Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for discussion of the June 28th Jim Hill Column on the Hercules Electrical Parade in New York. This article is at: <a href="News-ID115290.asp" target="_blank">http://LaughingPlace.com/News-ID115290.asp</a>.
Originally Posted By Ladyarli My husband and I visited DL and DCA last month, and we think the Electrical Parade is going to be a great addition at DCA. I really don't understand why people are indignant at all. The MSEP is one of Disney's all time best parades, and people were sorry to see it go. Why not be happy that it's back? So what if Disney changed their minds? The guests benefit! We were two of the millions who watched on TV. We only live about 30 miles from NYC, but having no connections, we figured we'd be more comfortable and be able to see better at home. We enjoyed the parade very much. The only problem with Hercules was that Disney hyped it SO much, that by the time we saw the movie, we had already seen the movie -- in clips. We knew the punchline to every joke! We knew almost the whole plot! I would have enjoyed the movie more if it had SOME surprizes in it. I hope they have something good to replace MSEP in WDW, not (snore) Spectromagic.
Originally Posted By Ursula Count me in as another person who is thrilled that MSEP is back. I don't care what they call it, it's still the MSEP to me. I thought it was debuting on July 4th, & not the 3rd. Sigh, it's too late to ask for that day off now.
Originally Posted By Doobie It's on Disneyland.com for July 3rd - that seems to be the official date now. But it'll be there on the 4th as well - don't worry Doobie.
Originally Posted By Indigo <i>Ed Note: Warning, this post contains a Pearl Harbor spoiler</i> I have been debating whether or not to comment on this whole 'return' of the Disney Electrical Parade. Mostly because I haven't resolved my feelings one way or another yet... However, let me present both sides of the argument ongoing in my head, and see what you think. A large part of me is very indignant that the Disney Company would ever think of returning the MSEP to the Disneyland resort. They are advertising it as a return to the Disneyland Resort here in Vegas. So I don’t want to hear anything about how technically it’s not returning to Disneyland, because the company is advertising it as a return. first -- I, along with millions of visitors to the park, had a huge emotional attachment to the parade and its long run down Main Street USA. It wasn't just a parade, it was a friend that said 'goodnight' to me every time I saw it. Disney induced me to make a huge emotional goodbye to that friend with their 'final season' ‘glowing away forever’ promotion. And much like the characters in Pearl Harbor who finally moved on in their life after the reported death of Ben Affleck’s character, I am left with a very complicated emotional response with its return. Sure, I'm glad to see it. But I was ready to get on with my life, move on to something better (at least newer). Disney could salve this wound by introducing new elements into the DEP each year until it is a totally new parade... if I had some promise (not that this whole mess inspires me to trust Disney's word) of that, I would feel better about the return. Second -- I have a huge financial investment in the 'last performance' of the MSEP. Whereas I only took some vacation days, bought some merchandise, invested in some collectibles, all of which have been severely devalued by the return. Other families spent much more money traveling from around the world to see the demise of the fabled lightbulb wonder floats. I am surprised that no one has considered initiating a class action suit to recoup those moneys spent on a promise by the Disney company that they are now reneging on. Just casually figuring things out in my head, I'd say I have over $1000.00 spent on the event and deminished expectations on my collectible investments that total well into the thousands (projecting 20 years from now). Thousands of dollars is nothing to laugh at. Nothing I can easily shake off. So, Does Disney have a right to change their mind? Yes. But then I think we’re all entitled to refunds for merchandise and travel expenses... and how do they expect to compensate us for lost value on collectibles? Even if Disney does have a right to change their mind, their marketing made false promises that devalued our investments. The difference should be collectible in the courts. Okay. That said, I am anxiously awaiting my chance to see the DEP run through DCA. I want to see DCA successful. The future of the Disneyland Resort lies with DCA's profitability. I think a nighttime parade is a small part of a good solution to the parks woes. I see importing an already existing Disney parade as a cheap effective answer. I'm not sure I would have chosen the MSEP because of the bad feelings that could dredge up. Instead, I would have brought SpectroMagic over and forced the MK at WDW to do something new (or heck, keep the MSEP for another year or two, maybe they could spruce it up a bit). That makes me wonder what the Disney execs were thinking. I wonder if a class action lawsuit might actually wake them up to the folly of their ways a bit. As I said above. The MSEP was my friend. I saw it revived at the Magic Kingdom in Florida, but it felt wrong... like someone had taken the spirit out it. As the stories of Mary Shelly (and more eerily H.P. Lovecraft) warns us, you can reanimate old flesh... but you may not like what you get. Will the return of Disney’s Electrical Parade be a positive thing for the Disneyland Resort? We’ll have to wait and see. But after writing all this down, I have to say I fall on the side of wishing ‘it’ had never been brought back. I think the Disney Company is making another big mistake by treating its promise of 1996 like another fake sweet smell of Main Street. The audience they’re trying to attract isn’t stupid. They don’t forget the past so easily. Walt Disney’s oft quoted, and oft ignored, theorem that “Quality will out” should have led the company in another way.
Originally Posted By RickWestTPA Glad to know that people that feel strongly about the MSEP being thrown into DCA to help it survive are hard-core Disney dweebs,hyper-ventilating right now as the Parade nears its return. Since I wrote a strong editorial about this, which I STILL feel is a sad move, I guess I am one of the folks that was actually able to work up a case of full-blown righteous indignation over this relatively minor matter. So is that a bad thing? Yeah, there are zillions of other important issues in the world, from AIDS to what the heck to do with Bush in the White House. However, this is a Disney site and the topic at hand is the placing of the Main Street Electrical Parade into a park it was never intended to be part of (or more accurately, never wanted anything like the MSEP because of its cast and theme). I don't necessarily dig being labled a dweed or righteous because I have a strong opinion about something, Mr. Hill. I feel in my gut that certain readers here will also feel a bit "bashed" by your opening volley of names and insinuations. You're entitled to your opinions and so am I - or anyone else here. God knows I disagree all the time with people; I just think it's a tad unfair and harsh to lable someone the way you have in your column because they feel strongly about something. It just rubs me the wrong way. I find it akin to me writing a negative piece about DCA and then chasing it with, "Of course, there are those cheerleaders and Disney freaks out there simple enough to be pleased with anything that comes with a Disney barcode and price tag." It's just a poor way to divide your readers, in my opinion. A journalist may THINK that way, but to actually carry through with it - I feel it's unwise and unfair. This righteous dweeb will not be at the premiere of the Parade on July 3rd, nor do I have any desire to see it at DCA ever. Maybe I am in the minority, but I feel the way I feel and when not being attacked for my position. Disney is capable of MUCH better things and I think it's a sad commentary that this parade has to come to the rescue of DCA's first summer. Rick
Originally Posted By RickWestTPA My last paragraph was unclear - what I meant to say is that I feel pretty good about the way I feel about this subject when not being attacked for feeling that way. Rick
Originally Posted By cstephens Indigo wrote: > I am surprised that no one has considered initiating a class action suit to recoup those moneys spent on a promise by the Disney company that they are now reneging on. Just casually figuring things out in my head, I'd say I have over $1000.00 spent on the event and deminished expectations on my collectible investments that total well into the thousands. I've seen this argument brought up before (though I don't know if it's just something people say or whether it's anything anyone has seriously looked into), and I really don't understand where it has any merit. With regard to the merchandise, unless they manufacture more of the exact same items that were sold during the farewell season, those items are still in limited edition and are still collectable. I don't see how the return of the EP impacts on that. Comparing it to beanie babies (which is the only analogy I can think of right now), the first editions of any of those are worth quite a bit. The release of second and third editions only makes the first editions that much more valuable. Whatever new merchandise they have for the DEP, it will be different than what was marketed before (even if it's just a logo change, which is the least that would need to be done), and I can see that if someone has never seen the EP before and sees it as the DEP for the first time, they might be interested in some of the original merchandise, which would seem to me to make that original merchandise even more valuable. As for Disney's reneging on the promise, I think it's a matter of intent. A lawsuit would have to prove that Disney pulled the MSEP and ran its farewell promotion with the intent of later bringing back the parade. From accounts that I've read (and I have no inside contacts, so it's just casual perusing), it doesn't seem like that's what they had planned. Yes, they had planned for it to be gone, and yes, they've now changed their mind. As for the many people who made special trips to DL to see the last season, again, I don't see how those experiences are diminished because the parade is coming back. How is this any different than when an athlete comes out of retirement to play again? Should people be compensated for having gone to what they thought were his final games? Or how about a singer who makes a farewell tour, only to show up several years later to perform again? Should people from the last concert tour be compensated? Maybe I don't have that strong a reaction (other than that I'm really looking forward to seeing the parade again repeatedly) because while I loved the parade, I wasn't attached to it per se. My husband absolutely loved the parade and was very attached to it, but he didn't buy any of the farewell merchandise, and his reaction is that he's just happy it's coming back and that he'll be able to see it again. I guess everyone's reaction is different on this issue as on others. /cs
Originally Posted By Doobie I also think talk of a class action lawsuit is a bit too much. A move like this could make them the object of bad publicity - but a lawsuit? In any case - to my very non-legal brain - I'd think (like cstephens said) Disney would've had to have planned this from the start. But even more - the parade's not at Disneyland, it's at DCA. Were people talking lawsuit when the parade played at New York City or in the Magic Kingdom? It's still not at Disneyland, so even if a lawsuit were warranted (which I strongly believe it isn't), it still seems premature. Doobie.
Originally Posted By pheneix >>>"Of course, there are those cheerleaders and Disney freaks out there simple enough to be pleased with anything that comes with a Disney barcode and price tag."<<< I feel the same way about MSEP. I feel that it is an insult that the only reason it is being brought in is to save DCA (don't even get me started on that and what it represents) so Eisner can still claim that "cheaper is better". One thing I do disagree with Jim is that he says that MESP will be going away forevr if it fails at DCA. I feel that this is very wrong. We have already seen that Eisner and Pressler have not learned anything so even if/when DEP fails (which will be because it was in a park that no one wanted to go to or see the parade in, not because the parade "is not popular anymore"), DEP will be brought back. Why would Disney go through the trouble of creating a new parade when they already have one locked up in a warehouse? Pheneix
Originally Posted By Simba19 Indigo, in response to post #5 thanks I haven't seen Pearl Harbor yet. So now I'll know that he ends up dying or at least presumably.
Originally Posted By Doobie Sorry about that, Simba. Since this topic has nothing to do with Pearl Harbor and people normally wouldn't expect a spoiler in a post, I've added a spoiler mention before Indigo's post. I'm sorry it's too late to help you. Doobie.
Originally Posted By wedatt Although I'm looking forward to seeing my favorite Disney parade again, I am disappointed with the reason behind its return. A parade as special as this one should have been enough to be brought back on its own merit, rather than for the greedy purpose of boosting attendence and bringing in profits. Disney attractions are never resurrected because fans love them, but because the company accountants say they need them.
Originally Posted By Jim Disney There are already plans to bring the parade back to Disneyland in January... they seemed pretty sure that regardless of the response that the public gave at DCA, it would still go back to Disneyland for 2002 as it'd originally been planned. Whether they move forward with that will remain to be seen later on this year. I personally do not care about the lights that were sold and would be very, very frustrated with any person that even thought about bringing a lawsuit against the company. After all, it's just a parade. Granted some people have strong connections to it... but either way, it's no big deal. I'm not a huge fan of the parade period, so seeing it in Disneyland or DCA is no big deal... but I do agree that it belongs in Disneyland. The other night when I saw "Disney's Electrical Parade" followed by "A California Classic"... it was like "why?" No biggie... but again, it belongs in Disneyland. JD <a href="http://westcoaster.net" target="_blank">http://westcoaster.net</a>
Originally Posted By jonvn The money for the lights went to charity. I don't even like this parade, but if it makes people happy to see it, what's the difference.
Originally Posted By woody >>thanks I haven't seen Pearl Harbor yet. Don't worry. Many people haven't. I've seen it. It missed it's mark. It's a little tedious. I can't stand Ben Afflect. His voice seems a little "afficted". He talks funny like he trying to act like a country boy. HE CAN'T ACT.
Originally Posted By pheneix >>>I haven't seen Pearl Harbor yet<<< I will watch it on DVD, in my own comfortable chair, with my own snacks. Pheneix P.S. Not that I have anything against theatres, I like to see a movie on a nice huge screen as much as anyone. But my local theatre has really taken a turn for the worse, so I am avoiding that place at all costs, which only leaves the alterative: Overpriced theatres in Raleigh.
Originally Posted By John_CM Yes, I was going to comment on the "California Classic" thing.. It kind of looked out of place to me but I'm very excited about the DEP and will have a great view of it as it begins Monday night (for press and radio contest winners.. come on down!) .. Anyway, for those that don't know, the words "A California Classic" alternate over the logo for the Electrical Parade on the drum float. It kind of goes with the explanation someone gave before for how DEP fits into DCA.. it's a parade that started in California and so it's now being celebrated in a park that's about California!! Get it!?! hehe.. well, maybe not, but we'll see how long that whole thing lasts.
Originally Posted By BrerAnthony So that's what happened to those Hercules floats. I was wondering about that. To me, that was the coolest promotion that Disney Co. ever had. I wish they'd take the MSEP and take it to my city, but that's never gonna happen. And one question. On Goofy's train, does it have the gothic Disneyland "D", the Disney World Mickey, or something else?
Originally Posted By CuriosWolfSo I,too,have mixed about the parade.On one hand,I'm happy to see the parade return and can't wait to hear the famous music again.But on the other hand,I'm surprised to see it in DCA instead of DL after all the fuss about "glowing away" during its' farewell event.I even got one of the lightblubs that they were selling for charity,thinking this will be the last time I see the parade and all it left is the lightbulb. At least,they can do to make a updated parade with the latest Disney characters on new floats mixed with the classic characters on the old floats.
