Entertainment Cuts & Returns at Disney World
There’s good and bad news on the Walt Disney World entertainment front, as one stage show returns to Hollywood Studios while another is cut, and with it a 32-year run by a beloved orchestra comes to an end. In this post, we’ll cover what’s ending, what’s returning, timelines, the likely motivation for the changes, plus extensive commentary.
Let’s start with the good news. “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration,” is returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 5, 2020. The Royal Historians of Arendelle will once again deliver their comedic retelling of their kingdom, including a sing-along from Disney’s “Frozen” and special appearances by Anna, Elsa and Kristoff. It’ll be the same show as pre-closure, albeit with adjustments to staging and audience seating to allow for appropriate physical distancing.
Given the recent high attendance levels at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, something is definitely needed to help soak up crowds. In all likelihood, several stage shows need to return to DHS to round out the day, but this is at least a start. Unfortunately, it’s one step forward, one step backwards with this announcement…
Along with this announcement from Disney, the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra revealed on their Facebook fan page that their relationship with Walt Disney World will end on October 3, 2020 when they play the last performances of “The Disney Society Orchestra” at the Theater of the Stars in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
From their announcement: “It’s hard to find the words but, sadly, our days at the Grand Floridian are over. In fact, as of Oct 3, 2020, our days at WDW will come to an end as well…So after 32 years of playing together and playing music we love… we’re done. We are so thankful for the opportunity to play in a beautiful setting for the hotel guests and friends we have met & made over the years. We’ll never forget you and how wonderful you’ve made us feel. We will miss you! Thank you-thank you- thank you!”
You might’ve missed it in the chaotic news cycle, but right before Walt Disney World closed in March, the company terminated its relationship with numerous other contract entertainment acts. EPCOT was hit particularly hard at that time, with the following all being cut:
- Matsuriza, the drummers in the Japan pavilion
- British Revolution, the band in the United Kingdom pavilion
- Serveur Amusant, the stacking-chair acrobats in the France pavilion,
- Master Juggler Sergio, the juggling clown act in the Italy pavilion.
Keep in mind, these are just the entertainment acts that were notified in advance that they would not be brought back. Countless other performers simply have their statuses in limbo (literally too many to list here), and have not returned to Walt Disney World.
It’s likely the only reason we know the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra’s time with Walt Disney World is coming to an end is because the company brought them back for the interim show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If not, they’d be among the many other entertainment acts that are indefinitely on ‘temporary hiatus’, unaware they’ve already performed for the last time at Walt Disney World.
While we’re disappointed about the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra news, we’re not surprised. It’s easy to point to the exorbitant rack rate at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or the almost laughable drink prices at Enchanted Rose Lounge and say, “X of these per day could easily cover the cost of the orchestra.” X wouldn’t even be a high number in either case.
The problem is that Walt Disney World is increasingly less concerned with delivering commensurate value for money, and more preoccupied with increasing profit margins. So much has been removed from the post-reopening park and resort experiences with minimal attempts at replacements, but still largely comparable price points. With a guest-first mentality, continuing cuts don’t occur at a time when prices are mostly static.
With a profits-first perspective, the company looks at reduced hotel occupancy and park attendance levels, and justifies further cuts on those bases. The focus is a quantitative one of costs versus revenue, rather than a qualitative examination of the individual experience of those guests who do show up–and pay full price or close to it for the Walt Disney World experience.
This is nothing new, and Walt Disney World leadership is not suddenly going to have an epiphany and change its approach. We saw largely the same scenario play out while Disney’s Hollywood Studios was a veritable construction zone a few years ago, yet Disney further cut entertainment and held or increased ticket prices. (Heck, we’re now seeing exactly that again at EPCOT!)
We’ve written largely this same editorial several times, including last year when Muppets Present Great Moments in American History and more were cut from Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Our commentary commonly fixates on the dangers of Disney cutting too much fat from budgets to the point where they “hit bone.”
When it comes to cuts and their justifications or lack thereof, our thesis statement of sorts is that Walt Disney World is more than the sum of its parts. It’s the little moments, the ambiance, the live musicians, the way everything just feels alive that, cumulatively, defines a trip even if you don’t actively notice at the time.
In past years, we’ve expressed significant concern that Walt Disney World would make such aggressive cuts at times of record attendance growth and profits. If that is how Disney reacted to unprecedented prosperity, how bad would things get when the country entered a recession and Disney felt an actual “need” to further reduce costs to meet profit targets?
In my wildest dreams, I never imagined the recession taking its current form and travel being hit particularly hard, but here we are. So I’m not exactly surprised that Disney is acting in a manner completely consistent with its moves of the last decade.
This may sound overly bleak or fatalist, but there’s good news here. Consumers can vote with their wallets and cancel their trips–the overwhelming majority have done exactly that when it comes to the post-reopening “product” that Walt Disney World is selling. Even though attendance has increased in the last month or so, it’s still well less than half of normal levels. Current visitors are also disproportionately locals, which is not Walt Disney World’s “preferred” demographic.
Now, there are myriad reasons for tourists to cancel their trips right now. We won’t pretend that reduced entertainment is the sole or even main cause of cancellation–it’s just one of countless reasons. However, judging from the chorus of comments, if you could theoretically return everything else to normal except the entertainment cuts, Walt Disney World attendance would still be down 15-25%.
That may seem insignificant, but every single percentage point matters to Disney’s bottom line. Even a 5% drop would be utterly unacceptable in normal times–heads would roll. Moreover, the cost of restoring that entertainment pales in comparison to the revenue to be earned from it. On top of those who would return directly due to the entertainment, its presence would increase guest satisfaction and other important metrics among all guests.
While I can offer a ballpark range of guests who cancelled specifically due to the missing entertainment, Walt Disney World has a much more precise number thanks to their cancellation questioning and guest surveys. And unlike in normal times when Disney can frame queries or obfuscate to get the feedback results they’re seeking (to support preordained decisions), there’s no concealing the actual impact of the current cuts. There are too many of them and they’re glaringly obvious in totality.
Unfortunately, there’s also no ability to theoretically return everything else to normal at Walt Disney World right now in order to see entertainment restored. Capacity is going to remain reduced. Tourists will remain reticent to travel and visit theme parks. The hampered economy and ongoing recession will prevent others from visiting. Health safety protocol–no matter what that is or is not–will alienate and keep some guests away.
As such, there’s no end in sight to the scaled-back slate of entertainment at Walt Disney World. In the near-term, we’re going to see more of this–or at least not have all acts brought back anytime soon. That’s disappointing, and I truly wish Walt Disney World had more foresight and were willing to endure a few lackluster quarters for the sake of the guest experience, and to ensure a swifter recovery and engender fan loyalty.
The silver lining is that it’s abundantly clear Disney will have to bring back all of this entertainment (and likely do more) if the company wants a full recovery. Locals turning out at EPCOT in full force on the weekends to buy booze might be a short-term life raft, but it’s not a viable long-term strategy with (literally) tens of thousands of hotel rooms sitting empty. For the next several years, the travel industry is going to be increasingly competitive and less of a seller’s market. If Walt Disney World wants its slice of the pie, it’ll need to do more, not less.
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 of these Walt Disney World entertainment cuts and additions? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about WDW restoring more stage shows and other acts that are currently on hiatus? Are you worried that it might be a while before Walt Disney World is back to normal in terms of its offerings? 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!
Yup, the magic’s wearing off! I have canceled three times now for this year mostly due to covid and have rescheduled for September 2021. With the hopes that Disney would be its old self again. For me deal breakers are: no park hopping, no FastPass, no entertainment, no reduction in price for a diminished experience, all the sales and perks seem focused on local residents who already get a good deal. It doesn’t really make sense I go value but even that’s more than day visitors, it’s a resort for seven days six days of tickets and seven days of dinning! I don’t get it and it will never be the same without the magic.
The pandemic and the incompetence of Bob Iger have really hit hard at Disney. We got back over a week ago now, We had a great time as always because of the cast members who were acting their little hearts out to keep the mood.
agreed on Bob Iger’s incompetence
Bob Iger stepped down as CEO of Disney before the pandemic hit. The new CEO is Bob Chapek, who was head of the Disney parks before becoming the new CEO of Disney
I completely agree with your assessment! Great article.
It just continues to get sadder and sadder. The entertainment has always been the main draw for us at Disney World. I felt it set them apart from the rest. We live in the Midwest. We can go to many amusement parks closer to us if all we want to do is rides and ticket prices are much cheaper. Dollywood and Silver Dollar City is looking better all the time, now.
I will hope it’s only because of the virus and wanting to control crowds that these cutbacks are going on right now. What’s unfortunate is losing such talented entertainers that will probably not return in the future. We didn’t have the pocketbook for a resort stay at the Grand Floridian but we always had at least one table service meal there every trip; so, we could enjoy the orchestra music in the lobby.
I’m grateful for my over 50 trips to Disney World; because, this is not sounding good for us to go back there in the future. I really feel Disney will lose out and may not recover from this if they continue on this course. Again, hopefully, these steps are temporary.
I absolutely agree with you Sharon-it just gets sadder and sadder. Reading that the Orchestra is leaving the Grand Floridian, leaves me with a giant pit in my stomach. We loved sitting in the lobby and listening to them. It was almost like you stepped back in time just looking at the atmosphere and enjoying their music.
We are unable to cancel our trip the first week of November because we are renting points and they’re paid in full. If we could cancel, we probably would. But! I’m glad we can’t. My kids will never be 6 and 8 years old again. All of the stuff that’s missing will just be more stuff to look forward to when we go again in 4 or 5 years, when they’re entirely different people. Also, my kids have left the house maybe 5 times since March. Disney World is going to blow their little minds, with or without drummers.
Lori- I completely understand. We went with our children and my parents in late August and after this hellish year, we decided that our trip “home” was exactly what we needed. We didn’t think twice about it. We wore masks, washed hands, sanitized surfaces and we had a BLAST! I hope you have a wonderful time and that you and your family are able to leave the real world behind for a bit!!
If their prices were reduced to reflect these cuts, I could understand all these things. While I understand that Disney is not a charitable concern, I think they are cutting their own throats while cutting acts and extras. As much as it grieves me, we will be looking for other destinations until they get their act together. We simply can’t afford Disney anymore.
Tom, I always enjoy your posts, but this may be the best one yet since the re-opening. What’s sad for me is that the entertainment cuts probably don’t add up to a material figure. It’s about saving pennies at this point. I’m an out-of-state AP holder and have to fly when I visit. I was there for six days in early September when the crowd levels (and wait times) began to tick up. I had a great time, but found myself just not doing much in the parks after 2 or 3 hours. With entertainment nearly nonexistent and many of the stores closed across the parks and the resorts, the inability to park hop, etc., it’s not worth returning again, especially with wait times now over pre-COVID periods (especially HS), until other things are restored. I hate saying this because I’m truly a fan.
The Bland Floridian?
Unfortunately, the world at large and Disney World got hit with an illness we have not seen in our lifetime. It will be, like Tom has said repeatedly, years before things return to “normal.” Once an effective vaccine is available on a widespread basis, travel and visitors to DW will increase exponentially. I predict that once the powers that be at DW note a true and continuous increase in numbers that many of the things now discarded will return. DW will make a big deal of offering discounts across the board to entice visitors. Hope that’s soon. In the meantime, my family cannot justify a visit, no matter how much we would like to go, under the current status of getting 75% of what you used to get for 100% of the ticket cost.
Another issue is that despite the desire of people to believe they are always making optimal choices, the fact is that most of what we do is habit. When enough people have gotten out of the habit of going to Disney it will be very difficult to get them to return later. And as all these cuts are made more people will decide that WDW isn’t worth what is being charged. And that’s a decision which will cause them to not return as the Covid situation improves. It will be interesting if Disney increases the maximum capacity only to find that park attendance doesn’t improve that much.
Pretty soon, the only “entertainment” will be arguments over mask wearing, scooter incidents and drunk people in Epcot. I get that this is a time when all live entertainment is struggling……but if Disney is going to reduce itself to a Six Flags with less exciting rides, they’re going to lose a percentage of customers. Atmosphere, emersion and personal touch were the things I’d tell people when describing a trip….particularly those people who are thrill ride enthusiasts ( some Disney can’t compete with other parks on)….with all of these cuts; I’m harder pressed to sell a Disney Vacation to friends and family.
This is a great article! We just recently canceled a two week trip. The pandemic was of course a major factor, however, no live entertainment was definitely the “nail in the coffin” when wavering back and forth about going. You said it perfect – “It’s the little moments, the ambiance, the live musicians, the way everything just feels alive that, cumulatively, defines a trip even if you don’t actively notice at the time.”
Live entertainment, the unique sights and sounds and little moments are what keep us returning. It was a major factor in our decision to buy DVC and become AP holders (we’re not local). With the various cuts (especially entertainment) and things not fully open, the park experience unfortunately seem to hold much less value. Especially as someone who is fortunate enough to visit annually, you tend to gravitate toward the experience and traditions of going. Not so much running on every single ride. So much of the non-ride experience is gone. And yet as stated in your article, we’re paying the same price, if not more. AP holders have been given very little benefits or reasons to keep their passes.
With the current health environment I certainly understand things taking time to recover and return to “normal” or a “new normal” even. But at some point it feels like a loss in the consumers pocket and you start questioning whether it’s worth it anymore. It’s a very sad feeling because it’s something we’ve (and so many others) have valued so much.
There are too many changes happening. I feel like we’re losing some of the nostalgia that was Walt Disney World. It’s very sad to me. I miss what was.
I look at it this way. When you have the entertainers performing in the streets, it causes more people to gather in one spot. I don’t think Disney wants these large clusters of people.
That’s certainly a possibility, but I think it’s one that’s undermined by things Disney is doing elsewhere. For example, bars or indoor dining are significantly higher-risk than an outdoor entertainment act. The difference is that one is a direct revenue generator and the other costs money.
Personally, I think “to ensure physical distancing” is at least in some cases a convenient excuse for cutting costs. Doing something in the name of safety is much more palatable for guests than doing it in the name of saving money.
I completely agree that I’m sure the initial thought process was to help with the crowds but if you look at recent photos of the parks the crowds almost look heavier than some times when I’ve visited personally. Extremely crowded with no distancing in some cases. The cavalcades are no different really than having streetmosphere. Which is a huge aspect missing right now.
Understand what you are saying, DebC. This definitely sounds a consideration Disney had in the reopening pans. But as capacity levels increase and with more people in the parks, other options need to come back so crowds aren’t condensing on the few options that are open. HS is a perfect example of this problem.
@Tom
Do we know how off-site hotels are faring right now? I guess I’m not sure how much of the low occupancy is due to people not willing to pay Disney prices or to the fact that a much higher percentage of visitors to Disney World right now are locals/people that didn’t stay on-site in the before times.
I see your point about the exorbitant prices at the resorts, but that has always been a big problem and small (if beloved by some) cuts don’t change the fact that the fundamentals of the hotels (aka the rooms/hotel layout and the level of service) has never been commensurate with the price. I mean $250-$400+ rack rates for glorified motels with the moderates and deluxe rack rates that often exceed the far more luxurious Four Seasons? I’m not sure the small touches like the GF orchestra (although cut enough of them and they collectively add up) ever made the GF, which is perfectly nice as a hotel but not really much better than an average Marriott/Hilton, “worth it” from a value perspective, even factoring in the on-site perks and theming.
And I think my perspective might be different from Tom’s because we don’t go all the time. They may be looking to increase us and slow locals to help with hotels. We have DVC so my comments are really general. But for limited users the extras are not nears ad central to our visit as they may be for locals.
We live in NYC and go to Disney –at least pre-Covid– three or four times a year. The extras are definitely important to us and have been since our first trip. They are what make Disney different from other amusement parks. The rides are secondary to the overall atmosphere for us. YMMV but I really hate all these entertainment cuts!
Good post and I agree with your thoughts. I didn’t realize all those Epcot acts were gone for good – I always stopped to see the French waiter if he was performing when we were int he area. 🙁
The Kargo ads are obnoxious and diminish the pleasure of reading your wonderful blog. Please reconsider.
I can’t believe they cut that act! And the soccer player juggler in Italy. And the drummers in Japan… and … and …
@Joe D the ads are auto-generated based on what it thinks you want to see–not controlled by Tom–we all see something different.
Wow, what a loss. My wife and I loved the Grand Floridian for this very reason! It was all about the good feeling we got when we sat there and watched/listened to them perform. Why stay at the Grand Floridian paying the extra points/bucks if Disney wants it to be just like all the other resorts? There was a reason for the “Grand” in the name! Maybe we should expect a name change in the future? How about it Disney, let’s just call it the “Floridian?”
Tom: I love this post. I keyed in to this statement of yours: “The problem is that Walt Disney World is increasingly less concerned with delivering commensurate value for money, and more preoccupied with increasing profit margins.”
Disney started this long before the pandemic. On our last trip (Nov./Dec. 2018), we were so disgusted. We’d been to WDW over 2 dozen times over the years (not as many as you but certainly more than some especially being out of state), and we felt like we were being taken. Cost soaring but so many things cut–at the parks, hotels, shops, restaurants, etc. In particular, when we arrived at Epcot on our last day, found out that Voices of Liberty no longer perform every day, let alone several times a day. We arrived on a day that they did not. This was always a highlight for me, especially during the holiday season.
We decided that we probably wouldn’t return, perhaps returning to Disneyland once during Halloween season, but that would be about it. I still receive these updates because the old WDW still holds a place in my heart (part of our honeymoon was there). But the absolute greed and lack of customer-focus is atrocious now. I used to rave about Disney to all but not anymore. Can’t justify their actions. And the increasing pressure being exerted on CA to open DL is selfish and irresponsible in light of this pandemic. Disney putting $ ahead of lives–it says it all about the corporate culture there now.
Amen to that. The opportunity to see such diverse entertainment all around the parks meant a lot to me. It’s truly not the same without it. I miss the street performers at World Showcase, the awesome shows at Animal Kingdom, and so much more. Basically now the only reason to go is rides. We went mid-week in early September and enjoyed experiencing all the rides as a walk on. But with increased capacity and increased lines, the parks become less and less appealing without all the many other aspects which are missing. Thank you, as always, for your insightful commentary.
And as the Parks become more crowded there’s not that much that the visitors can do except ride the rides with all the entertainment cuts which makes the lines that much longer. It’s a negative feedback loop. I hope that perhaps the Orchestra is being cut because the stage show is going to be restarted where they are playing and thus the venue will no longer be available. Yet the fact that the Muppets’ Great Moments was cancelled and not replaced shows that this hope is often not realized.
I’m an accountant, now semi-retired, and I can tell you that too many top corporate management people get so focused on the financial numbers that they lose sight of what purpose their company fulfills. It’s like they go to a restaurant and eat the menu instead of the food. Financial reports are feedback on how well the company is fulfilling its mission. The financial “gain” from these entertainment cuts isn’t even a rounding error in the net profit.
While I understand the need to cut back on things due to the pandemic, I have not been able to wrap my mind around Disney’s decision to still charge the same exorbitant prices. We should have just returned from Disney a couple of days ago, but we canceled. No fireworks, no parades, no meet-n-greets, over half the restaurants closed, NO restaurants at Jambo House, no park hopping, no water parks, no FastPasses, reduced amount of rides & entertainment, and the list goes on. But the cost of our room and tickets remained the same. In a manner of speaking, we had no desire to pay $500 for a $100 dress. So now we’re waiting to see if enough opens back up to make it worth a trip in the spring. Doesn’t have to be a complete return to normal, but at least enough to justify the cost.
I think at least in part, that’s a byproduct of less supply (park capacity). High prices can be maintained because they don’t need to/cannot sell as many tickets.
However, that thinking falls flat when considering hotels (which are arguably Walt Disney World’s core business–as much or more integral than the parks). Aside from holiday weekends, occupancy rates are abysmal right now, and that’s even with so many hotels still out of commission.
Not sure I agree. Sure we all want everything like it was. We were there in August and going back next week. We want Disney to succeed. I would rather see continued progress on new improvements than all of the former entertainment. It’s all nice but for two times a year we want the basics. There are still lines and four days is not enough to see all the basics. It’s a long ways to normal but 85% is better than nothing. And it is still hard to get the exact reservations that you want. So supply and demand is still working and those waiting are just allowing Disney to meet current demand with all of their restrictions. Is cautious people will do Disney as it is after than Walmart right now. Not so with universal.
Randy – that might be true if Disney was offering 85% of what they always did, but they aren’t. If you stay at Jambo House, there’s not even a quick service restaurant to dine at. Boardwalk’s big enticement is, well, the boardwalk. But most of that’s closed. Less than 85% of the resorts are even open, so you have a take-it-or-leave choice of where to stay. If you only spend 1/2 day at Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios (like we do), you have to either waste two days’ tickets or not go at all since you can’t park hop. And the park hours have been significantly reduced.