GNSOAT/Fireworks Disneyland Poll

[Disgruntled Walt]

What is the GNSOAT (greatest nighttime spectacular of all-time) at Disneyland? I'm going to make a separate Fantasmic poll, so we're limiting this to fireworks ONLY. Explain your answer below!

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

The first of the modern Disney Fireworks extravaganza, Believe takes me back to my first ever trip to Disneyland in 2000. It made a huge impression on me as a 3-yr-old, and I still listen to the soundtrack. Honorable mention to Remember for its tributes to Disneyland attractions.

 

[Nirya]

Remember is going to (rightfully) run away with this thing, but I think both Forever and Wondrous have been really good outings in recent years.

 

[TP2000]

This was a difficult decision for me. I voted for Remember Dreams Come True, but I actually like Fantasy In The Sky better.

Fantasy In The Sky never required 40,000 people tried to cram themselves into a viewing area on Main Street and the Hub that only accommodates 15,000 people. You could watch that show anywhere in the park with speakers nearby, and it was great; Fantasyland, Tomorrowland Terrace during a dance break, New Orleans Square and the Rivers of America, the backwoods of Critter Country. Even the Disneyland parking lot from the backseat of an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser if it was way past your bedtime.

Effectively, any show other than Fantasy In The Sky turns the central spine of Disneyland into an overcrowded and highly tense mass of people. With crowd control CM's waving flashlights in your face and screaming STAY TO YOUR RIGHT!!! THIS IS A WALKWAY ONLY! STAY TO YOUR RIGHT AND KEEP MOVING THROUGH THE WALKWAY!!!!

But when described in a conference room in TDA, and during the executive preview in a closed park a few weeks before the shows open, those Castle-dependent shows must seem like great ideas. STAY TO YOUR RIGHT!!!!

 

[PiratesMansion]

Perhaps it's recency bias, but Wondrous Journeys really is a spectacular show. I've found myself listening to the soundtrack every once in awhile-and even the outro-just because it all works so well together. It found a way to equal, or arguably top, Happily Ever After, which is no small feat. Remember would be my strong second choice, with Forever not terribly far behind as number three.

Halloween Screams should probably be added to the poll for completion's sake.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Halloween Screams should probably be added to the poll for completion's sake.

Done!

 

[CaptinEO]

Believe in Holiday Magic

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Believe in Holiday Magic

There are too many! I've reached the maximum in poll options!

 

[Disney Analyst]

“RDCT” followed by “Wondrous”.

 

[PiratesMansion]

There are too many! I've reached the maximum in poll options!

Take out one of the Fantasy in the Skys?

 

[DavidDL]

The earliest run of Remember.. Dreams Come True will probably never be matched for me (before they cut the Frontierland segment, added the projections, etc).

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I really really love Remember for many reasons but I have to give it to Wondrous Journeys. That show just hit it out of the park and I saw it more times than should be legal.

I’d say Wondrous and Remember are both tied for #1 in my book with Disneyland Forever at #3 and Magical #4. Everything else comes after with Mix Magic dead last and then even further behind the others.

 

[waltography]

I give the slight edge to WJ but more realistically for me it's a tossup with RDCT.

I would love to see an enhanced RDCT leveraging the latest projection mapping tech and adding MMRR to the mix of attractions they honor. I think it would be really cool to see the Main Street buildings reskinned as if we were inside each land (plus MSEP projected onto the facades coming down Main Street would be fun too).

 

[mickEblu]

I give the slight edge to WJ but more realistically for me it's a tossup with RDCT.

I would love to see an enhanced RDCT leveraging the latest projection mapping tech and adding MMRR to the mix of attractions they honor. I think it would be really cool to see the Main Street buildings reskinned as if we were inside each land (plus MSEP projected onto the facades coming down Main Street would be fun too).

WJ is great but I feel like it lags a little in the middle. The beginning and end are great. The intro and that ethereal sounding Princess segment with Snow White is excellent. The hunchback Hercules mashup is great too. It’s been a few years since I saw RDCT but I remember I being pretty entertaining the whole way through. WJ has more of an emotional impact while RDCT is just more entertaining/ fun. I voted for RDCT but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was swayed towards WJ if I watched both back to back. It’s worth noting that after these two spectaculars there is a steep drop off for me. For example, I didn’t like Disneyland Forever at all.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It’s worth noting that after these two spectaculars there is a steep drop off for me. For example, I didn’t like Disneyland Forever at all.

While I liked Disneyland Forever, I totally agree. The gap between WJ and Remember and all of the other shows is a really large gap.

 

[waltography]

WJ is great but I feel like it lags a little in the middle. The beginning and end are great. The intro and that ethereal sounding Princess segment with Snow White is excellent. The hunchback Hercules mashup is great too. It’s been a few years since I saw RDCT but I remember I being pretty entertaining the whole way through. WJ has more of an emotional impact while RDCT is just more entertaining/ fun. I voted for RDCT but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was swayed towards WJ if I watched both back to back. It’s worth noting that after these two spectaculars there is a steep drop off for me. For example, I didn’t like Disneyland Forever at all.

Interesting you bring this up because I think our perceptions are like reversed! The weakest parts for me for RDCT are the beginning and ending; the cut & paste from the Wishes soundtrack honestly hasn't aged well for me at all, it really makes me wish RDCT had its own original music.

Agreed on the steep drop off after WJ/RDCT; I rarely stay for fireworks anymore anyway, but I wouldn't stay for Disneyland Forever (feels too designed by committee). Now that I think about it, if you could take the intro and finale from DF and splice it into RDCT, that would be pretty close to the perfect Disneyland show. Add the Kiss Goodnight outro too.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Interesting you bring this up because I think our perceptions are like reversed! The weakest parts for me for RDCT are the beginning and ending; the cut & paste from the Wishes soundtrack honestly hasn't aged well for me at all, it really makes me wish RDCT had its own original music.

This is a big factor for me too: I never liked the sickly sweet Wishes moppets. To me they're nails on a chalkboard.

Additionally, RDCT has been cut down over time, something that has yet to affect Wondrous Journeys.

 

[mickEblu]

Interesting you bring this up because I think our perceptions are like reversed! The weakest parts for me for RDCT are the beginning and ending; the cut & paste from the Wishes soundtrack honestly hasn't aged well for me at all, it really makes me wish RDCT had its own original music.

Agreed on the steep drop off after WJ/RDCT; I rarely stay for fireworks anymore anyway, but I wouldn't stay for Disneyland Forever (feels too designed by committee). Now that I think about it, if you could take the intro and finale from DF and splice it into RDCT, that would be pretty close to the perfect Disneyland show. Add the Kiss Goodnight outro too.

I have to give RDTC another watch. It’s been a good 7 years or so I think. Whenever the last time they played it was. I only saw it 2-3 times total live and then maybe a couple more times on YouTube so my opinion is more based on the feeling it left me with and the fact that it really honored Disneyland. Not to mention those wow moments like the HM stretching room. I do know that it didn’t have as much of an emotional impact as WJ. I also for the first time ever waited for a spot in front of the castle for my first viewing of WJ so that helps too. The synchronization between the fireworks, music and projections especially from that vantage point was really special. One of the few times Disney has WOW’d me in my adult life. Something about that beautiful blend of visuals and music had me completely present at a time in my life where that doesn’t happen often.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

The original RDCT fireworks were the best tribute to the parks that Disney has every created.

 

[Disney Analyst]

For me, it’s definitely

RDCT (50th anniversary version)
Wondrous Journey
Believe There’s Magic in the Stars
Halloween Screams

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Disneyland Forever
Everything else.