News Wishes to be replaced with new 'Happily Ever After' nighttime spectacular

[No Name]

Good show. I love the music.

Wonderful show. I makes me wonder if Disneyland CA will consider modifying its castle - ala Hong Kong - to allow for a new canvas for projection mapping shows such as Happily Ever After. Or would modifying the DL castle be off-limits due to it being Walt's original?

Nothing is "off-limits." Disney can do whatever they want.

But they wouldn't change Sleeping Beauty's castle in DL because it would cause too much backlash. It's simply a bad idea.

 

[Biff215]

Saw the dream lights mentioned, which usually get installed late August/early September. Does anyone think this might affect HEA, particularly the pyro and effects coming from the castle? I'm wondering if it has anything to do with HEA not being on the calendar in late August, despite there being dessert parties available. They worked around the projections and fireworks before, but HEA seems to be a different animal.

 

[MassScott84]

Holding off on watching the show until I'm there. And the Mrs. is there now with her mother and even she's going to wait until we go in September!

Interesting to hear people comments and reviews. Here's the one thing I will say: If you watch a show, and are consciously waiting for it to give you goosebumps or chills, you ARE going to be disappointed. I'm picturing folks sitting at home, watching a live stream on their PC, or phone, and tapping their foot impatiently waiting for GOOSEBUMPS.

Wishes had several years to make an emotional connection. When I first saw it many years go, I enjoyed it, but it took repeated viewings and FORMING a connection to get that deep feeling that I eventually had for it.

 

[brb1006]

Just got back to my hotel. I want to affirm everything said about "Love is an Open Door" and "Go the Distance". This is a breathtaking show. You honestly can not judge it from a live stream, it needs to be seen in person. We were all blown away by the technical magnificence of it, as well as the nods and features of Disney's lesser showcased IPs. The tribute to Wishes nearly had me in tears and Tink had an incredible reveal. Everyone in our group agreed this is a more than worthy successor to Wishes and I can't wait to see it tomorrow and soak it in more.

I smiled when I heard "You'll Be In My Heart" and "Trashing The Camp" were used for this show.

 

[brb1006]

Other highlights:

1. Several times the action on the castle continued off the castle and into a fireworks effect. Very well done. And, mentioned above, it worked in reverse when a single flare lit up a star in a turret (first star I see tonight, indeed!).
2. PotC soooooo much better with HEA. With Wishes Celebrate the Magic, Jack showed up drunkenly turning around wondering what's happening, and that exact three second clip was repeated three times! It was so bad it was funny.
3. The videos from the crowd show the true successor to "Let It Go." When Moana comes on screen, the crowd is clearly heard singing along to "Where I Go."
4. They got the Made with Magic light-up accessories to work well with the show.
5. Unique firework shapes: Hearts, Moana swirls, cubes, triangles in a circle

And lion shaped fireworks.

 

[ChristianG]

I really enjoyed it. Overjoyed there's no "Let it go" segment. Also really enjoyed the pirates segment it reminds me of MM&M which was, in my opinion, a super underrated show. Can't wait to see this in person in August!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

When they show the Keyhole at the beginning of the show it reminded me of Kingdom Hearts considering it is a Big thing reflected in the Disney/Squareenix game. And when I saw the opening of the show...This came to mind and I created this....

 

[brb1006]

Where is the tribute, and what is it?!

I'm guessing as just as the Tiana Sequence starts the "Wish" rockets go off...I think?

Don't forget the finale where two fireworks move across eachother.

 

[jrhwdw]

In my, perhaps wrong, opinion..: I tend to think that Walt, inventor of the multi-plane camera, would love projection shows.

But given the smaller "canvas" it may not be practical to have a projection show. I wonder if They could also project onto Matterhorn?

Years ago, MM&Y was on Small World. But DL Forever and RDCT 2017(Man aren't we glad DL brought that back! I LOVE HEA but the Wishes music is still good!) Had wonderful projections on SBC. (MSEP on SM is MUCH BETTER than SBC. DL should have just put SM's MSEP scene on SBC!)

So Projections look just fine on SBC right now.

 

[brb1006]

Wishes will always have a special place in my heart. However, Happily Ever After blew me away. It exceeded all of my expectations. I loved that they used Hercules and Hunchback. They are so underrated. Hunchback has some of the best music (IMO). One of my favorite parts was they used Love Is an Open Door instead of Let It Go. I am so glad they did not over use Frozen. Hopefully, we are on the downswing of Frozen-mania.

I also loved the character portraits during the finale.

 

[brb1006]

Holy $%I! did they use a ton of pyro/fireworks for this new night time spectacle! My family and I gathered round the TV to watch the livestream and we were all VERY impressed and there were many "WOWs" said. THIS is the kind of great stuff DISNEY WORLD deserves being the biggest resort in the DISNEY company! Hopefully it's a sign of GREAT things to come leading up to the 50th.

Well done DISNEY!!!

You will like it even more in person.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

The show seems to have a lot of tones from Celebrate the Magic which I really like. They did a nice job blending in lots of movies without making it feel like a clip show.

 

[brb1006]

Watching again closely and sees the water fountain in the hub color coordinates to the show.

I didn't expect that to be involved with this show until I noticed that.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I'm sure many also didn't come to realize that the opening chords has a similarity to an opening of another show over at the studios...It's a bit off....But, when you hum it....It's there...

 

[huwar18]

I also loved the character portraits during the finale.

Absolutely...That part was amazing. The castle looked fantastic. I hope this is the new standard for the entertainment. It reminds me of Disneyland Entertainment.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I, for one, am ecstatic that "When You Wish Upon a Star" isn't a focus. We've waited 14 years for a new show. Let it be new.

To be fair, we hear the quintessential "When You Wish Upon a Star" chords no less than four times.

Listen to the DPB video with your headphones and the image off and enjoy all the nuance. The blending of melodies is sublime.

 

[brb1006]

Just watched it. Incredible. Love that Hunchback gets a whole scene. Biggest, worrisome omition? All golden era films and songs. Nothing from Snow White, Pinocchio, dumbo, Bambi, Alice... very odd. I think the show should have ended with when you wish upon a star because really, what more do you want from Disney than to hear that song in a grand way. Thematically doesn't fit I suppose, but man, nothing from the old movies was represented that I saw.

While I love When You Wish Upon A Star it was nice that they didn't use it for once. I heard a snippet of it at one point. I did spot Snow White and Pinocchio during the finale and Pinocchio is featured during the character portraits.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I did not like that "Wishes" was said an unmentionable amount of times and a flare each time..... okay we get it.

I would really, really echo this! I much prefer the tone of this show which relies a lot more on the classic songs and movies to provoke an emotional reaction than hammering us over the head with wishes (or magic, or dreams...). If I'm honest, I found the tone of Wishes a little soppy.

I have only seen the videos of HEA, but it seems to be on a whole new level to Wishes, with so much to take in that it seems made for repeat viewings. Then again, I never had a particularly strong emotional attachment to Wishes. What probably provokes more of an emotional response for me is that in this show they use so many of the 1990s movies and music that I grew up on such as Hunchback, Tarzan, and Hercules (a very underrated film!).

 

[brb1006]

Good show. I love the music.



Nothing is "off-limits." Disney can do whatever they want.

But they wouldn't change Sleeping Beauty's castle in DL because it would cause too much backlash. It's simply a bad idea.

Believe me, look at the Disneyland Guardians Of The Galaxy thread to see the amount of angry Disneyland fans are about TOT getting changed.

 

[Kman101]

It's a glaring omission.

It's fine without it. We heard it for nearly 15 years.

 

[brb1006]

When they show the Keyhole at the beginning of the show it reminded me of Kingdom Hearts considering it is a Big thing reflected in the Disney/Squareenix game. And when I saw the opening of the show...This came to mind and I created this....

(Insert music for sealing keyhole after finishing a world here)