BELIEVE: IN HOLIDAY MAGIC / SNOW (Holiday edition)

Lots of red and green fireworks are used

What a difference a few days makes. Disneyland has made some major changes to this new show in the few days since it first tested - and frankly, they've pretty much fixed it. This warrants a new review of course - after reading it, you may want to compare it to the original review, now placed in the sidebar to the right of this page.

One of the things I really LIKE about the net is that there are no constraints on your reporting - if a situation changes, so does your story on line - unlike a newspaper that's frozen once it is printed, you can freshen it instantly. That's why news is so compelling here on the web - it's constantly updated so you're always on top of things. After seeing last week's new holiday fireworks show at Disneyland, we worked hard on getting up a review and some video for you to see what was going on the next day. We knew the show was testing - but understood that there were certain elements that were supposed to be locked down (such as the music) and others that would probably be tweaked quite a bit more (the actual pyro).

Very impressive looking snow effect.

The original review focused on the major problem at that time, the music, and to a lesser extent, the odd way they shot off the rockets themselves - not really building any kind of story or show out of it.

Well, last night they ran the latest version - and significant changes were made to the music [improving it immensely] and in how the pyro was shot off. These changes took a show that had missed the mark, and turned it into a show that like it's summer counterpart, dazzled this viewer, and the crowd, and got back all those ooohs and ahhs they had been missing.

I worked in the music / recording industry for many years - and the difference musically between the first show, and this last one was what we used to call "miracle worker stuff." (In a nutshell here, you always aim for the best recordings you can make, but in more than a few cases, you may find it won't hit the mark. But thanks to this new era of digital editing tools, projects that would in the past have been considered marginal, if handled well enough can now actually be improved and even saved. What you need is a skilled person at the board, and a producer who knows the original sessions well enough so that they know where to go in and make the cuts necessary, along with tempo and pitch shifts.)

Whoever worked over the music the last few days took what was basically a very disjointed collage of material, and overhauled it ever so skillfully. Slow spots are gone, disjointed segues between tunes have been fixed, and most importantly, they have created a better dramatic presentation / story arc. Is it perfection now? Not quite still. (The break in the middle remains rather awkwardly long, and the two musical bookends to it do not really match.)

But for what they did, and how well it works now, compared to just a few days ago, it is a real tribute to the hard work these folks and Disneyland put into it. We have a tape on hand here at MousePlanet of the first show, and will be doing a comparison to the new one - and hopefully in a future update I can detail here how this turnaround was accomplished. (We won't be able to offer the actual music, due to our properly and lawfully observing copyrights, but maybe next year the park will offer a CD of the new music for sale. It's really too bad they can't just put it on a CD kiosk now, and sell made to order discs. ;) )

Now it all works together, as it should!

Now as far at the actual fireworks portion of the show - there were lots of improvements there also. The shells are much better paced - although starting out so big with so many rockets at once is still a bit questionable. Afterwards the pattern of ignition pretty much matches the summer Believe show - building up to some very nice new effects (a five rocket fan shape shot off behind the castle is quite lovely) and a tour de force with one of the fastest musical synchronizations I've ever seen with pyro to the Nutcracker Suite's Russian Dance that will simply blow you away. (The audience cheered that one. :) ) It's just so great that this all works so much better now.

Three QuickTime movies are offered for you above - just click on each shot, and your browser should open up a viewer for you. Shot one - the start of the snow - Shot Two - the snow effect - Shot Three - finale

Still finishing things off musically is an attempt at a "new age" Sarah McLaughlin type of quiet / reflective finale, whereupon Disneyland makes it snow on Main St., in front of the Castle, on small world way, and in New Orleans Square.

Unlike the rest of the show now, this final segment still misses the mark a bit. How could it be fixed? Well, in my humble opinion, there are two alternate approaches, that might really play against the idea they first had, but which would probably be better crowd pleasers -- The first would be to find a very traditional holiday song, such as Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" [Click here for Amazon page that has this song sampled from a Christmas CD for you to listen to - click on track one] - yes it would be very retro, but if you look at how some of these titles sell year in and year out in the shops, you'd understand people still like this.

The second idea is to go the other extreme and pick something fun - like the Drifters' classic do-wop version of White Christmas. [Click here for Amazon page that has this song sampled from a Christmas CD for you to listen to - click on track one]. It would leave the crowd happy and dancing if nothing else. (Yes, the PC folks would scream it isn't politically correct / generic enough - but let's face it here, Main Street and most of Disneyland is decorated for Christmas, not Hanukah or Kwanzaa. Theme it appropriately.)

Now, to reprise a section from the previous review, what most of you are probably interested in is the snow, does it work? Well, yes it does. The effect is quite impressive - running for about two minutes - leaving no residue afterwards due to an expensive new process the park is using. On still nights it's quite plentiful, but on slightly windy nights, it may never make it down to where you are. Hopefully upon your visit, it will work at maximum effectiveness.

A warning though - word is getting out quickly that the best spot for both the fireworks and the snow is right on Main Street. Be advised if this is a location you want to be in, you will need to GET THERE EARLY. Normally fifteen minutes would have worked in the past, we now suggest about twenty to thirty before show time. They still have problems lighting the snow properly in New Orleans Square, so it is hard to see. small world way and the font of the castle are ok, but don't have the charm offered by Main Street's decor. (We've found a very good spot is right in the middle of the street, where the Clothiers and the Bakery are across from each other - at "center street.")

The boxes that contain the snow making units are on top of the light poles.

In closing here, I just can't even begin to tell you how impressed I am with what the park did to fix this show. It's almost a bit of a shock considering the track record they've had in the past with these issues - but the effort made was a tremendous one, and should delight visitors to no end. Kudos to all the folks who made it happen - quality is what Disneyland should be about.

For best viewing locations, JUMP down to the next part of the guide here.

BELIEVE: THERE'S MAGIC IN THE SKY (Summer edition)

Fireworks now surround the castle several times during the show. The above photo was kindly provided by Claude Cartee, and it is now available as a free computer desktop - CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE OR HERE to get it.

Don't let the clunky title fool you - the revamped "Stars" parade may not be much to write home about, but this newly engineered and completely re-scored fireworks show is a wonderful new addition to the park. It is well worth planning some time out of your Disneyland evening to see - trust me, you won't regret it.

Do note also that a holiday edition of this show, with new music, will run from Thanksgiving through New Year's - check the HOURS page for more info.

What's going on?

Taking the premise of a child who sees things in the stars - the new technology involved in this show for the first time allows for precision explosions in time to the music [thanks to both new launch technology and even microprocessors embedded in some of the rockets, a WDI innovation] - and takes the normal 160 shells they normally fire off during a show and increases it to over 700.  

Don't let the somewhat quieter start fool you, the show's new design also places fireworks all around the castle, even in some segments creating cascading walls of flare type rockets launching over the turrets. The castle itself also changes lighting to match or compliment the fireworks up in the sky, a very slick touch.  

The most unique pyro effect is a new comet-type rocket that creates a very film-like falling star type of effect - slowly going across the sky in a graceful arc, leaving everyone wondering just how it can move that slowly and still stay up. This amazing effect is repeated a few times throughout the show.

Tinkerbell is also back, [we almost lost her was the word last summer] but this time the show leads UP to her appearance, and she glides on down the wire, wings electrically glittering, as rockets launch around her about two thirds though the show. It really is a much more dramatic way to show her off, instead of just having her start things as before.

There's a brief break, then the finale fills the air with all sorts of dazzling new effects, all in perfect synch with the soundtrack. And yes, by the way, there's no more patriotic finale to honor America.  

You've probably already heard the main song they use - it's the basis of all the radio and TV ad campaigns now running for the park. Let's hope a CD will be for sale soon, there's some wonderful peppy arrangements of Disney musical favorites both old and new all through the show. I have to say it's nice to hear new favorites on the soundtrack now, as the old show seemed to have stopped adding new material at around the time of Mary Poppins.

This photo that I took just don't do the show justice.

Check out the HOURS page for more details as to when it is running.

This is the way it used to be done folks! Style, class, and a slick soundtrack are what makes those special Disney moments we all remember so well, and this show really excels at all of it. Kudos go to Stephen Davis, the creative director of this show, as well as the rest of the pyro team, and the Disney execs who helped make this one happen. 

Viewing suggestions:

The only minor problem is that the new show has really been designed to be seen best from one key location - the hub area. As you may know, this traditionally has been the most crowded location in the park since people for years have always wanted to relive those few opening and ending moments of the "Wonderful World of Color" TV show by watching the fireworks over the Castle. 

The "sweet spot" for this show is right in the middle of Main Street between the PLAZA INN and PLAZA PAVILION restaurant entrances, moving back and forth on the trolley track until you have a clear view of both the Matterhorn to your right, and the castle in front of you..

There are three other good viewing locations, (listed here in order of preference) if you want to deal with fewer crowds:

A) FANTASMIC!: The show starts about 45 minutes after the first show. Most of the fireworks appear above BIG THUNDER MTN. to your right, and you get to hear the music on the FANTASMIC! sound system in front of you.

B) TOMORROWLAND: On the second floor balcony exit area of Innoventions - as close to the triangle pylon as you can get. You'll see the fireworks around the MATTERHORN, and also between it and SMALL WORLD. But don't tell anyone about this OK? It's a favorite spot.

C) SMALL WORLD PROMENADE: Anywhere between the parade gate and the entrance to the ride - sitting on the ground. You'll be as close as you can to the actual launching area here - you will miss a few rockets shot from the castle and will have to turn around to see Tink come down the MATTERHORN.

Also, Karl Buiter has produced a special photo guide to help you see where the best spots are to see this show, you can see and read it HERE.

TIP: ROBERT PINSKY rpinsky@msmail2.hac.com made the following very wise suggestion about louder fireworks scaring the younger ones -

After the parade, my little boy and I run to the Plaza Inn. We enter through the exit door and sit in the north-facing solarium and watch the fireworks over the castle. I think he's afraid of the loud sounds, not the fireworks themselves. I guess I'm the only one that has ever thought of going there because the room is always empty during fireworks time.

NOTE: Keep in mind due to fireworks that ToonTown, as well as some areas around the castle will probably close at 8 PM.

Holiday Edition

Summer Edition

Karl Buiter has produced a special photo guide to help you find the best viewing spots for this show. You can visit it HERE.

Original Believe Holiday Fireworks Review 11/2:

Before I start this review (which is based on a test of the show that ran Nov. 1st) - I do want to compliment the park on having fireworks starting November 3rd, and running nightly through the holiday season. It's a terrific attempt to offer something special to the visitor.

But - and it's a big one here folks - this presentation misses the mark somewhat, and doesn't compare as well to the summer edition of the show.

Should this stop you from seeing it? No. But don't expect the same heart- tugging, tears welling up in your eyes experience the summer edition invokes. This show cannot offer that as it currently is put together.

The problems with this new presentation lie not in the pyrotechnic effects themselves - but in an oddly disjointed and poorly put together orchestral score. There's no storytelling (just a grandmother type croaking an into), making for no dramatic build up unlike the excellent summer version. Worst of all - musically it's a mis-mash of styles and tempos that makes for a very disjointed experience. They tried to cover too many bases, and missed them all, even for example throwing in the "Remember the Magic" theme from Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary along with the Dreidel song - so nothing flows musically at all.

Unlike the summer show - which starts quietly, and ends up having two endings, one which builds upon the other - this one starts big, scales back and stays that way, then keeps repeating the same effects over and over again in the last third until the audience is numb to the amount and type of fireworks being shot.

Finishing things off musically is an attempt at a "new age" Sarah McLaughlin type of quiet / reflective finale, whereupon Disneyland makes it snow on Main St., in front of the Castle, on small world way, and in New Orleans Square. Yet again, the music used misses the mark.

Now, what most of you are probably interested in is the snow, does it work? Well, yes it does. The effect by itself is quite impressive - running for about two minutes - and leaves no residue afterwards due to an expensive new process the park is using.

But as with Light Magic [which to be fair here, this show is MUCH better than, and does NOT compare to] a great special effect or technological advancement by itself can not overcome poor judgments made in the music and tempos used.

It's telling that the audience only reacted once for the fireworks of the show, where in the summer edition they oohed and ahhed continually through it. The snow effect got a load of applause, as it should, as it looks quite stunning. Sue Kruse, who saw a similar effect in Orlando last year mentioned to us that our snowfall was better than what they got.

The important thing to keep in mind here is that the park did make a solid attempt to try something new and unique for the holiday season. It's just too bad that in this presentation musically they were let down. Unlike the 45th Parade (which had the score redone after it began, improving it a bit) the limited time this show will be running - plus the high cost involved in recording, means we'll probably be stuck with this music for a long time to come.

They almost got it. Sigh. It is good that they tried.