Walt Disney World has quietly made important reductions to the showtimes of Impressions de France, whereas additionally scheduling it at about probably the most inconvenient time of day doable. This submit will share particulars, our commentary, and a fast name to motion.
In accordance with Walt Disney World’s new working schedule, Impressions de France now formally opens at 9 am and closes at 9:30 am every day. The Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside now runs the remainder of the day from 10 am till 8:45 pm.
Apparently, Impressions de France can also be listed as working throughout Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World on its attraction web page, that means it’s open for on-site resort resort visitors from 8:30 am to 9 am. This replace shouldn’t be but been mirrored on the Early Entry web page, nevertheless it stands to cause that this alteration is appropriate.
Previous to this alteration, Impressions de France had been proven from 7:30 pm till park closing every day. This definitely was not the perfect schedule, nevertheless it truly labored fairly nicely for us. We often caught certainly one of its later showings after which exited in time to seize a spot for Harmonious within the Japan pavilion or again by the Remy topiary close to the Metro entrance, which provides a surprisingly good view of the pyro.
With this, the 18-minute lengthy Impressions de France ought to have 3 each day showtimes, with just one of these realistically being watchable by off-site visitors. That might require arriving at park opening, and reserving it to the again of the park to rope drop the France pavilion–however not do the headliner attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, whereas its wait occasions are manageable.
This variation is distinctly unpatriotique. To borrow one other phrase from Sam Eagle, it quantities to “a salute to all nations, however principally America.” Properly, scratch the “all” nations half. It’s a minor salute to France (or main poke within the eye), plus a serious salute to the American-made Magnificence and the Beast.
There are a number of odd features of this story, and the primary is giving much more showtimes to the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside. For individuals who are unfamiliar with it, see our submit: We Ranked All 88 Sights at Walt Disney World. This sing-along is #88, with these rankings concisely describing it as an “offensively unhealthy piece of revisionist lore that spews forth the untold story of LeFou, which ought to have remained that means. Far worse than a direct-to-video sequel, and proof that fanfic authors may sometime see their terrible goals changed into our painful realities.”
For the longer winded model, see New EPCOT Movie Evaluate: The Good & The Ugly. (Spoiler: it’s the ugly one!) This isn’t our bias talking as diehard followers of Impressions de France. That sing-along is among the worst issues I’ve ever needed to endure at any Disney park anyplace. I don’t say this evenly: it’s worse than Dino-Rama.
The Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside can also be not significantly in style. It’s not like that is drawing large crowds or traces, and I refuse to consider it’s scoring nicely on visitor satisfaction surveys or households are clamoring to see it late at evening. I may be cynical, however I’ve not misplaced full religion in humanity. I notice younger kids like odd issues, however even they’ve higher style than this. Taking part in in a cardboard field is exponentially superior to the sing-along.
So far as additional commentary goes, this jogs my memory of what I wrote again in early 2020 when the lowered showtimes for Impressions de France have been first revealed. For years, it has appeared like a foregone conclusion that Impressions de France’s days have been numbered. At first, it was feared the theater can be consumed by the enlargement of Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. When it was granted a reprieve from that, many figured it was solely a matter of time earlier than that wanted the house, both for a store or supporting providing to assist with crowds.
When the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside was introduced, it was a shock that the brand new providing would alternate showings with Impressions de France. Even when that announcement was made, I assumed it’d be a yr or much less till a weblog submit with, “attributable to its overwhelming recognition and suggestions from our visitors, the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside will now have much more showtimes so extra visitors can get pleasure from this beloved attraction…”
Three years in the past, I wrote that it was an “inevitability” that the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside would overtake Impressions de France in some unspecified time in the future. Granted, I had not been subjected to the sing-along at that time, so I didn’t notice that it might make Sew’s Nice Escape seem like a masterpiece of Imagineering.
Once I first discovered in regards to the March 2023 showtime change for Impressions de France, my response was comparable. Maybe the late showtimes proved too in style and didn’t assist the preordained conclusion park operations needed to succeed in–that Impressions de France needs to be retired. Absolutely, shifting it to very first thing within the morning would do the trick.
That’s distinctly unpatriotique (are there even matinees in France? I can’t think about the French getting up early for leisure) and a demise sentence for the movie, because it can’t compete with Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Journey as rope drop sights. Will probably be enjoying to empty homes. (On a associated notice, I’m shocked the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside even opened this early earlier than–no different movies in World Showcase do.)
Then I acquired pondering extra about this, and began questioning the premise of my assumption that somebody at Walt Disney World needs to kill Impressions de France. Disney finds methods to contort its visitor survey and customer knowledge to succeed in predetermined conclusions on a regular basis. Issues occur “by in style visitor demand” on a regular basis that almost all undoubtedly weren’t demanded by anybody, not to mention a big chunk of visitors.
There are thus two prospects. The primary is that there was merely no approach to therapeutic massage the numbers and visitor suggestions to succeed in a conclusion that ending Impressions de France is what visitors needed. This might be as a result of it does stronger per present numbers, has greater visitor satisfaction scores, or each.
None of that might shock me. I’m not kidding or exaggerating with my criticism of the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside. It’s atrocious. Even common visitors, who are typically far more forgiving of something with their favourite characters, doubtless acknowledge this.
The second chance is that Walt Disney World can’t finish Impressions de France with out extra penalties. Again whereas researching our submit about cultural representatives returning to EPCOT, I spent an inordinate period of time studying laws and legislation evaluate articles in regards to the work visas utilized in World Showcase. That analysis was overkill for the article, however I discovered it fascinating.
In any case, one of many issues that caught with me was that the aim of the visas that Walt Disney World makes use of are for “sharing of the historical past, tradition, and traditions of the nation” of their nationality. This made me ponder whether Solid Members who’re assigned completely to Remy’s Ratatouille Journey or the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside can qualify for that visa.
In different phrases, Impressions de France may be sticking round not as a result of Disney needs to maintain it, however as a result of they want to maintain it as a method of complying with the visas used for cultural representatives. That is purely speculative on my half–it’s one thing that I believe may be true, and that might make sense to me, however I don’t have any perception come what may.
If the second state of affairs is correct, Impressions de France is protected, albeit at an extremely inconvenient time. If the previous is appropriate, it may be “saved” with additional suggestions from visitors. Both means, we strongly suggest that followers of the movie share with Walt Disney World how they really feel about this scheduling change.
At any time when applicable, we suggest that visitors respectfully categorical disappointment and clarify how the corporate’s selections and practices will affect your holidays with Walt Disney World by emailing [email protected].
In case you’re going to go to EPCOT and have been planning to see Impressions de France however are disillusioned by inconvenient showtimes, handle it when collaborating in visitor satisfaction surveys, deliver it up when you converse with managers or others in park management, and even proactively contact Visitor Relations to politely allow them to understand how you’re feeling.
“Respectfully” and “politely” are the operative phrases right here for a cause. Whereas an irate rant may make you really feel higher, it’s not the path to take in case your objective is effectuating change. We’ve seen and heard means too many visitors provide snide or sarcastic suggestions; venting could be cathartic, however that’s about it. “You catch extra flies with honey than with vinegar” is a cliche, nevertheless it’s additionally one {that a} disturbing variety of adults don’t appear to understand.
Given all the detrimental adjustments and visitor unfriendly insurance policies that Walt Disney World has enacted within the final couple of years, it’d appear to be the corporate not cares about visitor satisfaction and suggestions. It’s in all probability true that there are some on the highest ranges of management who don’t, or focus extra on goal KPIs, however there most definitely are leaders on the bottom in Florida who care. In lots of instances, it’s merely a matter of them with the ability to present “assist” when combating for issues, budgets, and so forth.
Finally, we all know this can be a prolonged submit and odd standalone matter for a “easy” scheduling change. Nevertheless, we felt it was value writing about for a few causes. First, as a result of the final time we coated the schedule change–again in early 2020–that submit garnered 65 feedback, many coming from annoyed followers who love Impressions de France.
Clearly most of the vivid and delightful readers of this weblog get pleasure from Impressions de France and would need to find out about this information. It’s additionally doable that suggestions from the neighborhood has helped Impressions de France stick round for the three years since.
Second, we’re sharing out of selfishness. We see Impressions de France greater than we do actually some other attraction in EPCOT. We’ve made a concerted effort to go to each certainly one of its filming places in France (that’s us within the photograph above, recreating the scene within the photograph above that). We’re in all probability the closest factor Impressions de France has to tremendous followers, and I’ll by no means hesitate to make use of this weblog as a platform for pro-Impressions de France propaganda.
In my protection, our motives are pure of coronary heart. Impressions de France is the perfect film-based attraction in EPCOT, virtually utterly timeless (solely a few 80s outfits), in addition to a lovely and efficient ‘gross sales pitch’ for visiting France. In contrast, the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside is an abomination to which nobody needs to be subjected. So actually, this submit isn’t simply egocentric–it’s an act of neighborhood service, warning mates who may in any other case unwittingly see the sing-along. 😉
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the scheduling change for Impressions de France? Will this make it tough or unimaginable so that you can watch the perfect movie in EPCOT? Frightened that this implies extra visitors will by chance be subjected to the Magnificence and the Beast Sing-Alongside? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!