Magic Kingdom already has “it’s a small world.”
![PS-laugh.jpg](https://i1.wp.com/www.mikerindersblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PS-laugh.jpg?resize=603%2C370)
Magic Kingdom already has “it’s a small world.”
I think this is a great idea!! Much like you I try to avoid using my phone at the parks but it’s becoming more difficult with the MDE app. Having it all on my wrist would be way easier!!2021
MagicBand Watch
Summer 2021
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This will be a quick elevator pitch for new technology Trying something different!
The Disney MagicBands since 2013 or so have become a central part of your Resort and Theme Park experience at the Walt Disney World Resort. They are your ticket into the park, your resort room key, charging card, and more.
But what about people who like to wear Apple Watches? Or just a watch in general to quickly check the time? What if the Disney MagicBand doubled as a Magic Watch?!
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When in Disney World - I try to use as little phone time as possible, but in past trips, I'm constantly looking at it either to see what ride times are, or check on fastpasses or dining, and due to our Generation's connection to our cellular devices, inevitably search the web while I'm on the phone. I'm guilty of that, even though I like to be tech-free when it comes to Disney vacations, the last few trips have been tough.
However, if on my MagicWatch, all my itineraries popped up with alerts (ie FastPass for Soarin' at 3:30PM, dinner at Rose and Crown at 5:00PM -- I wouldn't have to check my phone. With all the info from the MyDisneyExperience account linked to my band watch, in addition to my park pass, credit card, and room access -- there wouldn't be much of a need to check my phone except for emergencies etc, though maybe there can be a way to link your phone to the watch similar to an Apple Watch so you can take those calls. Maybe toss in a pedometer for good measure...as well as, you know...the time of day
Only thing the phone would be used for is pictures, but then again, there is PhotoPass+ on your wrist.
Similar to the MagicBand add ons -- I could see this initially being an upcharge feature (Disney sure does love those) As of now you can customize your MagicBand for various prices. For an Apple Watch style MagicBand, unfortunately I could see this add-on running steep depending on demand. Especially given the price just to customize it with a character and your name being $30....I'm thinking $75-100 per band watch?
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Though if the tech catches on - maybe it could be a feature eventually in all MagicBands and not an add-on who knows.
I'm curious to see what people think of this and if they would actually use it. We haven't had a 'technology' upgrade yet for the 50th and I was thinking given a decent amount of time between the MagicBand implementation and 2021, and given they have already changed the design of the MagicBand to look more like a watch, it could be an interesting feature.
Thanks for reading and check back tonight for another edition to the 50 for 50th as we close in on our final stretch run of additions!
2021
Mickey's PhilharMagic Refurbishment
Summer 2021
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Mickey's PhilharMagic replaces Legend of the Lion King in 2003 and was met with very good reviews, and a reputation for being the best '3D show' at the Walt Disney World Resort. Nevertheless, with almost 20 years of mileage on it at this point in time, the attraction has become a bit predictable, and with the new Disney Renaissance of films and songs, the attraction could use a tune up for the 50th anniversary. With that said, rather than making the attraction one note, as in the same songs each time, in the refurbishment, there will be 3 show possibilities the guests can see.
Classical - Including Disney films and songs pre-1990s
Renaissance - Including Disney films and songs in the 1990s
New Renaissance - Including Disney films and songs in the 2010s
While each one of those shows follows a set narrative, the variability of seeing random shows not only offers guests more re-rideability for the attraction, but also now includes a wider variety of songs, now not restricted to a handful for one show. Other than that - the attraction will stay essentially the same (if it aint broke, don't fix it) with the queue and plot lines still revolving around Donald and Mickey's hat.
Queue and Preamble
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The theater doors open. Mickey Mouse is performing with his PhilharMagic Orchestra at the Fantasyland Concert Hall. Inside, there are posters advertising the Concert Hall's past productions and performers, such as Hadesfrom Hercules, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Genie from Aladdin, Wheezy from Toy Story 2, Willie the Whale from Make Mine Music, The Three Caballeros, The Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. Upon entering the theater's lobby, guests pick up their "opera glasses". During their wait, guests hear orchestral music from Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, and other Disney animated films.
Goofy is the Concert Hall's stage manager and admits the guests into the main theater, where final preparations for the performance are underway. Minnie Mouse then tells the guests to put on their "opera glasses." Minnie then realizes that Donald Duck has gone missing and goes to tell Mickey. Goofy then raises the curtain to reveal that the stage is empty, except for a conductor's podium and Donald, who is sleeping in a box. Mickey races onto the stage in a hurry, quickly telling Donald to unpack the instruments. Mickey places his famous Sorcerer's hat on the podium, then leaves, telling Donald, "Don't forget the orchestra. And don't touch my hat!"
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Classical Version
10 minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
You Can Fly
Peter Pan
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, guests go to Peter Pan, where the chorus is singing "You Can Fly" from the film. Peter sprinkles pixie dust on Donald, which gives him the ability to fly. As you soar through the clouds, the hat appears to fly next to you but drops into the ocean below. Donald and the guests dive down into the ocean below.
Song #2
Under the Sea
The Little Mermaid
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As the hat sinks 'under the sea' Sebastian greets Donald and the guests with a symphony of the song "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. As the song continues, Donald attempts to get the ever illusive hat back, but it continues to float away before an eel comes around and zaps Donald as the screen goes to black.
Song #3
Bare Necessities
The Jungle Book
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You wake up in a Jungle floating in a river next to Baloo as he begins to sing the song "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book. As all the jungle animals join in to dance along, the hat makes its way up a tree and you follow Donald up to the top of the tree where the music fades away and the bright sunny sky fades to a moonlite night sky with a bright shining star in the distance.
Song #4
When You Wish Upon a Star
Pinocchio
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Jiminy Cricket tells Donald, as Donald sits there worried that he lost the hat, that he should let his conscious be his guide. "When You Wish Upon a Star" begins as Donald and the guests reach closer and closer to the shining star as the song continues in the background before the light from the star transitions into the next scene.
Song #5
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Fantasia
The dark comes back for a second. When the light focuses, we find ourselves in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, where Donald has shrunk. The walking brooms come in, spilling water on Donald. Guests feel the water on their laps, which triggers hidden water sprayers in the back of the seats. A broom Donald's size comes in, carrying a big bucket. Donald snatches the bucket away, but only gives it back when a giant broom comes in. The giant broom spills water on Donald. He encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
Renaissance
10 minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
The Bells of Notre Dame
Hunchback of Notre Dame
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, Donald is tossed into a Paris street where the tale of Quasi Modo is told, and Donald sees the hat race up into the bell tower above. As the tale is told through song, Donald climbs up the side of Notre Dame, and sees the bells furiously ringing as the song closes, but accidentally gets hit with one of the bells and the screen goes to black.
Song #2
Be Our Guest
Beauty and the Beast
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The light comes back on thanks to Lumiere, who begins to sing "Be Our Guest". Guests can smell the food, triggering hidden smell cannons in the theater, and when the bottles pop, they feel a quick blast of wind in their faces surrounded by cakes, which triggers hidden air cannons in the back of the seats. One of the bottles pops Donald and the audience up into the sky where they float among the clouds and land on Aladdin's Magic Carpet.
Song #3
A Whole New World
Aladdin
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Guests go to Aladdin, where Aladdin and Jasmine are singing "A Whole New World." Donald sees the hat, but unfortunately, the hat gets knocked away by Iago, and Donald jumps after it landing in the middle of a training ground.
Song #4
I'll Make a Man Out of You
Mulan
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After Donald jumps for the hat it gets tossed away deeper into the forest, and you are now in the world of Mulan as "I'll Make a Man Out of You" is being sung in the background. Dodging and ducking (pardon the pun) Donald races after the hat into the lush forest and thinks he has grabbed the hat as the screen goes black and the music stops.
Song #5
The Circle of Life
The Lion King
"Hey Timon, what's this?" you hear as the screen is still black, it comes back and you see Pumbaa trying to eat the hat "Doesn't taste like chicken" Donald flips out but his screech starts lines up with the start the bellowing sounds of "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King and his yell is deafened to the audience, as the herd races towards Pride Rock, as Donald is picked up by a flock of birds and you soar towards the finale as the music swells and He encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside a whirlwind from before as the hat is held up by Rafiki on top of Pride Rock, and he finds himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
New Renaissance
10 Minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
We Know The Way
Moana
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, we land on a Polynesian vessel as "We Know The Way" is sung by Moana and other characters from the film, as they point Donald in the direction of the hat. Donald looks up at it and guests can smell the 'sea of the ocean breeze' as Donald tries to not tip over to get the hat. He eventually does and you go into the ocean without the hat.
Song #2
When We're Human
The Princess and the Frog
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When you pop up from the ocean you have transitioned into a New Orleans bayou as characters from The Princess and the Frog sing "When We're Human" which is ironic to Donald being an anthropomorphic figure himself. Donald continues down the bayou to find the hat and sees a glowing light at the end of the river, and heads for it.
Song #3
I See The Light
Tangled
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The light ends up being a lantern from the film Tangled, as Rapunzel sings "I See The Light" from the film. Her and Flynn sit in their canoe together as they allow Donald to join in for a touching moment in the attraction. As Donald and the guests look around the floating lanterns, the hat can be seen taking one of their places and Donald goes after it but is accidentally attached to a floating lantern and goes off into the sky again.
Song #4
Let it Go
Frozen
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Donald notices the night sky change to snow and he starts shivering as he hits a snowy mountain side and the guests and Donald snow tube on the lantern down the mountain and towards Elsa who is singing "Let It Go" from Frozen. As snow falls from the top of the theater, and 4D effects surround the guests with chills and ambiance, Elsa blasts snow into the mountain and the hat comes crashing down out of Donald's grasp, but as he almost jumps to get it, she provides an ice slide for him and the guests to careen down.
Song #5
Untitled Song from Film in 2019/2020 that will probably be the new hit
Untitled Film in 2019/2020 that will probably be the new hit
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Yada Yada Yada, good song, funny Donald moment, kids love it. Then...Donald encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
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That was actually pretty fun to write, I hadn't done a PhilharMagic redo before, but I think in the next few years or so it definitely needs some sort of update to remain at the pinnacle of 3D shows in WDW. And it's a chance to include some characters that might not see a true attraction anytime soon.
Thank you for reading - hope you enjoyed, comment below with any feedback and tune in for more content as the day goes on!
Ooh nice one! Didn't even think of that!I really like the idea of there being three versions of the show, I would love it if this happened, I have a proposal for the 5th song of the New Renaissance that may be a little crazy but maybe it can be “Un Poco Loco” as it would be a cute nod to The Three Caballeros and it’s a really energetic and funny!
Looking forward to seeing what you have in store!First of all, I absolutely adore Airplane!, so kudos for throwing in a reference there.
Second, I always thought it would be easier to just flat-out re-model the TTC. Ah, but my stance on that will come quite later in my own thread....maybe in between MK and EPCOT....
Thank you! That's my thought as well...infinity stones emit energy, they also were hired to protect batteries for the Sovereign in the first 10 mins of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, so something like that to tie it back into energy I would guess would be the route they take. Not that I'm too thrilled with it being in Future World but we can't stop that haha. Brave all the credit goes to @MonorailRed she suggested it and I think that'd be a nice addition over in the UK, something small.Wow, so much stuff has happened on this thread!
The first thing I thought when I heard about GotG in Epcot, my first thought (after being annoyed and baffled) was that 'Hmm infinity stones are the universe's energy, so maybe someone smarter than me can do something with that.' I feel like an interactive post-show about use of energy and the need for us to 'guard' it ourselves would be a good addition, because as you said, a coaster can't really do much on this front.
Brave is a pretty good choice for the UK pavilion! I live in Scotland, and I remember when Visit Scotland made a deal with Disney to use Brave in their advertising campaigns.
I also like what you did with Philharmagic. When I envision a possible refurb, I always think of making the show completely random, but your version of having 3 separate 'shows' is cool and allows for a more cohesive experience.
Can wait for what you guys do next!
I can never turn down a nighttime parade!! I am excited to hear more about this!!Main Street Spectacle of Lights: New Nighttime Parade
Awesome! You won't have to wait long because it's the next project entryI can never turn down a nighttime parade!! I am excited to hear more about this!!
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