New Magic Kingdom Welcome Show & Main Street Opening UPDATE: Page 15 - Post #281

[jpeden]

For those wondering if this is temporary, the Hub just posted that the last welcome show on the train station is January 8th and after that day the show will be retired.

I believe this may be to help security/crowd control but also is no doubt a cost-saving and revenue increasing measure. Not having to run the train a little less cuts costs and having the shops open even 30 minutes early captures people who would rush past them in the morning and may never return at the end of the day.

Never saw the welcome show with the train so that's no big deal, but I'm not sure this is going to be as great as everyone else seems to think.

 

[yulilin3]

It's not for the people who have been 9 times...It's for the people who are there for the first time. I still love Welcome Show because I love Disney, but the first time I saw it was just such a special feeling. Or when I was a kid, (before there was a welcome show) the way you come around the bend on the Monorail and the castle first comes into view? The whole place is designed to provide these show elements, to bring you into the world. The train station exists to obscure the view of the castle, so that when you come in under the arches and start down Main Street, there it is in the distance. I just think Welcome show will be less exciting if you are already in front of the castle (and as others have said, Castle Stage is not a great venue). Plus, there is already so much themed to the royal fantasy aspect. Welcome Show was a chance for Main Street USA to shine!

I agree with you.
I stream the welcome show about once a month so I've seen it plenty but there's nothing line the entire crowd reacting when the train pulls in worth all the characters. It's that first taste of magic

 

[BrianL]

I believe this may be to help security/crowd control but also is no doubt a cost-saving and revenue increasing measure. Not having to run the train a little less cuts costs and having the shops open even 30 minutes early captures people who would rush past them in the morning and may never return at the end of the day.

Never saw the welcome show with the train so that's no big deal, but I'm not sure this is going to be as great as everyone else seems to think.

I don't think running the train costs that much. They'd have to test run it around the park before loading guests anyway. I will bet the new show will have fewer entertainment CMs and characters, which is where they will save money. They already cut back on a few citizens of Main Street. I wonder if they will get rid of them all.

Cynical Disney fan aside, I'm not sure this is entirely a cost cutting measure, but more of a crowd control measure, though with the added benefit of added revenue from shops and food. That is why I hope that the new show will actually be good. My cynical side says it won't be nearly as charming, but maybe it can still be exciting.

 

[HopperFan]

Okay I might be in minority but I like it. The last two Welcome Shows, after standing there forever, packed in like sardines, kids already crying .... when the "show" finished I was ....... that's it? ........... I can't imagine I lucked out with two bare bones Welcomes.

I love the idea of no longer being packed in, being able to get to Guest Relations or wander the shops or grab a coffee while waiting for a Castle Welcome Show where we have room to breath. From a security point of view, safer and now the crowds are not backed up through the scanners back to security.

I'm thinking the EMM folks still have a chance to get their relatively low crowd shots since you should be let in before the rest are let in to fill Main St. At least till we know more about the time folks are actually going to be let in to Main St.

Making it even more desirable ... aka sold out maybe?

 

[WEDWDW]

Okay I might be in minority but I like it. The last two Welcome Shows, after standing there forever, packed in like sardines, kids already crying .... when the "show" finished I was ....... that's it? ........... I can't imagine I lucked out with two bare bones Welcomes.

I love the idea of no longer being packed in, being able to get to Guest Relations or wander the shops or grab a coffee while waiting for a Castle Welcome Show where we have room to breath. From a security point of view, safer and now the crowds are not backed up through the scanners back to security.

Definitely many positives with the new set up.

I'll just miss the Train riding in with the Characters to the Casey Jones dance/song by the performers.

I don't think that can be topped at the Castle.

 

[tlmadden73]

I missed the old Welcome Show by a few minutes (just hard to get a family moving that early on a EMH day) .. but this seems neat too.

I am guessing as more and more people (and events and restaurants) want to get there early the small area in front of the entrance gets crowded ... especially with enhanced security measures.

This plus the increased demand for the PPO ADR this is just a better way to "control" the flow.

So these just seems a way to let you in the park into a giant area (with no rides) and thus not have a big cluster at the entrance until 9:00 am.

Pretty good idea since they have all that space .. gives guests time to maybe buy a coffee or shop before the actual rope drop.

And now maybe only people who actually want to EAT breakfast will get those PPO ADRs (rather than just using them to get in early for photos or first in line at 7DMT .. etc.).

The questions remain how this will work with the Early Morning Magic and the EMH. Will they just let anyone in .. and you can only go on rides if your Magic Band indicates you are able to use those perks?

 

[MermaidMommy]

See, now after reading the Disney Parks Blog item I am even less enthused. The show will have a "Royal Herald" to proclaim the Magic to officially begin. This is so different from the Mayor of Main Street and the 1900's vibe of the current show, and to me, once the castle is revealed, the magic has already begun. The current show keeps you in suspense, and introduces you gradually to the Magic Kingdom. I just don't see myself liking this at all. I know stuff comes and goes, but this one is rough for me.

Agree with this's 100%. I was hoping that they'd keep the current song, minus the Casey Jr. part, and perform it at the castle stage. A royal herald just won't be the same. DD16 and I cry during the Welcome Show every time on our first park day. We'll miss the quaintness of the current show, which fits in so well with the Main Street atmosphere, and really enhances the gradual reveal of the Magic Kingdom.
It will be missed.

 

[JimmyBean42]

I'm still undecided if I'm for or against this. I'll make a decision after I see the new show. Maybe they'll shock us and it will exceed the current Welcome Show. Maybe it's one of those things were if the new show doesn't work out, they'll bring back the old one (longshot). From a suspense standpoint, for me and my family that suspense is there Day 1 of our trip no matter what. So many times on our trips we were late Day 1 to see the Welcome Show but even missing it there still was the suspense of "Wow, we are here.....we are rounding the corner.....there it is!!!!". Granted the times we did get to the Welcome Show on Day 1 of the trip it did add to the suspense but it was still there if we missed it.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

It's not for the people who have been 9 times...It's for the people who are there for the first time. I still love Welcome Show because I love Disney, but the first time I saw it was just such a special feeling. Or when I was a kid, (before there was a welcome show) the way you come around the bend on the Monorail and the castle first comes into view? The whole place is designed to provide these show elements, to bring you into the world. The train station exists to obscure the view of the castle, so that when you come in under the arches and start down Main Street, there it is in the distance. I just think Welcome show will be less exciting if you are already in front of the castle (and as others have said, Castle Stage is not a great venue). Plus, there is already so much themed to the royal fantasy aspect. Welcome Show was a chance for Main Street USA to shine!

The train station exists to obscure the view out of the park from inside, not the other way around. That was the point at DL, where the castle is so short you can barely see it from Town Square, anyway. They simply duplicated the layout at MK.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

It's not as if the castle is going on vacation. The emotional money shot turning the corner from Town Square onto Main Street is still going to be there and still going to be impactful. But the new way, you'll actually be able to stand there and admire the view without a horde of people potentially impacting you from behind.

 

[beesly]

The train station exists to obscure the view out of the park from inside, not the other way around. That was the point at DL, where the castle is so short you can barely see it from Town Square, anyway. They simply duplicated the layout at MK.

That might have been the point at DL, but at MK the train station acts as the "opening curtain" before you step on stage at WDW. Hence the plaque on the wall of the station: "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy."

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

That might have been the point at DL, but at MK the train station acts as the "opening curtain" before you step on stage at WDW. Hence the plaque on the wall of the station: "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy."

Those plaques are simply copies of the plaques at DL. Again, they simply duplicated the front-of-park layout. The station works as a curtain in both parks, but its main function is to ensure the visual uniformity of Town Square.

 

[beesly]

Those plaques are simply copies of the plaques at DL. Again, they simply duplicated the front-of-park layout.

Fair point - I haven't been to DL and don't know the details of the entrance - but even the tour guides at WDW tell people that the train station is the curtain. This same point is the reason some don't like the idea of the express bus service that's currently being tested - visitors who skip the park entrance are literally missing the entrance point that was intended to bring guests "on stage."

Edited to add: Even this DIS article says it - "The entrance to the park is like a theatre. The ticket area is like a lobby. Then, you go through the tunnels lined with "coming attraction"-type posters. The train station is the curtain, and when you go through it, you're in the 'show.'"

 

[HopperFan]

Definitely many positives with the new set up.

I'll just miss the Train riding in with the Characters to the Casey Jones dance/song by the performers.

I don't think that can be topped at the Castle.

Maybe I'm just unlucky but last two times it was maybe 4-5 characters and a few dancers who contributed maybe 30 seconds. I truly thought if this is all there is to it why bother.

 

[hygienejean]

Any guesses on how this may affect EMH? I was previously planning to arrive for 7:30 am for EMH. Now I am thinking I better arrive by 7:00am. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Fair point - I haven't been to DL and don't know the details of the entrance - but even the tour guides at WDW tell people that the train station is the curtain. This same point is the reason some don't like the idea of the express bus service that's currently being tested - visitors who skip the park entrance are literally missing the entrance point that was intended to bring guests "on stage."

I agree 100% about the express bus service ruining the proper thematic entrance experience of the parks. I'm not trying to argue either. I will say though, that on the DL side of the boards, people have criticized from time to time some of the things that MK tour guides suggest about the design progression from DL to MK. Some of the things they say are not technically true but make for a good story while you're on a tour. For example, I know that the tour guides talk about MK's lack of a need for a berm since it sits in the middle of Walt Disney World instead of adjacent to city streets. But it's pretty jarring to be able to see the Contemporary from Liberty Square all the same, and that's because of no berm around Tomorrowland. The guides add a lot of simplicity into the story when the story is really pretty nuanced. That's just my take on it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

To be honest, I don't think this will have any impact on overall demand for PPO ADRs. While some DIS'ers may foreswear them, there are plenty of other visitors who will still want them. The advertised value proposition of any given ADR is "hey, eat food!" and that primary value proposition is still in place.

 

[Skywise]

I have to think that this is a security nightmare because the people are all packed up before the security checkpoint to see the show and it probably disrupts security checking too.

On the other hand - There's a lot of magic that's going to be lost there. I've never seen the show myself but I've stayed TPV at the monorail resorts and have sometimes managed to catch the music of the show wafting over the lake in the morning and a glimpse of the fireworks and that's always awesome.

 

[Jennasis]

I don't know why I hate castle stage shows so much, but I do. The daytime shows, the party shows. I just can't get into them. So I'm not enthused about this at all...and I think the castle reveal is "less than" FOR ME if done this way. But Disney doesn't consult me for any of their changes (I'm not sure who the heck they consult...a menagerie of talking forest creatures maybe) so I'll just roll my eyes at yet another "WHY??" moment and go about my business.

 

[aviva5675]

Last time I was there for the show it was worth it ( and my kid is an adult now) to hear the little kids all whisper ' Elsa' when they saw her get off the train...it was funny... my Elsa is Mickey so I get it and will miss seeing the train show.