Bright ideas on display at Disney Hollywood Studios
One day, I may be sick of Walt Disney World’s fondness for putting shows up on the sides of iconic theme park buildings. Doctors will call it “projection rejection” or the Latin equivalent.
But don’t call the ambulance yet. I have survived and thrived after the latest round, just for the holiday season and smartly shown at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park upon the Hollywood Tower Hotel. (Calling it “Tower of Terror” would be harsh for a production without “The Nightmare Before Christmas” or Stitch.)
Here’s how the new Sunset Seasons Greetings rolls out. There are four modules in the tower show, says show director Tom Vazzana. Each presentation is about a minute long and preceded by a themed intro on screens closer to street level, about where the park’s faux billboards are stationed.
Then intricate animation pops onto the tower, keeping its general shape yet thoroughly disguising it.
The street décor is synchronized to the music and the images.
“Every lamp post, palm tree and décor has been tied into the whole programmable experience,” Vazzana said. “We wanted to make sure it wasn’t just about the Hollywood Tower Hotel.”
The rotation begins with a Dickensesque segment, transforming the building into a period piece with fireplaces and glowing windows while “Deck the Halls” plays. And if you’ve forgotten where you are, a swirling Mickey head blows through. At the end of each segment’s music, the animation goes into a holding pattern, allowing for subtle movement — strolling pedestrians, blinking lights and so forth — to continue.
The “Toy Story” segment salutes playthings and features stacks of wrapped presents. The tower becomes one giant package with a bow. The aliens trademark “oooh” is matched by the audience, making a fun bit of interaction. I’m always happy to see Andy’s signature cloud wallpaper, and the claw plays a notable role at the end.
The Swedish Chef humorously cooks up a gingerbread tower sequence that made me hungry even before sugary Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy appeared. The following “Frozen” sequence — featuring wreaths and door-todoor caroling — wraps things up.
Or does it? The foursome plays on an endless loop throughout the evening.
“If you took 15 minutes of your time, you could watch all four of them unfold,” Vazzana says. Or you can watch one or two and then go elsewhere in the park.
Projections also are incorporated into the “Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam” show seen on the Chinese Theater for the second season. This year has 75 percent more pyrotechnics, Disney officials say.
“The fireworks are almost 180 degrees, but they’re closer in,” said Phil Holmes, vice president of Hollywood Studios.
“Bam” watching has also been improved by a change to the area where “Star Wars” activities happen, he says.
“The stage now is able to kind of come and go, so that whole area now opens up for viewing,” Holmes says.
Other changes include new retro decorations around Echo Lake and the placement of the park’s large Christmas tree nearby. For years, it has been put up outside the turnstiles.
And a holiday ending has been tacked onto “For the First Time in Forever — A Frozen Sing-along Celebration.” It morphs into a production based on a “Frozen” featurette attached to “Coco,” a Disney animated film that debuts Nov. 22. There’s even a high-kick number featuring an on-stage Olaf, the film’s snowman character.
“It’s just so organically fun, and it gives our guests a chance to be part of a production,” Vazzana says.
The changes come to a theme park in transition. Construction continues on lands devoted to the “Toy Story” and “Star Wars” franchises, and this is the second holiday season without the popular Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
“There’s always things to add,” Holmes says.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com; Twitter: @ThemeParks