Disneyland has closed a Pixar Fest dance show and is preparing to close one of its Marvel-themed productions, too.
The stage dancers are no longer part of the Club Pixar activation at Disney California Adventure. However, the Pixar-themed photo ops and shorts screenings remain in the Hollywood Backlot. Pixar Fest continues through August 4 at Disney California Adventure and Disneyland, where the Pixar Pals Playtime Party remains unaffected. For more on the festival, please see our Insider's guide to Disneyland's Pixar Fest.
Next door in DCA, at Avengers Campus, Disneyland is preparing to close the Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts show. That production will close June 30, although Doctor Strange will continue to greet guests inside the land after the show's closure.
Some fans online are trying to connect the cuts to a recent vote to certify Actors Equity union representation for parade and character performers at the resort. That's not the case - heck, the Pixar performers are covered by a different union. If anything, I would not be surprised if vote may have delayed the decision to end the productions, to avoid any accusations of trying to influence the election.
Disney has plenty of money to pay - and pay more - for shows that fit the company's IP strategy and are drawing enough fans and praise to demonstrate a return on investment.
The Club Pixar stage dancers, though excellent, were performing sets that did not exactly pack in crowds. And the Doctor Strange show long has lagged the Spider-Man Stuntronics performance in popularity. Ending the Doctor Strange show also potentially clears space - in the park and on the budget - for a future production featuring characters from current and upcoming phases of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.
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I kind of thought that Dr. Strange show looked pretty cool (never saw it in person), but if it wasn't drawing people to the theater, then it makes sense for Disney to figure out something else to stage in this space. I do worry that Disney is cutting actual entertainment without an in-kind replacement, particularly during the busy summer months. It's not a great look, and has obviously garnered some pointed criticism based on the timing of these. Personally, I'd much rather watch a cool 5-10 minute show with a character than do a traditional meet and greet (though it's even better if that meet and greet is incorporated into the show schedule - i.e. 5-10 minutes of show and 10-15 minutes of meet and greet with guests that attended the show afterwards on the show stage).