News Round Up

[rteetz]

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Looks like the second pool at the Polynesian is taking shape. Literally. They seem to have the form in the ground for the pool and hot tub. This resort needs it. Love our stay here, but the main pool is too small and way too crowded.

Pool isn't supposed to be done until sometime next year.

 

[rteetz]

Pool bar hours changing at GF

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/09/grand-floridian-resort-pool-bar-hours.html

 

[rteetz]

NBC sports bar and grill getting close to opening at city walk

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/09/citywalk-update-nbc-sports-grill-brew.html

 

[rteetz]

Disneyland is ready for Halloween

http://micechat.com/110402-disneyland-halloween-time-launch/

 

[rteetz]

East garage construction at DTD

http://savepleasureisland.blogspot.com/2015/09/dtd-update-east-garage-levels.html

 

[916chipndale]

Looks like the second pool at the Polynesian is taking shape. Literally. They seem to have the form in the ground for the pool and hot tub. This resort needs it. Love our stay here, but the main pool is too small and way too crowded.

The East pool was rarely used at the Polynesian, maybe with a hot tub and bar and grill that will change now but I expect the main pool to stay extremely crowded.

 

[luisov]

Hong Kong DL is celebrating its 10th anniversary this upcoming September 12th, so they've recently premiered a new firework show with projection mapping on the castle. Definitely not as impressive as Disneyland Forever (or any other MK type of park nighttime spectacular going on right now, for that matter) but it's still a cute show.

 

[rteetz]

Hong Kong DL is celebrating its 10th anniversary this upcoming September 12th, so they've recently premiered a new firework show with projection mapping on the castle. Definitely not as impressive as Disneyland Forever (or any other MK type of park nighttime spectacular going on right now, for that matter) but it's still a cute show.

They also got paint the night before disneyland did.

 

[rteetz]

Voyage of the Little Mermaid refurb was cancelled and is open as normal for now...

 

[Eoghann]

Voyage of the Little Mermaid refurb was cancelled and is open as normal for now...

Which might mean something since there have been rumors that the show would be going away. Or maybe it means nothing at all.

 

[DDLand]

Hong Kong DL is celebrating its 10th anniversary this upcoming September 12th, so they've recently premiered a new firework show with projection mapping on the castle. Definitely not as impressive as Disneyland Forever (or any other MK type of park nighttime spectacular going on right now, for that matter) but it's still a cute show.

Good catch, I haven't really seen this make the rounds at all. Maybe they'll start pushing it harder soon.

That settles it, Magic Kingdom is the only castle park without a projection show integrated into their signature nighttime spectacular. Their flagship park has the oldest Firework Show at over a decade. Funny.

Frankly I'm beginning to become uneasy about the transition. That castle show and others like them are definitely cool, but there's nothing quite like the classic Wishes or firework only shows. Projections can be fun, but at the same time are turning these shows into a greatest 10 second clip from every Disney movie medley. With the same subject matter over and over again. Disney ran into that problem with the recent World of Color and Disneyland Forever. You can tell they were scraping the bottom of the barrel with WoC Celebrate. Luckily with RoL and Illuminations remaining quite different WDW should be able to navigate it without staleness.

One question to Disneyland peeps... I've used every ounce of my will power to not watch Disneyland Forever on YouTube, is that awful post show(starting at 11:51) in it?

Ugly.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Which might mean something since there have been rumors that the show would be going away. Or maybe it means nothing at all.

One would hope it means an "early start" to the toy story expansion.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Good catch, I haven't really seen this make the rounds at all. Maybe they'll start pushing it harder soon.

That settles it, Magic Kingdom is the only castle park without a projection show integrated into their signature nighttime spectacular. Their flagship park has the oldest Firework Show at over a decade. Funny.

Frankly I'm beginning to become uneasy about the transition. That castle show and others like them are definitely cool, but there's nothing quite like the classic Wishes or firework only shows. Projections can be fun, but at the same time are turning these shows into a greatest 10 second clip from every Disney movie medley. With the same subject matter over and over again. Disney ran into that problem with the recent World of Color and Disneyland Forever. You can tell they were scraping the bottom of the barrel with WoC Celebrate. Luckily with RoL and Illuminations remaining quite different WDW should be able to navigate it without staleness.

One question to Disneyland peeps... I've used every ounce of my will power to not watch Disneyland Forever on YouTube, is that awful post show(starting at 11:51) in it?

Ugly.

The answer you are looking for is a simple cost cutting measure ...as expected.

Projection shows can be altered and simply don't cost as much.

This will be the new normal.

Fireworks are expensive...but something we all paid for in our tickets...
Well...the movement will be away from that.

To be fair...Disney always provided probably more fireworks pound for pound than we all paid for...I can remember three large displays going off with sorcery in the sky at the exact same time. The view from several point higher up...like the wyndham palace...was awesome.

It is what it is. Just as the current OLD magic kingdom show has been scaled back and the current older EPCOT show as well.

I've gotten the dust defense on this one too...
"It's the exact same length as it always was! "

Yeah...count the bursts...

 

[luisov]

One question to Disneyland peeps... I've used every ounce of my will power to not watch Disneyland Forever on YouTube, is that awful post show(starting at 11:51) in it?

Ugly.

Nope. The outro for Disneyland Forever is the Kiss Goodnight song written by Richard Sherman. No additional projections on the castle.

In defense of the projection mapping shows, I think it really enhanced the fireworks experience at Disneyland, especially since it spreads the crowds out all over the park. By projecting on the Matterhorn, Main Street, Castle, IaSW and RoA, they finally found a way to avoid the hub being uncomfortably crowded.

I also think Disney Dreams at DLP works quite well. If they'd manage to integrate projection mapping and fireworks to Main Street/Castle at MK in a way that doesn't feel like a Disney Channel commercial, I think they could make a great show relying on the nostalgia of your favorite Disney movies.

 

[rteetz]

Which might mean something since there have been rumors that the show would be going away. Or maybe it means nothing at all.

I think this means it will be closing

 

[jcnewton]

I think this means it will be closing

That's what I thought. Why put money into a refurb if you don't have to.

 

[rteetz]

That's what I thought. Why put money into a refurb if you don't have to.

However I just read something interesting. The plans apparently have the toy story entrance going up until the VoTLM building. One mans dream and sparrow get demolished as that will be the space for the entrance. Mermaid is speculated to not necessarily get demolished now but leave for something new entirely. No word on what that could be.

Also DHS is supposedly getting two parking garages similar to Disney Springs. Construction on those garages won't start until Disney Springs is completed. October 1st, 2015 is when the budget for DHS starts to go into effect so we should see construction start then for toy story.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

If they're building parking garages for studios...I would think that means new traffic flow and possibly an expansion of the "Lucas" area into the existing service/parking lot area.

Even of they don't keep the stunt show, mama melrose, muppetvision, etc...what sense would it make to build over top of it if they are planning on drastically increasing the attendance - which is a given.

MGM was never meant to handle 15,000,000 customers...never. It was a converted EPCOT building with a half cocked Eisner idea to build "Hollywood east". Not to handle fastpass+

 

[DDLand]

Projection shows can be altered

I can't speak to the other points because I can't remember the shows before Wishes or Illuminations very well if at all. I do think this speaks to exactly where they're going with it though. 100%

Disney has switched all their shows and parades to what can be best be described as modular. There's usually a beginning scene that sets up the random stories told, and an original ending too. Anything that happens in-between is fair game. Wishes is a tightly created story that centers around a certain musical score that goes all the way through. Everything surrounds a common theme. Take something out and replace it with something else the story would be slammed. Now think of WoC, or Disneyland Forever, or Paint the Night. Besides the lead in and end, think of any segment throughout and you immediately could replace it with something else. There's no Tangled or Frozen in Wishes. Do you think Disney likes that? Nope. In the future Disney will be able to produce one scene and just send it out to all the parks globally and have each tweak it for local use. Easier and faster marketing at its best!

 

[DDLand]

Nope. The outro for Disneyland Forever is the Kiss Goodnight song written by Richard Sherman. No additional projections on the castle.

In defense of the projection mapping shows, I think it really enhanced the fireworks experience at Disneyland, especially since it spreads the crowds out all over the park. By projecting on the Matterhorn, Main Street, Castle, IaSW and RoA, they finally found a way to avoid the hub being uncomfortably crowded.

I also think Disney Dreams at DLP works quite well. If they'd manage to integrate projection mapping and fireworks to Main Street/Castle at MK in a way that doesn't feel like a Disney Channel commercial, I think they could make a great show relying on the nostalgia of your favorite Disney movies.

Awesome, thanks for answering I believe that I remember hearing that! The castle honestly looked like a screen saver with the towers spinning around in the post show.

Disney Dreams (for the fountain jets) and DL Forever (for the sheer scale) are pretty awesome. Tokyo Disneyland also seems like it's got something stunning going on with the lasers. They're awesome effects wise, and I was swept away by WoC. They just need to walk a fine line that they crossed during celebrate. I don't have anything against the art medium, but I'd say it can be overused.