during the pandemic and to me I think Disneyland is having troubles in the entertainment division because they have stopped with parades in general and they keep wanting to save new parades for their upcoming 70th anniversary which isn't right at all to me. What I also think is going on is that Disney Parks cancel successful shows and parades because they see this entertainment as expensive money. Take for instance Disneyland last year cancelled the Pixar Pals parade in DCA and also cancelled the entire Avengers Campus entertainment such as The Guardians Of The Galaxy Dance-Off show and the Doctor Strange show and when those shows were cancelled people were outraged at this news and instead of bringing those shows back they replaced it with Storytime With Deadpool which didn't last that long. Then Rogers The Musical disappeared from DCA's Hyperion Theater and it was a successful show that DCA SHOULD"VE kept and when that also happened people were surprised at this news. Why I think Disney Parks in general hasn't put out good shows and parades is like I said earlier they might be having troubles in their entertainment division and the only actors they can hire are character actors because I think this is where Disney Parks make big money because when you are a company like Disney you have to hire character actors to portray characters for character dining and meet and greets and performers like marching bands get big money and other performers like dancers and clowns mimes and singers get little money. But in my eyes Disney Parks should return to making great parades and shows once again

Short answer no.

Longer answer, At Disneyland Paris there is Rhythms of the Pride Lands, Mickey & the Magician and Together. 3 of the best shows I've seen at any Disney park. Maybe in the US there's a problem, but come see what DLP has to offer!

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

That would be a great idea for Disneyland to do and if it was successful Disney might do the same thing for Magic Kingdom and a package was added like you're describing to Lightning Lane with reservation-only dinner theater experiences people would go wild over it. Because people do love dinner theater shows and this would be a smart idea for Disney Parks to do. But as I mentioned in my earlier post what Disney Parks should do is retire the shows like The Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree and replace them with something interesting like a Moana show could be put in the theater where The Enchanted Tiki Room is and in place of Country Bear Jamboree would be a The Princess And The Frog show in the theater. Because although these shows are Disney Parks classics don't you think it's time for something new?

I don’t remember what the capacity is country bear jamboree but the tiki room is pretty small, and to put on a good live show you need to be able to put a lot of people in the theater to justify the cost.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Disney Parks have a storied history of budget cuts.

In the early 1990s, Disney announced plans for New Tomorrowland for both MK and DL and subsequently gutted the budget.

In the same era, Disney closed numerous aged attractions at DL (nearly all permanently, sans Submarine Voyage) and shuttered restaurants and gift shops. Many of us have fond memories of the kiosk that were used as replacementsz

Hollywoodland, featuring a replica of The Great Movie Ride, was cancelled at DL as was additional Roger Rabbit themed attractions in Toontown.

Budgets were cut for new attractions, like Test Track and its intended DL twin, Rocket Rods. The latter’s budget was cut so badly it became a distant cousin and is arguably the biggest bust on Disney history. Light Magic, the Main street Electrical Parade replacement, was a close second (also built in this era).

Budgets were cut for both the Animal Kingdom and California Adventure. Both opened without their expected “E ticket’ attractions. Many of the former San Diego Zoo employees fled back to California. Imagineers that left Disney built Dueling Dragons at Island of Adventure, which was a modified version of an attraction that was to headline Beastly Kingdom.

A decade earlier, the budget was cut for the Disney-MGM Studios. An elaborate area based on Hollywood was planned but the ideas were integrated into cheap show buildings for SuperStar Television and Monsters Sound Show. Like Disneyland, the area featuring Roger Rabbit attractions was scrapped (and later opened as Sunset Blvd).

After 9/11, Disney shelved numerous projects for years. Pop Century’s Classic Years took a decade to open as Art of Animation.

In the mid-2000s, an extensive rebuild of Epcot’s Future World was planned but later scrapped.

And it goes on and on and on…

 

[DodgerGirl]

When was the last time you were actually at Disneyland? Lots of opinions here.

The last time I went to Disneyland was in 2004 and at that time that was when Disney Parks had good shows and DCA had great shows but when they closed the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Play It attraction in 2005 that's when I quit going to Disneyland. Because in 2004 this was the good year for Disney Parks shows and parades and when Disney Parks had good shows and parades people loved them. But the one show that I cannot figure out why on earth Disneyland decided to make to put in the Fantasyland Theater was Snow White An Enchanting New Musical in 2003 and when I saw that show with my mom and dad I couldn't believe how this show was made. Because as I watched it with my family it reminded me of an elementary school play of Snow White and you can see why this show was short-lived because it was odd to me. But if Disney Parks had shows like Voyage Of The Little Mermaid in Disney's Hollywood Studios people would watch them. Hopefully the brand-new upcoming The Little Mermaid musical show at Disney's Hollywood Studios debuting later this year will bring Disney Parks back to making awesome shows again
Thank you very much for your wonderful reply
Dodger

 

[DodgerGirl]

The other show I don't know why it is still surviving in Disney's Hollywood Studios that should be retired is Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular because although the Indiana Jones movie series is a classic Disney Hollywood Studios should put something interesting should replace it but I think the only reason it survives is because it's a show that is less expensive to put on. But the worst mistake Disney Hollywood Studios did was create the American Idol Experience and I cannot figure out how that show made it to Disney's Hollywood Studios? Because it was essentially a show based on American Idol but there were no prizes for the winners and I think this show was very expensive to make and failed and that's why it was short-lived. But what could also work for Disney Parks is character breakfast morning shows because when Disneyland opened the Disneyland Pacific Hotel "Now Pixar Place Hotel" in 1995 they debuted the first ever character breakfast morning show at the PCH Grill and it was a hit with everyone. And I wonder why Disney Parks don't have character breakfast morning shows today? Because if they did today it would be a big hit for everyone