I am not sure that many Disney fans really saw this coming. I know I didn’t… or that the news of Avatar/Pandora was opening, or that Rivers of Light now has a start date simply took over our minds for the time being. Regardless, to call this “breaking” news really is an understatement. That’s not just because it’s a surprise, but because I think there were a lot of shocked Disney fans that expressed their disappointment in this news.
And to be honest, I am one of them. With conditions, I should add. More on that in a moment.
See, Wishes holds a dear place in my heart. It was the first nighttime show I got to see since I started vacationing with my family. It amazed me with the music, the fireworks, and the story. Over the past decade and a half, I have seen it from several locations at the Magic Kingdom, from the top of the Contemporary Hotel a la the California Grill, From the top of Bay Lake Tower, and even the beach of the Poly. I saw HallowWishes around Halloween and the Christmas version as well. It makes me smile. It makes me laugh. And yes, dare I even say, I admit to shedding a tear or two. I’ve seen with with my kids, with my mom, friends, and even with just my wife.
You can easily say, this was not a “once and done” sort of thing. I was a fan. My wife, even more so. It was a must-do every trip, plain and simple.
Needless to say, little did I know that the last time I saw Wishes, it would be my last.
I want to share something I read from a FB post of a friend. her name is Callie and she wrote:
You probably won’t understand this feeling unless you’ve seen wishes, seen tinker bell fly over you, hear the words genie your free , see your childhood movies flash on to cinderella’s castle, knowing that right before the show starts you are over come with a lot of emotions. Wishes is truly amazing and my all time favorite show in Disney. In fact this past October I got to watch it with a great group of friends who understand why I was tearing up at the show as they are tearing up with you. The blue fairy and even that little cricket jimmy will always have a special place. Thank you wishes for always keeping my childhood and others alike alive. Until next time see ya real soon. #wishes
(Comment shared with permission.)
Well said, Callie…. Yea, there is something special about the show. It was, is, and always will be, magical.
The thing is, you never know what you will miss till they take it away. Don’t get me wrong, I know that Disney is not doing this to make millions of guests upset. Things can and do change. I mean – think about the anticipation that we all have about Pandora, Rivers of Light, Star Wars Land and even Toy Story Land. And it was just the other day that Danny and I talked about our thoughts on that over at the Behind the Ears Podcast. (Please check it out if you have not done so already.)
One thing for sure – with Disney, if there is change, there has got to be something good on the other side. I sincerely mean that. Even Walt himself led the idea of progress can’t happen unless there was change. That may be a great Walt-ism, but if you think about it, its rather hard to swallow when you really don’t want the change taking place even though there might be something epic to follow. Rarely does it happen where Disney produces something less than stellar and when they do – they fix it. Fast!
With that said – I want believe that this new show will be a great replacement for Wishes. It will be exciting to see for the first time and I know that I will have to account for that when it comes to trip planning. I will also say that because Wishes was so loved, you know there will be many critics stating their thoughts. It will be a tough crowd, plain and simple.
So later this summer, I know what I have to do. I have to blaze a trail to Pandora. I will need to see Rivers of Light. Most of all, I need to grab some Casey’s Corn Dog Nuggets and enjoy a Happily Ever After. I guess you can say, that while I am saddened by this news, I look forward to see what is next.
Side note: I really thought that Illuminations would have been revamped before Wishes. I mean, there was much more chatter about that rumor than anything else for quite some time.
Thanks for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed the post. If you are into podcasts, feel free to check out the Behind The Ears Podcast where I, along with Uncle Danny, give you a different look at news and events around Walt Disney World and Disney in general. Also follow the Podcast Facebook page and get alerted when we record our live shows! Who knows – we may even have you join us on the show!
Till next time – stay magical!
-C
Common Sense Disney! 