Disney Dish Podcast: Why Disneyland Avoided Halloween for Decades & Paid FastPass Discussion

Disney Park Event News

• 🎃 Mickey's Very Merry After Hours event announced for Walt Disney World, running November 8th to December 21st, with park access starting at 7:00 PM.
• ❄️ Pricing is expected to be similar to or higher than the Boo Bash, with an estimated 20-23 party nights.
• 🎢 Epcot's Monorail has reopened, and the Polynesian Village Resort's Monorail stop is expected to open in August.
• 🎆 Fireworks testing for Star Wars Galactic Spectacular may occur at Hollywood Studios on July 19th.

Rise of the Resistance VIP Access and Park Reopenings

• 🌟 VIP tours briefly gained access to Rise of the Resistance without a boarding group, but this was quickly revoked due to operational issues and negative guest feedback.
• 💰 The high cost of VIP tours ($750/hour) and the inability to guarantee access to popular rides like Rise of the Resistance created customer dissatisfaction.
• 📈 Walt Disney World's comeback index is at 65.15%, with attractions at 93% but entertainment and dining still recovering.

Character Greetings and Survey Insights

• ❓ A survey from Walt Disney World explored guest feelings on character greetings, differentiating between fur characters (like Mickey Mouse) and face characters (like Cinderella).
• 😷 Questions addressed willingness to wait in lines (indoor vs. outdoor) considering COVID-19 safety measures and the impact of cavalcades.
• 🐭 Disney is surveying guest interest in meet-and-greets, indicating a potential shift in how characters will interact with guests post-pandemic.

Park Entry and Wait Time Analysis

• 🔑 Early Theme Park Entry for resort guests is confirmed for Swan, Dolphin, and Shades of Green hotels.
• ⏳ Analysis of Flight of Passage wait times shows a rapid increase within the first hour of park opening, with wait times exceeding 100 minutes shortly after official opening.
• 🚶 Off-site guests using early entry could face wait times of around 100 minutes for popular attractions.

Disneyland Paris Premier Access and Historical Context

• 💸 Disneyland Paris is implementing a paid Fastpass system called Premier Access, replacing the free Fastpass.
• ⚠️ Concerns were raised about the accuracy of posted wait times and the potential for ride breakdowns impacting the value of paid access.
• 📜 Historically, Disneyland was hesitant to implement Halloween events, with the first official event not occurring until 2010, partly due to a chaotic free entry promotion in 1994.
• 💡 The