So after seeing the two nighttime shows...
World of Color: One - The show has its moments, or shall I say, segments. Particularly the Soul, Moana and Mulan segments. And there lies one of the issues I have with this show, it just feels like a selection of segments and nothing that feels tied together in one nice package. It feels like it's missing a through-line, and with the show having multiple hard fade-to-black pauses, there's no real flow to the show and it doesn't come together. It just comes off like a clip show, which for me is one of WoC's main weaknesses as many variations (including the original) can feel like one at times. But for One, it feels the most apparent as a clip show.
Another thing of note is the music. I do like the original song, and while I appreciate they're using songs that aren't as widely represented in films, there's a catch-22 to that. While the songs can be great supplemental material, the show is trying to use them as anchor songs...and they're just not strong enough to be anchors.
All in all, it's a mixed bag.
Wonderous Journey, however...this one's a winner! I was curious to see how they would pull it off with them touting this'll feature all the animated films, since in all honesty, that could be clip show territory right there. But the end result is something that doesn't feel like a clip show, it's a nice show that flows well with great transitions, delivers some nice moments and wraps it up in a nice package.
Music-wise, I like the original song as well, but the show really shines with its medleys. The "I want..." medley is a big highlight, and one I didn't know I wanted until I heard it! Hat's off to the composers since those aren't the easiest things to pull off, but they did! It's a fun way to reutilize the big hits than just playing them outright like most of the shows do.
Overall, I really like this show. For me it's one of the better anniversary shows done stateside in a while, which is good considering I was starting to get a tad worried with the less than stellar nighttime shows the company has been putting out.
And friggin Treasure Planet, come on!
They really should be commended for the fact that Treasure Planet provides the one of the big highlights with the projections.