Mambo Junkie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2011
Wishes always made me tear up, especially the song at the end.
I watched from BTMRR in June 2017 and it was so awesome!Although we have watched from the area in front of Caseys and enjoyed it, we rode Dumbo one night during HEA with kids (over and over) and they thought it was great! I do enjoy watching in front of the castle so I would do Dumbo or watch from somewhere else if we have 2 or more evenings to watch HEA!
My husband and I just got back from our 18 day wedding/honeymoon extravaganza, and we had the most amazing time. The last time we were there was March 2017 so there were lots of new things to experience this time around! I wanted to ask everyone else's opinion on the Happily Ever After show. We saw it three times this trip (one time from in front of Beast's Castle, twice from in front of Cinderella Castle) and to be quite honest....it is definitely not my favorite.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good show. The fireworks they are using are stunning, and the projection technology is very impressive. Good soundtrack, included a lot of my favorite movies, I definitely didn't NOT like the show.
But I was disappointed. When the show was over after our first viewing, I looked at my husband with a confused look on my face and said "Did I miss something? I feel like I missed something." There's just.....no point, I guess? There's no story being told, or overarching theme (that I was able to discern). It seemed like a sort of random mash-up of Disney movies, with no cohesive theme or even reasonable transitions between them. It felt like a Disney IP showcase, and don't get me wrong, I LOVE Disney movies and have no problem experiencing them. But when I think of Wishes, and I remember my first time seeing Wishes last March, I IMMEDIATELY understood it. It was telling me something, and it instantly resonated. I didn't need to ask, I got the overall point and message of the show. I suppose I expected the same from the new show, and I didn't personally get that.
Also, as impressive as the projections on the castle are, it was kind of difficult to watch both the fireworks and the projections at the same time. I constantly felt like I couldn't see everything because I couldn't look at that many things at once. I actually felt like my favorite viewing of it was from Beast's castle, because I was able to just watch the fireworks going off with the music and not have the distraction of the projections. Maybe I'm trying to say I think this show relies too heavily on the projection technology? I don't know, still processing everything. I will say that we finally got to catch Once Upon A Time this trip and I loved that. Loved watching everything happen on the Castle, and not feeling the need to look at anything else.
I'm not trying to put down anyone who loves the show, this is all just my newly formed opinions on it. And I did really like it! Maybe I just need to stop comparing it to Wishes, but that is so hard to do seeing as this is supposed to be the replacement for Wishes! Does anyone else feel this way about the show, or is it only me? And if you do love the show, tell me why! I'd love to hear the reasons this show touches people the way Wishes touched me.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
I miss Wishes!My husband and I just got back from our 18 day wedding/honeymoon extravaganza, and we had the most amazing time. The last time we were there was March 2017 so there were lots of new things to experience this time around! I wanted to ask everyone else's opinion on the Happily Ever After show. We saw it three times this trip (one time from in front of Beast's Castle, twice from in front of Cinderella Castle) and to be quite honest....it is definitely not my favorite.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good show. The fireworks they are using are stunning, and the projection technology is very impressive. Good soundtrack, included a lot of my favorite movies, I definitely didn't NOT like the show.
But I was disappointed. When the show was over after our first viewing, I looked at my husband with a confused look on my face and said "Did I miss something? I feel like I missed something." There's just.....no point, I guess? There's no story being told, or overarching theme (that I was able to discern). It seemed like a sort of random mash-up of Disney movies, with no cohesive theme or even reasonable transitions between them. It felt like a Disney IP showcase, and don't get me wrong, I LOVE Disney movies and have no problem experiencing them. But when I think of Wishes, and I remember my first time seeing Wishes last March, I IMMEDIATELY understood it. It was telling me something, and it instantly resonated. I didn't need to ask, I got the overall point and message of the show. I suppose I expected the same from the new show, and I didn't personally get that.
Also, as impressive as the projections on the castle are, it was kind of difficult to watch both the fireworks and the projections at the same time. I constantly felt like I couldn't see everything because I couldn't look at that many things at once. I actually felt like my favorite viewing of it was from Beast's castle, because I was able to just watch the fireworks going off with the music and not have the distraction of the projections. Maybe I'm trying to say I think this show relies too heavily on the projection technology? I don't know, still processing everything. I will say that we finally got to catch Once Upon A Time this trip and I loved that. Loved watching everything happen on the Castle, and not feeling the need to look at anything else.
I'm not trying to put down anyone who loves the show, this is all just my newly formed opinions on it. And I did really like it! Maybe I just need to stop comparing it to Wishes, but that is so hard to do seeing as this is supposed to be the replacement for Wishes! Does anyone else feel this way about the show, or is it only me? And if you do love the show, tell me why! I'd love to hear the reasons this show touches people the way Wishes touched me.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
Do you have to be staying at the Poly to watch the MK fireworks from the beach there? Or can any on site resort guests watch from there? Not sure how that works, so any input and tips on this would be greatly appreciated! TIAI think that if you are in front of the castle, where you can see all the projections it might be overwhelming,, I try not to focus on a specific thing, I let myself be taken away with the music and go where my eyes want me to go, fireworks or projections, I don't try to see it all at the same time, that's not possible. I have watched this show from a lot of different places, the Poly beach, Main Street by the train, the Hub, right in front of Crystal Palace, and each time I discover something different and each time I enjoy it even though I'm not getting the full blast of the show
Do you have to be staying at the Poly to watch the MK fireworks from the beach there? Or can any on site resort guests watch from there? Not sure how that works, so any input and tips on this would be greatly appreciated! TIA
Awesome! Thank you!No, you don’t need to be a Poly guest to watch from the Poly beach. You can see restrictions on days like 7/4 and NYE, but the other 363 days of the year, no restrictions.
From this past October.
View attachment 309635
Just you add to what @GADisneyDad14 if you are watching from the Poly beach be close tot he Club Lounge building (next to the pool and fire pit) and they actually pump the music from there loud and clearDo you have to be staying at the Poly to watch the MK fireworks from the beach there? Or can any on site resort guests watch from there? Not sure how that works, so any input and tips on this would be greatly appreciated! TIA
Perfect! Thanks for the tip!Just you add to what @GADisneyDad14 if you are watching from the Poly beach be close tot he Club Lounge building (next to the pool and fire pit) and they actually pump the music from there loud and clear
I loved Wishes but absolutely ADORE HEA. It always baffles me that people don't see the story and think it's just a collection of music clips. Allow me to share my nerdiness with this show
After the opening song we start with Tiana making a wish on a star, we move through several characters wishing, hoping, dreaming of bigger, better, different things (Tiana, Little Mermaid, Ratatouille, Hunchback)
So after Wishing it's time to get out there and go grab your dream: (Brave, A Bugs Life, Cars, Up, Finding Nemo and Moana)
You need friends to help you along the way: (Aladdin, Tarzan, Lion King,Toy Story, Wreck it Ralph,Big Hero 6, Zootopia,Inside Out, Monsters University, Jungle Book)
You need love ones, not only romantic love but family (Frozen, Wall-E, Lion King,Tarzan, Dumbo,Up Tangled, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Princess and the Frog,Little Mermaid)
And of course you will find some adversity along the way (Mulan,Lion King, Pirates)
But you persevere and peace is restored (I choke up at this moment) Hercules Go the Distance with Mufasa's voice in the background, a buttload of heroic songs from a buttload of movies, images come up on the castle)
And HEA reprise with voice over person telling us it's our turn to not only Wish but get out there and reach our happily Ever After, always remember we have the courage to fly (Tink)
So yeah, to me it's leaps and bounds better than Wishes
Although we have watched from the area in front of Caseys and enjoyed it, we rode Dumbo one night during HEA with kids (over and over) and they thought it was great! I do enjoy watching in front of the castle so I would do Dumbo or watch from somewhere else if we have 2 or more evenings to watch HEA!
I find there's too much projection, and the fireworks aren't as potent as Wishes was. While I don't need a storyline, I find it's a big mishmash of things.
Pretty, impressive, worth seeing, but I guess I'm not a huge fan of projection technology. I don't love Star Wars at HS either, so I might just be grumpy.
Also, you kids get off my lawn!!
Totally agree! Too much projection, not enough fireworks. I miss Wishes!My husband and I just got back from our 18 day wedding/honeymoon extravaganza, and we had the most amazing time. The last time we were there was March 2017 so there were lots of new things to experience this time around! I wanted to ask everyone else's opinion on the Happily Ever After show. We saw it three times this trip (one time from in front of Beast's Castle, twice from in front of Cinderella Castle) and to be quite honest....it is definitely not my favorite.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good show. The fireworks they are using are stunning, and the projection technology is very impressive. Good soundtrack, included a lot of my favorite movies, I definitely didn't NOT like the show.
But I was disappointed. When the show was over after our first viewing, I looked at my husband with a confused look on my face and said "Did I miss something? I feel like I missed something." There's just.....no point, I guess? There's no story being told, or overarching theme (that I was able to discern). It seemed like a sort of random mash-up of Disney movies, with no cohesive theme or even reasonable transitions between them. It felt like a Disney IP showcase, and don't get me wrong, I LOVE Disney movies and have no problem experiencing them. But when I think of Wishes, and I remember my first time seeing Wishes last March, I IMMEDIATELY understood it. It was telling me something, and it instantly resonated. I didn't need to ask, I got the overall point and message of the show. I suppose I expected the same from the new show, and I didn't personally get that.
Also, as impressive as the projections on the castle are, it was kind of difficult to watch both the fireworks and the projections at the same time. I constantly felt like I couldn't see everything because I couldn't look at that many things at once. I actually felt like my favorite viewing of it was from Beast's castle, because I was able to just watch the fireworks going off with the music and not have the distraction of the projections. Maybe I'm trying to say I think this show relies too heavily on the projection technology? I don't know, still processing everything. I will say that we finally got to catch Once Upon A Time this trip and I loved that. Loved watching everything happen on the Castle, and not feeling the need to look at anything else.
I'm not trying to put down anyone who loves the show, this is all just my newly formed opinions on it. And I did really like it! Maybe I just need to stop comparing it to Wishes, but that is so hard to do seeing as this is supposed to be the replacement for Wishes! Does anyone else feel this way about the show, or is it only me? And if you do love the show, tell me why! I'd love to hear the reasons this show touches people the way Wishes touched me.
Thanks in advance for any responses!