What's up with the MK train station platform during parades?

[mom2rtk]

VIP Tours pay the big bucks and given the crowds am sure the demand is up.

No way they will fit in the VIP area of the bridge to Liberty Square anymore so .... train station is a good option.

....... unless you were just a regular schlub and looking forward to sitting there like in the past.

 

[ArielSRL]

VIP Tours pay the big bucks and given the crowds am sure the demand is up.

No way they will fit in the VIP area of the bridge to Liberty Square anymore so .... train station is a good option.

So is the bridge to Liberty Square open to regular paying guests now? Is it a good spot if we were planning to watch MSEP from that area anyway?

 

[W.E.D.]

The Big Wigs screw up and their pay stays the same. You pay more for less OR you're welcome to pay even more for what you used to get.

 

[Maliboo]

#ThanksShanghai

http://micechat.com/122782-disneyland-cutbacks/

This article pretty much lays out the reason for all the WDW poor decision making and flat out greed in recent weeks, soon to be months. The examples used are for Disneyland but the same conditions apply to WDW.

From the Mice Chat article: "Disney’s third fiscal quarter begins next week, and it’s about to wreak major changes on the operation of the Disneyland Resort. In this update we’ll fill you in on why Shanghai Disneyland is driving huge cutbacks here in the states, and how it will affect your visit this spring and possibly this summer as well.

Shanghai Disneyland is opening in about ten weeks, on June 16th, but it’s a park that is more than six months behind its original schedule and dramatically over budget. The local construction workers, contractors and many of the Chinese managerial staff Disney has been using to get the park built have all proven to have a very different work ethic than is found on big construction projects in Disney’s parks in America, Japan or France. The project has been struggling with endless delays and multiple facilities have had to be repeatedly fixed or rebuilt entirely due to the lack of attention to detail and unwillingness to follow WDI’s directions properly. Disney had publicly admitted last year that an additional $800 Million would be dedicated to the delayed project, but the extra costs associated with getting the park semi-ready to open by June have rocketed well beyond that number.


The result here at home is that Parks Chairman Bob Chapek and Disney CEO Bob Iger are now demanding that the rest of the Parks & Resorts division slash costs and reduce labor for the fiscal third quarter of April through June, in order to hide the impact Shanghai will have on Disney’s financial numbers it reports to Wall Street for this quarter.

Disneyland’s executive team is dutifully obeying the orders of their Burbank bosses, and the impacts have begun this week. Smaller attractions like the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail have begun closing several hours before park closing time, and the amount of time that even big attractions run at full capacity will be reduced. Rides like Casey Jr. and Storybook Land will reduce the number of trains and boats that are operating on even busy days, and the Red Car Trolley in DCA will drop to a one trolley operation instead of running both trolleys simultaneously. Many park stores will reduce the number of cashiers and stockers, and the Food & Beverage department is suddenly sourcing cheaper cuts of meat and cutting back on portions and extras, in addition to reducing bussers and cleaning staff.

Disneyland’s Entertainment department was asked to shave the most off its budget, and the result is that DCA will temporarily suspend its Pixar Play Parade for a month under the false narrative that it can’t operate during the Food & Wine Festival. Yesterday’s performance was the last Pixar Play Parade until early May. DCA simultaneously offered daily parades and the Food & Wine Festival during the last decade when the culinary event was much bigger, and it could easily do the same now with the scaled back offerings for the relaunched Food & Wine event.

But cancelling DCA’s parade was a way to save a bucket of cash for the Burbank bosses so that they could at least continue with the lavish 60th entertainment offerings each night over at Disneyland. The Mad T Party also ends tomorrow without a replacement, and TDA no longer has the money to mount a quick replacement offering. This has forced all the performers in DCA’s parade to scramble for outside work and new jobs since their jobs and paychecks have been put on hold for a month. These cuts come even with all the extra-cost upcharges and questionable VIP packages that the smaller Food & Wine event have, every extra dime must be sent to Burbank to pad the bottom line to make Shanghai look good.

But the biggest cutback of all will begin this Sunday. That’s when both parks will shave one to two hours off their usual operating day for this time of year. Beginning next week DCA will begin closing at 9:00 pm on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through at least May, when it would normally close at 10:00 pm. And Disneyland will now close at 11:00 pm on Fridays and Sundays, saving the usual Midnight closings for only the busiest Saturdays this spring. The labor cutbacks at attractions and the cost cutting at stores and restaurants will continue even with these reduced park hours, for a one-two punch of sweeping labor cuts and reduced park hours.

Anaheim’s Cast Members are now seeing these changes show up on their schedules posted through early April, and have taken their angry commentary to Social Media with the hashtag #ThanksShanghai since it’s widely acknowledged that these are all cutbacks driven by the need to paper over the huge expenses being racked up by the troubled Shanghai property.

The reduced park operating hours will really put the squeeze on the parks, especially on Friday evenings and the warm spring weekends ahead. And yet DCA will be launching several big new offerings late this spring that will drive heavy AP attendance, right in the middle of all the cutbacks. The first is the new Frozen stage show that debuts Memorial Day weekend. The show will offer Fastpass, and demand is expected to be very strong for the first new show in the Hyperion Theatre in 13 years. But the Hyperion Theatre is getting in on the act to help Shanghai by allowing candy and soft drink sales for the first time inside the theater, with new cup holders being grafted onto the existing seats. TDA is looking for anything that can generate extra revenue to help the bottom line to assist in hiding the money pit in Shanghai.

Then on June 17th the new Soarin’ movie debuts in DCA, one day after it opens in Shanghai. The third fiscal quarter goes through June however, so the slashed labor and reduced offerings will still be in effect in Anaheim during the height of Summer crowds. If Shanghai opens to big attendance and glowing press, the Anaheim parks will be allowed to reinstate the slashed labor, operate the attractions at full capacity, and return to normal summertime operating hours with daily Midnight closings. Yesterday’s news that opening day tickets for June 16th sold out within hours are good sign, at least for the first few weeks. But if Shanghai opens in June to negative press that picks up on how many rides still aren’t ready to open and how many buildings and facilities are still obviously unfinished, which may cause Chinese visitors to delay their first visit, then Burbank would demand that the American parks continue their cutbacks through the end of the fiscal year in September.

Disney has always planned for and expected additional expenses when a new property opens, especially during the fiscal quarter in which it opens. And those expenses are dutifully noted in the quarterly report to Wall Street bankers and investors. But this is something entirely different and unprecedented, where all the other parks (except the Tokyo parks, which are owned by the Oriental Land Company) are cutting back and slashing hours regardless of how busy they are and how strong their own business is. Disney’s Shanghai property is majority owned either outright or via state-owned companies by the Chinese Communist Party, while Disney owns a minority share of the park, and it’s important for Bob Iger’s legacy that the Chinese Politburo is pleased with the opening and performance of the Shanghai park. And to ensure his legacy, Bob is willing to make the visitors to his American and French parks pay for all of Shanghai’s pre-opening failures and mistakes.

This current situation is simply a mess. If the grand opening goes well in Shanghai, the mess will only last from April through June, and Disneyland’s hours and daily operation will return to normal this Independence Day (ironically enough). But if Shanghai struggles out of the gate, or worse and does a DCA-like faceplant upon opening, then the cuts in Anaheim could get deeper and last longer than anyone in Burbank had planned. The American and French parks would be expected to prop up the Shanghai property for as long as it needs to find its footing. #ThanksShanghai"

~NM

Notice there has been zero mention of any of the big wig fat cats taking a pay cut. Can't give up those millions, ya know!

 

[mom2rtk]

Notice there has been zero mention of any of the big wig fat cats taking a pay cut. Can't give up those millions, ya know!

Not even when they leave. Just ask Tom Staggs who just left with what, an $18 million package?

 

[Maliboo]

Not even when they leave. Just ask Tom Staggs who just left with what, an $18 million package?

I don't know, I quit reading about their compensation packages because it makes my blood boil.

 

[Tinkerdreams]

What makes Disney think that the China market is going to be a gold mine? I saw a special about China's amusement parks and most are all pretty much abandoned. I have this gut feeling that Shanghai Disney is not going to be what they expect it to be. What then??? How is that going to impact the other parks when it potentially bombs?

 

[HopperFan]

What makes Disney think that the China market is going to be a gold mine? I saw a special about China's amusement parks and most are all pretty much abandoned. I have this gut feeling that Shanghai Disney is not going to be what they expect it to be. What then??? How is that going to impact the other parks when it potentially bombs?

Just rumblings but ............ China threatened to build their own, stealing Disney IP if Disney didn't build it ... What would Disney be able do about it? Who would they sue? China steals all the time from other countries and nothing is done even when top technology, so stealing some cartoons ... good luck on that one.

So is the bridge to Liberty Square open to regular paying guests now? Is it a good spot if we were planning to watch MSEP from that area anyway?

I do not know, just what was heard. But common sense would say it will not be open but maybe just used for "celebrity" guests. Can you imagine the mob scene of guests fighting over it if open? But with all else, guesswork, so we'll see.

 

[js]

Another example of why the first part of this sign is getting more difficult to believe...

...and it is necessary to believe the first part in order to believe the rest.

Hi. Where is this sign? Thank you.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

Hi. Where is this sign? Thank you.

Over the tunnel entrances into Magic Kingdom. The same words appear over the tunnel entrances at Disneyland, but the sign is a different shape.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

So if they're trying to cut finances for the third quarter, and that ends in June, who wants to bet ROL magically opens as soon as the fiscal quarter is done?

 

[capegirl]

#ThanksShanghai

http://micechat.com/122782-disneyland-cutbacks/

This article pretty much lays out the reason for all the WDW poor decision making and flat out greed in recent weeks, soon to be months. The examples used are for Disneyland but the same conditions apply to WDW.

From the Mice Chat article: "Disney’s third fiscal quarter begins next week, and it’s about to wreak major changes on the operation of the Disneyland Resort. In this update we’ll fill you in on why Shanghai Disneyland is driving huge cutbacks here in the states, and how it will affect your visit this spring and possibly this summer as well.

Shanghai Disneyland is opening in about ten weeks, on June 16th, but it’s a park that is more than six months behind its original schedule and dramatically over budget. The local construction workers, contractors and many of the Chinese managerial staff Disney has been using to get the park built have all proven to have a very different work ethic than is found on big construction projects in Disney’s parks in America, Japan or France. The project has been struggling with endless delays and multiple facilities have had to be repeatedly fixed or rebuilt entirely due to the lack of attention to detail and unwillingness to follow WDI’s directions properly. Disney had publicly admitted last year that an additional $800 Million would be dedicated to the delayed project, but the extra costs associated with getting the park semi-ready to open by June have rocketed well beyond that number.


The result here at home is that Parks Chairman Bob Chapek and Disney CEO Bob Iger are now demanding that the rest of the Parks & Resorts division slash costs and reduce labor for the fiscal third quarter of April through June, in order to hide the impact Shanghai will have on Disney’s financial numbers it reports to Wall Street for this quarter.

Disneyland’s executive team is dutifully obeying the orders of their Burbank bosses, and the impacts have begun this week. Smaller attractions like the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail have begun closing several hours before park closing time, and the amount of time that even big attractions run at full capacity will be reduced. Rides like Casey Jr. and Storybook Land will reduce the number of trains and boats that are operating on even busy days, and the Red Car Trolley in DCA will drop to a one trolley operation instead of running both trolleys simultaneously. Many park stores will reduce the number of cashiers and stockers, and the Food & Beverage department is suddenly sourcing cheaper cuts of meat and cutting back on portions and extras, in addition to reducing bussers and cleaning staff.

Disneyland’s Entertainment department was asked to shave the most off its budget, and the result is that DCA will temporarily suspend its Pixar Play Parade for a month under the false narrative that it can’t operate during the Food & Wine Festival. Yesterday’s performance was the last Pixar Play Parade until early May. DCA simultaneously offered daily parades and the Food & Wine Festival during the last decade when the culinary event was much bigger, and it could easily do the same now with the scaled back offerings for the relaunched Food & Wine event.

But cancelling DCA’s parade was a way to save a bucket of cash for the Burbank bosses so that they could at least continue with the lavish 60th entertainment offerings each night over at Disneyland. The Mad T Party also ends tomorrow without a replacement, and TDA no longer has the money to mount a quick replacement offering. This has forced all the performers in DCA’s parade to scramble for outside work and new jobs since their jobs and paychecks have been put on hold for a month. These cuts come even with all the extra-cost upcharges and questionable VIP packages that the smaller Food & Wine event have, every extra dime must be sent to Burbank to pad the bottom line to make Shanghai look good.

But the biggest cutback of all will begin this Sunday. That’s when both parks will shave one to two hours off their usual operating day for this time of year. Beginning next week DCA will begin closing at 9:00 pm on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through at least May, when it would normally close at 10:00 pm. And Disneyland will now close at 11:00 pm on Fridays and Sundays, saving the usual Midnight closings for only the busiest Saturdays this spring. The labor cutbacks at attractions and the cost cutting at stores and restaurants will continue even with these reduced park hours, for a one-two punch of sweeping labor cuts and reduced park hours.

Anaheim’s Cast Members are now seeing these changes show up on their schedules posted through early April, and have taken their angry commentary to Social Media with the hashtag #ThanksShanghai since it’s widely acknowledged that these are all cutbacks driven by the need to paper over the huge expenses being racked up by the troubled Shanghai property.

The reduced park operating hours will really put the squeeze on the parks, especially on Friday evenings and the warm spring weekends ahead. And yet DCA will be launching several big new offerings late this spring that will drive heavy AP attendance, right in the middle of all the cutbacks. The first is the new Frozen stage show that debuts Memorial Day weekend. The show will offer Fastpass, and demand is expected to be very strong for the first new show in the Hyperion Theatre in 13 years. But the Hyperion Theatre is getting in on the act to help Shanghai by allowing candy and soft drink sales for the first time inside the theater, with new cup holders being grafted onto the existing seats. TDA is looking for anything that can generate extra revenue to help the bottom line to assist in hiding the money pit in Shanghai.

Then on June 17th the new Soarin’ movie debuts in DCA, one day after it opens in Shanghai. The third fiscal quarter goes through June however, so the slashed labor and reduced offerings will still be in effect in Anaheim during the height of Summer crowds. If Shanghai opens to big attendance and glowing press, the Anaheim parks will be allowed to reinstate the slashed labor, operate the attractions at full capacity, and return to normal summertime operating hours with daily Midnight closings. Yesterday’s news that opening day tickets for June 16th sold out within hours are good sign, at least for the first few weeks. But if Shanghai opens in June to negative press that picks up on how many rides still aren’t ready to open and how many buildings and facilities are still obviously unfinished, which may cause Chinese visitors to delay their first visit, then Burbank would demand that the American parks continue their cutbacks through the end of the fiscal year in September.

Disney has always planned for and expected additional expenses when a new property opens, especially during the fiscal quarter in which it opens. And those expenses are dutifully noted in the quarterly report to Wall Street bankers and investors. But this is something entirely different and unprecedented, where all the other parks (except the Tokyo parks, which are owned by the Oriental Land Company) are cutting back and slashing hours regardless of how busy they are and how strong their own business is. Disney’s Shanghai property is majority owned either outright or via state-owned companies by the Chinese Communist Party, while Disney owns a minority share of the park, and it’s important for Bob Iger’s legacy that the Chinese Politburo is pleased with the opening and performance of the Shanghai park. And to ensure his legacy, Bob is willing to make the visitors to his American and French parks pay for all of Shanghai’s pre-opening failures and mistakes.

This current situation is simply a mess. If the grand opening goes well in Shanghai, the mess will only last from April through June, and Disneyland’s hours and daily operation will return to normal this Independence Day (ironically enough). But if Shanghai struggles out of the gate, or worse and does a DCA-like faceplant upon opening, then the cuts in Anaheim could get deeper and last longer than anyone in Burbank had planned. The American and French parks would be expected to prop up the Shanghai property for as long as it needs to find its footing. #ThanksShanghai"

~NM

#fiasco
#madeinChina

 

[Duffjk]

So it is wrong for those of us wh pay for this one or more times a year to receive a viewing area that is exclusive? I enjoyed it a couple of weeks ago and have enjoyed the other area previously. It is a nicer area and I may well pay for it again now.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

So it is wrong for those of us wh pay for this one or more times a year to receive a viewing area that is exclusive? I enjoyed it a couple of weeks ago and have enjoyed the other area previously. It is a nicer area and I may well pay for it again now.

Not wrong. Just disappointing to those who in the past have been able to enjoy that spot without paying extra for it. That and it seems to be part of a trend in which you pay more for less or pay even more for what you were able to do before.

 

[Ninja Mom]

So if they're trying to cut finances for the third quarter, and that ends in June, who wants to bet ROL magically opens as soon as the fiscal quarter is done?

I was thinking the same thing. If you notice, ALL of the new AK after hours entertainment offerings are "delayed". (the after dark sunset safari and the tree of life projection show).
What are the odds that 3 offerings are "Not ready"? Sort of the same odds of getting a FP for Toy Story mania, Tower of Terror AND Rock and Roll coaster with a bonus 4th FP of Test Track thrown in for good measure.

~NM

 

[Duffjk]

The demand for it has grown. I'm sorry if that changes things for some people but we do it at least once per year and this year ithe area was there and it was appreciated. It may be somewhere else in the future. I liked this location.

 

[Sevey13]

I was thinking the same thing. If you notice, ALL of the new AK after hours entertainment offerings are "delayed". (the after dark sunset safari and the tree of life projection show).
What are the odds that 3 offerings are "Not ready"? Sort of the same odds of getting a FP for Toy Story mania, Tower of Terror AND Rock and Roll coaster with a bonus 4th FP of Test Track thrown in for good measure.

~NM

Alternate take: they need to test their night show. It needs to be night. The park needs to be empty. Tough to do that with thousands of guests around for night hours.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I see the parks, the entire WDW Resort, rapidly becoming a two class destination.

 

[Mikie]

I see the parks, the entire WDW Resort, rapidly becoming a two class destination.

My gut reaction is to agree. It FEELS like that separation is growing to me, but looking at it, I see: there have always been on-site vs off-site and/or deluxe vs Value; used to be ticket books where you could buy extras; CRT vs quick service or offsite food; no idea whether VIP tours have always existed at some level. . . Maybe the Internet is making all the choices more visible?

It's the same everywhere. My city has a wonderful free zoo. As a kid I didn't even know there were a few paid areas because I just didn't do them and I never went into a gift shop. You're allowed to being in food or there are plenty of overpriced concessions. You can park on the street for free (with possibly a long walk) or pay $15 to park in a close lot. One family can have lovely, totally free day and another family of 4 could easily spend $150 without even buying souvenirs at the same venue. . . No way to measure who had a "better" day.

 

[jsbowl16]

I have been looking at some info recently for private dining events for our ten year anniversary next year and I saw that the train station was one of the choices. Maybe they are having private parties there. I know that some of the areas of the parks you can rent but it needs to be after park hours. I am not sure if the train station is the same way or not. I know there are some pictures I found online of a wedding at the train station as well.