Blizzard Beach Construction

[invader]

Just saw the news.

It’s all so tiresome.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

There is a fair argument that this one isn't that offensive. Kind of like the Alice water play area at Grand Floridian. But, it does show a disregard for the setting and its theme. And in a way that blurs it. If it was a new story, then fine. But, it's just conflicting stories.

I would argue most people would take issue if Lightyear characters appeared in Galaxy's Edge because it's a space outpost. Some would celebrate it - and show how it's appealing to a broader audience. But, I think most would say it doesn't make sense unless they characters are retooled to fit into the story of Galaxy's Edge. This represents more of that - even if this example is a relatively smaller one.

 

[flynnibus]

I’m judging this change in the context and to the degree that it was made

Sure if you put blinders on and refuse everything around you.. anything makes sense.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Kids weren’t happy visiting Blizzard Beach for the better part of the last decade?

…I blame bad parenting

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There is a fair argument that this one isn't that offensive. Kind of like the Alice water play area at Grand Floridian. But, it does show a disregard for the setting and its theme. And in a way that blurs it. If it was a new story, then fine. But, it's just conflicting stories.

I would argue most people would take issue if Lightyear characters appeared in Galaxy's Edge because it's a space outpost. Some would celebrate it - and show how it's appealing to a broader audience. But, I think most would say it doesn't make sense unless they characters are retooled to fit into the story of Galaxy's Edge. This represents more of that - even if this example is a relatively smaller one.

I 100% agree with your sentiments…but “galaxys edge” is still nonsense

 

[J4546]

lol at people complaining about adding a few small frozen statues to BB

 

[Tom Morrow]

You know damn well they're just itching to rebrand the park as a Frozen park and this is just the test.

 

[tomast]

Imagine changing the Ice Gator mail box in the lazy river cabin to a Olaf mail box cabin.

Bang! huge improve in sales, with the unique signature new blue frozen slushie, a new Elsa blue cupcake, a Sven carrot cake and maybe even a Olaf popsicle in the new and exclusive frostbite Kristoff.

Come to Disney's Blizzard Beach and experience what a snowman does in summer!

More Family, More Relevant, More Timeless, More Disney!

You can show a blue sky concept art with a Sven animatronic in the lazy river and then blame a budget cut to never making it.

So I wasn't so far...

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I would argue most people would take issue if Lightyear characters appeared in Galaxy's Edge because it's a space outpost. Some would celebrate it - and show how it's appealing to a broader audience. But, I think most would say it doesn't make sense unless they characters are retooled to fit into the story of Galaxy's Edge. This represents more of that - even if this example is a relatively smaller one.

I kind of think the outrage over this is a little more like Disney excluding most of the most well-known Star Wars characters and stories from Galaxy's Edge or popular PatF songs and characters from Tiana's Bayou Adventure in order to serve the backstory. That does result in a more cohesive themed environment, but YMMV as to whether that results in a better theme park land or attraction.

Disney has a kind of loose and silly backstory involving a snowfall in Florida for this park and a massively popular movie set in the snow. Disney banishing characters from that film (or pretty much any film) from the park entirely because everything there has to fit the storyline of a Florida snowstorm would, at least in my view, be another sign they've lost the plot. Particularly as we're just talking about a toddler area.

 

[LittleBuford]

You know damn well they're just itching to rebrand the park as a Frozen park and this is just the test.

This seems alarmist to me. What would they be testing exactly? The figures are clearly going to be a hit with little kids, so the results of such a test would be a foregone conclusion.

 

[Tom Morrow]

This seems alarmist to me. What would they be testing exactly? The figures are clearly going to be a hit with little kids, so the results of such a test would be a foregone conclusion.

I guess "test" is the wrong word, it's more along the lines of what they've been doing all along where they first drop in touches of IP before later going all-in on it.

 

[LittleBuford]

I guess "test" is the wrong word, it's more along the lines of what they've been doing all along where they first drop in touches of IP before later going all-in on it.

I can’t think of a precedent for what you’re suggesting is going to happen at Blizzard Beach. Are there cases of lands where they added a few touches from a particular IP before retheming the entire land to that IP?

I see this particular case as consistent with (and indeed less in-your-face than other examples of) the kind of IP peppering they’ve been doing for years now (Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland’s it’s a small world, etc.).

 

[Lirael]

You know damn well they're just itching to rebrand the park as a Frozen park and this is just the test.

I'd rather sacrifice BB to frozen than have it encroach anywhere else on property more than it already has.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

I'd rather sacrifice BB to frozen than have it encroach anywhere else on property more than it already has.

100%. This honestly softens the Splash Mountain blow for me, if they already have plans to destroy the rest of the resort.

 

[Tom Morrow]

I can’t think of a precedent for what you’re suggesting is going to happen at Blizzard Beach. Are there cases of lands where they added a few touches from a particular IP before retheming the entire land to that IP?

I see this particular case as consistent with (and indeed less in-your-face than other examples of) the kind of IP peppering they’ve been doing for years now (Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland’s it’s a small world, etc.).

I mean... Epcot.

First it was The Three Caballeros. Ok, fine, it's just one ride and it fits.
Then it was Nemo. "I guess it sort of fits, whatever, as long as they don't keep doing this."
Then Frozen. "This doesn't fit at all other than the setting is Nordic."
Then Ratatouille. (same as above, it doesn't fit other than it takes place in Paris)
Then they changed the night show from world unity to a Disney sing-a-long.
Then Guardians. It doesn't fit at all but they made it a sort of parody of a Future World pavilion and Epcot needed a roller coaster.

Another park example would be all of DCA. The fantastic makeover the park received in the early 2010's was so quickly undone to turn the park into just another IP park.

Before long, Epcot will just be Magic Kingdom But With Odd Architecture. It's already like over 1/3rd of the way there.

And then the resorts.
First they were adding in subtle pictures from films in the rooms. "Alright, fine, it's subtle and doesn't change the theme of the hotel."
Now the Contemporary Resort is an Incredibles-themed hotel.

Or the transportation. It started with wrapping one monorail.
Now most buses are a giant rolling IP billboard.

 

[Tom Morrow]

Also they're absolutely going to put Moana in Typhoon Lagoon now lol

 

[Disney Analyst]

I honestly could see this being the first step in an eventual Frozen re-theme.

Which honestly... doesn't bother me either way.

 

[cranbiz]

Also they're absolutely going to put Moana in Typhoon Lagoon now lol

Seems like a good fit to me.

 

[LittleBuford]

I mean... Epcot.

First it was Three Caballeros. Ok, fine, it's just one ride and it fits.
Then it was Nemo. "I guess it sort of fits, whatever as long as they don't keep doing this."
Then Frozen. "This doesn't fit at all other than the setting is Nordic."
Then Ratatouille. (same as above)
Then Guardians.

Before long, Epcot will just be Magic Kingdom But With Odd Architecture.

Also the resorts.
First they add in subtle picture from the films.
Now the Contemporary Resort is an Incredibles-themed hotel.

Or the transportation. It started with wrapping one monorail.
Now most buses are a giant rolling IP billboard.

With the possible exception of Frozen Ever After, these feel to me more like scattered IP injections than wholesale takeovers of lands/parks. I suppose it’s possible that Frozen will take over the whole of Blizzard Beach, though I can’t see how they could really turn a pseudo-ski resort into Arendelle without a major and very expensive overhaul.

 

[LittleBuford]

I honestly could see this being the first step in an eventual Frozen re-theme.

Which honestly... doesn't bother me either way.

I disagree on both counts. I think such a retheme would be more trouble and expense than it’s worth, and I think we would lose something very fun and whimsical if it were to happen.