Disney's Hollywood Studios Announces Operational Changes for Late 2008 and 2009

I really dont understand cutting one of the most popular attactions the one that people plan their day around, to focus more attention to an attraction that has not entertained one guest yet . Not to mention the ratings for AI has gone down the last 3 seasons. But i guess they are looking at the bottom line and may save some money but then they may bring more shows back in the future to meet the demand. But I just dont like the fact they think that the AI attraction will be the best thing since the TOT

I haven't seen WDW's Fantasmic since 2002, and we left before it was over. Its long, and we've seen it before.

Even though I don't normally go to Fantasmic, I find it a great experience and great show. I think that cutting it to TWO nights a week is a little much. I would think that MAYBE every other day, or 4 nights a week, but TWO? Is attendance really that low, that out of 7 nights, you could fit everyone who would see it in that week's time, into only 2 nights? I can't fathom that.

It will be a logistical nightmare on these days. I will avoid the Studios on the "Fantasmic Days".

It also means that Illuminations and Wishes will be even more crowded. People will want to see nighttime shows, so they will have to go to these. Fantasmic isn't a Spectro, that takes up a portion of a park's crowds. Its a LARGE show, that draws most of the Studios' guests (in my experiences anyway). I know they used to cut MK nighttime events during the slow times, but they at least had them on WEEKENDS!

Thanks, Disney. You've just created a mess.

Mark another one for the disappointed. I LOVE Fantasmic, and see it 3-4 times if I'm there for a week, and at least twice if I'm there for only 5 days. I'm extremely disappointed in this decision.

This, along with the closing of PI, makes me not want to go down there as much any more. They're taking away a lot of what I really enjoyed.

Maybe I'll just have to try Disneyland or something.

Seriously...I'm not impressed by this at all.

Chris :hatter:

any numbers? It can seat a lot of people. when i was there in Feb it seemed pretty full. had to sit in next to last section.

Why would they take such a popular attraction like Fantasmic and cut it back...IMO this is the best attraction in HS for those of us who aren't big ride fans...I just hope that it will not be impossible to get in on these nights...I can't imagine going to Disney and not being able to see Fantasmic because of the crowds...:(

Looks like I'll have alot of careful planning to do for our next trip. I was really looking forward to taking DBF to Fantasmic, now I'll just add that to the list of things to work around when making ADRs. Hopefully things won't be as bad as they are planning for, and by summer it will be up to at least 4 or 5 nights a week.

:chipdale:

This is very simply a cost cutting measure. Fantasmic costs $30,000 a show to put on according to a few sources.

I also think it's a lack of faith in the attractions at the Studios especially AI so they feel Fantasmic will take the crowds away from it. They figure if Fantasmic is not showing more guests will go to see the final show of the day of AI. I think that's where the big conflict is. I think before cutting it back to 2 nights a week they should cut it 1 show a day instead of 2. If it will conflict with the final show of AI cut out which ever show does.

Hmm... I wonder if this is cost-cutting in response to lower projected bookings for early next year or is this in response to declining numbers/popularity for the show?

The only way to fight this is to stop by guest relations when you're there on the days it's not showing and voice your complaint.

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Originally Posted by DisneyDudet

I think that cutting it to TWO nights a week is a little much. I would think that MAYBE every other day, or 4 nights a week, but TWO? Is attendance really that low, that out of 7 nights, you could fit everyone who would see it in that week's time, into only 2 nights? I can't fathom that.

It will be a logistical nightmare on these days. I will avoid the Studios on the "Fantasmic Days".

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Cutting a show from seven nights down to two seems very strange. AI is certainly no replacement - sure it gets high TV ratings, but in the real world I would say as many peeople despise the show as love it.

We saw Fantasmic last year and loved it (in September, slow time of year, yet the theater was full), but I certainly won't go anywhere near that theater during one of two weekly performances. In fact, we'll make sure we find out for our trip in January what nights it is offered and totally avoid the Studios on those days.

I have never watched American Idol but I have seen Fantasmic about 10 times. Thankfully we are going in September. This is the stupidest thing ever. Next thing you know they will cancel Wishes.

Fantasmic is one of the very few reasons I go to DHS and the only reason I stay until it closes. We already leave DHS to eat since we don't like anything there, so take away Fantasmic on a day we're there, and this will become a less than half day visit for us. I like many others who posted above do not even like AI so this sure as heck isn't going to attract me in the least bit.

When we were there in Feburary, Fantasmic was closed due to capacity at least 30-minutes before the 9pm showing. We enjoyed MGM, but it is a park we can easily skip as parents of 3 kids under the age of 5. There isn't a lot for us to do in that park to begin with, so if Fantasmic is closed, we'll probably avoid the park on our next trip.

I have to wonder too if maybe they're planning some sort of big nighttime American Idol wrap-up show, where they take all the winners from the day and have a showdown where the guests can all vote? Perhaps they're planning to use the Fantasmic arena for this show on the nights that Fantasmic is not showing?

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Originally Posted by GrumpyFan

I have to wonder too if maybe they're planning some sort of big nighttime American Idol wrap-up show, where they take all the winners from the day and have a showdown where the guests can all vote? Perhaps they're planning to use the Fantasmic arena for this show on the nights that Fantasmic is not showing?

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Nothing about the Fantasmic stage is set up for a live performer speaking let alone singing on stage so I really doubt there's a nighttime AI show in the works there.

I wouldn't mind seeing a show at the hat though...

I don't understand what one has to do with the other. Even if they do an AI show why remove Fantasmic. It is one of our favorites it is a half day park anyway. I hate to be overwhelmed by everyone else trying to get in. What are they planning for the AI show? We only watch the first couple of shows ( ya know the funny part) and then we could care less. When in Jan do they plan to do this? I am feeling less and less magic lately!!:mad:

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Originally Posted by JT Mac

Nothing about the Fantasmic stage is set up for a live performer speaking let alone singing on stage so I really doubt there's a nighttime AI show in the works there.

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Yeah, but it wouldn't take much for imagineering to rig something up and build a temporary stage.

Soooooo, this is like Spectromagic. It only happens on certain nights.

Hhhmmmm....not sure if I like that. Especially since Fantasmic is HS's version of 'nightly fireworks'.

I'm assuming that this will start in January 2009?.....because I'll be there in December.

This is sad, yes, but truthfully, these are the kinds of things that are inevitable. You just can't pay hundreds of cast members in addition to the pyro costs for mid-week shows during the off-peak season, just so 1,000 guests can see a show that they can see on another night.

It's like expecting park hours to be midnight every night of the year at every park, regardless of what the crowds are like. Of course we'd love that - but they just can't do it. I realize it's Disney, but NO business can operate during off-peak seasons at full tilt like it can during peak seasons.

I'm surprised that they haven't done this already during the slow-seasons.

Like I said, I'm sure we all wish that they'd have two showings of Fantasmic every night, Spectromagic and two showings of Wishes every night, parks open till midnight every night, etc. That's just not financially feasible for Disney, and if the alternative is raising park admission costs or cutting back on show performances, there's no question what I'd prefer and what will benefit Disney (and all of us in the long run). Raising prices so that we can have all these luxuries would hurt attendance, and in the long run hurt our chances of getting new great attractions. It's a lose-lose situation for us all.

I guarantee that during peak seasons there will be much, much more than 2 shows a week. They don't want to say it because they don't want people planning on it and then being disappointed, but I'd be very willing to bet that it will be 7 shows per week during peak season, if not 2 shows per night on some nights/weekends.

The reality is that travel is down, and especially during the winter crunch the folks in the north country pay so much for heating costs that this past winter really hurt the economy for the north country. This, I'm sure, has made a lot of vacation planners reluctant to plan vacations for the Winter season this upcoming year, so the cutbacks are likely a direct result of lower reservation numbers for January and beyond.

Again, once the crowds pick up, they'll begin showing Fantasmic more often in proportion to the number of guests.

Disney should go above and beyond to make guests happy, and most of the time they do (which is why people keep coming back), but there comes a point where they have to cut back when it's something that could really hurt financially. It's not like Fantasmic is going to be removed altogether... The only times it will likely be 2 times per week is during the very slow season, in which case you should have no problem catching it.

Any time Disney cuts back on something it's a bad sign, but they make a valid point in bringing up just how many things have been added. I think you get more value for your money now at Disney than you ever have. There's four parks and several more e-tickets than there ever used to be. If you go back to the early 90s, you realize just how much has been added to the parks - Splash Mt, Animal Kingdom (which has subsequently added Expedition Everest), Test Track, Mission Space, Soarin, ToT, Rock'n'Roller Coaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, etc. Downtown Disney has grown, the Value resorts have sprug up (let's not forget that prior to the All-Star resorts, there was no true "value" resort on property). There's more reason than ever to spend a week at WDW, while in the late 80s or very early 90s, 3-4 days would probably suffice.

My point in all this is (sorry for all the rambling) is that yes, this is clearly a cost-cutting measure, but so are things like cutting back park hours during the off-season, and extending them during the peak-season. While we may not like that, I think we need to admit that occasionally it's Disney's only alternative.

What will really scare me is if they start cutting back significantly on things like Fantasmic, fireworks, park hours, etc during the busiest times of the year. Then we'll know we're in trouble.

I go every January and I am used to things on a reduced schedule since it is off-peak.

What really ANNOYS me is the week I am going Spectromagic is on Saturday, Monday and Thursday nights... and Fantasmic is also on Monday and Thursday! If we have lousy weather one of those nights we don't have a lot of options! Plus DH can only stay for the weekend and we have dinner ressies on Sat night, I guess the only thing he can see is Illuminations while he's there!

Fantasmic! is our favorite attraction at DHS . . . very disappointed to see it reduced to 2 nights per week.