March Magic
During the month of March, Disney participates in its own tournament: March Magic. I was overjoyed when this was first announced back in 2014, as I was very familiar with each of the attractions involved. The “tournament” works as follows:
There are two sides, the east and the west. The east is, of course, Walt Disney World, while the west is Disneyland. Each side has an assortment of magic-making experiences pitted against each other in one glorified popularity contest. There is no real prize for the championship “team,” nor is there any sort of reward (or even acknowledgement) for creating a successful bracket. This competition exists purely for Disney enthusiasts, like myself, to get an opportunity to root for their favorite ride or show and maybe even attempt to predict the outcomes in a bracket of their own.
The first time I participated in March Magic, I made my bracket based on what I believed were the better attractions…this was a mistake. If you want an accurate bracket, don’t do this. It only leads to long, drawn-out rants about the people of the world who share a strong conviction that Maelstrom should beat out any other attraction. Really…why would that ever happen? I don’t care if it was up against Captain EO, the Mark Twain River Boat, or waiting in line for the restroom…a Maelstrom victory should just not happen. I will never understand that ride’s popularity.
So last year, I decided to make predictions based on patterns I observed from 2014, in addition to experiences which I thought deserved a win. I got pretty into it, I’ll admit. I kept up to date with my bracket, I voted for the teams I picked, and I followed along on Facebook and Instagram religiously to hear about the latest victor. I even bought my favorite attraction’s T-Shirt: Gracey Manor Ghouls.
This being to represent the Haunted Mansion found in Walt Disney World. Sidenote: I have not been to DL since they added the Hat Box Ghost, so I am fairly certain they would take over as my new favorite attraction; I had to stay with my roots down in Florida, though. Not only is the Haunted Mansion my favorite attraction, it was the one I believed to be victorious that year. It was up against some fairly easy -to-beat opponents, and it’s an attraction with a huge fan base, so it really did stand a chance that year.
When it came down to the finals, it was Gracey Manor Ghouls against the Space Mountain Blast annnnd… Gracey Manor Ghouls came our to be the champions! I cannot explain to you how irrationally excited I was. There was absolutely no reason for me to have bragging rights — no one I knew had made their own bracket, and I didn’t have anywhere near a perfect bracket. It was just the fact that I picked the winning team (and I had the t-shirt to prove it)! The t-shirt really makes it, I think. It’s fun to represent the winning team, and since I have ZERO athletic ability of my own (unless you count corn hole), this was a big deal for me. I told you: irrational.
This year, in order to retain my “winning streak”, and a busy life, I neglected to fill out a March Magic bracket. Well, partially so I can’t lose, and partially because they have added some new attractions, and I honestly had no idea how well these new additions would do. I had no idea that Haunted Mansion Holiday would hold its own for as long as it has. It’s a version of the attraction that I adore, but I have heard that others can’t stand it. I happen to think the clash of the two worlds makes complete sense and is a genius way for Jack Skellington to be incorporated into the parks for longer than simply Halloween celebrations, but I could see how fans of the true Haunted Mansion could have a different opinion…
All in all, March Magic is worth a play if you’ve ever been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World and taken part in any of the attractions in the tournament. You don’t have to try to predict others — it’s fun just seeing how you would really rank your favorites! Think of it this way: you only have one Fastpass to use for the entire day; which ride to you get it for? You can get your brackets here. The finals are tomorrow, April 5, but give it a try (without googling to see who really won) and see how your favorites stack up! Happy bracket making!!
