D23 Disneyland/DCA Predictions!

[180º]

This is the thread of discussing Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and the legitimacy of dark imagery in Disneyland.

FTFY.

By the way, I was low key traumatized by some of Disneyland’s dark side as a child. It seems like many attractions in the park draw you in with fun and lightheartedness, but inevitably plunge you into darkness at some point and don’t hold back. I actually think those terrifying fantasy images may give kids a means of grasping concepts like despair and helplessness in a heightened way that make sense to them. It’s especially profound in the theme park setting where a child may actually feel in danger and find that they survive in the end. That may be the greatest power of the medium.

 

[mickEblu]

FTFY.

By the way, I was low key traumatized by some of Disneyland’s dark side as a child. It seems like many attractions in the park draw you in with fun and lightheartedness, but inevitably plunge you into darkness at some point and don’t hold back. I actually think those terrifying fantasy images may give kids a means of grasping concepts like despair and helplessness in a heightened way that make sense to them. It’s especially profound in the theme park setting where a child may actually feel in danger and find that they survive in the end. That may be the greatest power of the medium.

Lol. If there is any statement that will derail a thread it’s saying “get rid of Toad” to a bunch of DL nuts.

 

[Californian Elitist]

What's all this talk about closing Fantasyland spookhouse rides?

OP doesn’t ride Toad, but thinks Disney should get rid of it because they don’t like it.

 

[Maeryk]

FTFY.

By the way, I was low key traumatized by some of Disneyland’s dark side as a child. It seems like many attractions in the park draw you in with fun and lightheartedness, but inevitably plunge you into darkness at some point and don’t hold back. I actually think those terrifying fantasy images may give kids a means of grasping concepts like despair and helplessness in a heightened way that make sense to them. It’s especially profound in the theme park setting where a child may actually feel in danger and find that they survive in the end. That may be the greatest power of the medium.

As all of Walt's great features did. That's kinda the point behind fairy tales.

 

[Anjin]

Congratulations on derailing your own thread, I guess.

 

[NateD1226]

FTFY.

By the way, I was low key traumatized by some of Disneyland’s dark side as a child. It seems like many attractions in the park draw you in with fun and lightheartedness, but inevitably plunge you into darkness at some point and don’t hold back. I actually think those terrifying fantasy images may give kids a means of grasping concepts like despair and helplessness in a heightened way that make sense to them. It’s especially profound in the theme park setting where a child may actually feel in danger and find that they survive in the end. That may be the greatest power of the medium.

Well said! I see why people want Toads still. It just gave me bad vibes while riding and I wouldn’t be super sad to see it go. It is just my opinion. But I do respect all of your opinions too

 

[NateD1226]

Congratulations on derailing your own thread, I guess.

haha thanks

 

[Sharon&Susan]

What CM lot and expansion area is there next to Pooh in DL? Most if not all of that got taken out and used for SW:GE. So I'm not sure what you're talking about.... Can you please provide more insight into where this area is?

My mistake, I thought there was a small part of the parking lot left, but it seems the section that I thought remained became a service road.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Prediction: Pixar Pier to absorb the hotel, and Paradise Gardens. One of the restaurants becomes Ratatouille themed and the other becomes a Coco restaurant. Golden Zypher, Silly Symphony Swings, and Goofy’s Sky School will be rethemed. Little Mermaid will be replaced with a screen based dark ride based on one of Pixar’s 2020 films.

 

[VJ]

I think it just outdated and need to be rethemed to something more light heartened. I would not want to be in the underworld on a Disney ride.

"Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil." -Walt Disney

 

[mickEblu]

My predictions...

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is announced for DLRR (though I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s announced sooner and we just get more detail at D23)

Marvel Land phase 1 details are released with vague talk about Phase 2

I think it’s way too soon for any FL or TL announcements.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Still waiting for Toad to get new effects like Alice and Peter Pan did. Replacing some of the static plywood characters with 2-D animated projections would go a long way in bringing new life to the attraction.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

What's all this talk about closing Fantasyland spookhouse rides?

Someone's been looking at Team Disney Orlando emails from 1997.

 

[britain]

Are these predictions about the Destination D event this November or the next Expo in August (10 months away!)?

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

I'm setting fire to Disneyland if they ever close Mr. Toad.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I'm setting fire to Disneyland if they ever close Mr. Toad.

 

[Rich T]

Nate1226, you lost me at “Toad needs to go”. It’s an ingenious, wonderful, funny, startling ride that is now a DL exclusive, as well as an opening day 1955 icon. It gives Fantasyland a needed bit of edgy weirdness, and is the one FL dark ride that even eye-rolling teenagers adore.

Plus, it gets people to discover and read “The Wind in the Willows,” one of the greatest books ever written.

Look, I grew up with that ride (the original version!) It scared me as a kid, delighted me as a teen, and now no trip to DL is complete for me without getting smashed by a train and visiting hell to see my old friend W.T.Eff 1983 Dragon, who was not in the book, the film, or even the original ride.

Anyway, here’s what I expect at D23:

- A lot of self-congratulatory strutting
- Merchandising
- Huge lines
- An exclusive screening of a 2 hour documentary on the making of Critter Carousel and Mood Swings.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

...to see my old friend W.T.Eff 1983 Dragon...

Don’t you mean the Green Dragon?

 

[Anjin]

Anyway, here’s what I expect at D23:

- A lot of self-congratulatory strutting
- Merchandising
- Huge lines
- An exclusive screening of a 2 hour documentary on the making of Critter Carousel and Mood Swings.

This sounds depressingly accurate.

 

[Rich T]

Don’t you mean the Green Dragon?
View attachment 323019View attachment 323020

Okay... I’ve ridden MTWR probably a hundred times and never made that connection before!!! Now it makes some kind of sense! It’s... a weirdly subtle bit of story setup.. Ok, seriously, am I the only one who missed this???