The MousePlanet Mailbag is a regular compilation of some of our reader feedback and writer responses that may be of interest to our readers. We encourage you to drop your questions, opinions, or comments to us in care of our mailbag.
This week’s mailbag begins with more response to Andrew Rich’s article, “Light Magic: 10 Years Later.” (link). Our first letter is from retired Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr.
Bob writes:
The whole design effort by most everyone involved in Night Tragic was faulty from the get go. Many efforts were sub-contracted out, and re-subbed even more. A budget limit was set that was way out of whack with what the dreamy original idea was going to need. I was involved for months developing conceptual documents for the float chassis.
At every meeting, more revisions were made, more cuts made, to the point that what was to be a number of floats became a tiny number. This ruined the show stop locations. The artist guys envisioned hopelessly conceived stuff for the floats only to hit a brick wall of reality and cost. Never in all my years from 1954 did I witness a more confused bunch of folks trying to solve a futile idea, and I felt so sorry for them. But I was paid promptly for each invoice.
You may remember that Disney took bids on the local TV show presenting the first run of Night Tragic, that went to Channel 13. Some of the pre-recorded content featured one of the show designer who raptured about his magic expertise. But during a live cut, a small child was asked what he expected to see. He answered “probably not much of nothing at all.” Out of the mouths of babes comes…
Given the result, as seen by Disneyland guests that unhappy summer, somehow your story of the many problems during show development is not too surprising. It is, however, fascinating, and thank you very much for writing and sharing your memories.
Scrooge writes:
I’m really interested in the show Light Magic. I bought the 1997 CD from Walt Disney World where the music of the show was (I’m living in Paris, France). I was looking a lot on the net but I haven’t seen so much only “bad show for 15 weeks.” In fact when I read your message about the 10th anniversary of this “mistake” I’m more interested than ever.
It seems that a lot of concrete building was built… It’s the first time I have heard this. What was the reason of this building? How does the show work? I mean, the MSEP ran in front of guest, but it seems that Light Magic stopped sometimes. What were the fiber optic elements done for the show? I see a little video on YouTube, and the floats seem to be funny lighted with the music.
Why wasn’t this show popular? What was wrong, because the idea seems wonderful… I don’t understand.
The physical construction took place mostly in the “it’s a small world” mall area, from the Matterhorn down to Toontown. It involved building four towers, which housed film projectors, and a terraced viewing area. Also, a bypass walkway was constructed along the east side of the mall. The fiber optics were installed in most of the Main Street building facades and were programmed to pulse and color-change in time with the show’s soundtrack.
The show was essentially a stage show brought out into the street; three or four identical rolling stages were positioned in the viewing area, the music plays, the pixies dance. Why wasn’t it popular? Some discussion of that is currently happening on our MousePad discussion boards in the “Light Magic: 10 Years Later” thread in the Columns General forum (link).
Kirk R. writes:
Thank you for your article on a look back at “Light Magic.” To this day, I still believe that Disneyland’s loss on the wildly popular Main Street Electrical Parade is quite possibly the biggest loss of an E-Ticket experience at Disneyland in the last 20 years. Why MSEP is not revived and given the Tokyo Disneyland Dreamlights level of sophistication is beyond me. As many readers have said before, MSEP over at DCA was not as magical, it wasn’t designed for that venue. If Disney really wants to bring in the crowds, forget the forgetful Year of a Million Dreams, and give us back our festival pageant of sparkling lights in synthoelectromagnetic musical sound. Also, I recall in the fall of 1996 when I was in my final year of Architecture and Film school at USC, I was taking a class in Art Direction. My instructor was well connected in Hollywood and I remember him telling our class (month’s before it’s premier) that this new “Light Magic” show Disney had planned was a train wreck and would not hold a candle to the MSEP. Hence, I never did see it when it premiered, and unfortunately, he was absolutely right.
Thanks for writing and sharing your thoughts and memories. I find it interesting that your instructor had an advance word on Light Magic’s eventual failure, and especially that his Hollywood connections would lead him to that conclusion. The general opinion among the online Disney fanbase (Usenet newsgroups alt.disney.disneyland and rec.arts.disney.parks, mostly) was very promising, though of course that did a 180 after the disastrous AP premiere party.
Since you said you’d never been able to see the show, I went to YouTube and found this clip of the finale. (link)
Patrick G. writes:
I was looking forward to reading your Light Magic article featured on MousePlanet 11 May. Unfortunately, I found only disappointment.
I didn’t visit Disneyland while Light Magic was running and I didn’t frequent Disney UseNet groups at the time. “Finally,” I thought, “I’ll find out what all the wrinkled noses and thumbs-down were about.” Alas, no.
In your article, you say “…there were technical problems and miscues aplenty.” That’s a good topic sentence for what would be a great descriptive paragraph. Unfortunately, it ended there. What kinds of miscues and technical problems were there? How about some examples.
You also point out Disney executives eventually realized Light Magic was a failure. Specifically, why was it a failure? What was it about the show which people so disliked? You mentioned some took offense at including part of the Main Street Electrical Parade soundtrack. That’s a good start, but again, readers need details and examples.
Your article was a fine introduction for what could have, and should have, been an informative article detailing the failings of Light Magic and lessons Disney executives can learn from the experience.
Your Light Magic article ended before it even got going. I now look forward to seeing a follow-up.
Thanks for writing and for expressing your disappointment that the “Light Magic – 10 Years Later” article didn’t recount the history of the show. I think you’ve seen the follow-up on MousePad (link) where some of that history is being discussed. There were a lot of people at the AP premiere party, and if you asked ten of them you’d get ten different answers as to why the show failed. As to a follow-up article, it’s a possibility. I’m going through my photo archives from those years and may yet have more to say on the topic. Again, thanks for writing.
Our next letter is in response to the touring Nemo sub bus and comes from reader, Gina, who writes:
Per the Disneyland website it says [the Nemo bus] will be making a stop in Sacramento, But when I went to check the location all the info is for a Chevron in Stockton, even the Zip code is in Stockton, Can you help to clarify which one it will visit. Thanks!
Yes, it certainly appears that the Disneyland Web site page listing dates, times and locations for the Nemo Dream Mobile Tour (link) is mistaken for the May 24, 2007 stop. The address is for a Chevron station in Stockton, but the city is shown as Sacramento. We’ll note this discrepancy in our Disneyland Resort update page on MousePlanet.com.
Next, reader Diana B. writes to Marathon Guide editor Lani Teshima asking about Disney endurance sports events.
I’m interested in running in the Walt Disney World mini marathon. Is there one scheduled for 2008?
Walt Disney World holds several different endurance sporting events. Their hallmark event is the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half-Marathon, which are held in the first few weeks of January every year. In addition, Disney also holds an event called the Minnie Marathon, with Minnie Mouse as its icon.
I’m not sure whether you are asking about the Half-Marathon held in January or the Minnie Marathon 15k run held in April. Regardless, Disney does schedule these as annual events, for your planning purposes.
Of note though, is that the Minnie Marathon may be getting longer, and turning into a half-marathon in the future.
My Marathon Guide article from January (link) is a good place to start for getting an overview of what’s available, and when.
Happy running!
Finally, staff writer Stephanie Wien answers a question in response to her recent article, “Invasion of the Purple People.” (link). Meredith writes:
I’m thinking of participating in a half-marathon to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Could you please tell me the minimum amount I would need to raise?
That’s great that you’re thinking of doing Team in Training! The amount you will need to fundraise depends on your geographic location as well as what race you’re doing. Basically, the variation is due to the differences in race registration fees and travel costs.
Have you gone to the Team In Training (link) Web site? My suggestion would be to go there and find out when an info session will be held in your area. The staff members there will provide you with the information on fundraising.
