New castle show Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire to open this summer at the Magic Kingdom

[ToTBellHop]

Now if we could just get that crane back.

You may have to wait 4 agonizing months for that.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Indeed. It'll be worth it if the show is up to the quality of the Hocus Pocus show. Time will tell.

I just realized this is a RoL thread...this should be in the thread already present for the new show. Oops.

Yep. Thanks for the move, @wdwmagic. Sorry for the derail in the RoL thread.

 

[TTA94]

I hope the arches are gone forever! But sadly the concept art showed them.

 

[marni1971]

I just received these:

 

[ToTBellHop]

I just received these:

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What if they just left it bare like that?

 

[jrhwdw]

I just received these:

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Thanks! I wonder why they took the stage away this time???? In the past, they worked on the stage while it was out in front of the Castle. They had to paint the lift between Cinderellabration and DAWM and while they might of painted it at night. I believe the stage stayed out there on the platform. I think but not sure there are pics from back then.

MRFF's art showed the same stage as DAWM's, with maybe railing changes. Could it have changed???? LP tweeted a Pic on Monday of the stage with some scrims up. The stage and the arches were still there, but they mentioned that some upgrades were being done to the Castle stage. Thoughts?

 

[mm52200]

I've heard it will be the same design coming back but the flooring on the stage is being redone, the lift is being taken out, and the heating and water systems are being redone. They really want to get the show open as soon as possible.

 

[dhslxop]

A few pages back it was mentioned that ending DAWM in April and not starting MRFF (is that the acronym for the new show?) until June was to save labor costs. Just out of curiosity and for sake of discussion - do you think the stage refurbishment validates the early closing and semi-hiatus of shows at the Castle? I image the refurb was necessary since the stage is constantly exposed to the elements and probably hasn't be refurbished in a while, so the best time was to do it when switching shows, especially in the Spring when there are no Halloween/Christmas shows in rehearsal and/or performing.

Also - did closing DAWM early give the DAWM performers the option to audition and potentially be cast in the show? I'm not sure how new show rehearsals work at WDW - would the performers had to have chosen to leave DAWM and audition/rehearsal for the new show?

 

[jrhwdw]

I've heard it will be the same design coming back but the flooring on the stage is being redone, the lift is being taken out, and the heating and water systems are being redone. They really want to get the show open as soon as possible.

Is the lift not coming back 100% true??? That's too bad!!!!! The lift looked wonderful!!! Such a finale staple! Will the strobes stay on the arches?

Any know if the soundtrack is done? How's the theme song?

 

[Bolt]

A few pages back it was mentioned that ending DAWM in April and not starting MRFF (is that the acronym for the new show?) until June was to save labor costs. Just out of curiosity and for sake of discussion - do you think the stage refurbishment validates the early closing and semi-hiatus of shows at the Castle? I image the refurb was necessary since the stage is constantly exposed to the elements and probably hasn't be refurbished in a while, so the best time was to do it when switching shows, especially in the Spring when there are no Halloween/Christmas shows in rehearsal and/or performing.

Also - did closing DAWM early give the DAWM performers the option to audition and potentially be cast in the show? I'm not sure how new show rehearsals work at WDW - would the performers had to have chosen to leave DAWM and audition/rehearsal for the new show?

I think an example of cutting labor to save money wouldn't involve them making a new show/stage. Just because you can't see it, training multiple groups of performers in the end will cost the same.

 

[Adam N]

Ya know, maybe I just have to warm up to the whole idea of this new show, and I won't totally judge till I see it, but there's something about the art and description...

Well first of all, Mickey and his friends are not wearing their classic outfits, and the dancers' outfits won't blend with the castle colors. Sure, that's fine and I like the festiveness, so that'll be a neat change, maybe.

But I didn't hear or see Cinderella anywhere in the art or description, which is immensely concerning. I don't know how I feel about Maleficent and the classic princesses seemingly not being in this new one. They've been popular parts of the park for decades, it's not like suddenly they're irrelevant and need to be replaced. Oh well though, I understand the desire to have newer characters in there too. But Cinderella... it's her castle, after all. You can't just not have Cinderella in the show. Or you can, and that won't fly well with me, and may confuse people as to why she was not invited to a party at her own home.

My main concern is that the show won't have any story. Any plot. It sounds like Mickey is just going to find a lot of his friends and they're going to have a happy time. Something tells me that Disney wouldn't do a Maleficent scene like that again, it's too scaaaary. Well actually, that's what made the show, but after watching that horrible Star Wars thing today, I don't know if the imagineering team still understands that.

Also, Disney seems to be even further getting rid of their infusion of words around the millennium, such as dream, celebrate, wish, etc. And I have a warm place in my heart for those. Why, I don't know, I just do.

I actually very much liked the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! parade, and had high hopes for the ...Dance and Play It! change, but I don't like new one nearly as much. I fear the same will happen here.

Hoping for the best, but I see a lot of bad signs, or signs that I do not like.

Imagineering doesn't do Entertainment stuff in Florida. They're separated as opposed to DL where it's all combined.

 

[tathompson87]

Here's a look at Mickeys outfit for the new show.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

What if they just left it bare like that?

I'd rather see it as simplistic as it was during "Everyday's A Holiday"

 

[jrhwdw]

Here's a look at Mickeys outfit for the new show.

Nice! We're on our way! Do you have pics of the others?

What if they just left it bare like that?

I'd rather see it as simplistic as it was during "Everyday's A Holiday"

Some of MK's biggest shows used only one staircase in the middle of stage.

 

[brb1006]

I'd rather see it as simplistic as it was during "Everyday's A Holiday"

Same goes for "Cinderella's Surprise Celebration" back in 2001 which was the last Magic Kingdom show where the castle looked like that.

 

[brb1006]

What if they just left it bare like that?

I guess you haven't seen any of the previous castle shows prior to Cinderellabration.

 

[brb1006]

Here's a look at Mickeys outfit for the new show.

Now I want to see Daisy and Donald's outfits.

 

[tathompson87]

Nice! We're on our way! Do you have pics of the others?

No, I don't. I happened to find this on Instagram under #RoyalFriendshipFaire. Apparently there was an Awaken Summer event and they had a meet and greet with him in the new costume. So there's a lot of pictures of him but none of anyone else. I'm ready to see them as well though.

 

[WDWtraveler]

Photo update as of Sunday, April 10. The castle stage refurbishment is a complete re-do. The plywood covering has been removed revealing this framework supporting (red) tubes for fluid circulation over the entire stage....who knew the stage was either heated or cooled? Anyone?

The plywood in the left background covers the hole in the stage for the lift mechanism.

Behind the construction wall in the castle forecourt.

The wall at the castle forecourt.

 

[jt04]

Photo update as of Sunday, April 10. The castle stage refurbishment is a complete re-do. The plywood covering has been removed revealing this framework supporting (red) tubes for fluid circulation over the entire stage....who knew the stage was either heated or cooled? Anyone?

View attachment 137726


View attachment 137727

The plywood in the left background covers the hole in the stage for the lift mechanism.

View attachment 137728

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Behind the construction wall in the castle forecourt.

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The wall at the castle forecourt.

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Best news is the asymetrial arches are gone.