Every vacation has its ups and downs, its highs and lows, its zeniths and nadirs, its… OK, I’ll stop now. My most recent trip to Walt Disney World included the very unique experience of enjoying the new Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure with an Imagineer (you can read about that at “Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure,” January 30, 2009). Unfortunately, it also included what is, quite possibly, the most negative experience I’ve had on Disney property. Let me explain.
I really like Fantasmic! It’s one of my favorite attractions (or shows, if you prefer) at my favorite vacation spot on our planet Earth. I know it is sometimes accused of being inferior to Disneyland’s version by those that have seen the West Coast show. I have not seen it but have heard the storyline is more coherent in Disneyland’s presentation, and its setting, without the amphitheater, more intimate.
Nevertheless, I still really like Fantasmic! It’s an attraction that, as I’m planning an upcoming trip, I often say we don’t need to see. In my mind, it has sort of a “been there and done that” feel. However, we invariably attend a show, and I’m always glad we did. It’s always been better than my memory of it—if that makes any sense. Therefore, I’ll say it just one more time… I really like Fantasmic!
In July 2008, in what the Orlando Sentinel called a “sign of the shaky economy,” Disney World announced it would reduce performances of Fantasmic! from seven to two nights a week, beginning in January. I wrote about it at the time (“Fantasmic! Cutbacks,” July 24, 2008), and speculated that because Fantasmic! plays to a capacity crowd almost nightly, this cutback might result in significant overcrowding on the two nights it does run.
I based that speculation on some assumptions and some simple math. I estimated a crowd of 7,000 people per show attending seven shows per week. That means that approximately 50,000 vacationers per week want to see Fantasmic! With only two shows per week, that could mean 25,000 people showing up for a theater that will accommodate only 7,000. Even if only half of them decided Fantasmic! was a must-see, it would still mean 12,500 showing up for a show that could only accommodate a little more than half of that number. Does that seem like a scenario that could anger many people?
Because of that speculation, and the fact I was bringing a majority of my family to Disney World in January 2009, I immediately called and booked a Fantasmic! Dining Experience package for the upcoming trip. For those not familiar with it, the Fantasmic! Dining Experience includes dinner at one of three participating Disney’s Hollywood Studios restaurants (Hollywood and Vine, Mama Melrose’s and the Hollywood Brown Derby) followed by reserved seating in the Fantasmic! amphitheater. And so there’s no confusion, let me emphasize that it’s called “reserved seating.” This means instead of waiting in a line, or on a bleacher, for 60-120 minutes before the show, you can enter the theater 30-45 minutes before the scheduled show time and still be guaranteed a seat. There is no additional charge for this package, but it is guaranteed with a credit card and a cancellation fee does apply if the reservation is not cancelled with at least 48 hours notice.
Let’s now flash forward to Monday night, January 12, 2009; and let me state here that I take absolutely no satisfaction in confirming what I predicted last July. Well, maybe just a little…
I was with my family and we were a group of seven that included six adults and a 3-year-old child. As part of our Fantasmic! Dining Experience, we enjoyed dinner at Hollywood and Vine where, during dinner, our server delivered a yellow card that would allow entry for seven people into the special seating area in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater for Fantasmic! Unlike past years, when we were told to use the backstage entrance by Oscar’s Service Station, this time we were advised to use the general entrance on Sunset Boulevard and display the card to a cast member when we reached the theater. The card also suggested we get there 30-45 minutes prior to the show, which was scheduled for 7:00 pm.
At around 6:00 pm, we began making our way, down Sunset Boulevard, toward the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. I did notice quite a large crowd moving down Sunset and when we hit the entrance, I flashed our card to a cast member and was told to show it when we get “up to the top”. We stopped about halfway up to park our stroller and watched as throngs of people walked by us. I was beginning to get a bit concerned but I did have that little yellow card that guaranteed our seats.
We continued up into the amphitheater and found… chaos. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people just standing in the area behind the seating sections. I led my group toward the right, where I knew the Fantasmic! Dining Experience reserved seating was, and found a cast member. I showed her our card and she just shrugged and apologized. All the seating areas, including reserved seating, were already full. I asked how that could be when I had a card promising reserved seating. She said they had been “overrun” by guests and the cast members could not keep them out of the reserved sections. Doesn’t this sound like the realization of a worst-case scenario?
I asked, “There’s no place for us to sit?” She asked me to follow her. Now, keeping the seven of us together in this crowd was difficult but I thought she might have an idea so we followed. Then she stopped and said, “Before the show, we have to clear the people from this area” indicating the area behind the seating sections. I saw people standing 10-15 deep for as far as I could see and, at this point, I seriously doubted her ability to accomplish this. Hadn’t she already told me they had been “overrun”? Then, “I can put you standing above the aisle so you’ll have a clear view.” I considered it very briefly and declined. I couldn’t see us standing for 45 minutes, then another 25-minutes for the show, in this crowd, with a three-year- old.
In 25 years of Disney World trips, I can only think of one other occasion when I formally complained about something—but I did complain this time. I visited Guest Services before leaving the park and explained the issue as best I could. I offered that the only reason I had made the dining reservation was to guarantee seating for Fantasmic! and still was not able to see the show. I looked around the room and found I was not alone—there were a number of others also complaining. I saw two other yellow seating cards being displayed and overheard one guest say: “They said it was Standing Room Only which was fine but, when I got up there, people were yelling at us to move and there was nowhere to go. It was bedlam.”
The Guest Services cast member, in my opinion, did everything possible to mitigate the situation—including providing reimbursement for our meal and another card for seating at Thursday’s running of Fantasmic! Unfortunately, when asked, she could not guarantee it wouldn’t be a repeat of tonight’s mess. Her only suggestion was that we get there very early “like 5:00” but that defeats the purpose of having guaranteed seats, doesn’t it? I accepted the card and said we’d think about but, unfortunately, it went unused. When push came to shove, we really believed Thursday would simply be a repeat of Monday’s fiasco, and none of us was up for that—even though we really wanted to see the show. Before I left, I told the cast member that, in my opinion, this problem needs to get to Disney management.
At this point, I have no real facts that tell me whether this was an isolated incident or it’s being repeated twice a week, every week. I tend to side with the latter and, until I see evidence to the contrary, that’s what I will believe. I have seen online reports of lines outside the Studio’s Guest Services up to 45-minutes after park closing—on Fantasmic! nights.
The scary part—at least to me—is that Disney management must be aware of this situation, and, to date, have done nothing to correct or alleviate it. I can only speculate as to what might now happen:
- Does Disney expect the situation to correct itself over time? As word spreads, it’s possible that fewer and fewer people will attempt to see Fantasmic! out of fear of not getting in and wasting their time. The crowds could conceivably diminish naturally, lending credibility to an old Yogi-ism*: “Nobody goes there any more. It’s too crowded.”
- Could those diminishing crowds eventually lead to Disney pulling the plug completely on Fantasmic!? Could that be a desired result?
- This outcome was anticipated and is acceptable to Disney. They’re willing to withstand dissatisfied guests in the short-term as a cost of adjusting to our current economic slowdown.
- Could it be that the outcome has surprised management and they will take action by increasing the number of shows per week?
- This particular cutback is truly due to the economic downturn and the previous schedule will be restored as the economy, and attendance, improves.
In my July article, I speculated on the reasons behind this move, which from my viewpoint, has to be centered on the reduction in cast member hours. Fantasmic! requires quite a few cast members as both show performers and working the amphitheater for crowd control, vending, food service, and so on. Cutting the number of shows by 71% can certainly have a significant impact on the bottom line.
I refuse to believe that the ultimate demise of Fantasmic! is behind this. There’s such a large area developed for the stage and audience that would be wasted. But could it be part of a redesign for something new?
So where are we? Over the years, I’ve seen a significant reduction in cast members at Fantasmic! At one time, there were Streetmosphere characters providing entertainment for the crowd while waiting. There were cast members entertaining and leading the crowd in “the wave” or urging them to dance in their seats to “YMCA.” Most of that is gone now, and in an apparent adjustment anticipating lower attendance, Disney has now trimmed 71% of the shows, and at least so far, appears willing to absorb some guest complaints.
Will Fantasmic! come back as we knew it? Only time will tell.
That’s my opinion. What’s yours?
*Yogi-ism: Lawrence “Yogi” Berra, known for his extremely long career—first as a player then as manager—with the New York Yankees, is also known for his witty comments and observations, which became known as “Yogi-isms.” You can read more about Yogi Berra and his Yogi-isms by visiting the official Yogi Berra Web site (link).
[Author’s Note: As this article is going to final editing and publication, it does appear that Disney has taken notice. Beginning February 15, the number of Fantasmic! shows increases to approximately three per week. The shows appear to be scheduled on a more random basis—not always on the same days. We’ll continue to monitor this situation and and report as more information becomes available. I have to view this as a positive action on Disney’s part, but will it alleviate the problems I’ve mentioned above?]
