I think its funny that it is some of the same people that want rides less scary like AI,Stitch,and Snow White Scary Adventures but claim they want it the way Walt would of done things.Heres what Walt had to say about stimulating children through fear. " Both my study of Scripture and my career in entertaining children have taught me to cherish them. But I don’t believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motion pictures. I didn’t treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I think no parent should.
Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. 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, and that is what our pictures attempt to do.
The American child is a highly intelligent human being -- characteristically sensitive, humorous, open-minded, eager to learn, and has a strong sense of excitement, energy, and healthy curiosity about the world in which he lives. Lucky indeed is the grown-up who manages to carry these same characteristics into adult life. It usually makes for a happy and successful individual. In our full-length cartoon features, as well as in our live action productions, we have tried to convey in story and song those virtues that make both children and adults attractive. I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is no answer to delinquency. Preaching won’t keep youngsters out of trouble, but keeping their minds occupied will."
I think this is why Walt always had demons,witches,snakes,wolves,bats,headless horsemen,pirates,evil dog hating women,wicked step mothers,tornadoes,bears,mountain lions,greedy bankers,Nazis, and countless other obstacles and villains.They where all just vehicles for Walt to use to triumph over.I guess I see it as good cant overcome if theres nothing to overcome.Basicaly the basis for a good story.If you take away the dark element there is no story.And so if you take away completely the scary parts of rides you end up with Six Flags if you will where the childs imagination is not stimulated and then you just end up with thrill rides which though provides the child with instant gratification.The next day,week,month or year the child is left with nothing to imagine.
