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

[Vito]

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.

[DisneyAndRedSox]

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!

[Vito]

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!

I think that might change. Have January park hours and event schedules even been announced yet, or are you looking at the January 08 schedule? As far as I know, Disney hasn't released it's "official" January 09 schedule.

While Spectromagic on the same night as Fantasmic isn't exactly the same as having Wishes on the same night as Fantasmic, it doesn't really make sense to have them on the same nights. I think they may end up doing something like adding an extra night of Spectromagic or moving one of the shows to a different night.

I'd keep my eye on the schedules.

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Disney's website has the calendar posted for January, that is where I got all the days for Fantasmic and Spectromagic. In the past two years they kept certain nights without Spectromagic since they do the Pirate and the Princess patry

[Vito]

Disney's website has the calendar posted for January, that is where I got all the days for Fantasmic and Spectromagic. In the past two years they kept certain nights without Spectromagic since they do the Pirate and the Princess patry

Ohh, I hadn't seen that the Jan hours/schedules were up yet. That's really odd. It seems like Spectromagic is one of the bigger night-time draws (outside of Fantasmic, Wishes, and Illuminations, of course) and that they wouldn't want it to conflict with Fantasmic if they could possibly avoid it. It will be interesting to see if they do eventually add more Fantasmics, or add/move/change the Spectro schedule.

[Disney Doll]

The reduction in Fantasmic shows really caught me by surprise. We usually go in the off season (Feb) and as far as I can tell Fantasmic is still a very popular show. Last time we saw Fantasmic (Feb '07) the theater was full. They usually only offer one showing per night that time of year so even with the lower winter crowds the shows still fill up.

[ParkMan]

I can certainly understand their desire to cut costs. The recent economic conditions must be hitting them 2x as hard as most of us.

This will definitely change the day I go to DHS.

The earlier post that the DHS staff believes that Fantasmic is stealing attendance from other shows makes a lot of sense to me. Also, if the $30,000 per show number if correct and they make up $150,000 per week, I can't imagine that they will lose anywhere near that amount in visitors to that park.

That said, I will NEVER attend an American Idle show. I can't bring myself to watch it on TV, and I won't go see one on my vacation. I feel bad for Disney that they jumped on this dying bandwagon

[wilcat]

I am also quite upset with the changes that WDW is making. I can understand them wanting to change PI ( I think it needed a face lift) but to eliminate some the Fantasmic shows makes no sense. American Idol is a joke as far as I am concerned and I wouldn't watch it if someone paid me to. WDW has just taken a one day park for me down to a 2 hour park. I was hoping to return to the world in 2009 but with all of the announced changes (and who knows how many more to come) I think I will stay away for a few years until things settle down a bit. I'm not against change but what Disney is doing now seems a bit extreme.

[Goes4FastPass]

What's American Idol going to look like at DHS - tweenage Hanna Montana impersonators?

Fear overwhelmes me.

[readytogo2]

cutting back on the Fastasmic for idol is SO SO SAD

[mrte62]

I can not agree with Goes4FastPass any more.

IMHO this is just another step towards all the parks being open 9:00am to 6:00pm every day and then hard tickets being required for "special events." at a park or two each night.

After 9/11 hours were cut due to the economy; when business boomed a few years later, did those hours return?

Princess, Halloween and Christmas parties fill up more and more evenings at the MK. Night of Joy and other events moving to DHS? Me thinks it is only the beginning of more events to come.

I wonder what special evening (hard ticket) events are being planned for EPCOT and the AK?

Pleasure Island needs more restaurants and WDW needs Flamingo Crossing? People who won't pay twice a day to go to theme parks will need places to go in the evening or during the day.

I hope I am wrong, but.....

[Lizzie]

Fantasmic seems like one of those shows that brings in some money. We have gotten the dinner package on our last two trips. Its the only show we get there early for and buy drinks and food. And the only show we go and buy nighttime toys for the kids. And the lines for the food and drinks and toys don't seem very short.