Your thoughts on the parade?

[CinderellaPrincess]

As much as I enjoyed the whole day yesterday, I have to say I was a bit dissapointed w/ the parade. Don't get me wrong, the floats were great and very well thought out, but I thought that there just wasn't much to it as a whole. I thought there would be a special acrobat act on the Mad Tea Party float. Did they not put the trampoline in it for a reason??? IMHO, i think it was too short and i've seen much better in the past. I got the feeling that they only focussed on high profit disney movies and left it at that. I think that a float strictly for Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto and maybe some of the older characters that we rarely see anymore should have also been included.
So what does everyone else think???

[NeverNeverland]

I loved it.
I heard someone say there was a trampoline on the Tea Party float but I didn't see it.
It would have been nice if the classic characters had their own float, but I did like how they were entwined with the prices/princesses with Mickey and Minnie. It was a good ending.
I thought the floats were spectaular... the size and visuals were atounding! I don't know how they did that.
Even the fourth time I saw it, it still held my interest.

[Evil Minion]

I think it's alright as a regular Disneyland parade. The floats look very good, the choreography is good, and the music & show stops are alright.

As a special offering for the 50th anniversary I think the parade sucks. For decades Disneyland used to have a new parade every year & the parade units in this particular one have little or no connection to Disneyland itself.

Nice parade but it could just as easily have been slipped into the park 10 years ago.

[Gwyren]

I thought there would be a special acrobat act on the Mad Tea Party float.

One of the cards bounces and flips around on the trampoline during the show stops. The marionettes on the Pinochio float start doing the same. For the Little Mermaid float the character pick up and start running around with banners.

[Dustysage]

I'm cold to this parade. It is beautiful and the costumes are great. However, I couldn't stand the Performance Stop, or the music.

This show can still be fixed. Just keep it moving and it would be fine. I'm just not happy with the whole idea of making a parade seem longer than it really is by making it "Stop".

[DisneyFunGuy]

I had originally posted a thread on MiceChat about my disappointment with POD, and thought it was pretty much like POTS, but with much bigger floats.

Well, after seeing it a few more times (especially at night), I find myself enjoying it more now. The floats are impressive, I admit that. But I would add more dancers to each float unit, cuz there seems to be too much gap.

However, it would NOT be a parade I would have chosen to commemorate Disneyland's 50th Anniversary! To me, the Park should have done a parade that focused primarily on the 50th, and not animated movies. As one member posted already, this parade is something that could have been presented 10 years ago.

Personally, I would have liked a parade that staged 5 major floats, and each one commemorating each decade. And it would have been nice to have an original, upbeat musical score along with it. Infact, for those of you who have seen Mickey's Magic Kingdom Celebration recently, that is something I'm speaking about. Of course, it would be much, much bigger and more impressive on a larger scale. But I think you get the idea.

But hey, at least POD is a MUCH BETTER parade than POTS ever was. And really, if you see this new parade a few times, it does grow on you and it becomes enjoyable to watch. And again, seeing it at night (dusk) is a much better experience! The only thing I'm still waiting for is the confetti that is supposed to shoot out at the end of the finale. Maybe that, and more performers will appear later. I'm hoping!

[AaronInCal]

Yes, see the late parade! I saw the parade at 7:45 for the first time tonight, and it is so much better than the daytime showing! I don't know why they just do not have the parade at 8:15 or 8:30, when it's totally dark. There is so much lighting on the parade floats and it really looks good! You think they were making a fully nighttime parade. I especially like the Little Mermaid section, the float with Ariel on it. Very colorful! Also the Mad Tea Party looks great! I have seen the parade 3 times now, and it is growing on me.. Finally a good parade to watch in Disneyland again, and it's not Christmas!

[TDLFAN]

I'm just not happy with the whole idea of making a parade seem longer than it really is by making it "Stop".

That concept was perfected at WDW since their very short 6 float, yet long lasting "Magical Moments" parade at WDW, then continued with the "Snowglobes" parade. However, ever since they ran over Pluto, there are no more stops, so "Snowglobes" only last like 8 mins.

[Later Dais]

At least my kids are finally able to see a new parade. I remember when there was a new parade every year. My 2 kids have only ever seen the same parade for the last 5 years! My husband was disappointed. He felt like it didn't make much sense and it was mish mash and bunch of recycled floats...as beautiful as they are. My two kids loved all of it and the ambundance of characters that they saw and knew. My favorite is still the the Lion King Celebration parade and then the 35th Anniversary/Party Gras parade....it was fun, involved and just made you want to join in on the fun. Now the 35th Anniversary parade was memorable as well. I am sure that this new parade will grow on me, too. I am just happy that there is finally a new parade!

[eyes_of_mara]

It IS a bit anticlimactic, what with the rather simple looking castle float at the end. But it does seem a lot cooler at night. Of course, I have a small bias towards it, with the abundance of scantily clad ladies that dance around and whatnot. ^_^ Im sorry, but I think the Black Pearl girls and the Cat girls are friggin' hot.

My fave float: Ursula. Simply amazing, and her float music is deliciously sinister.

[Steak]

Hope I don't ruffle too many feathers with this, but why is an overweight mexican girl in a wig playing tinkerbell? Tink is small, fair, and petite.
I'm all for equal opportunity, but casting a role is different. You would not cast John Goodman as Malcolm X, you would not cast George Lopez as Napoleon.
Please,, give us a tink. Should be a very petite girl,, about 90-100 lbs, and a natural blonde. A chubby, husky, latina in a bad wig, is a poor choice.

[aralechn]

It's about time that we got a new parade and I saw it for the first time last night. I really like it. The only complain I have about it is the sound system. When the floats are turning the corner you still can't hear the music and wonder what song they are dancing to until it is in front of you. Overall everything else is great.

[tigger001]

I personally think that this is one of the best parades that the park has put out in a very long time. The floats are all fantastic and the performer's are doing well.

[EpTxGuy]

But hey, at least POD is a MUCH BETTER parade than POTS ever was. And really, if you see this new parade a few times, it does grow on you and it becomes enjoyable to watch. And again, seeing it at night (dusk) is a much better experience! The only thing I'm still waiting for is the confetti that is supposed to shoot out at the end of the finale. Maybe that, and more performers will appear later. I'm hoping!

Good Point GE

[TDLFAN]

But hey, at least POD is a MUCH BETTER parade than POTS ever was. And really, if you see this new parade a few times, it does grow on you and it becomes enjoyable to watch. And again, seeing it at night (dusk) is a much better experience! The only thing I'm still waiting for is the confetti that is supposed to shoot out at the end of the finale. Maybe that, and more performers will appear later. I'm hoping!

POD and POTS. Funny together

Anyways...Sadly, we don't get the same budgets they get in regards to staffing a parade or show like they do at TDL or TDS, where the entertainmen features a cast of hundreds and gaps are non existent. I don't think there will be much change in that regard in the future. The confetti blast would be a nice classic touch to the parade. The fact you mention the parade grew on you is a good thing. At WDW, the more I watched the current "snowglobes" parade, the more I disliked it. Go figure.

I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the new entertainment when I get there in July.