Disney parks aren’t museums, but should they be? – DePaoli on DeParks
Should the Disney theme parks be treated like museums, or is it alright to change them for new attractions despite historic value?
Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” A beautiful sentiment. But to “grow,” sometimes we see things being subtracted from the Disney parks, historic attractions changed to make room for the new. Is that ok? That’s a really complicated question with a not-so-definitive answer, in my opinion. But here are my thoughts on the matter.
Disneyland is Walt’s park
For the sake of this article, I’ll be writing about the two domestic resorts. In my opinion, there is a massive difference between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World when it comes to answering this question.
Disneyland is Walt’s park. It’s the only theme park Walt Disney ever opened and had over 10 years to play with. Even though the Florida Project (as Walt Disney World was originally known) was Walt’s dream, it opened nearly five years after his death.
For that reason, for those of us who respect Walt Disney the man (of which there are many), the attractions and projects Walt personally worked on feel sacred. There are some attractions that feel as if they could never go away, like Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion. But who knows? Times change and folks in charge at The Walt Disney Company don’t always consider the company’s history when making those sorts of decisions.
The atmospheric beauty of Disney parks
Disney parks fans recently learned that a new “Cars” themed area coming to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will be taking over a large footprint in Frontierland, including the Rivers of America. This news seemed to get a lot of negative press. Disney knew this would happen, as they made sure the specific location of the “Cars” attractions was stated days after the initial “Cars” announcement at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. But perhaps it got even more press than Disney expected.
After all, it is an area that most guests don’t frequent. Although I don’t know the exact percentage of people experiencing it, I don’t frequently hear anyone talk about riding the Liberty Square Riverboat or visiting Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom. But is that reason enough to remove it?
There is a lot to be said for atmospheric beauty. But atmospheric beauty doesn’t rake in dollars the same way Lightning Lane, gift shops, and food offerings do. From a business perspective, it absolutely makes sense that Disney would want to replace a large area making no money.
One might argue that Disney recently invested heavily in scenic areas at the entrance to Epcot. But that area is surrounded by shops and eateries, and now a new lounge is coming. All of that is just steps away. The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island are literally removing folks from the shops and food for an extended period. Even with the “blessing of size,” Disney feels it makes more sense to remove pieces of the park that aren’t directly bringing in money in order for it to “grow” as opposed to developing new land they already own.
Amidst changes at Disney parks, nostalgia is a powerful thing
I think for most people the upset of “Cars” replacing Tom Sawyer Island the Rivers of America comes down to nostalgia. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and ironically, it’s a feeling that Disney leans heavily into when marketing. Since the opening of Magic Kingdom, guests have always walked to the hub, turned left into Liberty Square, and entered Frontierland with that glorious view. It will admittedly be weird not to have that. But I would have much stronger feelings if this removal were happening at Disneyland Park.
As previously mentioned, Disneyland is Walt’s park. The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island were something that Walt wanted in his park. To simply erase that would feel blasphemous. The same can be said for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room; Jungle Cruise; Main Street, U.S.A.; and many more instances of Walt’s direct input at Disneyland.
Granted, times change and, for better or worse, Walt Disney’s original attractions change too. But updating Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is quite different from erasing it altogether. If it were up to me, anything that Walt Disney worked on that has survived this long should have special considerations and treated as if it were part of a museum. Sure, you can make sure it’s dusted off and tended to when something falls apart. But any major changes should be avoided.
With that sentiment, it means the great majority of these relics are still in Disneyland Park. Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland has historical significance. The same attraction at Magic Kingdom, not so much. And let’s say the day comes when Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room is removed from Disneyland. I think moving the attraction to a space in a museum would be appropriate, just as the attraction was originally created in a soundstage at The Walt Disney Studios.
The Walt Disney Archives does a phenomenal job tracking and archiving lots of Disney history. The Archives itself is a museum of sorts. But I do feel it’s important for all the fans who are bloggers, podcasters, authors, and beyond to do their part and record this history as well as the Disney parks change. Our passion is equally apparent. And in some cases, even more so.
What do you think? If you have a favorite attraction or something specific in the Disney parks that is sacred, what is it and where is it? Share a comment and let me know.
Jeff DePaoli is an event producer and voiceover artist living in Los Angeles. He can be heard as the voice of Disney Trivia on Alexa as well as the host of “Dizney Coast to Coast” podcast, where he and his special guests share honest opinions on all things Disney. Get your FREE gifts of “America’s Hidden Mickeys,” “On the Rohde Again,” “Theme Park Comfort Kit” and more at DizneyCoastToCoast.com. DePaoli’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent Attractions Magazine.
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Did Disney say it was getting rid of Rivers of America because no one rides the boat? As far as I know, the company hasn’t said anything about it. The Disney fans have just assumed that’s the issue and they’ve run with it.