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

Did you like Happily Ever After?

  • Yes

    Votes: 645 81.5%

  • No

    Votes: 81 10.2%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 65 8.2%
  • Total voters
    791
hpyhnt 1000

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Magic Feather said:
Just to put my two cents in, I think this is the best projection-fireworks hybrid show Disney has done (not counting the projections on Remember recently added at DL, since its original incarnation). One perk of this format is that it allows for greater use of different IPs by content or value, as opposed to music. One instance is how during "Touch the Sky," we see other characters instead of having the song from Brave 100% devoted to Brave, and, in case you are wondering, that is why Disney was able to use lesser known songs like Go The Distance, was because they could be paired with well known images.
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Was going to post something similar. It may be another "clip show" nighttime spectacular, but it's arguably the best one in production right now at any park. Wonderful visuals, some great pyro (throughout the entire show!), a cornucopia of different technologies, and a wide breath of films, music and characters.

We can quibble about details here or there (I know I can!) but, as a whole, it's a proper nighttime show that fits the Magic Kingdom, and one that can go toe to toe with any show at any other park. Can't ask for much more than that.
 
J

jrhwdw

Well-Known Member
Forgot to add that I LOVED the strobes at the start and end of HEA! IDK if they were real or just strobes projections but it did the job!
 
Disone

Disone

Well-Known Member
Okay, I don't know what the Disney Park blog showed, but it seems like a lot of people who viewed it on there got the very false sense that this was projections highlighted by fireworks. This is both a projection show and a fireworks show. There are PLENTY more fireworks in this show vs. Wishes. Again, having seen it in person, AND having just watched Wishes last night, this IS the bigger FIREWORKS show of the two. It also using the left and right side of the castle launch points both far more extensively and effectively. The Castle itself either has had a lot more launch points added to it, or they are just really using them like never before. I suspect a bit of both on that one.

The show had me in tears from the beginning. The crowd cheer loudly and so many people around me were in tears of joy from the show. I gave me great comfort to cry with so many. There are mood lighting effects in the trees to the left and right of the castle, the new hub spires have projections on them too, and the tinkle trees in the hub get pixie dusted big time during the finale. Oh yes, and Tinkerbell retakes her place as part of the finale of the show, which I enjoyed far more then having her kick off the show like she did in Wishes.

To me, this show ranks up there with Disneyland's Remember, Dreams Come True. When Wishes debut, I did not like that Tinkerbell was moved from the Finale of FitS, to the opening of Wishes. I did not like that "Wishes" was said an unmentionable amount of times and a flare each time..... okay we get it. And with HEA.... Many say it lacks flow. I disagree. To me Wishes lacked flow. And I always felt like wishes was five mini shows all in a row. Each came a conclusion and a complete stop before the next segment started. A complete stop, a pause for applause, and them Jiminy would introduce a new segment. That is not flow, that is stop and go again. Stop again, and go again. This show flows from one segment to the next and fireworks, like the show, do not stop.

I liked wishes, but preferred Illuminations. I love this new show and easily prefer it over Illuminations. I love the theme song, the full orchestra and the voice choir is stirring. The details are amazing. Aladdins lamp smokes, and the destruction of the castle is so visually convincing that a person behind me felt it necessary to say out loud, "I hope the have insurance"

There will be some that will hate this show because it took away their beloved favorite Wishes. Perhaps in time they will come to love this show too? Time will tell, but I promise this, this show is not a down grade for a flop, and it will be incredibly popular. One comment I read on the other thread was this was a giant middle finger to Universal, and truly it really is.
 
Disone

Disone

Well-Known Member
jgrant.med said:
From my position in front of Walt's statue it was stunning. Crowd loved it (though I imagine new shows attract crowds that will, by default).

Thought the music, projections and pyro were a giant middle finger to Universal, personally. Loved it.
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OMG that is perfect. I thought the same thing about half way through the show. Universal just cannot do this. I used your middle figure to summerize my review of the show. Well stated.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
Clearly the projections have gone up a huge notch.. also noted they incorporated the new turrets in most views.

One concern about the projections is they seemed to rely a lot on character images that were relatively small.. I expect those to be hard to see for many except those directly in the hub area.

Clearly front half hub seating value just went way up... MK used to be better further back than up close... I think that line of thinking may shift a bit with the new show.

Some of those new views they have.. like that character collage they use near the end could be new iconic images. I really liked the 'accent color'/highlights they used early in the show to make the castle really pop too without trying to change it's presentation.


I noticed lots of different pyro. I like the two level radiating shots they would do from the sides.. with the stars and the bursts below them. Lots more shaped pyro that wasn't necessarily seen well in the video.

As to the music/composition.. I'm a bit torn. The pop song does nothing for me... I actually got on the edge of my seat when they started with 'never had a friend like me' but then it went into the medley instead of sticking to that :( The bones reminded me alot of WoC where it has all these elements, yet they fail to grab and hook me emotionally... and I think it has more to do with the 'montage' mindset and trying to stuff too much in. I don't need elements from 35 different films... take some great ones and take them to new levels. 'When you wish upon a star' got new meaning to alot of people from how it was built into the show... more so than the happiness that someone gets from hearing 'their favorite' for 15 seconds in a mash-up show.

Maybe suffers a bit from 'everything and the kitchen sink' syndrome. I'd prefer some more focused numbers and some more songs left to shine instead of jumping around so much. But unlike some other recent shows, I didn't need the fast forward button :)

The balance of pyro vs projection... sure feels like pyro is now the 'support role' but it didn't get the treatment they gave the DHS show at least!! I think this is the new 'standard' in that pyro takes the 2nd chair.. and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

A show like this can't pack the more distant areas of the park or bay lake like more traditional shows could.. I think that is something they need to work out for their larger shows.. you can't rely on the castle as the lead star if you want to make the show work for bigger audiences.

This show at least is a worthy show for the flagship park. The style of the new projections looks great.. and makes you almost think they have been holding back for awhile :)
 
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