News Happy 50th Birthday to Walt Disney World!

[Californian Elitist]

Because it's the most entertaining thing they've got out there for WDW's 50th.

Here's a recent show from Monday afternoon, where Non-Inclusive King Louie crashes perfectly onto the deflated remains of Baloo. Perfection! The jetski guys are really getting good at cutting their cords so the Deflation CM's can wrap up the crime scene.






Very true.

I think it bugs many of us because it's so inherently dishonest. And TDO peddles the fabricated history to sell more t-shirts and coffee cups to their fans who actually believed the fabrications.

This is embarrassing.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

It’s funny how two other very bad shows (Harmonious and Enchantment) debuted last weekend too and this kite disaster is stealing all of the attention here.

I don't know about that. Enchantment isn't good, but I thought Harmonious was actually quite good, particularly with that dazzling finale.

Kite Tails, on the other hand, is the worst show I've ever seen, and I saw a preview performance of Broadway's Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark. I'd rather be waterboarded.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

I don't know about that. Enchantment isn't good, but I thought Harmonious was actually quite good, particularly with that dazzling finale.

Kite Tails, on the other hand, is the worst show I've ever seen, and I saw a preview performance of Broadway's Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark. I'd rather be waterboarded.

I respect your opinion, but I couldn’t disagree more. Kite Tails is fantastic all things considered and is able to be performed multiple times a day.

Harmonious is impossible to view from the majority of world showcase lagoon. It’s literally a formulaic corporate showcase of random loosely connected IPs. It has no unique identity to connect it to EPCOT, or the vision of the park.

Watching kites crash is at least a humorous diversion, even if unintentionally funny. Seeing giant barges obstruct views across the lagoon for the majority of the day for a show that it is only optimally viewable for 25% of the audience at night is just depressing.

 

[brb1006]

Honestly I think just because the 50th at WDW feels... hollow. The 25th Anniversary at WDW and Disneyland's 50th both had great elements which really tugged at your heartstrings and made you believe that the people running the place had a love for those destinations and that we needed to honor those places.

Great point, Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary commercials and ad campaigns really felt genuine. Heck, some of those ads even focused on longtime visitors of the resort up to that point. Here are a few examples that were taken from old Disney VHS tapes (all set to a variation of "Remember The Magic":

"Act Your Age" was aimed at parents and adult Disney fans who weren't afraid of acting like a kid again.



"Walking" (my personal favorite) shows a boy and his parents looking forward to visiting Walt Disney World for the first time. But the boy's mother says "They won't be going to Disney World until their daughter learns how to walk". However, the mother and father decide to visit WDW anyway with the baby girl actually walking up to Mickey Mouse. (which actually teared me up)




"Overheard" shows a brother and sister talking about planning their visit to WDW after learning about it's 25th Anniversary. However, their parents are quitely paying attention to their conversation and actually takes them to the resort as a surprise.




And "Remember The Magic" which uses home video footage from families and visitors of WDW showing them back when the park was new (1970s-1980) up to then present day (1996-1997)



I seriously wish Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary campaign and commercials followed this approach.

 

[TrojanUSC]

Great point, Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary commercials and ad campaigns really felt genuine. Heck, some of those ads even focused on longtime visitors of the resort up to that point. Here are a few examples that were taken from old Disney VHS tapes (all set to a variation of "Remember The Magic":

"Act Your Age" was aimed at parents and adult Disney fans who weren't afraid of acting like a kid again.



"Walking" shows a boy and his parents looking forward to visiting Walt Disney World for the first time. But the boy's mother says "They won't be going to Disney World until their daughter learns how to walk". However, the mother and father decide to visit WDW anyway with the baby girl actually walking up to Mickey Mouse. (which actually teared me up)




"Overheard" shows a brother and sister talking about planning their visit to WDW after learning about it's 25th Anniversary. However, their parents are paying attention to their conversation and actually takes to them to the park as a surprise.




And "Remember The Magic" which uses home video footage from families and visitors of WDW showing them back when the park was new (1970s-1980) up to then present day (1996-1997)



I seriously wish Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary campaign and commercials followed this approach.

Even their "theme song" Remember the Magic was about remembering all your experiences and nostalgia of WDW. The people planning this seem to forget people can have attachments to the parks, not just to cartoons.

 

[brb1006]

Even their "theme song" Remember the Magic was about remembering all your experiences and nostalgia of WDW. The people planning this seem to forget people can have attachments to the parks, not just to cartoons.

Heck the last time, Walt Disney World actually made a memorable ad campaign and commercials that actually made you want to visit Walt Disney World was the "100 Years of Magic Celebration" (Walt Disney's 100th Birthday). While Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland honored Walt's 100th Birthday in different ways. The Walt Disney World Resort was the centerpiece for the "100 Years of Magic Celebration" (due to being one of Walt's last projects and Roy playing a major role of WDW happening) and was given special treatment.






I still have fond memories of the "Share A Dream Come True Parade" (before getting rebranded to "Disney Dreams Come True Parade" and "Celebrate A Dream Come True") which celebrated Walt's accomplishments in film and animation alongside celebrating Disney's Animated Films up to the Disney Renaissance Period. Especially the first incarnation that had a show stop which lasted from 2001-2003.




Even the "100 Years of Magic" gained a theme song called "Share A Dream Come True" which was a touching tribute to Walt Disney and anything related to Disney and its parks.


I yearn for the days when Disney made emotional and heartfelt songs like "Remember The Magic" and "Share A Dream Come True" for major celebrations and milestone ("Forever Young" for Disneyland's 60th Anniversary is the last time Disney made a touching anniversary song). And this is coming from a person who really likes "The Magic Is Calling" (WDW's 50th Anniversary song) just wished that the song was more longer.

 

[TP2000]

I really do have to wonder who approved this all-new concept of using blatantly "Onstage" areas as messy backstage staging and clean-up areas?

Yes, it's what makes KiteTails such an endearingly awful mess. But the rules of Disney theme parks have all been broken here, and I wonder what the conversations around that decision were like?

Were they so desperate to get a new show into DAK for the 50th that they just accepted the drastically lowered standards this show represents? Or was there a bigger plan that solved these issues, but the budget was cut so much by Covid that before they realized what a mistake this was it was too late?

That said, it's obvious the audience is getting into this failure now that we are realizing these aren't accidents or mistakes, but the actual show playing out as planned for paying customers.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I’d honestly wait in line (maybe 20 minutes at most) to see Kite Tails in person. Granted, I’ve only watched them through YouTube, but Kite Tails is the only show from WDW’s 50th that has entertained me. I tried watching Enchantment and couldn’t even get 10 minutes in.

The laughing alone would assure a good time.

 

[brb1006]

I really do have to wonder who approved this all-new concept of using blatantly "Onstage" areas as messy backstage staging and clean-up areas?

Yes, it's what makes KiteTails such an endearingly awful mess. But the rules of Disney theme parks have all been broken here, and I wonder what the conversations around that decision were like?

Were they so desperate to get a new show into DAK for the 50th that they just accepted the drastically lowered standards this show represents? Or was there a bigger plan that solved these issues, but the budget was cut so much by Covid that before they realized what a mistake this was it was too late?

That said, it's obvious the audience is getting into this failure now that we are realizing these aren't accidents or mistakes, but the actual show playing out as planned for paying customers.

As I mentioned on the KiteTails thread, I seriously feel like the Discovery River Lagoon has some sort of curse ! Possibly by the ghosts of Walt Disney, Roy O. Disney, and Roy E. Disney. For those unfamiliar with Animal Kingdom. Discovery River is located in front of "Expedition Everest" and leads you to Dinoland, Discovery Island, and Asia

Rivers of Light had to get delayed multiple times due to technical issues before ending unceremoniously a few years ago. Alongside cutting The Shamans (the latest original parks characters)





Compare this to test footage from D23 2015 where the screens were planned to move.



Then gaining a temporary stage show at the lagoon called "Jungle Book: Alive With Magic" which is based off the 2016 live-action remake while trying to honor the 1966 animated film. Which was very short-lived and gained very mediocre reception.





And now "Disney's KiteTails" which has been mocked to kingdom come by not only fans of Walt Disney World, but the Disneyland community as well.

 

[TP2000]

As I mentioned on the KiteTails thread, I seriously feel like the Discovery River Lagoon has some sort of curse ! Possibly by the ghosts of Walt Disney, Roy O. Disney, and Roy E. Disney. For those unfamiliar with Animal Kingdom. Discovery River is located in front of "Expedition Everest" and leads you to Dinoland, Discovery Island, and Asia.

It can't be cursed, it's brand new!

What's mystifying is how cheaply they threw this thing together, and how blatantly they are breaking the rules of not just traditional Disney showmanship, but showmanship in general.

They store and launch the balloons from a hastily made dock right off the main walkway to Everest, with deflated balloons from the last show laid out to dry in the sun. The dock launch facility looks like they built this thing for about 800 bucks and three trips to Home Depot.

In all the videos and photos, you can always see a gaggle of people staring at the balloons' backside along that busy walkway, as the characters get yanked off the very visible Launch Dock, Presented by Home Depot by the jetskis.

Then they crash land the beloved Disney characters in the bleachers right next to this dock, where the rapid-response CM's catch them and stomp the life out of them while the audience looks on in either horror or hysterical laughter (depending on how attached the audience is to beloved Disney characters).

But this lagoon and arena is only a few years old. It was built custom just for this purpose; theme park water shows. This is not Disneyland creating Fantasmic! out of thin air on the Rivers of America. This is a custom built 21st century theme park water show arena. And it has an entire backstage marina facility located behind the lagoon south of Everest.

Here's that aerial. The blue square is the Launch Dock, Presented by Home Depot, the red square is the bleacher Deflation Zone, and the green is where the audience who paid cash money to go to WDW for the 50th sit and watch it all. Meanwhile, there's the backstage marina and waterway area noted as red question marks ??? where they are allegedly supposed to do, you know, backstage stuff like deflate beloved Disney characters.

Who on earth approved the concept that all "backstage" stagecraft for this show should be done "onstage" in full view of customers??? I would love to have been a fly on the wall in that TDO conference room when that concept got the green light, wouldn't you?

 

[Sailor310]

It can't be cursed, it's brand new!

What's mystifying is how cheaply they threw this thing together, and how blatantly they are breaking the rules of not just traditional Disney showmanship, but showmanship in general.

They store and launch the balloons from a hastily made dock right off the main walkway to Everest, with deflated balloons from the last show laid out to dry in the sun. The dock launch facility looks like they built this thing for about 800 bucks and three trips to Home Depot.

In all the videos and photos, you can always see a gaggle of people staring at the balloons' backside along that busy walkway, as the characters get yanked off the very visible Launch Dock, Presented by Home Depot by the jetskis.

View attachment 591449

Then they crash land the beloved Disney characters in the bleachers right next to this dock, where the rapid-response CM's catch them and stomp the life out of them while the audience looks on in either horror or hysterical laughter (depending on how attached the audience is to beloved Disney characters).

But this lagoon and arena is only a few years old. It was built custom just for this purpose; theme park water shows. This is not Disneyland creating Fantasmic! out of thin air on the Rivers of America. This is a custom built 21st century theme park water show arena. And it has an entire backstage marina facility located behind the lagoon south of Everest.

Here's that aerial. The blue square is the Launch Dock, Presented by Home Depot, the red square is the bleacher Deflation Zone, and the green is where the audience who paid cash money to go to WDW for the 50th sit and watch it all. Meanwhile, there's the backstage marina and waterway area noted as red question marks ??? where they are allegedly supposed to do, you know, backstage stuff like deflate beloved Disney characters.

View attachment 591445

Who on earth approved the concept that all "backstage" stagecraft for this show should be done "onstage" right next to the bleachers full of customers??? I would love to have been a fly on the wall in that TDO conference room when that concept got the green light, wouldn't you?

Is that thing labeled "Asia" a bridge? Perhaps if the balloons are still inflated they can't go under the bridge?

 

[TP2000]

Is that thing labeled "Asia" a bridge? Perhaps if the balloons are still inflated they can't go under the bridge?

Yeah, that's a walkway over the canal. It's pretty tall, and designed to have boats and barges and show equipment sent under it. But I see your point, it might be less than elegant.

There's probably no good answer for the obviously cheap budget and limited Home Depot credit line they had to work with here. But they drag those balloons around causing the characters great indignity anyway, so why not drag them under that bridge and "backstage" to remove them from the arena?

 

[TP2000]

It should be noted, that this is now the only show they do in this big custom-built arena. There's no night water shows, no water parade or stunt show.

It's just the 10 minute long KiteTails for the 50th Celebration at Animal Kingdom.

Six times per day.

 

[Sailor310]

Yeah, that's a walkway over the canal. It's pretty tall, and designed to have boats and barges and show equipment sent under it. But I see your point, it might be less than elegant.

There's probably no good answer for the obviously cheap budget and limited Home Depot credit line they had to work with here. But they drag those balloons around causing the characters great indignity anyway, so why not drag them under that bridge and "backstage" to remove them from the arena?

My thought was that they might fill up with water and act like sea anchors if they tried to drag them under the bridge.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It should be noted, that this is now the only show they do in this big custom-built arena. There's no night water shows, no water parade or stunt show.

It's just the 10 minute long KiteTails for the 50th Celebration at Animal Kingdom.

Six times per day.

I think they should bump it to 12 times per day.

 

[Bullseye1967]

Yeah, that's a walkway over the canal. It's pretty tall, and designed to have boats and barges and show equipment sent under it. But I see your point, it might be less than elegant.

There's probably no good answer for the obviously cheap budget and limited Home Depot credit line they had to work with here. But they drag those balloons around causing the characters great indignity anyway, so why not drag them under that bridge and "backstage" to remove them from the arena?

Maybe a bridge that opens?

 

[No Name]

Then gaining a temporary stage show at the lagoon called "Jungle Book: Alive With Magic" which is based off the 2016 live-action remake while trying to honor the 1966 animated film. Which was very short-lived and gained very mediocre reception.

I love this show

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

Disney World is a poor man's Disneyland. There, I said it!

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Disney World is a poor man's Disneyland. There, I said it!

MK is Atleast

 

[TP2000]

Maybe a bridge that opens?

Stop it! You think Disney is made of money? That they can just build an entirely new bridge that opens to allow proper showmanship standards to be upheld? That costs money!

Do you know how many Vice Presidents they have to feed and care for? And do you know how many Directors or General Managers each VP then has to string along on barely upper-middle class salaries?

Heck, Anaheim even has a Vice President in charge of the "Guest Arrival Experience" and he earns well into six figures and I just learned he lives a comfortable life down in Newport Beach because he's the brilliant mastermind that has delivered this Guest Arrival Experience to paying Anaheim customers...

Disneyland's Guest Arrival Experience (During a Pandemic) - June, 2021

Disney World is a poor man's Disneyland. There, I said it!

To be fair, Animal Kingdom is one of the most nicely Imagineered parks in their entire arsenal. And like the rest of the park, the water show arena they have in Animal Kingdom to perform KiteTails in is well designed and artfully Imagineered to blend into its themed environment.

Most other Disney theme parks would KILL for a water show facility this well designed, this beautifully Imagineered, and this respectful of both its surroundings and its audience.

But then once the Imagineers give them a beautifully designed facility to use for the next 50 years, TDO's clueless Chapek-era executives screw it all up by sending some peons to Home Depot and belching up something like KiteTails. And then the Celebration cubicle army pretends its MAGICAL.