Rumor Disney Characters Being Added to IASW

[Minthorne]

I think they fit just fine.

 

[EzraPhineasGus]

I think that adding the characters would definitely gain more interest from families and young kids, which I’m sure is what they’re going for. I’m all for it.

 

[HauntedPirate]

So needless... *sigh*

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I think that adding the characters would definitely gain more interest from families and young kids

There's a 35 min wait for Small World right now, I'm pretty sure the ride is already popular with families.

 

[EzraPhineasGus]

There's a 35 min wait for Small World right now, I'm pretty sure the ride is already popular with families.

I never said it wasn’t already popular. I just think it’s a good pull for people who take regular family trips and might overlook riding it so that they can do other stuff. It adds a reason for repeat visitors to want to ride it again.
I ride it every time regardless, but I know of people who just skip it at this point.

 

[ppete1975]

This is another thing that they have done recently that makes me question the decision makers.
Do we have the people who love Disney, and have went for years and understand the magic?
Or do we have people who know of the basic characters and look at a ride and say.. wheres mickey mouse?
IF you were only aware of the characters and not the parks.. you would make the decisions that we see.

I think where the people who are outraged or unhappy with the decisions like this (and Epcot), its because they love the rides and attractions and the memories they hold. Where if you never saw them before youd wonder why theres no Disney in them, so how do we fix that

 

[lazyboy97o]

I never said it wasn’t already popular. I just think it’s a good pull for people who take regular family trips and might overlook riding it so that they can do other stuff. It adds a reason for repeat visitors to want to ride it again.
I ride it every time regardless, but I know of people who just skip it at this point.

Why does that make any sense? The attraction is not operating with excess capacity.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Where if you never saw them before youd wonder why theres no Disney in them, so how do we fix that

That's a failure of Disney's marketing department to accurately depict their own product.

If people go to WDW and expect "Universal Studios, but with Disney cartoons" then the needs to be a serious re-education on what WDW is.

The people who fell in love with WDW from 1971-2000 loved what WAS there, because it was amazing. That's what made it "Disney".

 

[muteki]

The DL version is okay until you get to Woody and Jessie in America. They don’t fit at all. And there’s a weird sense that although they fit visually, the characters make the “children of the world” supporting players instead of the stars.

It’s similar to how the Mexican boat ride is no longer about Mexico, but a search for Donald.

IIRC at least Orlando doesn't have an America section? Outside that one cowboy at the end?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

IIRC Orlando doesn't have an America section? Outside that one cowboy at the end?

Correct and neither does Tokyo, despite the addition of characters.

Paris has had an America scene since 1992, but it is larger and nicer than what was squished into the California ride.

 

[lazyboy97o]

This is another thing that they have done recently that makes me question the decision makers.
Do we have the people who love Disney, and have went for years and understand the magic?
Or do we have people who know of the basic characters and look at a ride and say.. wheres mickey mouse?
IF you were only aware of the characters and not the parks.. you would make the decisions that we see.

I think where the people who are outraged or unhappy with the decisions like this (and Epcot), its because they love the rides and attractions and the memories they hold. Where if you never saw them before youd wonder why theres no Disney in them, so how do we fix that

Why is it that people went to see Frozen and did not ask “Where is Mickey Mouse?”

 

[tirian]

I never said it wasn’t already popular. I just think it’s a good pull for people who take regular family trips and might overlook riding it so that they can do other stuff. It adds a reason for repeat visitors to want to ride it again.
I ride it every time regardless, but I know of people who just skip it at this point.

Isn’t that due more to the song than anything else?

 

[tirian]

This is another thing that they have done recently that makes me question the decision makers.
Do we have the people who love Disney, and have went for years and understand the magic?
Or do we have people who know of the basic characters and look at a ride and say.. wheres mickey mouse?
IF you were only aware of the characters and not the parks.. you would make the decisions that we see.

I think where the people who are outraged or unhappy with the decisions like this (and Epcot), its because they love the rides and attractions and the memories they hold. Where if you never saw them before youd wonder why theres no Disney in them, so how do we fix that

I think the public is smarter than that, and I think the “Where’s xxxxxx?” line is a corporate excuse for leaders and their personal agendas. That’s doesn’t make all the ideas bad, but they’re often silly.

I’ll never forget when the VP of Disneyland decided to station CMs with stuffed animals and wave the arms like puppets...simply because he smiled when he saw a bored merch CP do it. The position lasted months.

IASW has been operating since 1964, and the public knows what to expect. It’s a classic in its own right, just like POTC was and the HM still is.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Does someone have a huge list of all the rumored/confirmed things coming for the 50th? @MisterPenguin, didn't you have a list?

They're scattered throughout the rumor thread (see the link in my sig below), the big things for the 50th are in the timeline post. It's not like they're sure things or that WDW can't change their minds about them. So, I wouldn't look toward establishing a definitive list since things can change.

There was supposed to be a Main Street Theater ready for the 50th...

 

[MisterPenguin]

I'd be happy with an IP update if it also means doing something with the ceiling: fiber optic fireworks like in Gran Fiesta, or the planets of the solar system showing our world is all we have, etc...

And if they did a better job with Africa and other parts of the world where they didn't know how to make puppets for them and instead populated that region with animals... kinda insulting.

 

[ppete1975]

I think the public is smarter than that, and I think the “Where’s xxxxxx?” line is a corporate excuse for leaders and their personal agendas. That’s doesn’t make all the ideas bad, but they’re often silly.

I’ll never forget when the VP of Disneyland decided to station CMs with stuffed animals and wave the arms like puppets...simply because he smiled when he saw a bored merch CP do it. The position lasted months.

IASW has been operating since 1964, and the public knows what to expect. It’s a classic in its own right, just like POTC was and the HM still is.

Oh I don't think any of this is from the public. I think its from board members who have never been to the parks before they got the job, and then only after a corporate field trip.
tour guide: this is small world
50 year old former head of an oil and gas company: WTH was with all the dolls... I didn't even see mickey mouse
Lackey trying to get noticed: HEY we could easily add all of the classic Disney characters
50 year old former head of an oil and gas company who had never been to the parks: THATS A GREAT IDEA


Now im sure a lot on the board snd the people making the decisions are fans as much as we are, but this is really the way I see it in my head sometimes.... especially Epcot.

Tour guide: this is universe of energy
AN HOUR LATER
50 year old...…: was that I fell asleep
Lackey: that's a big space we could put a roller coaster based on that movie that just made you millions
50 year old a$$hat: GREAT IDEA

 

[ppete1975]

That's a failure of Disney's marketing department to accurately depict their own product.

If people go to WDW and expect "Universal Studios, but with Disney cartoons" then the needs to be a serious re-education on what WDW is.

The people who fell in love with WDW from 1971-2000 loved what WAS there, because it was amazing. That's what made it "Disney".

Once again not the public, the people making the decisions. Im in total agreeance, that's what made Epcot magical was it wasn't Disney (as much as I love Disney). And some of the most popular rides aren't Disney character centered. POC (still hate sparrow being there), HM, IASW,, Jungle Cruise, BTM.....

 

[Kevin_W]

I really do not mind them at all in the California version, but I liked that each coast had a different version of the ride. (They will still be different with characters in Florida, just less so.) So if I had a choice of having them added or not, I'd take not but I'm not going to dust off my pitchfork and torch about it.

Hopefully they would use it as a chance to clean/fix/improve the rest of the attraction while they are at it. That would make it worthwhile.

 

[AndyS2992]

Given Tokyo's Small World is a clone of Magic Kingdom's, I'm hoping it will look the same.

 

[Kram Sacul]

Sigh.