Pop music back on International Street

[Creed Bratton]

It won't be back this year or next year....maybe next year if enough folks actually visit guest relations and write in (contact us form on the website or letter) stating their desire to have the music back. Til then....you can enjoy the sounds of Justin Bieber and many other pop music stars.

[BeeastFarmer]

8 minutes ago, chugh43 said:

It won't be back this year or next year....maybe next year if enough folks actually visit guest relations and write in (contact us form on the website or letter) stating their desire to have the music back. Til then....you can enjoy the sounds of Justin Bieber and many other pop music stars.

And that makes me really sad.  

[txdrummer]

2 hours ago, chugh43 said:

It won't be back this year or next year....maybe next year if enough folks actually visit guest relations and write in (contact us form on the website or letter) stating their desire to have the music back. Til then....you can enjoy the sounds of Justin Bieber and many other pop music stars.

Pop music=noise, noise, noise. I go to Kings Island to relax and enjoy some escapism if you will. Now having to tense up and try to block out the pop noise puts me in the wrong state of mind from the moment I get out of my car in the parking lot. Having no escape from the noise just wears me down and makes that wrong state of mind even worse.

[Outdoor Man]

Guest Experience 101 has foundations at the gate as you:

• pass through the gate
• see the fountains
• see the Eiffel Tower
• Coasters in the background
• "International" buildings (with non-international fare within...)
• Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, etc... on the music roll.

Which doesn't belong?  Goes right up there with:

• Chinese (fast) food in the German Themed Festhaus
• Hank's Mexican in Oktoberfest
• I like Diamondback- but if it's in "Rivertown" how hard would it have been to have a name reflecting it?
• Again with Mystic Timbers...  great coaster, great theming, if not a tone tone deaf for the "themed area"
• Soccer Game stand (because nothing screams a 18th/19th century Rivertown like Soccer.

[King Ding Dong]

1 hour ago, Dwight_Schrute said:

Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, etc... on the music roll.

Bieber is Canadian, wish he had stayed but I digress.  

[BlondyRidesOn]

6 hours ago, Dwight_Schrute said:

Guest Experience 101 has foundations at the gate as you:

• pass through the gate
• see the fountains
• see the Eiffel Tower
• Coasters in the background
• "International" buildings (with non-international fare within...)
• Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, etc... on the music roll.

Which doesn't belong?  Goes right up there with:

• Chinese (fast) food in the German Themed Festhaus
• Hank's Mexican in Oktoberfest
• I like Diamondback- but if it's in "Rivertown" how hard would it have been to have a name reflecting it?
• Again with Mystic Timbers...  great coaster, great theming, if not a tone tone deaf for the "themed area"
• Soccer Game stand (because nothing screams a 18th/19th century Rivertown like Soccer.

I wouldn't be against more international food on International Street. They sell French Elephant Eats in Rivertown, so it would make sense to sell them on International Street, maybe in the stand near Yogurt Plus in the French building, but that would depend on how popular they are in Rivertown.

[OldieButGoodie]

On ‎9‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 10:34 PM, chugh43 said:

@Mrs. No Chickens was told on Saturday evening by an associate in guest services that the music was turned off for Haunt and that it'd be back for next season.....not too long after I voiced my concern at Guest Services (with no such information). Totally blowing smoke up Mrs. No Chicken's back....yes please voice your concern in writing whether it be the contact us form on the website or an actual letter.

There I was, reading the thread and thinking exactly this. They play (have always played, I think) the same s/t across the park during Haunt. Makes perfect sense that they simply switched it over for the upcoming event. Happy to hear this - the non-pop-music format was a pleasant break from the rest of the park. I liked the area theming of long ago much better!

[Voicetek]

Not sure why they'd switch the music back for Haunt a whole month before.  Doesn't seem like something that should take a whole month to do.  Heck, if they switched from instrumental music back to pop basically from one weekend to the next, if it was for Haunt, why'd they make the switch so soon? I'm not sure I'm buying this whole "it was turned off for Haunt" explanation.  It just doesn't add up for me.

[Mystic.Timber1]

I asked my supervisor is they will bring back the orchestral music to I street and they will for Winterfest. And during haunt it will be spooky theme music.

[Voicetek]

I'm hoping that they'll play some kind of instrumental Christmas music for Winterfest. 

My wife and I were down at Disney last November and when we visited Epcot, they were playing Instrumental Christmas music and it was amazing!  I'm not sure what album it was (or if it was various albums), but the music was excellent and it really set the mood. Especially walking around Epcot at night and seeing the lights and hearing the music!  I'd love to hear something similar to that at Winterfest this year.

[OldieButGoodie]

1 hour ago, Voicetek said:

Not sure why they'd switch the music back for Haunt a whole month before.  Doesn't seem like something that should take a whole month to do.  Heck, if they switched from instrumental music back to pop basically from one weekend to the next, if it was for Haunt, why'd they make the switch so soon? I'm not sure I'm buying this whole "it was turned off for Haunt" explanation.  It just doesn't add up for me.

There is much to do, much to test, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I think it makes sense that it might have switched from a separate soundtrack to the 'park-wide' one beforehand, since they closed for daily ops and began haunt setup at the end of August, and are closed to the public until September 22.

Plan B will be to use earbuds and listen to my own stuff, if they don't revert to the IStreet music next year!

[txdrummer]

The earbuds will only work until you board a ride. The policy apparently is that no earbuds or headphones are allowed. I have witnessed on more than one occasion a delay in dispatch times due to some one having earbuds in.

[Outdoor Man]

A great (short) read on immersing guests into an "experience" that keeps them coming back vs mis-matching and seeing things go stale.  

As I read it I think of the I-Street Music, then... queue for Boo Blasters; any mystique created as you enter is lost with the "brighter-than-sunlight" screens playing "Cash-Coaster," find the hidden whatever, etc...  and a host of effects that don't work.  "International" Street, and probably in a few years- Mystic Timbers (which, meanwhile well-themed- out of the box, didn't fit a Rivertown theme).

https://disneyinstitute.com/blog/2016/03/exceptional-service-delivery-a-lesson-from-the-jungle-cruise/?CMP=SOC-DI-Blog-LessonFromJungleCruise-03-15-16

 

[Creed Bratton]

53 minutes ago, OldieButGoodie said:

There is much to do, much to test, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I think it makes sense that it might have switched from a separate soundtrack to the 'park-wide' one beforehand, since they closed for daily ops and began haunt setup at the end of August, and are closed to the public until September 22.

Plan B will be to use earbuds and listen to my own stuff, if they don't revert to the IStreet music next year!

I can guarantee that it was not to test it (as it had been done previously) and it's a permanent change for the foreseeable future. I cannot give exact specifics but I can say that the decision was not made in relation to Haunt set up or any other special events. 

1 hour ago, Mystic.Timber1 said:

I asked my supervisor is they will bring back the orchestral music to I street and they will for Winterfest. And during haunt it will be spooky theme music.

If you are a current employee, please know that even something as small as this, you can get in trouble for posting information that hasn't been released or witnessed by guests yet. Please be careful, I do know a few who have been terminated for posting on online forums such as this for posting information that hasn't been released. 

[BeeastFarmer]

I haven't been to the park since last month and this still stings.

[silver2005]

I actually have to side with the park on this decision.  The park deals with drastically different demographics during the Haunt season than from April-September (I don't see many families going during Haunt), so I feel its appropriate to change the music as well.  As long as it's back in April, I'm fine with this move for that purpose.  

[Magenta Lizard]

I don't think you understand. The whole "we changed it back in preparation for Haunt" was what /one/ person was told at Guest Services in an effort to get her to leave happy, by an employee who had no real options to actually give or control over what goes on with the music. It differs wildly from what /other/ people were told, when they visited GS. It is not something that actually makes any sense as a reason, nor is there any reason to believe the orchestral music will /actually/ return next summer. Winterfest most likely will have its own themed park-wide soundtrack. 

If you liked the music, write the park! Even if you believe what I think is BS, that it was "changed a month early for Haunt." If no one officially, in writing, lets the park know how much they liked the orchestral music, they could still very easily decide to scrap it for next year!

[MDMC01]

17 hours ago, Outdoor Man said:

A great (short) read on immersing guests into an "experience" that keeps them coming back vs mis-matching and seeing things go stale.  

...

https://disneyinstitute.com/blog/2016/03/exceptional-service-delivery-a-lesson-from-the-jungle-cruise/?CMP=SOC-DI-Blog-LessonFromJungleCruise-03-15-16

 

Great article!

[OldieButGoodie]

Fascinating to see the various reactions and opinions (since nobody really knows...)

I see it as perfectly reasonable, the original post was at the end of August, they had one opening weekend before closed to park sell-out events, during which they migrate to Haunt for the 22 September launch. Not really 'a month early' in my view, but your mileage may vary and everybody is entitled to their own opinion (although disparaging remarks are uncalled for).

If they don't return to the music we all seem to like next year, I'll definitely write a letter.

Until then, I think I'll enjoy the Haunt and worry about the summer season music when we're back in summer season. 

I'm psyched for this year's haunt!

 

[Creed Bratton]

Fascinating to see the various reactions and opinions (since nobody really knows...)
I see it as perfectly reasonable, the original post was at the end of August, they had one opening weekend before closed to park sell-out events, during which they migrate to Haunt for the 22 September launch. Not really 'a month early' in my view, but your mileage may vary and everybody is entitled to their own opinion (although disparaging remarks are uncalled for).
If they don't return to the music we all seem to like next year, I'll definitely write a letter.
Until then, I think I'll enjoy the Haunt and worry about the summer season music when we're back in summer season. 
I'm psyched for this year's haunt!
 

Really no one knows? I hate to tell you, but myself and 2 others know for sure since we put together the instrumental music for I-Street and have been told that it won’t be back unless people write in.

It is a done deal unless folks write in. So don’t wait until it doesn’t happen next year because then it’ll be too late. Little does anyone know we had been asked by some management to make another playlist to add in addition to what was already playing but that had since been scrapped.

It was scrapped a month early to consider it for Haunt reasons. During sell out days, they don’t play Haunt music so that excuse is invalid (it was made from a seasonal employee as additional evidence because most seasonal employees don’t get to know or hear decision reasoning).

This here is not an opinion, it is fact.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[VortexBFForever]

Well, I already went to Guest Services twice back on Labor Day weekend to comment about the music. I feel like I don't have to do anything more at this point because I don't want to go over the top and go to Guest Services too much.

But I still really, really hope the instrumental music comes back next season. I'm missing it to the point that I choke up every time one of those wonderful songs plays in my mind's ear (especially the Cider House Rules track, the Reivers theme, Aquarium (from Carnival of the Animals), and especially La Vie En Rose, my favorite!).  

-BFF, who heard "Aquarium" while walking down I-Street after closing one night and experienced a truly magical, out-of-this-park feeling -- especially with the colorfully lit fountains.  

And, I need to add this. In bold. The instrumental music always put me in the best mood when I arrived at the park for work, which in turn made me even more excited to work! Any nerves or stress I had walking in would be gone by the time I reached the Eiffel Tower. That relaxed "ahhh" mood, along with an exciting day awaiting at Vortex, was/is the epitome of every morning I come to work. Sure, I can live with the pop music, but we do not need it everywhere, especially since one can listen to ALL of those pop songs on the radio, unlike the instrumental music which would require a bit more searching to listen to when away from the park.

 I am planning to return as an associate next season. I honestly have no idea if walking into the park to pop music every day will have a benefit anywhere close to if I walked in to the uplifting tune of "Rhapsody in Blue" or the slow waltz of Billy Vaughn's "Fascination" that makes me want to dance under the cloudless morning sky without a care in the world. I really hope I don't have to find out or else I will probably be relying on my morning test ride on Vortex a little more than usual to help cheer things up if I feel down!

[Thrill_Biscuit]

It's over. We can't go back. The lovely music was nice when it lasted, and we all have our memories of it. That's where it will stay. It's just an amusement park -- a money-making enterprise that attracts masses of people who seem to care less and less about theming and ambiance as they adjust their virtual environment with their phones... each in a different, custom world of their own as they seek to satisfy whatever daily "need" tickles their individual fancy. The wonder is no longer shared, so why present it that way?

[OldieButGoodie]

18 hours ago, chugh43 said:

 

Really no one knows? I hate to tell you, but myself and 2 others know for sure since we put together the instrumental music for I-Street and have been told that it won’t be back unless people write in.

It is a done deal unless folks write in. So don’t wait until it doesn’t happen next year because then it’ll be too late. Little does anyone know we had been asked by some management to make another playlist to add in addition to what was already playing but that had since been scrapped.

It was scrapped a month early to consider it for Haunt reasons. During sell out days, they don’t play Haunt music so that excuse is invalid (it was made from a seasonal employee as additional evidence because most seasonal employees don’t get to know or hear decision reasoning).

This here is not an opinion, it is fact.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Sorry to hear this, I liked the I-street music you and the others put together, but apparently we may be in the minority on this.

The suggestion that they were migrating to the park was not meant as an 'excuse', just a plausible theory, and I'm sorry if that offended you in some way.

The park has done many things that disappointed me over the years, and several that delighted me. I'll put this one in the disappointment category, and move on.

[VortexBFForever]

Maybe it's a good thing I have a hankering to go back to Kings Dominion in the next season or two. I do remember enjoying their instrumental music during my visit back in 2012.

[chad_1138]

Instrumental music is back!!!  Halloween themes this time!!!!!

[gforce1994]

2 hours ago, chad_1138 said:

Instrumental music is back!!!  Halloween themes this time!!!!!

And this info “came in like a wrecking ball”!

[silver2005]

What kinds of Halloween music is on the track list?  The usual Haunt tracks or some new stuff?

[Magenta Lizard]

I didn't hear anything new compared to previous years. 

When I got in the lot last night and heard the Haunt music, it occurred to me that having something other than Pop during this part of the year is one of the things that makes it extra special.

Just like having instrumentals on International Street.

[silver2005]

Some Danse Macabre or Hall of the Mountain King on I-Street would be pretty epic.  

[BlondyRidesOn]

During the day, non Haunt hours, it would have been cool to hear the main theme to Ghostbusters by Elmer Bernstein on International Street. That's an instrumental piece with a lightly spooky sound to it.