Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Lotion-View-726.asp" target="_blank"><b>LP Lotion: Michael Phelps at the Magic Kingdom</b></a> Video and pictures from the August 29th parade at the Magic Kingdom celebrating the homecoming of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
Originally Posted By monorailblue Riding down Main Street with motorcycle cops and in a Pontiac? Is that the most bizarre sight ever witnessed for a show-piece parade-lette on any Main Street U.S.A.? So strange.
Originally Posted By TP2000 You beat me to it monorailblue! A dozen chunky motorcycle cops fresh from Krispy Kreme blaring their horns down Main Street USA?!? And then the big star and Mickey Mouse show up in a borrowed 2008 Pontiac convertible?!?! I thought the Halloween decorations and the pumpkins stacked on the buildings before Labor Day was tacky, but this bizarre little parade takes the cake! Seriously, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!? Do they have no shame and no sense of showmanship at Disney World anymore?!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Silly me, here I was thinking it was supposed to look like the type of parade a small town would put on when welcoming a local hero back. I don't know if that's what it was supposed to be, but that's sort of the feeling I got from it. The motorcycles did seem a little out of place to me at first, but at the same time, it kind of works. Would it really have been better for them to use the random staircase float (seen in such parade-lettes as the Thanksgiving turkey ones) or that stupid mirror castle float that's been in every production since the invention of mirrors? I for one applaud them doing something a little different and welcome the changes whole-heartedly, if for no other reason than because the alternatives are even worse.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Don't they have that brand new custom built Dusenberg-like Grand Marshall vehicle to use? Disneyland has had one for about six months, and it's gorgeous and fits perfectly on Main Street. And how about starting the parade with the Magic Kingdom Band, instead of the Krispy Kreme Express from the local sherrifs department? Then have the Characters walking and waving American flags, plus the Main Street streetmosphere people in period costumes, and perhaps the Dapper Dans singing a patriotic tune. And then finally, Mr. Phelps and Mickey in the old fashioned grand touring car? The way they did it just looked slapped together and presented with questionable taste and no sense of themed showmanship. It looked like something Six Flags would come up with! However, the thought was nice I suppose. Still, it was TACKY!
Originally Posted By DOGWITKEYS I thought Disney did a great job with their parade this morning. There was a marching band, and it was nice of the police department to give up their time for this. Do you really think all of the kids that look up too him now are thinking "gee, I would of preferred if mr. Phelps was driving in a vehicle that was more historically accurate to the time period and location of the area he is in right now!" This parade was announced and put together in two days. Disney didn't have to have a parade at all, they could of simply had the press conference about Phelps trip to Disney and not included the guests at all. Also, Mickey's not so scary Halloween party starts in 7 days, that is why they started decorating. Jon
Originally Posted By SpectroWishes321 The Halloween Party already? I'm suprised yet not suprised at the same time. The parade was nice and more down to earth and I liked it. All the people really cared about was just seeing Phelps in person. Gets a thumbs up from me.
Originally Posted By Westsider This seems to be a PERFECT EXAMPLE of the differences between WDW and Disneyland. A Pontiac!!! They used a Pontiac convertible on Main Street USA??? I watched the video twice because I was too much in shock the first time through to really register what they did. And those tubby sherrifs department guys on Harleys blipping their sirens down Main Street USA??? Why? How? Who is running that place out there, Barnum and Bailey???? Disneyland has a great old convertible that looks amazingly good, and I thought Magic Kingdom finally got one too. I swore I saw a picture of it on here recently. Why didn't they put Phelps in that well themed period automobile instead? But they put him in a 2008 PONTIAC??? I would be mortified. Surely Magic Kingdom has the same in-house ability to pull an event together in 36 hours that Disneyland has. Use the grand touring convertible, get the Disneyland Band out there, pull in some characters and some dancing girls, and do this thing with a sense of class and style. Instead it came off looking like a 2008 Homecoming Parade in some hick town. The management of the WDW parks will never cease to amaze me. This is seriously a new low for them. I guess they have cut back to just Three Keys instead of Four Keys, and the concept of "Good Show" doesn't really matter to them anymore. They should be ashamed of themselves, or at the very least very embarassed.
Originally Posted By DOGWITKEYS <<Instead it came off looking like a 2008 Homecoming Parade in some hick town. >> Lets not forget mainstreet is based on the once small town of marceline, Missouri. No offense to anyone who lived there in the early 1900's Jon
Originally Posted By DOGWITKEYS also, if everyone is attacking a car on mainstreet how come no one has said a thing about 250 ft tall crane that has been towering over the castle for five days. and its parked in front of fantasyland. they lowered it just for the parade it put it right back up again. Jon
Originally Posted By Westsider Can anyone confirm the Magic Kingdom did recently get a Grand Marshall parade car like Disneyland has? I swear I saw a picture of it here recently. I know GM is still a sponsor out at WDW (Disneyland dumped GM for Honda years ago), but there is no real justification beyond corporate sponsorship for that cheeseball convertible that no one actually wants to buy being used in this parade down Main Street USA. And what was the point of the tubby sherrifs guys on bikes bleeping their sirens through the middle of the park? Were there no Shriners in mini-cars available for this? This event just seemed to have no sense of style or class or grace. It literally looked like a 2008 modern small town parade for a minor celebrity. Disney is capable of so much more, and with such higher levels of sophistication and taste.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "Why didn't they put Phelps in that well themed period automobile instead?" Because the second that car makes the turn into Liberty Square (and later along into Frontierland) any sense of a period vehicle would be messed up again. There's no way to make it work for the entire parade length, so why not just pick one and go for it. I really do think that they were trying to make it sort of homey with the police and band, but I guess I'm the only one that got that vibe from it. This doesn't seem like it was meant to be a huge production for the history books. Just something nice to do to honor somebody who did something special, and entertain some guests who happened to be in the Magic Kingdom that day.
Originally Posted By TP2000 So do they not run the Grand Marshall Duesenberg car through Liberty Square and Frontierland? Is that only used on Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom to preserve the Show in Liberty Square and Frontierland? At Disneyland the Grand Marshall car goes the whole route, from Small World around the Hub and down Main Street.
Originally Posted By Disneydanny well they couldn't go the whole route since the bridge isn't open yet
Originally Posted By Disneybrad "I know GM is still a sponsor out at WDW" GM is also an USA Olympic Team Sponsor, so this is the deal that probably require him to be in a GM car. "but there is no real justification beyond corporate sponsorship for that cheeseball convertible that no one actually wants to buy being used in this parade down Main Street USA." True, but they pay the bill, sometime you don't have a choice like it or not. No GM car, No Michael Phelps.
Originally Posted By LadyandtheTramp We saw the parade live, and it was a nice tribute to a remarkable person. Was glad to see WDW honoring a national icon. For those who were wondering, NOBODY CARED what vehicle he was riding in - they were just glad to see him and to cheer for him. Please people, someone somewhere, GET A LIFE - be happy that WDW brought Michael so that he could be seen by the patrons. I personally made a trip up to see the parade, and it was pretty much what I expected - the only thing missing was more Olympians. And until I read this thread, I DID NOT KNOW, AND COULD CARE LESS, what type of vehicle Michael was riding in. It could have been a donkey car, and I probably would not have noticed. The idea was to see Michael coming down Main Street.
Originally Posted By Westsider Some friends of mine in Disneyland Parade Services were talking about this yesterday. Their managers were "mortified" (their word, not mine) with how WDW Parade Services handled the Phelps parade. So it's not just people like TP200, it's the Disneyland management too. Just tacky, tacky, tacky. No sense of showmanship there in WDW. It really could have been handled so much better.
Originally Posted By figment1986 <<well they couldn't go the whole route since the bridge isn't open yet>> It was open on sat, though that may have been the first day it was open.
Originally Posted By LadyKluck <<Instead it came off looking like a 2008 Homecoming Parade in some hick town. >> Being a resident of an actual hick town I can tell you no one in MY hick town has a car that nice...if it were a real hick town Homecoming Parade, he'd have been in the back of an old beater Ford pickup sitting on hay bales... Oh and our hick town doesn't have that many cops, nor do we have motorcycle cops in general.
