Disney Land Advice

[Californian Elitist]

I'm yes and no on updating the entertainment. Castle firework shows... if it's going to be just a different set of movie quotes and some stuff about dreams and wishes, I don't really care. Wishes, Hallowishes, Believe in Holiday Magic... castle fireworks shows just kinda blend together for me. "Remember" is the exception (even though I haven't seen it in person yet) because it's about the park. I think Illuminations really is a modern classic show, so it doesn't bother me that it sticks around. "Illuminations" has been around for 25 years, but Reflections of Earth is relatively different and it has been around about half that time. It's not perfect, but with upgrades of the scope that DL's Fantasmic! has gotten, I think it'd be darn close. It's the best music composed for any of the parks... ever.

Parades definitely need to be updated, IMO, and that's probably the area where WDW is the worst. MSEP is from 1972 and only got its upgrades from its time in DCA. It replaced a parade from 1992. The daytime parade... well... it's been repackaged a bunch, but there hasn't been a whole lotta change there.

This picture is from 1991. Look at the float, not the weird Dumbo.

Here is 2010. The floats have been around FOREVER.

Is that my Sydney?! And Christa had long hair!

They are the same floats! What the heck?! Come on now, it shouldn't be that difficult to change some floats. Those floats are older than me, literally.

Agreed, the parades are the ones that need to change. I don't want to see the exact same parade for twenty years. I'd be fine with MSEP, but there would have to be another parade available to see. I'm totally okay with Remember never going away, just as long as the rotation keeps going.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Is that my Sydney?! And Christa had long hair!

They are the same floats! What the heck?! Come on now, it shouldn't be that difficult to change some floats. Those floats are older than me, literally.

Agreed, the parades are the ones that need to change. I don't want to see the exact same parade for twenty years. I'd be fine with MSEP, but there would have to be another parade available to see. I'm totally okay with Remember never going away, just as long as the rotation keeps going.

I meant to bring up MSEP in my last post. The music is iconic (it could be, and already has been, tweaked though) and the concept of having floats covered in lights is basically timeless, but it needs updates! If we're including Tink's float as part of Peter Pan instead of her own DVD series, the most recent movie featured is Pete's Dragon from 1977! I mean... seriously! 1977! Tokyo's Dreamlights parade is basically the modern MSEP... it has Nemo, Toy Story and Genie all done in the MSEP style, so it's frustrating to see another version of the same parade limping along.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I meant to bring up MSEP in my last post. The music is iconic (it could be, and already has been, tweaked though) and the concept of having floats covered in lights is basically timeless, but it needs updates! If we're including Tink's float as part of Peter Pan instead of her own DVD series, the most recent movie featured is Pete's Dragon from 1977! I mean... seriously! 1977! Tokyo's Dreamlights parade is basically the modern MSEP... it has Nemo, Toy Story and Genie all done in the MSEP style, so it's frustrating to see another version of the same parade limping along.

Agreed!

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I don't think MSEP is EVER coming back to DL or DCA. The best we've got is the spiel from the parade in Remember... Dreams Come True.

Bingo. We're getting something better in time for the 60th.

The union thing goes like this - WDW and DLR both use a union for their singer/actor performers. WDW uses Equity (covers things like Nemo, Voices of Liberty, Citizens of Hollywood, DreamAlong dancers), DLR uses AGVA (Aladdin, Voices, News Boys, Fly Girls, etc.). Parades/character performers are not covered by these unions are considered non-union roles. Equity has strict rules limiting non-union performers and what they can do. They can only kick so high, lifts are a no-no, etc. - if the choreography is too complicated, the performers must join Equity. AGVA does not have such rules.

That's why WDW's Fantasmic has simplified choreography. If they did the DLR choreography, the performers would have to be Equity and Disney would have to pay them more. Same thing happened when Block Party Bash moved to DHS. The choreography was dumbed down considerably to avoid making the whole parade Equity.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Bingo. We're getting something better in time for the 60th.

The union thing goes like this - WDW and DLR both use a union for their singer/actor performers. WDW uses Equity (covers things like Nemo, Voices of Liberty, Citizens of Hollywood, DreamAlong dancers), DLR uses AGVA (Aladdin, Voices, News Boys, Fly Girls, etc.). Parades/character performers are not covered by these unions are considered non-union roles. Equity has strict rules limiting non-union performers and what they can do. They can only kick so high, lifts are a no-no, etc. - if the choreography is too complicated, the performers must join Equity. AGVA does not have such rules.

That's why WDW's Fantasmic has simplified choreography. If they did the DLR choreography, the performers would have to be Equity and Disney would have to pay them more. Same thing happened when Block Party Bash moved to DHS. The choreography was dumbed down considerably to avoid making the whole parade Equity.

Two and a half more years until the 60th birthday. I hope it'll be just as big, or almost as big as the 50th celebration, which was a ton of fun.

I knew I had read and heard something about the choreography in Florida and how it can't be too complicated, or something like that. I knew I wasn't hallucinating when I didn't see Snow White being picked up in DHS' Fantasmic! (I'll check again to make sure). Thanks for breaking it down for me!

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Illuminations is going on 20 Yrs old (with Various versions) and easily still the best show in the property in terms of theme, storyline, score, and execution...I think Wishes is about the same age.

Am I the *ONLY* person who doesn't like Illuminations? It's "Meh" to me.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Am I the *ONLY* person who doesn't like Illuminations? It's "Meh" to me.

We are not fans either. We've seen it 3 times and my husband and I no longer bother with trying to watch it.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Am I the *ONLY* person who doesn't like Illuminations? It's "Meh" to me.

We are not fans either. We've seen it 3 times and my husband and I no longer bother with trying to watch it.

I'm not gonna go all , but I love it and think it's generally well-liked. The guys on the WDW Today podcast had a bracket last year for the top attraction in WDW... Illuminations won.

 

[RandomPrincess]

I'm not gonna go all , but I love it and think it's generally well-liked. The guys on the WDW Today podcast had a bracket last year for the top attraction in WDW... Illuminations won.

I know the vast majority of people like it and that's fine. It's just never really spoken to me. I'm not saying get rid of it or anything.

 

[WDW!]

I'd like to give some advice as a WDW APer (though we've been on a 2Yr Hiatus) that has taken a trip to DL before and will be taking our 2nd one in about 3 weeks.

When planning our trip, we started booking things about 13 months out...such a habit when we were planning out "big" annual WDW holiday trip, I noticed I was trying to do everything with my Disneyland planning that I was used to with planning trips for WDW, and it got a bit frustrating that some things couldn't be planned that far out. (ie: Dinner reservations are only 60 days out, park hours are only posted for current and following month, parades and fireworks are not daily occurances during some parts of the year, etc.) Get past all of that. It's no big deal.

We stayed at Paradise Pier for our first trip. The reason was simply because staying on Property at WDW is so hyped up, when it came to planning for DL, we had to stay on property, no ifs ands or buts! Paradise Pier is the lowest priced On-Property Option, and is equivalent in price (but not theming) to your Wilderness Lodge or AK Lodge Deluxe Resorts. Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian are at a much higher premium, but seem to be well worth it if you can swing it. The Grand is located partially in DCA and DtD (Disneyland Hotel is also on the edge of DtD). Now Paradise Pier is a wonderful hotel, but it in no way has that same on-property Disney feel that you might be used to from even a Mod or Value resort from WDW. To me it felt like a Hyatt (a lower end one). While nicely decorated with a mid 1930s Pier theme, it just doesn't have that same "feel" of a WDW themed resort. What I mean is, to us, it wasn't worth the premium. And also don't be fooled by the "On-Property" aspect. It's twice as far as the other two hotels, and there are sooo many hotels on Harbor Blvd that are right across the street from the entrance plaza of DCA and DL. This time around we're staying at the Carousel Inn...it was a spur of the moment trip and we didn't want to shell out Disneyland Hotel-kind-of cash this go around. Having said that, again, if you can splurge, go for one of the big two, the cost difference between Disneyland Hotel and the Grand isn't much at all....so it would depend on which appealed to you more.

Now our first trip (and this one) we have 4.5 days on property. Spending this amount of time gave us time to slow down and really enjoy the parks without feeling rushed. We spend about 2 full days in Disneyland, one full day in DCA (pre Carsland btw) and the other day and half jumping back and forth between the 2 parks. I have a feeling this go around we will need to spend more time at DCA, but we also toured with the mindset of "let's make sure we atleast do the things we don't have at WDW, then also tour the things we know are different than what we have at WDW." It seemed to work out well for us, but when we got home, we realized there were still things that we missed.

Lastly...ADRs...don't worry about them. They aren't a big deal at Disneyland. If you want to eat at a steakhouse, or do a WoC dinner package, or eat at Blue Bayou or Carthay Circle Theater, then go ahead and figure your plans out, also be sure to plan around the fireworks and fantasmic as they aren't shown daily in late winter/early spring and fall. But most other restaurants you can walk up to and eat at with about a 30 min wait.

Double lastly...you must ride (and love) Autopia.

Hope this helps! I'm sure @raven24 might have an opinion on my reviews.

Thank You and everyone else for the advice. I ordered the DVD for DL too.