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• Jim, my thought for the news this week, since we’re recording in advance and don’t know what’s going to be announced, is to have our listeners shout out the news, and us record our reactions.

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Patents:

Real quick on patents: Laurel got a Playstation last week, and has been playing the heck out of Disney’s Dreamlight Valley. And that got me thinking about all those patents Disney has for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, that they’re not really doing anything with yet. Or are they? I’ll talk all about this on an upcoming show.

Cinderellabration Feature Piece

This week marks the one year anniversary of the return of the “Festival of Fantasy” parade at WDW’s Magic Kingdom. Originally launched at that theme park back in March of 2014. Was supposed to shine a spotlight on all the stories that were now being told in the (back-then-anyway) newly expanded Fantasyland.

“Festival of Fantasy” got shuttered back in March 12, 2020 due to the pandemic. When the Magic Kingdom re-opened on July 11th of that same year, no parades. Character cavalcades. One float with characters periodically would roll through the Park.

March 9, 2022, that changed. A pared down version of “Festival of Fantasy” began rolling through the Magic Kingdom again. Great to see all that energy & excitement in the streets again (Lucky to get that back as soon as we did. Disneyland’s “Magic Happens” parade – after it shut down less than two weeks after debuting in March of 2020 – only just came back to the Happiest Place on Earth late last month. On Sunday, February 26th to be exact. Canceled for two days in a row due to weird wet weather).

What’s always fascinated me about “Festival of Fantasy” is that two of the units in this parade – the Princess Garden (towards the front of the parade, featuring Belle & the Beast, Cinderella & Prince Charming, Princess Tiana & Prince Navine along with Anna Elsa) and the Mickey’s Airship & finale unit (this is the giant whale-shaped float towards the back of the parade) are actually units that were recycled from Tokyo Disneyland’s “Jubliation!” parade. Which rolled through that theme park from April of 2008 to Spring of 2013 to honor Tokyo Disneyland’s 25th anniversary.

Talked with the team that was involved with getting these two units from Tokyo to Orlando. Crazy amount of dismantling & assembling. Not to mention the challenges of getting a 90 foot-long whale through Customs.

Not the first time a Tokyo show came to Orlando. Cinderellabration.

“Cinderellabration: Lights of Romance” (which was also known as “Cinderella's Royal Coronation”) started out as something that was done at Tokyo Disneyland in the Winters of 2003 – 2008 in an effort to boost attendance during the colder times of year. That wind coming off of Tokyo Bay can be fierce at times.

Also remember that – starting in 2003 – Tokyo Disneyland finally had competition, what with Tokyo DisneySea opening right next door. So the thinking was “Let’s do something special over at Tokyo Disneyland to then try & lure Guests from Tokyo DisneySea.”

Elaborate outdoor pageant staged in & around Tokyo Disneyland’s version of Cinderella Castle. Showed a moment never before seen in the Disney animated film from 1950. Cinderella's royal crowning.

Emphasis here was on pageantry & spectacle. Fairy Godmother welcomes all from the central balcony at the Castle. Asks if everyone knows the story of Cinderella… then she asks if you'd like to see the rest of the story, her being crowned Princess.

First the invited guests (dancers) are presented. Then some of the special guests are introduced. These are all the Princesses and their Princes: Snow White and her Prince, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and her Prince, Jasmine and Aladdin and Belle and the Beast).

Mickey Mouse and his friends, the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts, Lady Tremaine and her daughters were the only characters that didn't appear in the Florida version.

It is time for Cinderella to finally be crowned. Cinderella appears in a horse drawn carriage with her mice. She is then crowned by the King.

Cinderella is asked if there’s anything that could be done to make this day better. She then wishes that the woman who made this all possible – her Fairy Godmother – could have been there for this. Fairy Godmother reappears on balcony. Daytime fireworks.

Only 18 minutes long. Could be staged several times a day. Guests really loved this show at Tokyo.

Folks prepping Happiest Homecoming (Disneyland’s 50th birthday celebration for 2005) noticed. Were looking for ways to tie Disneyland’s 50th back to WDW. Which – in Florida – would be called the Happiest Celebration. Gimmick was Dsineyland is celebrating its birthday but the visitors to Florida get the gifts.

• Lights, Motors, Action: Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Soarin’ at Epcot
• Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• and finally – for the Magic Kingdom – a stateside version of Cinderellabration

Kind of a gimmee. Given that both Tokyo Disneyland as well as the Magic Kingdom at WDW both had a Cinderella Castle at their center. Easy enough to translate this Japanese show with all of its princess pageantry to Florida.

Opening date: March 17, 2005

Closing date: September 16, 2006 (Replaced by the “Dream Along with Mickey” show out in front of the Castle. Changed out not because “Cinderellabration” wasn’t still drawing crowds. Because it was. But – rather – because “Dream Along with Mickey” had a smaller cast and was cheaper to produce).

Disney noticed something. As “Cinderellabration” ended, dozens of Guests would gather at the back of the Castle and squeal as four Disney Princesses – Belle, Snow White, Cinderella & Jasmine (along with the lady of the hour, Cinderella) all made their way down into the Utilidors. They begged for autographs / to get their picture taken with all 5 princesses.

You have to remember that Disney Princesses had only been launched as a brand back in 2001 by then Diney Consyumet Popductsvhead Andy Mooney. But – by 2006 – it was now a $3 billion a year earner. So the company was now looking for additional ways to capitalize on this IP.

The idea that Guests got very excited when they saw lots of Disney princesses all together in one spot stuck. Entertainment & Disney Consumer Products revisited this idea.

These special coronation ceremonies started in 2010 when Tiana was first established as a princess. Rapunzel soon followed in 2011.Special Coronation to Introduce Princess Merida April 29, 2013

Talk of turning “Snow White’s Scary Adventure” at WDW’s Magic Kingdom into a “Disney Princess’ ride. Different princess in each room of that attraction.

May 31, 2012 – “Snow White’s Scary Adventure” closes to make way for “Disney Princess Fairytale Hall.”

September 18, 2013 – Fairytale Hall opens. Cinderella & a visiting princess. Tiana & a visiting princess. “Visting princess” made it easier to schedule breaks for these face characters.

November 2013 – Anna & Elsa meet n greet at Norway pavilion

Summer 2014 – Frozen Summer Fun

June 2016 – Frozen Ever After & Anna & Elsa’s Summerhaus in Norway

This year – Frozen Land at Hong Kong Disneyland

2024 – Frozen Land at Tokyo Disneyland & Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris

“Frozen 3” just announced. Really need to talk about how these characters turbo-charged Disney Princesses in the Parks at some point.

Merida, from Brave, will officially become Disney’s 11th Princess in a royal coronation that is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 11, at 9:30 am at Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.

She will join her fellow princesses, Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Tiana, and Rapunzel, all of whom will likely join her on stage. She will be the first Pixar Princess ever. This special event is a part of the Limited Time Magic Festivities for the week.

These special coronation ceremonies started in 2010 when Tiana was first established as a princess. Rapunzel soon followed in 2011.