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Walt Disney World has up to date its official web site to quietly cancel all daytime exhibits on the Cinderella Fortress Forecourt Stage. This publish shares dates & particulars of the cancelled leisure, together with our commentary in regards to the seemingly motivations for this choice past the simple refurbishment.
Per DisneyWorld.com, the entire stage exhibits in entrance of Cinderella Fortress have been canceled from now by means of July 27, 2024. At this level, they’re scheduled to renew on July 28. Nevertheless, we’d view that as very a lot tentative for the explanations mentioned beneath.
There are at the moment two daytime exhibits carried out on the Cinderella Fortress Forecourt Stage: Let the Magic Start and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire. The previous is the morning welcome present that you simply’ve in all probability missed when you’re on the entrance of the pack attempting to do the SDMT Shuffle. The latter is the marquee stage present that’s offered a number of instances per day.
For many who are unfamiliar with it, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is a reimagining of Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire, with the brand new(ish) model debuting for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary. It options sequences from Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Frozen. I want I may inform you extra, however I haven’t watched the complete present since 2022. (Technically, I’ve in all probability seen or “absorbed” sufficient bits and items in passing to have seen it in full a number of instances over.)
Anyway, each Let the Magic Start and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire are cancelled by means of July 27, however presently set to return on July 28, 2024. Different leisure in Magic Kingdom is unaffected by the closure of the Forecourt Stage–Pageant of Fantasy Parade, Disney Journey Pals Cavalcade, and the Fortunately Ever After nighttime spectacular all stay on the schedule.
The official explanation for the closure is unclear, as nothing has been introduced by Walt Disney World. Usually, refurbishments are scheduled not less than just a few weeks forward of time except there’s pressing upkeep that should be addressed. It’s potential that’s the case right here–that they found one thing that wanted to be addressed ASAP earlier than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Social gathering. It additionally could possibly be work that must be accomplished sooner or later, and Disney views proper now as handy timing for causes we’ll focus on beneath.
To the perfect of our recollection, the Cinderella Fortress Forecourt Stage was final refurbished in Winter 2021. Right here’s our picture from late February of that yr:
Throughout that point, the floor of the Cinderella Fortress Forecourt Stage was eliminated and rebuilt.
I don’t recall how lengthy that took, nevertheless it appeared prefer it took a few months. Regardless, that wouldn’t actually be instructive. That was through the peak of the phased reopening when staffing shortages and delays had been commonplace. Not solely that, however nothing was occurring on the stage, anyway. They might take their time.
That could be exactly what’s occurring right here, albeit with a special scale, scope and timeline. There have been some studies from Forged Members that the stage is being refurbished, and it’s potential there’s work that must be accomplished earlier than Social gathering Season begins. Possibly we’re getting new results in Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular or the fireworks exhibits!
My guess is that there’s extra to it than an easy refurbishment. That Let the Magic Start and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire are being cancelled attributable to some mixture of the next:
- Price financial savings in disguise
- Decrease summer time attendance
- Performer security
- Excessive warmth and humidity
- Unshaded viewing space
- All performances in broad daylight
- Handy time for a refurbishment
We all know it’s not less than one among these items–the final one–as there’s now a refurbishment wall up across the Cinderella Fortress Forecourt Stage. It’s nonetheless unknown what the dimensions or scope of this challenge is, or why it’s occurring.
Often when there’s an leisure lower–just like the latest ones at Disneyland–we stand up in arms about it. We’re staunch advocates of stay performers within the parks, and imagine they imbue the areas with vitality, life, and ambiance–even when you don’t cease to observe.
I point out that as a result of it’s not my perspective with the Cinderella Fortress Forecourt Stage momentary closure. Assuming that is being accomplished for a mixture of the above causes, I fully get it. Have you ever tried to observe a stage present this time of yr? I’ve, and it’s depressing.
There’s a purpose I haven’t seen Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire in full for a pair years. The final time I did watch a daytime stage present, I may barely see by the tip, as sweat from my brow had combined with sunscreen and was dripping into my eyes. Zero star expertise, not beneficial.
I’m truthfully shocked Walt Disney World hasn’t cancelled extra leisure attributable to climate over the previous two summers, as this can’t be secure for the costumed performers or for company who camp out within the scorching solar to observe.
Even setting apart security, I ponder what visitor satisfaction scores are for Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire from June by means of July. My guess is pretty low, because the payoff simply isn’t there for climate it’s a must to endure. (And I say this as somebody who thinks Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is cute and a enjoyable providing.)
That is additionally why I believe July 28, 2024 is just the tentative return date for Let the Magic Start and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire. If the temperatures are cooler by then, they’ll seemingly return. If not, the closures will in all probability be prolonged.
There’s often a “final hurrah” for summer time journey that spikes attendance (over its present ranges) in mid-to-late July, however that often lets up proper across the finish of the month, with crowds dropping precipitously in early August. So from a sensible perspective, I’m considerably skeptical that Walt Disney World would make an effort to carry again Let the Magic Start and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire proper in the beginning of the low season. (That’s, except the driving power right here is solely an unscheduled refurbishment to the stage itself.)
Personally, my hope is that Walt Disney World begins to get severe about adapting to summer time climate. Florida has at all times been sizzling and humid, certain, nevertheless it solely appears to be getting (incrementally) worse. We’ve shared our perspective on this not too long ago in Largest Lesson We Discovered from Child Bricker’s Summer time Journey to Walt Disney World.
I’ve additionally complained repeatedly about Imagineering’s refusal to take the Florida local weather under consideration when constructing new lands devoid of shade and indoor areas. Each Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land, for instance, really feel very very similar to lands created by Californians. Designing areas otherwise is a protracted recreation that’ll take a long time–however hopefully is included into these $17 billion growth plans.
Within the close to time period, there are answers. The massive one could be pulling from the playbook of Tokyo Disney Resort, which has summers each bit as brutal (generally worse!) as Walt Disney World.
I’ll always remember my first time attending a summer time celebration at TDR. It was a decade in the past, again earlier than data on Tokyo Disneyland was ubiquitous, so I went in with solely a free understanding of what the “get moist” occasions had been all about. I simply knew I ought to put on a poncho and canopy my digicam bag as a result of water was concerned.
The entire sudden, Donald Duck grabs a firehose and begins spraying it indiscriminately on the viewers. A person carrying a banana crown dumps a literal bucket of water on company. You may suppose I’m making this up or exaggerating, however right here’s proof:
The summer time festivals at Tokyo Disney Resort are, actually and figuratively, bananas. Though the fruit-themed one was pleasurable, my favourite was Pirates Summer time, which featured the identical hoses and buckets of water thrown on company, but in addition enormous steins and different appropriately-themed water conveyance mechanisms for soaking the crowds. Natsu Matsuri and Donald’s Sizzling Jungle Summer time had been two different favorites.
Like all different leisure at Tokyo Disney Resort, these summer time leisure choices are actually scaled again. However they nonetheless do the “get moist” model of sights and have calvacades that drench company. This yr, there’s Baymax’s Mission Cool Down Parade and Splash Mountain Get Soaked, amongst different issues.
It might be superior to see Walt Disney World do one thing comparable. I actually marvel what’s stopping them. Does it come right down to price, or are there fears of visitor backlash over folks getting too moist? It’s one factor with a water experience, as the character of the beast is plainly understood and it’s a must to voluntarily get in line for these. Speaking leisure is trickier, and it’s straightforward for company to inadvertently get soaked whereas passing in entrance of Cinderella Fortress or no matter.
It’s potential that this works at Tokyo Disney Resort as a result of company are usually larger information and fewer oblivious to their environment, whereas Walt Disney World has the next variety of first-timers and one and accomplished company. I hope that isn’t the case, and that Walt Disney World provides “get moist” leisure a shot. Or, on the very least, schedule extra after the solar goes down and it’s really nice to observe stage exhibits in unshaded areas!
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Your Ideas
What do you consider Walt Disney World cancelling Let the Magic Start and Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire for the remainder of the summer time season–and maybe past? Wonderful with this explicit leisure closure given the circumstances, or nonetheless suppose it units a harmful precedent? Would you prefer to see Walt Disney World adapt to hotter summer time climate with ‘get moist’ leisure? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
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