Originally Posted By dresswhites when i was at the park today i watched the first Christmas Fantasy Parade. i have to admit i felt really underwhelmed by it. I like the music, but i think they need to retire some floats and add some new ones. Also i remember in the late 90s even until 2001 or so, they also had more characters walking around. I seem to recall Winnie the Pooh and friends, Mulan, Hercules, Tarzan, and others being part of the parade. also Mickey and Minnie were in horse drawn carriage. I also seem to recall the ball float was a bit more elaborate, but i may be wrong on this. Also, the crowd watching the parade didn't seem that into it. i think next year they should consider redoing huge chunks of the parade. Thoughts?
Originally Posted By jdurk I haven't seen it this year but we love the Christmas parade just the way it is.
Originally Posted By iamsally I do love the Christmas parade and will sorely miss it this year. I remember in 2001 Pooh and friends were in the parade in their Christmas 'jammies. That was really neat. I also feel that it would not hurt to spruce it up or have some alternating floats and characters each year.
Originally Posted By Mr F They did get a NEW float, the Toy factory Floats has replaced the old one (Which had a ferris wheel on it). But I agree, the x-mas parade is lame and we need a whole NEW x-mas parade with new floats, new music, new costumes, and show stops!
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 I'm all for sprucing it up. I have to say that year after year the flat backs of the Gingerbread people make me smile
Originally Posted By monorailblue The problem is it is a parade that shows only one season a year, so the assumption is that it will "never" get tired. Fantasy on Parade also ran forever, did it not? (Maybe not--I was pretty young.) But I've seen it enough years to want a totally new Christmas parade myself.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder I might suggest that locals, or people that attend quite often, are not the typical audience DL is going after when designing the parade.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Maybe it's just me getting older, but I too remember a much bigger 'wow' factor in the parades of the eighties and nineties - 'party gras' was the gold standard, but 'lion king', 'hercules' and even 'mulan' (night version) were pleasing spectacles made all the more impressive by performing them multiple times daily. They lost me with 'parade of dreams' and whatever it was before that. I did enjoy the one showing I saw of the original parade at DCA - but it wasn't lavish as much as lively and fun. I've never cared for ELP and by now I actively hate it. If I'm in the area I have to move away from it. I've seen bits and pieces of the christmas parade a few times through the years, and liked it enough. I remember some impressive white ponies all tricked out in splendid hand-tooled leather gear, and a general overload of sparkle and dazzle. I'd rather see them come up with a better replacement for the current 'parade of dreams'. I'm ready for another attempt at "hip and edgy". An important part of a disney parade is its soundtrack, and they've been misfiring on this for the last decade at least. Sweetness and light is 'outre' - music has progressed since "doggie in the window". With crowd-pleasers like 'lion king', 'little mermaid' and 'hercules', it was the music and soundtrack that really helped to kick the show into a higher gear. It doesn't seem like the audience gets into it as much as the used to either. Or like I said - maybe I'm just getting older.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer >>I might suggest that locals, or people that attend quite often, are not the typical audience DL is going after when designing the parade.<< I disagree, both the Halloween and Christmas Special periods at the parks were designed mainly to have something to promote to locals, and bring them into the parks during what used to be a slow time at the park. And that is how Marketing deals with the events to this day, lots of heavy TV, Radio, Newspaper and Radio ads starting this week (they want the locals prior to Christmas week) and also worked with a lot of local media to offer behind the scenes looks at Christmas preparation (free advertisment).
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I would agree that the Christmas parade needs some help. I had never really watched it before last year (hey, short lines on the rides, right!?), but after seeing it several times (at least 4 or 5), it just looks old and tired. There was a thread a few weeks ago with YouTube videos of old parades, and one was the old Christmas parade. If you looked carefully, you could spot many of the floats that they're using now, even though they have been redressed. Mrs Claus' float, the gingerbread house, the original Santa float (switched out around 04??), the Pincess unit, the skating rink, and the roaming trees were all there (just to think of a couple off the top of my head) (other floats like the title float and the books introducing the segments were recycled from other parades like the World Accoring to Goofy). Now, there have been some minor additons and changes made (the floats were all refurbished to get a consistant style to the parade), but it's basically the same thing (actually much shorter) that they've been doing for decades. As I've already said, I'm not attached to this parade in any way (I thought the coolest part was the ferris wheel in the toy factory, but that's gone now), but I would definately like to see some changes. The problem is that no matter what they do, the general idea behind each of the floats will be pretty similar to what they have now (princesses, outdoor winter scene, gingerbread, elves making toys, homey cabin in woods, Santa in sleigh), which makes it pretty tough to justify spending any significant ammount of money to redo the parade. I kind of hope that people stop spending as much of the day to focus on the parade (maybe just walk up at the last second instead of camping out, or skip it all together) to send the message that it's just not all that interesting any more. It will happen gradually over time, but I'd like to see it happen at once, which is really the only way to get a whole new parade at once.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Christmas Fantasy Parade has a very special place in my heart. I was a performer in the debut of the parade in 1995 and the following year in 1996. That first year, I was a 'Dickens Singing Caroler' in the 'Scrooge & Marley' float. Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck were recreating their roles from 'Mickey's Christmas Carol' -- seems like Goofy was there too as Jacob Marley. The men were dressed in classic Top Hats and winter wear, ladies in long skirts and bonnets. We held microphones and sang along to the parade music track, encouraging the guests to sing along. (Trivia Side Note: Eden Espinoza was one of the carolers that year in my group) That first year, the parade was quite extravagant. About a dozen nicely dressed floats, and lots of live people in each parade unit -- including a group of young kids in that one -- really gave it a detailed, rich, and full look. The next year, our group was changed to 'Party Goers' -- we were still on the 'Scrooge & Marley' float, but it seems like the sign was changed, and Donald and Scrooge McDuck were gone. we had new costumes, and interacted with a 'family' -- still with microphones and getting the parade goers to sing along with us. It was also that year that I met a cute performer in the group. We fell in love that holiday season and married about 2 years later. The parade was a great gig as a performer. Fairly easy and loads of fun. The cast members in the entertainment division are an especially friendly and close bunch, and I really enjoyed working with them. I still remember that first time we did the parade, we turned the corner from the hub and headed down Main Street toward the Train Station -- it was an 'out of body' experience for me. But it seems like the parade has been chopped up quite a bit since those first years. Some of the elements are still there, but it seems like there are fewer live performers, and has a bit of a 'greatest hits' feel to it. It's probably time for a new one.
Originally Posted By Westsider Great story Jim! I'm not an expert on parades, as I'm usually working Guest Control if I'm seeing them at work, or just skipping them entirely if I'm in the park as a guest. But, I will say, after seeing the Christmas Fantasy Parade for the first time this year that it does seem a bit abbreviated and slimmed down from years past. I got the feeling that some of the live singers and characters were cut out of the parade this year, although I can't put my finger on what/who exactly is missing. But it just doesn't seem as grand or as lush this year for some reason. Something is missing and some stuff has been removed, but I can't figure out exactly what it is. It just seems a bit sparse this year, doesn't it?
Originally Posted By bean The parade has an will continue to get changes done to it. Every year either a float has been replaced or certain elements changed. Anyone remember the reindeers that were replaced a few years ago. I thought they were hilarious. I have not seen it this year I know they changed the toy foactory and the next one is suppose to be the skating rink float is next to get changed.
Originally Posted By monorailblue I went to high school with a gal who skated on that rink--in 1992. It has featured Mickey & Minnie, Chip 'n Dale, Belle and The Beast (why can't he be a human, and why can't he have a name, for crying out loud?). Anyone else?
Originally Posted By dresswhites i didn't see the dicken's carolers this year. are they still there? i think the ice skating rink worked better with beauty and the beast, than the other characters. i think mickey and minnie should move back to the second to last float/carriage before Santa. i seem to recall Alice in Wonderland being in parades of past. am i imagining this? i am surprised with the all the current interest in tinkerbell that she is not part of the parade in any form.
Originally Posted By bean maybe they should do a winterwonderland fairy float. might be interesting to see if they have the float be lushly built and then one of the weather faries turn everything white. LEDs would work great.
Originally Posted By GMLSKIS I love the Christmas Parade and watch both showings any day that I'm at the park.
