So it's been almost 1 year now with Happily Ever After. Better than Wishes?

[tommygunn]

This one is tough for me. From the Cali Grill there is no question to me that Wishes is better. But from main street the whole HAE show is really spectacular with all the projection technology and I can appreciate the need to be more current. I have to vote indifferent I guess. HAE is great, but did they really need to replace the already great Wishes? I would have voted to spend upgrade $$ elsewhere but I suppose I don't get a vote

 

[BrianL]

HEA for me. It's one of my favorite Nighttime Spectaculars ever.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I don't think it's "better" but it is different and just as enjoyable IMO.

 

[Moliphino]

I think Wishes at it's end was better (when it first started it was not as good, but they improved it over the years), but HEA can be improved to be better than Wishes.

HEA has transition issues (why is Mufasa telling Hercules to remember who he is?), song choice issues ("That's What Friends Are For" is not actually a song about friendship and "Love is an Open Door" is not a love song), and I find myself too distracted by the projections to pay attention to the fireworks. I'm also not a fan of the non-movie versions of songs at all. It's like it was put together by someone who had never actually seen any of the movies.

 

[Skywise]

Wishes, hands down.
HEA is longer and most of the individual pieces are fun. But, as a whole, it falls flat for me. I think it's the structure of the show which starts slow, eventually picks up and reaches a great climax but that's NOT the actual climax which then backs off into a slow tune where you're supposed to be self-reflective and then jump cuts into a finale. Agreed with a previous poster that some of the tune choices are weird too. I understand the need to get some of the newer material in but they didn't seem to pick the better songs from the newer movies.

 

[Texans_loyal]

HEA is good but it's not wishes.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I love HEA but hate that you have to really view it in the hub to get the full effect - Wishes was impressive at any viewpoint IMO. For that reason, we rarely watch it - the crowd thing can be a huge drain on the whole experience.

It also doesn't have the emotional pull that Wishes had for me but may over time.

 

[Moms]

Just saw HEA ... twice. Once from the ground and once from California Grill. The projections are cool and certainly more “modern” but they distracted from the fireworks ... from California Grill we really couldn’t see the projections and could hear the sound much better ... but the fireworks were lacking... nowhere as exciting as Wishes.

 

[PanamaMike]

Where is the option for "they never should have replaced Fantasy In The Sky with Wishes"?

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I'm a Wishes fan. I attended the very last showing last May and have never cried so much at Disney as I did that night, silly I know. Wishes is the show that my son has grown up watching and it just had something that pulled on my heart every single time I saw it.
Watched HEA or I should say tried to watch it a couple of days later. I was excited and open minded about it and wanted to love it-and I was just disappointed. For one thing I didn't get to actually see much of what was being projected, I'm a shorty and we chose a not good spot -middle of Main St. So between kids on shoulders and phones stuck up in the air I was having to weave back and forth to see. I expected the crowds since it was new, so my fault for not trying to get a better spot sooner. I've since watched in on youtube and the projections are beautiful and there are plenty of fireworks, the music is just ok. I don't know that it has the "heart" that Wishes did.

I have the dessert party booked for our May trip and I hope to have a better experience with that.

 

[Mome Rath]

I definitely prefer Wishes.

 

[ChristineOH]

I loved Wishes, but HEA really blew me away. The projections are so well done.

 

[Tara8595]

It took 3 viewings of Happily Ever After for me to get that tug-at-your-heart feeling and cry. Fighting the crowd on Main Street is an issue which is why after doing the dessert party plaza viewing once, I will do that as long as it's offered. Being able to see everything from bottom to top made the whole show come together much more for me. I don't like that there is no Walt and no Mickey. I think the projections are neat, but I'm a little bummed that now they are everywhere which makes them special nowhere. I wish the projections were viewable on all sides. The theming and message took me a while to warm up to - I mean, before, you dreamed a dream, crossed your heart, and your wish came true - it was magical - I made quite a few wishes during that show, and many came true! Now, it's like - you have to work for it - you're on your own, dig deep and unlock your own magic, because the blue fairy isn't gonna do it for you! OH NO!! So... I get it now, that we all have the key to find greatness and fulfill your own dreams, but well... I liked wishing with Jiminy a whole lot more.

 

[disneygirlsng]

Not even a comparison IMO. Hands down HEA. Far better of a show and production.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Wishes show brought out more sentimentality in me. HEA is a fantastic upgrade for the projections.

 

[gillep]

HEA.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I haven’t seen it yet. Can I get back to you in May?

 

[deedubb]

HEA is a better show, but for sentimental reasons, nothing will ever replace Wishes for me. I still listen to the soundtrack on a regular basis.

 

[Dug720]

I’m seeing it tomorrow with the dessert party, but I’m really wishing I had not done that (and it is too late to cancel now). :/ I loved Wishes so much and hate that they are going the route of projections over fireworks.

I always used to say that after Disney any other fireworks display is “Meh” - but that is getting to not be the case.

If they want to do projection shows, fine. But don’t try to pass them off as fireworks shows.

 

[deedubb]

I’m seeing it tomorrow with the dessert party, but I’m really wishing I had not done that (and it is too late to cancel now). :/ I loved Wishes so much and hate that they are going the route of projections over fireworks.

I always used to say that after Disney any other fireworks display is “Meh” - but that is getting to not be the case.

If they want to do projection shows, fine. But don’t try to pass them off as fireworks shows.

Don't worry, they are not doing projections *over* fireworks. There will be PLENTY of the latter, and they are amazing (better than Wishes actually).