Are you kidding me! The DIS WISHES/HAPPILY EVER AFTER compare

[Jim Lawlor]

First, I want to congratulate whoever at the DIS planned and executed the side by side video, brilliant! So, I'm a former CM who pre-dated Wishes and absolutely loved it when it was introduced and for every night after. However, all good things must come to an end, and that's not a bad thing. The folks at Disney know how much Wishes was revered by the guests, and especially us AP holders. When viewing the DIS' incredible side by side comparison of the two shows I believe it is evident that Disney knew they needed to provide an enhanced show in order to, as Walt use to say, "PLUS IT". I really believe they have done so with the new nighttime show at the Magic Kingdom. Wishes will always hold a special place in my heart...but there is always room for more......what do you think?

spoiler below...














and TINK still flies

Jim

 

[Lothlórien]

Wishes was clearly Disney magic. The stuff Disney dreams are made of. Happily Ever After is technology driven. No magic, no pixie dust for me. The new show is nice, but no tears, no emotions running for me. I thought it would be moving.... not in the least. I wanted to love it. I wanted to get teary-eyed and be excited to see it again in a few days. Nope. I have no issue with change. I am more than happy for Disney to give us something new. Not this time. I was not "disappointed" at all, but I just do not "love" it. And no Mickey, Minnie, etc?? Too much about technology and not enough pointing at the core of that Disney magic.


Having said that, this show will be loved by many. I think kids will especially like it with the familiar faces and voices. Over time, when the shock of change wears off, it will be accepted and loved by many and of course by those who are new to Disney. It is still a great show...I personally do not feel that Disney "hit it out of the park".

 

[Planogirl]

I think that it looks like a great show but for me it wasn't sentimental like Wishes. I saw both online before seeing either in person and I felt an immediate connection to Wishes. I don't feel that with the new one yet and maybe I never will. That's OK though because some people liked Spectromagic and some liked the other parade and this is similar imo. Besides you can like something less but still enjoy it anyway.

Speaking of parades, I'd still rather have that!

 

[Oswin]

Wishes has existed since I was very little and I grew up watching it every year. It holds a very special place in my heart but I recognize that nothing will ever compare to Wishes for me because it is like my WDW security blanket lol. I watched the live video Disney Parks Blog did for the premiere of HEA and I think that it has a lot going for it! The projections are breathtaking and they include some classics that I was so surprised to see. The original song for HEA was actually really well done! I think HEA captures the spirit of Disney really well, without relying too strongly on anything but projections - meaning they can change/add/edit the show as needed.

But I can already see where they'll start taking fireworks away from the show - they don't necessarily go with what's going on to tell a story like Wishes did. They aren't vital to the show in the same way they were Wishes. You don't need to see a firework representation of Genie because he now appears projected on the castle. The imagination aspect is gone, replaced with a state of the art visual treat. I can't speak highly enough of the projections, they are so fantastic. But the Star Wars show at HS started cutting out fireworks and relying more on lasers and projections, and I can honestly see HEA doing the same thing. Also, you aren't going to find as many people spread out through MK watching HEA like they did Wishes. It's going to create some interesting congested hub situations because this is a show that primarily will require viewers to be front and center.

I'm not in any rush to get to MK to see HEA in person after seeing the video, but I know that when I do get there next and see it that I will be spellbound by the projections and will enjoy the show. I'll like it less than Wishes but still will enjoy it anyway! I know that no matter how much I love something, that Walt would want to keep moving forward. Even if something ends up not being as widely loved, it's not good from a creative perspective to stick with one show for so long. Sentimental or not (which Wishes was to me) the parks have to move forward to captivate a new generation of kids. I turn 20 in a couple of months. MK isn't about me anymore, it's about the six year olds who are excited to see Elsa and Moana projected on the castle as the sky lights up.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

We saw Happily Ever After of the first time last night. IMHO... you can not compare the two. They are completely different. Yes, Wishes will hold a very place in our hearts, always. It was a very emotional show from start to finished. The new show IS spectacular! But, you FO need a nice view of the castle to truly experience it.

Enjoy!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Wishes was clearly Disney magic. The stuff Disney dreams are made of. Happily Ever After is technology driven. No magic, no pixie dust for me. The new show is nice, but no tears, no emotions running for me. I thought it would be moving.... not in the least. I wanted to love it. I wanted to get teary-eyed and be excited to see it again in a few days. Nope. I have no issue with change. I am more than happy for Disney to give us something new. Not this time. I was not "disappointed" at all, but I just do not "love" it. And no Mickey, Minnie, etc?? Too much about technology and not enough pointing at the core of that Disney magic.


Having said that, this show will be loved by many. I think kids will especially like it with the familiar faces and voices. Over time, when the shock of change wears off, it will be accepted and loved by many and of course by those who are new to Disney. It is still a great show...I personally do not feel that Disney "hit it out of the park".

I have a strong emotional attachment to Wishes so I totall get this sentiment - though I don't get the pint about "Mickey, Minnie, etc" as I don't believe they are in Wishes either at all.

I do really like the message of the new show about going out and pursuing your dreams and isn't just about waiting "for your prince to come" - so will be interesting to see how I react seeing this new show in person with my family. I know I "liked" Moana - but didn't really get emotional about it until I thought about that being my daughter and the lessons she can take from it and I suspect it will be similar with HAE

 

[wdw&sonny]

Happily Ever After = Wishes + Celebrate the Magic.
They just combined the 2 shows.
If it aint broke, don't fix it.
I wish they had put the cost and resources into replacing the WORST attractions rather than the best.
Get rid of Stitch, fix People Mover, replace the Indi Speedway....
Just saying, lots of other things I wish they had done.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Happily Ever After = Wishes + Celebrate the Magic.
They just combined the 2 shows.
If it aint broke, don't fix it.
I wish they had put the cost and resources into replacing the WORST attractions rather than the best.
Get rid of Stitch, fix People Mover, replace the Indi Speedway....
Just saying, lots of other things I wish they had done.

That is definitely a fair argument. I do see rumors of a lot of things getting changes, updated, tweaked, etc before the 50th (including Stich and Speedway) so perhaps we will get both ... but if it was one or the other I agree Wishes didn "need" to be updated

 

[seshat0120]

Wishes was nice but it never really moved me but watching the live stream of Happily Ever After was the complete opposite for me. I love that it gives an empowering message that we hold the key to our happily ever after and it's not all about making a wish then just sitting and waiting for it to happen.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Yes, it was definitely time to incorporate newer technology and change the show. Now they need to seriously consider updating Fantasmic.

 

[davale4]

Wishes was clearly Disney magic. The stuff Disney dreams are made of. Happily Ever After is technology driven. No magic, no pixie dust for me. The new show is nice, but no tears, no emotions running for me. I thought it would be moving.... not in the least. I wanted to love it. I wanted to get teary-eyed and be excited to see it again in a few days. Nope. I have no issue with change. I am more than happy for Disney to give us something new. Not this time. I was not "disappointed" at all, but I just do not "love" it. And no Mickey, Minnie, etc?? Too much about technology and not enough pointing at the core of that Disney magic.


Having said that, this show will be loved by many. I think kids will especially like it with the familiar faces and voices. Over time, when the shock of change wears off, it will be accepted and loved by many and of course by those who are new to Disney. It is still a great show...I personally do not feel that Disney "hit it out of the park".

I could not have said it better myself! This is exactly how I feel....

 

[JDUCKY]

** spoiler alert ** guess I should post that notice....










I was so glad to see the "rapid fire" fireworks that shoot off right behind the castle being used a lot. I've always liked those.

In Wishes, the story was about make a wish and your dreams will come true.

In Happily Ever After, it's about going after your dreams, yourself. You make your own dream come true.

Also, I was so glad to see the "rapid fire" fireworks that shoot off right behind the castle being used a lot. I've always liked those. And there were still a lot of fireworks used. Early reports I'd read were that it was more projection-focused and fewer fireworks. Certainly not the case, imo!

It was quite well-done and I'm sure we'll come to love it dearly over time.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I only watched it on YouTube (on a giant TV a few times which counts for something right? )

Anyway, I think my biggest thing with it is that I can't concentrate on the projection show and the fireworks at the same time. It's too much together from a visual perspective. I enjoyed the projection show separate, where you could focus on the castle and then focus on the fireworks after. But I have this issue with a lot of things lately, including movies. I find the CGI in a lot of movies is too overdone, like the BATB remake. I never go to 3D movies because I find that the 3D effects are often gratuitous and too much. I'm over screen-based rides as well.

On the other hand, my 10 yo DD loved the new show, so there you go

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

If everything stays the same, people complain that there's no innovation. If things change, people complain that they're not the same as they used to be.

I loved Wishes, several parts of it always moved me to tears. I drive home past the Contemporary and through the Westclock area when I work late and the fireworks explode almost right over my head. It's been my favorite part of working closing shifts.

But, I love the new show and can't wait to see it in person (once I get off 6-day weeks of 12-hour days and get a chance to have a life again). I've had the song on repeat since it became available for sale on iTunes.

 

[Rusty2rules]

I watched the live streaming video of Happily Ever After and thought it was amazing! I can't wait to see it up close and in person!

 

[maryj11]

I loved Wishes. It is to bad they cannot do some nights Wishes and some nights HEA.

 

[jcvalenti]

I predate Wishes, and for that reason, I guess I was never sentimentally attached to it the way I am - say - to Illuminations. It was never worth it to me to fight those crowds, so most times I saw it, it was from afar. The new show, however, looks spectacular. It is most definitely an experience you need to be in the middle of. I can guarantee any kid who goes to see Happily Ever After will find it every bit as "sentimental" when they reflect on it, as it will most definitely be one of the greatest experiences of their life.

 

[Lothlórien]

though I don't get the pint about "Mickey, Minnie, etc" as I don't believe they are in Wishes either at all.

The entire visual projection was focused on "Disney cartoon characters" - so why none of the original characters?

 

[ShellieMimi]

The entire visual projection was focused on "Disney cartoon characters" - so why none of the original characters?

Because they're focused on a) what's relevant to children & families today, b) characters with memorable/moving songs and/or c) characters that personify the concept of "finding your own Happily Ever After" rather than forcing a fit with the "original" characters that are great but don't belong in HEA any more than they belonged in Wishes?

 

[windcriesamy]

I'll preface this by saying I love fireworks shows everywhere. I cry every 4th of July because I love them so much. Wishes is very special to me and I've only seen HEA on YouTube.

I really, really love Happily Ever After.

I agree with people who are saying it's hard to take in the projections and the fireworks all at once, but the flip side of that is that I'll probably get something different out of the show every time I see it.

I'm curious to watch the show from outside the park. I've seen several blogs and guests suggest you won't get as much out of the show if you can't see the castle projections, but I suspect I would enjoy the show just as much from the California Grill or beach at the Poly.

Also, I'm not generally a big Tinkerbell fan, but I positively LOSE IT when she flies in HEA. I liked seeing her in Wishes, but something about the swell of the music and the cheer of the crowds when she flies in HEA just turns me into a blubbering mess.