Being too-cute-by-half during audience participation

Image: marada, Flickr (license)

One of the coolest elements of the Disney Parks is how great attractions can last for generations. There are kids, right now, experiencing Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress for the first time whose grandparents rode the original attraction at the 1964 World’s Fair. Rides and shows have a long shelf life, and so some can generate memories that can be passed down from parent to child and on again.

Of course, there are downsides to that stability — namely, the fact some shows and attractions have surprises that just aren’t the same once you’ve heard them.

Audience participation gags tend to be that type of surprise. After you’ve heard it once, you know it’s coming and that ruins the magic. Some Disney superfans try to ward off that malaise by doing or saying goofy things when they know audience participation is coming — whether or not they’re the ones participating.

But, this can sometimes have the negative effect of ruining what makes audience participation so fun in the first place — genuine surprise by the non-actor on stage and the audience upon seeing it. Feigned excitement or quippy one-liners are never as fun as when an overawed audience member gets surprised by something they weren’t expecting.

And so, yes, we all know that punch is coming in Indiana Jones: Epic Stunt Spectacular. That doesn’t mean you should ham it up on stage if you’re an extra while it’s happening. 

Revealing the magic

Image: tinksparkle, Flickr (license)

As Disney superfans, we know a lot about the Disney Parks. We know why the Tower of Terror is the height that is is, or why the Magic Kingdom is technically built on the second floor of the area. We know about Club 33, and we know about Walt’s apartment above Pirates of the Caribbean. We know tons of facts about the parks we love, and we adore sharing them with friends and family so that they might love these parks and attractions too.

However, there are some people who simply don’t want to have Disney overexplained to them. Or, even more importantly, there are sometimes kids around who might not even know how the magic Disney pulls off is actually done.

So, while it may be tempting to share how those dancing ghosts come to life in the Haunted Mansion, or how Disney’s decides which college students get to be the “friend” of Mickey Mouse, we always have to keep the audience in mind. And, beyond that, we have to make sure our voice isn’t carrying somewhere it probably shouldn’t.

Disney is all about the magic — that’s why we all love it. And so, while it can sometimes be fascinating to share how the magic is achieved, we have to keep in mind that magic is never as fun once its secrets are divulged.

None of these habits are truly evil — and, in fact, they’re nearly all borne out of a deep love for the Disney Parks and everything they represent. As superfans, our love of the Disney Parks has beget a ton of knowledge, and that knowledge has bestowed power unto us. And, as that great Disney character once said, with great power comes great responsibility.

As superfans, that applies to us too.