Changes to Magic Kingdom day parade and other notes from this weekend

[JeffH]

When we saw the 3pm parade at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday, July 29th, 2006, all the globes were already gone (as I have read was planned). In their place were new structures of various sorts for each float. No new floats, just the globe removal/replacement, with the characters now standing in the open air.
I sure hope that someday the get back to stopping the parade for the kids to be part of...
The accident that stopped this did not involve a guest and was off the parade route...so it made no sense to me that they eliminate the parade participation. Furthermore, it seemed senseless that their answer to a lost cast member was to...add additional cast members (more potential targets) along the route who could possibly mis-step and fall into danger. And with the additional safety personnel to watch after the characters, you'd think that there would be even more reason to continue with the participation stops now that it should be safer with the aid of the CMs there specifically to improve safety.
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For those of you who love the character meals, note that the Epcot Norway princess and MGM Playhouse Disney (at Hollywood and Vine) character meals have been pretty much deserted, so reservations (and walk ins) are quite easy to get...go for it!
But boy is that Ariel photopackage over priced at over $30, no keychains, no fridge magnets, just a picture in a (fancy) paper frame with 4 smaller pictures.
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The fast moving line has continued to be quite healthy for the updated Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, winding around in the front "lobby" before entering the building. Wonder what drives the rekindled enthusiasm more, the great new movie or the new changes.
a couple of more update suggestions for PotC:
Leave the ghostly image of Davy Jones up all the time so you pass through it (so you can seemingly reach up and grab his tentacles).
Add a deep heartbeat as you approach the beach, and maybe THE open chest and key from the movie on the beach.
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[celestia]

about 90% of the time jones's image is still on the waterfall as you pass through it.
(at least in my experience)

 

[100 Acre HS]

As a "target" i am offended by your comment. In reality, the targets are there for your safety. We are in radio communication with the drivers just incase someone gets somewhere they shouldn't be. "Targets" are trained to be far enough away from the floats that should they mis-step they do not fall into danger. OSHA added these requirements, and while it seems silly to you that the floats do not stop and allow your child to come out in the street, you have to look at the issues that the PAC cast members experience on a daily basis just to get the street clear for the floats. People no longer understand that the show stop is over, we have to continue moving, so now we just don't stop...if you want to hug a character...go to toon town.

 

[bgraham34]

I think the parades should keep moving and not stop for Hugs and all that. I agree Toon Town is the place for that.

 

[kal1484]

I hated when the parade stopped and the kids went out into the streets. It was stupid, and it dragged the parade on WAY to long.

 

[metscool]

I notice it last week.

 

[darthjohnny]

about 90% of the time jones's image is still on the waterfall as you pass through it.
(at least in my experience)

I never pass through Davy Jones, though I want to. It either starts when my half of the boat in the front has already passed, or the water flow is going slow at that time to get the boats spaced out, so although I see it more than once, I never pass through him.

 

[wannab@dis]

The accident that stopped this did not involve a guest and was off the parade route...so it made no sense to me that they eliminate the parade participation.

Furthermore, it seemed senseless that their answer to a lost cast member was to...add additional cast members (targets) along the route who could possibly mis-step and fall into danger. And with the additional safety personnel, you'd think that there would be even more reason to continue with the participation now that it should be safer.

Those two statements seem to oppose each other. If you feel the parade is safe enough for KIDS to be there, why is it not safe for the CMs to be there? :veryconfu

Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the kids going out and participating. Too many chances for problems... with being seperated from their parents the number one concern. I applaud the changes that were made with the safety of the guests as their paramount objective.

 

[Frank Stallone]

As a "target" i am offended by your comment. In reality, the targets are there for your safety. We are in radio communication with the drivers just incase someone gets somewhere they shouldn't be. "Targets" are trained to be far enough away from the floats that should they mis-step they do not fall into danger. OSHA added these requirements, and while it seems silly to you that the floats do not stop and allow your child to come out in the street, you have to look at the issues that the PAC cast members experience on a daily basis just to get the street clear for the floats. People no longer understand that the show stop is over, we have to continue moving, so now we just don't stop...if you want to hug a character...go to toon town.

Exactly. A parade is a parade. Not a mobile meet and greet. As a former PAC cast member, the last thing I would want to deal with, once I have already cleared the path for the parade, is to have a few hundred kids run back out into the street.

I think I'll go to to toontown and ask the characters to slowly pass by me on a large float, so everything is backwards.

 

[HudsonHornet]

Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the kids going out and participating.

I agree.... I'm not a big fan of kids either.....:drevil:

 

[wannab@dis]

I agree.... I'm not a big fan of kids either.....:drevil:

Just a little selective quoting there, huh?

 

[Cynderella]

I agree.... I'm not a big fan of kids either.....:drevil:

Me neither :lookaroun

 

[DDCT4U]

the "new" floats are apart of the Disney Dreams Come True Parade, which starts in the middle of august. new choreography, new music.... it should be good. but alas, i believe we will have to wait for another day for the show stops to return.

 

[MMP]

I wouldn't mind the parade making stops for little dances and what not, but it's just chaos to pull a bunch of kids into the street. The halloween parade seems like it makes short stops for performances, like when Dopey tap dances or the cowboys dance.

 

[LilRoo714]

I wouldn't mind the parade making stops for little dances and what not, but it's just chaos to pull a bunch of kids into the street. The halloween parade seems like it makes short stops for performances, like when Dopey tap dances or the cowboys dance.

Sure, making stops for photo opportunities is one thing that may not be too bad, but for participation from the guests is another. I completely disagree with anyone that wants the parade stops back so that the kids can run into the street. This to me seems so much more dangerous than having cast members in close proximity to the floats. :brick: The parade should keep right on moving. I think that the cast's safety should always be considered as highly as the guest's safety is. :wave:

 

[DDCT4U]

next thursday

look for the new parade to start next thursday.

 

[AdLibSean]

While I thought the showstops for SADCT were beautiful when the parade first debuted, I can completely see why they are gone. However, wasn't that parade designed to have parade stops in it? What I'm getting at is- in the future, since showstops are no longer done, the parades should be designed to be longer, have more floats and a more CM's in them. Remember when Magic Kingdom really did it up with their parades? They could take a lesson from Tokyo's entertainment dept.

 

[Frank Stallone]

They should let the children come out to have a "meet and greet" with the headless horseman and his horse for the Halloween parade. Those of you that have seen the parade will most certainly agree!

Though I suppose it would be more like "Meet and trample"

 

[JeffH]

Those two statements seem to oppose each other. If you feel the parade is safe enough for KIDS to be there, why is it not safe for the CMs to be there?

No they are not,
When the kids are in the street, the floats are stopped and in absolutely NO danger except being run over by other kids or a CM.
When the floats are in motion, though, ALL CMs are in harms way, even the (obviously easily offended) "safety CMs" who are busy walking along with the parade concentrating on keeping people off the street and (primarily) watching for characters who might passout/fall and be threatened by the heavy floats. These "safety CMs" themselves are now (additionally) also in a dangerous position should they should lose track of where they are and get caught under a float themselves (aka, additional "targets")...who's watching after them?!?
I'm not saying that the "safety CMs" are a bad idea (I always feared a little kid run out into the path of the parade after a streamer or something), I just don't see the justification for eliminating the kid participation.
When the floats are stopped there is NO danger when the kids are out on the street having the fun of their lives making wonderful memories for them and their parents.
And I've never seen a problem with getting the kids off the street before the parade started back up...and with the additional safety personnel, restoring order after a stop would now be easier than ever.
Having the parade stop so that kids can participate, helps set it apart from just another parade, and the memories associated with this are what makes Disney so special.
One of my fondest memories was when my daughter was real small and they gave her a huge "Be Our Guest" pastry tray that she could barely carry over to the table (it was almost as big as she).
Fun like this is what parades are all about.
Should they close Mission Space and Rock, Rockin RollerCoaster, Splash Mountain, since no amount of "safety CMs" can prevent deaths from known and unknown preexisting conditions.
Like this, WDW shouldn't be eliminating fun experiences just because of a single accident (an unusual accident off the normal parade route)

 

[DDCT4U]

And I've never seen a problem with getting the kids off the street before the parade started back up...and with the additional safety personnel, restoring order after a stop would now be easier than ever.

clearly you have never worked a PAC shift.