New Magic Kingdom Welcome Show & Main Street Opening UPDATE: Page 15 - Post #281

[Farro]

This may have been discussed so sorry, but when Magic Kingdom has extra magic hour for resort guests (this still exists right?) - will it now be even earlier seeing that everyone will get in before park open on Main Street? If still at same time, how will they know who can get in early to the rides?

 

[Loopster]

I'm another one saddened by this news. My kids grew up seeing the welcome show every visit to MK and we will all miss it. I got choked up every single time we saw it...just watching my kids and the kids around us and the music and the anticipation of starting our day..I loved it.

Two things...
1. Does anyone else think that the line inside the bakery for coffee/treats is going to be horrendous? I can't envision a "leisurely stroll" down Main Street with coffee in hand...I envision being stuck in line to get said coffee/treats until rope drop.

2. Would love it if the Mayor and Citizens of Main Street could still be involved and do some sort of welcome on the upper level of the train station platform that overlooks Main Street. I know it's the opposite direction of the way people will be heading, but the sounds and music could still be piped in all the way down to the end of the street, and the people near that end will have something to see. This would be a little more intimate and welcoming than a castle stage show. A girl can dream, right?

 

[tessio]

Hope this does not mean the end of the Main Street Citizens. They seem to have been brought in around the time of the Welcome Show and would handle the hosting duties. Scoop Sanderson was let go earlier this year. To lose Mayor Weaver and Fire Chief Smokey Miller would be a shame.

 

[mom2rtk]

This may have been discussed so sorry, but when Magic Kingdom has extra magic hour for resort guests (this still exists right?) - will it now be even earlier seeing that everyone will get in before park open on Main Street? If still at same time, how will they know who can get in early to the rides?

I think that's a good question. At DLR they let in the initial crush that has been checked at the entrance, then at some point they put up a rope and to progress past that rope you have to show your room key or ticket.

 

[yulilin3]

New welcome show showtime at the castle stage is 8:55am
They have not updated times for the shops or bakery yet

 

[ptlohmysoul]

New welcome show showtime at the castle stage is 8:55am
They have not updated times for the shops or bakery yet

So it looks like the welcome show is 5 minutes before opening time for all people; even on EMH mornings it is scheduled for 8:55am.

 

[MickeyMinnieMouse]

sorry if already mentioned, but does this mean you can ride the ferry or monorail earlier now to go into the park?

 

[PopGirl26]

I wonder if PPO BOG folks will still be allowed to head for 7DMT or PPF at 8:50...

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

That poster joined the same year you did.

Besides, I'm sure some new package will happen to allow people in the park earlier to take pictures!

I agree. I expect the PPO times to get earlier.

 

[WEDWDW]

The morning welcome show began sometime between summer 2002 and summer 2003. I just watched a home video and pictures I have from summer 2003. It shows the exact same morning welcome show that is currently going on.

Thanks!

I was thinking it started before 2004 also.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

I feel the same way.

I don't like this either. I love the current welcome show and I just don't feel another castle show will give the same feeling as hearing Casey Jr as the train pulls in, filled with characters.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

Why is it always the newbies who think being snide and calling names have a place on the DIS? Your opinion matters. Your ridiculing others doesn't.

But your calling people's actions "toxic" is ok? Tit for tat, my friend. Do you not see the name calling and ridicule in even this post of yours above?

A frustrating go to response around here is that those who don't like a new thing must obviously be resistant to all change. Such blanket statements are obviously untrue. Everyone has their own reasons for not liking any change. My reason is that this seems to be yet another cost cutting measure presented to us as something exciting and fresh. Now there will be less performers to pay while more revenue is coming in. Simple as that. From a business standpoint that is not a bad thing. From a consumer standpoint, we're getting less for our money.

Since the majority of us here do not work for Disney or own shares, we should be viewing changes from this latter view. As a consumer I want new things from Disney, but not most of the new things they've been offering. Time will tell whether I'm a lone voice in the wilderness or if there are others who agree. I hope these new offerings just reflect the trends of our time. Thank goodness trends fade out quickly this day and age.

 

[jdisnut]

My reason is that this seems to be yet another cost cutting measure presented to us as something exciting and fresh. Now there will be less performers to pay while more revenue is coming in. Simple as that. From a business standpoint that is not a bad thing. From a consumer standpoint, we're getting less for our money.

Since the majority of us here do not work for Disney or own shares, we should be viewing changes from this latter view. As a consumer I want new things from Disney, but not most of the new things they've been offering. Time will tell whether I'm a lone voice in the wilderness or if there are others who agree. I hope these new offerings just reflect the trends of our time. Thank goodness trends fade out quickly this day and age.

I admire your reasoning but strongly question your logic. Remember: The welcome show was introduced as a budget cut. By keeping guests in that little vestibule, the company only had to pay the few performers who participated in the show. Before that, Disney staffed the entirety of Main Street, which was a way more expensive endeavor.

With Disney reopening Main Street to early park-goers and presumably staffing locations like the Emporium and Starbucks, I'm not sure how you can conclude this is a cost-cutting maneuver.

And I'm far from a Disney apologist.

 

[mom2rtk]

I admire your reasoning but strongly question your logic. Remember: The welcome show was introduced as a budget cut. By keeping guests in that little vestibule, the company only had to pay the few performers who participated in the show. Before that, Disney staffed the entirety of Main Street, which was a way more expensive endeavor.

With Disney reopening Main Street to early park-goers and presumably staffing locations like the Emporium and Starbucks, I'm not sure how you can conclude this is a cost-cutting maneuver.

And I'm far from a Disney apologist.

I don't think anyone knows the reason for the change. It might be related to security. It might be a budget cut since we don't know yet how fully then intend to staff Main Street. It might be a win/win where Disney makes more money because they sell more stuff and lots of customers are happy with the change (even if I'm not). The truth is that nobody will know until it starts, if even then.

 

[yulilin3]

I could be mistaken but don't they pay the entertainment (dancers in the current welcome show) by day and not by hour? Would you know @hiroMYhero
These are the same performers that do the Trolley show so if they get paid the day then it's not cost cutting.
I truly think it's a combination of security (not having the masses huddled in one small area), money (they make more money from people on Main Street) the loophole they created by only charging $10 for no shows, people grabbing very expensive reservations and not showing up.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I could be mistaken but don't they pay the entertainment (dancers in the current welcome show) by day and not by hour? Would you know @hiroMYhero
These are the same performers that do the Trolley show so if they get paid the day then it's not cost cutting.
I truly think it's a combination of security (not having the masses huddled in one small area), money (they make more money from people on Main Street) the loophole they created by only charging $10 for no shows, people grabbing very expensive reservations and not showing up.

The CMs are guaranteed a minimum amount of hours whether they are in for one show or multiple shows. That's the complete premise of why Palooza exists in DHS.

CMs in the current Welcome Show move to other locations as soon as the show ends - Trolley, Town Square, MiSi, and MRFF.

The ones who could be affected are the Streetmosphere characters. Because of character integrity, a Main Street performer may have a different role in the Castle Stage Welcome Show.

After seeing the security changes that were made for DTD Anaheim, it's obvious this change is being made for the safety of all involved: guests and CMs. There's a major push by Disney to decrease logjam areas.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yeah. I mean, I can see the very solid logic in this.

As additional security has been added to the main gate, there is a strict limit on how much space there is to expand the main gate area. If they want more metal detectors, where do they go? Do you start doing a major dig to move the buses over to gain space there, because obviously the monorail and boat docks ain't moving. And that kind of dig is expensive.

And, as attendance has grown and security is increasing, you're putting more people into that shrinking space. PPO ADRs are a minority of visitors, and they tend to be a focus of the savvy visitor, moreso than the casual. Meanwhile, the casual visitor might really groove on a coffee cart/food truck while waiting to get in. Where do you put that?

Well, wait! There is all that space past security, through the train station, on Main Street. There is also a Starbucks there.

This seems to be a good solution to the dual issues of "where do we put more metal detectors and reconfigured security" and the comfort/preferences of the majority of visitors, who aren't doing PPO or plotting pre-open Christmas card family pictures for later use. They just want to be in, see the castle, and caffeinate.

 

[ISUamanda]

I though the whole reason for this is the major refurb of the train, not any sort of cost/revenue reason (although I'm sure it was considered). Will be interesting to see if it stays after the train is done.

 

[ArielSRL]

I though the whole reason for this is the major refurb of the train, not any sort of cost/revenue reason (although I'm sure it was considered). Will be interesting to see if it stays after the train is done.

It will stay. @yulilin3 mentioned that on the hub it states the train station show is being retired. This is not a temporary thing.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

But your calling people's actions "toxic" is ok? Tit for tat, my friend. Do you not see the name calling and ridicule in even this post of yours above?

No. I don't. I've been here long enough to know that if someone is being called names here it's usually by a relative newbie who isn't respecting the rules. There is nothing wrong with expecting others to be nice to each other on the DIS.

I'll also point out that I called the situation of guests being able to pay to position themselves in front of others toxic, as many others have noted on here, and in the previous post to which that referred blamed Disney for enabling the situation to begin with.

You note a "frustrating go-to response" of people labeling others as resistant to change which I agree with. I have previously said that I understand why others would have feels for the welcome show. I like it, too, and cried the first time I saw it.

Your characterization of the change as a budget cut is incorrect. The welcome show was a budget cut. The new operational plan for MK rope drop will be more expensive than the old one.

My own "frustrating go-to response" peeve, as I've certainly shared before, is the way some people take it out on each other when they don't like what Disney is doing. You get to say you don't like the change. I get to say I do. And no one gets to call people juvenile over their opinion.

Which was my entire point.