Update- some GOOD some bad some sort of big: early entry returning Oct 1?

[d-r]

I just read a rumor that hunchback and tarzan are going dark "for good" in 2-4 weeks - and that the their will be changes to the hours of the luau and hoop de doo, and that tapestry will be ending - this is from usenet, and I have no knowledge at all about the veracity. I hope not. This is total rumor so don't go wigging out yet because there may be nothing to it -

DR

I have an update below-

 

[beattyfamily]

I just read it too over at RADP and was seeing if anyone here posted it!

What a bummer and so soon after a price increase?

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Never saw Tarzan, but am a huge fan of the Hunchback show. This truly would be disappointing. If cost-cutting is the word, I can see our friends PP and TDA cutting the park events. What I don't understand is changing the ticketed events. I would assume that these pay for themselves. Is there not enough demand for these shows?

Maybe cutting in-park events would be a trade-off for the longer hours at MK they're talking about experimenting with in addition to shows/fireworks/giant character meets.

Who knows?
don't you just love rumors???

 

[QuickGold]

Gah! Someone needs to stand in on these meetings when they decide these things and anytime they try to remove something, hit them with a huge fly swatter.

 

[Meriweather]

wdwig also reports on the Hunchback show

"Hunchback to perform last show September 28!"

 

[d-r]

Some confirming posts have came in - one poster stated that the hunchback crew has been given two weeks notice and the final show will be next Saturday. Another states that "As of september 29th the tapestry of dreams parade will be down from two
segments to one. The parade is gonna be from Morrocco to Germany ONLY."

DR

 

[d-r]

This is from Deb Will's:

Breaking Disney World News!!!
-- Hunchback to perform last show September 28!
-- The new Princess Storybook Breakfast at Norway made permanent.
-- Beginning October 1: "Extra Magic Hour" -- one theme park will open an hour early every day to resort guests; Character Caravan will be discontinued; Beauty and the Beast show reverts to daily schedule!

 

[philjerden]

WDW raises ticket prices--and now, in a single park, has two dark theaters! (ABC Theater and Hunchback)

Makes no sense at all. Surely they have something up their sleeves to replace these shows.

I can almost understand restricting the Dreams parade to one unit, since the times I've seen it, there are frequent gaps in the crowds lining the Promenade. At least, it seems Disney will still present two parades nightly.

And if Tarzan Rocks bites the dust--AAARRRGGGHHH!

Where will it all end????

Phil

 

[Bstanley]

Early Entry returning?!

It'll never happen with the present management ... they are incapable of doing anything that customers actually want...

;-)

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Beginning October 1: "Extra Magic Hour" -- one theme park will open an hour early every day to resort guests

What of all those surveys that Disney supposedly took in which the results were: more character interaction and less park hours? Remember those lame excuses the CM's were feeding us when this happened? It just annoys me that they do this chain-yanking all the time, not only to guests, but to CM's as well...

 

[d-r]

If they close Tarzan, they really have to add something to AK. Tarzan replaced the jungle book show, maybe something new will come on-line there. This isn't my favorite show, but there the AK really can't loose attractions. Maybe this is a pretty costly show with all the acrobats and stuff I don't really know.

I really like the hunchback show. I'm glad that we have a trip this weekend so we can see it if it is going to close. I am really hoping that what Deb Will's is reporting comes true. If so, it looks like they are closing the hunch back show and that now Beauty and the Best will show every day (I'm not sure about this, have they still been "alternating" the show days of the mgm shows? If so, maybe they decided that it would be better to run B&B every day and no hunchback, instead of alternating it with hunchback. That way you would just have the costs of one show - sucks for the cast and crew. Hope there is a plan for this).

A lot of people will be glad that epcot princess breakfast thing is permanent, and I know a lot of people will be glad if they bring back early entry and get rid of character caravan, at least people who post around here. Again, if what Deb says comes true (and I have a lot of faith in her) it looks like to me they are listening to their guests and trying to figure out balances that give the most guests what they want within the current resources at wdw -

Has anyone seen anything else? Seems like a big news day at wdw-

DR

 

[d-r]

Originally posted by mjstaceyuofm
What of all those surveys that Disney supposedly took in which the results were: more character interaction and less park hours? Remember those lame excuses the CM's were feeding us when this happened? It just annoys me that they do this chain-yanking all the time, not only to guests, but to CM's as well...

Actually, I really do believe that the number one request from wdw guests is more characters. It isn't my thing really, and I prefer the way the characters are at disneyland, where it is more informal and they play around more, than at disney world where everyone lines up for that perfect picture. But I really don't doubt that they have survey results that indicate that this is what the majority of guests want more of. Again, I believe that most (not all, but the largest percentage group) WDW guests are visiting with young children and that they really value their children seeing the characters.

I also really don't doubt that the surprise mornings had low attendance. They probably they could swap it with the character caravan and most people would be happy, since so many people ask for more characters.

It also seems to me that they may have found out that they were wrong with that conclusion. I bet they have survery information from after the change that shows that guests weren't satisfied with it, and thus the change. The information that they would have had before the change isn't the same sort of informaiton that they would have after it ("HEY! Bring back early entry!")

I hope it plays out -

DR

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Has anyone seen anything else? Seems like a big news day at wdw-

Visit wdwmagic.com for some more interesting rumors just posted earlier today.

The biggest one is the rumor about funds being diverted from planning of a 5th gate to fixing the attendance slump at Epcot...

 

[d-r]

Originally posted by philjerden

I can almost understand restricting the Dreams parade to one unit, since the times I've seen it, there are frequent gaps in the crowds lining the Promenade. At least, it seems Disney will still present two parades nightly.

The plus side of this is: "more room for drinking"

Honestly, I don't think this is a terrible thing. I haven't enjoyed the parade as much sense it was changed from nations to dreams, and it is getting near the end of the year anyway. This way the guests who want to see it can still do so, those that want to move around more freely in world showcase can plan accordingly. Might turn out to be a good thing for most guests.

DR

 

[d-r]

Originally posted by mjstaceyuofm

The biggest one is the rumor about funds being diverted from planning of a 5th gate to fixing the attendance slump at Epcot...

That's what Scoop's been saying, and it makes a lot of sense-

DR

 

[d-r]

This fits with the talk here about more charcter interaction at MK, except it is at opening rather than at closing - I guess instead of caravan-ning to the resorts the characters will be at MK -

In addition, Disney will implement an unprecedented expansion of characters at MK with more characters meeting and greeting guests than ever before, starting each day with a special character-focused park opening.

There's got to be a press release somewhere-

DR

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Actually, I really do believe that the number one request from wdw guests is more characters.

I don't doubt that fact or your logic (rather agree with it having 2 little boys who love Mickey....), but being the educator that you are (I believe you teach at MSU - correct me if I'm wrong) I assume you know something about statistical sampling and surveys, or at least enough to know how the questions can skew the answer set to one direction or the other. This is what I think happened in the first place when EE was canceled and more characters were added. It was a faulty, arrogant survey that was used to justify a cost-cutting measure that hopefully (if Deb's rumor is true) back-fired on them...

I also really don't doubt that the surprise mornings had low attendance.

Neither do I, but it was really the only quantifiable perk a Disney resort guest had. This goes back to my other thread about attendance. It's the occupancy of the resorts that has a larger impact to the bottome line of WDW than actual attendance at the parks.

 

[d-r]

Actually Matt I do understand it very well (yeah, I do teach research methods) and I agree with what you are saying - I am trying to say I can understand how they came to that conclusion (and I can understand how it could be an erroneous conclusion) - I am in mostly total agreement with what you are saying - I just wasn't spelling it out in as much detail as you have. I think they had two pieces of probably fairly accurate data, but they put them together to draw a conclusion that probably didn't have the results they expected - I can see how that could happen-
DR

 

[d-r]

wdwmagic is now posting this as the early entry schedule:

Sunday - Magic Kingdom
Monday - Disney's Animal Kingdom
Tuesday - Disney-MGM Studios
Wednesday - Epcot
Thursday--Magic Kingdom
Friday - Disney's Animal Kingdom
Saturday - Disney-MGM Studios

This kind of whomps because Sat. used to be MK day, and you knew to avoid the MK on Sat. anyway. If they are making it Sunday (didn't Sunday used to be MGM?) then they are making it where both weekend days are bad MK days. Oh well.

DR

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

yeah, I do teach research methods

A-HA! my assumption was right!

I am in mostly total agreement with what you are saying

DR - I like your line of thinkin'!

I just wasn't spelling it out in as much detail as you have

I need to do that to keep it straight for myself (I'm one of those engineer-types you see and not a fast-talking lawyer like some others we know). If others benefit from my talking (posting) out-loud, then that's great!

All told, the only thing that bums me out about this (if we've moved past rumors and onto truths) is Hunchback. I will be sad to see this show go. EE is a great re-addition along with more characters in the a.m. - great potential there. The princess breakfast - well, if there's the demand - go for it (remember I have 2 boys and it's Woody and Buzz all the way)! ToD was starting to age imo (hey-a, hey-a ho-a ) and was rather lengthy. I'm neutral on BatB, but glad to see it will be available daily. I know in the final analysis it really comes down to half-dozen/six of another and just a shuffling of resources, but if more people like the 6 they're being given vs. the half-dozen taken away, then I commend WDW for working within the constraints set up by others and the limited resources they have.