If there’s one word that could describe us Disney fans, doesn’t it feel like it would be “passionate”?
EPCOT
I mean, our love for the parks runs deep, and when something changes at Disney World, it can feel like a personal attack on our childhood memories. It doesn’t help that at the moment, there are a whole host of confirmed changes coming over the next few years. So before we get all worked up, let’s take a step back and breathe, and talk about why these changes might not be the end of the world — and why we should all chill just a little.
As we were saying, with all the changes lined up for Disney World, it’s enough to get us Disney fans really buzzing (and maybe grumbling), but before we do all that, let’s take a second to breathe and talk about why these changes might be much better than we think.
Disney Is All About Change
If there’s one thing Walt Disney himself taught us, it’s that the parks are never truly finished. He once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world,” and that same sentiment can definitely apply to Walt Disney World.
©Disney
It’s true that every generation of park-goers has seen some changes over the years. Do we miss some of the old attractions? Sure. But it’s those same changes that keep the parks fresh and exciting, for both us and future Disney fans. So, maybe instead of clinging to nostalgia and never letting go, how about we embrace the new memories that are just waiting to be made?
Fresh Stories, Fresh Lands
Look, we love Tom Sawyer Island as much as the next Disney fan, but I think it’s fair to ask ourselves, “How often do we actually go there?” A lot of the newer generations have grown up with Cars and Monsters, Inc. and have no idea of the backstory of Tom Sawyer Island.
Tom Sawyer Island
It makes sense that Disney would want to revamp some underused areas to keep them relevant. The changes that they’re planning are more than just aesthetic. They’re about storytelling, and who does that better than Disney? Plus, if the success of Cars Land at Disneyland, is any indication, this new one coming to Magic Kingdom is going to be a masterpiece!
The Muppets Aren’t Going Anywhere (Hopefully)
We get it. There’s a special place in our hearts for the Muppets. They’re weird, nostalgic, and fun. Now, while the rumors about Monsters, Inc. potentially replacing Muppets Courtyard have sparked a lot of concern in us, it’s not like the Muppets are going to be erased from Disney altogether.
Muppet Courtyard in Hollywood Studios
More than likely, they’ll still exist in some form in the parks and on Disney+ even if Muppets Courtyard goes like the dodos. And again, that totally might not even happen at all.
Change = More Magic
Truthfully, Disney’s changes, whether big or small, usually end up being fantastic. For example, we all cried when The Great Movie Ride closed, but nowadays we all think Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is an absolute blast.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Sure, Cars Land and Monsters, Inc. might feel like Disney’s trying to fit a round peg into a square whole now, but I think we should give them a chance. Who knows? In a few years time, we might find ourselves saying something like, “Hey, remember when we were upset about this?”
Chill, It’s Still Disney
In the end, it’s totally okay to feel that pang of sadness when parts of the parks change, but instead of dwelling on what’s going away, let’s get excited about what’s coming. Disney knows what they’re doing, and if the past is any indication, the new additions will be magical in ways we haven’t even dreamed of yet.
©Disney
There you have it — a couple of our thoughts on why all the new changes coming to Disney World might just not be the end of the world. Now, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter down in the comments, and keep it here at DFB for all the latest Disney news and more!
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If I had to get over losing Wishes (which tore part of my soul away), people can get over losing Tom Sawyer’s Island.
Most of the changes coming to the parks I’m excited about. I have to admit I’d be sorry to see the Muppets close, but I actually think it’s safer now because of all the upset over the Rivers of America. Since the concept art shows that Disney has 2 different plans as to where to put the Monsters Inc. Land, it’s an easy PR win for them to choose Animation Courtyard.
Too bad they can’t keep a small area of the river from the Liberty Square riverboat station to the Country Bear Jamboree then dock the riverboat use it for dining space for quick service in the area. The look of the river with the boat and trees is so peaceful and beautiful it’s a shame to lose it all.
I don’t think that the solution to overcrowding and miserable people (who in turn make other people miserable) is fewer quiet spaces.
No, actually. I’m not happy with the changes to the Great Movie Ride or losing Tom Sawyers Island or the Rivers of America. The Mickey Ride, for all that I do love the door trick at the beginning, is a net loss in terms of theming and appreciating Mickey Mouse. This new art is atrocious in comparison to the classic look or the steamboat Mickey look. They turned one of the kindest, warmest characters, Goofy, into a crack fiend. And this is what is celebrated in what is otherwise an interesting technical experience.
MK is crowded, hot and quickly losing the quiet spaces that make it possible to enjoy it. If I want to have fun with 60k other people, I’ll go to the game. A park needs a mix of both excitement and quiet. That’s part of the joy such spaces bring.
Cars will be a fantastic attraction. Somewhere else in WDW. To plonk it there ruins the theming and sight lines three different areas, and sacrifices the last tranquility that’s available.
With tempers so high and patience so low at MK, they should be creating additional relaxing areas, not removing them.
@Amy. Yep, this. And I would also add it the goal of the parks overall is to just throw up the hottest IP of the decade, we’d understand that as part of its inherent makeup. That could be tolerated more in HS which revolves around movies (although I’ve never heard anyone prefer MMRR to the Great Movie Ride). Frontierland was more about preserving a slice of American history. The Wild West is STILL portrayed in films and gunfights reenacted in makeshift towns out West. Along with the serenity of the waterway and never bombarded (I know that’s their POINT-WE WANT PEOPLE FLOCKING TO EACH SPACE) island, you’re losing more than “A”story it’s AMERICA’S story. You have to wonder how long before Liberty Square, Tavern and Hall of Presidents is discarded as being passe also.
I agree with everything Amy said.
Change is not always good, especially when it takes away something special and unique that had been in existence since the beginning of the theme park.