i agree with Pete, but i guess i should thank disney regardless...

[disneyholic family]

i should thank Disney for killing off our one and only must must must do when we visit WDW...
Wishes

being the local 'disney expert', the only piece of advice i always give is RELAX and don't try to do everything...don't even make anything a must do....just go with the flow, relax and enjoy yourselves..

well now i'll be able to do as i say...

in August, we're bringing the entire family - kids and grandkids - for the first time in 6 years..

for those of us coming from overseas, WDW is a very expensive endeavor....
like everyone, we pay the high resort, ticket and food prices...

but unlike those of you lucky people who live on the same continent as WDW, we pay a very large fortune to get ourselves to north america...
and because it costs so very much to fly there, when we are able to come, we tend to stay a bit longer (19 nights this time)...

19 days seems like a long time, but really it's not at all...it goes by in the blink of an eye..
and with one trip in 6 years, the pressure is on to do do do do do...

but really, our one and only must must must do was Wishes (which always had us hugging and sobbing by the end)...
and i was really feeling the pressure as to how to ensure that our group, including 2 very small toddlers, would manage to see wishes (even over the course of 19 days)..

so disney was so very kind to me to remove that pressure...
now i can truly go with the flow and not worry about doing anything at all...
just enjoying the atmosphere (which is our main disney love)..

as for agreeing with Pete - yes, i'm quite sure this is a cost cutting measure..
replacing very expensive fireworks with incredibly cheap digital pictures on a castle wall..
a castle wall that i can't even see from the best fireworks viewing positions (and how many of those are there anyway)..
pretty disappointed...
but at least now i don't have to stress about getting us to wishes...

.

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

 

[Sparkly]

We come from overseas..the UK too, it costs us a fortune for just our flights. It doesn't mean anything. People come from all over the world, should they keep the same show for 15 more years just to please people who don't like change?

I'm waiting to see what the actual show is first before I mourn Wishes. I'll miss it greatly too, but I'm also excited to see the new show in September!

 

[Mickeymouseisking]

We come from overseas..the UK too, it costs us a fortune for just our flights. It doesn't mean anything. People come from all over the world, should they keep the same show for 15 more years just to please people who don't like change?

I'm waiting to see what the actual show is first before I mourn Wishes. I'll miss it greatly too, but I'm also excited to see the new show in September!

I think that with so many broken things all around WDW that are in real need of renewal, why touch something that is still extremely popular? They've eliminated many wonderful experiences. Why not create a new experience where such an experience is needed instead of "fixing" something that isn't broken?

HS is nowadays barely half a park. Remember when there was an amazing parade there? Remember when Mulch, Sweat and Sheers had a bunch of shows a day? Both gone.

EPCOT has more closed spaces than open ones. The entire Life pavilion, pretty much all of Inoventions, the second floor of Imagination, whatever that huge building is on the lake, the building where Honey I Shrunk the Kids used to be which now lazily plays Pixar shorts. Not to mention this park too used to have a great parade. No parade now.

And speaking of parades, the one at AK is long gone too.

At MK the Electrical Parade has been retired and is not being replaced by anything.

So with so many things broken or gone wouldn't you agree that energy, money and creativity should go into bringing new experiences where they are needed as oppose to replacing an existing popular experience which brings in huge crowds, not to mention a whole lot of money on extras people pay just to view it, i.e. dessert parties and viewing cruises?

With a brand new show that replaced Celebrate the Magic, a brand new show at the castle and a newish parade I honestly don't think there was a need to change Wishes. With so much missing and broken in the rest of The World, this seems like an odd choice to me.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I am very sorry that you will not get to see Wishes again - While I greatly enjoy all of the night-time shows that is the one that gets me in the "feels" the most - I often joke that were I to get a Disney related tattoo "See what a little wishing can do" would be part of it

But I also recognize that for as many people I see expressing feelings similar to yours I see people comments "about time! that show is so old and needed to be replaced years ago!" - so it is tough for Disney to please everyone

I do understand that that there is cost savings in projects vs fireworks but everything that has been said has indicated you will be able to enjoy the new show from all the places you enjoy Wishes. And if you watch the clip they are recording all new music with a full orchestra and creating all new animation for the projections - neither of which are free so money is being spent

And I do hope you are able to have a positive attitude about what is here - and will be here - when you come rather than lamenting what isn't

Pandora will be open when you come - and entirely new land that Disney has spent more than $1billion on - along with Rivers of Light and entirely new night time show

Our last trip we spent an entire day at DHS and didn't get to everything we wanted - so I still don't get the "it's just 1/2 a park" .... and DHS is an example of Disney replacing less popular things with brand new attractions and spending billions of dollars to do it

As for EPCOT - the 2nd floor of Imagination is now a DVC lounge and I encourage you to check out the pixar shorts - we really enjoyed it as they are all in 3D and have added 4D effects. Plus they just added Frozen Ever After and update Soarin - and rumors are that will be the next park that gets work/new additions starting after Pandora is done

Does Disney look for ways to cut costs and be more efficient? Sure, they are a business that has to address the shareholders - but based on the music alone in the preview for the new show I am cautiously optimistic that this new show will evoke similar feelings

And remember - countless people were really upset - pissed off even - when Disney replaced Fantasy in the Sky with .... Wishes

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Sorry for your disappointment, I would feel the same way if Fantasmic (and Sorcerer Mickey!!) goes away, so I understand. But hopefully whatever comes in its place, or something new that's coming, will find a special place in your heart and memories. I truly hope that August brings you safe travels and a magical experience!

 

[disneyholic family]

creating all new animation for the projections

which cannot be seen by anyone over a certain age...(which would be moi)...

did you see the last time they did projections on the castle?

i couldn't see anything...not one thing....
i just stood there waiting for the projections to be over, staring at a castle covered with images that were completely indiscernible to me...

and while those digital projections may cost a penny or two to develop, they cost basically zero to operate, as compared to the enormous cost of fireworks...

as for DHS, it's not even half a park.....did you go there in its heyday? when there was no way you could do everything in the park in one day? rather than a park full of empty buildings, or buildings filled with placeholders?

have you been to disneyland/DCA, where they have more attractions in two parks than WDW has in four?

as for enjoying it..

obviously we will.....we wouldn't be going if we didn't enjoy being there...
just because we love being at WDW, doesn't mean we can't admit to its shortcomings...

we go there to enjoy those things that disney still does better than anyone else....

and we go there to enjoy being together at WDW while enjoying those things about WDW that we love....a lot having to do with the people who work there....the talent....the joy.........

we're those people who sometimes just sit around in a quiet place in the park (yes, there are a few places where you can still get away from people, though sadly one of our favorites, innoventions is also gone....oh and DQ too....another of our favorites that disney decided not to maintain and then finally had to close)...

but yes, we'll enjoy ourselves....

and i'm sure we'll go to see that new nighttime show, though i guess we'll have to go for a fastpass as that may be the only way i'll actually be able to see something on the castle? but even that probably won't help....eyes are not what they used to be (especially not when standing behind a 6 foot tall man with a 3 foot tall child on his shoulders, making castle projections a far more doubtful concept vs fireworks high in the sky)...

as for cost cutting, there is no doubt.....spending money preparing something is not the same as spending money to operate it...

.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

First, I am glad you will still enjoy your trip.

I definitely remember DHS in it's hey day - heck I tend to still call it MGM. I'd love for it to go back to being more of a working studio but that obviously isn't happening and I am excited for what they are building there - but I still love the detail they have in the park - all the fake stores with clever names that harken back the past. and I just love the Citizens of Hollywood. I will say we like Star Wars so that was quite a bit of what we enjoyed there

And we have been to to Disneyland and DCA - I am glad we went and there were some things I liked about it (the food, especially quick service was very good, and obviously great to be were Walt actually walked) but I found it far, far to crowded to enjoy and I left thinking how much more I preferred WDW. Much more variety of what to do, more things to do with my kids (DCA specifically we found we had to trade off constantly to do many attractions as my kids were too small). I've also done Hong Kong Disneyland and in some ways preferred that as well - no crowds and some really unique attractions

I am sorry that you had trouble seeing the projections - I must admit this is the first time I have heard someone say they couldn't see them at all - but I am sure a number of guests can't see them very well. I hope Disney considers that and I hope they also learned from past shows and try to keep the projections as high on the Castle as they can

From what I am hearing while the new show won't have as many fireworks as Wishes it will have more that the Star Wars show in DHS and everything Disney is saying is that this new show will be able to be enjoyed from every spot that Wishes currently can be. Now, if this turns out to not be the case and it is just a projection show with a few fireworks and you have to be in the hub to see it I absolutely will criticize that - just I get that things have to change and evolve and am cautiously optimistic based on the preview video

 

[NeuroCindy]

Everything is sentimental and important to someone that visits disney. So if Disney wanted to avoid disappointing people they'd have to change absolutely nothing, which would then disappoint others. I am sorry that you're disappointed by this, the new show could end up being absolutely amazing. People rave about Star Wars fireworks and those involve a bunch of projections. I would wait until the new show debuts before coming down on it.

 

[DLgal]

Um, the new show is a fireworks show too...

 

[Elle23]

Um, the new show is a fireworks show too...

That's what I was wondering/ hoping as I read the thread!

I loved Wishes, but I look forward to something brand new and exciting when we go back!

 

[disneyholic family]

we also still call it MGM...
and probably the attraction we miss most at MGM is "Hunchback of Notre Dame"...
we used to pop into the park when we had a free hour, just to watch it...but then they got rid of it to build the stunt car show (or how to fry in a grandstand on an august day).....
so now the stunt car show is gone and so is hunchback - something that really made sense at mgm...a show that showcased the incredible disney talent, in staging and performance..

i haven't been to hongkong or shanghai disney, but i've been to the others...
i don't think i can rank WDW, DL/DCA and TDR...
i love all three and i can't really say which one i like best..there are differences, probably mostly in the guests and employees rather than the attractions themselves....but the differences aren't bad, just different..

as for DLP - best to take thumper's approach....
i suppose if you took it out of europe it would be fine....
but the line jumping there is more than i can handle, so the park sort of fades into the background for me...

regarding the castle projections, it doesn't matter where i stand, i doubt i'll see them..
but even a young person with young eyes - can they see castle animations if they're standing at the main street train station?
this isn't rhetorical, i'm actually asking...

 

[DLgal]

That's what I was wondering/ hoping as I read the thread!

I loved Wishes, but I look forward to something brand new and exciting when we go back!

Disneyland combined projections with fireworks for the 60th and it was the best fireworks show I have ever seen. Made wishes look like a podunk small town 4th of July show...

 

[disneyholic family]

Um, the new show is a fireworks show too...

of course, and here's hoping the show is focused on the fireworks and not the digital wall animations...which, as i've repeated ad nauseum already, i and many others won't be able to see...

 

[disneyholic family]

Disneyland combined projections with fireworks for the 60th and it was the best fireworks show I have ever seen. Made wishes look like a podunk small town 4th of July show...

projections on what? on their baby castle?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

but even a young person with young eyes - can they see castle animations if they're standing at the main street train station?
this isn't rhetorical, i'm actually asking...

I hope so - I hope they have learned from other projection shows and try to keep the action that is in the projections as large and as high up on the Castle as possible. I mean, it doesn't need to be the exact same experience at the train station as right in the hub but you currently can still very much enjoy Wishes from the train station and they have said you will be able to enjoy the new show from all the places you can enjoy Wishes from

 

[NeuroCindy]

projections on what? on their baby castle?

Here it is from two different angles:

 

[disneysteve]

People rave about Star Wars fireworks and those involve a bunch of projections.

We think the Star Wars show is one of the best things Disney has ever done. We were blown away by how good it is. It is not, however, a fireworks display, so someone looking for fireworks would likely be disappointed.

I like Wishes but I'm sure I'll like whatever replaces it just as much. Nobody does fireworks like Disney. And I love the projection shows, too. I think the technology is really neat. I can't comment on the view from the train station but we've never had any trouble at all seeing it from anywhere in front of the castle.

 

[disneysteve]

which cannot be seen by anyone over a certain age...(which would be moi)...

I'm not following what age has to do with this. Or are you just saying your vision isn't as good as it used to be. We're both in our 50s. My wife is having trouble with her cataract but so far it hasn't stopped her from enjoying the shows. Other than being overdue for new glasses, no trouble personally either.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

We like to stay Contemporary TPV because of the fireworks... I can see us saying if the fireworks are less impressive (in favour of more projections) then we'll be less likely to pay a premium for staying in a TPV room. Fireworks don't only provide value for the parks but also for the surrounding hotels where more projections/less fireworks may depress the value of premium rooms where fireworks are part of the attraction (in my opinion anyway.) It can impact fireworks cruises as well if more of the effect is done via projections/laser --- we've done these and you don't see the projections so would I pay cruise rates for reduced fireworks? Don't think so.