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Pixar Fest Was Fun, Fun, Fun!... May It Live In Our Hearts Forever!
- Thread starter TP2000
- Start date
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Talking Dug was fun to meet. And I picked up a popcorn bucket for someone as a gift, but damn they're expensive.
I mean... AMAAAAAAAAYYYYYYZZZINNGGG.
Were you speechless though?
chadwpalm
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I don't think people are hating on Pixar as a brand, just its oversaturation in the parks.
You already have Pixar Pier, Pixar Place Hotel, and Pixar Pal Parking structure. And that's not including lands and attractions that are sub-brands of the Pixar brand. Now you are dedicating a whole season of the year to Pixar.
I think a lot of it is rooted in many people believing that brand acquisitions and IP are taking over the parks and we are not just losing non-IP areas of the parks over the years, but there is also little to no more creation of non-IP things in the parks.
Of the three major acquisitions...Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar....we've had Summer of Heroes, Season of the Force (more than once) and now Pixar Fest (more than once). I personally prefer more generalized anniversary celebrations than IP-based celebrations.
Here's an interesting Fun Fact. I just counted up the dancers and characters and floats for the opening day of Pixar Play Parade vs. the opening day of Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! street activation on Performance Corridor.
Better Together has 66% of the human performers (dancers and characters) that Pixar Play Parade had, and Better Together has 70% of the floats that Pixar Play Parade had. They've slashed the budget on both the human payroll, and the infrastructure requirements on the old hand-me-down floats, many more than 15 years old, they are re-using for Better Together.
The one upgrade for Better Together is that Pixar Play Parade had only 2 Rope Girls dancing with the gas line rope behind Mater as the end of the parade, but Better Together has 3 Rope They/Them Attendants dancing with a rope behind the last float as the end of the parade.
Pixar Play Parade = 92 Humans, 10 Floats
57 Dancers/Performers
33 Pixar Characters
4 Main Floats
6 Small Floats
2 Rope Girls
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! street activation on Performance Corridor = 61 Humans, 7 Floats
35 Dancers/Performers
23 Pixar Characters
3 Main Floats
4 Small Floats
3 Rope They/Them Attendants
So if you consider Pixar Play Parade circa 2008 as an A+ parade, and it was a rather modest for the time and average parade compared to the previous 15 years, then Better Together gets a grade of D+ in comparison to the Play Parade.
D+. 66% of the effort as what they routinely did just 15 years ago. Yup, things are fine. Disney Parks are thriving!
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What's also interesting about the data above is that Pixar Fest is allegedly a celebration of all that is Pixar. And since 2008, the last time they hosted a Pixar parade, Pixar has released 18 new movies since then, with dozens of new characters and storylines. With their 19th movie, Inside Out 2, debuting with new characters in theaters next month during Pixar Fest.
And yet in 2024 their Pixar parade has only 70% of the characters that their 2008 Pixar parade had.
33 Pixar Characters in the 2008 parade, compared to just 23 Pixar Characters appearing in the 2024 parade.
It's going in the opposite direction it's supposed to!
And yet in 2024 their Pixar parade has only 70% of the characters that their 2008 Pixar parade had.
33 Pixar Characters in the 2008 parade, compared to just 23 Pixar Characters appearing in the 2024 parade.
It's going in the opposite direction it's supposed to!
Stevek
Well-Known Member
So here's my little trip report from yesterday's visit to DCA and Pixar Fest with my daughter.
Arrived for rope drop and here's what we did:
Soarin (standby 15 minutes) - note that they were only loading the center section, not the right and left sections of the attraction. This was making wait times a bit longer than needed.
Web Slingers (standby 5 minutes) - only my second time riding it, enjoyable enough but not something I have to do
Guardians Tower of Terror (standby 20 minutes)
Monsters Inc (standby 5 minutes)
Racers (immediately after Monsters as we used DAS for the rest of the day - 15 minute wait)
Midway Mania (DAS - 10 minute wait)
Beer
Incredicoaster (DAS - 5 minute wait)
Ariel (standby 20 minutes) - they ended up opening the entire extended queue in front of the attraction, haven't seen that in a while.
Guardians (DAS - 10 minute wait) - I'm firmly convinced this is a superior attraction to our version of TOT.
Lunch & Rum POG Drink
Philharmagic
Luigi (DAS - 5 minute wait) - looks like maybe 5 or 6 cars were missing from Luigi
Racers (DAS - 10 minute wait)
Sat down for Pixar Parade while waiting 45 MINUTES for a beer mobile order at Bayside Brews
Headed Home around 5:30 after walking through the shops on BV street.
As for the PIXAR stuff and general observations
Arrived for rope drop and here's what we did:
Soarin (standby 15 minutes) - note that they were only loading the center section, not the right and left sections of the attraction. This was making wait times a bit longer than needed.
Web Slingers (standby 5 minutes) - only my second time riding it, enjoyable enough but not something I have to do
Guardians Tower of Terror (standby 20 minutes)
Monsters Inc (standby 5 minutes)
Racers (immediately after Monsters as we used DAS for the rest of the day - 15 minute wait)
Midway Mania (DAS - 10 minute wait)
Beer
Incredicoaster (DAS - 5 minute wait)
Ariel (standby 20 minutes) - they ended up opening the entire extended queue in front of the attraction, haven't seen that in a while.
Guardians (DAS - 10 minute wait) - I'm firmly convinced this is a superior attraction to our version of TOT.
Lunch & Rum POG Drink
Philharmagic
Luigi (DAS - 5 minute wait) - looks like maybe 5 or 6 cars were missing from Luigi
Racers (DAS - 10 minute wait)
Sat down for Pixar Parade while waiting 45 MINUTES for a beer mobile order at Bayside Brews
Headed Home around 5:30 after walking through the shops on BV street.
As for the PIXAR stuff and general observations
- Getting to park at rope drop was a must. Despite having DAS option which made life easier (she has only one more use before the new rules go into place, TBD on whether she will qualify again), the parks became packed, and I really didn't want to be there any longer.
- We did not see terribly long lines for lightning lane anywhere, which are the same lanes as DAS. Not sure if folks weren't using as much or if they were just managing the return times and line lengths more tightly.
- PIXAR decorations are cute, the one in the HUB is very cool
- A PIXAR celebration in DCA makes sense but feels forced in Disneyland
- Parade was cute and enjoyable, not sure it was worth the hour wait. Pared down from previous parades...don't care and most folks seemed to be enjoying it.
- There were several food booths set up but none open until 5/10. I don't get it really, why not open them when the festival started?
- These last 2 visits to Disneyland and DCA respectively have reinforced by feelings that I no longer need to visit regularly. The only reason I got the 3 day So Cal pass was so I could go with my daughter who's magic key holder BFF moved out of state.
- The park guest dynamic (and crowds in general) has shifted so much which is part of the reason I don't enjoy it anymore. I don't get the same family vibe I had for so many years of visits. The influencers, Disney Bounders (do your thing, I don't get it), Cosplayers, the folks that now visit out of habit and probably don't have the same level of appreciation that folks had when it was special to visit once or twice a year...all that has taken away from the experience for me. It just doesn't feel like people are enjoying for the wonder of it all as they are more focused on getting that perfect instagram shot or tiktok video. Of course, maybe I'm just old and need you to get off my lawn.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
It's sad the freaks have taken over the parks. You don't see people dressed up as Doc Brown at USH unless they work there. I remember during a Star Wars meetup, someone dressed up as Obiwan Kenobi and started his own meet & greet in Adventureland. It took Disney security an hour before they noticed and kicked him out. Now I guess anyone can have a meet & greet.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
Yesterday in the park was schizophrenic.
Along with Pixar Fest, people were dressed for Season of the Force/Revenge of the Fifth. Plus it was Cinco de Mayo and people were dressed for that. Plus it was Bats Day, so there were a ton of goths running around with parasols.
Me? I'm a rebel. I was dressed to match the TARDIS in the esplanade.
Oh and they randomly added new food items this week at Avengers Campus... because why not?
A point to some of this being, it doesn't seem like Disney has much confidence in Pixar Fest if they're hosting a competing Season of the Force festival simultaneously. (Though it actually WOULD have made sense if they said SOTF was happening at DL and PF was happening at DCA. Hello, theming!)
I mean, I'm not a generic Pixar fan and I understand the fest is not for me, so even if I find the loud boy band parade music annoying, I get that others like it. But even I don't see the point of practically hiding Talking Dug behind GRR where most people won't find him. And then wasting stage space in the Hollywood Backlot and Fantasyland Theatre where few people will go so the poor entertainers have to vamp to small non-responsive crowds. "I can't hear you! Let's try that again!!!!!!" And that big Pixar sculpture/display in the middle of the esplanade is kept dark at night. Not even a spotlight overhead. WHY?! Also wasn't thrilled when I showed up at 6:01pm to try a special festival food at one location only to be told "sorry, we closed a minute ago and you can't line up". Well okay then. AMAAAZZZZZZZZZZZ...
That said, if you're a chocolate fan, definitely get the new (small and expensive) mini chocolate cake at Flo's - it's delicious! And they don't shut you out of line at 6pm.
Along with Pixar Fest, people were dressed for Season of the Force/Revenge of the Fifth. Plus it was Cinco de Mayo and people were dressed for that. Plus it was Bats Day, so there were a ton of goths running around with parasols.
Me? I'm a rebel. I was dressed to match the TARDIS in the esplanade.
Oh and they randomly added new food items this week at Avengers Campus... because why not?
A point to some of this being, it doesn't seem like Disney has much confidence in Pixar Fest if they're hosting a competing Season of the Force festival simultaneously. (Though it actually WOULD have made sense if they said SOTF was happening at DL and PF was happening at DCA. Hello, theming!)
I mean, I'm not a generic Pixar fan and I understand the fest is not for me, so even if I find the loud boy band parade music annoying, I get that others like it. But even I don't see the point of practically hiding Talking Dug behind GRR where most people won't find him. And then wasting stage space in the Hollywood Backlot and Fantasyland Theatre where few people will go so the poor entertainers have to vamp to small non-responsive crowds. "I can't hear you! Let's try that again!!!!!!" And that big Pixar sculpture/display in the middle of the esplanade is kept dark at night. Not even a spotlight overhead. WHY?! Also wasn't thrilled when I showed up at 6:01pm to try a special festival food at one location only to be told "sorry, we closed a minute ago and you can't line up". Well okay then. AMAAAZZZZZZZZZZZ...
That said, if you're a chocolate fan, definitely get the new (small and expensive) mini chocolate cake at Flo's - it's delicious! And they don't shut you out of line at 6pm.
Oh my Gawd. I simply can't deal with that sort of thing from grown adults. If it's a child in some little outfit, that's cute. But anyone over the age of 16 needs to realize they are no longer a child. Grow up, you look like a weirdo.
I may go to Disneyland later this summer with some friends. Look for me. I'll be this guy...
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Oh no, the horror, people having fun at the parks and not bothering you but existing! In public! Clearly showing by their wardrobe that they *GASP* enjoy Disney-owned properties at a Disney park! How awful! The parks are ruined forever!!11
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
He'd be horrified by my friend who cosplays a different character and outfit every week (along with about half the people who attend the parks these days in bounds, cosplays or... matching t-shirts!)
He'd be horrified by my friend who cosplays a different character and outfit every week (along with about half the people who attend the parks these days in bounds, cosplays or... matching t-shirts!)
I wouldn't be horrified. I'd just give them an extra 5 feet of room in front of me in the Standby Line.
But I'm sure your friend is a very nice person.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
I do that just for the smell.
Just because you are on vacation doesn't mean you are on vacation from your deodorant.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I haven’t noticed anything like that in a really long time but you just unlocked tons of memories. Where did I used to that see that all the time? Magic Mountain? Maybe it still happens but I’m just too preoccupied with the kids to notice. But I don’t think you see much of that at Disneyland.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
I used to see it all the time at Indy and Space Mountain.
Magic Mountain was like a love-in or something.
Ismael Flores
Well-Known Member
I think the problem was that if you noticed most of those movies came out during the Pandemic or right after and a couple of those were targets of ignorant politics. I blame Bob Chapel for the downward spiral of Pixar. while other studios were still trying to push movie on theatre, both theatre and streaming or just hold off on some of the movies, Chapek pushed content to streaming. People especially family got used to the less expensive alternative of paying for Disney+ then what could be hundred for one outing of four to theaters. I know of several people that still feel the same way. They say the short turn around time o movies from theatres to streaming is short enough to wait.
If I remember correctly several of those movies did quite bad in the theaters here in the states and did average internationally but happened to do quite well in Streaming.
knowing people involved in the industry they have mentioned that has been one of their biggest concerns. They realise that the huge multi million dollar openings like before covid will be rare. Those huge openings were what gave the studios the confidence to overspend on budgets.
I have noticed that even other studios have seen the repercussions of the streaming effect and have even started pushing for the tag line "exclusively in theatres"
PizzaPlanet
Well-Known Member
Using “Pixar” as a theme feels silly to me. It made sense in the early 2000s when there were like 5 franchises that stuck out because they were CGI, but now people can’t tell the difference. Most probably assume Zootopia and Big Hero 6 were Pixar