The Spirit Takes the Fifth ...

[WDW1974]

One review I read called the movie a "test run for the inevitable Broadway show". Every person I have talked to who has seen the movie - critic or not - has talked about how the songs have been stuck in their heads for days.

My kids saw the movie once and haven't heard the songs since then. I heard them both belting out "Let It Go" last night.

I suppose if you don't like Broadway tunes, the songs won't appeal. But objectively, this is the most musical Disney film since Beauty and the Beast.

why don't you send a free ticket to @Lee and let him be the judge? The boy done loves showtunes ... and, as I am sure you know by now, has an amazing singing voice.

Could I see this on Broadway? Sure. But not on the strength of the music. But DD's husband would be a better judge!

 

[WDW1974]

Having read the books as well, Iagree h you 100%. As far as Judith, if she is still alive i think its a cop out. Not that I would be happy about it but I feel like if they didn't kill her, that means they think the audience can't handle that. And you're right about Hershel! His character was way more to the show because the acting was so good!

She is alive. One of the kids picked her up and she is likely on the bus. ... But if the whole point is surviving the apocalypse to kill that baby would truly be disgusting simply because Kirkman is a disgusting little fanboi weasel who has become a hugely paid 'talent' because of the success of the show -- not his comics. Do you get that I don't like him? I am not alone. Loved how he was ignored for 10 minutes at the start of Talking Dead while the talent sorta pretended he wasn't there and he was seething the entire time (yes, I may know someone who was in the studio Sunday night!)

 

[steve2wdw]

Tangled's melodies are far more suited for Broadway. "Mother Knows Best" was probably MY favorite (for lyrics and melody) and the most Disney melody is "At Last I See the Light". A shame it didn't win the Oscar. Frozen would need a whole lot of work to work on Broadway. "Let it Go" is just a "Defying Gravity" wannabe.

 

[aladdin2007]

Tangled's melodies are far more suited for Broadway. "Mother Knows Best" was probably MY favorite (for lyrics and melody) and the most Disney melody is "At Last I See the Light". A shame it didn't win the Oscar. Frozen would need a whole lot of work to work on Broadway. "Let it Go" is just a "Defying Gravity" wannabe.

Let it Go was about the only descent thing on the soundtrack in my opinion. The other songs seemed weak, abruptly came to an end, were short in general, and just awkward. I dont quite understand all the praise but it does seem more musical in essence. There was really nothing disney-ish in the music whatsoever, to me anyway. Certainly nothing memorable, except maybe let it go. I didnt even notice a reocurring theme, which is what use to set the whole tone/feel for disneys animated features.

 

[George]

Frozen was a very good movie though.

 

[steve2wdw]

There was really nothing disney-ish in the music whatsoever, to me anyway. Certainly nothing memorable, except maybe let it go. I didnt even notice a reocurring theme, which is what use to set the whole tone/feel for disneys animated features.

Yes....pretty much this, exactly. This movie really didn't NEED any of these songs. It would have been fine as a non-musical, and probably even better.

 

[Rodan75]

Will answer this out of order because I saw it and I have a pile of breathless fanboi notes on the subject.

I don't think Disney will do a whole lot with Indy right now. They're not that interested in the franchise. Ford, who is ancient, has really pushed for one more film (after years of not wanting to do the fourth!) and he'll likely get it. But after that? It's dead. Shia Le Beoff (do not care whether that is remotely correct) is no talent and isn't replacing Harrison. Do they try and reboot? Maybe down the line. But their interest isn't that high. Star Wars is where they are concerned.

And despite what fanbois want, Disney hasn't seriously considered a new Indy attraction since plans for Paris died over a decade ago.

I wouldn't be surprised if they churn out an Indy movie between SW VII and VIII and reboot the whole thing as either a movie series or cable/netflix series by 2020. Indy has the best odds of breaking out as the next 'Pirates' style franchise...and is ripe for a new round of exploitation.

BTW my thoughts on your acquistion rumor would be another cable asset either the rest of A&E or Starz. I think Disney needs more adult non-sports assets to leverage to stabilize TV revs.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Frozen was a very good movie though.

I'm surprised Icee wasn't an official sponsor. You know they could have gotten an extra $5 for their $6 drink.

 

[Cody5242]

Spirited Frozen Thoughts:

Saw it. Liked it. Liked it a lot. Easily the best piece of work to come out of WDFA since the 1990s. Animation was great, story was generally well done (there were some holes), sidekicks were generally not annoying (although the trolls reminded me an awful lot of the gargoyles in Hunchback) and music was good, but beyond "Let It Go'' not at all memorable.

That probably would be the weakest part of a wonderful film. In every film from 1989's Little Mermaid to 1999's Tarzan there were multiple songs that stuck with you, some that literally were seared into your consciousness. That wouldn't be Frozen.

Still, that's more of a quibble. The music wasn't bad. And as many Pixar films have shown, music doesn't have to equate with a great film. Now, is The Snow Queen (what the film is and should have been called) a great film? I dunno. It stands head and shoulders above many good films that Disney has put out (Meet The Robinsons, Princess and Frog, Tangled, Wreck It Ralph) while climbing back from the edge of the abyss. BUT ... I'll have to let it simmer inside for a bit before deciding how good it was. Obviously, though, that is a very good sign.

As for the 'Get a Horse' short, I loved it (no, didn't see it in 3D). No, it didn't fool me into thinking it was 1928 again (I'm an ancient Spirit so I was around before Mickey! ... Here's a secret, Walt didn't really like Oswald!) but I liked the look and style and the 'surprises' (no spoilers, please) associated with it. One thing that bothered me: Horace wearing a Captain America shirt. That was Iger ego all the way. All about the Disney BRANDS. I wasn't aware of this 'rotten fanboi egg' being tossed into the short. Still, it was superb.

I don't see how Oscar doesn't go to Disney for both of the above.

Like I keep saying, the film will grow on you. For the First Time in Forever and Do You Want to Build a Snowman were the standout songs for me

 

[Funmeister]

I wouldn't be surprised if they churn out an Indy movie between SW VII and VIII and reboot the whole thing as either a movie series or cable/netflix series by 2020. Indy has the best odds of breaking out as the next 'Pirates' style franchise...and is ripe for a new round of exploitation.

BTW my thoughts on your acquistion rumor would be another cable asset either the rest of A&E or Starz. I think Disney needs more adult non-sports assets to leverage to stabilize TV revs.

Netflix could be a target. The company has wanted an on-demand presence for years. There was the ill-fated Disney set top box that was tested in Orlando years ago. They sold movies (codes) at 7-11 and other retailers. You bought the code and it was either valid for so many viewings or was based on a time limit. I think it only had three or four views. Then you would buy it again if you wanted to watch it more.

I do not know if Netflix would be a serious consideration. Just threw that out there based on how bad and how much they invested in on-demand technology back then.

For all I know they could buy Nintendo IP....Super Mario Bros.? Zelda? Metroid? Hmmmmmmmm

I would take THAT Island over Toon Lagoon ANY day!

 

[PhotoDave219]

If they totally imploded Tomorrowland Speedway for Alice and Wreck-it Ralph, I don't think anyone would bat an eye

Alice maze
Alice dark ride
Cheshire Cat family coaster (theming and swooping)
Red Queen dining hall
Tea Cups relocated and enclosed (neon and SFX are added)
Wreck-it Ralph E-ticket (MIB:AA meets Test Track)

Over... a gas-guzzling kiddie ride

Not to mention Storybook Circus where Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is (Mickey fun house C-ticket and Dueling Dumbos), Little Mermaid upgraded to E-ticket status, BATB area and Tangled bathrooms are same as is, Snow White stays as is but gets a massive facelift while World Dr. is reworked to allow for Frozen and Giants (the next Disney musical) to get a shoot-the-chutes (38" height requirement) and mini-ToT (34") respectively.

In the end... you get 3-5 additions with ZERO replacements but TDO would never think like this lol

Every five year old boy and girl wants to drive a car on the speedway. Why? Because they get to drive. Mom & dad (& mom's weird friend that she kisses in the bad place that I'm not allowed to talk about) all get to drive.... so thats what kids WANT to do.

So No, the speedway stays because thats what a five year old wants.

And when you say "I don't agree"... just suck it up.

 

[Funmeister]

Every five year old boy and girl wants to drive a car on the speedway when they see a car on a speedway to drive! Can you imagine the outrage of five year old guest comment cards at guest relations?

It is time for it to go.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I agree mostly with @lebeau about The Walking Dead finale, although I have never read the comic, so my perspective is a little bit different. I'm used to shows dragging things out forever and/or making big promises in the promos, but having nothing really change. I liked the finale because it actually moved the story forward. No more prison. No more Hershel. No more Governor. I agree with Spirit that if they kill major characters off every week, it would get old fast... but this was within my tolerance for that sort of thing. It makes a lot of sense that the Governor's second family was actually his first family from the comics, but I didn't mind it this way. I took it as a sign that the Governor was an unredeemable character by that point. He finds a sweet little girl that must remind him soooo much of his daughter (that connection was obvious before I knew of the comic storyline), he's running his new group, and he should be in the "honeymoon" period with this new family, but he'd rather leave them alone so he can shoot up the prison. I was really worried that the return of the Governor was going to last the entire rest of the season (maybe more). I'm thrilled to see something new.

 

[yeti]

Spirited Frozen Thoughts:

Saw it. Liked it. Liked it a lot. Easily the best piece of work to come out of WDFA since the 1990s. Animation was great, story was generally well done (there were some holes), sidekicks were generally not annoying (although the trolls reminded me an awful lot of the gargoyles in Hunchback) and music was good, but beyond "Let It Go'' not at all memorable.

That probably would be the weakest part of a wonderful film. In every film from 1989's Little Mermaid to 1999's Tarzan there were multiple songs that stuck with you, some that literally were seared into your consciousness. That wouldn't be Frozen.

Still, that's more of a quibble. The music wasn't bad. And as many Pixar films have shown, music doesn't have to equate with a great film. Now, is The Snow Queen (what the film is and should have been called) a great film? I dunno. It stands head and shoulders above many good films that Disney has put out (Meet The Robinsons, Princess and Frog, Tangled, Wreck It Ralph) while climbing back from the edge of the abyss. BUT ... I'll have to let it simmer inside for a bit before deciding how good it was. Obviously, though, that is a very good sign.

As for the 'Get a Horse' short, I loved it (no, didn't see it in 3D). No, it didn't fool me into thinking it was 1928 again (I'm an ancient Spirit so I was around before Mickey! ... Here's a secret, Walt didn't really like Oswald!) but I liked the look and style and the 'surprises' (no spoilers, please) associated with it. One thing that bothered me: Horace wearing a Captain America shirt. That was Iger ego all the way. All about the Disney BRANDS. I wasn't aware of this 'rotten fanboi egg' being tossed into the short. Still, it was superb.

I don't see how Oscar doesn't go to Disney for both of the above.

I would argue that the music and songs are absolutely essential to a standout WDASFF. They're movie musicals. I don't see Pixar ever stepping foot in those waters. Some critics who liked the film are passing the music off as "meh", while praising the story and visuals, which irks me.

It's sorta like how PatF would have been truly up to par with the big cheese if they hadn't chosen Randy Newman. The songs literally affect how the story unfolds; it's usually where a lot of major plot development occurs. I think, for instance, that Howard Ashman had a greater creative influence on what became TLM than he was credited for. They need a dynamite lyricist who knows how to work with and generate characters on the same page. Frozen, while the story itself was fresh and exciting (especially the ending), it just had some finely animated musical interludes with unremarkable lyrics.

Let it Go's been stuck in my head for days, so there's that. I'm not sure if it's 'Hard out here for a Pimp" enough for Oscar though!

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Every five year old boy and girl wants to drive a car on the speedway. Why? Because they get to drive. Mom & dad (& mom's weird friend that she kisses in the bad place that I'm not allowed to talk about) all get to drive.... so thats what kids WANT to do.

So No, the speedway stays because thats what a five year old wants.

And when you say "I don't agree"... just suck it up.

WDW has the room for this attraction. They could certainly do it better (just look at Disneyland's), but there's no reason to get rid of it. Make the track layout interesting. Get the electric vehicles from HKDL. Put in some props and landscaping... it really wouldn't be hard to make it fit Tomorrowland.

 

[doctornick]

New Fantasyland could have easily been improved by adding an updated, multi-leveled version of Snow Whites Scary Adventures, into the new Mine Train ride. Having those two attractions, intertwined, would have been really interesting. Imagine seeing those little dark ride carts, emerging out around the mountain in various spots, while the coaster cars go whizzing by. There would seem to be plenty of "nooks and crannies" that this could have been squeezed in without much effort. That one addition to the new "peak" would have created another level of depth to the whole area.

I always envisioned a Sleeping Beauty dark ride buried in one corner of the mountain (thinking the corner closes to BatB since the track is at its highest there) to finally give that franchise a real presence and because it fits well with the "forest" theme of the FLE. But your idea sounds pretty cool.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I think, for instance, that Howard Ashman had a greater creative influence on what became TLM than he was credited for.

Indeed he was, Howard was far more than just lyricst for Mermaid and BatB. He played an essential role in character concepts, story construction and even wrote some dialogue. His influence on what Aladdin became however, was comparatively minor. At least until the current stage show decided to use more of his material.

More so than Lasseter, Howard Ashman was a "Walt" like figure who left a lasting impression and influence on those who worked with him.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I was organizing some paperwork and looking at the stack of 10-day MYW No-Expiration Park Hopper tickets I bought back in 2005. We have enjoyed using them for years and still have plenty of days left but our visits to WDW theme parks have really dropped off in the last few years. Every year, it feels as if there is less and less reason to return.

Our 10-day tickets were $378 back in 2005, $452 with inflation. Yet with stale theme parks, Disney charges $748 for those same tickets today. Doubled in 8 years; up 11.3% in 2013 alone. I just can't imagine paying Disney's prices anymore.

My family still enjoys the water parks but after this last Thanksgiving trip, DW and children all thought the WDW theme parks felt stale. We knew it was really bad when we got off the rethemed Test Track and were just so happy that something was different. As we exited, DW commented that she enjoyed it more than any other ride at WDW; that it actually felt good to experience anything at the parks that was both fun and not exactly the same as it was 5 years ago.

On the trip home, she commented it was an end of an era for us. This is the first time since the children were in diapers that we don’t have another trip already lined up even before we returned home and, after our disappointment, no one was in a hurry to plan another.

We have a trip to Southern California and Disneyland planned for next year but after this year’s WDW disappointment, it feels like Disney has lost the magic. Really thinking about cancelling our 6 nights at the Grand Californian. I know, DLR is much better but WDW has sucked so much fun out of The Mouse that it’s soured us to all things Disney.

We’ve been going a lot lately to Universal and it seems every time we visit, there’s something new to see and experience. Not just a Tangled Toilet or Fantasmic benches but substantial additions. As a life-long WDW fanatic, it pains me to think of the contrast.

All this has made me realize that WDW has lost its way. I suspect decades from now these will be known as the lean years; when prices skyrocketed, quality declined, and attractions stagnated. When $2B was wasted on a project designed to squeeze pennies out of guests without making any substantial improvements to the parks. A project designed to line the pockets of Disney's executives, not to make WDW any more fun.

I really can’t wait for Iger to leave and fervently hope Rasulo does not replace him. I find myself wishing for a CEO who understands theme parks and who to actually wants to compete with (and beat) Universal in the game of “Theme Park Wars”.

I’ll be back again for Avatarland and Star Wars Land. Until then, I don’t know. I just might be done with WDW for a few years.

Hoping the rest of you enjoy WDW till then.

 

[mahnamahna101]

Every five year old boy and girl wants to drive a car on the speedway. Why? Because they get to drive. Mom & dad (& mom's weird friend that she kisses in the bad place that I'm not allowed to talk about) all get to drive.... so thats what kids WANT to do.

So No, the speedway stays because thats what a five year old wants.

And when you say "I don't agree"... just suck it up.

Fun Spot down the road? The local go-karts in your area?

I'm half a mind PhotoDave219 is Jay Rasulo or something

Video games and Cheshire Cat>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Gas-guzzling kiddie ride that takes up 1.5 E-Ticket's worth of space for a C ticket

 

[JenniferS]

I was organizing some paperwork and looking at the stack of 10-day MYW No-Expiration Park Hopper tickets I bought back in 2005. We have enjoyed using them for years and still have plenty of days left but our visits to WDW theme parks have really dropped off in the last few years. Every year, it feels as if there is less and less reason to return.

Our 10-day tickets were $378 back in 2005, $452 with inflation. Yet with stale theme parks, Disney charges $748 for those same tickets today. Doubled in 8 years; up 11.3% in 2013 alone. I just can't imagine paying Disney's prices anymore.

My family still enjoys the water parks but after this last Thanksgiving trip, DW and children all thought the WDW theme parks felt tired. We knew it was really bad when we got off Test Track and were just so happy that something was different. As we exited, DW commented that she enjoyed it more than any other ride at WDW; that it actually felt good to experience anything at the parks that was both fun and not exactly the same as it was 5 years ago.

On the trip home, she commented it was an end of an era for us. This is the first time since the children were in diapers that we don’t have another trip already lined up even before we returned home and, after our disappointment, no one was in a hurry to plan another.

We have a trip to Southern California and Disneyland planned for next year but, after this year’s WDW disappointment, it feels like Disney has lost the magic. Really thinking about cancelling our 6 nights at the Grand Californian. I know, DLR is much better but WDW has sucked so much fun out of The Mouse that it’s soured us to all things Disney.

We’ve been going a lot lately to Universal and it seems every time we visit, there’s something new to see and experience. Not just a Tangled Toilet or Fantasmic benches but substantial additions. As a life-long WDW fanatic, it pains me to think of the contrast.

All this has made me realize that WDW has lost its way. I suspect decades from now these will be known as the lean years; when prices skyrocketed, quality declined, and attractions stagnated. When $2B was wasted on a project designed to squeeze pennies out of guests without making any substantial improvements to the parks. A project designed to line the pockets of Disney's executives, not to make WDW any more fun.

I really can’t wait for Iger to leave and fervently hope Rasulo does not replace him. I find myself wishing for a CEO who understands theme parks and who to actually wants to compete (and beat) Universal in the game of “Theme Park Wars”.

I’ll be back again for Avatarland and Star Wars Land. Until then, I don’t know. I just might be done with WDW for a few years.

Hoping the rest of you enjoy WDW till then.

This makes me sad.
Thankfully, I am not at this point. Yet.