Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer An Explorer’s Notes- thoughts, news, and observations Hey guys! Good evening, everyone, and welcome to a new edition of “An Explorer’s Notes”, where I hope to pass along some thoughts on the current state of affairs in WDW, and to stimulate some thought provoking discussion on our favorite place in the world. Going to go light on the news and photos this time, as simply, there’s nothing exceptionally new to report, and rather, there are some interesting issues and thoughts I’ve formulated based on my experiences. Hope that doesn’t deter you, and as always, I’ll answer any news related questions/pictures you have. ☺ First off, general consensus for the trip… While we all know Disney has it’s issues…it’s still amazingly fun. I doubt it will ever stop being fun. It will never loose that nostalgia, that presence the place still has, despite it’s loss of originality. It’s still paramount in that respect, even while we all know that it’s recently been challenged, and I know that a few believe, usurped, by it’s competitor, Universal and it’s new Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I’d like to begin this with perhaps the oddest thing I’ve yet seen in Disney, and ironically, what this trip was loosely based on- Nightastic- and more specifically, the Nightastic Pyro presentation. I wasn’t aware that there was a intermission to the show. That’s right…it got cancelled half way through, and stared up again about 20 mins later, amid a atmosphere of abject confusion and disorder, and in some cases, horror. It was surreal, I can express that much. The show started out as normal, stunning displays of what WDE can REALLY do for a pyro show. The 360 deg. shots add so much depth and energy to the story and setting. It far surpasses the level of scope that Wishes has, though I’m not sure it has the same amount of emotion in it. (I know some will disagree, and poke fun, but I actually prefer the “vignette” style of Wishes to the active storyline of Nightastic. Odd, seeing the “story” in RoE is favored by me, as well. I guess it just works differently in different shows. However NT is far superior to Wishes in scope and firepower and bang, for lack of a better, and less ironic, word. ) So, just as the show goes into it’s most intense section, where the pirates actually storm the castle, and seemingly win, everything just goes dark. Hook was laughing, comets launch, and then…DEAD stop. (Evil wins?!) I’ve never seen the show…but it was apparent that something is wrong. Seconds pass…The Castle lights slowly go up…and… it’s announced… “Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance of the Summer Nightastic Fireworks has been canceled. We are sorry for the inconvenience .” The reaction on MSUSA and the hub is unreal. Just a quiet “Whaaat? Why?!”. People look worried. My mind is racing, of course, thinking the worst…Has something happened in Disney? An accident? Something bigger? It’s terrible what a post 9/11 train of thought shows when something is canceled with out reason. You could tell this was happening to other people, as well, everyone has that harried, worried look. What else is there to do, but file up MSUSA? BGM is off, everything is, like I said, surreal. People are beginning to complain. Not being one for crowds, family and I ducked into MSUSA to wait out the crowds so we could eventually head back into the park. And here’s where the rumors begin. Being me, of course, I start asking around on what’s going on. First answer: Rain/Thunder. (That’s BS, they can launch pyro in the rain…I had stood in a cloudburst the night previous to see IllumiNations. Got soaked. Was worth it. More later.) Second answer? Computer glitch. That’s more reliable. Third, forth and fifth answers…? Someone reported a fire in the Castle. Don’t know the validity of this…but… If true? Yikes. Scary thought. But honestly, it’s a pyro show. Tokyo Disneyland sets their Castle on fire nightly. We launch pyro from ours daily. The way I heard it, and it was implied…someone panicked and reported it. A system didn’t pick it up, is what I am trying to intone. Now, before I go further, I am ALL for safety, and by ALL means, if something needs to be canceled, of course it must be sacrificed for anyone’s safety and security. But..hearing how it was implied that this was a mistake?! The hinge point for a show was on that? A bit angering… ….However..better safe than sorry. And so, talking with the CM, (Sean, on MSUSA, selling balloons- great guy- Disney needs more CMs like him!) I also learned that, within moments, that the show could resume. And it did. Imagine everyone on MSUSA filing out of the park, having the lights go down, and the show start up again, right where it left off. The reaction is hysterical. Joyous, actually. After all that frustration, you can’t help but laugh, and be thrilled that the show is back. Needless to say, the finale is beautiful, and it’s nice to see that “Good does conquer over evil” as we all joked. (How could they end the show with the Castle being taken by hook!?!?!? ) This incident, I think, is a perfect metaphor of TWDC as of late. Beautiful production, fantastic way of doing things…and then bang, everything goes south. Everything stops. Quality suffers. But then, they pick themselves up, finish up the job, and everyone is happy. I honestly don’t know what to make of this. Be angry that they “ruined” the show thematics, or be thrilled that is all worked out in the end, and I got to finally see MMM, which, I agree, is a FANTASTIC show? It’s a conundrum. I can tell you all that I am VERY pleased with the pyro team working NT/MMM that night. Whatever they had to do to get the show running again, they did. Amazing job to the crew, and I thank them. I had been looking forward to NT/MM since they announced it. That should do it for the night, guys, I’m worn down, still gotta unpack, and all that jazz. Hope you enjoyed, feel free to ask me questions, I’ll be back tomorrow with another instalment.
Originally Posted By WDW Imagineer That's pretty weird. How were the crowds? How is the ToT installment? What about MSEP? How is it?
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<How is the ToT installment? >> I'm willing to bet he didn't go to DHS. And even if he did, I'm willing to put more money on the fact that he didn't go on ToT. Haha.
Originally Posted By WDW Imagineer i for one really wanna know what coulda brought down a firework show at MK. I've never even heard of that. Castle fire seems like the only reason I could come up with
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Nope, no DHS this trip. Maybe going in December. And I too am working on what happened to the NT pyro show. Never heard of this happening, ever.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>so i still dont get if you like wishes more than Nightastic<<< All that writing was for nothing?!? ;-) NT is a great show. Bigger, more impact to it, has a great storyline. In scope, it wins. Wishes is softer, more emotional, has a loose theme rather than a story. I prefer that in this instance. I honestly think it's a tie. Wishes does everything NT/MMM doesn't and visa versa. That said, I would not mind if Wishes was replaced by NT for a little bit...but keep both on the roster.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper Why not just get an actual new fireworks show? One that uses park music!
Originally Posted By WDW Imagineer haha, sorry bout that. I think i'm gonna have to be my own judge in like two days. haha
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Why not just get an actual new fireworks show? One that uses park music! <<< At this point, I am all for that. Maybe for the 40th, (Yeah. Right. Maybe for FLE. That's actually more possible...they'll need the hype.)
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer I do too. Hah. Then again, it could be like MMM. Which would be quite nice.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>maybe for like the opening night of FLE, but other than that, no<<< If they do what I think they want to do, they'll open it for the summer season and have a whole promotion around it, like Nightastic.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 So ... our intrepid 'little' explorer heads to O-Town and doesn't go near IOA (SHAME TO THE NTH POWER!) and apparently only visits MK and EPCOT. I wish I could say I was surprised, but the Spirit is many things, a liar not being one. Glad you had a good time, naturally. But one day someone really needs to teach you how to visit WDW the right way. Short weekends where you only visit two parks, including MK, wouldn't be it. As to the pyro, that's something that has happened many times in the past ... I've had it at DL and EPCOT as well as MK. Never saw folks acting like it was an attack by 'evildoers' however. 90% of the time, they do fix things and start right up like they did in your case. I can bash Disney for many things, but not for something like that. Tech issues happen from time to time. And even if someone in the cast ranks reported a non-existent fire, it is better to be safe. I'm eagerly await you telling us how MAGICal it all was!
Originally Posted By CaptainMichael The tiresome, awkward, forced storyline of MMM drives me crazy. If it was just music and not vocals, it would be tremendous. The Faux-Capt. Hook voice is just unnatural to hear blaring across the MK.
