Festival of Fantasy Parade coming to Magic Kingdom in 2014

[Animaniac93-98]

The announced line up of movies represented are:

Mickey Mouse (general)
Pinocchio
Dumbo
Peter Pan
Sleeping Beauty
The Little Mermaid
Tangled
Brave

Soundsational has the following movies, with floats of two basic sizes:

Mickey Mouse (general)
Aladdin
The Little Mermaid
The Three Caballeros
Disney Princesses
The Princess and the Frog
Peter Pan
The Lion King (with Tarzan and Jungle Book characters)
Mary Poppins

My guess is that Festival of Fantasy will have at least one more float themes, but are they all supposed to be realted to Fantasyland, because Sleeping Beauty, Brave and Pinocchio all have a minimal presence in WDW's Fantasyland? If so I'd guess a Pooh float would also be there, but maybe something "boyish" like Lion King, Aladdin or Toy Story will be featured.

 

[Tip Top Club]

Relating to New Fantasyland is nothing but a marketing ploy to make it seem like it's a bigger addition than it is...it's really just a parade, Haha!

That said I would adore the idea of a Beauty and the Beast or Lion King Unit. I'm also kind of hoping that Dumbo is represented on the opening banner similar to Flights of Fantasy, rather than a full unit because I find Circus music annoying, haha. Selfish I guess.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

If he can tear himself away from his theatrical pursuits...

What night are we all going?

 

[Jose]

And BatB?

 

[PRNCSAurora]

I'm very excited. It will be up when we go next. Parades were such a staple of my childhood.

 

[YankeeMouse]

We haven't seen the daytime parade in years. I was shocked when I realized it never even came on my radar. Good news.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

Question: when George shut down DCR and CTF, did he/TDO allocate those financial resources with the intention of putting them toward the new daytime parade for the MK? So when DCR and CTF closed, did those funds go towards Festival of Fantasy?

 

[novawildcat18]

Don't think I've ever sat down and watched a daytime parade but I'm happy that Disney is still being creative and working on new projects like this!

 

[luv]

Since this guy started answering questions, I'm kind of jazzed about the new parade.

I hope that with all their efforts to include the newer films as classics, they don't forget about the most beloved movies. I want to see the beast. I like Genie and Jafar, too.

I also hope there are lots of people dancing. It adds so much life that even the best floats can't add.

 

[cslafferty]

Relating to New Fantasyland is nothing but a marketing ploy to make it seem like it's a bigger addition than it is...it's really just a parade, Haha!

Agreed, since Beauty and the Beast and Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs aren't on the parade list and represent 2 of the biggest additions to the New Fantasyland.

 

[JungleTrekFan]

Parade of Dreams at Disneyland was great, and I think many of us assumed it would have been sent out to the Magic Kingdom when it was retired from its 5 year run in 2010. I seem to remember that it's not an option to send most modern parades from Disneyland to Magic Kingdom because the Disneyland floats are too big for the Magic Kingom, which is rather ironic. (I think it's the Liberty Square bridge that's the pinch point?) Parade of Dreams did have some really big floats, as does the current Soundsational Parade at Disneyland.

That is quite ironic.
I think it is more when the parade goes around the hub and makes a sharp right to get to liberty square. That or the back stage area makes a sharp left once the parade exits main street. Both of which they might have to work around.

Either way this parade is definitely exciting news, I like celebrate the dreams come true, but there is only so many times you can try to remake the same parade before it gets worn out.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

Love the idea!! I find it funny how we are worrying about Christmas decorations on Main Street! Steve does a wonderful job on what ever project he does! I am just hoping that there is more to come from him in WDW!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Edit: Wrong show.

 

[Stupido]

It makes sense that BatB isn't included in the parade. Whenever a character is in a parade, they need to shut down the M+G because after all there is only one Belle. With the high demand of ETwB, it wouldn't make sense to shut down the entire attraction for an hour every day. That would make many guests unhappy. Though I'll miss seeing her in the parade, it does make sense.

 

[Tip Top Club]

It makes sense that BatB isn't included in the parade. Whenever a character is in a parade, they need to shut down the M+G because after all there is only one Belle. With the high demand of ETwB, it wouldn't make sense to shut down the entire attraction for an hour every day. That would make many guests unhappy. Though I'll miss seeing her in the parade, it does make sense.

Without spoiling the magic too much; Parades have no effect on Indoor meet and greets.

 

[FlaMel]

Parade of Dreams at Disneyland was great, and I think many of us assumed it would have been sent out to the Magic Kingdom when it was retired from its 5 year run in 2010. I seem to remember that it's not an option to send most modern parades from Disneyland to Magic Kingdom because the Disneyland floats are too big for the Magic Kingom, which is rather ironic. (I think it's the Liberty Square bridge that's the pinch point?) Parade of Dreams did have some really big floats, as does the current Soundsational Parade at Disneyland.

It had less to do with onstage fit (although there would have had to been some modifications), and more to do with the following two conflicts: 1) Technical support infrastructure such as route audio, lighting and the parade maintenance facilities. 2) A realization that a parade created to support a specific marketing campaign may not be the best fit for yet another marketing campaign, four years down the line, at a park across the country.

 

[mm52200]

It makes sense that BatB isn't included in the parade. Whenever a character is in a parade, they need to shut down the M+G because after all there is only one Belle. With the high demand of ETwB, it wouldn't make sense to shut down the entire attraction for an hour every day. That would make many guests unhappy. Though I'll miss seeing her in the parade, it does make sense.

Like someone else said, parades and entertainment have no bearing on indoor meet and greets. Remember the parades literally go right in front of Town Square Theatre where you can meet Mickey and the Princesses...all who appear in the parades.

 

[iheartdisney91]

the art is beautiful!

 

[SpectroMan93]

I hope they reveal more details at D23. The current concept art is incredibly beautiful, the floats being a style that is in between the near traditional style used at the parks in the US and the eccentric oddities that are the Tokyo Disney parades. Highly looking forward to what the rest of the parade will look like.

 

[WDWLover#1]

I found this to be quite an interesting article posted on ThemeParkInsider.com It talks about Spectro Magic and the garlands on Main Street at Christmas. It also talks about the floats.....
Written by Skipper Adam
Hello Festival of Fantasy, and goodbye Spectromagic



Disney has a long tradition of parades, mostly successful, some mediocre, and some lost and forgotten -- like Light Magic.
Recently it has been announced that a spectacular new parade, called the Festival of Fantasy Parade, will be replacing the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

I'm not a parade kind of person. The floats and choreography have to be amazing for me to be impressed. Aside from the Boo to You! parade and the Main Street Electrical Parade, I haven't liked WDW parades in nearly about a decade. Hearing news about a new parade reminded be that "New Parade" was WDW's of saying that it's really the same parade with a new name, same floats, only older and same choreography, only less complicated.
Then I saw the official blog release with the photos. Things started looking better.

Then my friend, who works on the upper end of the ladder at Main Street Ops, told me that there will be 26 (that's no typo: 26) floats. And the floats will be so massive that new housing structures will be built and that lovely Christmas garland that hangs across Main Street will have to go or be raised. Now I'm sold.
The time frame for the parade is interesting. Since there isn't room for three parades back stage, there will be a three month period in the park where the day parade will not exist at all starting next January.
On the note of storing parades. The somewhat missed Spectromagic has been left out in the rain to rust. Literally. The parade is largely beyond repair and deemed unworthy of the continual cost of storage so within the next few days it will be destroyed.
As night parades go, it was well below the satisfaction levels of Main Street Electrical Parade, which ranks much higher in all levels on guest surveys. As of now, it looks like Disney is hoping that Spectromagic quietly dies...out of sight, out of mind.