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!
We love the liberty square muppet show and it is one of the few ways to see live action muppets. It is a must see for my special needs son each visit. Disney needs more muppets not less! It is the little things that make Disney special!
I love the Muppets and am also mad about the cut. I can’t imagine how dry and boring Liberty square will be without them.
I also am tired of people and the media saying Disney “botched” the GE openings. Everyone acts like it’s a BAD thing project Stardust succeeded. Whatever the reason (even if it’s higher prices) I love that Disney is trying to reduce crowds. Big crowds ruin the whole Disney experience!
I’m so sad that Disney is eliminating some of these, especially the Muppets- I was actually looking forward to seeing this for the first time! I feel like Disney is starting to cater to the thrill seekers. What about those of us that can’t ride? The shows and live action – that’s what made it great “for the entire family”.
With all these small but very entertaining groups being cut (really missed the Citizens at Hollywood Studios in August) along with the long waits when you have teenagers in sports thus being unable to go in October or early November, one from Pennsylvania could spend alot less going to Hershey park if it were only for the rides.
The upper echelon of Disney needs to go to other parks like Hershey, Great Adventure and see why people have in the past spent to go to Disney. Its for the whole experience, not just rides.
Have you been to Hershey lately? They aren’t cheap, either! I’ll gladly pay the few extra dollars for a trip to the House of Mouse, but, like you said, that willingness may drop if they keep making the visits less special. Let’s hope these upcoming changes are home runs!
I’ve been wondering over the last few years if Disney hasn’t “bitten off more than it can chew”. It is expanding/updating at a rapid rate, and I feel that we the fans are paying the price, both literally and figuratively. I know “progress” is necessary, but the constant construction has made the magic disappear for me. And the things that once made it magical are now disappearing. Plus, I will probably have to cut down on times between visits due to the constant price increases. And thankfully I got my annual pass before the last increase, because I will not buy another annual pass at the current price. I have to say, I miss the old Disney World I remember just 10 years ago.
Muppets should not be cut. It’s a great show and at least somewhat educational. The signature Muppet irreverence was just the perfect tone. I was really looking forward to seeing it again and am so disappointed it might be gone before we return this year. Plus, I suspect Hall of Presidents isn’t getting as much foot traffic as it used to (I have no data on that, but it wouldn’t be surprising). The Muppet show might be the only thing keeping that area lively.
They can get rid of Move it Shake it altogether though. It just makes it hard to move around Magic Kingdom several times a day because you can’t cross so many pathways while it’s going on.
Ugh! You’re killing me. That Muppets show is absolutely one of my favorite things at Magic Kingdom as well!!! “Great moments in history… but just the American parts!” is one of the best lines in any song! ROFL. I’m not kidding, when I saw Kermit and the gang out the windows, I felt as if I were seeing a celebrity in the flesh. It was a great experience the two times I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the show, and it is very disappointing to hear they’re taking it out.
I agree. We just finished our 9 day trip and loved the muppets in Liberty Square. It was your suggestion in the first place that made us stop to watch this show. It was fantastic. I agree that it are this short little street performances that make WDW different. If all we wanted to do was rides, we would save a lot of money, stay home and go to Six Flags. What I noticed most about this trip was how WDW is now nickel and diming everything with fees. We had bought some groceries locally and delivered to our room, and after giving a nice tip, later realized we were charged $6 for delivery. I called the hotel and they told me that was a new charge just instituted. For the amount of money we dropped on a vacation, I couldn’t believe that they would charge for delivery. There are many examples of this we encountered. I still love WDW, but don’t believe we can afford going every other year like we have done since 2003. I hope Disney Corporation recognizes this, wakes up, and realizes that short term profit will not translate to long term health.
I agree with all you said however I need to correct you, the puppeteers in Muppets are not Equity. Only the live actor JJ is
Like you, I generally take a wait and see approach to these kinds of announcements. I know some things were intended to be seasonal or “fill in the gap” type of experiences and some will be replaced but, more often than not, nothing else comes along to fill in all of the available space. I don’t want WDW to become “just a bunch of rides”. It’s the random, often unplanned experiences that are the most magical. And don’t even get me started about those dang auto-photo boxes replacing actual photographers – ugh.
It breaks my heart to see Great Moments in History go away, just as it did when The World Showcase Players and the Ziti Sisters were cut.
You are correct when you said the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening was botched. Opening it after the kids have gone back to school and during hurricane season was a terrible, unforced error that should cost some higher up his/her job. To make matters worse, the land (awesome as it is, and it is awesome) isn’t complete. Why would they open GE with only one ride in service and then open the second (supposedly epic) ride a few months later? Are they expecting people to come twice in two months just to experience the opening and then the new ride? Lunacy, particularly on the heels of TWO price increases this year.
The Muppets in Liberty Square were pure Disney Magic. The show was hilarious and educational enough for vacation. And to see THE MUPPETS IN PERSON was just jaw-droppingly awesome. Every time we would stop and watch the show, parents and their kids would be caught up in the sheer wonder of what was happening. The Muppets were right there and just as hilarious as ever! This cut is just heartbreaking, because it’s exactly the kind of entertainment I’d expect at a Disney Park–magic that you can’t find elsewhere. I don’t care about DJ Dance Parties or whatever. We can turn on music at home and dance around the living room…I can’t, however, recreate the experience of seeing the Muppets in person.
Right!!! I felt as if I were seeing a celebrity in the flesh. It was an unexpected feeling, but if you had put, I don’t know, Tom Hanks or Jennifer Lawrence to perform from one of those windows, I couldn’t have felt more excited.
I’m really sad about the muppets. When I’m walking around the Magic Kingdom in liberty square and I hear the muppets start talking about the founding fathers, I stop what I’m doing and watch it. So does everyone else that is around. I love the edutainment about it and telling my kids the stories of George Washington and the Declaration of Independence. It’s also perfect for the theming. Whoever is responsible for eliminating it clearing doesn’t know anything about the muppets and is out of touch because this is not an unpopular and expensive show. No need to get rid of it.
You have stated the truth so eloquently, for as much money one family pays the “awe” factor is so necessary! I am 50, have gone since the birth of Disney World, saw the new Epcot and have brought my children. It’s the unexplainable pull that keeps me coming back for more. But when the Pixie Dust blows away, what’s left?
I am so sad that Muppets in Liberty Square is coming to an end! While I agree that it may not be a huge attraction, I absolutely loved it and it was a favorite of both me and my teenage daughter. it was really funny, the content and pitch were just perfect and true to the Muppets style.
I agree with you, and I have one more (potential) closure to add to the pile. I don’t have any inside info but I’ve been watching for dates to be released for the Chip & Dale Campfire Singalong at Fort Wilderness for several months and there’s nothing posted after the end of September, which seems…odd. My optimistic side says it’s related to the construction at Ft Wilderness. My cynical side says WDW is going remove it and then bring it back “better than ever” while charging $79 per person for the experience. I can only hope the optimist wins out.
They only release the movie schedule at the beginning of each month. That’s not new.
I am not talking about the movie schedule. I’m referring to the actual Singalong time. They’ve had months and months of it posted (ie, when I checked this past January, I could see scheduled dates and times through ~June). Now there are only scheduled times through the end of September. I really hope DW doesn’t make it a paid event (or do away with it entirely) but “hidden gem” type activities, particularly with character meet & greets or those that are free, seem to be first on the chopping block these days.
I agree with much of what you said. It seems it is a dash-in-and-go type of experience, rather than “wow’s at every corner.” I do feel Disney is loosing some of its charm with these simple pleasures being cut. However, I appreciate Disney as a business, and how they look to the future and tracking with the times. Thanks for putting into words the way I feel in my heart! Always appreciate reading your posts 🙂
Just came from Disney World because my wife is a Disney Nut. But everything you said is so true. And the person who talked about scooters and not kids is so right. I was so disappointed in everything but Pandora. The rest is getting old and needs something and the muppets should be part of that. Rides like Space Mountain use to feel like a great ride and now I wonder why I ever felt that way. Boring is being polite. I was shocked at the number of older people and lack of kids. Understood school has started but that never mattered. Looking at pricing I had to say I was disappointed at the Epcot Food and Wine. I mean 8.00 for a half a glass of wine ? Who does Disney think we all are ? And the food was way overpriced for what you got. It is sad because WDW use to be a place for families and why spend thousands there when you can go on a cruise and attend local amusement parks for less
I love Disney so much for so many reasons, and I am able to look past a lot of the bummer things the company does and appreciate it for the magic it creates, but it never fails to disappoint me with its treatment of the Muppets. I know no one can replace Jim Henson, but Disney has no shortage of creative minds. The company fails over and over again to make the Muppets a priority.
And don’t tell me kids today don’t get it or like it. When I saw “The Muppets” in the theater, as soon as Kermit’s silhouette first appeared, a little girl squealed, “Kermit!” and clapped her hands. Kids were laughing hysterically throughout the movie. The Muppets are timeless, and they deserve better.
Look, I’m really passionate about the Muppets, okay?!
So sad the Muppets are going away! And I’ve noticed the slow leaching away of the ‘small things’. Our first time was over 20 years ago and both my daughter and I were awed by all that is Disney. After that 20 year gap, we have started going again (with grandkids) and while still very enjoyable, that ‘awe’ factor seems to be diminishing.