Comedy Warehouse is a big win

You could sense something about the crowd in the queue was different.  

Most queues are filled with guests who are trying anything to pass the time.  Most look at park maps, discuss something that happened or will happen that day or check out what's happening on their smart phone.  But the Comedy Warehouse queue for the first show of the day on Christmas day at 11am was filled with some really eager guests.

You could sense something about the crowd in the queue was different.  

Most queues are filled with guests who are trying anything to pass the time.  Most look at park maps, discuss something that happened or will happen that day or check out what's happening on their smart phone.  But the Comedy Warehouse queue for the first show of the day on Christmas day at 11am was filled with some really eager guests.

To me, it felt like I was waiting for school to start on the first day of the year.  Comedy Warehouse shows were being brought to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the very busy Christmas week and ever since the announcement, lots of Comedy Warehouse/Adventuerer's Club fans were eager to get another taste of thieir beloved show.  When the doors to Sounds Dangerous opened and we were let in, you could tell that people in line were genuinely excited. 

Unlike say, the Disney animated shorts that are also playing in the Premier Theater that draw in random guests who happen to walk by, the Comedy Warehouse show was filled with guests who had no interest in the Tower of Terror or Star Tours.  They were here for one reason and that was to see the Comedy Warehouse shows.  The theater for that first show was packed and I can't remember the last time I saw Sounds Dangerous that filled up.  

Disney's decision to bring back the Comedy Warehouse shows was, in my opinion, a major success. Granted it's a tactic to help cope with the crowds, but Disney recognized something that really stood out to me: they knew how much the veteran Disney World fan liked this show and opted to bring it back (temporarily).  In a resort where the once-in-a-lifetime or once-every-few-years guest seems to always be catered to over the WDW veteran, the Comedy Warehouse shows are the best Christmas gift we could have asked for.

After the first show I spotted Hollywood Studios Vice President Dan Cockerell (that means he's the head of the Studios park) and chatted with him for a few minutes.  Mr. Cockerell was gracious in speaking and mentioned that he was glad to see so many guests enjoying the show.  He mentioned that the idea to bring back the Comedy Warehouse was only brought up one to two months prior to that first show and the idea basically snowballed.  Hearing that ideas like this were greenlit so quickly made me smile because I was happy to see that good ideas like this aren't left to die.

From the start of the Comedy Warehouse show to the end, the guests were into it and I'm hoping I can stop by a few more times to see their shows before they end.  While I highly doubt the Comedy Warehouse shows will last beyond New Years day, I am glad to see Disney not resorting to cheap crowd control "tricks" such as extra character meets, but putting thought in and giving us something to really relish.