We have been missing the Citizens of Hollywood a little bit extra today.
The Citizens of Hollywood used to roam the streets of Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard. These entertainers embodied the essence of Hollywood in the 1930s and ’40s and interacted with visitors in Hollywood Studios. The Citizens used to include gossip columnists, reporters, policemen, and many others whose interactions with each other and with visitors would make people laugh. Unfortunately, we have not seen the Citizens of Hollywood for quite some time, and we think we know why.
In 2020, Disney World shut down for four months due to the pandemic. When the parks finally re-opened, they were very different in order to follow guidelines.
Face coverings had to be worn both inside and outside, you needed to social distance, certain rides and dining locations did not open right away, and entertainment was cut.
Even today, some experiences, such as the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Disney Springs and the Grand Floridian, have yet to reopen.
The pandemic challenged Disney to think of ways to keep its Cast Members safe. Given the guidelines at the time, close interactions with guests would not be allowed. It took some time for entertainment offerings to start returning to the parks. For example, the Beauty and the Beast Stage show in Hollywood Studios did not return until 2021, and Fantasmic! did not return until 2022.
It is hard to imagine the Magic Kingdom without fireworks, but it took a year for fireworks to start to light up the sky again as they restarted in July of 2021.
Some shows and entertainment offerings are yet to return. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid closed and never re-opened after the parks opened. The good news is that a new show, “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure,” is set to debut later this year!
It seems that the pandemic really messed up entertainment offerings, as Disney realized that the parks could still run and bring in guests even with limited offerings.
While the Citizens of Hollywood have yet to make a full return to the park, they were spotted in 2022 cheering on runners during runDisney’s Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.
As sad as it is, it seems unlikely that the Citizens of Hollywood will return. Entertainment at the parks has just seen a huge shift. And with the number of cuts we’ve seen Disney making, we fear our beloved Citizens of Hollywood will not return. But it is not just Disney World that has entertainment cuts. This summer, Disneyland saw a huge reduction in entertainment offerings as Club Pixar removed dancers and Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts had its final performance in June.
We love the kinetic energy that entertainment brings to the parks; it makes you feel like you are part of the story. While we are glad that a lot of entertainment has returned, we can’t help but mourn what we lost.
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Citizens of Hollywood was one of the greatest things in ALL of Disney World. The fact that they are no longer at studios makes this park the LAST on my list, and the one I spend the LEAST amount of time in. I used to visit (yearly) and this park was #1 on my list solely b/c of the Citizens!
Bring back the Citizens of Hollywood, PLEASE!!!
The Disney corporation is too cheap to pay benefits to human beings. My family seriously misses not only the Citizens of Hollywood who are hilarious and bring life to HS, but the Citizens of Main Street at the MK. We’re also old enough to remember the joy that Push the Talking Trash Can brought to MK and Wes Palm brought to AK. All gone…
We miss The Citizens of Hollywood. They were such an awesome part of Hollywood Studios. We are annual passholders and each time we go to Disney World and go to Hollywood Studios we always hope to see them again. Disney should consider having them return. I’m sure a lot of Disney guests feel the same way.
They were certainly one of the best things at Walt Disney World, and one of the only reasons we visited that Park, particularly in more recent years.
Shame on Disney for this. Do better. They used to be the gold standard.
We loved the Citizens of Hollywood! Whenever we went to Hollywood Studios we would try to catch at least one of their performances. They were always entertaining but the best part was when they interacted with guests, one on one, spontaneously reacting to a random comment from a guest. Improv at it’s best!