The Tree of Life Awakens

Witchy Chick

Witchy Chick

Well-Known Member
I just have to ask, is the thread title of "The Tree of Life Awakens" something @wdwmagic came up with? Or is this Disney's promo name? And if it is Disney's, is everything going to be "__________ Awakens" this summer? :p
 
Goofnut1980

Goofnut1980

Well-Known Member
This park needed this. I am just surprised they didn't wait until Pandora was done and "re-launch" the entire park and have everything all at once.. Seeing the way Disney seems to do things lately.
 
No Name

No Name

Well-Known Member
Wow! On one hand, I was not aware that this would be IP-based. On the other hand, it's far longer and more detailed than I was expecting. I really thought we were just getting bright lights and swirls. So I love it, really. This is exceeding my expectations.

Smallish improvements like this really do make the whole experience better.

Mike S said:
I really don't get why they can't start this and the Safaris if they're ready.
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Well, while I agree that they should start them, I think they're looking to open their night offerings with a bang. Their intention was, and still seems to be, to sell the whole "Animal Kingdom at Night" thing. It's much more compelling when you have a lot of things opening at once rather than just a few sporadic improvements. People may not pay or make the trip for a Tree of Life Awakening, but for everything combined? Sure.

Plus, Disney has to extend AK's hours for this night stuff, so it's not like they can start this and the night safari at little extra cost. Coming off of all of the cuts, I don't think they're eager to suddenly spend more money.

So it's a shame that late April and May guests will not get to see things that are ready. But I can understand Disney's thinking.
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
egg said:
Wow! On one hand, I was not aware that this would be IP-based. On the other hand, it's far longer and more detailed than I was expecting. I really thought we were just getting bright lights and swirls. So I love it, really. This is exceeding my expectations.

Smallish improvements like this really do make the whole experience better.



Well, while I agree that they should start them, I think they're looking to open their night offerings with a bang. Their intention was, and still seems to be, to sell the whole "Animal Kingdom at Night" thing. It's much more compelling when you have a lot of things opening at once rather than just a few sporadic improvements. People may not pay or make the trip for a Tree of Life Awakening, but for everything combined? Sure.

Plus, Disney has to extend AK's hours for this night stuff, so it's not like they can start this and the night safari at little extra cost. Coming off of all of the cuts, I don't think they're eager to suddenly spend more money.

So it's a shame that late April and May guests will not get to see things that are ready. But I can understand Disney's thinking.
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What is IP based other than the interim Jungle Book show?
 
No Name

No Name

Well-Known Member
The more I watch it, the more I'm impressed. I feel like this is the first thing in a ling time that really captures that Disney magic. That magic isn't created through infusing Disney characters at every moment, no no no. That magic is a feeling, it's a combination of elements (music, visuals, all of the senses) that just make something Disney, that make it magical. This show captures that feeling, and it's one of the first things in a while that have just given me, I don't know, that feeling. There's no other way to say it. I don't think it's something people will know to wait for, at least when it's new. But when the tree does awaken, I think it'll stop the flow of traffic, to say the least. Guests will love this. No doubt in my mind.

I think some of my positive reaction comes from Disney not over-hyping this. They didn't really give many details or art, and I was just expecting maybe a 30-second-long assortment of moving colors and motions. I wasn't at all expecting what we got. Might even be better than Flight of Passage ;).

MrPromey said:
Warning - I'm about to complain about this... sort of.

I have to say that I'm starting to get a little bit of projection mapping fatigue.

When they first started doing the show on the castle, it felt like they played up the unique features of the castle a lot more. They played with the idea of the castle becoming an animated object. Over time, more and more, a lot of that seems to have gotten replaced with the castle becoming an oddly shaped 3D screen to throw video on. They still do some of the moving or changing stuff but not nearly as much.

Elements of this show look really interesting to me with the lighting in the leaves above and other subtle stuff but then they just start using the trunk as a movie screen which is disappointing to me. I was hopeful the show would be a little more abstract visually and would tie in more to the tree structure, itself. They could have highlighted the animal carvings and made them come to life, similar to some of the effects they do on the castle.

It feels like a lost opportunity to me but maybe the distance for most viewers and the architecture of the tree itself would have made what I'm thinking of impractical.
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Well, we're only seeing a video, it might look more clear in person. I think that, for the amount of grooves and uneven surfaces the Tree of Life has, this is quite clear and well done. I had never thought of the ToL as a projectable surface for something like this. I kind of agree with what you said about the castle, but I don't feel that was any lost opportunity here, I really don't.

RSoxNo1 said:
What is IP based other than the interim Jungle Book show?
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Well some parts of the song are, and some of the characters, I think. Two things that stood out to me were the tune of "Two Worlds, One Family" from Tarzan, and "Nemo" being spoken at one point.

But upon further inspection, I am sort of wrong and used poor wording. It's not really "IP-based." There are plenty of parts with real animals and real parts of nature shown. It just uses a bit of IP here and there, and I think the balance is good.

My faith in Disney to create something of quality has most certainly gone up with this AK stuff, particularly this and RoL. I know RoL will be spectacular but I very much underestimated this one.
 
FigmentJedi

FigmentJedi

Well-Known Member
Inside the Magic has a video with another of the awakening shows following a deer and an eagle on the tree, which is the one from all the teaser videos


egg said:
Well some parts of the song are, and some of the characters, I think. Two things that stood out to me were the tune of "Two Worlds, One Family" from Tarzan, and "Nemo" being spoken at one point.

But upon further inspection, I am sort of wrong and used poor wording. It's not really "IP-based." There are plenty of parts with real animals and real parts of nature shown. It just uses a bit of IP here and there, and I think the balance is good.
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Must not be as good at identifying Disney songs. The first bit with the native american campfire is straight out of Pocahontas with "Steady as the Beating Drum", then you have Bambi and Thumper with "Little April Showers", The Jungle Book bit with I Wanna Be Like You, the Nemo bit using the film's main theme, the Circle of Life ending.

I think the only one that isn't tied to any IP is the appearance by the dinosaurs because it doesn't sound like a track from either of the two CG Dinosaur movies.
 
Mike S

Mike S

Well-Known Member
Tahu said:
Inside the Magic has a video with another of the awakening shows following a deer and an eagle on the tree, which is the one from all the teaser videos



Must not be as good at identifying Disney songs. The first bit with the native american campfire is straight out of Pocahontas with "Steady as the Beating Drum", then you have Bambi and Thumper with "Little April Showers", The Jungle Book bit with I Wanna Be Like You, the Nemo bit using the film's main theme, the Circle of Life ending.

I think the only one that isn't tied to any IP is the appearance by the dinosaurs because it doesn't sound like a track from either of the two CG Dinosaur movies.
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You're forgetting Tarzan.

Edit: that Deer scene is amazing. Animal Kingdom could very well become my favorite park.
 
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Brewmaster

Brewmaster

Well-Known Member
Tahu said:
Inside the Magic has a video with another of the awakening shows following a deer and an eagle on the tree, which is the one from all the teaser videos



Must not be as good at identifying Disney songs. The first bit with the native american campfire is straight out of Pocahontas with "Steady as the Beating Drum", then you have Bambi and Thumper with "Little April Showers", The Jungle Book bit with I Wanna Be Like You, the Nemo bit using the film's main theme, the Circle of Life ending.

I think the only one that isn't tied to any IP is the appearance by the dinosaurs because it doesn't sound like a track from either of the two CG Dinosaur movies.
Click to expand...

Stupendous. Outstanding. That's the Disney Difference
 

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