If I had to summarise Carnivale in a few short thoughts, the feeling I took away from the night was one of deep gratification and amazement. The last time I was this tickled pink by a park’s performance was back in 2012 at Tokyo DisneySea, and I fealt Carnivale delivered in almost every way.
New for 2014, Carnivale is the latest addition to Movie World’s line-up of annual events aimed to add value to Village Roadshow’s season passes. It’s inspired by the kind of bead-throwing, food-overload all night long parties you’d find in New Orleans each year.
From the minute you walk in, you get the immediate sensation that Movie World has set the bar really, really high. The signage was vast, the lighting was immense, and the sound was enveloping. Never have I seen so many street performers in a park in such a small space. Even for someone who doesn’t particularly stop to watch performances or shows, you had to pause and admire what Movie World had done during the course of the night – it wasn’t just the sheer number of performers out there delighting guests, you really felt that everyone, from the food team to the ride operators to the actual performers really, really gave a shit about making the night a success, and enjoyed being there.
I walked away from the evening feeling incredibly fulfilled – I thought Fright Nights were great but this was on another level. It was electric – there was this perfect combination of entertainment, food and staple attractions that made the night incredibly memorable. Carnivale has finished now for 2014 but has been confirmed for 2015. In saying that, if Carnivale is any indicator, this year’s Fright Nights and White Christmas events (all of which is included the park’s premium passes) will be events you can’t miss.
