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| By Lindsey Allmon |
The Disney parks we stroll through today are vastly
different than the ones I teetered through as a toddler, as well as worlds away
from parks that Walt Disney carefully constructed with his team. Yet as the
times change, so must the parks. Some changes are good, and others leave
something to be desired. Continue after the break for a list of some of the
best, and worst, changes to the Disney Parks...
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ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
As I mentioned in my introductory article, this was the most
terrifying thing I experienced in my childhood. I cried like a baby and I
refused to ever take part in it again, opting for the much tamer Carousel of
Progress. The premise of this attraction was a demonstration of a teleportation
machine that goes horribly wrong, producing a terrifying Alien that wreaks
havoc in the lab. The attraction was replaced by Stitch’s Great Escape in 2004,
much to my happiness.
The Verdict: Good!
While Stitch’s Great Escape is not the best attraction to
ever grace the Tomorrowland landscape, the change is immensely more
kid-friendly than its predecessor. While the horror junkies may be bitter about
the change I can confidently say it was a smart move on Disney’s part.
Journey into Imagination
One of the most iconic Disney characters that didn’t get its
own movie is the adorable Figment. He brought imagination to life with the help
of Dreamfinder. The experience was colorful, creative, and endlessly
entertaining. However, in 1999 Disney did a revamp and removed both Dreamfinder
and Figment from the ride, replacing them with Dr. Nigel Channing, a character
borrowed from Honey I Shrunk the Audience, and renaming the attraction Journey
into YOUR Imagination. Not to worry though: After an uproarious response from
Disney patrons, Figment was reintroduced to the ride in 2002 and has been
present ever since.
Verdict: Terrible.
Every time I have set foot on this ride since 1999 I have
been extremely bitter. The original was whimsical and interesting, the true
embodiment of imagination. The introduction of Nigel Channing turned the ride
clinical and almost too scientific. Even after Figment was reintroduced, Nigel
doesn’t embrace Figment like Dreamfinder does, instilling the idea that
imagination is more of a nascence than something to be embraced. The entire
attraction seems contradictory to the purpose it once served. Long story short,
I wish I could go back to the nineties.
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Based on Walt Disney’s adaptation of The Wind and the
Willows, this ride is one of the original rides from when Disney World opened.
The attraction featured two different tracks so you could enjoy two entirely
different wild rides. Though the ride was primitive decoratively I fondly
remember being jerked around the track squealing as the car nearly ran into a
wall before quickly jerking in another direction. The ride was certainly wild
for my six year old self. The attraction was replaced in 1999 by The Many
Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a similar style attraction that replaced vintage
cars with honeypots and a scary devil with Heffalumps and Woozles.
Verdict: Ehhhhhhhhh….
I have mixed feelings about this change. On one hand, I have
a love for the original ride, and I have indeed seen the film this ride is
based off of. However, I do know that I am one of the very few people born post
1990 that has seen it. As time passed, the lovely Mr. Toad has faded into
Disney history. While the original I believed deserved to have a face lift, Mr.
Toad doesn’t really resonate with the current generation while Winnie the Pooh
certainly does.
BONUS
Food Rocks
Every once in a while there is something absurd that you
just love. Kind of like the obsession with jelly shoes in the 1990’s or cronuts
now a days, sometimes something crazy worms its way into your heart. That is
certainly the case with Food Rocks. The show was set up as a concert for good
nutrition that was crashed by a junk food band. The show featured parodies of
Queen, The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin, and even some artists parodying their
own songs like Little Richard. Silly, catchy, and rather hilarious, Food Rocks
was the star of The Land Pavilion…well, at least until Soarin showed up. The
show had a ten year run from 1994 to 2004 and was briefly replaced by Kitchen
Cabaret before being transformed into Soarin.
Verdict: Bad move.
Food Rocks was entertaining and had educational value. While
I love the fact that Soarin found a home in Disney World, Food Rocks should
have found a new place within the Land Pavilion.
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