Disney World News: Daytime Christmas Parade, Candlelight Dining Added, Dog Fired
It’s time for another Walt Disney World news roundup! This one covers the latest changes to park hours, more sold out ticket dates, same-day Candlelight Processional Dining Package options, a daytime parade returning to Magic Kingdom for the first time in over a year, and more. Plus, our main story–that Disney fired a dog. (No joke!)
As usual, we’ll start with the latest release of new and modified operating schedules. All four theme parks have had hours for another week added to DisneyWorld.com’s park hours. The current calendar now runs through February 7, 2022. Here are the hours for most dates that are newly-added through the end of this year and into Winter 2022:
- Magic Kingdom: 9 am to 8 pm
- Epcot: 10 am to 9 pm
- Hollywood Studios: 9 am to 9 pm
- Animal Kingdom: 9 am to 7 pm
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 11 pm (11:30 pm on Fridays & Saturdays)
In addition to the new hours through the second week of February 2022, there are also a handful of extensions to report for December 2022…
We also have some newly-extended hours for December 2021. Magic Kingdom will now open at 8 am on December 12, 14, 16, and 17. These are all Disney Very Merriest After Hours dates, meaning that Magic Kingdom closes to day guests at 8 pm on those nights and the Christmas party runs from 9 pm until 1 am. On non-party nights that same week, Magic Kingdom’s closing time has been extended to 10 pm.
While it hasn’t happened yet, a similar extension is almost certain for hours the following week on dates that Disney Very Merriest After Hours causes Magic Kingdom to close early. In fact, across-the-board extensions are highly likely for the week leading up to Christmas.
On a related note, we’re seeing Disney Park Pass reservations quickly disappear for December 2021. This is likely an “awareness issue.” Vacation planners and Annual Passholders likely saw issues with availability this past week, and moved to lock-in reservations for their travel dates.
As more hours are added to the calendar, don’t be surprised to see some of those dates turn green again. With that said, many dates absolutely will fill up. Not every week will be as bad as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but as a whole, this come month will likely see the year’s highest attendance numbers at Walt Disney World.
For the exact same reason, tickets now unavailable for even more dates in December 2021.
If you’re planning on visiting during the Christmas season and haven’t already purchased tickets and made reservations, we would strongly recommend that you do so immediately. While it’s possible more availability is added, it’s even more likely that additional dates will sell out. Be prepared for all of those “Some Parks Available” dates (and then some) to become unavailable.
Walt Disney World is offering more Candlelight Processional Dining Packages with same-day availability at two Epcot restaurants.
You might recall that Advance Dining Reservations for Candlelight Processional Dining Packages were released last month and, in typical Disney Drop Day fashion, resulted in guest headaches. Availability was always going to be difficult due to there only being three eligible restaurants, but glitches only made matters worse.
In any case, there are now new same-day options and we’re noticing more ADR availability in My Disney Experience. In checking sporadically for the last few days, it appears that new ‘batches’ of inventory were released for Biergarten and Coral Reef Restaurant.
If you’re wanting Garden Grill or Rose & Crown, you might have a bit less luck. Same goes for larger party sizes. Regardless, our recommendation is for Biergarten thanks to its jovial Christmas atmosphere, music, and value for money. Read Our Christmas Feast at Biergarten Restaurant for what the holiday time experience is like there.
Now, there’s also the same-day table service restaurant option at Spice Road Table.
This costs $49 per person, with 2 small plates, dessert platter, non-alcoholic beverage, and guaranteed seating for Candlelight Processional at 5:15 pm, 7 pm, or 8:30 pm.
There’s also a same-day counter service restaurant option at Regal Eagle Smokehouse. This is priced at $39.99 per person, and includes an entree, dessert, non-alcoholic beverage, and guaranteed seating at your choice of the three showtimes, pending availability.
There are signs in front of each restaurant indicating whether seating is still available for each showtime. These Candlelight Processional Dining Packages are only available at the restaurants themselves, not bookable via My Disney Experience.
If having seats to the show is important to you, we’d recommend doing a Candlelight Processional Dining Package. You’re absolutely paying a premium for the seats–it’s about $15 to $20 per person for the seats, depending upon what you order at each restaurant.
However, standby lines are lengthy for Candlelight Processional, and there’s no guarantee of seats even if you arrive early. It’s common for guests to camp out over 2 hours in advance for popular celebrity narrators or weekend showtimes, and with Walt Disney World now devoting more show capacity to these same-day dining packages, there’s going to be less space for standby.
In more holiday news, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will be performed during the regular daytime hours for guests visiting the few days before Christmas through New Year’s Eve. This is common practice for the Christmas parade, but Disney hadn’t confirmed whether it would occur in 2021 up until now.
The parade has only been performing at night during Disney Very Merriest After Hours. During that, Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade has been scaled back by almost 100 performers, which could be a matter of staffing, cost-cutting, or a mix of the two.
Magic Kingdom’s new hard ticket Christmas Party ends its run on December 21. The very next day, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade begins daytime ops and will be performed twice daily from December 22 until December 31, 2021.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade’s daytime performance schedule is as follows:
- 12 pm and 3:45 pm (December 22-29, 2021)
- 12 pm and 3:30 pm (December 30-31, 2021)
This is relatively significant because it’ll mark the first time an actual parade has performed in Magic Kingdom since before the closure of Walt Disney World last March.
It’s worth noting that “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade has been performed daily at Disneyland throughout this Christmas season in its full form, without performers being cut.
Walt Disney World recently announced that Festival of Fantasy Parade will return in early 2022. No specific date was given, but our guess is that it’ll be around the 2-year “anniversary” of its absence. It’s also not known whether the full parade will return, or if it’ll be a truncated version a la Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.
Finally, our main story: Disney fired a dog. A headline so absurd you might assume it’s from the Onion, which is being given a run for its money by reality. This one is no joke.
Up until March of last year, a frequent sight around the grounds of Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort was Shadow the golden retriever and her companion B’Lou Crabbe. Shadow first appeared at the resort during construction in 1996, and by opening day, she was part of the resort’s family. Shadow was so beloved with guests that she became the South Carolina Disney Vacation Club Resort’s official mascot. DVC even sold several pieces of merchandise featuring Shadow in the gift shop.
Alongside Shadow was Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort’s local folklore expert, B’Lou Crabbe. He entertained guests with his storytelling and music for ~21 years. According to an interview with B’Lou a decade ago on the Disney Parks Blog, Shadow got her name as a result of her curious and happy spirit.
“She showed up when we were building the resort. We noticed a golden retriever puppy hanging around with some of the workers, getting into trouble and coming out of it smelling like roses. We named her Shadow, not because of her color of her fur, but because she was more underfoot than your own shadow and the name stuck.”
Prior to the closure last March, B’Lou and Shadow welcomed guests on the front porch of Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort. Guests also could join her on a walk around the HHI during Shadow’s Funny Bunny Hunt, or hear about her adventures at Shadow’s Tale story time.
Shadow was a bit like Mickey Mouse for the resort–its mascot and an IRL fur character with entertainment and merchandise created around her. Even if you’ve never visited Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort (and that’s likely most WDW fans), you probably know two things: it’s located in one of the Carolinas (hard to keep them straight) and the resort is home to a dog. That’s its “thing”–and a good one since everyone loves doggos!
In an emotional post on their Facebook fan page, they shared that B’Lou and Shadow would not be returning to Disney’s Hilton Head Island. Earlier this month, a resort administrator called the duo and read a short statement that revealed they were being let go. With that 5 minute phone call, Disney ended the 21 year run of B’Lou and Shadow at Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.
B’Lou shared additional details, including that the resort has consistently told them: “we can’t wait to have you and Shadow back. We’re just waiting on Orlando to bring all the entertainers back at once.” During the 20 months he was on furlough, B’Lou was led to believe they’d be returning, so he honored the terms of their contract that limited any off-property performances. Disney did likewise, paying for Shadow’s ongoing trips to the vet and groomer. With both sides continuing to honor their contractual obligations “in full faith and confidence, [B’Lou] thoroughly believed them when told [they] were coming back.”
Several readers mentioned this in the comments over the last couple of weeks, and I’ll be honest, the gravity of this didn’t really register until I saw it making rounds on social media over the weekend. “Disney fires a dog” really does read like an Onion headline, and is the kind of thing you want to believe is a joke or exaggeration when hearing it in passing.
In this case, the full story is worse than the ridiculous headline. Not only did Disney fire a dog, they got rid of the resort’s mascot, merchandise symbol, and most recognizable entertainment. It honestly feels like the company’s decision-makers don’t “get” the appeal of Disney Parks & Resorts, and are actively doing what they can to ensure no one else becomes a lifelong fan.
Realistically, there’s unlikely to be discernible damage to Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort in the short term. Bookings will remain strong not because fans don’t care about B’Lou and Shadow, but because there’s still pent-up demand and people are making up for lost time vacationing.
Moreover, DVC has something of a captive audience, and Disney Vacation Club’s point pool problem is still very much a thing. No members are letting their points expire to “teach Disney a lesson” for firing a dog. And no lesson would be learned, even if they did.
Long term, it’s a different story entirely. After a year-plus of unpopular and guest-unfriendly decisions, we are hearing from an alarming number of readers who feel that the “magic is gone” due to the corner-cutting and erosion of the guest experience. What happens when those fans reach their breaking point? Where is the next generation of fans going to come from if Disney is interchangeable with its competitors, but with different IP? Or when the current exuberance ends, consumer spending slows, and businesses in the travel industry have to compete to attract customers?
All of this short-term thinking makes this quarter’s earnings look incrementally better, but it can leave a lasting scar on fan goodwill and reputation. The decision-makers with Disney making cuts today probably don’t care, though, as they’ll be gone by the time the chickens come home to roost. Nevertheless, these decisions are harmful to both the current guest experience and the overall health of the brand.
When it comes to entertainment (which is essentially what B’Lou and Shadow are for HHI), we’ve written largely this same editorial several times. Our commentary commonly fixates on the dangers of Disney cutting too much fat from budgets to the point where they hit bone. Perhaps it’s easy to dismiss this, saying Shadow was “just a dog” and people don’t book expensive vacations or resort stays to see dogs. That’s nonsense.
When it comes to cuts and their justifications or lack thereof, our ‘thesis statement’ is that Disney is more than the sum of its parts. It’s the little moments, the ambiance, the atmospheric entertainment, the way everything just feels alive that, cumulatively, defines a vacation even if you don’t actively notice at the time. In the past, all of this is what separated Disney from the competition.
As always, we recommend respectfully sharing your opinions as to how this change will impact your vacations or business with the company by sending an email to [email protected]. While Hilton Head Island is, obviously, not at Walt Disney World, higher-level management works in the Orlando offices. You can also email [email protected], but I’m not sure contacting DVC will even accomplishing anything right now, as they’ve been fairly non-responsive over the last year. It is most definitely worth emailing, though. This is the kind of cut that guest backlash actually could do something about and cause to be undone.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about all this Walt Disney World news? Excited to see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade during daily ops in Magic Kingdom? Planning on doing a same-day Candlelight Processional Dining Package? Thoughts on Disney firing a dog?!? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? 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!
Hi Tom do you know what plans are going on in fort wilderness during xmas like golf cart parade and 5 k run?
While I can appreciate wanting to fire a golden retriever (my “daughters” 2 year old golden is the best, worst dog ever) that’s super lame. Kind of like when even Clark Griswold’s bosses wife wanted to take him out after cutting Christmas bonuses…
So Cheappak (yes I spelled his name right) can afford a home worth millions but they can’t keep B’Lou and Shadow at HH? Something is terribly wrong with Disney management. It’s a disgrace. I’ve been going to Disney since 1972 and I have to say a lot of the magic has changed and not in a good way atleast for me. I love HH and was looking so forward to seeing these two icons on my trip in January and May. HH is a beautiful resort and the cast members are the best. Shame on Disney for letting these guys go. I am so disappointed. Please bring them back!
I have to agree, we had our honeymoon in WDW before going on DCL, and the magic was just not the same anymore. I go to WDW a few times a year, and this was our first cruise, and to be honest i would pick DCL over the parks going forward. I felt way more Disney magic on board the ship with WAY less stress of crowds, dining reservations, planning our every move, etc.
The loss of B’Lou and Shadow has hurt my family. They made my daughter cry. B’Lou and Shadow return way more to the resort in increased occupancy rates from loyal fans than they cost! Stupid business decision. They ruined the HHI experience. Now, it is just an overpriced hotel.
We leave a week from today and I’m trying to temper my expectations. Our last trip was in February 2020 and it was the best vacation I’ve ever been on. It feels like they are taking a lot of changes that were made to operate in the time of covid and rolling them into the new normal because they’re cheaper.
Just returned from an EPCOT trip today. Christmas decorations were at a minimum. Had to keep reminding ourselves it was the season as the decorations were few and far between. Candlelight procession was great as always. Saw Harmonious for the first time and was extremely disappointed..it seemed like a commercial for Disney movies. Kept waiting for some spectacular fireworks that never came. Once again Disney is doing a great job of killing the magic! Hooray for Bob.
I’m a long-time Disney fanatic – DVC, AP and Fairy-Tale wedding. The erosion of the magic coupled with the skyrocketing costs has me considering selling DVC rather than purchasing additional contract. Interestingly, I received an annual pass survey last week. Not sure if I was targeted because I’m from New England. I was asked I’d I was familiar with the new AP tiers, if I would be renewing, why not, if I was aware of other theme park AP perks, what perks were important to me, etc. Many of the questions allowed 500 characters to reply. I made full use to express out of state DVC members are the least valued of any demographic. I truly feel Disney wants me to sell my DVC so they can exercise ROFR.
I have never heard this much bad press and word of mouth is important to a business. It might take a while but I believe this is different. I just talked two families out of going on their Disney trips and they would of been first timers. They came to me because they know I have been a number of times. When I told them what was happening, they said it sounds to stressful for that price tag. If more people keep having these experiences, it will add up. It will take us to organize and make a statement.
About the park reservation availability – don’t just go by what the Disney app (or web site) tells you. I needed to change our park reservation for the 6th, which was showing limited availability. The two parks that weren’t available were Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. I needed MK and got MK, first try, no hassle. The app is unbelievably unreliable. According to it, I don’t have any future plans, even though we’ll be at Disney in a few days and we have plans showing on the web site. You get a more complete listing of dining availability on the web site than on the app.
So, please, if it says no park availability, try anyway!
Being from South Carolina, I’m offended that you state it’s hard to tell the difference between the two (North and South). We are not one state, and, if you visit, you will see how different we are from each other. It would have been better not to say anything or simply say South Carolina. The HH area is especially charming and Charleston is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States.
Maybe it’s hard to tell the difference because both are so awesome?
It was a joke. Perhaps not a funny one (most of my jokes aren’t), but offensive? C’mon.
Thank you for the wonderful info, as always, Tom! I also have to agree that the magic is not there. We were in Disney World Nov. 16-24 and I didn’t “feel” the magic. It was the first time in 25 years. I feel like I spent so much time checking the app and looking at my phone I couldn’t enjoy what was going on around me. Many staff members were unhappy and rude (but many were also very nice and still had that Disney charm – it just wasn’t enough). I’m hoping it’s because things are just ramping up again and the weather was crappy 75% of the time. We plan on taking our daughter (and her 5 closest friends) back in October 2023 as a surprise for her 16th birthday. I’m really hoping things improve before that trip. If that trip is a repeat – we sadly won’t be returning after that.
Cast Members are definitely stretched really thin right now, and have taken a lot of abuse in the last year-plus. Not to give the ones who are burnt out a complete pass, but I think it’s much more understandable once you realize everything they’ve gone through.
Mike – I would love to hear more about the specifics that made your recent trip stressful and exhausting?
We have a large family and had always looked forward to our annual visit. In 2019 though we started to notice a general change in culture, attitude, and quality of service (which we hoped was just an unfortunate one off).
We are scheduled to return soon, but haven’t purchased tickets because we continue to have second thoughts. Disney seems to have made strategic moves away from the traditional value adds and distinct quality service that we always enjoyed while in the “bubble”. Maybe too much focus on appealing to fringe agendas instead of sticking to what made them magical all of these years?!?
I wasn’t aware of Shadow! This is tragic, and of course perfectly in line with Chapek’s Disney.
Can I ask… is Shadow really 25 years old? That’s an amazing period, especially for a larger dog!
Do you really want to know the answer to your question? Sometimes not knowing and assuming the best is the better course of action. 😉
If you are concerned that Disney Management is cutting costs so far that they released both Shadow and B’lou from the Hilton Head Island Resort, please consider signing this petition which will be presented at the annual DVC Meeting next month. (Almost 3,800 people have signed it so far.)
Click here for the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-bring-back-b-lou-crabbe-shadow-to-disney-s-hilton-head-island-resort
As the author said, if Disney can lay off a real life dog that happens to be the core to the anthology and theming of a resort, what will the next cut be?
Thanks for sharing that. Normally, I’m not keen on petitions, but I think this one coupled with actual guests contacting Disney might actually get results. Good luck! 🙂
Hilton Head is a unique Disney property and our family’s favorite resort. We were so upset to hear about B’Lou and Shadow, they were part of what made Hilton Head special. There are no theme parks, so at HH the resort offerings are much more important than just providing a place to stay. We’d love to see the company reconsider.
In some ways it seems as though the parks are leaning into getting as much $$$ as possible out of the first-time/one-time visitor rather than cultivating visitor relationships to encourage multiple return visits, which would likely be better in the long term. That’s where we are now. We last visited in 2019, and we have no interest in returning to an American Disney park any time soon (Tokyo is a different story). Like you said the magic, if not gone, is rather diminished.
Disney has as much as stated that decreasing the frequency of visits and targeting more first-timers is a goal. That actually isn’t anything new–I want to say that was a late Eisner or early Iger era initiative that got stalled due to the Great Recession.
There’s probably a lesson in that–about the importance of faithful customers in economic tough times–but I doubt many in current high-level roles sees that.
This is so disheartening! We are DVC members who have not yet been to Hilton Head but believe me when I say that Shadow was a big pull for us to go. I really can’t understand how they have managed to lose sight of the fact that it’s these special little idiosyncrasies that bring us back over and over again. So sad about this and what it stands for in the bigger picture.
Thanks for update, I’m excited we get to see the parade during our after Christmas / New Year’s trip. We have never been at that time of year. Usually, go in early December and plan a party night. Love your photos. That is sad about getting rid of a dog and performer that people have loved for years. Part of the magic is TRADITION – like ours visiting the tree at Wilderness Lodge .
Thanks for all your articles Tom. My family loves reading your posts. I just feel really upset at the way management is handling the parks. We love the old Disney but I have to say my trip last week was very stressful and exhausting. I know you’ve probably read a bunch of posts like mine but it really has been ruined in our eyes. I’ve been DVC since BLT opened and we are listing our 2 contracts after the new year. I did send Disney an email about our trip. Even my kids didn’t like it this past trip and that’s saying something. Just really sad because it doesn’t matter because people will still go and nothing will change.
Sorry to hear that, but totally understandable.
While I “get” many of Disney’s recent unpopular decisions, some are instances of going too far. That plus the cumulative impact of so many negative changes so quickly is just overwhelming. Hopefully things turn around in 2022.