Over the years the various entertainment offerings in both theme parks at Disneyland Paris have been closely scrutinized by fans, a considerable group of whom in the recent years became more and more vocal. Subject of the criticism were in particular the limited amount of entertainment offered outside high season, the sometime as stale or not popular enough perceived offerings and what can only be seen as waste of money by the entertainment team in the form of ordering the construction of a major stage on Central Plaza, when other stages sit mostly unused.

With the “New Generation Festival” starting in April 2010 for both theme parks and the heavy emphasize that the resort itself put on the entertainment offerings the rumor mills started turning fast again and then jumping into overdrive when suddenly reports about the pre-opening cancellation of a small happening planned for the Walt Disney Studios Park surfaced during the past weekend. Unfortunately that is not the only bad report / rumor coming out of the resort for the entertainment offerings … time for a “rumor sum up”!

Please note that the following is summing up the various rumors – so changes should be expected, even already confirmed offerings might be changed or cancelled by the resort … so you have been warned.

Let’s start in the Disneyland Park … Currently guests can enjoy the popular “happening” / small show “Step in Time with Mary Poppins” several times daily around the gazebo on Town Square with some of the most beloved songs from the Disney classic “Mary Poppins”. However, rumor has it that with the start of the New Generation Festival Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from Disney newest animated feature “The Princess and the Frog” will be meeting with guests in the gazebo. Since a small brass band supposedly will be involved in these meetings as well all rumors sound as if a new “happening” / small show might be presented here - bringing up the so far unanswered question whether Mary Poppins will go on hiatus.

Minnie’s Party Train on Main Street, U.S.A. will be renamed for the New Generation Festival into “Disney All Stars Express” but will continue to run several times daily. Also the Once Upon a Dream Parade will certainly continue – with Tiana and her Prince Naveen joining the cast of royal couples in the final segment of the parade. However, the show “It’s Party Time … with Mickey and Friends” on the huge stage set up for the show in Central Plaza seems to be gone.

While late last summer a casting call of the resort went out looking for dancers for this particular show offering one year contracts, current rumor has it that the show will be cancelled without replacement, leaving the ugly stage empty throughout the day (as no word about a replacement has come out yet). Instead rumors claim that only in the evening a once-per-day show will be presented on that stage to bring the day to a magical end with the title “Disney Showtime Spectacular”. UPDATE: after this story was published a new rumor was brought to our attention, that the “Disney Showtime Spectacular” might be expanded to several performances daily, featuring a large cast becoming basically a full fledged replacement for “It’s Party Time … with Mickey and Friends”. Based on the casting call this seems logic, however, at this point it is just another rumor.

The open-air Royal Castle Stage also seems to sit empty for another year except for the Princess Meet’n'Greets held here. However, during the christmas season the popular “Snow White … Happily Ever After ” happening / small show featuring Snow White, all seven dwarfs, the Evel Queen as old hag as well the Prince was presented here and frequently draw more guests seated on the ice cold benches than were interested in watching the elaborate show “It’s Party Time … with Mickey and Friends” on Central Plaza. So hopes are – and first careful and very lowly whispered rumors are giving first according hints as well – that this happening might return later this year, if only for the high season summer months. In the meantime the also popular happening / small show “Once Upon a Time, Sleeping Beauty” in the Castle Courtyard continues to enchant guests with the story of Sleeping Beauty. No apparent changes seems to be planned here.

“No changes” also seems to be the policy for the Fantasy Festival Stage below the Fantasyland Railroad Station. I.e. the stage will sit empty for most of the year unless an amateur performance as part of the “Magic Music Day” program is scheduled. Only during the most busy days of the Christmas Season in December and the summer high season in July and August Winnie the Pooh and his pals move in for the “Winnie the Pooh and friends, too!” show. While it seems reasonable to expect a return of this popular long running show for July & August again it is worth noting that it has not been subject to rumors so far.

Moving on into Frontierland for the round-up of entertainment rumors certainly the Chaparral Theater as the (capacity wise) largest theater in the Disneyland Park moves into the focus. Once upon a time the theater offered shows nearly year round with the popular “Mickey’s Winter Wonderland” during the winter half-year and the artistic show “Tarzan – The Encounter” during the summer half of the year. However, the “Tarzan” show closed for good at the end of summer 2008 after it already had its performing run considerable reduced leaving huge gaps in spring and fall before “Mickey’s Winter Wonderland” would open. In 2009 the theater sat empty during the summer half except for July and August when the hastily assembled show “Goofy’s Summer Camp” was performed six days per week but mostly played to an only half full auditorium even on busy days. So what’s in store for 2010? Current rumors have it that the theater will fall dormant again once “Mickey’s Winter Wonderland” has closed. In fact rumors have it that not even “Goofy’s Summer Camp” is expected to return. Albeit no word about a replacement show have been revealed so far either, leaving rumors circulating, that we might not see a show at all – unless entertainment comes up with a show on short notice as they apparently did last year with “Goofy’s Summer Camp”.

This having said one last big theater remains to be covered in the Disneyland Park: the Videopolis Theater in Discoveryland. Once upon a time the resort presented here its spectacular show “The Legend of the Lion King”, a Broadway-style musical featuring an elaborate set, special effects, a huge cast and live singers. Since 2009? An empty stage with a large screen on which classic Mickey Mouse shorts as well as adverts for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in the Disney Village are screened. Only during the cold winter months the drummers from Adventureland with their performances of the “Tam Tams” have moved in for a (on the huge stage) really small performance on selected days. Unfortunately the rumors are pretty persistent on what to expect on this stage in 2010: nothing i.e. more Mickey shorts on the screen.

Before we forget it: the fireworks spectacular regulalry scheduled for July & August is supposed to run as usual – even so the rumors are all staying mum whether to expect a new show or whether the “Enchanted” fireworks will return once more…

To sum it up for the Disneyland Park: unfortunately the park’s theaters will continue to sit unused for most of the year, in fact if rumors are true the new stage on Central Plaza only constructed in 2009 would sit unused throughout the day as well. However, the rumors also indicate a new “happening” / small show on Town Square for Princess Tiana (unfortunately bringing up the risk that it might turn out to be a replacement for the popular Mary Poppins happening there) as well as a new “end of day” show on Central Plaza

All in all this brings up the question: was the stage worth the investment considering that the open air Royal Castle Stage was sitting unused by entertainment just a few meters to the site in the first place and already had all sound and lighting set up since 1992? Also: how far will the resort continue to cut back the large scale entertainment offerings in its theaters in the Disneyland Park – or in other words: at what point will regular first time guests start to notice the many empty theaters and the lack of shows outside the high season?

Questions galore and only time will tell the answers – and whether the current rumor pointing to the heavily cut back entertainment in the Disneyland Park is correct. We’ll keep you posted …

P.S.: come back tomorrow for a also check out our rumor run-up in regard to the Entertainment at the Walt Disney Studios Park next door.

UPDATE: a short overview over the more extensive coverage above for easy access:

Town Square:
Princess Tiana happening – rumor (potentially replacing “Step in Time with Mary Poppins” happening)

Main Street:
Minnie’s Party Train continues renamed as Disney All Stars Express - official announcement
Parade route:
Once Upon a Dream Parade continues with Tiana and Prince Naveen joining the royal couples in the final segment – official announcement

Central Plaza:
“Disney Showtime Spectacular”, a once daily, end-of-day performance / show – rumored as replacement for all daytime performances of “It’s Party Time … with Mickey and Friends”; UPDATE: new rumor claims the “Disney Showtime Spectacular” may run several times daily as real / full replacement for the current show
Royal Castle Stage:
Princess Meet’n'Greets only, no show – however first rumors hint that the “Snow White … Happily Ever After” might return for high season

Chaparral Theater:
no show – rumor (this includes no return for “Goofy’s Summer Camp” during July and August)

Fantasy Festival Stage:
return of “Winnie the Pooh and friends, too” for July and August - rumor
Castle Courtyard:
“Once Upon a Time, Sleeping Beauty”  continues – rumor

Videopolis:
no show, Cinema Mickey screenings continue with occassional indoor performances of the “Tam Tams” – rumor

This entry was posted by Dirk on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 1:15 pm and is filed under Disneyland Park, Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.