Say Goodbye to Super Soap Weekends

[Ed]

Disney's Super Soap Weekend won't be back after this year

Scott Powers
Sentinel Staff Writer

September 30, 2008

Who's killing ABC Super Soap Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios?

It's not Zach Slater, the sometimes bad boy played by Thorsten Kaye on ABC's All My Children. He has pledged to attend this year's gathering of soap-opera stars on Nov. 15-16. So has John McBain, the sometimes suspect character played by Michael Easton on One Life to Live.

Yet as Walt Disney World prepares to host about 30 daytime-drama characters at this year's Super Soap Weekend, there's a shocking plot twist in sight: The event won't return in 2009. Healthy and popular in this episode, it'll be dead by the next.

Brian Frons, president of Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group, appears to be the one writing Super Soap out of Disney World's script after 15 years.

In a news release issued Monday, Frons said ABC wants to send its soap stars on a national promotional tour next year, rather than sponsor a single weekend at Disney World. "Our fans have told us they want us in their neighborhoods," he stated, adding: "We thank Walt Disney World for being a wonderful host and partner, and look forward to our plans to send Super Soap off with a bang."

Rilous Carter, Disney World vice president for Disney's Hollywood Studios, is promising that this year's event will be a fitting finale.

But will the tour succeed? Is there a chance the soaps might return to Disney World in 2010? Stay tuned.

[DizneyRox]

Buh-bye

Never a fan of SSW. On the off chance we were there, the crowds seemed to put a real damper on things. I guess I can't make much sense of spending a day on a ticket for the opportunity to stand in insane lines for an autograph.

I really hope that they aren't announcing a finale in hopes to drum up attendence and bilk us out of money in this economy. Then say, "Oh, we heard you, we'll do this again..."

Maybe SWW are next!

[Ian]

Buh-bye

Never a fan of SSW ...

[JPL]

Yeah really have no interest in it all.


On another note regarding special weekends, they are also suppose to announce that this year will be the final Star Wars Weekends according to some sources.

[KylesMom]

they are also suppose to announce that this year will be the final Star Wars Weekends according to some sources.

Now that would be a real tragedy!

[GrumpyFan]

On another note regarding special weekends, they are also suppose to announce that this year will be the final Star Wars Weekends according to some sources.

Haven't heard this one. But, I can't imagine why they would end this. It has become one of the most popular events in the last few years.

[readytogo2]

could ESPN weekend be going away too? no dates have been announced for 2009 yet

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Actually, SWW is the most popular event on property.

They made over $1 Million in sales over the weekends. Which is a lot when you think that it's only open on Fri-Sat, for a few hours each day, for like 4 weeks.

As for SSW, I'm surprised. There are going to be a lot of upset fans out there. I feel sorry for Jack, the Special Events VP who will have to deal with them.

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . As for SSW, I'm surprised. There are going to be a lot of upset fans out there. I feel sorry for Jack, the Special Events VP who will have to deal with them . . .

1) Nah.
2) Disney will produce some kind of "survey".
3) The surveys somehow always support Disney's cutbacks (oops, "changes").
4) Just like the surveys to
. . . make SWW a national tour
. . . reduce live performers
. . . eliminate tip and appy's from DDP
. . . end of some live shows
. . . etc
. . . etc
. . . etc

[JPL]

I believe Star Wars Weekends has alot to do with Lucas as well as Disney. I am not saying it's written in stone that it is going away but just something that is floating around from a few sources.

Rusty,
My favorite so-called survey was the one that eliminated chocolate from the P&PP last year saying that guests were not interested in getting chocolate unless it was the Halloween Party

[lockedoutlogic]

Good Riddance to park clutter....in my opinion....

I don't think the soap crowd really did what Disney had envisioned.....

which is of course to go into gift shops and buy lots of junk.....

which is pretty much the same vision they have for everyone.

The soap travelers seemed to tend to come for just the weekend and go only to MGM.....they really were there only for the picture and autograph lines. At least that was the perception when i worked there.

[JPL]

They made over $1 Million in sales over the weekends. Which is a lot when you think that it's only open on Fri-Sat, for a few hours each day, for like 4 weeks.

Sadly this is Chump change to Disney and I'm sure a portion of that went to Lucas for Licensing rights.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Actually, $1M over a matter of 11 days isn't chump change at all. And I believe they said it was more like $1.5M for last year.

That is a lot. Even the Emporium has trouble getting that in one week, and we are the number one store for sales on property. Granted they still hold the record at $2.4M.

And that is just from the merchandise. That doesn't include the admissions, the food, and everything else the people who come to SWW pay to be here, when they are coming JUST for that reason, as opposed to the regular families who are visiting MK as part of their regular vacation.

It's like when they took out Jedi Mickey....for one day. They had so many complaints that they had to pull him back in for the other days because people were furious that he was gone. I think if they canceled SWW, Disney would have a lot of extremely irate and upset Guests. They know better because SWW brings people to the parks who wouldn't normally come. It's the same for ESPN - they might remove it or relocate it, but I don't think they would end it completely.

[lockedoutlogic]

if you read the annual reports to stockholders....

1 million dollars is.....literally....chump change for WDW

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

Yes....overall, but not when compared to what other, MAJOR MERCHANDISE stores do.

MouseGears, Emporium, WoD - none of them can touch what SWW does in the short period they are open - 11 days out of the year, for maybe 8 hours and they do over $1,500,000

Emporium - open from 1/2 hour before park opening to 1 hour after (let's say a figure of around 10 hours a day) - averages around $800-900K for a week during moderate seasons. So comparatively, it's nowhere close.

Trust me when I say them removing SWW would be one of the biggest mistakes for that park to do.

[JPL]

Trust me when I say them removing SWW would be one of the biggest mistakes for that park to do.

It's not totally Disney's decision. Lucas has a big say in this as well and might I add gets a nice chunk of the $1.5 Million as well.

[goofgal]

From ABC's point of view, this makes sense. The soap opera is a dying form. The revenues generated are a fraction of what they were 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. New viewers are desperately needed or the genre WILL die.

Having been at the Studios during this event, it is my observation that it is completely packed with soap fans, so much so that it is hard to get to any of the soap events. The huge crowds tend to scare off non-soap visitors, so the potential for exposing the genre to potential new viewers is shrinking as this event gets more and more popular. Basically, the way it is not, it's an expensive "perk" for current viewers rather than a vehicle to promote the genre to potential new viewers.

By taking this "on the road", they are greatly increasing the exposure to the general public, thereby potentially earning new viewers. They can still sell the merchandise (maybe not as much, but still), but won't have nearly the overhead. Don't forget, even though they are making money on this, they are still paying for luxury accomodations for 20-25 stars, probably as many if not more staff, etc.

[Mackflava99]

I wont shed a tear for SSw weekends- but obviously some peole like them-
But if they get rid of SWW then i'd be royally upset-
It is such a terrific event

[lockedoutlogic]

I wouldn't flinch one bit if star wars weekends went as well....


let's face it. Star Wars was an iconic American thing until about 1998....

then they released 3 terrible movies....completely without heart or any feeling because they were created almost entirely inside a microprocessor....

but the madness didn't end......cartoons on a generally uniteresting period of the genre....then this cartoon movie that bombed like a B-2....

and now we get more of the merchandise slinging dribble in a new cartoon series this week....

Lucas took something great and busted it down to a laughing stock....

Star Wars Weekends...to me....is a reminder of what once was great.......and what it had become.

just my two cents

[Grizz16]

soap operas =