No Surprise That Disney Extending Furloughs – Consumers Hurting – A Look Inside the Magic Kingdom

by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 25, 2020

News has been spreading that Disney is extending the furloughs of various employees. Unfortunately, that’s not surprising based on what DisneyBizJournal’s Beth Keating saw at the Magic Kingdom yesterday (August 24).

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

As Fox Business, for example, noted this morning, “Select employees of Disney World and Disneyland reportedly received an email explaining that their furlough has been extended amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic… Disney actress Sheila Ward claims that she and other staffers received an email on Monday detailing that their furlough was ‘indefinite,’ with no date disclosed regarding when cast members may be called back to work.”

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

(Keep in mind that furloughed workers effectively remain employees and still receive certain benefits (such as Disney still paying health insurance), while laid off workers no longer are employees of a company.)

None of this is surprising based on the DisneyBizJournal Magic Kingdom visit. Beth Keating reported fewer-than-expected kiosks open, some shops and restaurants closed, and limited seating at other sit-down restaurants.

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

Many rides had waits of 10 minutes or less, even attractions with notoriously long lines, like Peter Pan’s Flight and Space Mountain, were only 15-20 minutes. Others were walk on.

Liberty Square and Frontierland had “ghost town” feels. And the park “empties out by late afternoon.”

Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

 Magic Kingdom on August 24, 2020

This pandemic has crippled big parts of our economy, with travel and tourism being among the very hardest hit. It should be noted that the Conference Board reported today that its measure of consumer confidence took another big hit in August, after declining in July as well. Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, warned, “Consumer spending has rebounded in recent months but increasing concerns amongst consumers about the economic outlook and their financial well-being will likely cause spending to cool in the months ahead.” For some additional perspective, consider that the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor on initial jobless claims pointed out that the total number of individuals receiving unemployment benefits in all programs registered 28,059,349 for the week ending August 1. A year earlier, that number was 1,702,382.

Climbing out of this deep hole will take time, with vaccines and therapeutics central to that process. And companies like Disney won’t get back to normal until that happens, along with some other necessities along the way.

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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.

Disneynomics: Both Universal and Disney Are Suffering

by Ray Keating

Disneynomics Column

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 23, 2020

The headlines and even the content of a few news reports seem to indicate that Universal Orlando is experiencing a bounce back in attendance, while the Disney parks continue to suffer. In reality, both Universal and Disney continue to be hit hard in this pandemic economy.

Reporting based on an analyst note from Deutsche Bank published on August 20 seems to strike a rather cheery note on Universal attendance, and a grimmer tone on Disney’s. Yet, each company’s park attendance is down dramatically from last year. It’s really a matter of which is suffering a bit more.

Based on Deutsche’s proprietary geolocation data, Universal Orlando’s attendance is down by 68 percent compared to last year, while the analysts’ estimates on attendance for Walt Disney World and Disney’s international parks point to the number of Disney guests being down by 80 percent. So, -68 percent vs. -80 percent? It's not happening for anyone here.

The continued ills being faced by Universal was summed up last week by Blooloop.com: “Comcast announced that its Universal Studios theme park division saw a 94% decrease in second-quarter revenue due to COVID-19 closures. Revenue dropped from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $87 million this year. Two rounds of layoffs have also forced Universal Orlando to close several attractions. These are Fast & Furious: Supercharged, Fear Factor Live, Poseidon’s Fury, Storm Force Accelatron and Kang & Kudos Twirl ‘n’ Hurl.”

Among a few other specifics widely noted, Deutsche pointed out that attendance numbers at Animal Kingdom and Epcot are running head of crowds at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Also, Universal Orlando’s recent improvement in attendance – again, still down markedly from last year – is being seen most notably on Saturdays.

In the end, though, there’s really no good news here, other than a hopeful quote from the Deutsche report pointing ahead: “Given this ongoing improvement in Universal’s attendance and declining new daily COVID cases in Florida, we believe that Disney World will also soon see some benefit.” And at another point, it was stated: “While Disney World appears to be lagging the COVID case reduction, we would expect the data to relieve some of the admissions pressure in the near future.”

Of course, that’s the key for Disney, Universal and all other theme park operators – along with businesses in all other industries – that is, declining coronavirus cases, and most important, vaccines and therapeutics coming to market addressing the pandemic.

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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.

Branagh Back with “Death on the Nile”

by Ray Keating

News/Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 21, 2020

Director and actor Kenneth Branagh is back with a second movie from Disney’s 20th Century Studios based on an Agatha Christie mystery. Death on the Nile is due out on October 23, and Disney dropped the first trailer for the movie this week.

The trailer offers a glimpse of a film that looks to be lavish, star-studded, and jammed with jealousy and intrigue swirling around, of course, murder.

The Branagh-directed Murder on the Orient Express, which came out in 2017, was a richly filmed mystery.  Indeed, if you love a good murder mystery, then Murder on the Orient Express ranks as must-watching. And yes, Branagh not only excels behind the camera, but he ranks as the best Hercule Poirot on screen.

It’s also no mystery as to why moviegoers are being treated to a sequel. Orient’s financial performance made it easy to greenlight another Branagh-Christie-Poirot movie. Murder on the Orient Express earned $352.8 million on a production budget of $55 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Even if you double the production budget for marketing expenses, that’s quite a tidy return.

And now murderous fun looks to be returning in Death on the Nile. Joining Branagh on this river cruise are an assortment of stars, including Gal Gadot, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Sophie Okonedo, Tom Bateman, Emma Mackey, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, and Jennifer Saunders.

Pass the popcorn.

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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.

Disneynomics: Universal Orlando Ticket Offer – Come for a Day, Stay Through Christmas Eve

by Ray Keating

Disneynomics Column

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 20, 2020

How do you get people to come to your theme parks during a pandemic? 

That’s obviously a difficult question that companies like Disney and Comcast (owner of the Universal parks) wrestle with on a daily basis.

Before the pandemic, theme park pricing actually was focused on “date-based tickets.” We economists call this peak-load pricing or congestion pricing. That is, adjust pricing according to dates and times of the day in order to control crowds, enhance the guest experience, and maximize profits. This pricing model is used by hotels, movie theaters, utility companies, toll roads, and so on. It’s straightforward economics in that consumers react to price changes, so businesses can better manage resources by adjusting prices to reallocate consumption from periods of high demand to times of low demand.

In fact, even in the current period of COVID-19 and a brutal economy, date-based pricing made an appearance in the news in recent days with Universal Orlando announcing that it was following Disney’s lead in implementing this model. Disney went in on date-based pricing starting in 2018. Universal now will vary ticket prices based on when people visit their parks.

Fair enough. Makes sense. 

But far more interesting was a pricing option Universal Orlando served up to Florida residents earlier this month. Actually, I’m not sure if you can really call this a pricing option; it’s more like a giveaway.

What’s the deal? Florida residents can purchase a 2-Park, 1-Day Park-to-Park Ticket, and come back every day through December 24 with no blockout dates. That’s right, for $164, a Universal guest gets to visit both parks – Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure – each and every day, if they choose to do so, through Christmas Eve. That one-time, $164 payment covers it all. And you can toss in Volcano Bay for another $29. Florida residents have this option through September 30. If you love Universal, this is an awesome deal. Heck, if you just like Universal, it’s a great deal.

The question in coming days and weeks is: Will this incredible offer for Florida residents by Universal affect Disney’s pricing decisions? Well, don’t be surprised if Disney follows suit in some way. But in the end that will depend, of course, on multiple factors, especially the direction of the pandemic, the economy, and therefore, park attendance. 

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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.

Verizon to Offer the Disney Streaming Bundle for Free

by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 19, 2020

Early this week, Verizon announced an extended agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Starting on August 20, the Disney streaming bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will be included in certain Verizon wireless plans.

Specifically, Verizon’s “Get More Unlimited” and “Play Unlimited” plans will include the Disney Bundle. The “Do More Unlimited” and “Start Unlimited” plans include Disney+.

Frank Boulben, a Verizon senior vice president of marketing and products, was quoted in a company release, “We led the industry by giving customers Disney+ on us. Now we're adding The Disney Bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, for more entertainment choices that appeal to a variety of interests. We can’t wait to see what customers choose to suit their needs.”

Sean Breen, executive vice president for Disney’s platform distribution, said, “We are always looking for the most advantageous ways for consumers to experience our content and we are pleased to work with Verizon so that they can provide their customers with these appealing new offers.”

Verizon noted, “Existing customers currently receiving 12-months access to Disney+ on us can move to our new Play More and Get More Unlimited plans with The Disney Bundle included, or for $6 per month they can stay in their current plan and add both ESPN+ and Hulu to complete The Disney Bundle.”

This Verizon announcement lines up with Disney’s major push into online video in the U.S. and internationally.

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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.

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.