I want Fort Wilderness back

[SuddenStorm]

It could be said that with the People Mover closed, you aren't missing much. That with the Rocket Jets moved, you aren't missing much. With the Skyway gone- you aren't missing much.

But these experiences combined added a kinetic energy to a land that without them, is a much weaker experience.

In the case of Fort Wilderness, yes, we aren't missing much- but it's loss is a huge detriment to the quality and uniqueness of the island.

 

[Phroobar]

This, 100 times this.

Tony Baxter stresses the importance of offering a diverse set of attractions in his interviews about park and attraction design.

Where else can you go through an African Jungle, meet the 16 president of the US, go on a submarine, fly on an elephant, fly out a children's bedroom window on a Pirate's Galleon into the London sky, (as a kid) drive a car, and blast off into space?

Disneyland thrives on it's diversity- it's little forgotten corners like Snow White's Wishing Well- and as the park gets more crowded, I fear we'll continue to see a decline in the unique, low capacity experiences offered in favor of larger, more flashy experiences- that while fun, have to be underscored in order to keep the place special.

If things don't change you have Epcot.

 

[Rich T]

This actually makes me kind of sad. There's a certain magic about the park when you're a kid and don't understand how things work- that being an adult never fully allows.

Better late than never! Even though some of my favorite DL memories come from early childhood (believing the Subs really were submerging, being creeped out in the original weird version of the Alice dark ride), my adult memories of experiencing the park with friends and family (many seeing it for the first time as adults) are just as much fun. And there are fewer incidents of me crying because my balloon popped on the motel's popcorn ceiling.

 

[TROR]

This makes me wonder how many of the HOB were old enough to experience the attractions they long for when they were around. Coming from a guy that did experience those things, they didn't miss much.

Really just Country Bear Jamboree, original POTC, original Star Tours, and Fort Wilderness are the only attractions I wish were still operating or existed in the park today. Only ever experience one and a half (Star Tours and pre-2006 POTC) of those.

Shout outs to Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland, the stagecoaches, Keel Boats, Superstar Limo, Passenger Train, and the People Mover though. None of which I ever experienced.

 

[Rich T]

If things don't change you have Epcot.

There's good change.... and then there's cheap change...

 

[SuddenStorm]

Better late than never! Even though some of my favorite DL memories come from early childhood (believing the Subs really were submerging, being creeped out in the original weird version of the Alice dark ride), my adult memories of experiencing the park with friends and family (many seeing it for the first time as adults) are just as much fun. And there are fewer incidents of me crying because my balloon popped on the motel's popcorn ceiling.

Disneyland as an adult is definitely and amazing experience as well, but it's different- and being able to experience both is special in it's own right.

 

[Rich T]

Really just Country Bear Jamboree, original POTC, original Star Tours, and Fort Wilderness are the only attractions I wish were still operating or existed in the park today. Only ever experience one and a half (Star Tours and pre-2006 POTC) of those.

Shout outs to Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland, the stagecoaches, Keel Boats, Superstar Limo, Passenger Train, and the People Mover though. None of which I ever experienced.

Of all the changes to DL, losing Mine Train TNW was the biggest loss as far as the park's character. I love Big Thunder (and building it was a smart, necessary decision), but when Nature's Wonderland went away, Frontierland lost its depth. Imagine Adventureland without Jungle Cruise. Mine Train TNW was Frontierland's Jungle Cruise-- A vast, beautiful realm full of surprises that you could only see aboard that attraction. When you were in Frontierland, it was neat to know that it all kept going... and going... beyond what you could see. In a subliminal sort of way, the Jungle Cruise, Nature's Wonderland, and the Submarines kind of formed a triangle of huge, mysterious worlds in the park. Losing NW was the beginning of "New" DL; sort of an acknowledgment that the public's tastes (and attention spans) were changing.

 

[Curious Constance]

This actually makes me kind of sad. There's a certain magic about the park when you're a kid and don't understand how things work- that being an adult never fully allows.

If it makes you feel any better, I have more nostalgia for my kid's Disneyland childhood than I know what to do with.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I loved riding the Pack Mules Through Nature’s Wonderland as a kid, and was bummed when I got too big to ride them....

http://www.yesterland.com/earlymules.html

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I was bummed to be too old to ride the Pterodactyls in Jurassic Park.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

As far as the younger fans go, I don't think one can be nostalgic for something one wasn't around for

I'm not sure. Quite often things from the past look a lot more interesting and intriguing to those who weren't around to experience them first hand. The popularity of "retro" in interior design, Disney's success resurrecting old IP like Star Wars and Mary Poppins, and slogans like "Make America Great Again" are good examples.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Heck, Disney brought back the Roseanne Show, and very happy they did... Just reordered more episodes...

Heck, they even found a way to bring someone back from the grave.

Will Walt Disney come back to host the Wonderful World of Disney? CGI is an amazing thing...

 

[Practical Pig]

I'm not sure. Quite often things from the past look a lot more interesting and intriguing to those who weren't around to experience them first hand.

I agree. This may be an extreme reach, since it closed over one and a half centuries ago, but I would love to be able to step back and visit Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in London during their heyday. They lasted for two centuries until they permanently closed in 1859, and grew from a tawdry beginning into a sort of proto-theme park (the theme being pleasure) that attracted royalty and aristocracy to mingle with the hoi polloi, and with the tawdriness better hidden. They built themed pavilions, put on firework shows, had (balloon) rides, produced spectacle entertainment to amuse the crowds, and charged outrageous fees for cheap food and drink. In the argument over which was the world's first theme park, I would argue we need to look back further than the 20th century.

A photograph circa 1859 when the park closed. One of two known to exist, but I can't find the other:

 

[180º]

Loving this discussion.

One of my earliest memories of Disneyland is being on Submarine Voyage for the first time, and even though the memory is vague, I can strongly remember how eerie it was and how I totally felt like we were alone at the bottom of the ocean. I found it’s almost possible to replicate that feeling today if you can will yourself to ignore the projections and soundtrack and focus on the dark sets in the background, but it takes a lot of concentration and imagination.