Disney World Cancellation Fees Waived Through December 31

by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 17, 2020

Still undecided about those Disney World reservations you made months ago? You may have more wiggle room in deciding whether to stay or go.  Disney World has extended its current cancellation and modification policy to include Resort guests arriving through the end of this year.

Disney is waiving any Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through December 31, 2020. (If you booked through a travel professional, you need to contact them directly.)

Guests who need further assistance can also contact the Disney Reservation Center by calling Disney’s reservation line. 

As the changes at the Resorts continue to evolve, you can keep updated on the latest plans by going to Disney’s “Returning to A World Of Magic” Know Before You Go Reopening Information page, here.  

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Is Disney the Only Theme Park Cutting Back Hours?

by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 15, 2020

In light of the August 10 release of Morning Consult’s survey of Americans’ comfort levels with returning to theme parks, we wondered: Is Disney the only park reducing its hours? Is it fear of flying into a coronavirus hot zone that has guests cancelling vacation plans to America’s theme park capital in Orlando? What else is happening around the country, and how are other amusement parks handling the lower volume of foot traffic to their doors?  

According to the results of the Morning Consult survey (see the full DisneyBizJournal story here), only 17% of respondents said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable visiting an amusement park right now. In contrast, a whopping 76% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable. Additionally, 17% of Americans are comfortable now, and a mere 31% expect to be so within six months.  So, where does that leave the folks who depend on the amusement parks for their livelihoods? And what are your options if you decide to take to the open road this summer?

While this is by no means an exhaustive look at America’s theme parks, we picked a random sample of parks across the country to see what other parks were doing in terms of operating hours and procedures.

For comparison, in Florida, Disney World is reducing its hours of operation beginning September 8 (and you’ll still need an advanced reservation). Park hours for Magic Kingdom will be 9am-6pm (they were 9am-7pm).  Epcot will be open 11am-7pm (previously 11am-9pm).  Hollywood Studios will be 10am-7pm (previously 10am-8pm), and Animal Kingdom will be 9am-5pm (previously 8am-6pm). This all results in 1 or 2 fewer park hours per day at the “most magical place on Earth.”  (See DisneyBizJournal’s report here.) Plus, there are no “extra magic hours” in sight. That leaves this summer’s guests with as many as a half dozen fewer hours in the parks each day than they had last summer at the same time. Additionally, Disney’s water parks are not yet open.

Over on the West Coast at the “happiest place on Earth,” Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have yet to open, though its Downtown Disney District is open roughly from 10am-8pm (occasionally 9pm). Operational hours have only been posted through August 22.

Florida is also home to SeaWorld, where they are open, but the park is currently closed on Tuesdays and will be adding Thursdays to the closed column in September. Advanced reservations are required, and the park opens at 10am, closing anywhere from 6pm-9pm depending on the day. Universal Studios – and its Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay – are open, with Universal Studios generally at the 9am-5pm mark, Islands of Adventure in the 10am-6pm range, and Volcano Bay 10am-5pm during the week, and until 6pm on weekends. Advance reservations are not required.

Legoland Florida is open from 10am-5pm. Beginning in late August, however, there will be partial week closures. Florida’s water park component is open 12 noon-4pm. However, Legoland California is currently closed.

In Pennsylvania, Hersheypark has apparently followed Disney’s lead in implementing an online reservation system at the “Sweetest Place on Earth” to control park attendance levels. Through Labor Day, Hersheypark and its ZooAmerica facility are open 11am-7pm, while its Boardwalk (an 11-acre waterpark area) is open 11am-6 pm. After Labor Day, things begin to change up a bit, and you’ll have to pay close attention to the daily calendar, as only ZooAmerica remains open during the week, with Hersheypark open only on Saturday and Sunday from 11am-7pm, and the Boardwalk closed altogether. That lasts until the end of September, when Hersheypark takes a two-week break before reopening for Friday, Saturday and Sundays for varying hours for its Halloween festivities, “Hersheypark in the Dark,” which runs until November 1.

Sandusky, Ohio’s Cedar Point amusement park, billing itself as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” does not have an advanced parks reservation system. Beginning this weekend, parks will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday only from 11am-8pm. They will also be open Labor Day. After Labor Day, however, Cedar Point will cut back their hours further, operating only on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-8pm through November 1.  A revamped “Halloweekends” will become “Tricks and Treats Fall Fest” at Cedar Point this year (beginning September 12), to reflect new COVID-19 related changes including social distancing guidelines that the park has adopted. 2020 Season Passes are being extended into 2021. (See their website for the specifics). Cedar Point ranks #24 on TripAdvisor’s 2020 list of Top 25 Theme Parks in America.

In New York, Splish Splash Water Park was set to celebrate their 30th year of operation this summer, but due to the pandemic, will not be opening at all. They look forward to reopening next spring. It’s a difficult decision for a place like a northeastern water park, which relies on a very short season to make its revenue for the year. Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor in Lake George (a Six Flags entity) remains closed, as does Six Flags Darien Lake in Buffalo.

Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, also has a park reservation system.  Their website is presently only posting operations from 10am-7pm through the end of August, with Friday-Monday availability. (The operating schedule is subject to change.) They are also offering limited-time, reduced ticket prices and season pass options to encourage guests. Dollywood ranks #6 on TripAdvisor’s 2020 list of Top 25 Theme Parks in America.

In Missouri, Six Flags St. Louis is open Wednesdays through Sundays only for the next two weeks, and then from August 22-September 20, it will reduce its hours to weekends only. Advance reservations are required, and hours vary by the particular day. (The Hurricane Harbor water park portion of Six Flags St. Louis is also open, with fewer operating days, however.) 

Silver Dollar City, also in Missouri, is open with its theme park, water park and showboat cruise operational. The water park will close after Labor Day, and September and October operating days and times for the theme park will be variable (they are generally closed Monday and Tuesdays from late August on, with a few extra “closed” days sprinkled in.) Reservations are no longer required through Labor Day. (Branson’s Silver Dollar City ranks #9 on TripAdvisor’s 2020 list of Top 25 Theme Parks in America.)

In Idaho, at Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach, the park is open with some of the longest operating hours of any of the theme parks – they are open as late as 10pm some evenings! After Labor Day, however, they are only open weekends, and the Boulder Beach water park will be closed for the season. Until then, Boulder Beach is open 11am-7pm. (Silverwood ranks #20 on TripAdvisor’s 2020 list of Top 25 Theme Parks in America.)

In Oklahoma, both Frontier City (a Six Flags Theme Park) and the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (White Water Bay) water park are open variable days and times, with reservations needed. Check their operating schedule for the specifics, as they are also subject to change.

Honestly, I had no idea there were so many venues in the “Six Flags” conglomerate. Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, one of nearly two dozen parks in the Six Flags chain, also requires advance reservations to enjoy their park. Beginning Monday, their hours will be 11am-7pm until August 31, when you may lose an hour as the park begins closing at 6pm some evenings. Park hours have not yet been released for post-Labor day. The Hurricane Harbor park there is open from 10am-4pm from Thursday-Monday until the end of August, then will be opened September 5-7 and 12-13 only.

Six Flags Over Georgia is open (advance reservations necessary). Beginning this weekend, they are open Saturday and Sundays only, from 12pm-8pm on Saturday and 12pm-6pm on Sundays (water park hours are 1pm-6pm Saturdays and 1pm-5pm on Sundays until September 13th). Hours for the park will vary widely in September, but will remain Saturdays and Sundays only with the exception of Labor Day. October will see the addition of Friday hours from 6pm-midnight. 

Six Flags Great America in Chicago, Illinois, remains closed, but its Hurricane Harbor park (Magic Waters/Rockford) is open, predominantly weekends, from 11am-6pm through Labor Day. 

Six Flags America in Baltimore, Maryland, and its waterpark are open Tuesdays-Sundays 11am-7pm through August 30, with additional days September 5-7 for Labor Day weekend. Reservations are necessary. Hours have not been scheduled for post-Labor day.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Arizona; Six Flags New England in Massachusetts; Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Concord, California; Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Los Angeles; and Six Flags Magic Mountain in California will all remain closed for 2020. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in California is closed, but its Marine World Experience is open 11am-4pm Friday-Sunday only (advance reservations required).

Among Texas’s Six Flags parks, Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio is open with Friday and Saturday night fireworks. It operates pretty much weekends only at this point, with widely varying hours depending on the days, with September hours oddly being lengthier than August ones. (Its water park is also open varying days and hours through September 10.)  Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Arlington are operating predominantly on weekends with an occasional extra Friday in the mix (though the water park is open only through September 13); and Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Houston remains closed for 2020. (Yes, reservations are required at each Texas park!)

By and large, most of the parks which have opened in order to salvage what little they can of their seasons still have seen significantly reduced days and hours at this point. Many are extending special offers, reduced ticket prices, or season pass extensions into next year in order to maintain contact with their customer base.

It probably goes without saying, but here it is anyway: All of the above park hours are subject to change, and likely will, as conditions throughout the country shift in coming weeks. Consider this article just a brief snapshot in time. If you are one of the brave 17%, enjoy whichever open park you choose for your summer getaway. And take your hand sanitizer with you.

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

“Muppets Now” Brings Sadness, “Psych 2” Serves Up Joy

by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 13, 2020

Like many others during a pandemic and period of economic woes (toss in a looming presidential election), I need a break now and then. While I enjoy all kinds of storytelling, sharp wit and general silliness tends to fit the bill during troubled times. Therefore, I was excited to see that two of my favorite founts of fun – The Muppets and the television show Psych – were returning via the Disney+ and Peacock streaming services, respectively.

While the Psych 2: Lassie Come Home movie provided joy, I came away from the first two episodes of Muppets Now actually kind of sad.

Let’s go to the good news first. Psych, which ran for eight seasons on the USA network (from 2006 to 2014) and followed by Psych: The Movie in December 2017, is a comedy-detective show focused on Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), a fake psychic with acute observational skills, and his close friend since childhood, Burton Guster (Dule Hill). Via their “Psych” business, the two work with the Santa Barbara Police Department to solve murders. The humorous, silly, pop-culture-filled (with stuff from the 80s to present day) banter and interplay between Shawn and Gus stand out as the treasure at the center of this show. The two never fail to make me smile and laugh out loud.

But there’s more, including a wonderful cast of supporting characters. They are Detective Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), Detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), Henry Spencer, Shawn’s dad and a retired cop (Corbin Bernsen), Police Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson), Woody, the funny and creepy coroner (Kurt Fuller), and Officer Buzz McNab (Sage Brocklebank). 

Psych 2 manages to hit all the right notes, as Shawn, Gus and Company try to help Lassiter and along the way get involved in a case perhaps involving the supernatural. The movie overflows with quips, wordplay and refreshing humor. Plus, at its best, Psych made clear the love and friendships shared by the characters, and that comes through in various touching ways in Psych 2. This is 5-star fun for all.

Now for the bad news. Muppets Now misses nearly every note. 

One of the great things about The Muppets – from their original television show to the various movies, as well as Muppet Vision 3D in Walt Disney World – has been that they accomplished what only a few other vehicles have over the years. That is, something on the surface meant for children manages to also provide humor that clearly flies over the heads of little tots but lands sweetly for adults. In this way, The Muppets stand side by side with such wonders as Looney Tunes, Animaniacs, Phineas and Ferb, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends.

Alas, though, Muppets Now comes up woefully short – for the young ones and for adults. To me, The Muppets worked thanks to an odd mix inspired by comedy classics, such the Marx Brothers and the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby “Road” movies, brought up to date. And the fact that all of this was being delivered by puppets that many of us have come to know and love as their own characters, simply adds to the zaniness and warmth of The Muppets.

Unfortunately, little of this can be found in Muppets Now. The humor is flat, and sometimes even painful. And the core of the characters has been lost. It’s all rather bewildering as to how this poor rendition of the beloved Muppets came to be. It seems like someone at Disney+ was snoozing during the pitch meeting.

If you want a reminder of just how good The Muppets were and could be, you can, of course, watch the old show and the movies. Interestingly, though, you also can catch an episode from another Disney+ streaming show – Prop Culture (read our review of this excellent show). In the eighth episode, host Dan Lanigan takes us on a hunt for props from The Muppet Movie. Along the way, we get glimpses of just how delightful The Muppets have been – with a few clips from the movie – and can be, as Dan has an amusing chat with Gonzo the Great.

Alas, though, none of that delight can be found in Muppets Now.

By the way, is a Psych 3 movie coming? Some interviews indicate that it just might. For example, Decider.com reported:

“I definitely think that there’s a better chance that we do a third movie than that we don’t,” Roday Rodriguez told Collider in a recent interview. “The reason I say that is because I think our fans are still very much with us.”

Added Hill, “In the midst of all the crazy stuff that goes on in the world, and with all of the drama and pandemics and issues that are out there, as long as we can keep delivering a moment of levity for families, I think there’ll be more stories to tell. When we stop delivering the laughter, that will be time for us to pack it on up.”

Count me in! I want to see more of Shawn, Gus and the rest of the Psych gang. As for more Muppets, my heart says “yes,” but my head tells me that after seeing Muppets Now, Kermit and Company need someone at the helm that actually understands or recalls what The Muppets are about in the end.

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Also, get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.

Actors’ Equity Union Signs Memorandum for Disney Equity Performers to Return

by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 12, 2020

Disney guests are one step closer to seeing their favorite performers live at Disney World in Florida, thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed by the Actors’ Equity Association’s Executive Committee. 

Today’s (August 12) statement confirms that Disney has agreed to provide an on-site center for COVID-19 testing at Walt Disney World. The inability to test performers for the virus had been a sticking point in the cast members’ return. On June 23, Disney recalled cast members for rehearsals in preparation for reopening the parks, but the Actors’ Equity Association balked, fearing that, since many of the actors could not practice social distancing in their roles, they would need to be routinely tested for cast members’ safety. Disney then rescinded the offer for the employees to return until the details could be worked out, leaving shows dark when the parks reopened.

Testing is available at the Disney Maingate Complex for Disney cast members, Operating Participant employees, and their family members. Results take 3-5 days to return.

On the Actors’ Equity website, Kate Shindle, President of Actors’ Equity Association, notes, “We have been consistent that testing is an important part of ensuring a safe workplace for Equity performers, and today, I’m pleased to see that Disney World has agreed. With the news that Disney will make testing available for Equity performers and others in the park, I’m happy to announce that Equity’s executive committee has signed a memorandum of understanding with Disney for Equity performers to return.” 

Actors’ Equity Association is the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre venues, including Equity performers at Disney. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the association represents some 750 actors working in Disney World.

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

How Comfortable are Americans with Disney-Related Activities?

by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 12, 2020

In this era of the coronavirus and shutdowns, entrepreneurs, CEOs and managers need to keep a close eye on what consumers are comfortable or not comfortable doing – and that includes visiting amusement parks, like Walt Disney World and Disneyland, going to the movies (when is Black Widow arriving in theaters, again?), and so on.

Morning Consult regularly takes the temperature of Americans regarding their comfort levels with assorted pastimes. The survey basically covers 14 undertakings, and the pollster asked if people were comfortable doing such things now, and when in the future would they feel comfortable doing so. Given the expanse of the Walt Disney Company’s business portfolio, six of these activities pertain directly to the House of Mouse, that is, going to an amusement park, going out to eat at a restaurant or cafe, going to the movies, heading to a work conference, attending a theater performance, and going on vacation. (Other undertakings that people were polled on also pertain to Disney’s businesses – such as attending a concert, going to a shopping mall, traveling abroad, socializing in public places, going to a sporting event – but for now, we focused on the following activities that, again, were more directly tied to Disney.)

Visiting an Amusement Park. When Morning Consult asked U.S. adults about how comfortable they are going to an amusement park now (the most recent survey was taken over August 4-7 and released on August 10), 17% said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable. In contrast, 76% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, when asked “Based on what you know about the coronavirus, when would you feel comfortable” going out to an amusement, 8% said in the next two weeks, a total of 20% said within the next three months, and 31% within six months, while 43% said more than six months from now, with 25% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion.

That’s a troubling breakdown, reflecting a significant degree of uncertainty and caution – as is the case, to varying degrees, with the rest of the activities about which people were polled.

Eating Out. Morning Consult asked about how comfortable Americans are going out to eat now. Thirty-six percent (36%) said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable. In contrast, 59% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, when asked “Based on what you know about the coronavirus, when would you feel comfortable” going out to eat, 25% said in the next two weeks, a total of 48% said within the next three months, and 60% within six months, while 24% said more than six months from now, with 16% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion.

Going to the Movies. Morning Consult asked how comfortable U.S. adults are going to the movies now. In response, 19% said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable. In contrast, 75% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, when asked “Based on what you know about the coronavirus, when would you feel comfortable” going out to the movies, 8% said in the next two weeks, a total of 27% said within the next three months, and 40% within six months, while 39% said more than six months from now, with 20% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion.

Going to a Work Conference. In response to the question of how comfortable U.S. adults are going to a work conference now, 18% said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable. In contrast, 67% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, when asked “Based on what you know about the coronavirus, when would you feel comfortable” going out to a work conference, 9% said in the next two weeks, a total of 24% said within the next three months, and 34% within six months, while 35% said more than six months from now, with 31% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion.

Remember, if you’re in the hotel and resort business, which Disney obviously is, then you’re in the conference business.

Attending a Theater Performance. When asked how comfortable they are going to a theater performance now, 14% of U.S. adults said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable. In contrast, 77% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, when asked “Based on what you know about the coronavirus, when would you feel comfortable” going to a theater performance, 7% said in the next two weeks, a total of 20% said within the next three months, and 31% within six months, while 43% said more than six months from now, with 25% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion.

Don't forget that Disney has shows that make their homes on Broadway.

Taking a Vacation. When asked how comfortable they are going on vacation now, 30% of U.S. adults said they were “very” or “somewhat” comfortable. In contrast, 64% said they were “very” or “somewhat” uncomfortable.

Looking ahead, when asked “Based on what you know about the coronavirus, when would you feel comfortable” going on vacation, 14% said in the next two weeks, a total of 33% said within the next three months, and 46% within six months, while 36% said more than six months from now, with 19% saying they didn’t know or had no opinion.

The better news for a company like Disney (understanding that none of this is good news) is that the eating out and going on vacation numbers came in the best in this group. For example, in terms of eating out, 36% of Americans are comfortable now and 60% expect to be so within six months. As for going on a vacation, 30% are comfortable now, and 46% expect to be within six months. 

Eating out and taking a vacation are pretty broad categories, however, that can cover an assortment of undertakings. When one focuses on more detailed activities, the outlook becomes even more troubling for Disney. 

• As for going to amusement parks, 17% of Americans are comfortable now and only 31% expect to be so within six months. 

• As for going to the movies, 19% of Americans are comfortable now and 40% expect to be so within six months. 

• As for going to a work conference, 18% of Americans are comfortable now and just 34% expect to be so within six months. 

• As for going to the theater, 14% of Americans are comfortable now and only 31% expect to be so within six months. 

Air Travel. For good measure, toss in the result from another poll that clearly relates to Disney. On August 6, Gallup reported poll results on Americans’ views on air travel, noting that “about half of American adults who flew at least once a year before the pandemic (52%) currently say they would not be comfortable flying. This figure varies significantly by age and political affiliation; most notably, 69% of American air travelers aged 55 and older say they would not be comfortable flying, compared with 33% of those aged 18 to 34.” The age issue is worth highlighting, given that, as Gallup observed, “baby boomers and retirees are important market segments for leisure travel.”

Also, the length of travel comes into play: “When asked whether they would currently be comfortable taking flights of various durations, almost half say they would be OK with taking one that lasted less than two hours (44%) or two to three hours (47%). However, this figure drops to just over one-fourth (27%) for flights lasting four to six hours and to about one-fifth (21%) for those longer than six hours.”

Disney and other companies have to be ready for when vaccines and therapeutics arrive in the marketplace, and consumers get back to normal. Until then, managing theme parks, movie releases, theater performances, hotels and conferences, and restaurants promises to be a significant challenge, requiring innovation and agility. Oh yeah, there’s always Disney+.

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Also, get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.

Spend an Evening with Alan Menken and Be Part of Disney History

by Beth Keating
News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 10, 2020

Until Friday, you have the opportunity to share a virtual evening with Disney Legend and composer Alan Menken for a good cause – a fundraiser for The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. The event, originally held on August 6, will be available to viewers until August 14.

“An Evening With Alan Menken” was seen by more than 20,000 fans, and featured music, storytelling and interviews. In the first portion of the evening, a VIP ticketed event, Menken was interviewed by former Disney music exec Chris Montan. It was followed by “An Intimate Performance With Alan Menken.” 

Special guest and fellow composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda then jumps in to join the festivities. Throughout, Menken plays medleys of his songs, from Hercules, Little Shop of Horrors, Pocahontas, Enchanted, Newsies, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tangled, Galavant, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and more. Along the way, the composers also chat about the creative process of writing for animation.

Mr. Menken is a newly minted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner), the 16th person to ever do so. (You get to take a peek at his trophies during the show, as he takes you on a quick tour down the hall to his studio room.) 

Disney fans, however, perhaps know Menken best as half of the writing duo, with Howard Ashman, who brought you the music to such Disney Renaissance Age animation favorites as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. His musical career spans nearly 40 years, though, including 8 Oscars (4 for Best Song and 4 for Best Score), a 2012 Tony award for his score for Newsies, and 11 Grammy Awards, with Song of the Year for Aladdin’s “A Whole New World”. 

In 2001, he was named a “Disney Legend,” and in 2008, he was inducted as a member into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Also, 2010 brought him his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Menken is currently partnering with Disney alum Miranda in creating some of the new tunes to be added to the upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid.

The Walt Disney Family Museum was founded by Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, so that her father’s legacy would be preserved, but also to help support future animators. The proceeds from the evening fund the education programs at the museum, as well as a new initiative called the At-Promise Youth Animation Academy, an intensive, state-of-the-art animation-focused training program for high school students.

The Menken-evening benefit was underwritten by The Walt Disney Company, Michele Lund, and The Janet and Clint Reilly Family Foundation, as well as a number of others. An anonymous donor will also match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000. The evening has raised $154,000 as of Monday afternoon, but it’s not too late to be part of the efforts if you’d like. The link to the donation button for the “Evening With Alan Menken” at The Walt Disney Family Museum is here.  

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Almost Everything You Should Know about “The Little Mermaid”

by Chris Lucas

Guest Column

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 9, 2020

(Editor’s Note: No one is quite sure when Disney’s live-action (and computer-generated?) remake of The Little Mermaid will start filming or be released. Thankfully, though, Chris Lucas has served up a wealth of fun information about the original, beloved animated movie.)

Here are some things you might not know about 1989’s The Little Mermaid, Disney’s 28th animated classic.

• Walt Disney himself loved the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about the Little Mermaid so much that he began developing a short, animated version in the 1930s. He’d hoped to make a feature film of it after Snow White, but World War II and financial issues put a stop to that and it never was produced. 

• Walt’s gravesite in Glendale, California, where his ashes are interred, has a statue of the Little Mermaid in the garden. It’s a small replica of the famous one in Copenhagen, Denmark, that Walt so admired. 

Courtesy of Top Disney

• In 1986, Disney animators revived the idea of a Little Mermaid feature. Like Walt, they chose to soften the original Andersen story, which is very grim.

• The Little Mermaid would be the very last Disney animated classic to use hand drawn ink and paint cells, Xerox duplication, and non-digital cameras and film to shoot.

• Millions of animated bubbles were needed for the underwater scenes, so Disney hired a Chinese animation firm to do the work to save time.

• Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken were brought on board the project to structure it more like a Broadway show, including a musical number early on where the protagonist clearly lays out for the audience what they most want. Almost every Disney animated musical feature has followed that pattern since.

• Actress Jodi Benson had worked with Howard Ashman on a 1986 Broadway show called Smile so he recommended her for the title role of Ariel. She’s played it ever since. In addition, Benson is the voice of Barbie in the Toy Story movies and Weebo the robot in 1997’s Flubber. She also appears in the 2007 live-action Disney film Enchanted. 

• Ariel’s “want” song, “Part of Your World” was close to a reprise of the song “Somewhere That’s Green” sung by Audrey in Ashman/Menken’s 1986 Off-Broadway hit Little Shop of Horrors. Disney producer Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted it cut, but luckily it wasn’t and is still one of the most popular Disney Princess songs.

• Originally, there was a very British butler/Major Domo crab assistant for King Triton, called Clarence (think Zasu from The Lion King, or Cogsworth from Beauty & The Beast). Ashman suggested that they change him to a Caribbean crustacean, giving his songs a Calypso beat. Actor Samuel E. Wright was hired to play Sebastian the Crab, and he gave him a Trinidadian accent. Sebastian was a breakout star and got his own best-selling CD of Calypso songs in 1990. 

• For the look of the villainous sea witch Ursula, Ashman approved an homage to performer Harris Milstead - better known by the stage name Divine - who’d recently passed away. The role was written for Bea Arthur, but she declined, so Pat Carroll was cast. Carroll used some vocal and character touches of Madame Medusa from 1977’s The Rescuers and Cruella DeVil from 101 Dalmatians for Ursula, as well as a little from Hollywood legend Talulah Bankhead and Howard Ashman himself. 

• Ursula was supposed to be revealed as King Triton’s sister - Ariel’s aunt - but that plot line was dropped from the finished film.

• Speaking of sisters, Ariel is one of seven daughters of Triton. They represent the seven seas. All of them have names that begin with the letter A, and each one has a tail that’s a different color of the rainbow. 

• The role of Prince Eric was voiced by 16-year-old Christopher D. Barnes. His assistant, Grimsby, was played by 74-year-old Ben Wright, who’d voiced the role of Roger in 101 Dalmatians 28 years before. Wright died just before The Little Mermaid was released. The film was dedicated to him.

• The world premiere of The Little Mermaid was held at Walt Disney World (where some of the animation was done) in November 1989, at the AMC theater in Downtown Disney. It was shown on all ten screens. 

• It cost $40 million to make The Little Mermaid. It took in more than that in under a month. In all, the film grossed over $200 million (which would be more than double that amount in 2020, adjusted for inflation) and was #9 at the box office in 1989, a very competitive year full of blockbuster films. The money it made helped to save Disney’s animation department from being shut for good.

• For the first time since 1977, a Disney animated classic was nominated for an Oscar. The Little Mermaid won two, both in the musical category. That started an amazing streak. From 1989 to 2001, Disney lost the Best Song category just four times. Twice it was because there were no nominations in that category for Disney, and once because they were up against "My Heart Will Go On" from the juggernaut that was 1997's Titanic.

• In 1990 The Little Mermaid was released on VHS. That marked the first time a Disney animated classic was ever made available on home video before at least one re-release to theaters. It sold 7 million copies in one month. 

• The continued success of The Little Mermaid has led to two direct-to-video sequels, an animated TV series, video games, a 1997 theatrical re-release, a 2007 Broadway adaptation, a live TV singalong version, an upcoming live-action remake, and several theme park attractions.

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Chris Lucas is the author of Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, from the Man to the Mouse and Beyond.

On the PRESS CLUB C Podcast, enjoy Ray’s recent discussion with Chris Lucas about his career as an actor, author and Disney expert. Tune in right here!