Do we lose track of the fact that WDW is really (in essence) for kids?

lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Not going to argue it anymore, I've said what I see and we will never meet on common ground, but, just this once... other rides are not rides depicting a mine train going to and coming from the mine headed for home.
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Other coasters do have such narrative constructs, so no, the ride is not unique.
 
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EnergyKing

Well-Known Member
1) There already existed a mine train themed coaster
2) The ride ends right when it should be starting the last act
3) The witch is a nice touch but unsatisfying because the ride ends before we get a chance to see her do anything
4) So the narrative is...we see the dwarves working, and then going home...the most mundane part of the film...where's the conflict? Nothing is at stake. At least there's a dramatic arc in the dark rides.
5) The line is always 2 days long...not worth the wait
 
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tman2000

Member
EnergyKing said:
There's no sinister underbelly to the Magic Kingdom anymore. The only ride with any menace left (Haunted Mansion) has been kiddified by the interactive queue.
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You're right! Old 1990s MK did have this "thing". Call it the isolation of the property. The fact you had to cross a forest, then a lake, just to get to main street. How you had to walk pretty far to get to rivers of America. There was this thing of MK feeling isolated in the "spooky old south". It helped that MK back then had a more quaint/quiet feel. The trees in the plaza, the skyway gondolas, smaller crowd, etc. It was about going through the wide avenues deep into the park to get to small ride entrances. It created a sense of true magic, like you had to dig to find it. For what it's worth.
 
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
copcarguyp71 said:
I see a lot of hate on these forums for rides or attractions that kids absolutely seem to love. Have we (grown ups) lost some of the capacity to enjoy the parks at the level they were meant for? I also wonder if we foist those aspersions onto the kids inadvertently causing a next generation of jaded travellers.

I myself have my own punch list of issues but have openly admitted that it may be simply because of the cynicism that age brings but I am interested in others thoughts on whether we have lost sight of the intent of WDW in terms of presentation.
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WDW wasn't for kids. WDW was build by middle aged men for middle aged men.

WDW 1.0 had zero thrill rides. This was because it was believed that WDW's core audience for whom it was build - Florida's pensioners and wealthy Eastcoasters wintering in Florida - had no need for them.

The toddlerfication and stupidfication of WDW are only recent phenomena. The core audience is now believed to be a three year old girl. Or at least people of the mental faculty and intellectual interest of a three year old.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
tman2000 said:
You're right! Old 1990s MK did have this "thing". Call it the isolation of the property. The fact you had to cross a forest, then a lake, just to get to main street. How you had to walk pretty far to get to rivers of America. There was this thing of MK feeling isolated in the "spooky old south". It helped that MK back then had a more quaint/quiet feel. The trees in the plaza, the skyway gondolas, smaller crowd, etc. It was about going through the wide avenues deep into the park to get to small ride entrances. It created a sense of true magic, like you had to dig to find it. For what it's worth.
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Well, I'll give you this... that is some imagination that you have there. But, if it works for you.. why not!:)
 
blm07

blm07

Active Member
If they are planning to put the same Toy Story Land as in HKDL where the Backlot Tour was, I'm going to be disappointed. My friend said that's a good idea because it gives the kids somewhere to go, but I don't agree. For everyone else besides kids, they aren't going to care. They could however build maybe 3 smaller dark rides similar to Fantasyland rides that kids can go on, and maybe a playground in the middle, and that would be much better. That way everyone can enjoy the new land. If it's just like Bug's Land in DCA, I'd consider that a waste of space.

Now if they spent a lot of money to make something like Mermaid's Lagoon in TDS, made it all indoors with some dark rides attached, that would be nice, but I have no faith they'd spend that kind of money in WDW. You know, cause it would have to be properly air conditioned and maintained to look nice.
 
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EnergyKing

Well-Known Member
Does anyone know an imagineer who can pitch my ideas to the men in charge, like how Don Draper used Freddy Rumsen in Mad Men?
 
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marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
mahnamahna101 said:
SDMT isn't the E-ticket crown jewel New Fantasyland needed to cap off with.
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This. Just this. For the budget and time it should have been as lavish and on a scale of BTM. Albeit with slower speeds maybe to qualify as kiddy friendly. BTM as built would cost around $55 million today without the red tape and burocracy wrapped around the kiddy coaster. For 100 million plus we should have gotten a gob smacking, family friendly E.

Internally FLE and the Dwarf Coaster have been acknowledged as not the stellar success that was hoped for. Good, but not great. Which is right on the money. Hence future projects of a large scale (Avland, SW) are being micromanaged to ensure FLE isn't repeated. Hopefully they'll have style and substance.
 
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copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I guess my intent at the outset of this was to point out (at least in my opinion) that WDW was designed around the young at heart...be it children or adults and possibly the fact that maybe we take ourselves too seriously (pretty evident by the direction the thread has taken) is what takes away from the magic.

There is no doubt that changes have been made at Disney over the years and there has been a shift in their "mission" but I honestly wonder how much of our perceptions can be attributed to our own individual jaded outlooks.

Imagine if you will that WDW opened today for the first time ever in it's current state and it was the first time seeing all of it with fresh eyes....how much wonderment would you have? A little? A lot? Would you care all that much about a light bulb or two? As a child (or big kid) would it matter if you saw Disco Yeti?

I admitted in my opening statement that I myself have fallen into the cynicism of middle age and I am not unwilling to own some of my curmudgeonly attitude currently towards the parks but the intent of the thread was really to ask if we have (or are) losing touch with our inner child and not appreciating the parks on the level of pure fun and wonderment.
 
216bruce

216bruce

Well-Known Member
Most things "Disney" are about innocence, pure love, sweetness, gentility, etc. Our mass culture makes us outgrow most of that pretty early in life these days, so it's difficult to embrace something like Disney when you get bombarded with "adult" all the time, even if you are or wish to try and remain a kid at heart.
 

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