News New Parade: Magic Happens

[brb1006]

Wow, fantastic insight! Thank you for sharing. I have no design talents at all, I'm currently struggling with a glue gun and a bag of hazelnuts for @Curious Constance and her Rise Before Dawn altar, but what you said makes a lot of sense suddenly from a design perspective.



Because Burbank and TDA knows we will willingly accept mediocrity and will show up anyway. It's mostly our fault.



The first two floats are cool, and then it goes downhill quickly. It seems to get cheaper and cheaper as the parade goes along. And the music is just bland and pithy and not memorable.

And, I fully expect the staffing levels on this parade to dwindle quickly once they get it launched. I expect those groups of 10 dancers to become 6 dancers, and the groups of 8 flag girls to become 4 flag girls, the 10 hula guys become 6 hula guys, etc., etc. This was just Opening Month staffing levels to get everyone onboard with their parts, and then the staffing cuts will kick in.

After all, Coronavirus is going to kill many of us here by Easter, and Bob Jr. is slashing budgets to get ready.



And yet they made such a big deal about this Todrick Hall fellow and how brilliant he was. Really? Something tells me Todrick is laughing all the way to the bank, just after he pays off the loan for his latest Autotune machine.

In happier news, the Sherman Brothers and their legacy have nothing to worry about from Todrick and his Millenial Army.

I agree with you, Todrick Hall's got nothing on Gavin Greenaway (Share A Dream Come True Parade) and John Debney (Spectromagic) in terms of memorable parade music.

 

[Nland316]

I think it’s noteworthy to say that this is pretty refreshing being that Steve Davison is not involved in the project. This seems like a DLR first in quite a while!

 

[SuddenStorm]

I think it’s noteworthy to say that this is pretty refreshing being that Steve Davison is not involved in the project. This seems like a DLR first in quite a while!

Yep! And despite it's mediocrity, it's also a far more visually diverse and stunning offering than what Davison has been able to deliver these last few years.

Let's hope this is the start of a new era of Disneyland live entertainment.

 

[NateD1226]

Just finished watching the 6:00 showing! It was so fun! The music is much better in person. The outfits were very gorgeous. Also the Pepita puppet is highly underrated. That thing was huge! Tiana float was so beautiful. It is a hit in my book!

 

[TTA94]

Much better at night. I knew it would have been.

 

[NateD1226]

Also the Moana float is already broken. one of the panels didn’t light up

 

[jrhwdw]

Much better at night. I knew it would have been.

Any chance DL adds a 3rd Performance later in the night or moves the 2nd Performance if the 6:00 gets a lot of Positive reviews????


Maybe put Bandtastic during the day and give MH MSEP/PTN's Schedule? I know DL put all alot of work into this "Daytime Parade" but they also filled the floats with nighttime lighting!

 

[DLR>WDW]

Also the Moana float is already broken. one of the panels didn’t light up

Yep

 

[Phroobar]

Much better at night. I knew it would have been.

Because you can't see it.

 

[themeparkchat]

That Moana float looks too bright (I know it's probably the camera but I think I saw a video too). They should put it back to its "broken" state it was yesterday lol, that at least looked like a real wave.

 

[TP2000]

I think it’s noteworthy to say that this is pretty refreshing being that Steve Davison is not involved in the project. This seems like a DLR first in quite a while!

Great point. I think we've all kind of sensed that Mr. Davison may be past his prime. Or is at least stuck in a heavy Princess rut where he keeps re-using the same five IP's over and over and over again.

This Magic Happens parade seems refreshing because it uses some fun new characters we've never seen before, while throwing in an old favorite like Sword In The Stone. Of course, it also had a big Frozen float and a half dozen other tired Princesses, but that's only because there are strict zoning laws in Anaheim and I think they have to do that to keep the liquor license valid at Club 33.

If Mr. Davison had been in charge of this parade, we would have had a Little Mermaid float instead of Moana, and a Beauty & The Beast float instead of Coco. With Buzz Lightyear replacing Merlin. No thanks, Mr. Davison.

Much better at night. I knew it would have been.

Like most daytime parades, it does look better at night. Parade of Dreams did. Soundsational did. Mulan Parade did. The Christmas parade does.

The problem is that in 7 days we switch to Daylight Saving Time. Today the sun set in Anaheim at 5:47pm so the 6:00pm parade was in dusky darkness, but starting next Sunday the sun will set at 6:55pm and get later by a few minutes each day through June. This parade is labeled as a "Daytime Spectacular" on Disneyland.com, and is scheduled for its final performance at 6:00pm through this spring at least.

We won't see a dusky performance where the Moana float looks this good again until next November after we switch back to Pacific Standard Time. Assuming they don't replace this entirely with the Christmas Parade by November 10th again.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Showing off the great night lighting.

 

[TP2000]

Showing off the great night lighting.

Love that! I haven't watched the whole video, but like many Disneyland parades it does look better at night.

Gosh, a night parade at Disneyland. I wonder if they've ever thought of doing one of those permanently?

 

[FigmentForver96]

I can’t stand Todrick hall and this just furthers my feelings. Gross

 

[mickeyfan5534]

This Magic Happens parade seems refreshing because it uses some fun new characters we've never seen before, while throwing in an old favorite like Sword In The Stone. Of course, it also had a big Frozen float and a half dozen other tired Princesses, but that's only because there are strict zoning laws in Anaheim and I think they have to do that to keep the liquor license valid at Club 33.

I personally think the only overdone princesses presented are Frozen and Cinderella. Moana is too new to get the overdone treatment but Tiana and Aurora tend to get the shorter end of the stick over Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Rapunzel. That's just me but it's rare that Tiana and Aurora aren't grouped with the rest of the princesses if they show up at all.

 

[Brenthodge]

I personally think the only overdone princesses presented are Frozen and Cinderella. Moana is too new to get the overdone treatment but Tiana and Aurora tend to get the shorter end of the stick over Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Rapunzel. That's just me but it's rare that Tiana and Aurora aren't grouped with the rest of the princesses if they show up at all.

Tiana got an entire unit in Soundsational.

 

[NateD1226]

Tiana got an entire unit in Soundsational.

Yeah but this......

is WAY better than this....

 

[Rich T]

Let's hope this is the start of a new era of Disneyland live entertainment.

Bad music and poor design?
(Edit) Sorry—I gotta stop being such a grouch. There *are* a lot of positive elements here, from the inclusion of Sword in the Stone to the “trying something new” approach. I just hope next time all involved are given a bigger budget and a better understanding of what really works in a Disney parade.

 

[brb1006]

Great point. I think we've all kind of sensed that Mr. Davison may be past his prime. Or is at least stuck in a heavy Princess rut where he keeps re-using the same five IP's over and over and over again.

This Magic Happens parade seems refreshing because it uses some fun new characters we've never seen before, while throwing in an old favorite like Sword In The Stone. Of course, it also had a big Frozen float and a half dozen other tired Princesses, but that's only because there are strict zoning laws in Anaheim and I think they have to do that to keep the liquor license valid at Club 33.

If Mr. Davison had been in charge of this parade, we would have had a Little Mermaid float instead of Moana, and a Beauty & The Beast float instead of Coco. With Buzz Lightyear replacing Merlin. No thanks, Mr. Davison.



Like most daytime parades, it does look better at night. Parade of Dreams did. Soundsational did. Mulan Parade did. The Christmas parade does.

The problem is that in 7 days we switch to Daylight Saving Time. Today the sun set in Anaheim at 5:47pm so the 6:00pm parade was in dusky darkness, but starting next Sunday the sun will set at 6:55pm and get later by a few minutes each day through June. This parade is labeled as a "Daytime Spectacular" on Disneyland.com, and is scheduled for its final performance at 6:00pm through this spring at least.

We won't see a dusky performance where the Moana float looks this good again until next November after we switch back to Pacific Standard Time. Assuming they don't replace this entirely with the Christmas Parade by November 10th again.

I'm actually glad they actually didn't use The Little Mermaid and Beauty And The Beast for once. It was really starting to get old by the time Festival Of Fantasy debuted at WDW years ago.

 

[mickeyfan5534]

Yeah but this......
View attachment 452800

is WAY better than this....

View attachment 452801

It's honestly kind of fascinating how different the design philosophies between Soundsational and Magic Happens are. Soundsational emphasized fun and color and a children's book style while Magic Happens emphasizes a more contemporary, adult style.