FotLK: What happened to the flying birds?

TTA-ATW

TTA-ATW

Member
Original Poster
I was at DAK on Friday May 1st and went to watch FotLK, I hadn't seen this show in about a year so I thought I would go check it out. I have always been a fan of this show, even in the open sided theater days, but my favorite part of the show was the "Can you feel the love tonight" sequence when the girl dressed as a bird would fly around the theater on a wire. This part of the show, to my disappointment, had been removed and it seemed to me like the bird costume had changed as well. That had always been a real "Goosebump" moment for me. Does anybody know what happened? Is this a temporary change or a permanent one? I had asked my friend, who I was there with and had seen the show since the last time I had if the flying was part was still in the last time she saw it; she said she saw it a couple months ago and it was still there. Anybody got the dirt?:shrug::veryconfu:shrug:
 
TTA-ATW

TTA-ATW

Member
Original Poster
EPCOT Explorer said:
Yikes.:( That's not good.


If she wasn't flying around, what WAS she doing?
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It was alot like figure skating without skates, if that makes any sense. Lots of lifts and spinning. The song seemed a bit shorter too. The wire was still up in the rafters but never came down.
 
TTA-ATW

TTA-ATW

Member
Original Poster
EPCOT Explorer said:
Hmmm. Don't assume the worst, yet, maybe it was a error.
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I assume that it was a new dancer and hadn't perfected her flying skills yet. :) If anybody has a chance check it out for me. I would really like to know if it was just an omission or if it has been removed from the show. So if you are wandering around DAK, "Fly" :p on over to FotLK and catch a show.
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
I've seen shows where they didn't do the tumble monkeys because the stage was broken and couldn't open up to reveal the trampoline. I'd imagine it was something similar in this case where an element in the rig that lifts her in the air was broken.
 
MaterA113

MaterA113

New Member
When i went last Saturday, May 2, i saw the show and the bird was flying.. Im with you i love that moment... Im sure it was just like the others said that it was just broken "effect" or new performer...
 
EPCOT Explorer

EPCOT Explorer

New Member
RSoxNo1 said:
I've seen shows where they didn't do the tumble monkeys because the stage was broken and couldn't open up to reveal the trampoline. I'd imagine it was something similar in this case where an element in the rig that lifts her in the air was broken.
Click to expand...
Hope they fix it...


Another DAK effect broken. Great.:lookaroun:lol:
 
TTA-ATW

TTA-ATW

Member
Original Poster
RSoxNo1 said:
I've seen shows where they didn't do the tumble monkeys because the stage was broken and couldn't open up to reveal the trampoline. I'd imagine it was something similar in this case where an element in the rig that lifts her in the air was broken.
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That sounds plausible. If that is the case i hope they get it fixed soon. I feel that is the most spectacular thing in the show and a great counter balance to the "Be Prepared" performance.
 
Vernonpush

Vernonpush

Well-Known Member
I've seen the show where the Male Bird Dancer was missing for the performance. The Female Bird Dancer did a "dance solo" (no flying). It was very nice - not as good as the flying- but she did a wonderful floor routine that covered the "missing partner" problem. That's Live theatre for you. The show must go on.
 
Slipknot

Slipknot

Well-Known Member
TTA-ATW said:
The wire was still up in the rafters but never came down.
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Maybe there was something wrong with the wire and they are waiting for replacement part(s)? I've seen it with Tarzan Rocks when they are supposed to use the trapeze but didn't/

TTA-ATW said:
I assume that it was a new dancer and hadn't perfected her flying skills yet.
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If the higher-ups didn't think she was ready, she wouldn't have been in the show. :)
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
These are maintenance type things that might effect a few shows a day, typically they're easily fixable but rather than cancel total shows they just shorten them.

I went in December and saw the show without the tumble monkeys acrobatics, and then I saw it two more times throughout the rest of the trip and it was the full show. It's really not a huge deal. It's unfortunate that you missed your favorite part of the show, but it doesn't sound like it's a major problem.
 
Ailtara

Ailtara

Member
No worries, folks, this happens all the time. There is no permanent change. The blue bird could not fly for many reasons: Moto the red bird could be missing from the show causing her to not fly because she needs a partner, the scheduled Maji (Blue bird) could have called out and a performer not yet fully trained in the aerial section could have been called in at the last minute, Maji could have suffered an injury earlier in the day or show that prevented her from performing the flying part, or it could have been a simple technical malfunction.

As someone who worked there for well over two years, trust me, this stuff happens all the time. Tumble Monkeys don't perform because of trampoline issues, Hyenas don't twirl fire because of pyro malfunctions, entire shows are canceled because Simba doesn't feel like making an appearance... All relatively uncommon but repetitive occurrences that are usually fixed after only a single show or two or at least before the end of the day.
 
accord99cutie

accord99cutie

Premium Member
I was there that same day and watched the show for my first time ever, I had no idea she was supposed to fly at that part! Now I will definitely have to watch the show on my next trip!
 
redkoala245

redkoala245

New Member
Really!?! Probably the wires weren't working…
The last time I saw the show (February 2009), they were about to do the monkey act and bring their stage in and it wasn't working, so instead of doing that act, they decided to make everyone clap to the music, to try to make it look like it is part of the act, and not make it look obvious that the stage wasn't working. So later, they announced that the show was cancelled and to come back to their later shows…
I was so mad, and that is my favorite show in WDW.
Festival of the Lion King I think needs to be refurbished somehow. I hope. :)
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
redkoala245 said:
The last time I saw the show (February 2009), they were about to do the monkey act and bring their stage in and it wasn't working, so instead of doing that act, they decided to make everyone clap to the music, to try to make it look like it is part of the act, and not make it look obvious that the stage wasn't working.
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Actually, encouraging Guests to join along in clapping the "hand jive" is part of the Hakuna Matata section of the show, which I believe comes after the Tumble Monkeys' acrobatic section. While there is alternate choreography for some sections of the show (like the afore-mentioned non-flying birds), if any section of the show weren't going to be performed at all (like the acrobatic trampoline section), they would have just skipped that section of the soundtrack entirely.

-Rob
 

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