"Unleash the Villains" mayhem - Disney Parks Blog up if you want to comment

[ILoveToRun]

There was lots of clue-less-ness going on. I talked to so many CMs all over the park during the party and again today ...... and they were all on agreement: DHS can't handle parties that big, transportation even for them was bad and many late for work, no idea how any of the party stuff was supposed to work, those as guests were disappointed with character setup and the best one - no matter who they talked to higher up prior to the event - the common response was they didn't expect this to be a crowded event. Really?

At the last part, the funny thing is... on twitter one cast member said "I have to work villains night and the park is supposed to get to capacity." At 8am that morning. So people knew this could get crazy.

 

[SC Minnie]

We were there and it was a cluster. Awful. The crowds were absolutely unreal. We got to the park around 3pm and our friends were getting there later. One left Pop at 7:00 and didn't get to the park until almost 10. The other left Pop at 7:30, bus driver went a different direction and arrived by 8:15.

This is the only even we've been to where Disney was clueless. It was a great idea but poorly executed. We were talking to one cast member who was at the park as a guest and she said they were putting out messages that morning asking people to work extra shifts. There were CM's from attractions trying to do crowd control. The stage area was crowded and you couldn't see anything. They had a screen set up on AI but you could understand and was being said on the stage, the speakers weren't set up correctly.

The worst thing though was food service. The big counter service by the Backlot Tour closed at 5 not to reopen. The Commissary and the place on Sunset were the only places eat besides TS which were booked.

Disney, if you are reading this you had a lot of unhappy guests Friday night.

 

[mmafan]

I totally agree with this since that poster was replying to what I said after he said it should have been for resort guests only!

I said I stay in a resort every trip ( i do 3wks every yr) and that they sound very entitled,its a shame that the poster feels because they stay on resort that an event like this should be just for them!

Although as an after thought when people mentioned hat about AP holders they did say they would be ok too?!? Lol!!!

....entitled I am thanks

 

[Luvchefmic]

So let me see if I've got this right: a party that celebrates evil and villains turns into a real nightmare......on Friday the 13th. Cue the Twilight Zone music. Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo

Anybody else seeing the irony? I guess it's easy for me to say, since I could just sit back with my computer... I truly do feel sorry for everybody that spent hours in traffic.

I'm laughing now minnie mum but you are right with your insight I was there and except for the gnashing of teeth & the actual smell of brimstone believe me it HAD to have been a view into hell This has GOT to be a hard ticket event in the future, this certainly was NOT the way to do it

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

I'm gonna stick my head out from Bar Command to give you folks my $0.02 here...

Worst traffic for a disney park in all of my 40-50 trips to WDW. Insane is an understatement

I haven't seen traffic at WDW like that since the 1970s. No joke.

From what I've read, there were some traffic accidents that also contributed to some of the congestion also.

Weeeell... traffic was so bad that some cars were overheating or running out of gas.

if more people used disney busses this would me a much smaller problem.....so let me hear about you driving to the parks eveyday so you dont have to wait for a bus...nights like this should only be for disney resort guests ONLY using provided transport.....

Remember, kids: don't feed the trolls.

Disney Resort Guests only???? That will NEVER happen!

cough ExtraMagicHours cough

I'm wondering with all the reports of the crowds and such, was this event open to Cast Members? Maybe all the ones who had off + the excitement of a non-ticketed event to the general public?

Yes, it was open to off-duty CMs. Yes, some with a sense of entitlement showed up -- I saw several of them myself. No, it didn't ruin my night.

I think the bigger issue was that, for all intents and purposes, from 9:00pm to 1:00am, DHS was the only theme park in Central Florida that was open (not counting the hard-ticketed MNSSHP at the MK). And when the MK closed to day guests at 7:00, they were directing angry guests to the Studios.

I think Disney would be crazy not to at least consider some options after tonight.

Oh, they're definitely considering options. I see it going one of two ways: either they'll turn it into a hard ticket event, or they'll just decide it was more trouble than it was worth (and Disney is paying dearly: thousands of furious guests -- and let's not even go into how much they lost in comped nights and merch) and not revisit it again.

I see alot of complaining and the traffic was intense.. Took me 3 hours, but I had a great time.

I did, too... and it took me 2.5 hrs to get to the Studios from the TTA. We took the Bus, because I was certain they were turning away cars. Turns out I was right.

The park was definetaly under staffed. We finally made it into the parking lot at DHS at 6:30pm, it tooks us 45 minutes for something that usually takes 5min. and there were only 2 CM working the Parking Lot...Ate at Commisary and they had 5 CM and about 5 managers helping out, all in all, at that time, it was around 8:30pm it went pretty smoothly. While waiting to get into the parking lot I saw CM walking out on the main road, wearing their costumes trying to get to the park for their shifts...

I wasn't pleased when I waited in line around 10:00 outside Sunset Sweets to get a couple of cokes -- only to discover ONE cash register was open. Bad form, Disney. Bad form.

Just to let you know, one of the CM handing out the cards to email Disney about getting a picture an autograph of the Villains was Dan Cockerell, Vice-President of DHS.

Yes, he was there. And I have it on good authority that there was a fairly grim meeting this morning at Team Disney regarding the events last Friday night at the Studios. They are well-aware of the issues.

 

[Chubby]

for as upset as I was at the traffic nightmare, it will be a great story to tell the kids down the road! it may have ended our vacation on a downer note but it certainly didn't ruin an otherwise great vacation.

it's actually kind of a badge of honor to have made it there despite everything now that i hear just how bad the traffic was in comparison!


We had mentioned the 40th anniversary to one of the gift shop CMs and she just shook her head and said how glad she was that she didnt work that day.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yes, he was there. And I have it on good authority that there was a fairly grim meeting this morning at Team Disney regarding the events last Friday night at the Studios. They are well-aware of the issues.

But they should have anticipated the issues after their experience on MK's 40th. I just don't get how they can underestimate demand for things over and over again and not put 2 and 2 together. Do they think frenzies like this leave people with a positive impression of Disney?

 

[cgattis]

But they should have anticipated the issues after their experience on MK's 40th. I just don't get how they can underestimate demand for things over and over again and not put 2 and 2 together. Do they think frenzies like this leave people with a positive impression of Disney?

Already posted, but have to re-agree...not just the 40th...they essentially already held this SAME event as a hard-ticket and botched it too!! Same issues (barring traffic), but didn't hear of anybody getting comped anything and we PAID for it! Not to mention the $100 race fee for those who ran. I agree here--how can they keep under-anticipating?? Do the outcomes of these events not get briefed all up, down, and across the management chain?

 

[CelticHattress]

I know its late and the event is over but my sister and I just returned from a week-long trip with Friday, the 13th being our only Hollywood Studios day. We decided to make it to rope drop, leave around 1pm to eat elsewhere, and then return later for the party. We quickly realized how that wasn't going to be possible.

We made it a little after rope drop and the morning started out fine. However, by 11:30, we decided to eat at the park because we were afraid to leave. Around 12:30 when we were going to ride Star Tours again, they had opened the extended queue line. I didn't even know Star Tours had an extended queue line.

By 5:30, the crowds were unbelievable. We saw adults and children dressed in villain costumes. We were sitting on a bench down the Streets of America and you would have thought they were waiting for the Osbourn lights to be lit up. At 6pm, the crowds were already sitting in front of the hat, waiting for the show to begin which they were announcing over the intercom would begin at 7pm.

We were told by cast members throughout the day that no merchandise would be sold until 8pm on a first come, first serve basis and to "get there early." However, the ears were being sold before then I noticed later on.

One of the CM's were explaining to another group near us that everything behind the hat had to be closed and the area behind there clear for all the fireworks. With that knowledge, we took pics in front of the backdrops but decided by 6:30 we had seen enough and decided to get out of dodge. When we were leaving the park, there was a CM there counting everyone to see how many people were leaving. The line to the Art bus was three bus waits long, so we and a bunch of other people hopped on the Pop bus and was leaving the bus loading area by 6:45pm. When we hit the interstate, the lines waiting to get in were unreal. It was at a dead stop. We were walked it back to Art from Pop and had a nice relaxed evening at the resort. After hearing all the reports, I'm so glad we decided to leave early. We ran into a couple at the Art food court who had reservations for one of the restaurants inside HS but couldn't make it inside the park.

So sorry for everyone who had to work it and so sorry for those who had a miserable time. Hopefully, Disney will learn just how popular the villains are and will make it a hard ticket event for next year. Perhaps alternating nights between the Halloween party and the villain party so people could attend both.

~Celtic~

 

[ashleyrm]

Disney Parks Blog just put up a write up of the "Unleash your Villains". If you want to comment and maybe have your voice be heard, here is the link:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...th-fun-descends-on-disneys-hollywood-studios/

 

[rcollins223]

Unleash the Villains was crazy! If not for staying at resort on boat route, would not have made it in. Did accomplish the one thing I wanted to do...DD's pic w/ Maleficent...this made it all worthwhile

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[ashleyrm]

Unleash the Villains was crazy! If not for staying at resort on boat route, would not have made it in. Did accomplish the one thing I wanted to do...DD's pic w/ Maleficent...this made it all worthwhile

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Great costume and great pic!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Unleash the Villains was crazy! If not for staying at resort on boat route, would not have made it in. Did accomplish the one thing I wanted to do...DD's pic w/ Maleficent...this made it all worthwhile

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I saw you and DD in Sweet Spells So many of us in line were commenting on how adorable and more importantly how POLITE she was Fabulous picture !

 

[rcollins223]

I saw you and DD in Sweet Spells So many of us in line were commenting on how adorable and more importantly how POLITE she was Fabulous picture !

Awwe...thank you! It was overwhelming for her at first, with so many people and them asking for her photo. But, she opened up as the night went on! All in all, we had a good time.

 

[rcollins223]

Great costume and great pic!

Thanks! We can't wait to use it again - our 1st trip to MNSSHP on 10/6....so excited!!

 

[ashleyrm]

Thanks! We can't wait to use it again - our 1st trip to MNSSHP on 10/6....so excited!!

My first MNSSHP is on 10/27! Can't wait to try something new at WDW!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Thanks! We can't wait to use it again - our 1st trip to MNSSHP on 10/6....so excited!!

too funny I am going that night too along with Dis friends from Australia, If I see you again will say Hi !

 

[JDUCKY]

Unleash the Villains was crazy! If not for staying at resort on boat route, would not have made it in. Did accomplish the one thing I wanted to do...DD's pic w/ Maleficent...this made it all worthwhile

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We were right in line next to that spot and saw your DD

She was practically the overall hit of the night in all of DHS!!

 

[xApril]

We were right in line next to that spot and saw your DD

She was practically the overall hit of the night in all of DHS!!

We were right nearby as well and saw her as well! Very adorable.

 

[rcollins223]

We were right in line next to that spot and saw your DD

She was practically the overall hit of the night in all of DHS!!

LOL...too funny!