Cuts to Disney World Entertainment: Muppets, Pixar, Dance Parties
We’re back with a Walt Disney World news & rumors update, this time with entertainment cuts at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. In this post, we’ll cover what’s ending and when, the likely motivation for the removal of these acts, plus extensive commentary.
At Magic Kingdom, the Muppets Present Great Moments in American History and Royal Majesty Makers will both come to an end, and Move It! Shake It! Dance and Play It! Street Party will be reduced to two shows per day. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, DJ’s Ready! Set! Party Time and the Incredibles at Pixar Place will cease performances. Ditto the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party at Animal Kingdom.
We can’t confirm specific end dates, but all should end on or around the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2019. These entertainment cuts are not yet official, but we consider them highly credible, near-certain rumors. All stem from Entertainment Cast Members working on these particular shows who have been advised by managers that their acts will be eliminated. It’s entirely possible that there’s more to come, especially if budgetary decisions for the next fiscal year are still being made.
I don’t think it’s any secret that I hate the Magic Kingdom street party. I routinely refer to it as the “Move It! Shake It! Whatever It! Roaming Noise Festival” on the blog. Nevertheless, I realize many families enjoy this, and I’m never one to advocate for the entertainment cuts without corresponding additions–especially as Walt Disney World continues to raise prices.
As for the other cuts, both the Incredibles stuff and Lion King Dance Party were, to my knowledge, always intended to be temporary as part of some celebration. DJ’s Dance Party is basically the pre-show for Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. This was part of the pre-Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge “fill in all available space” initiative at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that has now proven unnecessary; it’s very rare for Racing Academy to draw a crowd. That leaves only Royal Majesty Makers and Muppets as the potentially big loses.
For me, the Muppets Present Great Moments in American History is a devastating cut. It’s no secret that I’m a huge Muppets fan, but have been disappointed by Disney’s treatment of them. Almost all of Disney’s efforts with the Muppets have been misfires, getting the comedic style and voice of the Muppets wrong in ham-fisted efforts to (unnecessarily) modernize them.
The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History was one big, glorious exception to that. In my “Golden Bricks Awards” for the year this show debuted, I named it the #1 new attraction at Walt Disney World, over both Frozen Ever After and Soarin Around the World.
That’s high praise for a show, but I went a step further, calling it “the best addition to Magic Kingdom in a decade. Its tone is perfect, the script is hilarious, and the way it blends education and entertainment takes a page out of EPCOT Center’s playbook and demonstrates how intellectual property could be used for edutainment.”
The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History also strengthens Liberty Square, simultaneously lightening it up a bit and deepening its significance. The show gives guests a reason to pause, appreciate the beauty and detail of the land, and think about monumental moments in our nation’s history…while laughing.
With all of that said, I must admit that I was skeptical about the show when rumors first leaked of a Muppets show in Liberty Square. Skeptical of the rumor itself, especially when Muppets Courtyard felt like a more obvious choice, but also apprehensive of its substance.
Walt Disney World doesn’t exactly have the best recent track record of tastefully injecting IPs around the parks, and I worried that the Muppets humor would be at-odds with the more solemn tone of Liberty Square. Admittedly, I wasn’t particularly vocal about this (only touching upon it here). It’s not like Liberty Square has the best atmosphere, plus Magic Kingdom is a place of whimsy…and I’m probably a bit too willing to turn a blind eye to thematic integrity if it means more Muppets.
As it turned out, a “wait and see” mentality was best. This show turned out to be pitch perfect, and something that was great for both the Muppets and Liberty Square. Sure, it was “just a diversion” that most guests saw while passing through the area, but it filled that role terrifically.
I couldn’t praise it enough and think that eliminating it is a huge error in judgment by someone who doesn’t understand what an asset this is to Liberty Square and the Muppets brand.
In that same spirit of wait and see misjudgment, I want to try to give Walt Disney World the benefit of the doubt here. Every year for the past several, Walt Disney World has made cuts to entertainment right around the end of one fiscal year and the beginning of the next.
Every year, there’s outrage over a couple of those cuts. (Last year, the big one was Citizens of Hollywood.) Every year, Disney subsequently announces new entertainment about a month later–albeit usually beginning at the start of the following calendar year.
Accordingly, it’s entirely possible this week’s anger-inducing entertainment cut rumors will be followed by official news come October about a bunch of new entertainment beginning in early 2020. That’s sort of the pattern, with Disney coasting through the October with less entertainment, before a spike in Christmas-time offerings (and in fairness, Walt Disney World already has announced new entertainment, particularly at Animal Kingdom, this holiday season).
It’s also possible that Walt Disney World is basing its cuts on guest satisfaction scores, stats on how many people took in a given performance, etc. I’ve seen the Municiberg block and Lightning McQueen are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and both have been ghost towns at various points the last few months. Reallocating resources and budgets to things more guests will enjoy is not a bad idea, nor should new entertainment be discouraged. That’s my deferential or benefit-of-the-doubt take here.
On the other hand, there’s a pattern in recent years for Walt Disney World to cut Equity Actors (basically, any entertainer performing a scripted or choreographed role) and replacing them with non-Equity performers, or non-labor entertainment. For example, pretty much any ‘citizens’ style streetmosphere acts would be Equity performers. The Incredibles characters or anyone mingling among the audience in a dance party would not.
This is why there are more things like dance parties and projection shows, and less streetmosphere doing dedicated acts or stage shows. Entertainment that is less labor-intensive is prioritized, and offerings with non-Equity performers are favored over those with Equity roles.
Moreover, things just feel differently this year. At this point, it’s not really any secret that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has not met Disney’s internal expectations. Shortly after its debut, Disneyland implemented hiring freezes plus a reduction of labor hours, entertainment, and operating hours for some attractions. Since then, another round of entertainment cuts have occurred out west.
With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge also off to a slow start at Walt Disney World (albeit during a time that’s historically off-season, so not exactly the same scenario…yet), similar cost-savings measures are being undertaken in Florida. In addition to these entertainment cuts, management-level layoffs began last week, select dining experiences will increase in price on October 1, and other measures are likely at the beginning of the next fiscal year.
It’s also not really any secret that Walt Disney World now aims for constant growth, and is beholden to each quarter’s financial results. If those are off even a bit, every department is asked to reduce spending to help buoy the numbers. This is irrespective of ever-growing attendance numbers, ticket prices, etc.
We’ve witnessed the results of this several times over the last few years, in everything from entertainment cuts to reducing ride capacity in the off-season to reducing staffing throughout the parks. It’s short-term thinking for a business unit that should be more fixated on long-term health. As if Walt Disney World is teetering on the precipice of insolvency, even as attendance and per-guest spending are hitting record highs.
Last year, our Is Disney Eroding Fan Goodwill editorial focused primarily on the pricing and economic side of this, and elicited a flurry of impassioned responses from readers. My concerns today remain largely the same as when I wrote that, but I also worry that we will now see more “fat cut” from the guest experience.
The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History is not why anyone is booking a trip to Walt Disney World, and it probably doesn’t rank highly among anyone’s favorite or trip-defining experiences. However, when it comes to a Walt Disney World trip, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It’s the little moments, the ambiance of the parks, the live musicians you pass, the way everything just feels alive that, cumulatively, absolutely does define a trip.
First-time guests may not be able to put their finger on exactly what resonated or made them feel happy at any given moment, but it’s all of this, in its totality. First-timers who fall in love with the parks and become life-long fans are not doing so because they view the parks simply as a collection of rides. Live entertainment and the little “unnecessary” things are part of what makes the parks feel lived-in, and those acts you might walk past seep into your mind and do move the ‘guest satisfaction’ needle.
Disney used to recognize this, delivering a level of entertainment that surpassed guest expectations and offered a litany of surprise gems to stumble upon. In large part, I think Walt Disney World still aims to exceed expectations, albeit on a more epic and less charming scale. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Pandora are both spectacular, and other upcoming additions look very promising. What concerns me is the smaller stuff, especially that which is deemed superfluous, expendable, or can quickly save on labor costs. These smaller things are just as integral to the overall guest experience.
As upset as I am about the Muppet show being cut, I’m willing to take a wait and see approach to what’s announced next–while still being worried that Walt Disney World is preparing to trim as much fat as possible to make quarterly results look better. The problem with that is if you trim too much fat, you start to hit bone. Attendance woes become a self-fulfilling property, especially over time. Cutting part of what makes the parks special only further alienates long-time fans while also making first-timers less likely to fall in love with the place, and become lifelong fans. That’s far more detrimental to the long-term health of the parks than an off quarter or two because of the botched launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of these Walt Disney World entertainment cuts? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about replacements? Do you likewise worry that the performance of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge could have sweeping ramifications for Walt Disney World? 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!
Since my kids are older now (21 & 23) we used to try and make it to WDW every other year. This has become increasingly harder due to crowd size along with substantial price increases. When our kids still lived with us, we would go once or twice per year. One of the primary reasons we went so often (we live near St. Louis, Mo) was the entertainment and we could creatively figure out ways to save some money. Ticket prices were always expensive but now they have just gotten out of reach for multiple trips. We are now choosing other destinations.
Tom, do you think the low crowds for Galaxy’s Edge have anything to do with the massive blog, vlog, media et. al coverage? I have watched so many Youtube videos and read so many blogs on both versions of the land, that I feel like I’ve already been! ( I will still go when we book our next trip, but I wonder if it will put me in awe because I’ve already seen just about every nook and cranny of the place)
I’m not blaming anyone by any means. I love all the coverage, but I wonder if others just watch and read and decide “I’ve seen all I need to see” and won’t spend the money to go.
–Brad
I am no expert on this subject, but I don’t think it’s the extensive (positive) media & blog coverage that has had that effect (other land openings have been very busy & popular, such as Pandora & Toy Story Land with lots of press). I think it was more the “know before you go” warnings of heavy crowds, etc that put people off. Even without all of those warnings and coverage I was personally of the mind that I’d avoid the parks like the plague once SWL opened, as I figured it’d be crazy. And then Disney’s preparations for such large crowds confirmed my own expectations. But I guess not having a full land didn’t draw those SW fans to an incomplete land, and the expectations of the crazy crowds kept people like me away.
Agreed on all points, but now I’m curious – you mentioned price increases in some dining experiences beginning 10/1 but I haven’t been able to find anything detailing these in full. We have a trip planned for that first week in October and many prix fixe / dining experiences lined up. After getting burned by the removal of the appetizer in the Fantasmic package at the Brown Derby, I’m nervous about how the value may get skewed even further!
I think Disney finally found the price point for ticket, annual pass, and room costs where guests are finally saying, “No way!” in significant numbers, and that price point isn’t bringing in enough to make up for the missing guests, so they have to cut costs elsewhere. The cuts to the “little things” that make the magic, that make Disney special and so much more than just another theme park are what keep people scraping those dollars together and coming back over and over. I mean, I can plunk down $130 and get a season pass to Dollywood, drive 15 minutes and I’m there, where I can ride all kinds of thrill rides, see top quality shows, eat excellent, but overpriced food … why should I pay thousands to fly 600 miles, pay upwards of $300 a night, and $80 – 130 a DAY for tickets to go to Disney World?
I get it that it’s a business, but they are heading down a road that will not end well for anyone.
Perhaps Kommandant Igor could scale back his superfluous and completely assinine salary and leave the Muppets in play. Perhaps using Disney Corp to self fund his presidential campaign is not healthy for Disney.
What PP said regarding the parallels between MLB and Disney is spot on.
Disney is lost. Igor is at the helm. Igor needs to go—along with his cadre.
Great Moments is a HUGE loss. I’m a history major graduate, specializing in U.S. and found the show to be interesting and informative, yet adding humor to keep one’s attention. Sad!
You are 100% correct in your opinion that the little details Disney adds to the park experience raises it above the run of the mill “thrill park” experience. It is very clear that the WDW management is losing sight of what made Disney World great.
As for prices, the vast middle class is definitely being priced out of attending. My and my daughter’s family have been visiting every 2 years for the last decade. We wanted to go again in the early spring of 2020 but the latest estimates we received are really questioning our decision to go.
Yes, all of the things offered at WDW cost the company a lot of money, but, if WDW was losing money I’m sure all of the “renovations” would not be happening.
People can live without Disney, but, can Disney live without peope?
Tom, your comment about the smaller things being integral to the overall guest experience is right on target. When my now teenage son was 4, we took our first family trip to WDW and one thing I STILL remember is . . . a trash can with bubbles floating out of it. Yep, as we walked through Magic Kingdom early in the morning on our first day we went to throw something away and stumbled upon the silliest, most amusing, delightful, totally non-real world thing . . . a trash can that blew bubbles. Right then and there, my husband and I saw “the Disney difference.” As the little things erode, so does that differential.
If it is just a time of year to cut certain things and then to add replacements, then there is not much we can say or do. However, if it is determined that nothing is being replaced, and yet ticket prices increase, then we have a problem. More money for less.
IMO, Galaxy’s Edge is failing because Disney was WAY too conservative in its design. It should have had easily 4 or more true attractions that would span the current 9 film saga. And then have the ability to add some future content that will go along with future Star Wars films etc. We can probably bet that the imagineers had a lot more to offer than the dribble that it has become. TBH, I don’t even see the hype of Pandora. Visited for the first time last Xmas and my family found it underwhelming. They could have done so much more with the design to being Pandora to life. The use of fiber optics was greatly under utilized.
It just seems Universal has not missed a step since expanding their parks with Harry Potter and everything else that has been added in the last 10 years when compared to Disney.
I completely agree! In everything I read, the fall ( Halloween), leading right into the Christmas holidays are now the busiest times to visit, so why get rid of entertainment? They could easily “tweak” the scripts to cover histories in the US of these holidays. They re giving less but charging more. More and more people are saying they’re pricing themselves out of business, or that they’re focusing more on non- Disney vacations. Very sad ( and irritating.)
We go to WDW as a family once every 4 or 5 years. We went this past June, and the Muppets delighted my 7 year old. Yes, we nearly melted while watching the show, but it was cute, educational, and fantastic. Every day before bed (not just at WDW) we tell each other the best part of our day, and that day my daughter didn’t say Space Mountain, or 7DMT, or Splash, or lunch at Cinderella’s castle. It was watching the Muppets in the window. When we returned to MK on our last day, the only thing she wanted to do was watch the Muppets. I am glad we will forever have that memory. But cuts like these make WDW even more of a 5+ year destination rather than a yearly trek.
Agree completely on the Muppets. It was THE highlight of my last trip to MK… first rate, highly entertaining and so respectful of the Jim Henson legacy. BIG MISTAKE to cut this!
Very sorry to see the Muppets being cut. The TV show, movies & the 3D show are and have always been my favorites. Disney’s treatment of the Muppets is so deploreable. Obviously Pixar and animated characters are more profitable. Sad!!!
This is one of the best, most insightful articles I have read regarding the end-of-fiscal-year budget cuts. I applaud your balanced opinions and thoughtful analysis. Hopefully someone within the right sphere of influence will see this and pass it on.
Ugh! Now I’m even more devastated I didn’t see the Muppets’ Liberty Square show when I was in WDW last March.
The move it shake it party needed to be scaled back. I feel like every time we go to MK there’s something going on that prevents us from walking down Main Street. One day we caught something the 3 times we went…it was slightly irritating.
I am so sad to see the Muppet show go. I am 50 and the Muppet Show weekly series was a show ALL of my friends watched and many of their parents, too. My twin and I saw the Muppet show in August at the MK and both of us agreed it was a highlight in our day.
Because that area is seen as a grown-up area until you get to the Haunted Mansion, I think a lot of people walk through without thinking much about it. The Muppets were a great stop and enjoy the area thing, plus nostalgia for older people and cute, funny puppets for the young ones. There was a huge crowd watching the show when we watched. I hope they bring them back. This is a huge loss for the MK and a missed opportunity to showcase these great muppets.
Disney World seems to be following the Sports World.
MLB raises ticket prices for years and today they play in front of empty stadiums. This occurs because the higher prices reduced younger fans. At this point, people did not grow up going to games. The season ticket holders grew older and were not physically able to attend games.
Look at Disney World today, we have as many scooters as strollers. The lines for rides are filled with more adults than kids. If kids are going, the grandparents are taking them. At some point, Disney will stumble and the fall with be significant. They will price out too many locals, too many families, and the crowds will be too much with too little to do. Not everyone wants e-ticket rides (looking at you Star Wars Land), so the park will be empty of charm.
“Amen” to this comment. Used to be a DVC member and recently sold it. Been going to Disney every year for the past 20 years and we’ve seen a huge change in the parks, the cast, and the visitors. We try to visit in the “off season” but even then, the parks are now too crowded with too little to do. Paying mega-bucks to wait in long lines just isn’t my family’s idea of a well-spent vacation. I, too, think that Disney will stumble and fall if they don’t wake up. Their park budget should be driven by guest satisfaction. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
I’ve been told the Muppet puppeteers aren’t Equity.
well this sucks. we just saw the muppets last week and made a point to see it as part of our day. we were all saying every park needs a muppet show exactly like this ,themed to the area, educational in a sense, but on-point with muppet humor, and it would be the perfect way to reintroduce the muppets to a new generation! they need MORE muppets in the pars, not less!!!!!!!
Exactly what our family said when we first saw them too!!! Such a great way to add a bit of magic and keep the muppets alive – plus, the muppets can dress up and fit into ANY environment, just like Mickey and his gang!
I was trying to put words to my feelings on this, but I realize you summed it up perfectly here: “The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History is not why anyone is booking a trip to Walt Disney World, and it probably doesn’t rank highly among anyone’s favorite or trip-defining experiences. However, when it comes to a Walt Disney World trip, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It’s the little moments, the ambiance of the parks, the live musicians you pass, the way everything just feels alive that, cumulatively, absolutely does define a trip.”
Seeing Jack Diamond pick my daughter to perform a magic trick, or seeing someone else’s kid draw the sword form the stone, listening to the Jammitors for 10 minutes – these moments add the extra layer that draw us back to WDW.
NOOOOOOOO especially on the muppets. I have never seen this and planned on it for end of October BOO HISS