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!
Spot on!
One of our favorite memories from our 2nd trip ever was Citizens of Hollywood improv. All these years later we still quote it.
Beginning in 2012 went 2-3x/year. This year is one trip. Next year we were planning to buy AP’s, and go Feb & July, both trips 7-9 nights. Then the AP price hike came, and I said no way. So, next year will be July, and we’ll be done. So Disney went from having me go on 2 trips for a total of 15-20 nights to now one trip for probably 6-7.
It’s not just the money, it’s the cost to value/experience ratio. The experience piece has been chipping away the last few years. I feel like they’re not in the details anymore (the caveat to that is I have not been to GE yet, so maybe my perspective on that will change). Higher cost for shorter park hours, less entertainment, parking fees, automated photo boxes instead of photo pass photographers, etc. I get that they’re first, and foremost a business, and it’s all about the bottom line, but they’ve built & marketed that business on making magic.
When the trips are costing more, and are less magical I’ve reached my breaking point.
The magic is slowly eroding with all these small choices.
Did WDW go too far trying to control attendance and instead ended up destabilizing it? Worse, they’ve become distracted with over-optimized profits every second of a day when the long game shouldn’t be ignored.
Stop being so obvious about squeezing every last Benjamin from guests if they don’t want a backlash of resent. Most people understand WDW costs a lot because those profits pay to continue delivering on the magic, but people also understand what being emptied feels like too. Psychologically, busy parks make people feel like the demand is real while news of empty parks confirms that skipping trips after so many rapid price hikes makes sense.
I don’t think you are totally wrong here. I definitely think they caused their own problems with GE attendance…and it bled out into the respective parks in other ways. Couple that with ever increasing prices on everything from drinks to souvenirs to tickets, and it is a recipe for disaster. Sadly, many big businesses these days seem to only see the short term. This is usually blamed on shareholders, and maybe accurately so, but at what point does leadership have a responsibility to tend to the long term health of a company and it’s employees, help everyone understand why that’s important, and move forward even if it is the hard thing to do…
I completely agree with you regarding the Muppets on Liberty Square. It is hilarious and on point. I’m so sad to see it go. My favorite things tend to go away – Mulch, Sweat, and Shears, the Citizens of Hollywood, all those little things, that as you described add to the whole. I don’t really like HS much anymore and don’t go nearly as often since they cut the entertainment. I know the day is coming when they cut British Revolution to make way for the Mary Poppins ride (and trim the fat even more). I can’t agree more that these types of cuts are detrimental to the long-term health of WDW for all the reasons you stated. Maybe another, different and better, Muppets show will debut later. One can hope….right?
I’m devastated by this. Liberty Square is such an unassuming location for Muppets to suddenly pop out of- there isn’t much in the way of signs that a show takes place there, much less a Muppet show. It’s a delightful surprise to stumble upon. This is what sets Disney apart from Universal, to me. The park is ALIVE. Internally it’s a finely tuned clock, but externally it’s unpredictable and wild and you can encounter wonderful unplanned moments of magic all over the place… until they cut them all.
Unless the new entertainment announcements include a culturally themed Muppet show in every World Showcase location to compensate for all the Epcot construction. Then I could forgive this. 🙂
Agree with you completely. It has always been the little things that made WDW special. Stumbling upon a street performance or an unexpected musical performance made a visit magical even when you couldn’t get on or into particular rides. As someone who has been visiting WDW since it opened I have seen a great deterioration in the magical moments. I am still a fan and continue to visit hoping that it will return to some of what made a trip to WDW unique.
The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History IS why we booked a trip! We are going in November and my 4 year old is DEVASTATED by this news!! And so am I! UGH!
Between this and the train being under construction, this very expensive trip is shaping up to be a bummer… I know there are other things at Disney, of course. But the things my son was looking forward to are all falling by the wayside pretty quickly. 🙁
The Muppets Present was probably my husband’s favorite part of Magic Kingdom along with the Dapper Dans. He also is devastated and this news has made a big impact on his excitement level for our trip in December. We watched each show twice the last time we were there. When you see the show, it’s as if that building was made for that exact purpose. It’s a huge loss.
Yes, I’m really looking forward to the Dapper Dans myself! They are probably next on the chopping block 🙁
Disney doesn’t seem to be the Disney of my childhood any longer, but we’ll see how the visit goes. Hopefully we still have a magical time! And you too!
“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…” Yes YES!! I agree with the idea that cutting those things [while continuing to jack up the prices] alienates long-time fans and makes it less likely for first-timers to fall in love. **long time fan here who’s felt alienated for a few years+… ** I wish those in power would read your blog and take your words to heart. They’re blinded by their short-term greed for numbers. Something’s gotta give. Thank you for your honesty. I wouldn’t dare go to most Disney forums or blogs and sing anything but high-praises, because I’ve seen it happen and it was very much unwelcome. Although, I haven’t been on those sites in quite a while, so maybe they’re starting to lose the magic as well. My first visit was around ‘94 and sure, WDW has grown and progressed through the years, but it has also evolved into something you’ve put into words for me here. Their focus is more bigShow, less charm and ambiance. More commercial product, less Walt’s dream. I’m not suggesting these things are mutually exclusive. I know it’s a business. But their success doesn’t have to be at the expense of the magic. Like you’ve suggested, it may just be in even the company’s best interest in the long-term to shift their focus some. Sorry long-winded. Thanks
I agree completely. It’s the special little touches that make you fall in love with Disney! I loved The Muppets Present and am sad to see it go.
Galaxy’s Edge will be fine… when it actually opens. Until it is fully opened you shouldn’t expect too mcuh.
Avatar, a worthless IP, in my opinion, is busy, and popular… Star Wars will get there. But they botched the opening, they rushed it when it was not ready. Clearly, they were hoping to scam the crowds out of half the experience, and the crowds were too smart to fall for it.
Opening SW:GE early was the ugliest cash grab I have seen Disney do in a long time (and thats saying something) and I am glad it failed. SW:GE will be fine in the long run.
How is limiting a mob of people a failure? I went to DL GE a week after it opened.
In the evening, there were only a few hundred in the area… total bliss!! Those who are excited and can’t wait could pay more and go early. Those who are patient will wait for the other ride to open. Project Stardust was a huge success to everyone but shareholders. Would you have more pleased to see 4 hour waits and a wall of people in GE?
I hate to see prices go up and up and up, but you can’t blame Disney. It’s simply supply vs. demand. I’d rather save up and pay more to see less crowds.
I’m sad to hear that the Royal Majesty Makers will be leaving the Magic Kingdom. They were such a wonderful part of our first trip to Disney World. My kids had just finished their BBB makeovers (Rapunzel & Knight) and the Royal Majesty Makers were just fantastic. I’m sorry that future newcomers to WDW will miss out on this special trio.
I couldn’t agree with you more. The Muppets Great Moments in History to me represented everything Disney should be – it was charming and funny while also being educational. I would stop to watch it every time I could. These “little things” are the ones that make Disney special and different. I could go into a park and not ride any major attraction because I knew there were things like this to enjoy. If I just want to wait in lines for major attractions I may start splitting my time more with Universal to do the Harry Potter stuff…
Iscbydesign, I totally agree with the thoughts expressed in your post. We noticed so much less variety and quality in the Quick Service offerings than previous visits. So many of those “magical moments” that made Disney special and stand apart from other theme parks have disappeared. I live in an area where I am an hours drive from two non-Disney theme parks that honestly have more and better rides than Disney. The advantage Disney had was the “magic moments”, shows, streetmosphere, parades, enthusiastic and helpful staff. When visiting my nearby parks in the past, I would regularly comment about how easy it was to tell that we weren’t at Disney. I don’t feel that way after my recent Disney visit. Our nearby parks are adding things that Disney is cutting! Disney now feels like an overpriced park with less and less available while also being a major construction sight. I didn’t come home from Disney this trip thinking about how soon I could return.
I agree with Tom’s comments. I just finished ten days at DisneyWorld and found the magic in the little things to be missing, along with smaller snack sizes, increased prices in dining, gifts and something just seemed to be missing with our Resort stay. I have been going to DisneyWorld for over 15 years, have lost count of my visits, but I do sense that this 2019 trip may be my last. I’m from Canada and the cost of the vacation is becoming too much. I wrote a letter to Cast members after returning home saying that it seems the magic is missing. It’s sad…how DisneyWorld used to be seems to be passing.
We love the Muppets and we’re looking forward to this show in November. I am side that it won’t be there.
Disneyworld 9/9-9/16 2019 to borrow a phrase “It was the best of times, It was the worst of times”!
As usual, Tom, you’ve gotten it exactly right. We couldn’t have been happier when we finally caught The Muppets show this year. It was all done so perfectly it seemed (sadly) like an aberration. Devastated at its loss seems the right reaction.
Watched the Muppet’s twice last year in Liberty Square & was hoping to see them again in December. This was one of the best shows. 🙁
Devastated about the muppets as well. I made a point every time I was in MK to see the muppets show at least once that day, if not twice!! I never get sick of either show and will be upset to see them go.
I’m mystified every time someone mentions Disney’s disappointment in the Galaxy’s Edge numbers. Did they really think people were so desperate for anything Star Wars (especially after Disney flooded the market with new Star Wars movies) that they would be chomping at the bit to line up for a land missing its main attraction? Somebody give me some of that Disney executive money. I could have told them this was going to happen.
Every cook will tell you that the fat enhances the flavor! That’s why people pay more for kobe beef.
Even though our trip in February was our third, we didn’t know about the Muppets at Liberty Square. But how wonderful that while my husband and kids were waiting for me to come out of the Hall of Presidents, they could watch this show. They were so pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. I’m glad they got to see it before its cancellation.
Great statement! Marsha, you NAILED it!
Oh no. Does anyone at Disney read these blogs?! I love the Muppets. Don’t take them away. I’ll be so sad I only saw it once. I love the little things like this that make it so magical to visit the parks.
I feel like with WDW it’s always two steps forward one back. We have been visiting fairly consistently for over 30 years. There is very little of the “old Disney Magic” left (no litter in the park(s), uniformly happy CM’s, an other-worldliness that couldn’t be found anywhere else) but we still, for the most part, enjoy our time there.
In our experience 2010-2012 was a real low point with rides constantly broken down, the buses almost pointless in their unreliability and just a tired look about all the parks. Things then began to slowly improve and it looked like Disney was taking guest comments seriously. Then the parking fee came. And the tiered tickets. And the shortened night hours. And the way too many drunk people at an old and run down Epcot during an ever expanding F&W. What has struck us most this year is how much the Quick Service offerings and quality has plummeted while the prices have risen. The feeling of nickel-and-dime-ing guests is annoying. It is one thing to be called a deplorable by a political candidate but it is another to feel like that is what people think of you when you are, mostly, willingly giving them your money.
We continue to go because of our memories, because our children love it, and because we’re investors who want to see what’s being done with “our” money. Would love to say I feel optimistic about all the building projects but somehow I feel like the ship is floundering once again.
Agreed, especially about the food. Weve gone about once per year for the last five years, and each time we visit we pack more and more food/snacks for our time in the parks.
It all of the cutbacks were especially jarring after visiting the gorgeous Tokyo Disney Resorts. The shows, food, and service are exponentially better than WDW, with pretty reasonable prices for food and merch in the parks. It’s disheartening to know it’s possible to have a beautiful park with stellar service when profits are actually reinvested in the customer experience.
“What has struck us most this year is how much the Quick Service offerings and quality has plummeted while the prices have risen.”
VERY MUCH THIS. As someone who rarely, if ever, orders an adult QS meal due to health reasons, the kids meals at some of the resorts are leaving a lot to be desired. I hate the texture of the Danimals smoothie thing that is being forced upon me at certain places (All Star Sports, Contempo Cafe at Contemporary, etc.) and it’s went from good, inventive cuisine that kids (and adults!) would eat to the same old boring burgers, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc. Even for adults at QS locations their food has taken a noticeable turn for the worse. Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs now only serves sandwiches and a very small selection of flatbreads (not even pepperoni or regular cheese!) for adults. It’s horrible, really.
Do you know which dining locations are getting price increases on October 1st? That’s right during our trip. Need to know if I will need to cancel any reservations. Not paying more for food because they are having a hissy fit over Star Wars botched opening.
That is exactly how i feel. I told my 9 year old when he grows up he should become CEO and make it right again. My biggest pet peeve is there is no peace in your hotel rooms. Housekeeping always knocks even if late checkout. Security room checks everyday even though they call it housekeeping. This week man does room check at port orleans. I walk to trash on same floor as room while my son sleeping. Come back man in my room trying to say housekeeping again. Tom wish you would do article on room checks. Absolutely killing the magic