Fantasmic! Being Cut Back

On Jul 21, 4:15 pm, "Steve Russo" <sru...@nycap.> wrote:
> It looks like, beginning in January, Fantasmic! is being cut back to shows
> twice a week - Monday and Thursday. Bummer!

the Florida park or Disneyland?

"Musicman59" <crw59@> wrote in message
news:5aa1c426-2989-4480-bb29-7efba567e793@e39g2000hsf..com...
>the Florida park or Disneyland?
>

Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. Fantasmic in Disneyland typically
goes dark entirely in the off-season. But Fantasmic has had at least one
show per night since it premiered in the late 90's (1998?).

-Rob

Rob Steere wrote:
> "Musicman59" <crw59@> wrote in message
> news:5aa1c426-2989-4480-bb29-7efba567e793@e39g2000hsf..com...
>
>>the Florida park or Disneyland?
>
> Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. Fantasmic in Disneyland typically
> goes dark entirely in the off-season. But Fantasmic has had at least one
> show per night since it premiered in the late 90's (1998?).

Also, no one's mentioned so far that the cuts are planned for around the
same time as the American Idol attraction opens at the Studios, thus not
straining the need for live performer CM's.

Derek Janssen
ejanss1@

On Jul 21, 7:15 pm, "Steve Russo" <sru...@nycap.> wrote:
> It looks like, beginning in January, Fantasmic! is being cut back to shows
> twice a week - Monday and Thursday. Bummer!

Is it possible this is a temporary thing? This is one show I could
watch every night and never get tired of it. If it's a must see for
people, though it will encourage those coming for quick weekends, say
Friday through Monday, to add one day on to their stays. Maybe that's
the strategy?

If I had to guess, Disney is looking ahead at planned hotel reservations
and seeing
a BIG dip. So they are adjusting schedules accordingly. BUT it's only
my guess. Maybe
Boom can add something to this.. Lisa

Peppermint Patty wrote:
> On Jul 21, 7:15 pm, "Steve Russo" <sru...@nycap.> wrote:
>
>>It looks like, beginning in January, Fantasmic! is being cut back to shows
>>twice a week - Monday and Thursday. Bummer!
>
>
> Is it possible this is a temporary thing? This is one show I could
> watch every night and never get tired of it. If it's a must see for
> people, though it will encourage those coming for quick weekends, say
> Friday through Monday, to add one day on to their stays. Maybe that's
> the strategy?

"Peppermint Patty" <cinderella836m> wrote in message
news:9bb81917-0876-490e-8bc5-7ad693dad998@m45g2000hsb..com...
On Jul 21, 7:15 pm, "Steve Russo" <sru...@nycap.> wrote:
> It looks like, beginning in January, Fantasmic! is being cut back to shows
> twice a week - Monday and Thursday. Bummer!

Is it possible this is a temporary thing? This is one show I could
watch every night and never get tired of it. If it's a must see for
people, though it will encourage those coming for quick weekends, say
Friday through Monday, to add one day on to their stays. Maybe that's
the strategy?

My daughter is currently a performer in Fantasmic and the cuts are due to
the economy.
There are several other cuts being made in the Entertainment Department....

On Jul 22, 9:03 am, Peppermint Patty <cinderella...m> wrote:
> On Jul 21, 7:15 pm, "Steve Russo" <sru...@nycap.> wrote:
>
> > It looks like, beginning in January, Fantasmic! is being cut back to shows
> > twice a week - Monday and Thursday. Bummer!
>
> Is it possible this is a temporary thing?  This is one show I could
> watch every night and never get tired of it.  If it's a must see for
> people, though it will encourage those coming for quick weekends, say
> Friday through Monday, to add one day on to their stays.  Maybe that's
> the strategy?

I read on another board that this is a temporary thing and will go
back to a regular schedule in late March or April. We'll see.

nancy wrote:
>
> My daughter is currently a performer in Fantasmic and the cuts are due
> to the economy.
> There are several other cuts being made in the Entertainment Department....

So even *she's* sure it has nothing to do with Entertainment CM
allocation for the upcoming American Idol attraction at the Studios?
(Which plans to open around the same time-frame as the Fantasmic cuts?)

Derek Janssen (I mean, maybe she's right, but...)
ejanss1@

"Lisa Cubbon" <cubbon@> wrote in message
news:l8lhk.5282$9V5.151@bignews6....
> If I had to guess, Disney is looking ahead at planned hotel reservations
> and seeing
> a BIG dip. So they are adjusting schedules accordingly. BUT it's only my
> guess. Maybe
> Boom can add something to this.. Lisa
>
> Peppermint Patty wrote:
>> On Jul 21, 7:15 pm, "Steve Russo" <sru...@nycap.> wrote:
>>
>>>It looks like, beginning in January, Fantasmic! is being cut back to
>>>shows
>>>twice a week - Monday and Thursday. Bummer!
>>
>>
>> Is it possible this is a temporary thing? This is one show I could
>> watch every night and never get tired of it. If it's a must see for
>> people, though it will encourage those coming for quick weekends, say
>> Friday through Monday, to add one day on to their stays. Maybe that's
>> the strategy?
>

(my addition)
Well, Tuesday comes before Thursday, that's for sure !!

Because of the opening of American Idol, DHS has had to re-evaluate the
budget. Fantasmic! has been open for 10 years (well almost anyway) and the
management decided that it was time to experiment with the schedule a bit.
The theory is that most of the guests that see Fantasmic! today are repeat
customers and I guess (sigh) management would rather see them pushing and
shoving each other to get another stuffed animal ... Anyway, the theory goes
on to say that this move will get more guests back into the restaurants and
attractions, allow the park to cut costs by minimizing the staff needed
at/after closing time, and keep those union (performer) dollars down to a
dull roar.

My guess is that for Spring break 2009 the nightly schedule will be
reinstated and then stay that way as they see the folly of their trial
cut-back. I also guess that we'll not see more than one show per night
anymore - and this alone will get them the budget cut they need.

And it is a fact that entertainment dollars are being cut all across WDW
property.

Boom

Keane wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:19:07 GMT, "CEO Boom"
> <thisisabadaddresssodontuseit@boom.com> wrote:
>
If it's a must see for
>>>>people, though it will encourage those coming for quick weekends, say
>>>>Friday through Monday, to add one day on to their stays. Maybe that's
>>>>the strategy?
>>>
>>(my addition)
>>Well, Tuesday comes before Thursday, that's for sure !!

Good question--If you had to play to both Orlando locals *and* tourist
audiences, what nights would you pick?
Weekends aren't good for the locals, who already have their own
nightlife, and Wednesdays aren't good for tourists, who like to keep one
weekend in their trips...Seems like Mondays and Thursdays are the only
compromises.

>>Because of the opening of American Idol, DHS has had to re-evaluate the
>>budget. Fantasmic! has been open for 10 years (well almost anyway) and the
>>management decided that it was time to experiment with the schedule a bit.

Oh, and they might try changing the show, while they're at it:
Yes, everyone wants to see the outdoor spectacle of Mickey fighting the
dragon and stuff blowing up, but sitting the show itself is more
Pressler-outdated than the Tiki Room:UNM--
Villain marketing (remember that one?), and long segments devoted to
Hunchback and Pocahontas...

I'm waiting to see that faux-Fantasmic "Wonderful World of Color" show
that DCA is lining up for their 2.0 version, and wondering whether the
Studios can alter their own show to a general Disney-history theme
accordingly.
As it is now, the current Studios version could stand a few less shows
per night. 9_9

>>The theory is that most of the guests that see Fantasmic! today are repeat
>>customers and I guess (sigh) management would rather see them pushing and
>>shoving each other to get another stuffed animal ... Anyway, the theory goes
>>on to say that this move will get more guests back into the restaurants and
>>attractions, allow the park to cut costs by minimizing the staff needed
>>at/after closing time, and keep those union (performer) dollars down to a
>>dull roar.

> So they're taking a lesson from ABC, who learned that reality based
> caca is cheaper than regular programming?

I'm getting the distinct vibe that the Idol attraction was another case
of a company Imagineering their *own* attraction, selling it to the
highest bidder, and Disney getting stuck with it because they were
sucker enough to think it ws a "craze"--
I don't see a long-range future for this one, but for the moment, call
this one Goosebumps II.

> Keane, who just doesn't get reality TV...

Think Albert Brooks said it best (when news was interviewing the "Real
Life" director on the then "Survivor" craze):
"You've got thousands of *non-union* people lining up to be on your
show...You can do ANYTHING YOU WANT to them for six months...And at the
end, you only have to pay *one* of them! :) "

Derek Janssen
ejanss1@