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

[hiroMYhero]

I'm on West Coast time, so, less than 10 hours into the New Year, here is the first general reminder: Please follow the DIS Guidelines when posting.

Everyone is entitled to participate in the discussion of the new Welcome Show without directing comments specifically at or to others.

Thanks!

 

[bigmac5]

I understand people being upset that the train show will be gone but I don't understand the bashing of the new way before it even happens. If there are issues after it starts then I say go ahead and complain...but why before? I am sure if it doesn't go smoothly...Disney will address the issues.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

So many keep mentioning that the Welcome Show was a cost cutting measure, and that before that Main Street was open in the morning before the rest of the park. I'm visiting with my family right now in Virginia, before heading down to DW, and we all agree that Main Street was never open early back in the 90's unless it was really busy. Perhaps there was a brief period before 9/11, but it wasn't always this way. We have a strong collective memory of this, and home videos as well.

And it is possible for a cost-cutting measure to be taken on top of a cost-cutting measure.

If this is truly for security reasons then more power to Disney. I've thought many times that we are sitting ducks there at RD. I've also wondered if this was the same reason why MSEP was so abruptly axed, because by Disney standards, it really was ended quickly.

 

[DekrRini]

I saw the morning opening show for the first time on my last trip. I did feel the 'magic' of the moment and it brought a big smile to my face. And then came the mad rush. I don't rush to rides or anyplace else. I'm there to savor the ambiance. It was hard to get out of everyone's way and I could feel some of the frustration of those behind me. It took away a lot of that magic. I look forward to the change because I'm one of those guests who'll be strolling along Main Street enjoying its special magic while others rush to the rope. It will be nice for both of us with me safely out of their way.

 

[Peepster]

Forgive me for injecting my personal reasons for mourning the demise of the current method of opening the Magic Kingdom but I feel compelled to share. The "Good Morning" song sung in the show was originally used as we've all, unfortunately, heard recently in "Singin' in the Rain" with Debbie Reynolds, who, sadly has left us. More, to me, than that, it was the song my now deceased big sis used to sing (far too cheerily, I might add) to get me out of bed on many, many mornings. Hearing the song was truly like going back in time for me! The song, the wonderful Main Street Characters, the family of the day, the train, the characters...all of it just started my day off right! We're all different, differing opinions...and life went on before this opening and we'll get used to the new park opening. However, count me as one who truly loved this while we had it! Thanks for allowing me to share.

 

[Orange Team]

So many keep mentioning that the Welcome Show was a cost cutting measure, and that before that Main Street was open in the morning before the rest of the park. I'm visiting with my family right now in Virginia, before heading down to DW, and we all agree that Main Street was never open early back in the 90's unless it was really busy. Perhaps there was a brief period before 9/11, but it wasn't always this way. We have a strong collective memory of this, and home videos as well.

The earliest I can look back for time-stamped photos are from 1999, and they show us entering Main Street about an hour before the park opened.

When we went in the mid and early 1990s, we also remember entering Main Street a fair amount of time before park opening. We always went in the summer, though, which would have been a busy season.

 

[jdisnut]

The earliest I can look back for time-stamped photos are from 1999, and they show us entering Main Street about an hour before the park opened.

When we went in the mid and early 1990s, we also remember entering Main Street a fair amount of time before park opening. We always went in the summer, though, which would have been a busy season.

Guidebooks from the 1990s also describe Main Street being open before the rest of the park, though perhaps this wasn't the case on very quiet days.

 

[awilliams4]

Hoping Disney does a good job with this change.

 

[Valentine]

Guidebooks from the 1990s also describe Main Street being open before the rest of the park, though perhaps this wasn't the case on very quiet days.

Yes... back in the day.. there were actual Ropes at the entrance to each Land. Main Street was open... and then the guests would wander main street or head directly towards whichever land they wanted and wait for the actual ROPE to drop and into the land you went. When Toontown opened.. that area tended to open later than the rest of the park and had it's own rope on each end. The characters used to come to open the rope and walk the guest into Toontown. It was great! My nephew got to ride Barnstormer with Goofy once... and Mickey also walked him to his house once. It truly was a wonderful experience

 

[BigAlsGal]

I just hope it's not like Epcot when they let people in the park but hold them at the TT and Soarin corridors.

When they let us into Epcot and already have the corridors open it makes a nice slow flow of people that come in from the tapstiles.

When they hold everyone at the corridors until official park opening it makes it like a flipping cattle drive. I really want to start mooing. It sucks. Then people from way back in the back start weaseling their way up in front of others. It just starts the day off on a bad note.

At Epcot they also have a couple stores and even SE open but most bypass to get to the corridors.

I mean. It might be nice. I personally don't start my day in Fantasyland so it might be awesome. I see the crowding towards Fantasyland being yucky.

 

[mom2rtk]

I just hope it's not like Epcot when they let people in the park but hold them at the TT and Soarin corridors.

When they let us into Epcot and already have the corridors open it makes a nice slow flow of people that come in from the tapstiles.

When they hold everyone at the corridors until official park opening it makes it like a flipping cattle drive. I really want to start mooing. It sucks. Then people from way back in the back start weaseling their way up in front of others. It just starts the day off on a bad note.

At Epcot they also have a couple stores and even SE open but most bypass to get to the corridors.

I mean. It might be nice. I personally don't start my day in Fantasyland so it might be awesome. I see the crowding towards Fantasyland being yucky.

I can see "Excuse me, I need to get to my breakfast" being the next big "strategy" for getting to the front of the pack just before rope drop.

 

[cavepig]

Yes... back in the day.. there were actual Ropes at the entrance to each Land. Main Street was open... and then the guests would wander main street or head directly towards whichever land they wanted and wait for the actual ROPE to drop and into the land you went. When Toontown opened.. that area tended to open later than the rest of the park and had it's own rope on each end. The characters used to come to open the rope and walk the guest into Toontown. It was great! My nephew got to ride Barnstormer with Goofy once... and Mickey also walked him to his house once. It truly was a wonderful experience

Yep, this is what we remember too! It was great!

 

[Moxiepup]

I'm actually glad to hear that they'll be letting folks into Main St, vs. keeping people waiting en masse out front. I'd much rather spend my time taking in the sights, looking at shops, etc., then just standing there... bored... waiting. I wasn't looking forward to being in a mad rush of people swarming at once to get to their favorite rides either. (Bad knees that don't always cooperate with high ambitions.) I think the new method will allow for a more gradual dispersal throughout the park. It's possible that the new welcome show at the castle could be just as good and memorable. Disney has been known to have a good track record in this regard...

 

[yulilin3]

yesterday we stopped by the photopass studio at Disney Springs and we got the perfect picture of an empty Main Street (sarcastic tone ahead) It almost doesn't looked fake

 

[DisneyLover1217]

We usually do breakfast one morning during our trip to be able to get onto Space. I'm guessing that won't be possible anymore as I'm sure the crowds will be let in probably around 8:30 if the show is 8:55. Doing CRT or BOG probably won't help us getting on Space early.

So wondering if Disney is shooting themselves in the foot by doing this. I have to think CP ADR's will go down once word gets out it's impossible to cross main street to get to any of the rides on the other side of Main Street because the masses will be let in already.

Like others have said, I wonder how morning EMH will be handled. If I'm a resort guest and I get there at 8:40 I have to assume I won't be able to bypass all the crowds on Main Street, so basically I guess you have to get there at 8:00/8:15 or no dice or will they eliminate early EMH altogether at MK.

I will be interested to see how this all works out.

 

[yulilin3]

for some reason it completely slipped my mind that the Marathon will be going through the MK on Sunday, why would they plan the last day of the train station welcome show on the same day, traffic is going to be a mess getting in

 

[cavepig]

for some reason it completely slipped my mind that the Marathon will be going through the MK on Sunday, why would they plan the last day of the train station welcome show on the same day, traffic is going to be a mess getting in

The marathon will be out of there before MK park opening so it shouldn't be a problem. Runner's pass through MK early on so it doesn't mess with opening.

 

[yulilin3]

The marathon will be out of there before MK park opening so it shouldn't be a problem. Runner's pass through MK early on so it doesn't mess with opening.

I know that by 8:30am they should be all out but getting to the parking lot early will be. I plan to park around 7:30am

 

[AngiTN]

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.

Exactly. I am still flabbergasted (after all these years you'd think I wouldn't be) that so many just assume this has to be all about money, nothing about safety at all.

We usually do breakfast one morning during our trip to be able to get onto Space. I'm guessing that won't be possible anymore as I'm sure the crowds will be let in probably around 8:30 if the show is 8:55. Doing CRT or BOG probably won't help us getting on Space early.

So wondering if Disney is shooting themselves in the foot by doing this. I have to think CP ADR's will go down once word gets out it's impossible to cross main street to get to any of the rides on the other side of Main Street because the masses will be let in already.

Like others have said, I wonder how morning EMH will be handled. If I'm a resort guest and I get there at 8:40 I have to assume I won't be able to bypass all the crowds on Main Street, so basically I guess you have to get there at 8:00/8:15 or no dice or will they eliminate early EMH altogether at MK.

I will be interested to see how this all works out.

Is there any reason they can't hold the off site guests at TTC until a later time?

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I
At Epcot they also have a couple stores and even SE open but most bypass to get to the corridors.

Yes, I'm sure some people will leisurely stroll Main Street and shop in the stores (some do now) but by RD's nature, most people there for it are there to get a jump on things.

We don't typically RD Fantasyland because we don't want the kids in the stampede. We RD either Frontierland or Tomorrowland. I think those ropes will be s little more laid back but Fantasyland will probably still be a stampede unless they walk people there.

Although now that I think about it, we're going to have to choose between waiting at the non Fantasyland ropes and seeing the welcome show if the ropes are at the entrances to the lands. Hmm.

Like others have said, I wonder how morning EMH will be handled. If I'm a resort guest and I get there at 8:40 I have to assume I won't be able to bypass all the crowds on Main Street, so basically I guess you have to get there at 8:00/8:15 or no dice or will they eliminate early EMH altogether at MK.

I will be interested to see how this all works out.

In a way this just moves up the log jam. People will start arriving before Main Street opens to get in position to get on 7DMT so you're either going to have people lining up outside the tapstiles which is probably the least safe place security wise or in the vestibule if they have the tapstiles open before Main Street opens. Granted it will probably be fewer people doing that than RD now, but I'm not sure it's a significant security improvement. It's pretty hard to get away from potentially attractive log jams if you didn't design the layout of the park to be secured from the approaches like Uni.