You could honestly argue Disney’s upper management hasn’t had much of a clue or care about the integrity & thematic consistency of their parks for a while now.. since atleast the late 90s/early 2000s simply because they don’t care to honor the standards they set & stayed true to originally. Now seemingly all they care about is inserting IPs anywhere they can that’ll make a ton of profit for their stockholders in the short-term, no matter how that’s done... but they don’t focus on the long-term profits or legacy and staying true to those golden standards that made them so successful to begin with. Any huge thematic inconsistencies these days is due to upper management’s negligence in the past couple decades. Some of the samples you’ve given are VERY clear examples of that. Especially Guardians of the Galaxy at EPCOT.
Soarin’ in The Land (particuarly Around the World) I’d argue fits at EPCOT because it actually is a showcase of ‘real world’ landscapes that were created via our eco-system. (The pavilion was mainly about our eco-systems, natural landscapes, and mankind’s working relationship with them.. though due to Kraft’s initial sponsorship. The Listen/Living with the Land boat ride focused on plants & agriculture that were utilized for growing food. Not to mention, EPCOT features the World Showcase that’s supposed to showcase ‘real’ places, people, cultures and their countries. Soarin’ Around the World does that (though I can argue it’s execution with the cinematography could’ve been a lot better. I thought Over California was far superior in quality. But that’s just my personal opinion).
There are many things that Disney has done that I don't like, but Frozen being in EPCOT is fairly low on my list, which is why I said "For once", as in "An exception". And I'm not even that big a fan of "Frozen", or Maelstrom for that matter. It's hard to have your own opinion on things when it differs from the vast majority who all agree one way and yourself another. It's almost as if you're not a true fan unless you dislike what Disney does now versus in the past.
And let's not forget, EPCOT is going through several more changes as we speak. One whole section of Innoventions was demolished to make way for a water exhibit featuring "Moana" characters. I think it will fit quite nicely, even though that wasn't necessarily the first place I would put it.
Onto the whole ‘Frozen doesn’t fit at the Studios due to Arendelle not being a place in Hollywood’ argument. Again, DHS never set out to be an exact replica or representation of the actual Hollywood & it’s studios. But rather an idealized one with various Film-themed rides. It was literally built as a direct answer/competition to Universal Studios. Hence why they’re so similar and why their rides are so similar (minus the fact DHS FL’s is no longer a real working Studio). Just to be clear, Universal Japan & Singapore aren’t working studios either with plenty of lands, rides & shows specifically themed around their ‘movies’. So if we take that into consideration. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is doing exactly what it was always meant to do. Be Disney’s answer to Universal Studios Orlando.
Just as the theme and direction of EPCOT may or may not be changing, the identity of the Studios had a decidedly different identity as well. It was originally not supposed to be just about "riding the movies". You did that in several Magic Kingdom attractions as well, or at least encountered movie characters in their rides.
Anyway, once upon a time, the Studios was not meant to be about just "riding the movies". It was supposed to be a working studio (as in, making real movies, TV shows, etc.), which just happened to have a few rides here and there. So yes, it was supposed to be a representation of the real Hollywood, even though it didn't turn out that way. And yes, it was built to compete with Universal, but even Universal Orlando still uses its studio buildings as real filming studios, albeit not for anything really worthwhile, such as for wrestling or the Powerball. Disney's Hollywood Studios doesn't do that anymore.
And by the way, the definition for "studio" in the dictionary is as follows:
1.a) the working place of a painter, sculptor, or photographer
1.b) a place for the study of an art (such as dancing, singing, or acting)
2.a) a place where motion pictures are made
2.b) a company that produces motion pictures
3) a place maintained and equipped for the transmission of radio or television programs
4) a place where audio recordings are made.
Not one definition of the word "studio" mentions "riding the movies". A studio is a place where movies are made, not where you go to "ride the movies".
After posting here for a long time its still my favorite board, but there are a lot of 'dang kids get off my lawn' people who will always see change as bad because it doesn't align with their ideal vision. It helps not to argue with them because you can't change their minds, many times everything new and different from the original especially when it comes to adding IP.
That being said many are open minded and willing to have an honest debate with you without snark or elitism. I'm happy to see the ride there and I'm happy that the parks are using their successful IP and I'm happy they balanced a bit more with a ride people actually wanted to take in the world showcase. People forget that IP push in the parks is as old as Walt himself and he used it nicely to his advantage.
Thank you. It frustrates me when people seem to automatically hate IPs. I wish people would be a little less critical of everything that Disney does. There are many things Disney has done that I don't like, but Frozen in EPCOT isn't one of them. Like I said, I'm not even a Frozen fan, nor did I really care that much for Maelstrom.
