Stars 'N' Cars 2009 - NOT a parade?

[soundtracker]

This news just in from www.wdsfans.com:

The Entertainment Department at Disneyland Resort Paris has decided to rename the Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade. Currently the work name is "Disney's Stars 'n' Cars Event". Yes, that's EVENT, not parade. Early reports indicate that the original parade will be split up into three groups of cars that will come out in the park at the same time and entertain guests at the stops on Backlot, Production Courtyard and Toon Studio.

It sounds like they're aiming for a piece of Streetmosphere on a grand scale, which strikes me as a good idea. The traditional parade concept simply does not work very well in the sparse yet cramped WDS setting. There's no central corridor to act as a focus - there's just a series of unconnected open spaces, so a big piece of street theatre like this should be a much better fit.

What do you guys think?

[pussnboots]

Hmmm.

Name change: Meh. "Disney Stars and Motor Cars" had a lot more character than "Stars 'n' Cars". I know they're only trying to make everything palatable to European tongues, but I wish they didn't have to dumb things down. Buzz Lightyear "Laser Blast" is another one. What does that even mean? Is there just one blast? Do lasers even blast? They're the quiet, clean, target-oriented...sidlers of the arm community. But I digress.

Concept change: Good. For all the reasons you mentioned. Merely having a parade at the WDS at all opens the door to Disneyland Park comparisons, and we all know which park is going to look better.

Curious to see how this turns out... Although frankly I'll just be happy when those two Mariah Careys from High School Musical head back to Kentucky.

[stitchon]

I really hate the bland titles, but I suppose they translate to French better than Disney Stars and Motor Cars.

[Witches of Morva]

ORDDU: My sisters and I must say we're surprised to learn that this particular park wasn't planned well enough to even have an actual, full blown parade route. How have their past parades been able to function?

[pussnboots]

Originally Posted by Witches of Morva

ORDDU: My sisters and I must say we're surprised to learn that this particular park wasn't planned well enough to even have an actual, full blown parade route. How have their past parades been able to function?

It does have a parade route, but small as the park is, the parade route is the park. There's also not much of a background for the floats. It just emphasizes the sad state of the park.

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by pussnboots

It does have a parade route, but small as the park is, the parade route is the park. There's also not much of a background for the floats. It just emphasizes the sad state of the park.

Doubly true if you consider the fact that one of the secondary purposes of any parade in the Disneyland Park is to enourage people to gather around the shops and eateries of Main Street USA, thus increasing customer spending at the same time as customer satisfaction.

The Walt Disney Studios Park fails even on this level, as there are no shops or restaurants along the parade route, witht he exception of Rendezvous Des Stars. Plus, the flow of human traffic between the attractions just grinds to a halt, and some of them (I'm thinking specifically of Armageddon here) are actually inaccessible while the parade trundles past. Yes, they actually close the attraction during the parade! Crazy or what?

[geoffa]

Even when it was at DHS it was a poor parade - just characters sat in pimped up cars. Not the most original of concepts. The Studios doesn't lend itself well to parades as has been mentioned. A total rethink is needed. As for changing the title....a rose by any other name.........

Why can't Paris have the Pixar based parade - tons of action. Seems DLRP gets what other parks don't want any more. Fantillusion was a cut down version of Tokyo's parade.

[stitchon]

Honestly, sometimes I think Disney needs to just close the park for a year or two and demo a large majority, leaving only Tower, Toon Studios, and the attractions and shops, then rebuild everything with a new look. If the park is so badly designed, then I think that drastic measures are needed.

[nathan detroit]

How are the crowds going to be managed around these show areas? Are they meet and greets or will there be an actual performance?

[tcsnwhite]

Originally Posted by geoffa

Even when it was at DHS it was a poor parade - just characters sat in pimped up cars. Not the most original of concepts. The Studios doesn't lend itself well to parades as has been mentioned. A total rethink is needed. As for changing the title....a rose by any other name.........

Why can't Paris have the Pixar based parade - tons of action. Seems DLRP gets what other parks don't want any more. Fantillusion was a cut down version of Tokyo's parade.

Interesting you say that, because the rumor is that once Pixar Play Parade finishes at DCA in several more years, it's headed off to WDSP...and this is a full blown parade much bigger than Stars and Motor Cars.

[fizzog]

Am I the only person who thought the cinema parade was ok? I mean, yeah it wasn't like next door's but it was a fun little parade, little being the operative word. I think the carstar parade or whatever it's now called as a parade could work well in the small and oddly structured studios as it's just cars (and most of the surfaces there are like flippin' roads anyway), but what this 'event' could be who knows :S

[TweedlDum9]

Originally Posted by tcsnwhite

Interesting you say that, because the rumor is that once Pixar Play Parade finishes at DCA in several more years, it's headed off to WDSP...and this is a full blown parade much bigger than Stars and Motor Cars.

Fizzog, I rather liked the Cinema parade too. I thought the music was great, the quirky 'artsy' concept was interesting, but you could tell that the budget was slashed in a lot of places (movie ushers with giraffe heads, anyone?). They could easily revisit that concept someday at DHS with a full-scale production, though, and it would be a GREAT fit in that park!

[Luke Manning]

Originally Posted by tcsnwhite

Interesting you say that, because the rumor is that once Pixar Play Parade finishes at DCA in several more years, it's headed off to WDSP...and this is a full blown parade much bigger than Stars and Motor Cars.

It's also been rumored that Pixar Play Parade would be going to Hollywood Studios, which is where it was originally designed for, so it going to DHS sounds more likely to me.

[pussnboots]

I too liked the Cinema Parade. The music was great, and the floats weren't awful.

And it wasn't that artsy, was it? Or maybe it's just because I went to art school -- I'm used to a lot worse... But it seemed reasonably accessible.

[Goin2Disneyland]

Pixar Play was not designed for DHS. It was designed for DCA. DHS is planning on keeping BPB for a LONG time...you know how Florida likes to hold on to their parades.