The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[CaptinEO]

Just came back from Frozen at the Segerstrom and dare I say I liked parts of the DCA production more? So many filler songs ("Hygge" was a huge bust with my group) though the lighting and costume design were mostly on point.

Saw this before the 2020 shutdown and yeah it was the worst musical we have seen out of a dozen. Not that it was terrible but it was just boring and by the numbers and the filler songs were uninspired.

The only other Disney broadway we've seen, Aladdin, on the other hand we really enjoyed including the new songs and characters.

 

[waltography]

The only other Disney broadway we've seen, Aladdin, on the other hand we really enjoyed including the new songs and characters.

I haven't seen Aladdin but have heard its cast recording and the new songs are for the most part really good. "Proud of Your Boy" is a fantastic song, but even then I miss Jasmine's "To Be Free" which only appears in the Hyperion production! Just reminds me how blessed DCA is to have Broadway-caliber productions essentially included as part of your ticket.

I think just about all the big stage productions of animated features are bloated with 2nd-rate filler songs. I listened to the first half of “Hygge” and had to turn it off—awful, just… awful.

In the theater it was much worse. It's the Act 2 opener, and the whole number revolves around seeing Oaken's family come out of a sauna in the "nude" (read: skin colored tights) and doing a dance with veniks covering up their private bits. Such a baffling creative decision.

The Disney productions are technically impressive, but otherwise are bores to sit through. Lots of poorly motivated "it was a moment in the movie but now it's a song" sorts of changes.

Agreed. I think the only movie to stage production I enjoyed was Hunchback, and that's because it mostly excised the kid-friendly aspect to the show and let the music shine as part of its serious, somber tone. Here's to hoping Hercules at Paper Mill is better.

 

[mickEblu]

Backstage Alice in Wonderland - Disneyland

 

[Rich T]

I haven't seen Aladdin but have heard its cast recording and the new songs are for the most part really good. "Proud of Your Boy" is a fantastic song, but even then I miss Jasmine's "To Be Free" which only appears in the Hyperion production!

“Proud of Your Boy” (great, great song!) was actually written by Ashman and Menkin for the animated film during its very early writing stages, when Aladdin’s Mom was going to be a character.
(Edit)
Looked at the cast album; Babcack, Omar etc. and High Adventure were also written for the film but cut— Great to see they made it into the stage version!

 

[truecoat]

From the new bill, it looks like Florida really stuck it to Disney.

 

[truecoat]

Messing around with the Walt Disney historical AI chatbot:

View attachment 695297

It's definitely a historical chatbot. Fiscal responsibility and limited government were thrown out years ago.

 

[Rich T]

From the new bill, it looks like Florida really stuck it to Disney.

View attachment 696817

“The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.”
Eeeew. Governor appoints the board members… not great.

But I’m relieved to see that it seems The Fire Dept. and others whose livelihoods depend on the R.C. infrastructure should be able to sleep a bit easier now.

I hope the Fire Department doesn’t have to change to the awful new name.

 

[Californian Elitist]

From the new bill, it looks like Florida really stuck it to Disney.

View attachment 696817

Have fun with that in Florida, Disney.

 

[PiratesMansion]

After watching Disenchanted (which just made me sad more than anything else, particularly for poor, ultra-underused James Marsden), I switched over to the Harmonius live performance on D+. This was my first exposure to Harmonius in any form, and my takeaway is that...choices were made. Because this isn't just a normal performance presented exactly as it would be in the park, it's difficult to know how much my impressions would change if I saw the show in Epcot itself, but here are my impressions based only on this special.

This isn't necessarily a bad show, at least as shown in this special, but the show as presented does nothing to quell the criticism that this show simply does not fit in Epcot. Hopefully this will be taken as a lesson for someone in WDI about the important of context, and how important context is to determine meaning and reception. Because honestly, if this show was moved as is to DCA and replaced World of Color instead of being plunked into Epcot as the big replacement for Illuminations, I don't feel like reactions to what is actually there would be nearly as negative.

I don't understand Disney spending million dollars on nighttime shows and filming a special to publicize it, only to focus most of the filming on the live musicians and not the actual show. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the live musicians and all, but...if you're filming something to publicize a show, perhaps you should...focus on the show? For far too much of this special, we are ultra close up on the musicians and the actual show is playing in the distant background, making it difficult to feel like we're getting a full picture of what the show actually is. It just reeks of insecurity.

"Let's sing Disney songs, but around the world and in different languages" always seemed desperate to me, and none of my concerns were addressed. Singing "I Wanna Be Like You," but in Hindi, definitely is not the flex that Disney seems to think it is.

This show does not appear to have been a total loss. There were some cool songs and segments utilized. There IS promise in the show. But all of it was overshadowed by a glaringly inappropriate venue, and the show simply can't overcome that even at its best.

 

[TP2000]

Just came back from Frozen at the Segerstrom and dare I say I liked parts of the DCA production more? So many filler songs ("Hygge" was a huge bust with my group) though the lighting and costume design were mostly on point.

Setting aside for a few moments the artistic merits, or lack thereof, of the Broadway version of Frozen...

The Segerstrom Center for The Arts is a gorgeous and lavish center for the arts of all kind. Any mid-sized city in the free world would KILL for a multi-theater, multi-use, multi-media, multi-gallery complex that beautiful and well-maintained and well-funded. But there it sits being luxurious and generous, smack dab in the middle of Orange County, enriching the lives of anyone who enters its sprawling environs.

Henry Segerstrom was truly an American success story. An immigrant, Swedish soy bean farmer works his butt off for decades and chases the American Dream to rise up to become one of the richest men in Southern California, owning one of the most successful privately-owned shopping centers on earth, becoming one of SoCal's leading philanthropists, and he gives back a few hundred million dollars to the community by way of the Segerstrom Center for The Arts.

And yes, South Coast Plaza and that entire community pre-1967 was nothing more than a Swedish soybean farm out in the middle of nowhere. Next time you go to the Segerstrom Center, or even the South Coast Plaza Nordsrom (which is there because Henry personally pleaded with John Nordstrom as a fellow Swedish-American to expand out of Seattle back in 1978), give a nod to the hard working Swedes who built and created that wonderful cultural landmark after decades of hard work.

Home

A world-class performing arts center in Costa Mesa. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is bringing Orange County together through the arts.

www.scfta.org

 

[TP2000]

Have fun with that in Florida, Disney.

You think they're happy about where Communist China, and the two Resort properties they have in that country, is going lately?

At least at their property in Florida, Disney gets a few bucks of profit off of their own balloon!

https://www.disneysprings.com/attractions/aerophile-balloon-flight/

 

[DCBaker]

Begging the Disneyland sign shop to read what they make.

Sign has apparently been fixed -

 

[mickEblu]

I feel like someone lost their job this week.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I feel like someone lost their job this week.

Someone was certainly out of their depth here...

 

[waltography]

After watching Disenchanted (which just made me sad more than anything else, particularly for poor, ultra-underused James Marsden), I switched over to the Harmonius live performance on D+. This was my first exposure to Harmonius in any form, and my takeaway is that...choices were made. Because this isn't just a normal performance presented exactly as it would be in the park, it's difficult to know how much my impressions would change if I saw the show in Epcot itself, but here are my impressions based only on this special.

This isn't necessarily a bad show, at least as shown in this special, but the show as presented does nothing to quell the criticism that this show simply does not fit in Epcot. Hopefully this will be taken as a lesson for someone in WDI about the important of context, and how important context is to determine meaning and reception. Because honestly, if this show was moved as is to DCA and replaced World of Color instead of being plunked into Epcot as the big replacement for Illuminations, I don't feel like reactions to what is actually there would be nearly as negative.

I don't understand Disney spending million dollars on nighttime shows and filming a special to publicize it, only to focus most of the filming on the live musicians and not the actual show. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the live musicians and all, but...if you're filming something to publicize a show, perhaps you should...focus on the show? For far too much of this special, we are ultra close up on the musicians and the actual show is playing in the distant background, making it difficult to feel like we're getting a full picture of what the show actually is. It just reeks of insecurity.

"Let's sing Disney songs, but around the world and in different languages" always seemed desperate to me, and none of my concerns were addressed. Singing "I Wanna Be Like You," but in Hindi, definitely is not the flex that Disney seems to think it is.

This show does not appear to have been a total loss. There were some cool songs and segments utilized. There IS promise in the show. But all of it was overshadowed by a glaringly inappropriate venue, and the show simply can't overcome that even at its best.

Agree 100%. The Disney+ special was the closest I feel like they captured what they wanted to convey most about the show’s themes (and unfortunately it meant not showing much of the show at all). I really liked the special, but I really do not like the show, and if I were to make a trip to Epcot to see it after that special I’d be seriously disappointed.

 

[TP2000]

I feel like someone lost their job this week.

Someone was certainly out of their depth here...

Really? I feel like the same person who spelled it Lightening Lane on the new signs for Mickey & Minnie's Railway still works there.

The lack of quality control, not to mention the caliber of people they have working there, is becoming more and more obvious by the day. Stuff like this just keeps happening, and even seems to be increasing in frequency.

 

[TP2000]

Well, that could have gone better...

Pirates of the Caribbean riders rescued from sinking boat by Disneyland Fire Department

Disneyland riders literally had to walk the plank to escape a sinking Pirates of the Caribbean boat that left them stranded for an hour, according to a viral social media video.

www.ocregister.com

 

[mickEblu]

Just saw a few old extended family pictures from Disneyland in the 70s and wish I could have experienced old Disneyland. But then again I kind of did. I feel like Disneyland in the late 80s/early 90s had more in common with Disneyland of the 60s then today does with Disneyland of the 80s.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

Well, that could have gone better...

Pirates of the Caribbean riders rescued from sinking boat by Disneyland Fire Department

Disneyland riders literally had to walk the plank to escape a sinking Pirates of the Caribbean boat that left them stranded for an hour, according to a viral social media video.

www.ocregister.com

Better? Their boat sank and they got to walk a real plank.

Disney should be charging them premium pricing for this one of a kind LARPing experience.

 

[Sailor310]

Just saw a few old extended family pictures from Disneyland in the 70s and wish I could have experienced old Disneyland. But then again I kind of did. I feel like Disneyland in the late 80s/early 90s had more in common with Disneyland of the 60s then today does with Disneyland of the 80s.

Watch what you wish for. Grad Nite '77. Space Mountain had just opened. We waited 3 hours in line then the ride broke down. We had to start walking back to the bus as the sun was coming up.
Seriously, I do miss People Mover, Skull Rock, Carousel of Progress, Trams, Country Bear Jamboree, lower crowds in the off season.
Mid 80's I loved taking my girlfriend to dance to the swing band on many Saturday nights.

Question: I seems like I got some really good price for after 6PM (mid 80's) for the swing band. Does anyone remember the deal?

Found this on Micechat Yesterland. It looks like $40 for every summer night after 5pm all summer long. I was/am cheap, so that sounds like my price range for many nights of dancing. I don't remember the bands being so famous. I had some of Tex Beneke and Artie Shaw's albums. I'd think I'd remember dancing to those bands.