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Recently, the Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Josh D’Amaro spoke at the INBOUND conference, and some of his words have gone quite viral among the Disney theme park community.
Credit: Josh D’Amaro, Instagram
Disney’s Post-Pandemic Attempted Glow Up
Since the pandemic, Walt Disney World Resort has seen quite a few different attractions and offerings open up to guests. At Magic Kingdom TRON Lightcycle / Run, the newly refurbished Country Bear Musical Jamboree, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened up.
TRON (Credit: Disney)
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios things have stayed relatively the same. Animal Kingdom did debut KiteTails for a short period of time, however, that has come to an end. At Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic, one of the most popular nighttime offerings at Disney World, added in many more show scenes including new scenes from Mulan, Aladdin, Moana, and Frozen, enhancing their show overall.
EPCOT has seen the most change with the entire front of the park being reimagined, as well as new attractions. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opened in the France pavilion, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind also opened in World Discovery. In World Nature, we now have Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, an all-new walk-through attraction.
We saw the addition and closure of Harmonious, as well as the opening of the current nighttime show Luminous: The Symphony of Us.
Credit: Disney
In terms of dining, Space 220, Connections Cafe and Eatery, and La Crêperie de Paris opened.
Of course, the new lighting package on Spaceship Earth has transformed the icon of the park, introducing many more short evening spectacles coordinated to music. World Celebration Gardens also opened with the new Walt Disney photo op. Plus, CommuniCore Hall and Plaza also opened up.
Disney’s Post-Pandemic Failures, According to Fans
With all of these new openings that were under construction for years and years, fans were very excited to see what was the next great thing that Disney World would debut.
While some new offerings, such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and the new Fantasmic show, received stand-out reviews from fans, many were disappointed to see how much Disney cut out from their initial art that debuted what all of these new spaces and attractions would look like.
For example, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been anything but smooth sailing.
Credit: Disney
The retheming of Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been a significant undertaking for Disney, with a financial investment of $142 million. While fans were initially disappointed by the removal of the Br’er Rabbit characters, the new attraction has received mixed reviews.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has faced several challenges since its debut, including technical issues and negative feedback from some guests. The ride’s performance has raised concerns about its long-term success and potential impact on Disney’s reputation.
Despite these challenges, Disney remains committed to the new attraction and its potential to attract visitors. The re-theming of Splash Mountain is part of a broader effort to update the park and offer more inclusive experiences.
The transition from Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has also highlighted the importance of addressing historical and cultural sensitivities in theme park attractions. The original Splash Mountain’s connection to the controversial film Song of the South led to criticism and calls for its re-theming.
Credit: Disney
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure aims to rectify these issues by featuring a diverse cast of characters and a storyline that celebrates African American culture. While the new attraction has received praise for its inclusivity, it has also faced criticism for its perceived lack of innovation and excitement.
The re-theming of Splash Mountain is a significant milestone for Disney, representing a commitment to updating its attractions and making them more inclusive. However, the ride has been reported to continuously have issues, either shutting it down for days on end, leaving guests forced to evacuate, or having guests go on the ride only to see Tiana frozen solid due to her animatronic being broken.
Credit: Disney
Personally, I can say that on my first ride-through of the attraction, which was around one month after it opened, five of the animatronics were broken during my run-through. I understand that rides may break down from time to time, but to have so many people sharing broken attraction videos just after a ride debut is less than ideal.
EPCOT has probably faced the most scrutiny as the massive overhaul of the theme park was heavily cut down due to budget, making all of the concept art that had fans excited null and void. Not only were plans like Cherry Tree Lane and the Spaceship Earth refurbishment canceled, but new additions, like the LED floor paneling in World Celebration Gardens, have already broken.
Credit: Disney
CommuniCore has been dubbed the unofficial school lunchroom of the park, with its bland large white space that had many guests wondering why something so simple and plain took years to debut.
Josh D’Amaro Finally Admits Disney’s Mistakes
During the INBOUND conference, D’Amaro said, “If we are going to make a change in anything. We must create something that’s even better than what was there before. We may not always get this right. But I believe Walt would’ve wanted us to try.”
Now, fans think this may be an omission of guilt from Disney, acknowledging their mistakes in the theme parks as of late.
DreamfinderGuy said, “This is the closest we’re going to get to an admission that much of what was done to EPCOT was a dismal failure, isn’t it? There’s no other project in recent memory that he could possibly be talking about other than that, right?”
This is the closest we’re going to get to an admission that much of what was done to EPCOT was a dismal failure, isn’t it? There’s no other project in recent memory that he could possibly be talking about other than that, right? https://t.co/rybealNYih
— DreamfinderGuy (@DreamfinderGuy) September 19, 2024
On reply stated, “it HAS to be. I don’t think anything other then recently announced changes to the MK have really sparked backlash in the parks. They can still walk back those changes since the permits have already got hung up due to the massive changes there, Not EPCOT though. thats a scar now”.
Mickey Central shared the same quote asking, “Which project is he talking about?”. The overwhelming response to that quote was Splash Mountain turned Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Which project is he talking about? https://t.co/IeWCz0J6pp
— Mickey Central (@Mickey_Central) September 19, 2024
While it is not certain what D’Amaro was talking about, both EPCOT’s overhaul and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure seem to be the two things that Disney fans are less than pleased with when it comes to taking something and not making it better.
The quote stated by D’Amaro is interesting because while Walt did state that Disneyland would always be ever-growing, I am not sure that he would have been too pleased to see that some of that growing has actually been growing pains. P
lus, while Walt did incredible things for entertainment and theme park spaces around the world, he was a tough boss, and blunders such as these would likely not have been so easily forgiven.
You can watch the INBOUND conference below:
Disney’s D23 Expo Announcement Controversy
Credit: Disney
There is also the chance that D’Amaro is addressing some of the controversial updates that were given for the future of the parks at the D23 Expo.
Disney’s recent announcements have generated excitement and controversy among fans. The company revealed plans for a new Monsters, Inc. land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (which will likely tear down Muppet’s Courtyard) and a rethemed Tropical Americas area in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, now known as Pueblo Esperanza starring the Casita Madrigal from Encanto.
The most surprising announcement was the Beyond Big Thunder project, which will introduce a dedicated Disney Villains land at Magic Kingdom Park.
Additionally, the Cars franchise will be expanding its presence in Frontierland, which means that Tom Sawyer Islands and the Rivers of America will be no more, which has also left some fans feeling upset as this means that Disney will be removing something, and from their recent track record, those changes have not gone over too well.
Do you think that Disney has made some mistakes in their latest theme park projects?
