Pocahontas closing

[mechurchlady]

I have to figure someway to get to WDW and see Pocahontas and PI before they close. Airfare is $300 and can sleep in the park. Stuck with that San Antonio trip, sigh and i have tickets, no refundable. I WANT TO GO.

Imagine a fat lady through darts at Disney photo on the wall.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

The Pocohantas show features one Equity performer ... I find it somewhat interesting that the show will be closing on September 27, which happens to be the same day that 2 other of Disney's "Equity Venues" will be closing (Comedy Warehouse and Adventurer's Club). I know there have been other cases of Equity performers doing multiple roles as part of their contract, I wonder if this is also the case here.

Hmm, Are there any other venues that use these type of CM's?

Maybe WDW is trying to slowly eliminate that type of CM?

Too bad, all of the shows are big attractions, IMHO!

[Rob562]

The Pocohantas show features one Equity performer ... I find it somewhat interesting that the show will be closing on September 27, which happens to be the same day that 2 other of Disney's "Equity Venues" will be closing (Comedy Warehouse and Adventurer's Club). I know there have been other cases of Equity performers doing multiple roles as part of their contract, I wonder if this is also the case here.

The going presumption about the timing of all of these closures is that Sept 27th is the end of the last full week of the current fiscal year for WDW. (New FY starts Oct 1) Easier on the budget to just close it then, rather than worry about carrying it over to the new FY09 for a short period of time.

As for Grumpy's question about Equity CMs, any CM who talks or sings live in a show must be a member of the Actors Equity union. Because of this, they get paid very well. Though not all CMs in a show are Equity. For example: in "Voyage of the Little Mermaid", only Ariel sings live, so she's the only Equity cast member. In "Beauty and the Beast", Belle, Gaston and (I think) Le Fou are Equity (it's been a while since I've seen the show). Everyone else is chorus and just lip-syncs to the pre-recorded soundtrack. The puppeteers and dancers may get a higher pay rate than your typical starting wage at Disney, but it's nowhere near being Equity.

-Rob

[drcorey]

I have to figure someway to get to WDW and see Pocahontas and PI before they close. Airfare is $300 and can sleep in the park. Stuck with that San Antonio trip, sigh and i have tickets, no refundable. I WANT TO GO.

Imagine a fat lady through darts at Disney photo on the wall.

don't sleep in the park. people put stuff on you and take pictures.

[Sarah Magdalene]

WHY ARE ALL THE THINGS I LIKE CLOSING?!

Just saw a notice that Liberty Tree Character Dining is nixing Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite dinner. Dang it! I LOVED working that place! Not just that, they plan on having dinners but no characters - WITH NO PRICE CHANGE! Um, isn't the reason the prices are the way they are is cause diners want to see characters?

[Shorty82]

WHY ARE ALL THE THINGS I LIKE CLOSING?!

They're doing it just to annoy you, no one else, you and only you. Somebody doesn't like you. :)

Just saw a notice that Liberty Tree Character Dining is nixing Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite dinner. Dang it! I LOVED working that place! Not just that, they plan on having dinners but no characters - WITH NO PRICE CHANGE! Um, isn't the reason the prices are the way they are is cause diners want to see characters?

I've never even heard of that dinner. When is it closing, I'd like to try to catch it before it ends. No price change is stupid, the reason character meals cost so much is because of the characters.

[Rob562]

I've never even heard of that dinner. When is it closing, I'd like to try to catch it before it ends. No price change is stupid, the reason character meals cost so much is because of the characters.

You still have SOME time left to get over there... Liberty Tree Tavern won't end as a Character Dining location until January 5th, 2009. (Most likely because it's listed as Character Dining on all of the 2008 Dining Plan brochures)

-Rob

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

The going presumption about the timing of all of these closures is that Sept 27th is the end of the last full week of the current fiscal year for WDW. (New FY starts Oct 1) Easier on the budget to just close it then, rather than worry about carrying it over to the new FY09 for a short period of time.

As for Grumpy's question about Equity CMs, any CM who talks or sings live in a show must be a member of the Actors Equity union. Because of this, they get paid very well. Though not all CMs in a show are Equity. For example: in "Voyage of the Little Mermaid", only Ariel sings live, so she's the only Equity cast member. In "Beauty and the Beast", Belle, Gaston and (I think) Le Fou are Equity (it's been a while since I've seen the show). Everyone else is chorus and just lip-syncs to the pre-recorded soundtrack. The puppeteers and dancers may get a higher pay rate than your typical starting wage at Disney, but it's nowhere near being Equity.

-Rob

Oh, got that Equity designation. Whats to stop them from making ALL the parts lip snyc?

They they could put on a show with far less overhead. Perhaps thats what they are aiming for?

[Cheshire Figment]

The going presumption about the timing of all of these closures is that Sept 27th is the end of the last full week of the current fiscal year for WDW. (New FY starts Oct 1) Easier on the budget to just close it then, rather than worry about carrying it over to the new FY09 for a short period of time.

Technical CPA point. The Walt Disney Company uses a 52/53 week fiscal year which will always start on the Sunday on or immediately before October 1. So this means September 27 is the end of the fiscal year for TWDC.

The 52/53 week FY is allowed both by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as well as recognized by the IRS.

It is not unusual, especially in entertainment companies.

[Sarah Magdalene]

They're doing it just to annoy you, no one else, you and only you. Somebody doesn't like you. :)

*looks around paranoid* I knew it! Gotta get to the bottom of this ....