The Disney Dish Thread

Walt Disney World
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I’ve been thinking for a while now that we need a dedicated thread to discuss the Disney Dish, so here it is!

You can listen to the Disney Dish podcast, hosted by our own @Len Testa and theme park historian Jim Hill, for free on Apple Podcasts and various other platforms. (If I sound like it’s a commercial, I promise it’s just cause I really love this podcast! :joy: Not a paid promotion.)

You can also subscribe on Band Camp to help sponsor the podcast:

First item of discussion:

On this last Schmursday’s episode (#361 on 2/14), Jim and Len talked about Disney’s plans to update and improve Harmonious at Epcot. They discussed changing the final number from Hunchback’s Someday (a ballad) to something more upbeat, and adding some of the hit music from Encanto.

Question: What does everyone think Disney should do to improve Harmonious?

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Fix it so that there is not limited viewing spaces that offer a great view of the whole show.

I found it interesting that the littlest set rate this show highly. I think that’s the whole IP effect as compared to Illuminations

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I just started listening to Disney Dish a couple weeks ago. It’s fantastic (as @Len might say).

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I may have seen Illuminations back in 2012 … if that was the show at Epcot that long ago. I did see Epcot Forever twice in September. I really like Harmonious for the most part. I agree the ending needs work and maybe a little better flow in a couple of places. I viewed it once from between America/Japan with great view of Stargate and the tacos. I viewed it once from the R&C area in UK with only taco views. It was really enjoyable both times for me, so I don’t think the Stargate is necessary, but definitely enhances it.

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I love it!

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Woot! Thank you!

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Personally, I really love the Someday finale. I thought it was quite powerful! The weaker portion of the show is the first ~10 min. That could use an infusion of Encanto. Everything from Coco on was very good.

More pyrotechnics (especially fireworks) would be welcome. Also not sure how to work it out so the Stargate is visible from more locations. That may be unsolvable.

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I haven’t seen it yet in person, but this. I’ll never understand why a show with the audience located all 360 degrees around it doesn’t have more radial symmetry to it. I guess the tacos are meant to cover that problem, but not really. If the whole stargate could slowly rotate, now that would be something.

A theater I go to occasionally has the stage in the center with audience on all four sides (and the center of the stage can mechanically rotate), and it’s fun to see how the direction and choreography of the acts are tailored to the venue and accommodates all of the audience pretty equally. Obviously it’s nothing like Epcot’s scale, but the design choice of Harmonious is curious in that regard.

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I also love the ending. I think it’s powerful and I get teary-eyed every time. My suggestion: leave Harmonious alone and figure out how to make Enchantment actually enchanting!

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Agree that Enchantment is a much less successful show!

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I agree! I was actually surprised to hear that some people don’t like Harmonious as a show. It could be improved, but Enchantment needs more TLC.

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What if it rotated so quickly that it became solid, and instead of the projection being inside, it was on the outside? It would be like a globe-shape. Then it could move around the lagoon to give everyone a good view of it.

It might look like this:

image

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Illuminations has been around for a long, long time.

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Or just roll SSE over to the middle of the lagoon during that upcoming big refurb. Can’t be that hard.

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Too soon…

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Smart thinking. Round things roll downhill easily.

Just give 'er a nudge each night. And then roll it back up to where it can sleep.

They could rename the show to work in the name Sisyphus

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that it imprisoned Jim Hill in some kind of dimensional vortex along with General Zod, Ursa, and Non?

I’d buy that for a dollar.

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Pretty sure that was the show I saw last time I was there. In 2000.
That show was awesome

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I have no thoughts on Harmonious because I haven’t seen it. communicore, I loved that place. The podcast was taking me down memory lane. The reservation thing was awesome. It was a bit like the original fastpass. I recall a rush at rope drop to get there to make your reservation (@len the Italian restaurant at the time was great). What really stood out to me in the exhibits was the video calling. I realize that they were doing it with the reservation system, but the idea of having it in a home in 1983 blew my mind.

Of course I’m typing this on a small handheld device that probably has more processing power than the entire room combined.

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Today Jim and Len talked about a few subjects, including a survey that went out about the Galactic Starcruiser, and some preliminary media reactions (a media event is happening later this week and the full review embargo ends February 25th I believe). The takeaway so far is that all the elements of the Starcruiser experience are great; the price is just too high.

So here’s my question for you this week:

What is the most you would pay for the Galactic Starcruiser? (Assume the 2-night experience in a standard cabin for a family of 4.)

  • I’d pay much more that they are asking (Shhh! Don’t tell Disney!)
  • ~$6,000 (actual price)
  • $5,000
  • $4,000
  • $3,000
  • $2,000
  • $1,000
  • I’m not interested regardless of price

0 voters