I've been discussing this in depth at the main coronavirus thread, but thought it would be better discussed in this thread instead.
I really doubt that
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, like how we know it will occur in 2020. But I'm going out on a limb a little bit, and I'm predicting something
modified may be still in play.
MVMCP features a holiday inspired fireworks show, a night parade, meet & greets, specialty food treats (some included), overlay for attractions and tend to have smaller crowds overall.
I don't think Disney can pull off a Parade and Fireworks show at MK right now. People want to be front of the castle or have a vantage point where they can see it.
What I'm suggestion, is Disney shifts the Christmas party to Epcot. Epcot has the space in World Showcase to social distancing fireworks and a parade that travels around the pavilions. Call it
Mickey's Very Merry Epcot Once and Forever Christmas Party.
Here's some evidence that some party could still occur:
- All theme parks closing at 7 pm (Epcot) or earlier. This presents an opportunity for their guests to do something else.
- With the hours change, there is no opportunity to see any of the parks at night.
- Disney hasn't cancelled MVMCP yet. If this is going to be cancelled, it should be cancelled in a month.
- Epcot seems to be suffering the most. World Showcase closing at 7 pm is evidence of this. It also has the most potential to turn a profit, especially with World Showcase having places to consume alcohol.
Now there are good reasons why this won't happen that was mentioned in the other thread. Here are my answers on this:
Can Disney pull together a new party this close to November?
---I would highly speculate that Disney has been working on social distancing planning for fireworks and parades for months. They can re-use parade floats from Festival of Fantasy (and throw some Christmas stuff on it). Transportation will be tricky but not everyone will leave at once. Plus being at Epcot, there are many ways to get there (Skyliner, Walk from Boardwalk Resorts, Monorail, etc).
Can Disney do attraction overlays this close?
---Yes. Add some Santa hats on the animatronics at Frozen Ever After, throw some Christmas lights up. We're not talking about this revolutionary change. Add some theming. They should be able to do this on other attractions (maybe except for Soarin' - not going to be able to add new scenes although they would be pretty amazing).
Is there enough demand for a Christmas Party?
---If the only way to visit the parks at night is through a Christmas Party, I think so. If they don't think the demand will be high enough, they can make it higher by really eliminating the frequency of the event. Have one party once per week or twice at the most. I don't know how many visitors they will have in Nov/Dec. Epcot capacity is 110K. This means they could probably have 30K-50K at the park with pandemic restrictions. Having the only opportunity to see fireworks and a parade, will make it a must for anyone visiting during that stretch. Even at $25-$50/person, there is plenty of profit to be made. World Showcase will benefit the most by pushing the parade and fireworks towards the 10 pm.