WDW To Return Main Street Electrical Parade

[Disneyguy85]

16% of the people polled must not have seen Disneyland's Fantasmic, cause anyone who's seen our Fantasmic could not possibly vote DHS's Fantasmic as best nighttime entertainment.

I have to agree. I personally like the original Fantasmic at Disneyland better, and most people seem to agree that the Malificent dragon at Disneyland is now a step up above the one in DHS.

Yes, the stadium seats at DHS make it more organized, but as a result, the show also loses its spontaneous feel.
Plus, I think that some of the creative choices in the show at DHS are awkward.

[lady ulrike]

I don't know, I might put DHS's over DL's simply because of seating arrangement. Just look at the seating arrangement in DL, it's terrible, even if you are sitting at the very back in DHS you have a nice view of the show. Maybe it's time to rework that section of the walkway; I've always felt it was somewhat awkward anyway. I am waiting to take a look at the completed plaza for World of Color so I can see how well it will work as seating, I know it was designed with this in mind, but I can't know if it will work without seeing it happen.

Well, you have to keep in mind that the area around Fantasmic was just there, they didn't do anything except put a couple light towers in. I don't really know, but I would conjecture that when they started Fantasmic, they did not expect it to still be running, what is it now?, almost 20 years later. Rearranging the seating at DL would just be a nightmare and there's never really a slow enough time anymore to do it, so the seating will just have to stay, the show itself is still infinitely better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMna0JIH ... re=related

For those that haven't seen both, this is a video that shows them at the same time, it's really neat the way it's done for those that have seen both. :) The only thing I have to note, is the one who filmed the DL show was clearly not familiar with the show while the one who filmed the DHS (although it was MGM at the time) was familiar with the show, so some of the zooming in and out timing isn't the best in the DL version.

[Shorty82]

Thanks for the video link, Lady Ulrike. I'll have to be sure to watch it later.

One thing that gets me about Fantasmic! is that is that even though WDW's is in a stadium designed with that show in mind and used only for that show it is so much better over at DLR where the entire show and viewing areas are guest areas during the day.

[Lasolimu]

Well, you have to keep in mind that the area around Fantasmic was just there, they didn't do anything except put a couple light towers in. I don't really know, but I would conjecture that when they started Fantasmic, they did not expect it to still be running, what is it now?, almost 20 years later. Rearranging the seating at DL would just be a nightmare and there's never really a slow enough time anymore to do it, so the seating will just have to stay, the show itself is still infinitely better.

Exactly, that area wasn't designed with seating for a show in mind. I just have a hard time enjoying a show when I am fighting the entire time just to be able to see it. I would say that reworking that entire area all at once would be nigh impossible and should never be attempted, but doing a little bit of it at a time should be quite doable and would probably be a good thing to do. At the same time I always felt that that area felt a little clunky as I walked through it, not just as a show seating area, but also as a walkway. Of course, I don't mind the clunky walkway as much as the seating problem, and Fantasmic! is still always going to be a must see on any trip I take down there(as long as it is running, which it wasn't last time).

[Zazu]

Exactly, that area wasn't designed with seating for a show in mind. I just have a hard time enjoying a show when I am fighting the entire time just to be able to see it. I would say that reworking that entire area all at once would be nigh impossible and should never be attempted, but doing a little bit of it at a time should be quite doable and would probably be a good thing to do.

I agree. Disneyland was able to install those lighting towers without major disruption, so it should certainly be possible to rehab the area one small section at a time.

Right now I'm thinking they should take a lesson from those towers. Have benches rise up from the pavement! Nothing a bit of hydraulics won't do, and do quietly. The area could still be walked upon during the day, just as the stage is.

Only challenge will be chasing the guests out of each area so they can raise the benches. I'm guessing it'll take the APD to clear the area the first few times until the locals catch on. Still, probably worth the effort, even if all it does is get a few of the least cooperative guests tossed out!

[Kifaru]

what, nobody voted for Night Safaris?

I'm not a big parade fan in general, but I still miss Tapestry of Nations.

[Disneyguy85]

I agree. Disneyland was able to install those lighting towers without major disruption, so it should certainly be possible to rehab the area one small section at a time.

Right now I'm thinking they should take a lesson from those towers. Have benches rise up from the pavement! Nothing a bit of hydraulics won't do, and do quietly. The area could still be walked upon during the day, just as the stage is.

Only challenge will be chasing the guests out of each area so they can raise the benches. I'm guessing it'll take the APD to clear the area the first few times until the locals catch on. Still, probably worth the effort, even if all it does is get a few of the least cooperative guests tossed out!

That is a nice thought, but chairs/benches will never work in New Orleans Square. You just know that guests cannot be trusted with anything that moves!

Actually, I remember hearing that when the show first started in 1992, in preparation they apparently adjusted the shoreline and made the walkways terrenced.

If one were to look at the walkways of New Orleans Square today, they would see that there are some areas that get progressively higher the farther away from the water's edge you get, (mostly done by having raised sections and stairs)

...Yup..Here is a wikipedia article (the top of the page) that mentions terracing walkways; "Much of the area around the Rivers of America needed to be reworked, including terracing the walkways to accommodate viewing"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasmic! ... nd_version

I guess you can't say they didn't try.

It seems that they learned a bit when constructing the new viewing area for World of Color at DCA; all of the light fixtures in the viewing area are very short and stubby, (so they will not obstruct the view)

One of the nice things about the way the original Fantasmic is staged at Disneyland is that everything seems so spontaneous. By day, its regular New Orleans Square/Frontierland. Guests can even walk on the area that will become the stage. But by night everything erupts into an epic battle of good vs evil.

And it seems that World of Color at DCA will achieve the same spontaneous effect. By day, the viewing area is supposed to be a garden area called "Paradise Park".

[Honda Enoch]

I'm going to miss Spectro :(

Really?? Like for real???? I mean if your for real then...yeah, but seriously, someone will actually miss spectromagic?

[lady ulrike]

So, not in the mood to get in an in depth discussion, but basically, I think if you put bleachers in, you may reduce the viewing capacity, I don't have any numbers, but it seems less butts would fit on bleachers (depending on the height of course) than people do standing, crammed in like sardines.

As for trying to see the show, you just have to get there earlier and get viewing up front. :) Mind you, I rarely do it myself, but it can be done without waiting for hours.

[Disneyguy85]

Really?? Like for real???? I mean if your for real then...yeah, but seriously, someone will actually miss spectromagic?

Mr. Sensitivity. ;)