When it comes to sharing the stories that WDW cast members tell me, I always have to be a little careful. Particularly since the most unlikely sounding tales (EX: Six months ago, I had an MGM insider tell me that that theme park’s long-empty Superstar Television theatre would soon become home to a new “American Idol” -themed show. And I actually laughed when I heard this because … Well, the very idea that WDI would even consider a show like this — especially so soon after “Who Wants to a Be a Millionaire: Play It!” had petered out — just seemed so laughable) have this nasty tendency to turn out to be true.
Which is why — when I got a call last week about that field trip that WDW Entertainment had reportedly made to the Orlando Premium Outlet Mall — I was torn. Part of me thought: “I really shouldn’t write about this. I mean, there’s just no way that Burbank will ever go for this. This is literally outside-the-box thinking.” And yet another part of me said: “This is actually is a pretty clever concept. And even if Disney management opts not to go forward with this project, people still need to know that the Mouse at least toyed with this idea. So that they can then know that Mickey is capable of thinking outside-the-box.”
What am I talking about? Well, did you hear about how the Orlando-area franchise of Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner attraction chain abruptly closed its doors back in January? Supposedly because Dixie Stampede’s parent company got an offer from the Chelsea Property Group (i.e. The company that actually owns & manages the Orlando Premium Outlet mall) that it couldn’t refuse.
Photo by Jeff Lange
Now — as I understand it — CPG (Which — in itself — is a subsidiary of the Simon Company) purchased this 13-acre parcel along I-4 because it eventually plans on tearing down that 115,000-square-foot show building and then adding additional retail space to this Vineland Avenue mall. But that’s not going to happen for a couple of years yet. And — until then — the Dixie Stampede building is just going to sit there, empty. Which is where WDW Entertainment comes in.
The way this story was told to me … WDW Entertainment allegedly toured the Dixie Stampede complex earlier this month because they’re toying with the idea of leasing this now-vacant facility for a few years and then turning it into a Disney’s “High School Musical” -themed dinner theatre experience.
Now I know that this may sound like a very bizarre idea. But please keep in mind that the Walt Disney Company is continuing to look for ways to cash in on this still-popular brand. And if offering WDW guests a chance to visit a faux version of East High, where they could then eat off of cafeteria trays while they watched performers recreate numbers from “High School Musical” & “High School Musical 2,” could be a new way to milk the HSM cash cow … Well, you can then understand why Mouse House management is reportedly at least giving this idea some semi-serious thought.
Copyright 2006 Disney. All Rights Reserved
“But if Disney really wants to do a ‘High School Musical’ -themed dinner show, then why don’t they just build a facility on-property?,” you ask. To be honest, there isn’t enough time.
To explain: Disney senior officials genuinely believe that — in spite of the fact that “High School Musical 3” is due to be released to theaters on October 24th of this year — that the HSM phenomenon will soon blow itself out. That’s one of the reasons that Disney — working with Feld Entertainment — put three companies of “High School Musical: The Ice Tour” out on the road at the exact same time last year. With the hope that they’d then be able to cash in before this tween favorite fell from favor.
And given that it would take Disney at least a year to construct an on-property facility that could then be used to house a “High School Musical” dinner theatre experience … By the time construction was completed, the whole “HSM” craze could have crashed & burned. Meanwhile, that 1086-seat Dixie Stampede theatre is just sitting there, empty.
Photo by Jeff Lange
This is why WDW Entertainment is reportedly looking to lease the Parton show building. So that they can then get a “High School Musical” dinner theatre experience up out of the ground as quickly as possible. Perhaps as early as this Fall.
Now before someone trots out the “Disney will never do this. The company will never send guests off-property to attend some show that’s being presented at an off-site facility” argument … Please keep in mind that the Walt Disney World Resort — thanks to its on-going relationship with the Mears Transportation Group — regularly puts guests on buses and then sends them off-property. To the Disney Cruise Line terminal at Port Canveral and/or aboard Disney’s Magical Express to Orlando International Airport. So having to truck people less than a mile off-property to the old Dixie Stampede dinner theatre isn’t really going to be the deal breaker here.
Mind you, what could prevent this “High School Musical” dinner theatre experience from happening is if Jay Rasulo, the head of Disney Parks & Resorts, refuses to buy into WDW’s Entertainment’s idea. After all, Jay’s the guy who then has to persuade Bob Iger to sign off on the project. And then there’s the Chelsea Property Group. If Disney can’t persuade CPG to first lease them the Dixie Stampede theatre at a very low price and then includes language in this contract that allows the Mouse to quickly opt out of that deal should the public suddenly lose interest in HSM … This show ain’t happening.
But that said … Wouldn’t it cool if WDW Entertainment could actually pull this off? So that you could then board an East High bus at your Disney World resort for the trip over to the “High School Musical” dinner theatre experience?
Your thoughts?