News Wishes to be replaced with new 'Happily Ever After' nighttime spectacular

[Disney Analyst]

Beyond the fact that the effect didn't work unless conditions were perfect, I believe that required shells that produce too much pollution. Later in the run of Believe...There's Magic in the Stars, that effect left ostensibly in an effort to reduce pollution.

I am surprised that a shaped firework has not come about since then. If they can make a dragonfly (!), they can make Mickey. Perhaps it is that the firework manufacturers are not owned by Disney, so Disney just buys (the best) from what is available.

You know, Disneyland has done a Mickey firework in every show since Remember without issue. They just use 3 shells.

 

[ToTBellHop]

You know, Disneyland has done a Mickey firework in every show since Remember without issue. They just use 3 shells.

Guess I was wrong!

 

[Disney Analyst]

Guess I was wrong

Always wondered why MK doesn't do it.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Always wondered why MK doesn't do it.

Maybe because they are willing to run fireworks in considerably-worse weather conditions than DL? Dunno. DL cancels fireworks if someone sneezes powerfully-enough to produce a gust of wind.

Most likely is just that their fireworks designers choose not to.

 

[jrhwdw]

HEA is intended to run alone.

I have no qualms over sharing two pieces of information:

1) They decided they don't WANT to run a new nighttime parade for now. HEA didn't force that. They don't want to run a parade.
2) As such, HEA received considerable investment and its strong pyro budget.

The upside is all this is they still plan on a novel nighttime parade in 2021 but our nighttime spectacular infrastructure went from being the weakest to arguably the strongest among Disney Parks. We keep all that tech, which should allow for truly dazzling 50th entertainment. While I dismiss offhand the idea that the company cannot afford these fireworks and a parade in their most-visited park, our infrastructure upgrades in the hub area in recent years are phenomenal and a serious investment in the future of the park (if only the lighting was retractable!). While we may question some artistic direction, we are now seeing the effects of a renaissance for WDW.

Again, I don't agree with the idea that there were only two choices (rush a nighttime parade and give us a "pretty-good" nighttime spectacular or give us arguably the greatest firework and special effects spectacular the company has ever produced, I'd rather they invest 100% in one concept (as they've done with HEA) and focus on the parade later. Of the two options, that gives us the best products overall.

Granted I have no clue what TDO's "books" are,(my mom's an accountant) But I like to think that MK could afford HEA even if MSEP was sill there. Just like I think ROL and MESP could have ran in the same resort. Of course the new projectors and OUAT last year prob. costed something.

Wishes came in 2003, wasn't tourism down then because of 9/11 and the war?

 

[marni1971]

Always wondered why MK doesn't do it.

They did in the original FitS.

 

[Disney Analyst]

They did in the original FitS.

Interesting! It's kinda those little Disneyland details that I absolutely love!

Oh to everyone who lamented the lack of Mickey used in HEA, there is a hidden Mickey in the projections right at the star of the show, made out of a swirl of pixie dust.

 

[marni1971]

but our nighttime spectacular infrastructure went from being the weakest to arguably the strongest among Disney Parks..

It's an improvement for sure but for nighttime show technical infrastructure Paris still wins.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It's an improvement for sure but for nighttime show technical infrastructure Paris still wins.

A fair assessment. I still dock them a lot of points for (necessary) pyro limitations. How lucky we are in WDW that the "environmentality" doesn't extend to fireworks!

 

[jt04]

Would love a full sound track with complete versions of all the songs. Happy to have the money for a night parade redirected to this show if the fireworks are always to this scale. Amazing show.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Would love a full sound track with complete versions of all the songs. Happy to have the money for a night parade redirected to this show if the fireworks are always to this scale. Amazing show.

Because this company is barely making ends meet?

I thought profits were up.

 

[marni1971]

Give it a few months and I'm sure @marni1971 will have one for ya!

A few months???!!!!

 

[Disney Analyst]

Something I want to address for a moment are the complaints about lack of story.

Something I appreciate in this show is the more organic structure. Wishes really forced the story and narrator down your throat. I appreciate the restraint used by limiting the narration to an opening and a summary to tie it all together.

The story for me is pretty clear, but it's also a show about creating your own happily ever after, so I think intentionally, it is left ambiguous so one can think about it later and come up with their own interpretation.

The story I get is that we must create our own Happily Ever After, and then they give examples throughout Disney history of beloved characters/stories and how they may have achieved theirs.

To find your Happily Ever After, you have to really want it, more then anything else. You sometimes require the help of friends, or may find that love can open the door to it. You sometimes have to fight for it, even if it's hard, or scary. But you must always believe that you can achieve it.

 

[jt04]

Because this company is barely making ends meet?

I thought profits were up.

The idea is to avoid another death spiral that WDW was in a decade ago when they were seriously discussing selling off large chunks.

 

[flynnibus]

Something I want to address for a moment are the complaints about lack of story.

I don't need a story for a fireworks show.. I just don't need the thing to be jarring and disjointed (I don't think HEA is either). And that is more about tempo and harmony than it is about plot or story. You can build a connecting theme and pacing for the show without any real need for 'story'. I think of the show as more like a song, than a show. A song doesn't need to make any sense at all to sound good or even have people sing along with it. The key to lead the emotions and beat in a compatible way. The more 'story' you try to push in, the more you have to worry about language, target age, etc.

I think the narrator is kind of unneeded.. a lead in would do.. and if they just got rid of the pop duet in the opening act and replaced it with a sound that is more like the sound at the end of the show.. I'd be even more happy with the show.

 

[Lets Respect]

The singing at the beginning is horrible.
The singing at the end which then goes into the choir is fantastic

 

[Disney Analyst]

I don't need a story for a fireworks show.. I just don't need the thing to be jarring and disjointed (I don't think HEA is either). And that is more about tempo and harmony than it is about plot or story. You can build a connecting theme and pacing for the show without any real need for 'story'. I think of the show as more like a song, than a show. A song doesn't need to make any sense at all to sound good or even have people sing along with it. The key to lead the emotions and beat in a compatible way. The more 'story' you try to push in, the more you have to worry about language, target age, etc.

I think the narrator is kind of unneeded.. a lead in would do.. and if they just got rid of the pop duet in the opening act and replaced it with a sound that is more like the sound at the end of the show.. I'd be even more happy with the show.

Oh I agree, I personally don't need a story for these shows. Give me good music and good visuals and I'm happy.

I was just trying to show those who need a story, that there is one... you just need to put a little thought in. It isn't spoon fed to you like Wishes was.

 

[Matt_Black]

Because this company is barely making ends meet?

I thought profits were up.

It's not necessarily that. You know how some people complain about how there's not more stuff for The Wind in the Willows/ Mr. Toad? That's because people don't buy Mr. Toad merchandise. If stuff, like the soundtrack, for this new show sells well, then Disney will do more stuff like that. It's why there's five Transformers movies (and counting) and only one movie for Serenity.

 

[zoso]

The singing at the beginning is horrible.
The singing at the end which then goes into the choir is fantastic

I agree kinda, but personally I wouldn't call it horrible cause I don't mind it that much. They do sound much better at the end though and I LOVE the gospel (?) choir finale. Gave the show some soul IMO. Just sounds so fresh and lively.

I might be in the minority, but I think the only voice I don't like is Quasimodo's specifically because his vibrato is a bit overwhelming. That might've been intentional though.

I would have preferred the Broadway version of "Out There" but Disney would probably find his voice too "strapping" for Quasimodo lol which again goes back to the intentional thing. Plus it wouldn't stay true the movie soundtrack, so in a way I'm content.

 

[The_Jobu]

I'm a little confused (about a lot of things, but I'll be specific for now). Is this show and Wishes not the same "type" of show as Celebrate the Magic and Once Upon a Time? Is there just the one big nighttime show?

They seem to be in different continuities on wikipedia.