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News 'Disney Enchantment' coming to Magic Kingdom October 1 2021
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
Unpopular opinion: You're either really overselling Happily Ever After or really underselling Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.
I get that Happily Ever After managed to elicit more of an emotional response than Disney Enchantment does, but I feel like Happily Ever After somehow developed a reputation that it never actually earned.
Truthfully, I feel like The Magic Kingdom has always gotten the short end of the stick with regards to its full-time Fireworks Shows - Disneyland's shows somewhat regularly put them to shame (Mickeys Mix Magic excepted, of course - and Disneyland Forever wasn't quite my cup of tea, but I know that's not a popular opinion either). There have been more than a handful at the other parks in the last 2 decades that are more meaningfully put together than any fireworks show at MK.
To me, Happily Ever After was essentially a clip show that ended with a decent choral moment - not really all that dissimilar from Disney Enchantment . . . they follow basically the same recipe, one just used better ingredients (and didn't have the weight of a historic anniversary on its shoulders). If Disney Enchantment preceeded Happily Ever After I really don't think people would be calling it such an improvement over DE.
I get why people want DE to leave after the anniversary, but I don't get how many people simply want the old show back. Yes, its run was cut surprisingly short, but just because they bunted on Disney Enchantment it doesn't mean Happily Ever After was lightning in a bottle. If the other parks are any indication, with a halfway decent concept Disney could pretty handily do better by the MK Fireworks.
Though, then you have to question whether or not they can be trusted to let their people run with a halfway decent concept, which is a larger problem.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
I disagree. HEA definitely did earn its reputation. It went from being hated because of Wishes to it now being universally wanted back. The show knows how to pull out the showstoppers and pull at your heartstrings. Literally (and I've tested this out) the last 3 or so minutes of the show is enough to get me emotional. The last 3 minutes, that's how dang good the last two segments are.
Also there was added emotional impact when it came back from the pandemic, everyone was crying. Doesn't matter if you were watching from home, watching in person, an adult, a teen, a child. You were crying
Everyone was Crying the First Test Night in June 2021!!!
I have to say however we have no clue whether DE, Wishes or even FITS would have gotten the same reaction after what MK went through March 16, 2020- June 25? 2021.
Was it all HEA Love or just relief that there was Fire in the Sky again over MK????
Yeah I used to think DLR had the best regular fireworks, and up until HEAs debut they did. But since then, between HEA outshining them and they debuting a clunker that has become their default show I don’t think that’s true anymore.
Here’s my personal list of castle shows I’ve seen (holidays included) my ranking is based on how I feel about the shows (and includes emotional impact, firepower, and extra flourishes: )
The Amazing Shows:
1. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks (MK Current)
2. Holiday Wishes (MK Historical)
3. Happily Ever After (MK Historical)
4. Halloween Screams (DL Current)
5. Remember Dreams Come True (DL Historical)
6. Disneyland Forever (DL Current)
7. Hallowishes (MK Historical)
The Pretty Good Shows:
8. Enchanted (MK Current)
9. Halloween Spooktacular (MK Current)
10. Fantasy in the Sky 4th of July Edition (MK Historical)
The OK shows:
11. Wishes (MK Historical)
12. Believe: in Holiday Magic (DL Current)
13. Fantasy in the Sky 25th Anniversary Edition (MK Historical)
The Bad Show:
14. Mickey’s Mix Magic (DL Current)
The shows in the same categories are extremely close in quality, with far major differences with other categories (ie I accept some people may change their preferences within my categories, but have a hard time understanding people elevating shows into new categories.)
Here’s my personal list of castle shows I’ve seen (holidays included) my ranking is based on how I feel about the shows (and includes emotional impact, firepower, and extra flourishes: )
The Amazing Shows:
1. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks (MK Current)
2. Holiday Wishes (MK Historical)
3. Happily Ever After (MK Historical)
4. Halloween Screams (DL Current)
5. Remember Dreams Come True (DL Historical)
6. Disneyland Forever (DL Current)
7. Hallowishes (MK Historical)
The Pretty Good Shows:
8. Enchanted (MK Current)
9. Halloween Spooktacular (MK Current)
10. Fantasy in the Sky 4th of July Edition (MK Historical)
The OK shows:
11. Wishes (MK Historical)
12. Believe: in Holiday Magic (DL Current)
13. Fantasy in the Sky 25th Anniversary Edition (MK Historical)
The Bad Show:
14. Mickey’s Mix Magic (DL Current)
The shows in the same categories are extremely close in quality, with far major differences with other categories (ie I accept some people may change their preferences within my categories, but have a hard time understanding people elevating shows into new categories.)
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Why isn't Celebrate America, FITS NYE on Here???Yeah I used to think DLR had the best regular fireworks, and up until HEAs debut they did. But since then, between HEA outshining them and they debuting a clunker that has become their default show I don’t think that’s true anymore.
Here’s my personal list of castle shows I’ve seen (holidays included) my ranking is based on how I feel about the shows (and includes emotional impact, firepower, and extra flourishes
The Amazing Shows:
1. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks (MK Current)
2. Holiday Wishes (MK Historical)
3. Happily Ever After (MK Historical)
4. Halloween Screams (DL Current)
5. Remember Dreams Come True (DL Historical)
6. Disneyland Forever (DL Current)
7. Hallowishes (MK Historical)
The Pretty Good Shows:
8. Enchanted (MK Current)
9. Halloween Spooktacular (MK Current)
10. Fantasy in the Sky 4th of July Edition (MK Historical)
The OK shows:
11. Wishes (MK Historical)
12. Believe: in Holiday Magic (DL Current)
The Bad Show:
14. Mickey’s Mix Magic (DL Current)
The shows in the same categories are extremely close in quality, with far major differences with other categories (ie I accept some people may change their preferences within my categories, but have a hard time understanding people elevating shows into new categories.)
Because I haven’t seen them (and someone would have to pay me to be at the parks on those days.)
Fair.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
I agree with this list completely. Only change I'd make is putting the current Halloween show in the "Amazing" tier. Though I wouldn't put it above Hallowishes. Hearing the ghost say "EVERYBODY SCREAM" as the white comets shoot out and everybody screams is genuinely one of the most fun moments in a Disney show.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
FITS NYE somehow got even better with the new laser effects.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
I thought eventually it would have been liked by now. I'm sure by it's retirement, there will be a big crowd sad to see it go though.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
I don't know - the fact that it wasn't well recieved upfront and then 3 years later was being called the best thing ever seems to suggest it has more to do with people learning to love it than the show being such an instant classic. People forget, but the concensus at the time was that HEA had more tech than Wishes but was also a messier show and didn't connect with guests the same way. Wishes was never my favorite and it had more than a healthy run, so I was excited to see the new show take over, and HEA didn't strike me as really all that special. I'd call it one of Disney's more dizzying fireworks shows sooner than I'd call it one of their most impressive, and lots of people felt that way when the show debuted. They've done better more than once in the last decade, just not at WDW.
I really think the way its reputation changed has more to do with guests wanting to believe they're getting the best thing ever than with the show being such a standout. Which is a very WDW situation - compared to the other resorts, WDW guests are given breadcrumbs, but they're also more likely to describe it as a feast. That's part of why we get shows like Disney Enchantment - WDW was following the same formula that worked for them with Happily Ever After. I really think it's true that HEA and Disney Enchantment really aren't that different when you put them side by side, though I know people don't want to hear that. And I do agree that HEA does build to a better climax than DE, but the preceeding 12 minutes are really kinda cut from the same cloth.
And lets be real - any fireworks show would have made people cry coming back from the pandemic. Except maybe Mickey's Mix Magic.
In fact, I was able to catch the last performance of Happily Ever After while I was down for the 50th, and that was my first fireworks show back from the Pandemic. I enjoyed it, as always, but I didn't shed any tears . . . then the next night I caught Disney Enchantment and had basically the same reaction. The shows are just not actually as different as people want to believe.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I liked Happily Ever After, but I didn't think it was all that well designed because the projections compete with the fireworks for your attention. They don't work together the way they ideally would -- you have to pick which to look at so you're missing something either way. Watching it from the California Grill was a better experience than watching it inside the park.
That's obviously not an issue for people who go to Disney regularly, but it's not ideal for the more typical guest people who may only see the show once or twice total.
That's obviously not an issue for people who go to Disney regularly, but it's not ideal for the more typical guest people who may only see the show once or twice total.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
I guess it's all just personal preference and that's fine. I just loved HEA and will definitely look forward to seeing it come back.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
Also I don't think this statement is really that true. The return of fireworks was a pretty big turning point for the return of normalcy to the Disney parks considering the fact that things really just went uphill from there as far as entertainment offerings and COVID restrictions. For many locals and fans, the return of fireworks really was our (pun not intended) happily ever after. Certain lines of the show did have an added emotional impact as well. "Say goodbye to the pain of the past, we don't have to feel it anymore" is one the comes to mind instantly. Hearing that during the June testing of the show really hit in a different way.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
Wishes: Yes (though I cry during this show purely cause of nostalgia)
Disney Enchantment: Maybe and this is a BIG maybe.
FITS: Probably not
You know what would illicit another universally emotional response though? Reflections of Earth having a showing on the first night fireworks return. Hearing " We Go On" after living through a whole year (or two) of a pandemic would be something else entirely.
I never did get People instantly disliking HEA or saying Wishes had more Pyro. I do remember when Wishes was in it's final weeks, Bell, BAM! was the newest show at WDW and I think it had More Projections/Less Pyro than what we were expecting. And a fear was out there(I had it as well) of how HEA was going to turn out. But the first full Test Night Footage we got erased that fear.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Or people dealing with change...
HEA was panned for some elements losing some of the classic Disney pieces for pop kind of stuff, but was never panned across the board or wanting to be voted off the island.
So you're basically taking your personal opinion and assuming everyone else's is just rose colored glasses because it doesn't match yours... ok.. rolleyes