The Hub heavily emphasized the event while promoting the episode in a coronation-themed advertising sweepstakes campaign, which included a special concert event featuring Miss America 2013 winner Mallory Hagan, and a nine-episode marathon that preceded the episode's premiere.

Similarly, a significant fraction of the show's fandom called the transformation a "jump the shark" moment.

Twilight Sparkle awakens one morning to find that her friends' cutie marks and duties around Ponyville have swapped: Rarity's creativity in doing Rainbow Dash's weather control causes havoc around town; Rainbow is unable to tame Fluttershy's animals; Fluttershy's attempts to throw Pinkie Pie's parties disappoint Ponyville's residents, who become grumpy and tetchy; Pinkie has difficulties working on Applejack's farm, where her apple trees are now bare and blackened; and Applejack's dressmaking skills are awful, forcing her to close Rarity's boutique.

However, inspired by Spike's compassion, Twilight realizes that if she shows her friends their true destinies and reminds them their meaning to each other, she may be able to reverse the spell.

Her friends are amazed and happily welcome her change, while Celestia announces that Twilight is no longer her student, but a princess who has demonstrated leadership and other positive attributes during her stay in Ponyville.

[5] On February 9, 2013, The Hub held a "Coronation Concert" in Los Angeles to promote the episode, hosted by Miss America 2013 special guest star Mallory Hagan.

Despite stating that she was more of a Strawberry Shortcake fan growing up, Hagan felt honored to participate in the event since she supported the series' aim to teach lessons about friendship and acceptance, considering it "a great way to show little girls that they can be empowered by trying to reach their goals."

[9] While Liu did not consider it a poor episode of the series, he felt the show had done better with emotional conclusions in previous seasons.

[9] Daniel Alvarez of Unleash the Fanboy also acknowledged that the musical format took away time from the "great story", but otherwise considered it a "very grand episode".

[11] The episode and its composers, Daniel Ingram and Steffan Andrews, received a 2013 Leo Award for "Best Musical Score in an Animated Program or Series".

[12] The revelation that Twilight Sparkle would become an alicorn was announced several weeks before the episode's premiere, though this had been rumored months before based on photos of upcoming toy lines from Hasbro.

[13] The "brony" fanbase—which encompasses older viewers who had grown to appreciate the series—had mixed reviews to this announcement, with a significant fraction considering it a "jump the shark" moment for the show.