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| Someday, you may be the last to pass this way... |
I'll admit that I am one of the people that will comment when I don't think something is quite as good as it used to be, heck - I've even written an article on one of the changes that I was not terribly fond of. There are certain degrees of cynicism, however, that really bother me. For one example, the massive amounts of dreary posts I find on the internet pertaining to the upcoming Pandora/Avatar expansion of Animal Kingdom. Personally, I was not a huge fan of James Cameron's movie. I found it to be a bit shallow and predictable, with a touch of the "white savior" problem that a lot of movies of its nature find themselves with. What it did have was immense amounts of imagination and a story about conservation that fits in extremely well with the philosophy of Animal Kingdom and Disney in general. I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing what Disney whips up, as well as the nighttime spectacular to come with it.
Another snarky remark I read the other day that bothered me was "Remember the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train?" The intent of the comment was to point out that the attraction was almost immediately out of the minds of Disney fans as soon as it had its big premiere. The thing is, I really feel that this is not the case at all. The attraction is good, certainly not the best in all of the parks, and is especially great for families who want to take young ones on their first coaster, all while getting to experience a bit of a classic Disney dark ride attraction. There isn't as much buzz being made because that's how the hype engine works: you build something up before it comes out to generate interest, then you let it see if it stands on its own two feet.
Another subject for hatred being spewed is a pair of linked things: the Frozen Summer event at Disney's Hollywood Studios and the very much unsubstantiated (until we get official word from Disney Parks Blog or D23, I believe nothing) rumor that Maelstrom will be replaced by a Frozen attraction. I do think that there is a slight weariness that the general public is starting to have towards Frozen. To be honest, even though it is really quite high up in my rankings of the Disney canon, I even find myself rubbing my temples in frustration when I see yet another "Let It Go" cover pop up on my Facebook feed. Disney knows though that there is a huge fanbase out there who eat up everything Frozen right now. There will be tons of kids begging their parents to go see Anna and Elsa, to go to the sing along, and watch the parade to get a glimpse of Kristoff, who is visiting the parks for the first time. To be honest, I don't see anything wrong with that, either.
Disney hasn't entirely done Frozen to death, the fans have. Disney themselves has actually done very little to perpetuate the avalanche of fame that the newest animated film. Heck, Anna hasn't even had her official coronation yet to become one of the Disney princesses (I still stand by the idea that Elsa is a queen, and not part of that group). This celebration is just a little bit bigger version of the events they've had in the past, like the Hercules Zero to Hero Victory Parade. I'm looking forward to a bit more Frozen at Disney, especially since it's just for a limited time and not completely taking over something that I had previously loved.
This brings me to the big question: hypothetically speaking, if Maelstrom were to be closed down and replaced with a Frozen attraction, how would I feel about it? Honestly, you might get a little bit of grumpiness out of me in that case, especially as Maelstrom is one of my childhood favorites. Looking at the ride now, it's becoming a tad bit aged (especially if you stay for the impressively 80'stastic film), but it's still really fun the chant "Disappear! Disappear!" along with the trolls. My real concern, though, is one of the dilution of the educational aspect of Epcot. For a recent example, I'll point to Test Track. The new Test Track really doesn't give you much of an idea of how a car is designed and tested. Sure, you get some idea of the thought process of trying to balance different elements, but I'm pretty sure Tron-esque tracks where they make sure vehicles are able to dodge lightning are not part of the process.
I'm veering a bit off course here, though. What I'm getting at is that a Frozen attraction would more than likely take away the educational "here's a look at Norway's past, folklore, and various environments." They could, of course, do something like have Olaf pop up on a tour of various aspects of Norwegian life, culture, and geography, not entirely dissimilar to what they have done over in Mexico with the Gran Fiesta Tour. You could argue that the Gran Fiesta Tour is also not terribly educational, but, honestly, I still feel that there's a bit of an improvement there over El Rio del Tiempo. They also did a fairly good job converting the Vikings exhibit inside of the Stave Church into an exhibit featuring the cultural inspirations for Frozen.
Perhaps this is just the rabid Disney fanboy in me just defending all that Disney does, but I firmly believe that Walt did not want the parks to be a museum. He embraced change, and, in fact, frequently grew tired of one project and wanted to move on to something that he found new and exciting. If it hadn't been for his drive to constantly experiment and change things, we never would have even gotten the Disney parks to begin with.
In conclusion, I'm simply trying to say that there are certainly reasons to be upset about change. Disney does not always have the best track record with changes and updates (I'm looking at you Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management), but there's no need to be snarky and mean. Definitely state your opinion, or wax nostalgic about what you loved about the previous iteration of a ride. It's much more fun to revisit the past than it is to cross your arms and huff about the present. At the very least, the next time you're on an attraction that may have changed in a way you didn't particularly care for, take a look around you, and see if there are any smiling children who are loving every moment of what they see. Because while Walt Disney World may not just be for children, but bringing out childlike wonder is definitely a big part of what they do, and if they manage to do that with any of their updates and changes, then it will definitely be worth it. And if you lead by example, maybe someday, when that youngster grows up and their favorite attraction or show is being changed in some way, they can hope that Disney works their usual magic, instead of being grumpy that something is being "ruined."
Until next time, stay magical, everyone!
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