Countdown to fun parade is a disapointment

[disnyfan89]

Yesterday at 3:00 a "new" parade premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios called "The Pixar Pal's Countdown to Fun Parade."

If you have not had a chance to view the parade a video of it can be found here: http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/...-day-video.htm

We have been recycling parades for over a decade now at MK with each new version getting worse and still, somehow, this parade manages to come nowhere close to the quality put out by the MK. The only good quality of this parade is the performers who will day after day give it their all.

Parades usually open up the best they can be and then slowly corrode over time. "The Countdown to Fun Parade" parade is beyond bad and it shows how current Disney Mgmt is choosing thrift over quality. It is nothing but recycled floats from a far better parade but with 1/3 the performers. Removed are the show stops, acrobatics, equity performers, and complex choreography. The music is lifted from DCA with out edit which is unfortunate especially considering the lyrics say "Play Play! Its the Play Parade" which is the title of the parade the music is from. This simply is one of the most disappointing entertainment offering presented by Disney in many years amid new wonderful shows and parades such as World of Color. The floats are all from BPB, the props are all from BPB, and the costumes are all from BPB. Makes you wonder why they discontinued BPB when they seem to love the floats and costumes from it so much. There is zero that is new in this parade.

Walt Disney Company is a leader in Family Entertainment and has been known to produce some of the finest entertainment world wide. This can be seen in such shows and parades as Parade of Dreams, Mickey Mania Parade, Fantasmic! and anything produced at the Tokyo Disney Resort. We have come to expect world class entertainment and sadly CDTF Parade does not live up to these former productions.

While we continue to run decade old parades in three of our four parks other parks continue to receive fresh, new, and innovative parades such as the Soundsational Parade coming to Disneyland this year!

Now is the time for the community as a whole to speak out. We can and do have the ability to speak loud enough to make change possible as demonstrated in the past by our friends in California. The only reason we receive parades, shows and attractions that do not fit the Disney standards is because we allow it to happen and then sit by and defend Disney's decisions.

Now is the time to speak out with words and let Disney know we expect greater entertainment offering we know they have the ability to produce. We know and expect Disney to do better because we know they can. Together we can send a message now that we value the quality Disney experience and world class entertainment we have come to love over the years.

If you feel the same please send a clear, POLITE, message to the following individuals telling them that we miss the quality entertainment of old that only Disney can produce and then invite your friends to do the same!:

Bob Iger- CEO Walt Disney Company: Robert.A.Iger@email.disney.com
Thomas O Staggs- Chairman Walt Disney Parks & Resorts: Tom.Staggs@Disney.com
Meg Crofton- President of WDW: Meg.Crofton@Disney.com
Rilous Carter- VP DHS/Spec Events: Rilous.Carter@Disney.com
Steven B Davison- VP Parades and Spectaculars: Steve.Davison@Disney.com
Christine A Allen- Show Producer SR Dir: Chrissie.A.Allen@disney.com
Kristine M Bunnell- Producer WDW Ent: Kristine.Bunnell@disney.com
Gary J Gutierrez- Producer WDW Ent: Gary.Gutierrez@disney.com
Robert J Hamberg- Producer WDW Ent: Robert.J.Hamberg@disney.com
Robert E Harding- Producer WDW Ent: Gene.Harding@disney.com
Paul A Marosi- Producer WDW Ent: Paul.Marosi@disney.com
Christopher R Pieser- Producer WDW Ent: Chris.Pieser@disney.com
Roeland A Schepers- Producer WDW Ent: Roeland.Schepers@disney.com
Steven C Secor- Producer WDW Ent: Steven.Secor@disney.com
Thomas Tryon- Producer WDW Ent: Thomas.Tryon@disney.com

Dont forget a hand written letter goes a long way!:

Mr. Robert Iger
Chief Executive Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Thomas O. Staggs
Chairman
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
C/O Team Disney Building
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4873

Meg Crofton
President
The Walt Disney World Resort
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Al Weiss
President
Worldwide Operations
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
PO Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830


Walt Disney World Guest Communications
PO Box 10040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

Walt Disney World Guest Relations
P.O. Box 10000
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

We appreciate the attempt to bring new and exciting entertainment offering to the Walt Disney World Resort and know that Disney can continue to be the World leader in quality Entertainment they have come to be known by. :wave:

 

[OliveMcFly]

I saw pictures before I saw video and that was disappointing enough. It's like Block Party Bash on Ritalin.

 

[Avenger117]

Everything I have heard so fan on this parade has been negative and thats a bummer. I just don't know how much speaking out with words will help. I think this culture at Disney now won't make a change until people speak out with their wallets.

 

[jakeman]

If you are going to pursue this avenue of silliness (that of writing to a company about a parade you have only seen a video of), then you may want to consider NOT mentioning Team Disney: Orlando, or any abbreviation thereof, lest you be flagged as an internet fanboy and your concern immediately be dismissed.

Additionally, instead of harping that "old is good", I would also suggest that you point out the financial implication that this singular parade is having on your decision to partake in the Walt Disney World resort.

I'm afraid unless you specifically say, then follow through with not going to WDW, because of this one parade, or you present a reasonable list of issues, then your complaint will fall on deaf ears.

 

[mm52200]

If you are going to pursue this avenue of silliness (that of writing to a company about a parade you have only seen a video of), then you may want to consider NOT mentioning Team Disney: Orlando, or any abbreviation thereof, lest you be flagged as an internet fanboy and your concern immediately be dismissed.

Additionally, instead of harping that "old is good", I would also suggest that you point out the financial implication that this singular parade is having on your decision to partake in the Walt Disney World resort.

I'm afraid unless you specifically say, then follow through with not going to WDW, because of this one parade, or you present a reasonable list of issues, then your complaint will fall on deaf ears.

Regardless of the outcome of what happens from these letters, it's better than just sitting back and doing nothing. If they never know we're displeased, they'll just continue doing the same.

 

[jakeman]

Regardless of the outcome of what happens from these letters, it's better than just sitting back and doing nothing. If they never know we're displeased, they'll just continue doing the same.

Correction, if you keep supplying them with money they will never know you are displeased.

Knock yourself out by writing letters, but unless you are willing to back it up with actually not going to WDW because of this parade, then I'm afraid that nothing is probably going to happen.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Does it have to be as simple as "stop going or they won't listen?" Fan complaints are widely credited for the JIYI reboot, just to name one example. Surely Disney wasn't worried scores of people would stop visiting completely over Figment. :shrug:

Businesses have comment boxes (or in this case, comment e-mail addresses) because they're interested in customer input. I don't think a criticism has to always be accompanied with the threat of withdrawing your business to be effective.

 

[menamechris]

I am sure they will do a ton of research with the guests that are watching the parade for the next few months. I have to agree that, while I do disagree with writing letters and such when displeased or underwhelmed at the parks, management is more likely to take criticism from people who are right there right now spending money. Any changes they make will be based on unbiased opinions (i.e. the 95% of visitors that wouldn't think to watch the parade online before going to the park).

With that said - am I a fan of the parade? No. May I be in the minority? Possibly. I think it will still "wow" all the kids that want to see their favorite Pixar characters, and it still is an impressive parade to the average guest with no or little point of reference who is used to seeing little small town parades back home.

 

[jakeman]

Does it have to be as simple as "stop going or they won't listen?" Fan complaints are widely credited for the JIYI reboot, just to name one example. Surely Disney wasn't worried scores of people would stop visiting completely over Figment. :shrug:

So...how is the Imagination Pavilion working out for you now?

If you owned a business with a rabid fan base that complains about almost everything what would concern you more: An angry letter about a minor product being of low quality, or your customers to stop shopping there?

Again, writing letters is fine, but I promise if there is even the threat of a dip in attendance because of this parade it would be jerked and retooled so fast your head would spin.

 

[menamechris]

So...how is the Imagination Pavilion working out for you now?

If you owned a business with a rabid fan base that complains about almost everything what would concern you more: An angry letter about a minor product being of low quality, or your customers to stop shopping there?

Again, writing letters is fine, but I promise if there is even the threat of a dip in attendance because of this parade it would be jerked and retooled so fast your head would spin.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Management knows that the parade is not a "draw" to guests to Hollywood Studios. I think people expect a parade in Magic Kingdom, because it has always been. The parade at HS is probably something the average guests notices when they pick up their timesguide for the day. They could pull the afternoon parade all together and it most likely would not affect attendence. I think that will probably be the next step.....

 

[SeaBase86]

This has to be the cheapest thing Disney has ever put together in their history. This is completely unacceptable entertainment. For the money that is paid to get into those parks and this is what they throw together. Unbelievable. I usually defend Disney til the end but this just wants to make me give up.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I think it will still "wow" all the kids that want to see their favorite Pixar characters, and it still is an impressive parade to the average guest with no or little point of reference who is used to seeing little small town parades back home.

This parade is so bad it's not even going to wow those guests.

I hate to say it, but Six Flags had a better parade a couple of years ago. That's how awful this is.

 

[menamechris]

This parade is so bad it's not even going to wow those guests.

I hate to say it, but Six Flags had a better parade a couple of years ago. That's how awful this is.

I honestly won't argue that it is not up to Disney standards. But I really do think that if this parade doesn't pan out, they will just stop doing parades at HS. They have shown that they don't need a parade in every park, now that Epcot doesn't have one. I can totally see them going down to just Magic Kingdom having parades. Again, I agree with you about the quality. I am sick of Disney recording cover songs that sound like they come from a $2.99 party CD at the gas station.

 

[fillerup]

Okay, I'm usually just a take it or leave it person when it comes to parades. I can watch a couple a year at MK, but I don't usually have an impression one way or another.

I even surprised myself by bothering to watch the video. I think I just wanted to see if it was the usual suspects slamming TDO for the fun of it.

But this parade is truly awful. My old high school used to stage homecoming parades better than this. I felt bad for the CMs who didn't get to wear full head coverings. I bet they borrow other people's name tags for this.

And a grand finale of two giant traffic cones?? What was the point of that? Heck, what was the point of the whole thing?

 

[llrain]

If this is any indication of what the Magic Kingdom is going to be doing with these photo exhibitions, this is going to be a sad long year.
And imagine that this sadness is taking place in the year of MK's 40th. Cant wait to see what they have in store for that.

And I may just take action as one said here, To not go.
Over the last year I have been discussing with my wife to sell our DVC and move away from this disney lifestyle. The quality of food, entertainment and cast members has gone too downhill for us to see the benefit of where we invested our Money for DVC.
They arent even really doing much to upkeep the Beach Club rooms, yes they just did a soft rehab but the rooms are still the same old drabby style and theme. Enough of this, its about the parade that just sucks rhino.

God Disney, what are you doing? Oh thats right, Now that The Disney Family is truely not involved in the business, its all downhere and all you care about is lining your pockets. FO shareholders.
Thanks for nothing disney in this parade

 

[TravisMT81]

There should be no reason to contact Steve Davison, he works for WDI and it is operations that determine the budget. He only helps create parades...and honestly he has helped create at Disney is Wishes...

 

[mm52200]

^^^True, I guess WDW is too cheap to even get Steve Davison to do anything for them.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Iger = Bottom Line over Innovation and Quality

Until that changes or Lasseter takes direct control over the Florida parks, this seems like the level we're going to be at.

 

[Thrill]

Iger = Bottom Line over Innovation and Quality

Until that changes or Lasseter takes direct control over the Florida parks, this seems like the level we're going to be at.

I think Iger needs to take a page out of his biggest stockholder's book and use innovation and quality to improve his bottom line. Until then, let's hope Universal backs WWoHP with something just as good.

Apple didn't make a comeback by making Macs worse and more expensive. They made a comeback by introducing new and innovative products (like the iPod and iPhone), and improving the old, lower quality products. Granted, Apple products are more expensive than their competition, but Disney's are too, and the improvement in quality needed to justify that expense is beginning to drop.

 

[ryanduggers]

Maybe they could throw candy corn at the guests, that way it might be almost as good as the average hometown Halloween parade. :lookaroun