Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe knowing they built this up for the public and then didn't gear it toward them. It looked phenominal but screw you guests who pay us money... we did this for the media who will now tell you all about the awesome dragon you won't ever get to see! Wooooot!
Disney always has done this. Their parties are absolutely amazing (usually).
I recall being at the kick-off for 100 Years of Magic in 2001, they had an absolutely amazing fireworks show at the Studios for us (one of the best ever) that ended with a HUGE finale with the great theme song for the celebration. Now, if you visited during that marketing campaign, you're probably asking 'what theme song?' ... well, you likely never heard it unless you bought the parade CD that was sold at the time because the music was NEVER used in the park.
I could never understand why they didn't use the music as the finale for either Fantasy in the Sky or a new show at either park ... but they didn't. Wish I could recall the title here ...
(I'll leave out the tables of candy -- that some folks literally used arms to empty into swag bags -- and bars and buffet tables every few feet! Oh, and the LE handpainted cells that we got as invites -- and that one Disney publicist had the gall to ask some folks for them back, so she could eBay them!)
Difference is back in 2001, many folks weren't even online and we didn't have YouTube or FB or Twitter and 8,754 Disney sites. So, Disney could put on an amazing party that I was lucky enough to be at, and most folks were never the wiser that they were missing sipping champagne with Julie Andrews and Roy Disney and Michael Eisner.
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Now ... you know what you're missing. Just like in the 80s and 90s, Disney pretended that TDR didn't exist. It was easy. Now ... not so much. The world has gotten much smaller.