Christmas Town 2021

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Zachary said:
If the rumors about Gloria and Deck the Halls are true, big yikes.

Gloria was far more popular with the general public than even the likes of Celtic Fyre. Deck the Halls, while maybe not as iconic, was essentially the This is Oktoberfest of Christmas Town—people seemed to love it and it has just been a CMT staple since the beginning.

More importantly though, I really have extreme doubts about the park's ability to produce anything anywhere near the quality of either of those shows right now. Even setting aside all the brain drain that has happened since the last large, successful Christmas Town production debuted, the investment budgets required to do it right just don't seem to exist right now inside SEAS.

This should have just been a return to form year for the event. Bring back everyone's favorites and hope that overshadows the cuts made around the edges. If they're not even bringing back two of the big hitters though...

And yeah, I have to echo @Mushroom—reinvesting in a San Marco show again when literally any other theater is underutilized for Christmas Town is a wild prospect to me. A couple years ago if someone told me the Abbey Stone might sit dark for Christmas Town, I'd disregard it as a total impossibility. Now though? 😕
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Supporting evidence of this is that as of Monday Abby Stone has not been touched since the closing of of Celtic Fyre. I would have thought that since they would already be breaking down the set and setting up for Gloria given that there is no break between Howl-O-Scream and Christmas Town so that they could spend that time switching out other stuff.

The idea that from what I was told the park does not anticipate being able to staff and open Marco Polo is also alarming to me. Christmas Town has always had a big food draw to it having one of the park's biggest and most popular restaurants sitting empty during the event seems to run the risk of a repeat of the F&W disaster especially when you take in to consideration how often the park hit capacity for the event.
 
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panopticon31 said:
"up to 12.50/hr" and a signing bonus of $300 isn't going to do much. Almost every drive through I see now posts up signs saying they need help and start at $15/hr
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Funnily enough, I saw something about a gas station chain that's known for their food counter putting up banners like this, with an asterisk that indicates the amount includes tips... Which nobody ever gives.

But the general issue with labor is that the pandemic has been a catalyst for the majority of those willing to work service industry jobs to force businesses to compete for their labor and not the other way around.

And if the park is going to want to hire non-enthusiasts in larger numbers, they're going to need to do better than $15/hr plus tickets; otherwise, as referenced by @panopticon31, people can and easily will work somewhere else. This also goes for reducing hours/wages after they get hired too.
 
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Well I really hope some people take them up and take the jobs - I selfishly would really like Marco Polo to be open during CT. I have missed that this year, and loved getting some food there and sitting down for a show next door.
 
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For some reason or another, I never bothered going to CT. No idea why really. I was hoping on breaking that this year and going for the first time, but hearing all this sure as hell makes it seem unappetizing, especially with how slammed the park would be. Might try to go on a Friday and hope it isn't as crowded as a Saturday would be or something. But not having the Abbey Stone is a huge black mark for me, and the culinary issues at this HOS were an extreme problem as well. I would be very disappointed if nothing at last creative is done to address the issue of "there are people everywhere and nowhere to put them".
 
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Hate to be a Scrooge, but if they can't control the crowds (both in sheer volume or having proper staffing so people aren't pouring out of venues) I worry that all the joy that was CMT of the past will be lost. Food trucks are definitely needed, and a mild winter will ensure it's packed every night.

An ideal component to keeping crowds under control would be to at least make sure that the DarKastle event space was used, even just to give people an option to stay off the paths and take a warm breather, maybe some light refreshments? Would help relieve Festhaus pressure, which nowadays seems to almost be too small sometimes. Staffing will be an issue at those wages. Busch would need to do $16/hr+ if they want to attract people in earnest.

Crossing my fingers, but my expectations for a video on TikTok of a warm apple cider lunged into someone's face because they gave someone a dirty look and started another brawl are high this Christmas season...

I really miss how this placed used to be. Planet Coaster by the fireplace may have to be my MO this time.
 
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Ice said:
For some reason or another, I never bothered going to CT. No idea why really. I was hoping on breaking that this year and going for the first time, but hearing all this sure as hell makes it seem unappetizing, especially with how slammed the park would be. Might try to go on a Friday and hope it isn't as crowded as a Saturday would be or something. But not having the Abbey Stone is a huge black mark for me, and the culinary issues at this HOS were an extreme problem as well. I would be very disappointed if nothing at last creative is done to address the issue of "there are people everywhere and nowhere to put them".
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Early season Fridays are usually not to bad and some of those weekdays nights will be quite slow.
 
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horsesboy said:
I have been told that there will be no Gloria this year
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Correct.
horsesboy said:
and that Abby Stone will be dark for Christmas Town.
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Incorrect.
horsesboy said:
a new more religious based show in Italy.
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Details from a public job posting: "This new show is being produced in the beautiful San Marco Theater. Projections and special constructions are being placed on the stage to help take the audience on a moving journey along with vocals and professionally recorded and arranged music. Cast is set with 2 lead vocalist/pianists and a choir of 8."
 
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ToddF said:
Correct.

Incorrect.

Details from a public job posting: "This new show is being produced in the beautiful San Marco Theater. Projections and special constructions are being placed on the stage to help take the audience on a moving journey along with vocals and professionally recorded and arranged music. Cast is set with 2 lead vocalist/pianists and a choir of 8."
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Not sure how that job posting confirms or
denies the Abbey Stone Theater situation though?

Are there any other details in it outside of the job itself? Maybe a link would help...
 
Jonesta6 said:
Funnily enough, I saw something about a gas station chain that's known for their food counter putting up banners like this, with an asterisk that indicates the amount includes tips... Which nobody ever gives.
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Wawa semi-recently tried to go on a hiring spree in PA that tantalized would-be applicants with, among other things, one free small hoagie every day.

Now they have different signs in the grass out front, somewhat unsurprisingly. I think they’re up to $14/hr now in places. Still can’t hire enough people.

Anecdotally, there’s something in certain employers’ heads about acquiescing to $15 specifically. They Just. Don’t. Want. To Pay. That. Specific. Number. If I didn’t know better, I’d suspect it has something to do with having believed a certain legislative line was being successfully held… just to see workers collectively take matters into their own hands, making it seem like $15 will end up being a bargain for decent labor when the dust settles.

I’d accuse myself of mapping far too much presumption onto too little data, if not for a number of conversations with “job creators” saying the quiet parts out loud. 🤷🏼

Difficult to see a painless way out for mass employers of relatively low wage labor, not least of all theme parks.
 
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