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

[DodgerGirl]

I think Disney Parks also need to add more dinner theater style shows besides The Golden Horseshoe to the parks. Because as I mentioned in a previous post people LOVE dinner theater and if Disney Parks had more dinner theater style shows people would like it. Because it is odd that the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is now the only other dinner show that Walt Disney World has besides The Golden Horseshoe and another dinner theater show would be the ticket and they could revive the Luau Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort in a new version too. But I think ever since Fantasmic was revived at Disneyland I think Disney saw the end of expensive parades and shows and like I have mentioned Disney Parks seem to want to focus on kiddie shows and parades aimed at children younger than 5. But they should put a new show in the Cinderella Castle stage that everyone can love. Does Magic Kingdom still do this or does Cinderella Castle not have any shows on that stage anymore?

 

[Minnie1222]

Does Magic Kingdom still do this or does Cinderella Castle not have any shows on that stage anymore?

They still do.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think a new show based on the Disney Princesses would be a great fit for that stage in Cinderella Castle and it would be a grand idea for Magic Kingdom to do and it would be a Disney Princess tribute show where you could have Cinderella Snow White Princess Aurora Belle Tiana Rapunzel and Raya come all together and talk about what it means to be a princess and they would have a different song then after each song children would be selected from the audience to share their own heroic deeds with the princesses and then at the end all the children and princesses would sing a finale song and the children would get princess crowns and sashes along with a picture with the princesses, And it would be a nice show. Because for some reason Disney Parks are big on shows and parades that are interactive but as I mentioned in posts Disney Parks has never had any interactive parades since the Remember The Magic Parade at Walt Disney World in 1997 and they really need interactive parades

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think Disney Parks generally need to realize and understand that they need successful entertainment and draw more visitors into the parks. Because I think people who go to Disney Parks are afraid to see the shows because they think they cost money in tickets to go into the theater to see the shows. When you get the general picture all Disney Parks shows are free with admission with your park ticket. But I think what really caused the shows to go downhill was when the parks started selling packages with perks such as priority seating and popcorn and soda packages and they repeat the same packages with parades and have dinner packages as well. When Disneyland launched Rogers The Musical they had a special package that included VIP seating and popcorn and soda and that package sold out and when they show Fantasmic some nights they offer dinner packages too and it makes me think this is the way that Disney Parks are marketing their shows and parades now. A second thing that has hurt Disney Parks in their character meet and greets that they should quit doing is introduce new characters then retire them with no reason given. Take for example when Magic Kingdom launched Talking Mickey Mouse he was a hit and a lot of fans got to see him but then Talking Mickey Mouse retired suddenly in 2008 fans were shocked at why they did this. But when they introduce a character return such as Figment i'll never understand why people wait in long lines just to see that character

 

[KPeterso]

I think Disney Parks generally need to realize and understand that they need successful entertainment and draw more visitors into the parks. Because I think people who go to Disney Parks are afraid to see the shows because they think they cost money in tickets to go into the theater to see the shows. When you get the general picture all Disney Parks shows are free with admission with your park ticket. But I think what really caused the shows to go downhill was when the parks started selling packages with perks such as priority seating and popcorn and soda packages and they repeat the same packages with parades and have dinner packages as well. When Disneyland launched Rogers The Musical they had a special package that included VIP seating and popcorn and soda and that package sold out and when they show Fantasmic some nights they offer dinner packages too and it makes me think this is the way that Disney Parks are marketing their shows and parades now. A second thing that has hurt Disney Parks in their character meet and greets that they should quit doing is introduce new characters then retire them with no reason given. Take for example when Magic Kingdom launched Talking Mickey Mouse he was a hit and a lot of fans got to see him but then Talking Mickey Mouse retired suddenly in 2008 fans were shocked at why they did this. But when they introduce a character return such as Figment i'll never understand why people wait in long lines just to see that character

I am a local passholder at Disneyland. The #1 thing Disneyland does NOT need are more visitors. It is very crowded all the time. The shows are often full if you are not there early. We do the parade packages usually at least once a year for an easier viewing of the parades. We will with Paint the Night when it returns since we love it so much. Those sell out daily. And the parade routes are full for every parade and one typically needs to be there almost an hour before to see them with a good view.

 

[DodgerGirl]

What I think when Disney Parks started hurting in their entertainment division was during the start of the pandemic when Disneyland got rid of some of their shows that showed promise but never ever brought them back once the pandemic was finished. Take for instance Disneyland had Mickey And The Magical Map and once Disneyland closed both Mickey And The Magical Map and the Magic Happens parade were gone for good while in Walt Disney World they lost the Jedi Training for kids at Disney's Hollywood Studios and I think Disney Parks were thinking more about developing rides and other things. And when Disney Parks reopened and more shows were developed I think they were more interested in nighttime fireworks shows as I mentioned in a post in this thread and that's why you see more nighttime fireworks shows. But like I have mentioned many times in this thread Disney Parks seem to be focusing more on character meet and greets because in Disney Parks's eyes they see character meet and greets as their top moneymaker for the parks and people with children love meeting characters

 

[DodgerGirl]

A second wise thing that Walt Disney World could do to bring the need for good entertainment is have a live show in Disney Springs where they could have singers perform a cappella performances of Disney songs and then have another show where they could have a storyteller for young children read Disney stories and young children could be selected from the audience before the show to help act out the story and that show would be great for parents to watch with their toddlers to keep them quiet and it would be great for infants for naptime as well. I have seen these types of shows at my outdoor mall and it would work for Disney Springs like magic. Because malls often have these events during holidays like Christmas so would this idea work for Disney Springs as well? As for Disneyland what I think they need to do is bring some new entertainment to Avengers Campus and develop a new parade for DCA. Because like I mentioned in my posts in this thread why I think DCA got rid of all of the Avengers Campus entertainment was so they could focus more on Marvel character meet and greets and to save money on show costs. But getting rid of successful entertainment like the Pixar Pals parade is odd for DCA to do. And why did they bother having the Storytime With Deadpool show in the first place when people couldn't even do a meet and greet with Deadpool after the show and if a Deadpool meet and greet could've been added after each showing of Storytime With Deadpool fans would've gone wild and crazy meeting Deadpool. After all fans could meet Star Lord and Gamora after each showing of the Guardians Of The Galaxy Dance-Off show so why couldn't they have done the same thing with Storytime With Deadpool?

 

[mlayton14]

You see that “enter” key on your keyboard? Please use it , it’s really helpful

 

[Cfabar1]

A few things:

1. The shows in the parks have always been considered to be sub-par. When Disney on Broadway premiered shows like Beauty and The Beast there was an open question if Disney could have these shows be of a genuine Broadway quality. (They were able to!)

2. There used to be more of these shows in the parks. Just think about Hollywood Studios - and even the rides there historically were far more interactive. They have been cutting back these programs for years and years.

3. These mostly mid to low quality shows have been replaced with rides that have, overall, been considered to be high quality.

4. I would love to see more entertainment in the parks, but I. am not sure why Disney would want to do that right now.

 

[DodgerGirl]

A few things:

1. The shows in the parks have always been considered to be sub-par. When Disney on Broadway premiered shows like Beauty and The Beast there was an open question if Disney could have these shows be of a genuine Broadway quality. (They were able to!)

2. There used to be more of these shows in the parks. Just think about Hollywood Studios - and even the rides there historically were far more interactive. They have been cutting back these programs for years and years.

3. These mostly mid to low quality shows have been replaced with rides that have, overall, been considered to be high quality.

4. I would love to see more entertainment in the parks, but I. am not sure why Disney would want to do that right now.

I agree with you very much Cfabar1 on what you said:
Because what Disney Parks were known for marvelous entertainment and they really need to focus on attracting the new generation of families with children parents that went to Disney Parks as children and now are bringing their own children and the grandparents and elderly people that bring their grandchildren/nieces/nephews to the parks. But with Disneyland once the 70th Anniversary celebration begins we will see Disneyland debut new parades new shows and perhaps hire a singer to sing a special anniversary song for Disneyland's anniversary celebration to use in Disneyland commercials much like Leann Rimes did with Remember When in 2005
Thank you so much for your amazing reply
Dodger

 

[DodgerGirl]

I mainly think Disney Parks want to take chances and develop new parades and and shows in October and November when Halloween is starting at the parks when Christmas is starting at the parks because those two holidays seem to be the only time when new Halloween and Christmas themed shows are made. But what Disneyland should've never done is mess with Main Street Electrical Parade and when I saw it on Youtube with my mother I couldn't believe that they brought back a classic parade and ruin it and how Disneyland decided to bring Main Street Electrical Parade back in a new style i'll never understand why. A second show that Avengers Campus had that also had a short life was the Secret Invasion show based on the Disney+ series of the same name and what they could've done was have Nick Fury as a meet and greet character rather than just having kids interact with him during the show. But I think like with the Hawkeye character "who has never ever been seen at Avengers Campus since it's opening" Nick Fury was a short-lived meet and greet character. Now with the debut of Daredevil's new show I wonder if Disneyland will give him a show and make him do meet and greets but hopefully not give him the same treatment as Nick Fury and Hawkeye's characters had

 

[mom2rtk]

I mainly think Disney Parks want to take chances and develop new parades and and shows in October and November when Halloween is starting at the parks when Christmas is starting at the parks because those two holidays seem to be the only time when new Halloween and Christmas themed shows are made. But what Disneyland should've never done is mess with Main Street Electrical Parade and when I saw it on Youtube with my mother I couldn't believe that they brought back a classic parade and ruin it and how Disneyland decided to bring Main Street Electrical Parade back in a new style i'll never understand why. A second show that Avengers Campus had that also had a short life was the Secret Invasion show based on the Disney+ series of the same name and what they could've done was have Nick Fury as a meet and greet character rather than just having kids interact with him during the show. But I think like with the Hawkeye character "who has never ever been seen at Avengers Campus since it's opening" Nick Fury was a short-lived meet and greet character. Now with the debut of Daredevil's new show I wonder if Disneyland will give him a show and make him do meet and greets but hopefully not give him the same treatment as Nick Fury and Hawkeye's characters had

If Disney was interested in developing new holiday shows, the Christmas parade in DL wouldn't be several decades old like it is.

 

[BrianL]

If Disney was interested in developing new holiday shows, the Christmas parade in DL wouldn't be several decades old like it is.

Yeah, but at the same time, if they changed it, a lot of the regulars would throw a fit - especially at DL where they get pretty precious about things.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Like I mentioned before I think DCL has taken some of Disney Parks's glory away when it comes to shows because it really seems that DCL has been developing more shows than Disney Parks has. But I do agree that Walt Disney World and Disneyland should do no more cavalcades and put exciting parades instead because I don't know whose idea it was to have cavalcades in the parks. Sure it worked marvelously during the pandemic when the parks reopened. But Disney Parks need to get back to making wonderful parades and how about developing a new nighttime parade like Spectromagic at Disneyland and rebooting a new version of Illuminations at Epcot and that would be a big hit for the parks alone. But what I think Disney Parks are focusing on now is street performances. Because street performances seem to draw in lots of visitors who enjoy them because for many families they seem to use these as a sort of quiet time for kids and naptime for infants. And I cannot figure out how street performances got so huge in Disney Parks now? Lastly Disney Parks need to improve character meet and greets and do away with the meet and greets for Chase cardholders only because it is shocking that Disney Parks has characters in special meet and greets for Chase cardholders only and they should let everyone meet the characters not just Chase cardholders and they should let families not have to wait in long lines to meet characters just by reserving their place on their phones and giving families pagers that beep when it's their turn like restaurants do when people's tables are ready and it would be a grand idea in my eyes

 

[Nayan]

Like I mentioned before I think DCL has taken some of Disney Parks's glory away when it comes to shows because it really seems that DCL has been developing more shows than Disney Parks has.

All (or most) cruises have onboard entertainment. With Disney adding more ships, they need new shows.

But I do agree that Walt Disney World and Disneyland should do no more cavalcades and put exciting parades instead because I don't know whose idea it was to have cavalcades in the parks. Sure it worked marvelously during the pandemic when the parks reopened. But Disney Parks need to get back to making wonderful parades and how about developing a new nighttime parade like Spectromagic at Disneyland and rebooting a new version of Illuminations at Epcot and that would be a big hit for the parks alone.

No one, save for very hard-core fans are heading to the parks just for new parades.

Lastly Disney Parks need to improve character meet and greets and do away with the meet and greets for Chase cardholders only because it is shocking that Disney Parks has characters in special meet and greets for Chase cardholders only and they should let everyone meet the characters not just Chase cardholders and they should let families not have to wait in long lines to meet characters just by reserving their place on their phones and giving families pagers that beep when it's their turn like restaurants do when people's tables are ready and it would be a grand idea in my eyes

It's not shocking. Certain things come with rewards and being a Chase member comes with this perk. Just like being a Costco member you get benefits not available to others unless you join. And as said before, people are NOT waiting in long lines to meet characters.

 

[DodgerGirl]

What Disneyland should do is revive Videopolis and put some new shows in it and perhaps add concerts with artists such as Barry Manilow Billy Joel and other top artists and it would be a hit and people would go to these concerts and new Disneyland shows. I don't know why Disneyland got rid of Videopolis but it was a smart idea. In Walt Disney World what Disney's Hollywood Studios should do is add Marvel themed shows and have some Avengers Campus favorite shows such as the Dr. Strange show and revive the Hawkeye show there too

 

[LAS2AMS]

While I appreciate your enthusiasm, you keep overlooking that Disney is a capitalist company and its parks operate with an entertainment budget. It’s no coincidence that as Disney’s entertainers have increasingly unionized and received big wage hikes that Disney has cut back on entertainment.

At DL, for example, Fantasmix was considered a parade so cast would work a shift doing parades, meet-and-greets, etc. before concluding the day doing F! Not anymore. So no surprise the number of F! are sharply down vs. years’ past.

What worked years ago,,, won’t work today.

And Videopolia never fit the theme of DL. It was added during a period of declining attendance to get people into the park. An AP was less than $100 in the mkd-90s. The people it attracted… didn’t care about DL. And they disrupted regular guests.

Adding Barry Manilow would be more of the same. My grandma would’ve loved it - she wasn’t a DL fan, but she would love to see Barry! Of course, like much of his fan base, she’s deceased.

 

[alex33x]

I think the key factor here is cost. Disney has been losing value year after year, and it's barely slowing down. Their fil division, has lost billions of dollars, I could be wrong but I remember reading basically that as it stands the parks are pretty much the only division with positive income. At least we still have the fireworks, i strongly believe once they recover we may see a lot of things pre-pandemic start to come back.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think Disneyland's biggest focus will be on their upcoming anniversary and something tells me that they will indeed have a new parade in the works in honor of the celebration. But they REALLY need to put a show in DCA's Hyperion Theater like another Marvel based show or a show based on Hercules. Because it just isn't right to have the theater sit empty in my eyes. But once Avengers Campus gets expanded DCA will have more Marvel shows. But I think why Hyperion Theater hasn't had a show since Rogers The Musical is that DCA thinks those shows don't survive in that theater long but some of the past shows they had in that theater were unappealing in my eyes. Like why they had Blast in that theater i'll never figure out at all. Disney's Animal Kingdom also needs to put something in The Tree Of Life to replace the A Bug's Life themed It's Tough To Be A Bug because it seems that out of all the Disney Parks in shows and parades Disney's Animal Kingdom always is getting new shows while Disney's Hollywood Studios Magic Kingdom Disneyland and DCA haven't developed any good shows or parades anymore

 

[Nayan]

Disney's Animal Kingdom also needs to put something in The Tree Of Life to replace the A Bug's Life themed It's Tough To Be A Bug because it seems that out of all the Disney Parks in shows and parades Disney's Animal Kingdom always is getting new shows while Disney's Hollywood Studios Magic Kingdom Disneyland and DCA haven't developed any good shows or parades anymore

Hollywood Studios is getting two new shows: The Little Mermaid-A Musical Adventure and Villains Unfairly Ever After. Animal Kingdom is getting Zootopia: Better Zoogether. Magic Kingdom is getting a new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight.