I wouldn't consider chronicling the history of a particular subject out-dated.
Unfortunately this equation is more than just the topic or storytelling method. Most of these attractions were very much written around the sponsor’s arc. They relied on show tech that became dull and mundane. They became woefully outdated tech wise and disney of the time would not do anything without sponsor dollars paying for it. So you have all these factors pushing that the attractions need a major overhaul and they needed their sponsor to have motivation to sign up for another long term deal. It’s hard to sell a deal on just “new tvs, new narration and updated costumes” - disney basically has to aim big to land the bigger deals.
It’s hard to sell someone on a big number and say “well you basically get the same thing as before…”
Let’s be honest… if spaceship earth’s show was in a show building off to the side like the WoL pavilion and not inside the park’s most iconic structure where basically nothing else can be done… it probably would not be around any longer either as close to the original as it has been.
The attractions would need updating in the sense that Pirates and HM see quality of life improvements and occasional scene changes/improvements/additions.
Again both those shows have core concepts that put them on an entirely different level. Fantasy topics that have had appeal for decades and be equally understood by all ages, all nationalities, etc. Their subject is timeless, they are set in staging that is historical so it doesn’t age out, and they take guests on adventures. Their biggest competitor is themselves- with repetition.
Highlighting the American nuclear family doesn’t have that same kind of universal hook or appeal. Those attractions also established brands around themselves. They became icons themselves - even as much as the castle.
WoM never had that. Nor anything in WoL or KK.
At a fundamental level though, the strong attraction design made these attractions timeless other than those occasional updates.
Design alone doesn’t float the boat forever. See GMR - a masterpiece of concepts, implementation, showmanship, done to the 9s. Yet… its journey it took people on fell out of favor…. Dragging it down into questioning the attraction’s relevance.
UoE - same thing… a mind blowing experience unlike any other anywhere else… but the script and delivery aged badly.
Today just sitting in a 360 theatre isn’t wow enough to carry the load. It wasn’t a failure of the choices in the attraction design, but rather a consequence of how entertainment has progressed and expectations change.
Bottom line… these attractions were not a PoTC or HM…. And simple refreshes like potc/hm get would not have sustained most of those 80s epcot attractions.
They were dated badly by the 90s. And the speed of progress in society and access to media is a big part of that.
