Why American Idol is a VERY bad idea...

[fireflymedic]

She can't use it, because American Idol the TV show will not accept contestants over the age of 28. The beef would be with them, not Disney. Although I still think Disney ought to throw in some merchandise.

Thats like saying dont be mad at the cop for giving you a ticket, its the state that made the law (or local,fed. whom ever)

Disney should not let someone enter that cannot "go all the way" IMHO

now if you won a majical golden fast pass I would be interested

 

[ashleyrm]

Well, I texted a joke last night while at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor that didn't get chosen to be in the show. Man, did I feel rejected, but a few laughs and some fireworks later, I had forgotten all about it...until now.

 

[Coach81]

I also think this attraction is a bad idea but more because I think it's a waste. I can hear karoake(sp?) at home and the only interest I have in AI is seeing the horrible audition shows at the beginning of the season...

So many other cool attactions they could have done...

Totally agree! I think the attraction is gone in no time!!!

 

[simonkodousek]

For the average tourist, the AI Experience doesn't make any sense because it takes 1/2 of a day or more that could be spent touring the parks rather than participating in an attraction that doesn't guarantee fame and stardom.

 

[LiteBrite]

OP, I totally get and appreciate the point you made.

You went into it with the absolute best possible attitude - you knew you weren't going to win, you were just there to experience the process, you played along and had no misconceptions about what was going to happen, and yet you still surprised yourself by feeling a little bad about the outcome.

It makes perfect sense to me that if you, under these conditions, felt a little bad afterwards, then someone else who didn't have the great attitude and understanding that you did about it, might feel really bad afterwards, and just like you said, who wants to feel that bad at Disney World?

I'm going to see it for myself and make up my own mind about it when I'm there in May, but in the meantime, I really don't think this attraction was a great idea, and your viewpoint makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[demonskrye]

Just from reading this thread and some of the others on the subject, I can see that opinions on this attraction are very divided. Some people don't like American Idol or think that the attraction is a bad idea, which is fine and understandable. Some people don't like Stitch, some people aren't wild about princesses, and so on and so forth. The fact that I personally don't like "American Idol" at all doesn't mean I think Disney has made a huge mistake by creating an attraction based on the show. Obviously, there are a lot of people who do enjoy the show and may well love the attraction. Do I think it will be around for years to come? Probably not. The show will eventually become less popular and Disney will look for something more "now" to replace the attraction. Do I think Disney could have spent the money on something I would have found more interesting or something with a longer shelf life? Sure. But again, that doesn't mean it was necessarily a bad idea.

My main concerns about the show (again, as someone with no plans to see it) are that there are a lot of opportunities for hurt guest feelings and a lot of the entertainment value of the show is left up to chance. A few people here who have seen the show already have said that how good they felt the show was depended on how good the competitors were, something which even Disney has only limited control over. I'm sure the cast members will do their best to keep guest experiences positive and minimize bruised egos as much as possible. I hope they will also try their best to be upfront and honest about people's chances of actually getting to perform or winning the prize. But even with all the care and caveats in the world, it's going to be tough to avoid any hurt feelings. A fourteen year old who believes she's a good singer and insists on trying out despite her parents' warnings that she may not get picked and that could be upsetting could still be crushed if she's told her voice isn't good enough for the competition or if one of the judges quips that her singing sounds like Pooh accidentally sat on Eeyore. A couple such incidents are probably unavoidable, but too many dreams dashed and Disney newest attraction could become Disney's meanest attraction.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first Disney attraction where someone gets picked while others get left out. I saw the Sword in the Stone ceremony once before it ended. I pretty much knew from the start that I was going to see a cute kid be able to pull the sword from the stone, so I wasn't surprised or disappointed about not being picked. I'm also a fairly small woman, so I was also not surprised about not getting to take first crack at the sword to demonstrate that strength alone can't get it out. I don't recall seeing any horribly disappointed kids who didn't get to try their luck, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I'd be curious to know if anyone has ever had a bad experience with this or a similar attraction. Is "American Idol" really a bad move that's going leave way too many people feeling rejected? Or has Disney always had attractions where not everyone wins and those not picked just have to deal?

My personal hope is that "American Idol" will be popular enough to lure guests away from attractions like TSM and other things I want to see, leaving shorter lines for DH and I.

 

[WDSearcher]

I went back and re-read the rules to see where I got the info., to win the "dream ticket receipients" (IE the final winner) "must satifsy AMERICAN IDOL TV program reuirements...only ages 16-28 & US citizens..."

you can try out at 14 and older I guess you just anit gona win the final compatetion.

You could possibly win the final competition at age 14; you simply cannot use your Idol "Dream Ticket" until you're old enough by TV Idol's rule book. (Or you can give the ticket away to a friend or family member if you like.)

 

[Robo]

...Or you can give the ticket away to a friend or family member if you like.

GIVE it to someone???

A person talented enough to win a local (WDW) contest gets the prize...
then can simply hand it to ANYBODY (a doofus who might not know one note from another) who can use it to get a prime audition at the real (such as it is) AI show. What purpose would that serve, anyway?

The owners and producers of the AI show have very little class.
Their nameplate is like obscene graffiti slathered inside a respectable Disney park.

 

[WDSearcher]

My main concerns about the show (again, as someone with no plans to see it) are that there are a lot of opportunities for hurt guest feelings and a lot of the entertainment value of the show is left up to chance.

There are also a lot of opportunities for hurt guest feelings by kids not chosen for Jedi Training, or Capt Jack's Tutorial. There are opportunities for hurt guest feelings if you get to the character line too late and they tell you that you cannot now get in the line because the Character has to leave soon. You might get your feelings hurt by not being chosen to talk to Crush or to have your joke told at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. You might feel badly if you don't get chosen to dance during Block Party Bash or for a show stop in the Celebrate You! parade. There are opportunities for hurt guest feelings by families not chosen for "Opening Family" or grand marshall or by people wearing Birthday Buttons who spend the entire day without anyone giving them anything special. Last year, there were hurt guest feelings because people didn't win a prize for YOMD.

Should Disney do away with all of these things too, just to be sure that there are no hurt guest feelings?

If you audition for American Idol Experience, you go in hoping you'll do well, sure, but you must have some inkling that you also may NOT get in. That thought has to be in the back of your head. If you go in with that realization -- that maybe you'll make it, maybe you won't -- and you walk around all day feeling hurt and mad at Disney because you didn't get in ... well ... that's YOUR fault. Just as it is your fault if you feel bitter all day because your son wasn't chosen for Jedi or your daughter didn't get a free birthday cupcake. People need to be grownups and realize that they may not get every single thing they want. And if they're going to feel badly if they don't make it, then don't try. Simple as that.

There are plenty of people who audition for things all the time and don't walk around the rest of the day feeling badly because they didn't win. And this is a THEME PARK SHOW, not something you're doing for a career. Keep it in perspective, for goodness sake! How would you feel if one of your kids spent an entire day being upset and sad and cranky because they didn't get chosen to spar with Capt Jack? At some point, you'd turn to your child and tell them to "get over it." So ... follow that same advice. KWIM?

 

[WDSearcher]

GIVE it to someone???

A person talented enough to win a local (WDW) contest gets the prize...
then can simply hand it to ANYBODY (a doofus who might not know one note from another) who can use it to get a prime audition at the real (such as it is) AI show. What purpose would that serve, anyway?

The owners and producers of the AI show have very little class.
Their nameplate is like obscene graffiti slathered inside a respectable Disney park.

Alas ... there is not an eyeroll icon large enough for this.

Yes ... they can simply hand it to any doofus they want. It's their prize -- they can do with it what they wish. Just like how a winner on Deal or No Deal can give his / her money to anyone they want. They don't have to spend it themselves. Imagine! A winner of a free car on Oprah can give it to a friend or family member. Just like that!

Sometimes, there are people who think trying out for something like AI while they're on vacation would be fun, but they have no designs on participating in the "real" American Idol themselves. They auditioned on a dare, or because there was nothing else to do while their little brother was watching Playhouse Disney. And, what do you know ... they won the day. But the "real" AI? No thanks. BUT ... their best friend has been dying to audition for AI for years now, but has never really had the chance. So the person with the Dream Ticket gives it to their best friend to help make THEIR dream come true. Yup ... I can see how something like this could give the entire American Idol Experience organization a reputation for having no class. I can see how someone helping make their friend's or their sibling's or someone else's dream one step closer to reality by giving away a prize they won would be worthy of obscene graffiti and distain.

Sheesh.

 

[Robo]

Alas ... there is not an eyeroll icon large enough for this.

Yes ... they can simply hand it to any doofus they want. It's their prize -- they can do with it what they wish. Just like how a winner on Deal or No Deal can give his / her money to anyone they want. They don't have to spend it themselves. Imagine! A winner of a free car on Oprah can give it to a friend or family member. Just like that!

No, it's not "just like that."

The prizes you described are "real goods" that would have value to someone else.

The certificate is given so that the winner can "prove" that they have passed the audition and audience approval at WDW.
It is a STEP on the way TOWARDS a GOAL.

The certificate HANDED to a third party means NOTHING.
In fact, it NEGATES the value to the other winners who DO want to/get to go on to the next AI step (such as it is.)

"Here judges, I got this pass from my niece. She won a contest at WDW.
She couldn't use it so she gave it to her grandma who gave it to me.
I will now sing, Columbia the Gem of the Ocean."

 

[WDSearcher]

No, it's not "just like that."

The prizes you described are "real goods" that would have value to someone else.

The certificate is given so that the winner can "prove" that they have passed the audition and audience approval at WDW.
It is a STEP on the way TOWARDS a GOAL.

The certificate HANDED to a third party means NOTHING.
In fact, it NEGATES the value to the other winners who DO want to/get to go on to the next AI step (such as it is.)

"Here judges, I got this pass from my niece. She won a contest at WDW.
She couldn't use it so she gave it to her grandma who gave it to me.
I will now sing, Columbia the Gem of the Ocean."

Yup ... and then the judges could tell her "thank you very much ... NEXT!" and she could end up part of the "People who audition and sing really badly" show.

Do you really think that the "real" AI judges are going to look at any theme park winner and think, "Boy ... I'll bet this next singer is going to be the best of the best! I can't wait! Just think ... the person who won one of 365 'Dream Tickets' on their vacation at WDW -- voted on by theme park guests (those purveyors of true musical talent) -- is about to step into our audition room! Everyone else may as well go home now, because we have our winner!!" Of course not. If anything, the person holding the Dream Ticket will be met with more scrutiny BECAUSE they got their pass at a theme park. But that will make the person from WDW with a Dream Ticket who DOES make it onto the show that much more amazing.

The certificate handed to a third party means no more than the certificate if held by the person who won. Just because someone won at WDW doesn't mean they can hold their own at any other audition or on any other stage. It means they were the most popular person at that one show that one night.

And anyway ... it's not a free pass onto the show; it's a front-of-line pass for the auditions. Doesn't guarantee anything. Doesn't negate anything. I think maybe you're thinking this Dream Ticket is going to carry a lot more weight than it does.

 

[gw0628]

How is this show going to work?

 

[demonskrye]

GIVE it to someone???

A person talented enough to win a local (WDW) contest gets the prize...
then can simply hand it to ANYBODY (a doofus who might not know one note from another) who can use it to get a prime audition at the real (such as it is) AI show. What purpose would that serve, anyway?

This is my understanding. Feel free to correct me.

The "American Idol" TV show has certain age restrictions. Rather than limiting participation in the American Idol attraction to people aged 16 to 28 (which would have made for a huge logistical nightmare with trying to determine who is eligible and who is not), Disney opted to allow anyone 14 and older to try out. But since the prize is a ticket for the front of the line at a real "American Idol" audition and Disney has no real way of confirming that the person who won the ticket is going to be the person who shows up to audition, they allow winners to give their tickets to other people.

If I have this right, all the prize tickets does is allow the bearer to get to the front of the line at an American Idol audition that is open to the general public. That's all. They don't get to go and audition directly for the producers and they certainly aren't guaranteed a spot on the show. All that ticket does is make it so that person doesn't have to wait quite as long to audition. Will it result in some truly awful singers getting to audition? Quite possibly. But trust me, the judges at these auditions are going to see tons of people like that anyways, people who either have delusions of talent or people who just really want to be on TV, even if its just one or two episodes in which they sing really badly. Is there a chance that a truly talented singer won't get to audition because someone with a ticket got to be at the front of the line? Yes. But again, that may well happen anyway. I imagine the lines for "Idol" auditions make line for major attractions at WDW during peak season look short. The judges probably have to cut the line off somewhere, even if it means sending a potential superstar home.

WDSearcher> I agree; people do need to go in to a lot of Disney attractions and events with the knowledge that they may not - or likely won't - be picked. Part of the problem is that some people think they are doing this and that they won't be hurt if they aren't picked, only to realize afterward that, often to their own surprise, they do feel somewhat hurt. Still, I agree that neither "Idol" nor any other part of WDW should be removed just because not everyone can get what they want. I guess the one thing that set "Idol" apart is that most other shows at Disney involve random selection (though I haven't seen some of the newer ones, so I don't know for sure) or first come, first served, as with the characters. "Idol" is the only one I know of where your ability in a particular field is actually being judged, so you can come away feeling like you were rejected because you weren't good enough at something, rather than just luck of the draw. Regardless, I think the excitement will outweigh the drawbacks for most people who choose to try out and if not, it will be interesting to see how Disney handles it.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I enjoy watching American Idol, but it is just a fad. In a few years, just like with all fads, it will fade away. That is why I think the AI experience at DHS is a bad idea. Disney should have spent the millions that they have put into this AI experience on an attraction that has staying power. They really needed another healiner like ToT or RnR on that side of the park.

 

[Robo]

I think maybe you're thinking this Dream Ticket is going to carry a lot more weight than it does.

I'm thinking exactly the opposite.

That the GRAND PRIZE awarded to the daily winner of this thing... is virtually worthless.

If it had any WORTH as far as giving the winner a stepping stone to the auditions... it would not be "transferable."

"Congratulations on your Academy Award.
Feel free to scratch off your name and substitute anyone else you prefer."

 

[WDSearcher]

I'm thinking exactly the opposite.

That the GRAND PRIZE awarded to the daily winner of this thing... is virtually worthless.

If it had any WORTH as far as giving the winner a stepping stone to the auditions... it would not be "transferable."

"Congratulations on your Academy Award.
Feel free to scratch off your name and substitute anyone else you prefer."

Again ... I think you're taking the whole "Grand Prize" thing way too seriously. This isn't the Oscars; it's a theme park show that offers a prize. The only thing you've "achieved" is that more people in a theme park audience of 1000 -- made up of people with who knows what level of musicality -- liked you best. If I were to audition and win, I KNOW that I'm not good enough to get on American Idol, regardless of what a thousand people thought of my performance last Thursday. My cousin, the singer, however, is. So if I give it to her, I'm actually making the prize worth more than it would be if I used it myself.

You're comparing the Idol Dream Ticket to an Academy Award. I think that's kind of proof positive that you're taking it too seriously.

 

[Ashton7]

I went back and re-read the rules to see where I got the info., to win the "dream ticket receipients" (IE the final winner) "must satifsy AMERICAN IDOL TV program reuirements...only ages 16-28 & US citizens..."

you can try out at 14 and older I guess you just anit gona win the final compatetion.

When my SO and I went on the backstage tour (before the attraction opened at all), I actually asked this question about age requirements for American Idol (I'm a longtime fan of the show). What they said was that anyone age 14 and up could try out and qualify for the Disney Experience. They could perform and even win. However, if they didn't meet the requirements for AI proper, they could take their golden ticket (assuming they win the finale show) and make assign it to someone else who did qualify.

 

[Robo]

You're comparing the Idol Dream Ticket to an Academy Award. I think that's kind of proof positive that you're taking it too seriously.

Just like how a winner on Deal or No Deal can give his / her money to anyone they want. They don't have to spend it themselves. Imagine! A winner of a free car on Oprah can give it to a friend or family member. Just like that!

Comparisons can be tricky.

 

[Ashton7]

Oh, and btw, I was just at DHS yesterday seeing one of the preview shows. There were lots of AI people all over the park, drumming up people to try out and they asked both my SO (54 and disabled) and me (50 and disabled). We just laughed and said "Not in this lifetime!" But we enjoyed watching the show. One of the ladies who sang when we saw it was in her thirties, I think, and she was from Mexico (so she wouldn't have qualified for the American Idol show). The gentleman who actually won the segment we saw was a member of the Florida House of Representatives. My SO asked him after the show if he was going to come back and try out again when the previews were over so he could try for a "real" golden ticket and his family said he was too old to go on AI anyway.