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!
Disney sent me a research survey and among the questions were several asking in various ways, how I feel about meeting characters like Mickey Mouse. Would I be satisfied with just seeing him in a parade or do I have to meet him in person. I see this as they’re thinking maybe they don’t have to have a mouse for private meet n greets and can just drive one past people and they’ll be happy. If they cut meet and greets, I’m done. My answer was I absolutely expect to meet Mickey in person, and I’ll wait to see him. What they don’t know, because there wasn’t a text field, is that Mickey and Minnie are the reason I’m the fan I am. I went along to WDW in 2010, expecting a hokey thing, cuz giggle, a “talking mouse”… Right. Well, we were led back to see them both, in Toon Town as it was in 2010, and I had the most magical “conversation” with them. I felt like I was the only person to them in that moment. They felt real and warm, and welcoming. It all started with a mouse!!
Count us in as a FORMER DVC OWNER. Hilton Head was our home resort and we just sold our 3 contracts. There isn’t any magic there anymore after visiting several times a year for over 20 years!
Thanks for the excellent piece, as always, Tom! Sounds like you (along with many others) have finally reached the point where my husband I have been over the last year. Very sad, as we were (and still are) huge Disney fans (I was 9 years old on opening weekend, and WDW is very near home). I grew up with those parks, worked for the company, and have friends that actually met Mr Disney. I have seen bad leadership come and go, as well as good leadership, but it has never sunk this low. Desperately hoping a leadership change happens soon and things change. Otherwise, Disney will be but a memory for us- a golden period of time to look back on with fondness, and remember what was.
“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.”
This. Exactly this.
And it’s gone.
We’ve been been avid Disney vacationers since the ’80’s and our trip last week was likely our last.
Disney has lost it. All they care about is lining execs pockets. It’s not even benefitting shareholders since they cut out dividends in 2019. Greed.
The magic is gone. And firing “a dog” really feels like the ultimate straw that broke the camels back and I’ve never even been to HHI.
I plan to write a strongly worded letter to corporate about the disappointing disaster of last week. I probably won’t hear back from anyone but I feel I have to tell them how they took a magically entertaining vacation destination and turned it into a sad, sobbing, greedy, completely magic-less vacation.
I would like to know what happen to Shadow? Does she have a home to live in or was she sent to a shelter????
While Disney’s made great strides in delivering Disney+, adding new park attractions and navigating a pandemic, the big issue that I see is that some of these “minor” changes occurring with entertainment and staffing are leading to cultural changes. The success of world-class organizations is based on how well they execute the little things at scale. I see Disney Corporate making changes to these little things that affect the culture of the organization. Corporate culture is central to the identity of an organization and is part of its DNA. Disney developed a culture of caring for its CMs and guests. That culture is slowly eroding, and it’s exponentially harder to build that type of environment versus maintaining it. I think that this is a weakness of current Disney leadership as evidenced by the way top brass has communicated with stakeholders and the media over the last several months.
My now fiancee and i have gone to Disney World every year for about nine years, usually during holiday times, and stayed on resort property.
Disney has been increasingly raising prices on everything. Nickling and diming everyone on everything, and cutting more and more services. We both went there as kids, luckily. We went out to the parking lot to sit on the bumper of the car in the hot asphalt parking lot to eat sandwiches our mom packed in a cooler. We were lucky just to get to go inside.
I get that prices increase over time, but it has been increasingly exorbitant over the past few years. We have spent thousands of dollars there, but now with the ‘Magic’ increasingly being removed by out of touch management, we have started spending our dollars going other places like Iceland, and finding wonderment there. We have money now and don’t have to eat bologne and cheese sandwiches for lunch in the parking lot.
The little things that made Disney magical are slowly being deconstructed. We skipped going this year.
I’m a former cast member at Disney’s HHI Resort and at WDW. I hate to see what is happening with the company and how it is loosing sight of the guest experience. There is not enough guest to cast member interaction anymore and I’m sad my kids will not experience the same Disney I did as a child and cast member.
I feel like the decision makers at Disney are forgetting the things that make it the most magical place on earth. Lately it’s been clear they have forgotten about making people happy and started getting greedy. They would break Walt’s heart I’m sure. One day Disney will be a run down junkyard if they don’t be careful. They are ruining the magic!
Glad you enjoyed the lovely island. However it’s a shame you didn’t have the chance to meet the magical mascot and icon of the resort which made it so unique and made the low country sea islands come to life with Carolina charm.
I’ll never forget B’lou and shadow coming to our villa for a magic show and to play his fiddle when my 7 year old son hit his head at the pool and was injured . That’s the kind of warm fuzzy pixie dust that they brought to children and families for 24 years!
If you left a reply here would you also be so kind to also send a note to Disney guest satisfaction letting them know how disappointed you were they were missing to help bring them back?
Many thanks !
Erin, you are not wrong.. We spent almost three weeks at HHI last year and when my college aged kids asked about Shadow, they were also told they had gone fishing. Leading us to believe that the disappearance was COVID related and that Shadow and B’lou would be back for our next trip.
Did we still enjoy our trip? Well.. Yes.. It was our first time to travel as a family since the COVID lockdown and we were thankful just to be somewhere that wasn’t our house. The other Castmembers were extremely nice, especially Mike “The Pool Guy” and there were plenty of activities at the resort to keep us busy.
That said, B’lou and Shadow are baked into the anthropology and theming of the resort. Taking Shadow away from the HHI resort is like taking Mickey out of WDW. The lore of Shadow at the resort and the low country experiences that B’lou provides as an entertainer are part of what sets that resort aside from all of the other non-Disney resorts on Hilton Head Island. If more cuts continue like this, what’s there to set DHHIR apart from Palmetto Dunes?
Along those same lines, what cuts in the name of cost reductions are next at the DVC resorts at WDW or Vero? Getting rid of the Friendship boats at the Epcot resorts? Eliminating the “Top of the World” lounge at Bay Lake Towers? No more activity centers at Old Key West, Boardwalk, and etc?
So so true. The magic is vanishing. Very sad because it is what made Disney Vacation Club so unique and special. Even worse that the way Disney cared about guests in the past is no longer when they make decisions like this, it shows. Taking Shadow and the experience you get from Shadow and B’Lou out of that resort is like taking Mickey Mouse out of WDW!
I have a friend who loves Disney and was hoping to go and visit the parks. She hasn’t been up to date on all the changes (genie+ bus changes parking etc). I caught her up on it and at the end she said it sounds awful and she changed her mind. I didn’t mean to change her mind. I was just telling her how genie plus worked and what she would have to do to reserve a ride and she looked at me like I was nuts. She has decided not to go. Word of mouth is not kind to them right now.
I have been stalking threads and secretly laughing at all the ‘Walt rolling in his grave’ comments that pop up each time that Disney makes an unpopular decision, as he must have rolled himself half-way to Australia by now! However, this Shadow news marks the first time Ive actually imagined him sitting up and going ‘Seriously, what?’ (At least, after going ‘ow’ from banging his head on the coffin.)
I have spent the last year-and-a-half revelling in a Disney that, for probably the only time, catered to my stimulation-sensitive partner in having low crowds and less-stressful planning. I was even excited for Genie+ as I will always pay a bit more for less worry or a more exclusive experience. But even me, who has defended decisions while giggling about what I perceived were overly entitled reactions(always quoting Walt or invoking his grave roll)…have to admit that recent actions are making me frown.
How do they justify firing a dog? Dogs are made of love (and 5 to 50% slobber). How do they justify an app that doesn’t work? (Especially one they are asking people to pay for.) I don’t much care for recent Disney films but I’ve loved the enginartistry of the parks and don’t really want to see them ridiculed or diminished, or them losing our belief in their presence. Like any mostly-story-based-character, that belief is what defines what Disney is. It makes me really question what story the people behind it are wanting to tell…
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Anyway, long winded way of saying I will definitely send an email along to Disney, and hope to add my personal experiences in December as well.
You’ve hit the nail on the head, Tom. I’m one of those long-time Disney Park fans that feels the magic eroding. More than anything, it just makes me sad. And a little bit angry that the current Disney powers are slowly emaciating the beloved Disney brand. In the long run it will undoubtedly cost Disney dearly. Too bad they’re blinded by the dollar signs in the short term.
The more I hear about Disney lately the less I’m inclined to spend my money there.
I’m sad to hear about Shadow being let go in such a casually callous manner and her memory being expunged from Disney history but I’m sadder that it doesn’t surprise me anymore. I read recently that the Disney “brand” is enthusiastically “expanding” into investing in human misery via online sports gambling. And according to their marketing that’s what I’ve wanted all along. Who knew?
Disney may be cutting fat due to the covid fallout but the cost to them of maintaining Shadow would’ve been less than a drop in the ocean, a rounding error. Her demise seems rather to be part of a disturbing culture shift at Disney. I hope she at least received a golden (retriever) handshake on her way out the door for years of faithful service.
I am a little confused and not familiar with B’Lou or Shadow.
Is Shadow a mascot owned by Disney or does B’Lou own Shadow? Was Disney or B’Lou responsable for the care of Shadow? It does read heartless if Disney took care of Shadow but if B’Lou does – then Shadow was the side kick and both are the entertainment act.
I would assume B’Lou is the entertainment act who owns Shadow – right? And we are not talking about the same dog going back to 1996 when first appearing at the resort during construction? Goggle lifespan of golden retrivers is 11 years. Must be the 2 or 3 Shadow – right? Kind of like Lassey.
Have to put in purspective – If it’s not the same dog, Disney or B’Lou has kept it going for entertainment.
Not sure how best to let B’Lou go without letting Shadow go – no win situation.
@Gina: Good for you!! I’ve also talked a few 1st timers who were thinking of a Disney World vacation into holding off for the time being!
I would hate for a first time guest to experience what is going on currently.
It’s simply awful!
Hi Tom. Thank you for all your great posts. They have helped us plan a blow-out Best Of 4-parks-in-a-day Goodbye to Disney visit December, as we have 2 1-Day Park Hoppers we need to use and have decided not to return to Disney for a good long while after, due to all these money-over-guest-experience decisions they have made since Chapek took the reins. This particular one (firing the mascot dog for no reason) is thoughtless and inexcusable. (Also, we always buy 1 day park hoppers from charity events for our visits, and it appears that another of their money-first decisions has been to stop donating these tickets to charity.) So sad to see the magic eroding to this point.
But anyway, thanks to your posts and a combination of DAS, DAS Advance, Genie+, ILL (which we will buy just this once), and finding Dolphin on sale one day on Priceline, I can at least give my son a great last memory of Disney, hopefully riding every ride he loves in all 4 parks in that one day.
Since you asked if there are any questions you could answer, we do have one- could you do a post about the best (shortest wait) time to get into Space 220 Lounge?? And one other question (though it doesn’t need a post)- given the popularity of Jungle Cruise, why in the world is it NOT one of the rides open during extended evening hours??
Finally, here’s some info that might help some of your other readers who have family members that use DAS. Yes, it takes many hours of waiting for them to come on the video chat. We got on at the beginning of a 2 hour drive to the airport, through the 2 hours from arrival to boarding the plane, through the two hour flight, and they finally came on while we were at baggage claim. The GOOD news is that, even though you will likely get logged off numerous times (as we did) during that wait, and even if, like us, you even have to put your phone in airplane mode for a couple of hours, you do not lose your place in line! AND, unlike Genie+ reservations, they do not , it seems, run out of DAS Advance reservations- the lady we chatted with said she had never seen someone not be able to get their choice of rides for those 2 advance DAS reservations. We got SDD and Falcon.
Sorry for the long comment!
We were just at Disney HH a couple months ago for the first time and loved it. We had read about Shadow and even asked when we could see him but were told that he was “on a fishing trip.” Although we were slightly disappointed that he wasn’t there, it didn’t make our trip less enjoyable. We still rode beach cruisers to the beach house, played bocce ball, corn hole & horseshoes, traded pins, played on the beach and swam in the pool for hours. We would definitely go back, we had a lovely time.