Grinchmas 2013 Official

[Jon Fu]

I understand that Allen, but my point was that it seems like a snippet of what the entire event is about. I get the fascination with snow, but I've always found snow play areas to be rather pitiful - especially in Southern California.


Different strokes for different folks.

 

[BehindTheTheme]

The event had relied on the tree lighting and snow play area as its thing to do when attending Grinchmas. I think we will be getting less show and snow but more festive deco. I will be attending this Sat and well let you guys know how it goes. Park Hours 9a-9p.

 

[TSTLSOOM]

or this is just a marketing ploy. I can already see the ads next year," THE SNOW IS BACK"

 

[Miss Betty Juice]

Personally I was over it after five minutes. Yay shaved ice! And then I was like, it's cold and wet and I want hot chocolate.

 

[Ryan]

I'm telling ya, the snow play area is massively popular and something unique that they don't offer at Knott's or Disney. Are they offering a snow play area in CityWalk?

 

[Jon Fu]

Grinchmas 2013 photo update: http://insideuniversal.net/2013/11/grinchmas-2013-florence-henderson-awarded-who-manitarian-of-the-year/

 

[Allen The Actor]

I'm telling ya, the snow play area is massively popular and something unique that they don't offer at Knott's or Disney. Are they offering a snow play area in CityWalk?

It was super popular and unique. The amount of smiles, laughter and joy I saw the snow play area bring to kids and families was so heartwarming. I personally also enjoyed it.

 

[Jon Fu]

Well, this year's opening ceremony went off...interestingly.


Maybe Chris or Bruce would be willing to elaborate how the event played out.

 

[Chris]

I always hated the snow playground.  I have worked it and been a guest in it.  Hated both.  Its nice to see, but a pain to manage.  I'm glad the snow is gone.

This year's press event was a mess.  Not the overall design and scope, which is still lacking from last year, but the sound failed in the middle of the performance which you will see in the youtube video soon.  The actors went into "improv" mode and had to work around it.  They got out of sync and you can see the result.  Only those of us who know the show would catch it though.

 

[Jon Fu]

I just find it oddly funny that Hollywood seems to be saddled with all these technical glitches. Seems like they just can't catch a break with anything they do.


I'd love to be the fly in the room post-Grinchmas to see what the discussion sounds like between the managers.


Edit: The sound problems were painful to watch. Just kept going and going and going...

 

[Jon Fu]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/i1ortwZ5Gh8?feature=oembed
Audio goes out at 1:45. It's difficult to watch, but props to the crew for going with the flow!

 

[Allen The Actor]

My oh my, that was painful to watch. Props to the cast for keeping it together but holy crap, that was painful!!!!!

One thing I don't get....why can't they have a small tree lighting show ONCE a night? Like....not as big as before but just sing a song or two, get the Grinch to dedicate lighting the tree, and light it up. Do it once instead of a few times. I understand no snow but...no SHOW is just pathetic.

 

[Jon Fu]

I'm secretly hoping that they have a few unannounced tree lighting ceremonies per day. I guess we'll see.

 

[BruceTheShark]

We definitely heard some gripes from certain management who were all positioned behind us once the show ended.

 

[Jon Fu]

I'm secretly hoping that they have a few unannounced tree lighting ceremonies per day. I guess we'll see.

I was sort of right with this prediction. They are holding unadvertised tree lighting ceremonies - and for good reason.

While the show is cute as always, the entire performance felt very strange. They're still lighting the tree, but there doesn't seem to be any coherent plot. For starters, the Grinch never actually appears on stage, but rather in a separate plot of Plaza as part of the existing Whoville photo opportunity set. It took a while for the audience to realize that the Grinch was actually behind them, and by the time they found out, he had practically disappeared.

At the end, I was completely baffled and the audience didn't seem to take it well. The entire show was two minutes and it was basically a glorified backlot experience. I took a bad iPhone video that I'll try to upload later tonight so you can make some sense of what I'm trying to describe, but believe me when I say that the entire setup felt very odd.

 

[Allen The Actor]

So......hear me out, but I'm PREEEEETTY sure that the bits of rock work next to the Grinchmas tree and right behind the Grinch's red "dump shoot" transportation thingy is pieces from the now extinct Curse of the Mummy's Tomb! Looks EXACTLY like it! The construction, the look of it, the quality of it, etc. Maybe they saved a piece of it afterall!


The rock work wasn't even actual rock work, it was more like sculpted very thin rock work over some sort of sheet. Very primitive.

 

[Jon Fu]

^ Maybe. Sure looks like the set they placed in front of the Mummy's tomb a few years back.

Here's an impromptu video of the tree lighting ceremony:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/YruLc2eQ0_Y?feature=oembed

 

[Allen The Actor]

The set pieces are the exact ones they used for the Mt. Krumpit Overlay a few years ago. But the actual rock work sheets and rocks look like ones from the Mummy tunnel, both in color and texture! Nice that it was preserved.

 

[k_peek_2000]

Oh man I miss last year's setup.

 

[Jon Fu]

I guess the decision to do a scaled back event worked out in the end...the streets were packed today. Hard to imagine what an actual show would do.