Interim show 'The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic' confirmed to debut ahead of Rivers of Light

[Lirael]

So the pixie dust excuse this time round is: "You're disappointed because you expected too much" + "omg but they did it in a hurry!!"? Got it.

1) I expected very little since this was done hastily as a bandaid for RoL...and it turned out to be as underwhelming as imagined. That doesn't make it any better.

2)That they did this in a hurry might explain the result, but not magically make it better. Especially since, again, they only have themselves to blame for needing this in the first place. It's hard to sympathize with their 'plight'.

 

[mgf]

Were the Lumberjacks busy?

 

[Baloo62]

Were the Lumberjacks busy?

Favorite post award.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I still don't have any sympathy for anyone in this situation, maybe don't buy a dinner package for show you're unfamiliar with? Sorry, but I'm not going to play this "I didn't get what I wanted, so let me pee on Disney" game this time around. Nope. You all deserve every bit of disappointment heading your way because you excreted something along the lines of Fantasmic.

This show is barely up to voyage of the little mermaid tho

 

[Sweet Thing]

I think you may have hit on one of the things that concerned me after seeing this and Tree of Life Awakening first hand last night. There is no Disney related IP in either of these shows. Most people have an immediate image in their minds when the hear the title 'Jungle Book' and if they do not see any of the familiar characters are going to come out disappointed. I understand this is just a temporary show and was focused on the live action movie and for what it is, it's well done and well performed. I get a sense that early feedback might push them to add some of the classic character performers into it as it gets rolling to keep the younger crowd interested. As some have reported about RoL, it has that feel of being a little too 'artsy' to interest the broad audience of Disney guests.

You must have missed the Disney awakening of the tree. Starts with Pocahontas and represents every movie that has had or will have a presence in Animal Kingdom. Pocahontas, Tarzan, Jungle Book, Nemo, Avatar, Lion King.

Also, they don't have movie versions of the Jungle Book characters in the parks. Since this version of the movie is what the show is based around, they aren't going to mix versions and ad the animated characters to the show.

 

[Sweet Thing]

I can't comment since I haven't seen that show in a decade because it's so bad The singing here is better than that high school drama club show though....

If you mean High School Musical, some of the vocalists are the same performers who used to do that show.

 

[donsullivan]

You must have missed the Disney awakening of the tree. Starts with Pocahontas and represents every movie that has had or will have a presence in Animal Kingdom. Pocahontas, Tarzan, Jungle Book, Nemo, Avatar, Lion King.

I only saw one of the multiple different Awakenings shows and to be honest didn't notice any characters in it at all. I do know there are multiple, I only saw one. Good to know my initial impression of the one saw was not valid.

 

[ptaylor]

I have seen a few posts by people saying that Disney is describing this as a small tribute to The Jungle book.

This is from their press release - it doesn't sound to me like they are marketing this as anything small.

Live singers, dancers, musicians and fire performers celebrate the epic story of The Walt Disney Studios’ “The Jungle Book” in a limited-engagement nighttime extravaganza opening May 28, 2016, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort.

The 25-minute show is awash in special effects that include fire, and massive water-screen projections. While some of the cast tell the story from water’s edge and inside the theater, multiple barges and boats become additional sets pulsating with dozens of performers, scenic backdrops and light and fire effects.

 

[ptaylor]

Did you happen to get a glance at the screens off to the sides of the main one? Were they any better quality? They were not facing my direction so I couldn't get a fair assessment

I was looking at them, and they appeared as bad as the center.

I honestly couldn't consistently really make out any images on any of the water screens.

 

[Sweet Thing]

I wouldn't discount Rivers of Light just because this show isn't very good, ROL took like 3 years to make and this was made in like 2 weeks.

Three months from conception to opening.

 

[ptaylor]

After 18 years of waiting for the park to open late for everyone, maybe - just maybe - it would have been better to wait one more.

If marketing would allow it. Of course.

Agreed. Disney has taken the unfortunate decision to launch the start of late nights with an inadequate show. Regardless of the circumstances behind it, they have had 3 years to get a show done, and they've failed.

 

[ptaylor]

All I'll say is that I'm glad I saw the movie, otherwise I'd be so lost during the "plot"

I have not seen the movie, and all I took from the DAK show was a collection of songs and dance, accompanied by water spray with lights on it.

 

[No Name]

Everyone keeps saying that this (and ROL) aren't going to be WOC level experiences. Why couldn't they have installed WOC-like infrastructure here? Wouldn't that have been perfect for not disturbing the animals and still wowing the guests? They decided to go a cheaper route and rely on floating barges instead of fountains and now it's come back to bite them...

Umm, because it's not the same thing as WoC. Rather than fountains in the water, they'll be using floating fountains as well as other floating things for RoL. First of all, fountains would've been difficult and overly expensive (impossible?) to install in the bottom of Discovery River. So what they are doing is unique and perhaps will be even cooler.

For this Jungle Book show, they are using barges with performers on them. It isn't supposed to be like WoC. Does WoC have dancing, singing, and fire twirling? No. But that's the foundation of the Jungle Book show. Does TJB:AwM have a ton of fountains? No. But that's the foundation of World of Color. They are two distinctly different shows, and if you expcted TJB:AwM or even RoL to be the same style as WoC, you were wrong.

So your saying I have "a problem"?

You had a problem of expecting something like WoC. And so when the show hardly had any WoC-like elements, instead focusing on live performers, you were bound to be disappointed.

 

[GhostHost1000]

After 18 years of waiting for the park to open late for everyone, maybe - just maybe - it would have been better to wait one more.

If marketing would allow it. Of course.

COMPLETELY agree

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Well, look at it this way - anyone who was concerned that this show might be so amazing and popular that they wouldn't bother with RoL need not worry.

 

[TTA94]

I don't really understand why they didn't include the lotus in JBAWM? The fountains would have added more to the show. I know some had said the lotus were one of the RoL issues but they seemed to work just fine in the Media Preview? in sationary mode anyway.

Maybe RoL B mode (Media Preview) could open in July?

 

[MOM2FOUR]

Also, did people just skip over the thoughts I shared minutes after leaving the show?

YES!

 

[GhostHost1000]

The hits keep on coming. From another website

"With the dining packages starting tonight, I am anxious to see what happens. I will be seated in that reserved dining viewing section as I have my reservation at Tiffins later today and I will give this show another chance to “wow” me, but based on my first viewing and the reviews of countless other who I asked about the show last night, I doubt very much that I will feel like I got my money’s worth out of that dining package, just as I felt like I had wasted time and a FastPass seeing this show last night. Standing in front of the Tree of Life and watching the awakenings projection shows would have been a far better investment of my time and energy. But I am anxious to witness the response of less-informed guests in that viewing area, who paid over $50 a person to see this show from a premium viewing area. There may very well be a riot (or at least a Light Magic style guest march to guest relations). These packages are being offered through September… is this going to continue to be offered through then if guests complain nightly in droves? I can’t imagine a scenario where wither the show or the package both continue to exist until then."

 

[TP2000]

Oh, dear.

The CM's performing really appear to give it their all, as they usually do. But... oh, dear.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Oh, dear.

The CM's performing really appear to give it their all, as they usually do. But... oh, dear.

Yeah you can't fault the cast. They give everything they can based on the show they were given. They need to add a lot more to this show imo