Snow White - an enchanting
new musical (2004 - 2007)
My thoughts from the my first viewing of the show on 2/27/04:
- We managed to get into the 2nd Snow White show of the day. We
arrived approx. an hour before show time and found ourselves in
the extended queue that led up to Toontown. They said everyone
in front of the last lightpost up in Toontown would get in. So
we got in with room to spare and had an OK seat.
- First off like any new show at Disneyland there will be some
growing pains and a learning curve. The first issue we encountered
was a the traffic snarl in the area. Between the last show getting
out and us waiting to get in add in a Train offloading at the
depot and it was near gridlock for quite a while.
- Also we were really surprised by the lack of CMs. They all seemed
to congregate in between the two parts of the queue but they did
not really make the rounds that much.
- A real surprise by Disney standards we were let into the show
about the time the show was supposed to begin.. so we started
off over ten minutes late, remember the days things started on
time.
- The show itself was OK. I thought the sets were nicely done
and the actors did a great job. I do have some concerns with the
show. First off is I think the theater is not set up for this
type of show. Broadway type shows seem to work better in a controled
environment and this semi-outdoor stage just did not do it justice.
- My second concern is there seemed to be a big build up then
all of a sudden Snow White is in her sleep the prince arrives
and the show is over. When you watch the film the scene of Snow
White on the bed in her deep sleep with the dwarfs around is an
emotional part of the film. In this production I didn't get that
at all. It just sort of happened and was over.
- One other note: In the middle of our show it stopped. No one
seemed concerned (tech booth, actors, CMs).. almost seemed like
they just had to reboot the show computer or something.
Calling All Space Scouts... A Buzz Lightyear
Adventure (2001 - 2004)
 This
character show really disappointed me. It seems like they tried
to do too much in this little show and it really just did not work
for me.  There
were quite a few kids in the audience and most seemed happy/occupied
by the show, so it hit that target. The problem is usually Disney
shows in the parks appeal to both kids and adults, and this show
misses that mark. I think I understand that the show was supposed
to be basically an episode of the cartoon show on TV, but it just
did not seem to work right on stage. Also I was very annoyed by
the Buzz Lightyear voice. You think for the parks they could have
gotten Tim Alan to do it for them, its only a couple lines and would
have added to the show.
 The
two parts of the show I enjoyed the most were the little green alien
guys. They were funny, a little over used, but still funny. The
other part I really enjoyed was looking around the set. They have
several "classic" tomorrowland attractions on it as props.
Such as the old Rocket Jets or the house of the future. Stop by
and check it out.
Parade of the Stars (2000 - 2004)
This is the current Character Parade that travels the traditional
parade route (Small World <-> Town Square). The parade has gotten
better since its debut as the 45th Birthday parade last year, but
it still is not that good. It is very repetitive and just not that
interesting. The floats are not that impressive either. There are
quite a few characters in the parade and there is an oportunity to
participate if you are a selected guest. As far as Disney parades
go though I would rate this among the worst... I think I liked Light
Magic better.... at least the fiberoptics were impressive in the parade...
Disney's Imagine... A Fantasy in the
Sky (2004 - 2005)
This fireworks show made its debut in June 2004 and replaced
the popular Believe show just one week after its close. The music
tracks for this show are mostly drawn from previous Disney entertainment
offerings. The main feature is the Fantasy theme from the 100 Years
celebration at Walt Disney World. There are also some tracks from
the Original Fantasy in the Sky we think and Believe. Plus a new voiceover
and some film tracks. Overall we were not impressed with this scaled
down display. Compared to Believe it has probably a 1/3 less shells
involved and there is no real rythm to the show. Some of the audio
transitions are rough at best and make you pause and think about what
just happened. This show ran through the begining of the holiday season
and then briefly for spring break in 2005 before being retired.
Believe,
There's Magic in the Stars (2000 - 2004)
This fireworks spectacular ran for four years at the Disneyland Resort
and was retired in 2004 due to several reasons. See our page on Believe
for information on this great Disneyland fireworks display. Click here to learn more about this fireworks show.
Minnies Christmas Party (2001 - Present)
This holiday show takes place on the Fantasyland stage. Its a very
simple set (never changes). Basically its preparations for a tree
trimming party at Minnies house with the gang. Its a decent show.
Lots of holiday songs to sing along too. The dialog is a little annoying
for adults, but it works for kids.
Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks (Retired
1999)
The original Disneyland fireworks show kept the same name for several
years with minor changes to the show over the years.
Main Street Electrical Parade (Hopefully
returning....but at DCA for now)
This is by far the most popular Disney parade to date. When the
parade was "retired" from Disneyland it created record
crowds for the park the entire farewell season. It is hard to explain
why this parade consisting of floats covered with Christmas lights
with a strange musical soundtrack is so great.... but after experiencing
it you will know. Its one of those "Disney moments" to
be on Main Street when the lights go down and the computerized voice
cues up "Disneyland proudly presents....." Right now this
parade is over at Disney's California Adventure.
Animazement (1996 - 2001)
This is the current character/musical show being performed on the
Fantasyland Theater stage. Its an ok show. Young kids love seeing
their favorite Disney characters and hearing their songs. I do not
think it is as good as other shows that have been on the stage (aka
One Man's Dream & Beauty and the Beast), but its worth going
to see if you have children with you.
Mickey's Detective School (2002 - 2003)
This is a character school where you help Mickey and the gang solf
the mystery of where Pluto has disappeared to. Its an ok little show,
young kids really seem to love it. Its much better than the Buzz Lightyear
show, but still not as good as some of the shows in the past.
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