Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2014/03/09/festival-of-fantasy-parade-images-and-video/" target="_blank"><b>3/9/14: Festival of Fantasy Parade Images and Video</b></a>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros That went up quick! I just watched a live stream of the parade from Town Square, and liked what I saw (obviously it was a pretty lousy quality feed, but it gave a good general impression). I hope that this parade isn't around for 14 years like the last one, but it's a very solid show However, it did seem strange to see Flora, Fauna, Merriweather, Phillip, and dragon Malefacent, but no Aurora. I know she's not in the battle scene in the movie, but it seemed like an odd omission from a standout part of the parade
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 I'm so excited about this new parade. I can't wait to see it for myself.
Originally Posted By kennect sorry but it didn't grab me. consider me a grunp. seemed very slow paced. grump or not it just didn't get my interest. sorry.
Originally Posted By kennect let say this though... I thought there would be a little more splash to it. as is I feel there was none.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I'm not a big parade person. I think it goes along with not getting a big kick out of characters in the park too. Cool for photo ops, but can't out of the, "its just a person in costume" frame of mind.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I admit that I'm a nerd sucker for a (good) parade. I tend to enjoy live entertainment though so a good Disney theme park parade adds a lot to my experience. My two favorite Disney parades (both at DL) were the Festival of The Lion King and Pardi Gras. TMSEP was my longtime favorite until they wore it out to death, and I still listen to the soundtrack from time to time.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I think if it wasn't such an ordeal to find a spot and watch the parade without having to wait for an hour prior to I'd be more willing to wait and watch.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance WOC though is entirely different and I LOVE WOC, don't even mind waiting for it. I like the more musical and water are the primary focus, rather than the characters.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros From what I've seen, it seems like this parade is very good but not "great". It has some impressive floats and lots of stuff going on, but I would have liked to see some better connections between floats and more non-character dancers. Mini-units like the Mermaid snail/crab and Aladdin cymbal monkey from Soundsational would have really added a lot, especially for the Little Mermaid and Brave units, which seem quite simple. The opening float is neat, but seems a little strange without something before it or dancers alongside it. What's there is really good, but it seems like it's lacking that extra 10% to push it over the top And while I hope it doesn't take another 14 years to get a new parade, this one sure has good bones to work from. I'm glad that they've moved on from having each of the floats be the same basic shape with different decorations, and that many of the floats have a lot of movement to them >>I think if it wasn't such an ordeal to find a spot and watch the parade without having to wait for an hour prior to I'd be more willing to wait and watch.<< I don't think I've ever waited more than about 20 minutes for a parade (unless I was tired and just wanted to sit for a while), and it's always turned out fine for me. Even for the premieres of a couple of them, or POD where you needed to be in a specific place to get a specific show stop, I never had much trouble finding room later on. The beauty of a parade is that it covers the entire length of the corridor, so you don't really need to get there super early (especially at DL where the parade runs twice daily)
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>WOC though is entirely different and I LOVE WOC, don't even mind waiting for it. I like the more musical and water are the primary focus, rather than the characters.<< I'm quite the opposite, I really don't care for WOC and would rather not wait for it (unless there's some special circumstance). Ironically, I think it's because the focus is so much on the characters and animation, rather than presenting something completely different like F! or a parade, that it doesn't hold up as well for me. It's also pretty heavy with dialogue, which keeps me from ever getting lost in the music
Originally Posted By Yookeroo " My two favorite Disney parades (both at DL) were the Festival of The Lion King and Pardi Gras." I liked the Lion King/Mulan/Hercules run. Those were all good parades (especially the Lion King gazelle girls).
Originally Posted By tcsnwhite It's a solid Steven Davison (and team) production. VERY well done. FINALLy, MK has a real parade production. I think some of us might be a bit jaded because we follow a lot of Disney Park entertainment, and have seen elements (besides the two Jubilation! floats) in other parades... but what is here is solid, and certainly a 1st-time for WDW/Mk's audience. They have needed a real up-to-date WDI-CE parade production for a long while (too long), so what is presented here is certainly top notch (even if it could use a few extra things to really send it over-the-top). Here's a video of some pro-shot footage - <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXPl2RniS6o">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...l2RniS6o</a>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros That's very true, it's not a bad parade by any stretch. I think I'm just being especially critical because Disney had trained me to keep them to higher expectations (by their parades at other parks), and because they've trained me to expect this parade to run for the next decade and a half, while being continually whittled down. If this was the parade for the next 3 years, then a new one showed up, I'd be thrilled with this one; unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that's not how this will work
Originally Posted By tcsnwhite I don't know...something tells me a big, complex production like this one won't be able to be pushed and recycled as far as their previous parade was. I mean, I wouldn't put it over TDO...but Steven's WDI-CE productions are far more complex that anything WDW has been running. Plus, two of the biggest floats are already 5+ years old (even with the major refurb they got). I don't know...perhaps I'm being too idealistic, but I don't see this running past the (other parks) standard of 5 years without then needing MAJOR investment to keep it up. But then, again, it's WDW. LOL!!!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros For what it's worth, when it was created, the old snowglobe parade was more complex than what was typical in that era. A new fleet of visually-connected but thematically-different floats with onboard air conditioning (for the dancers in the greenhouses...err...snowglobes) and a huge show stop. Yet they managed to reconfigure and edit it into 3 'different' parades spanning 14 years. I really hope you're right, and agree that these would be harder to make "minor" changes to, but I fear we may have it for quite a while
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>>I'm not a big parade person. I think it goes along with not getting a big kick out of characters in the park too. Cool for photo ops, but can't out of the, "its just a person in costume" frame of mind.<<< I can respect you not being a big parade or rubber head person for the "person in a costume" opinion.. but makes me wonder why you bother going to the Disney parks at all since everything and I mean EVERTHING in a disney park is FAKE. From the theming, to the ride's storylines, to the manicured gardens...everything. Most be the food that keeps you coming back, like Danno's case. And how is it staying put in a spot and waiting for a while an "ordeal"? Because the Disney parks are ordeals in many ways... waiting in line for everything, crossing the Seven Seas lagoon, paying for parking.. getting there. Life is an ordeal as a whole in case you didn't know. It's not all about eating and breathing. If you can't appreciate artistry and make believe then why bother going to Disney? Sounds like an ordeal to me. >>>I admit that I'm a nerd sucker<<< >>>Yes, I am old.<<< Agreed.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I hate standing in lines, staking and claiming territory on the ground hours in advance of a performance time or queuing up for anything in general, so I can relate to anyone who thinks securing a spot for a show or parade in the hot humid Florida sun is an ordeal, because for me it is too. My general solution is to avoid going to the parks when they are busy or just try to bear it as best as possible. What I find most puzzling are the fans who complain that popcorn and other such non-essentials are overpriced. If I were shopping for bargains the last place I'd go looking is a theme park. >>>I admit that I'm a nerd sucker<<< >>>Yes, I am old.<<< "Agreed." I wasn't trying to sound kinky, but old nerd sucker sounds... never mind.
