New Fantasyland Theatre Show- Summer 2013

[TP2000]

Dress rehearsal. All the characters singing different things at the same time can be a little much, but I'm sure it will sound great when everything is completed.

I'm not much of a "theme park entertainment" guy, and can usually skip this kind of stuff, but this show does look very impressive!

Some major investment and energy and talent has obviously been poured into this one. Should be interesting to hear the reviews this weekend!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm not much of a "theme park entertainment" guy, and can usually skip this kind of stuff, but this show does look very impressive!

Some major investment and energy and talent has obviously been poured into this one. Should be interesting to hear the reviews this weekend!

I agree, it does look impressive! They said they've been working on the show for a year and a half... That's about the same time as the 2011 Expo. I wonder why they didn't announce it then? I guess it was too early.

MiceChat's got an early review! If I didn't have finals to study for and if the all-nighter wasn't happening, I would have definitely been there tomorrow to see the show.

 

[Magenta Panther]

The talking, singing King Louie is terrific! Kudos to the costumers and the very talented performer!

But...the three princesses singing different songs all at once is AWFUL! Sure hope that gets changed...

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Spoilers! Here's a whole video from last night's premiere:

 

[imagineer boy]

Over all I think this is a solid show. I think it would be better suited for a cruise show but it works okay here. However, did anyone else think the King Louis part just sort of came out of nowhere and disappeared before you could comprehend what just happened? It was nice to see a slightly under-used song (Hawaiian Rollercoaster ride) but does anyone else think they could've done more than just dance to it? And I think the dance ensemble could've used costume changes throughout the show rather than just wearing the same thing. I also think the "live music" part was a little overhyped since it was just one guy playing a trumpet and not much else but it was still a nice touch.

 

[wcjordan06]

The effects were nice but the show left me a little under-whelmed. I LOVED that Mulan and Pocahontas got some lime light here as they are even more forgotten at DLR than at WDW, even though they still need a bigger foot print there too IMO. It really felt like this show highlighted some of the movies/characters that the parks tend to not to showcase as much (Mulan, Pocahontas, Jungle Book, andLilo).. I would have much rather enjoyed Lilo and/or Stitch out there along with Ariel cause that Sebastian puppet wasn't enough, plus the voice was terrible for that well established character.

Overall, not a bad show but hopefully the next show to hit either US park can build off this one and become even more of a delight.

 

[TP2000]

I haven't seen Mickey & The Magical Lamp yet, maybe later this weekend, but I was hoping it would have looked more like this great Disney stage show from the past. Or at the very least have included this classic opening number as one of the scenes that Mickey finds on the map.

Back when they really knew how to do theme park stage shows!


A missed opportunity, TDA.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This show is so lame....Nothing but a half-baked retread of just about every other recent Disney theme park show.

It's better than a meet and greet, which is worse. I'm grateful for this new show, something we've been deprived of for years.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I haven't seen Mickey & The Magical Lamp yet, maybe later this weekend, but I was hoping it would have looked more like this great Disney stage show from the past. Or at the very least have included this classic opening number as one of the scenes that Mickey finds on the map.

Back when they really knew how to do theme park stage shows!


A missed opportunity, TDA.

Oh geez, remember Epcot '94 and Epcot '95? You're right though - Map could really use some of that Barbie magic. Legwarmers and crimped hair would TOTES complete the mood!

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Oh geez, remember Epcot '94 and Epcot '95? You're right though - Map could really use some of that Barbie magic. Legwarmers and crimped hair would TOTES complete the mood!

Natch!

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I had the opportunity to see the show live this weekend, and I must say, it was great. Once Stitch is added to his number, it's done. The audience LOVED it and it's WAY better live than on YouTube.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

SPOILERS BELOW!

To elaborate a bit on my earlier post, it was interesting to view it after hearing criticisms from others. Some have complained that the dancers don't change costumes - this isn't entirely true. There are subtle modifications to the outfits for each number (including the semi-awkward choice of having the men wear vests with no shirts during "I Wanna Be Like You"). Not enough characters is a valid complaint, but I think the addition of Stitch will solve that issue (the audience seemed let down that he never showed - it was truly a bizarre choice to leave him out).

I will say that at the public performance I attended, each character got entrance applause. I expected it for Mickey, but the roar that met Pocahontas' entrance surprised me. The crowd of average park guests (on a day when all APs but Premium were blocked) was right there with the show, and loudly showed their appreciation multiple times over the 22 minutes. I'm grateful it's not longer, because those benches are not comfortable. Would it have killed them to have installed pads on the seats or shade structures for the queue area? Dayum.

Others have criticized the plot, saying there is none. It has far more plot than Animazement (my favorite Disneyland show of all time), but I think people who are newer to Disney and used to Aladdin are taken aback by the use of a revue. Nobody does revues like Disney, and frankly, I think they're the best choice for theme park fare. A revue gives guests multiple characters and songs from multiple films and more theatrical leeway. The film to stage routine is not ideal for theme park shows, which need to be considerably shorter than a Broadway musical.

The plot device of Mickey and the unpainted spot provides a nice throughline on which the songs are hung. The resolution with Yensid was PERFECT, allowing Walt's vision to subtly creep in while providing a great moral. It didn't feel forced and awkward (like Steps In Time 2.0) and it gave the show some heart.

I heard more than one person say the ending was forced - I dunno, it made sense to me. Dig A Little Deeper is a feel-good finale and allows Tiana to take over lead vocals for the gospel-flavored finale reprise of the show theme, Journey Into Imagination.

The only song choice I didn't care for is Under the Sea. The song has been done to death, especially in theme park/cruise line shows. The Sebastian puppet didn't quite work for me - the real stars of the number are the two dancers given the bubble balloons - they held the audience in the palms of their hands. What a cool trick!

The choreography is fantastic and the show is filled with amazing dancers who work their skinny butts off. The face character singers do a good job of blending in when they're not on as their character, and each of them had fabulous voices that were perfectly in character.

And lastly, big kudos to the incredible trumpet player! The dimension of some live music adds a lot to the performance, and the guy we saw was AMAZING.

Recap - show's not perfect, but it's pretty great. So glad to have a real show back at Disneyland after such a long absence!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I like to think of it as Fantasmic Abridged (Minus Villians)

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I like to think of it as Fantasmic Abridged (Minus Villians)

Just stick Philharmagic in Toontown, like I have advocated for, and you could have a whole land where characters are magically transported through vignettes from various Disney movies!

 

[TP2000]

The audience LOVED it and it's WAY better live than on YouTube.

I haven't found anything on this planet yet that isn't better live than on an amateur YouTube video played on a 12 inch or smaller screen.

I'm not really a stage show guy, and I skipped the show this weeked when I saw the crazy crowds for it, but I can tell it's a fabulously funded and creatively staged event. Yes, it's a musical variety show on an outdoor stage in a theme park, starring Mickey Mouse (with a singing gorilla thrown in for good measure). It's fun and toe-tapping and beautifully crafted. With a nice snack bar conveniently placed at the entrance, next to stroller parking.

What do people expect from outdoor theme park shows exactly? A 3 hour long command performance of The King & I featuring Yul Brynner brought back from the dead?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I haven't found anything on this planet yet that isn't better live than on an amateur YouTube video played on a 12 inch or smaller screen.

Ain't it the damn truth. The chorus of criticisms from those who have only watched it on YouTube are hilarious.

What do people expect from outdoor theme park shows exactly? A 3 hour long command performance of The King & I featuring Yul Brynner brought back from the dead?

I don't know, LOL! I think Aladdin is utter garbage with its awful script, bewildering staging (how come Aladdin can fly and teleport? I don't remember that part of the movie) and cheesy effects, but tons of people swear up and down it's the best thing since sliced bread. I must be insane - I'd rather watch Map any day than Aladdin, or Beauty and the Beast at DHS (a real doozy).

 

[TP2000]

And here I thought I was the only one who'd seen Aladdin at DCA and couldn't figure out how an Arabian fairytale from the 11th Century can suddenly jump 800 years into the future to fly past Paris and the Eiffel Tower circa 1890.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

And here I thought I was the only one who'd seen Aladdin at DCA and couldn't figure out how an Arabian fairytale from the 11th Century can suddenly jump 800 years into the future to fly past Paris and the Eiffel Tower circa 1890.

There was an exact lookalike of the Eiffel Tower built in the Classical Period somewhere in Mesopotamia. Archaeologists just haven't found it yet. What's the opposite of dramatic irony?

Even in the movie, they made it all the way to China and back in a single night. On an airplane today, that's probably close to a 20-hour round trip. I think the best answer is PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER (itty bitty living space).

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The only song choice I didn't care for is Under the Sea. The song has been done to death, especially in theme park/cruise line shows.

MMM is now the 4th place in DLR where you can see that song performed following WoC, the Mermaid ride and Soundsational. As Miceage criticized, it's been done to death and only underscores my feelings about overused IPs in Disney Parks today.

What do people expect from outdoor theme park shows exactly? A 3 hour long command performance of The King & I featuring Yul Brynner brought back from the dead?

LOL. This is hands down my favourite comment I've read here today.

 

[Genie of the Lamp]

My take on Mickey's Magical Map: like the show concept however the majority vocal performances were absolutely atrocious as Marry Poppins would say. The were moments of the show I liked such as at the end when the unpainted spot tells Mickey he doesn't want to be painted/complete and likes himself/herself just the way they are, liked the Lilo and Stitch scene, but that's about it. I hated the new version of Wanna be like You, also really didn't care for the new song for the show "Journey into your Imagination". Overall, thumbs down for me (but it had a few moments esp. towards the end of the show).