Voyage of the Little Mermaid is done, won't reopen with the parks.

[Jrb1979]

With this show closing as well as few others not opened yet, my thought is now is the time to get rid of the majority of shows and replace them with rides.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

That's an interesting thought experiment, to distribute IP chronologically.

But, Disney never wants its parks to feel historical, but contemporary. Somewhat understandably, but also regrettably. Each park is at its best when it feels like a product of its time. That creates a unison between form and content, and theme, atmosphere, general feel. As simple as Spiderman feeling misplaced on Main Street, but not Alice in Wonderland. A certain mid-century feel.

To which, DHS for me precisely is the renaissance park. It shares its very birthyear with Mermaid. Which brings us back to the point above - the early Eisner era is in this parks dna, its historical era. Mermaid and BatB in DHS feel as organic as Mickey on Main Street.

I don't disagree with your assessment, I think you're right to notice this trend - but what I DO disagree with is Disney's overemphasis on this, whether it's intentional or not.

Consider that most young people have relatively no awareness of the difference in chronology between Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast. For all *I* knew they could have come out in the same year - as I young person I was exposed to them within the same handful of years, and saw them both on VHS and in Theaters (back when Disney still put the classics back up on the Big Screen).

I had sort of hoped that Disney+ would help Disney see that they could buck this - that having all the movies accessible on the same platform would make it easier to discover older titles that maybe not everyone owned at home, and that behind the scenes Disney could be surprised to learn that viewership for something like Alice in Wonderland is closer than they would have expected to something like Frozen, for example. But they haven't yet given any indication that any such lessons are being learned.

Bambi only really feels historical relative to Lion King because we happen to know that it's much older. But to a five year old they both have just as much potential to capture the imagination, and I don't really think they percieve one as "old" over the other. Now, in the age of Computer Animation they might BOTH be percieved as older than Frozen simply because of their Hand-Animated styles, but I also think Lion King is an example that proves kids don't really let that stand between them and liking a good movie.

 

[LittleBuford]

With this show closing as well as few others not opened yet, my thought is now is the time to get rid of the majority of shows and replace them with rides.

Some of us actually like shows and consider them a welcome counterpoint to rides.

 

[wdrive]

With this show closing as well as few others not opened yet, my thought is now is the time to get rid of the majority of shows and replace them with rides.

Why? You can have both

 

[Movielover]

I agree. Rapunzel deserves more than a bathroom. Rapunzel is a Way better movie & princess than frozen I M O.
as much as I love this mermaid show a rapunzel show would lessen the blow. BUT I’m going to miss this show

Tangled show should go into the Frozen theater, move the Frozen show to a new theater built behind/over The Wandering Reindeer in Epcot. Princess and the Frog or another effects heavy style show in the Mermaid theater. Then create a new Disney Renaissance tribute show for the Hollywood Bowl/Beauty theater that incorporates all the big Disney Renaissance films like Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid. Then as much as I love the Indy Stunt Spectacular as is, renovate it to cut out the filmmaking bits and rebuild the show to be set in the actual Indy universe. Then replace Pocahontas in Fantasmic with Moana and boom! MGM gets 4 new shows that cover all ages and different styles, Epcot gets a "new" show, and Fantasmic a new action segment.

I know it's just armchair brainstorming but they could really change things up show wise and have a really good effect on MGM.

 

[Brer Panther]

The real question is, what will happen to the Giant Ursula Puppet?

She'll likely join the Splash Mountain animatronics in a dumpster.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Despite excellent performers, both VotLM and B&B were lackluster shows even when they first opened. I have two distinct memories of being disappointed by WDW before it’s decline fully began. By far the worse is watching Food Rocks for the first time and realizing EPCOT was in real trouble. The second was watching Voyage for the first time.

It is one of the cruelest ironies of the last two decades at WDW that the least impressive attractions are the ones that tend to survive.

Food Rocks was, and will forever be my #1 childhood favorite attraction of all time. Your opinion is poopoo.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The main issue with replacing VOTLM is thinking about what can fit in that small space but not be too overbearing for people waiting for the next show.

It has to be a show that runs maybe 23-ish minutes long, like the current mermaid show... and an IP that’s JUST popular enough for the queue line to not be overbearing for that small auditorium.

That theater isn’t like BATB or Indians Jones, fitting in thousands of guests. It only fits a couple hundred. I wonder if that’s a big reason why they have trouble replacing it, thinking about what could actually fit in that space.

It needs a smaller show in the form of storytelling. That’s why I thought the Frozen Sing-Along would be a good move to here.

 

[FoodRockz]

Food Rocks was, and will forever be my #1 childhood favorite attraction of all time. Your opinion is poopoo.

We thank you for your support. Here's a free .

P.S. It MAY play the piano.

 

[drizgirl]

It was a cute show and I enjoyed it. Certainly better than the nothing they leave us with given no announcement. Now if they are going to give us a land with more than 2 attractions given everything they'll bulldoze, then maybe all will be forgiven.

Stop thinking everything needs to be a trade off. They don't need to close something to open something new. Especially in a park with as much attendance increase as DHS has had.

 

[mattpeto]

The real question is, what will happen to the Giant Ursula Puppet?

She was the highlight of the entire show.

Throw her on a parade float.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I had sort of hoped that Disney+ would help Disney see that they could buck this - that having all the movies accessible on the same platform would make it easier to discover older titles that maybe not everyone owned at home, and that behind the scenes Disney could be surprised to learn that viewership for something like Alice in Wonderland is closer than they would have expected to something like Frozen, for example. But they haven't yet given any indication that any such lessons are being learned.

Honestly, I don't see the CEOs, executives or the BoD learning ANY lessons...they've created a feedback loop where nothing they do is wrong.

 

[MisterPenguin]

VotLM space is earmarked for the Black Box, no?

 

[pdude81]

Stop thinking everything needs to be a trade off. They don't need to close something to open something new. Especially in a park with as much attendance increase as DHS has had.

I don't remember asking anybody to bulldoze animation courtyard and change the middle of the park to give us something new. But given the direction things have been moving lately and that they seem to have closed this ancient show, I'd rather the rumored changes over a nothingburger.

 

[GladToBeHear]

With this show closing as well as few others not opened yet, my thought is now is the time to get rid of the majority of shows and replace them with rides.

 

[JoeCamel]

I don't remember asking anybody to bulldoze animation courtyard and change the middle of the park to give us something new. But given the direction things have been moving lately and that they seem to have closed this ancient show, I'd rather the rumored changes over a nothingburger.

I've heard animation courtyard should go for a decade or more, seems to be a glaring problem to many

 

[ToTBellHop]

I've heard animation courtyard should go for a decade or more, seems to be a glaring problem to many

It will be gone by the 100th anniversary.

 

[UNCgolf]

VotLM space is earmarked for the Black Box, no?

Do we think that's still happening?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Do we think that's still happening?

I doubt it.

 

[UNCgolf]

I doubt it.

As do I.