Happily Ever After

[srwarden1928]

I finally saw Happily Ever After and thought I would give it a review.

First of all, I have said for years that nobody does fireworks like Disney. I can't find an Independence Day fireworks show at home that comes close to what Disney does every day. That is still true. HEA is truly an excellent show. Disney continues to be the standard. That said, it doesn't do for me what Wishes did.

The first time I saw Wishes, I had an emotional reaction. Tears came into my eyes. This continued, and every time I saw the show I got the emotional tears. Now there are several things at WDW that bring on this emotional reaction. Illuminations does, although not as strong as Wishes. Illuminations still brings on the same reaction it always did--not as strong as Wishes, but a distinct emotional reaction nonetheless. HEA not so much. As I said, it is an excellent show--probably one of the best I see this year. It just didn't bring on an emotional reaction--at all.

Now I certainly will watch the show again--if I am in MK at time for HEA I'm going to watch it. I will probably not make the effort to make absolutely sure that I have multiple chances to see it each trip so that I don't miss it.

Just in case some of you think I'm just an old guy who doesn't like change, let me say that IMO FOP is THE best attraction I have seen at ANY theme park. I have seen it three times on this trip--each time is as exhilarating as the previous one.

 

[HeidiGW]

Thank you for your review. I am worried I will have the same reaction...31 days until I find out!!!

 

[DisneyOma]

We were so disappointed in HEA - while the special effects projections on the castle are amazing, the fireworks didn't really do much to add to the show. Plus, you're so busy watching the really quick transitions going on that you don't have time to actually look at the fireworks. They could have done the show with just 4-5 well placed fireworks, from what I saw.

 

[loves to dive]

It was a one and done for me. My problem with it was because I'm height challenged unless I pay for the dessert party, there is no way I could get an unobstructed view of the castle. So for me it was kind of random fireworks going off. The place I ended up at (after moving 3 times because parents kept squeezing in front of me then putting their kids on their shoulders) was a little to the side so the fireworks weren't directly behind the castle. It just was disjointed and not fun. I even stayed around to watch the after show, which I sort of enjoyed since most people cleared out but when it got to the Frozen part I left, I never liked that movie very much and now just can't stand to hear the music since they have just bombarded you with it everywhere at Disney. I enjoyed Wishes since you didn't have to see the castle during the actual show to enjoy the fireworks, you could be just about anywhere to enjoy it. I feel the same way about the Star Wars show at HS, I've attempted to see it 3 times, getting there 1 1/2 hours early once and had a CM actually take me to a spot and say don't move from here, it will be perfect, then two very tall very beefy men squeezed in front of me 5 min. before the show started. I'm not a fan of Illuminations, the big earth just does nothing for me. I actually enjoy ROL at AK since I can grab a last minute FP for it and sit on the isle and actually see the show. Same thing for Fantasmic.

 

[BeachPrincess]

We were so disappointed in HEA - while the special effects projections on the castle are amazing, the fireworks didn't really do much to add to the show. Plus, you're so busy watching the really quick transitions going on that you don't have time to actually look at the fireworks. They could have done the show with just 4-5 well placed fireworks, from what I saw.

Totally agree here, plus it seems to me that there are less fireworks than they had with Wishes. I will not go out of my way to see it again.

 

[disneygirlsng]

It was the total opposite for me! Wishes did absolutely nothing for me emotionally. I bawled my eyes out from start to finish the first time I saw HEA, and I still do every single time I've seen it. I find myself watching youtube videos of it like once a week just to get that good feeling again and I still cry even from the video. The storyline, the overall message, just everything about it from start to finish is just amazing to me. A billion times better than what I ever got from Wishes. Just my opinion, wanted to give hope to those who haven't seen it and think it will fall flat. I've seen significantly more positive reviews of it than negative.

 

[DisneyOma]

It was the total opposite for me! Wishes did absolutely nothing for me emotionally. I bawled my eyes out from start to finish the first time I saw HEA, and I still do every single time I've seen it. I find myself watching youtube videos of it like once a week just to get that good feeling again and I still cry even from the video. The storyline, the overall message, just everything about it from start to finish is just amazing to me. A billion times better than what I ever got from Wishes. Just my opinion, wanted to give hope to those who haven't seen it and think it will fall flat. I've seen significantly more positive reviews of it than negative.

What storyline are you talking about? To me, it was a bunch of quickly transitioning images of all the Disney movies they could cram into the time frame, and then some. There was a storyline?

 

[GPC0321]

What storyline are you talking about? To me, it was a bunch of quickly transitioning images of all the Disney movies they could cram into the time frame, and then some. There was a storyline?

I haven't seen it live yet, but I've watched it multiple times on Youtube, and it seemed to me it was about how we can all be the heroes of our happily ever afters.

I look forward to seeing it live next month.

 

[mckennarose]

It was the total opposite for me! Wishes did absolutely nothing for me emotionally. I bawled my eyes out from start to finish the first time I saw HEA, and I still do every single time I've seen it. I find myself watching youtube videos of it like once a week just to get that good feeling again and I still cry even from the video. The storyline, the overall message, just everything about it from start to finish is just amazing to me. A billion times better than what I ever got from Wishes. Just my opinion, wanted to give hope to those who haven't seen it and think it will fall flat. I've seen significantly more positive reviews of it than negative.

I agree it is a great show, much better than wishes IMO, and it did make me emotional. I teared up watching it just like I did seeing Spectromagic the first time.

Not everything is going to appeal to everyone the same way. I, for one, am glad that Disney is adding new elements!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I was so disappointed in it. Halfway through I realized I was missing the fireworks because I had to pay such close attention to the projections so I wouldn't miss anything. OP, you are right. No one does fireworks like Disney. Unfortunately, the projections take away from those fireworks. I love the projections. I love the fireworks. But I DON'T want to see them together!

 

[DisneyOma]

I haven't seen it live yet, but I've watched it multiple times on Youtube, and it seemed to me it was about how we can all be the heroes of our happily ever afters.

I look forward to seeing it live next month.

That's not a storyline, that's a theme.

 

[melanielll]

How I describe the difference between Wishes and Happily Ever After...

Every night that I saw Wishes, I wanted to come back to the park the next day.

Every night that I saw Happily Ever After, I just wanted to make it out of the park alive.

 

[GPC0321]

That's not a storyline, that's a theme.

Okay, fine. The theme. Either way, I find it to be more than "a bunch of quickly transitioning images of all the Disney movies they could cram into the time frame, and then some."

I'll make my final judgement when I see it live next month, but I like what I've seen on Youtube. And this is coming from someone who is not normally a fan of projection shows. The new Star Wars show, for instance, is very unimpressive on Youtube. I watched the previous one before our Easter 2016 trip and instantly knew we had to see it live. I was right. That's the best fireworks show I've seen to date. Videos of the new show are lackluster by comparison to me. I don't want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a mob of people to watch scenes from the movies projected onto buildings with a few lasers zooming over and fireworks popping off occasionally.

HEA on Youtube had my mouth dropped open and tears in my eyes by the time it was over, so I'm hoping that means I'll love it in real life.

We shall see!

 

[Lothlórien]

My problem with it was because I'm height challenged unless I pay for the dessert party, there is no way I could get an unobstructed view of the castle. So for me it was kind of random fireworks going off. The place I ended up at (after moving 3 times because parents kept squeezing in front of me then putting their kids on their shoulders) was a little to the side so the fireworks weren't directly behind the castle. It just was disjointed and not fun.

Even if you pay to have reserved spots (dessert party), your view will still be partially blocked. They make everybody stand for safety reasons and then when the show starts, kids go on shoulders and ipads are held as high as they will go!

 

[loves to dive]

Even if you pay to have reserved spots (dessert party), your view will still be partially blocked. They make everybody stand or safety reasons and then when the show starts, kids go on shoulders and ipads are held as high as they will go!

View attachment 283953

And what is up with the IPAD carrying around anyway? Seriously, those things are huge, why not carry a real camera or a phone?

 

[JenniBarra]

And what is up with the IPAD carrying around anyway? Seriously, those things are huge, why not carry a real camera or a phone?

I've never gotten that, either...

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I grew up with Fantasy in the Sky and when I saw Wishes the first time I was blown away. The beauty of the castle, fireworks, Tinkerbell, narrated by Jiminy Cricket (one of my all-time favorite characters.) I loved the Wishes message and story. I loved reading people’s stories of wishes they made at Wishes, and knowing that I made some there that later came true. Wishes holds a place deep in my heart. Every trip, I HAD to see it. Non negotiable.

When I heard HEA was on the way, I was sad to see Wishes go, but open to the change. I am not opposed to change - I don’t like every change they’ve made but I do like many. I, unfortunately, was disappointed this time. The technology very impressive. That’s undeniable. But I really dislike that the show relies on projections. I loved the simplicity of Wishes. The classic castle framed by fireworks. Just gorgeous. Now, Cinderella Castle has been reduced to a movie screen.

I also felt like they were just throwing movie scenes at me. Gimmicky. Look! You know this movie and this movie and this movie! I like the overall message of HEA but I don’t like the execution. I like the flow of the Wishes soundtrack - HEA sounds choppy to me.

I did get an emotional feeling towards the end of HEA during the build up, but nothing like Wishes.

I don’t ever need to stake out a spot to see it again. I will, of course, if my kids want to. Otherwise, we will just watch the fireworks from afar at Poly beach after a nice dinner.