Hoop Dee Doo In jeopardy

[disneyking]

Our trip is coming up next Thursday, Oct 25th. I have just learned that there is a high potential that my Hoop dee doo show scheduled for the 29th may be cancelled. Yes that's right cancelled. I have been on the phone all day with central reservations, dining reservations, etc. complaining and trying to get information. It seems that there are in fact plans to cancel some of the 9:30 PM shows (Confirmed by a reservation supervisor at WDW-DINE). It is utter chaos there. Nothing has been properly communicated to the reservationist. They are as frustrated as we are. I have just penned and sent a letter to Michael Eisner, Roy E. Disney, Paul Pressler and Al Weiss. I also sent an email copy to guest relations. I have no hope of a response prior to my departure this week. I am sick of being treated this way. I have spent over $3300 dollars already on this vacation and I am sure we will spend in excess of $1000 more once we get there. I have been treated like some scum today on the phone, not at all like a high dollar paying customer or even a "guest". It is time for all to take action. posted on this board are the addresses for the Disney execs responsible for this mess. If you don't let them know how you feel, the "Magic" will disappear forever. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. And we all will be responsible for letting them kill it. If you care do something.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Ei$ner MUST GO !!!!!

 

[MickeyMoose15]

I have called WDW Management and no body has said anything about cancelling Hoop-Dee-Doo shows.

I have a friend who works for Disney and I'll call him for more up to date information.

 

[Janet2k]

An excellent suggestion. I sent a message to WDW on this very subject, too. I always find it best to go right to the source to get the final word on this subject (even though I know it sometimes takes a couple of e-mails or phone calls until I get "the" word).

 

[JeffH]

I find it hard to believe that possibly having to reschedule a cancelled 9:30pm showing of Hoop dee doo show for 7:15pm will ruin a $3300 vacation.
Let's get real, here.
If you let something as trivial as this ruin your vacation, than it will be YOU who ruins your vacation, not Disney.
Just be glad the terrorists didn't crash the planes into SE, Cinderella's Castle and the new Scorcerer's Hat/Great Movie Ride, THEN your vacation would have been ruined.
We all have a cross to bear during this crisis/war, lets make the best of it.

 

[Werner Weiss]

I called directly to Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness on Friday, October 19. The CM with whom I spoke explained that the 9:30 p.m. Hoop Dee Doo shows have been cancelled through October 31. The 5:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. shows will be performed as scheduled. The CM did not yet know what would happen after October 31.

If there is no longer enough demand to justify three shows each night, it makes sense to eliminate the 9:30 p.m. show. After all, it's a dinner show, so it's likely that the 9:30 p.m. show primarily serves folks who couldn't get tickets to the 5:00 p.m. or 7:15 p.m. show.

If guests who already had reservations for the 9:30 p.m. show are accomodated at one of the earlier shows, I don't see where that should be a big problem in most cases. Guests who accepted the inconvenient 9:30 p.m. dinner time just to take advantage of the American Express discount or the AP discount -- and who are now given the opportunity to go to one of the earlier shows -- are actually coming out ahead. (I'm sure Disney won't make them pay the difference.)

None of us who have upcoming WDW trips are happy to hear about the cost reduction efforts. There's always the fear that we'll have an inferior WDW experience. But Disney is a business. If attendance and revenue are down, then the cost structrure must be adjusted. (I've wondered if they're "overadjusting," but that's a separate issue.) Some guests have reason to be upset. Guests who are spending twice as much to stay on-site than off-site primarily because they're early risers and enjoy Early Entry have good reason to feel cheated.

I agree that it's disappointing when the CMs at CRO, DVC Member Services, and WDW-DINE don't know everything that's going on. But in their defense, consider that there have been more changes in the last three days than usually happen in three months. And those CMs deal with questions about about all parts of WDW. I would hope that these changes will be properly communicated to the CMs and accurately put into their computers within a few days.

 

[Sherlee]

JeffH - I cannot speak for disneyking, but I am sure he is frustrated over MANY of the changes that are affecting his upcoming vacation, not just HDD. I totally agree with him over the complete lack of knowledge the CM's are showing during this time. I have informed more than one CM that EE had ended and that YES I was within my 120 days to be making my PS's. I used to work in call center for a very large travel company, all of the changes were posted in a daily report in our computers by 8:00am each morning and it was OUR responsibility to arrive 15 minutes before our shift started to read that report!

 

[TXDeb]

I agree, Sherlee. I can only speak for myself, but it isn't necessarily one cut or closing that is frustrating me. It is all of them happening at once. I could adjust to the changes, even so many, if I could get straight and consistent answers as to how the changes will affect my plans.

I know that the adjustments will be on-going to adapt to attendance, but for the sake of the people who are making trips in the next couple of weeks, WDW needs to provide some definite answers to their questions.

I would rather have Disney post anticipated shortened hours early, so I can plan accordingly. If the crowds pick up and hours are lengthened, so much the better. I would consider it a blessing, but at least I could plan my days and PS arrangements to make sure that I was booked for my 'must do' things 'just in case'.

 

[disneyking]

Okay, here's the deal.... This is what is cuasing my frustration and grief. We are Disney veterans and read and consume any information that we can get our hands on (official and unofficial) regarding Disney. We planned and booked our trip to WDW last July and followed all of the rules. We paid our money up front and on time. We have made our reservations as soon as they were allowed in order to get the best seatings, etc. We do all of our planning in advance in order to have the most fulfilling vacation possible without worrying about the details everyday of our vacation. We have already sent WDW all of the money for the package and we are paid in full and ready to go. We evaluated the events of Sept 11 and decided that we would not let some yellow-bellied terrorist destroy what we have in this country and our way of life. So we decided to press on with our vacation.

Then Disney cops out. With obvious lack of planning and communication, at the last minute they change things with NO notice to the guests. I have not heard one official word from WDW on ANY of these changes, NOT ONE WORD. If I did not participate in these boards, I would be oblivious to these changes until they hit me in the face when I arrive this Wednesday. Now that I have found out, I have tried to find out official information directly from WDW. Everyone that I have talked to either at CRO or WDW-DINE are not giving out official infomation on these changes. I don't think that half of them know anything about it. This is the poorest case of communication to the front line troops that I have seen. We know more about what is going on than they do. I can't fault their lack of information.

Disney Management has messed this one up just about as bad as it could have been done. They should have decided to make these changes effective a month down the road, communicated it to the call centers and personnel and informed them about alternative arrangements. They then should have communicated this to guests with reservations that were coming down the road so tha they could adjust their plans accordingly. Remember I leave in two days and still have heard NOTHING from WDW. I am wondering what else will be scrapped at the last minute, what else will change unannounced. Will I show up for some event that has been cancelled and not communicated.

I just wonder what they will spring on us, with no notice next. It is also hard to plan with no November schedule of parks hours posted.

 

[disneyking]

Another note... This is not an immediate reaction to Sept 11. It is a reaction to a decline in tourism. Disney should be doing something to increase the value and entice more customers to come to WDW. Almost all of the hotels around WDW are offering substantial discounts for guests to attract people to go there. Not WDW. They are keeping the price the same and reducing services and not doing anything to attract people. They are taking vacationers for granted. Bad move, people will stop coming in favor of other vacation spots. People are paying a premium price for a WDW vacation, they should get a premium service.....

 

[livsea2]

Don't think for a minute that there isn't communication within the Disney corporation. They are purposely playing dumb and not telling customers about changes until AFTER you arrive and you have no alternative than to stay and spend your money! BAD customer service and BAD MANAGEMENT is going to ruin WDW. Walt must be rolling over!

 

[disneyking]

Well its confirmed. I just received a call from a special CRO rep that confirmed that ALL 9:30 PM Hoop Dee Doo shows through Oct 31 have been cancelled. They are rescheduling everyone on the 5:00 & 7:15 shows. She indicated that they were manually redrawing the seating charts. As you may know seating at the Hoop Dee Doo and Polynesian Revue seating is decided by when you make your reservation. First reservations get best tables. They are attempting to redraw the seating to accommodate the cancelled guests original reservation date. Also since Amex specials were at 9:30 only they are accommodating Amex discounts at earlier shows for cancelled guests.

 

[JeffH]

DISNEYKING you are right.
Disney has your number, and has already made it public (read it in the paper about HoopDeDoo), the least they could do is call you to let you know that you have been rescheduled. It is horrible to spring it on you when/after you get there. A national disaster is no reason for bad service.
And considering how 'devalued' things are becoming (no matter how justified), resort guests should be given a bunch of perks to make up for it like free horseback rides, boat rentals, rounds of golf, tokens in the video arcade, theatre tickets (at the AMC theatre), admission to Pleasure Island and the water parks, FastPasses, and maybe even tickets to LaNumba (of course they'd then have to refund those who already have tickets to it )...Basically things that cost guests plenty by basically cost Disney nothing.

All I can say is push them for all you can get...THEN after you've done your best, chill out and enjoy what you have.

 

[eesmeralda]

I just spoke with Disney and was advised that the park closing is based on attendance. What do you expect them to do if the attendance is low. If people are cancelling their vacations then you can't blame Disney. The CM advised me that they are not going to close the parks early unless the attendance is low it's not like their closing early to save money!!

 

[TXDeb]

Huh???

it's not like their closing early to save money

Isn't that exactly the reason???
Attendance is light, so they close the parks to save money.
Maybe if they would do some things to encourage people to come, attendance wouldn't be so light.

 

[eesmeralda]

What I meant was they are not closing early when there are tons of people there. Of course they are going to close early if people are cancelling their vacations and there aren't that many people there. We can't expect Disney to close later because less people are coming. Disney is a business too and need to adjust in this time just as other companies have.

 

[TXDeb]

I agree eesmeralda. My point is that Disney needs to find some way to turn this around and draw people to the parks and resorts. If they continue to cut back on everything, it will be a vicious cycle. WDW makes cuts, people feel that there is less value in a WDW vacation so they don't come, so WDW makes more cuts, and so on.

At some point, they are going to have to take some losses on some of these things, in order to try to get people back into the parks and resorts.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Yeah !, how about if the try to lower the prices a little !!! Especialy the Hoop-Dee-Doo, it's outrageously expensive. Good show, but very, very expensive.

 

[livsea2]

And I'll say it again, when a business is doing poorly they INCREASE hours, REDUCE prices, and INCREASE the customers perceived value. A large corporations cuts costs because the name of the game is to accumulate wealth for the CEO by showing Wall st. you've reduced expenses when revenues are down. No consideration to running the business, only the advancement of the corporation. Disney will unload WDW in a heartbeat if the circumstances are right. Right Mr. Ei$ner?

 

[TXDeb]

A large corporations cuts costs because the name of the game is to accumulate wealth for the CEO by showing Wall st. you've reduced expenses when revenues are down. No consideration to running the business, only the advancement of the corporation.

Exactly, my fear of what is happening, livsea2.