Disney World Cutbacks & Entertainment Changes
We’re back with a Walt Disney World news & rumors update, this time with cutbacks to the Citizens of Hollywood, Rafiki’s Planet Watch going seasonal, Pirate Tutorial ending, and the demise of Move It! Shake It! Street Party at Magic Kingdom.
We’ll start with that last bit of news first; the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party will have its final performance on December 1, 2018, per reports from Entertainment Cast Members. Following this, a new Magic Kingdom dance party will debut in early 2019.
What’s not so certain is what the replacement street party will entail, but one rumor points to it being themed to Mickey’s 90th birthday. This seems incredibly plausible, as the floats already look like presents and minimal effort would be required to freshen up the current party and market it as something “new” after a couple months of its absence.
If Walt Disney World goes that route with the “new” street party, it seems likely that the look of floats will emphasize birthdays (generally) and the focus on Mickey’s 90th would be minimal–maybe a banner on each float that can easily be removed once the 90th festivities end.
I don’t think it’s any secret that I hate Move It! Shake It! I routinely have referred to it as the “Move It! Shake It! Whatever It! Roaming Noise Festival” on the blog. This street party is incredibly loud–to the point that it’s audible from other lands–and Main Street is a miserable place to be while it’s performing. Suffice to say, this was one cutback that I was downright excited to hear.
I should have known that I could never be so lucky, and shortly after the rumor popped up, so too did the follow-up that there’d be a new incarnation of the roaming noise festival starting in early 2019. I’m not surprised. This street party seems popular with guests, and you could say it livens up Main Street with an interactive character offering that’s relatively low budget.
Now, before the angry comments come in defending the roaming noise festival because your “kids love it!” I want to note that I don’t hate the very premise of such a street party. As with dance parties, I think there’s a way to offer such entertainment in a way that’s “not awful.”
What bothers me is that Walt Disney World touts the importance of attention to detail and thematic excellence while a bunch of plainly-designed boxes on wheels blasting contemporary pop music at obscene volumes has been deemed “good enough” for nearly a decade. The only thing separating this roaming noise festival from something out of a carnival in the corner of a Wal-Mart parking lot is the characters.
There was a time when Walt Disney World created temporary parades designed to run a single summer with far more lavish details and impressive scale than this sad little street party. What’s even more disappointing is that I know there were far more ambitious proposals (including a Victorian-themed one complete with carousel-style floats for the characters like the one pictured above), but the cheaper approach won out.
If the plan is to run this new street party for another ~5 years, I really hope more is invested into making the floats and props at least moderately ornate. It doesn’t need to be as lavish as Festival of Fantasy, but it shouldn’t be county fair caliber, either. Walt Disney World can do so much better, and guests deserve as much.
Next, more sad news in that the Citizens of Hollywood will be scaled back yet again, just in time for the new fiscal year! The Dorma Nesmond, Paige Turner, Dara Vamp, and Officer Prime Brody characters have all been eliminated by Disney. The performers themselves posted in the Citizens of Hollywood Facebook group that their last days will be September 29, 2018.
We’ve written in multiple blog posts that the Citizens of Hollywood are one of the best things about Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and one of the last bastions of the original park’s heart and soul. We watched their performances on a number of occasions on our trip earlier this month, and each time they were great (and drew a sizable crowd). It’s tough to single out any of these four as the best, because they all are so adept at making guests’ days in different ways.
It’s hard to see this as anything but a way to cut entertainment expenses, especially as these are all veteran Cast Members, ahead of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It’d be one thing if this were a one for one tradeoff for some roaming aliens in Galaxy’s Edge.
I still wouldn’t be okay with it, as I love the Citizens of Hollywood, but I’d understand it. However, this is occurring over a year before that land opens, and while Disney’s Hollywood Studios is still woefully short on things to do. As we’ve noted, Galaxy’s Edge is going to draw a ton of people to DHS, and those new guests are going to need other things to do. It’s disconcerting that Walt Disney World thinks that, rather than scaling up entertainment offerings, cutting back is the appropriate approach.
Another cut in time for the start of the next fiscal year is Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which WDWMagic.com user Rteetz is reporting will go seasonal beginning on September 30, 2018. This will include all character meet & greets and the Wildlife Express Train.
“Seasonal” at Walt Disney World is a fairly nebulous term, but we’d expect Rafiki’s Planet Watch to return for Christmas and New Year’s weeks and spring break season, at minimum. Often, going seasonal portends an attraction’s permanent closure.
On that same date, Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom will end.
Note that almost all of these rumors stem from Entertainment Cast Members working in these areas who have been given a heads up that their shows (etc.) will be eliminated. It’s entirely possible that there’s more to come, especially if budgetary decisions are still being made.
It’s also possible that budgets are being reallocated, meaning we have the negative news of cuts first, followed by announcements of the new entertainment via official channels coming soon. Personally, we are not holding our breath on that one, though. Walt Disney World has a history of trimming operating expenses when construction costs are high, and our expectation is that a lot of these cuts are about that. Time will tell, and we’ll keep you posted on other cuts (or additions) as they leak out or are announced.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of these Walt Disney World entertainment (and other) cuts? Are you sad to see another reduction to the Citizens of Hollywood, or do you not really care about this streetmosphere? Are you optimistic about a replacement for the Magic Kingdom street party, or pessimistic like us? Any thoughts on other news or rumors here? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m still bitter about the loss of Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at DL. Booo to the loss of the Citizens of Hollywood.
I am also disappointed in Disney scaling back on Citizens of Hollywood and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. I’ve always enjoyed Hollywood Studios for the “different” it brought and the opening rope drop was always neat to see. Rafiki’s was one of our favorites too. The train ride, petting zoo, cool educational stuff and of course the characters were great! We saw Rafiki, Pocahontas and Jiminy Cricket, which I haven’t seen since I was young. I think it is a very relaxing escape from the crowds. Disney is really starting to shift in my opinion. Parking fees at the hotels, scaled back versions of much loved moments, the “we are experiencing a glitch” Disney app, and price increases are really making it hard to justify visiting every year or two.
We are really going to miss the Citizens of Hollywood characters they are eliminating. Their humor and comedy are great and something that needs to live on. Shame on you Disney for getting rid of a great thing. Disney is for adults too.
Capt. Jack nicknamed our 4yo son “Sparky” and it stuck. A year after our trip, we still play “poke him in the belly” on a regular basis. It was easily one of the most memorable experiences of all our WDW visits. So sad that our nephew won’t be able to have that experience on our next visit.
I agree with the sentiments of others…it’s the individual interactions with cast members that are a magical touch and set Disney apart from other theme parks.
Seriously bummed about Rafiki’s Planet Watch. I’m heading to Disney in October and Doc McStuffin’s was one of our highlights. I’ve never been but that whole area sounds like a great place to explore. Hoping for a closer meet’n’greet but not holding my breath.
It infant me that we are the ones filling beds and parks during this slow time and we are the ones getting a lesser experience.
AND if they are scaling back and giving us a lesser experience why are we not seeing that reflected in the pricing? I book my vacation in May for travel next week and was not told that certain things would not be offered
Our first trip to Disney World was in 2015, with our 4 year old daughter, and two of our best memories are of being greeted by these cast members at Hollywood Studios on our first day, and Jack Sparrow and my daughter bantering on stage. He was hilarious. These human interactions are what make Disney so special and I hate to see them, and valued cast members, shoved aside. We’ve been back several times and the Move It parade is horrible, in my opinion: noisy, Disney Channel stuff that make it impossible to move around Magic Kingdom. Actually, I don’t like any of the parades, except the night one that they took away, because it gave us entertainment while waiting in a good spot for fireworks. I like the concept but there are very few special moments in the parades, and anything that clogs and ropes off an already congested area is a headache.
I agree, it’s the one on one personal interactions that makes Disney special and are among our most favorite memories. I get it, a parade/dance party has more reach but it’s just not the same I feel like they’re losing opportunities to create that extra bit of magic.
I’m still upset about the msep being gone now the day parade is gone too. If anyone wants to see a night parade please you tube the paint the night parade it is tremendous my dad is 70 and not even really into parades but he still really likes that one enough that we might be headed back to anaheim next year
Festival of Fantasy is the day parade, and it’s not gone. But I also wish they would bring back a night time parade!
Wow I never would have guessed they would get rid of the Citizens of Hollywood. I must be so naive! I can’t imagine they were really so expensive to run they had to be cut, and they just made that park so special. Our absolute favorite Disney moments have been with those cast members over the years. That’s so disappointing. I wasn’t excited about Star Wars Galaxy Edge before, now I’m getting pretty bitter about it! It seems like it’s ruining the parks.
I’m so disappointed about Rafiki’s Planet Watch…this is quite possibly my favorite think at AK. It’s a nice way to get away from the crowds and heat for a little while, and I LOVE petting the goats. 🙁 Bummed to hear it is going seasonal and that this could mean a potential close altogether.
Ditto. It was awesome because it was so educational, hands on and fun. And yes, the low crowds made it extra appealing but I guess that’s also why it’s gonna be gone. This sucks so much.
I suppose I shouldn’t be, but I’m amazed at how penny-pinching Disney can be re: COH. The daily salary of one of those performers is equal to the entrance cost of one or two visitors – if that entourage directly or indirectly encouraged just six people a day to return to WDW (or encourage someone else to visit) when they otherwise wouldn’t have, they have paid for themselves.
I too loathe the Move It Shake It parade. My kids don’t even like it. It cheapens Main Street and the surrounding areas for sure. I don’t mind that the music is loud, it’s nerve-grating when the sound you are pumping through the air can never be appreciated at any volume. The ONLY thing positive about this parade is that this is pretty much the only place you can see Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps anywhere in Disney World – if I’m not mistaken. Maybe they will start popping up elsewhere.
I’m sad that Rafiki’s Planet watch seems to be fading away. We were in Animal Kingdom last September and our 12 year old budding veterinary dr. was very disappointed that it was closed then. I think they’ve had it closed for some time, only opening it seasonally prior to this official announcement. Our kids have never gotten an chance to experience this and it would be very disheartening if it went away all together without even so much as a reimagining.
Well, bummer. I was so happy about not having any major ride refurbs during my October visit, but disappointed about Rafiki’s Planet Watch. My niece and nephew would have loved the train ride and to meet Rafiki. Hopefully he shows up somewhere else in the park.
Totally agree with you about the noisy street party. I’ve been adept about either avoiding it or doing the duck and run technique for years.
Well, it’s sad about the Citizens of Hollywood. HS is not my favorite park (by far) and the CoH cast was one of the very few things I enjoyed about HS. However, I will say that WDW parks have been getting louder and more frenetic through the years, to the point where there is no break at all from an enforced mega-level of excitement. I’m glad I got to see it all for the first time in 1999, which visit will live in my memory as the best of all my visits, because there weren’t stages everywhere blasting out incredibly loud music and featuring a lot of hyper-active performers egging on a bunch of hyper-active kids. I’m amazed, these days, that there aren’t park-wide seizures induced by the barrage of parades, shows, and other performances. And lest I sound like an old curmudgeon (which I suppose I am), yes, I have taken my young grandchildren with me to the parks on several occasions, and even they have been relieved when we can find a rare “quiet spot” to get away from all the excitement for a few minutes. So I’m good with most of the entertainment cutbacks, while sorry for cast members who are affected by them. What more excitement does anyone need than merely being at the Happiest Place on Earth?
Thanks for the heads-up, as I haven’t been following news recently.
This is (obviously) very disapointing, particularly if this is tied to the “soft attenence” numbers you also reported on. I find it sad if Disney things that <30 minute waits are a bad thing ((without a $100 upcharge, that is) and something must be done.
It's particularly irritating to see this when Disney keeps putting out financials showing revenue growth int he parks that way outpaces inflation. That isn't sustainable.
The post we pointed to on WDWMagic suggests that this is due to soft attendance, but I’m not sure I buy that–at least in full. Timing-wise, this coincides with the start of a new fiscal year, and there’s a long precedent of Walt Disney World cutting costs as new year’s begin to make financial results look better.
Given that Galaxy’s Edge won’t open in the next fiscal year, my guess is that this is cost-cutting so next year doesn’t look too bad.
Well shoot! We are heading down on the 25th of September for a week and we might catch Hollywood before the Citizens of Hollywood leave. It’s on my Disney World bucket list to get a speeding ticket from the officer. I didn’t see him the last time we were there in May but I’ll have to make it a point to flag him…err…I mean…have him flag me down.
Note that the Citizens of Hollywood will continue after September, but those specific characters will not. So you’ll still be able to see (some of) them!
Gotcha…thanks Tom! As always, you guys do a great job keeping us informed.
I too hate the noise party and anything and everything that involves low-talent pop garbage in the parks. I don’t pay to go to WDW to hear any non-themed music nor a sad excuse for music. The noise fest ruins the atmosphere completely. If they do anything similar, it needs to be quieter and all original for the park it’s in.
I once got stuck in the middle of that damn parade and couldn’t get out. I’ve been dealing with my crappy parade PTSD for years. So glad to see this one go. We will see what replaces it.
I agree about move it, shake it. It’s way too “ Disney channel” in its vibe, coming across as cheap and cheesy not lavish and awe inspiring. The latter being what should be the norm for Disney.
I think replacing it with nothing would be better than something else sub par. Thx Tom!
Do we have any idea when the pirate tutorial will end??
Yes. Any idea on when pirate tutorial ends? My girls were so looking forward to it in December.