If WDWmagic.com was open in 1971.......

[Walt Disney1955]

What do you think people would be saying on these boards?

Or what would they say about classic rides that aren't the originals but came shortly after. What would the initial response be to Pirates? Outside of Disneyland no one would have ever seen that type of thing before. Or Space Mountain? Or how would the audience have felt about Haunted Mansion? The castle? Small World? Hall of Presidents?

Share what you think the major discussions would be on these boards back then. Or share your own opinions of what you thought of the park if you were first there in 1971 or shortly after (I know there are some here)

 

[Tigger1988]

Without anything to compare it to I think it'd be overwhelmingly positive. Amazement over the anamatronics and such.

My family first went to WDW in 1981 (I had not been born yet) they managed to fill the entire week long trip with just MK being open. Can't imagine that now, people would complain there's not enough to do! :lol:

 

[David S.]

I never got to go in 1971, but my first visit as a small child was in the 70's before the Mickey Mouse Revue was removed!

So maybe, if I was theoretically able to discuss the parks in a format like this back in those days, it would be pretty swell to be able to sing the praises of my beloved Mickey Mouse Revue and have people actually know what I was talking about! Maybe if the internet were around in those days, there would have been a "Save the Mickey Mouse Revue" campaign!

Also, I think my beloved Small World and Country Bears would probably get more love, as those were simpler times that were not into being "postmodern", "ironic", or cynical about the sort of earnest, straightforwardly cute style of Disney attractions I love so much.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Also, I think my beloved Small World and Country Bears would probably get more love, as those were simpler times that were not into being "postmodern", "ironic", or cynical about the sort of earnest, straightforwardly cute style of Disney attractions I love so much.

That's an interesting observation. Personally, I wonder if our hyper-cynicism in modern society is at least to some degree a function of the fact that people of similar interests are able to connect so easily and constantly through the internet. There's less mystery and surprise to a life where any answer you want is probably a Google search away.

In other words, I wonder if it isn't to some extent a contradiction in terms to posit a more innocent, earnest society from 40 years ago, while adding to it, almost as an afterthought, a technology (the internet) that I think has helped dilute that very quality. Could they actually coexist?

Hope that made sense; sometimes I have trouble boiling down my thoughts into quick, cogent snippets. :lol: :hammer:

 

[_Scar]

We'd be really invested in the concept art for the new resorts and then we'll have our first big TDO disappointment when they follow through with none.

 

[TP2000]

If wdwmagic.com existed in 1971 these boards would have....

Torn the Magic Kingdom to shreds! It was extremely light on attractions with only 20 that first year (many of those 20 being shows and extra-cost arcades), and had many, many opening day errors and gaping holes. Everything that existed on opening day was a clone, except for the Swan Boats, the Hall of Presidents, and the Country Bear Jamboree.

And the Country Bear Jamboree would have been a bitter victory, since a clone of it was already under construction in Disneyland and about to open six months later. Not only that, the Disneyland version had double-theaters and twice the capacity. They clearly think more of Disneyland than the new Florida park!

But the very slim list of opening day attractions would have been a huge let down and cause for major griping. The lack of Pirates of the Caribbean or a roller coaster like Matterhorn or anything at all in Tomorrowland besides a closed CircleVision and Flight To The Moon that wouldn't open until Christmas. The vast lack of rides in Fantasyland would have been a huge disapointment compared to Disneyland (not unlike the far off year of 2010). Not to mention making all the silly operational mistakes like trying to get guests to paddle a canoe in the Florida heat, or trying to run the Teacup ride without a cover to protect it from daily rain showers that closed it for hours at a time. So many things had to be fixed and changed in the Magic Kingdom after opening day, and yet they had 16 years to practice all of this in Disneyland, yet failed to factor in the dramatically different climate of central Florida.

TOTAL AND EPIC FAIL on the part of Disney for Magic Kingdom's Opening Day, 1971. They really cheaped out on the place, and I can guarantee you that Walt is spinning in his grave on October 1st, 1971!

Besides the disapointing Magic Kingdom and its wimpy roster of rides and attractions.... I have a hunch we'd also be dealing with a lot of folks furious at Disney for allowing Bob Hope to say the wildly inappropriate speech he gave at the Contemporary Hotel grand opening, filled with sexual harrasment of young female Cast Members and offensive and uncalled for sexual innuendo-laced jokes and comments. But just like in 2010 when I watch that Bob Hope clip at the Contemporary on YouTube, I wouldn't have minded back in 1971 either. :lol:

 

[_Scar]

^ With that logic, we would have HATED opening day Disneyland.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

"There's a light bulb out on Main St",

"In need of decoration"

:shrug:

 

[TP2000]

^ With that logic, we would have HATED opening day Disneyland.

Well, since Disneyland invented the concept, I don't know what we would have compared it to? Coney Island? Knott's Berry Farm (when it was still just a berry farm)?

By the time WDW opened in '71 there were several other major theme parks operating in America as an easy comparison, in addition to a fully fleshed out Disneyland.

 

[Krack]

The lack of PotC and the Matterhorn would have had people upset. Otherwise, I think the general consensus would be a feeling of optimism because of the larger size of the park, the knowledge that Disneyland improved itself so much in it's first few years, and it's seclusion from the rest of Florida (contrasted with the clutter right outside DL's main gate). Further, I think the use of the monorail (particularly it's integration with the hotels) would be something that would have everyone so excited that there'd be 200 simultaneous threads about how much better it was than DL's monorail.

Then, once Pirates was announced, and people realized there'd be no Blue Bayou in the plans, the complaint-fest would be on!

 

[David S.]

If wdwmagic.com existed in 1971 these boards would have....

Torn the Magic Kingdom to shreds! It was extremely light on attractions with only 20 that first year (many of those 20 being shows and extra-cost arcades), and had many, many opening day errors and gaping holes. Everything that existed on opening day was a clone, except for the Swan Boats, the Hall of Presidents, and the Country Bear Jamboree.

And the Mickey Mouse Revue, which I mentioned earlier in this thread! They even showed about half the show in the Grand Opening special you referred to!

link to excellent article about the MMR: http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/mmr.htm
link to another excellent article about the MMR: http://www.mouseplanet.com/9119/Mickey_Mouse_Revue
link to highlights video, from the Grand Opening of WDW special: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj2e0k4Lvr0

 

[David S.]

That's an interesting observation. Personally, I wonder if our hyper-cynicism in modern society is at least to some degree a function of the fact that people of similar interests are able to connect so easily and constantly through the internet. There's less mystery and surprise to a life where any answer you want is probably a Google search away.

In other words, I wonder if it isn't to some extent a contradiction in terms to posit a more innocent, earnest society from 40 years ago, while adding to it, almost as an afterthought, a technology (the internet) that I think has helped dilute that very quality. Could they actually coexist?

Hope that made sense; sometimes I have trouble boiling down my thoughts into quick, cogent snippets. :lol: :hammer:

Nice post, thanks for the reply!

I unnderstand what you mean. For me personally, the internet can co-exist with me having a wide-eyed sense of non-cynical wonder in the parks. After all, I love the attractions I mentioned, and others of that type, despite having access to the net and living in the hyper-cynical society you referred to.

Then again, my tastes have never been indicative of the "norm" (as I'm reminded of in the attraction summer madness tournament threads where most of my favorites got swatted like flies!)

So I agree that it's certainly very possible that for a lot of other people, the Internet could be a factor in the decline of popularity of artforms with an "earnest wholesomeness" and "charm" that I enjoy. (and not just a decline in popularity, but the sad trend of it being "kewl" to make fun of such things! - see the plethora of Small World jokes, even by Sonny Eclipse in the MK itself)

But I also think the hyper-cynicism may also be traced to the movies and television of today as opposed to earlier eras. Even in the "family film" genre, a lot of movies (such as a lot of Dreamworks) specialize in gross-out humor, a sardonic attitude, and characters constantly trying to say something "hip" and clever.

There seems to be an overall "gentleness" that was so effortlessly found in 50's and 60's productions, and even into the 70's, that is much harder to find in the movies and television of today.

All 10 of my all-time Top 10 live-action TV series debuted before I was born or when I was a little kid (such as Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color/Wonderful World of Disney, Lassie, Flipper, Gentle Ben, Skippy, Grizzly Adams, etc.)

I think I was born too late! Having said that, I wouldn't want to give up the progress made in areas such as race relations and gender eqality in the present day, I'm just talking about preferring the warm, non-cynical "tone" of movies and especially TV from earlier eras!

 

[Chape19714]

In 1971, I would have said...

what's a ".com"?

 

[Walt Disney1955]

So maybe, if I was theoretically able to discuss the parks in a format like this back in those days, it would be pretty swell to be able to sing the praises of my beloved Mickey Mouse Revue and have people actually know what I was talking about! Maybe if the internet were around in those days, there would have been a "Save the Mickey Mouse Revue" campaign!

Maybe, but then again there was a failed attempt at saving Mr. Toad on the internet. I actually think even watching the show on Youtube that Mickey Mouse Revue looked really good. I first went to MK in 1991 so obviously I never saw it. Philharmagic is an awfully good replacement though I'll say.

Also, I think my beloved Small World and Country Bears would probably get more love, as those were simpler times that were not into being "postmodern", "ironic", or cynical about the sort of earnest, straightforwardly cute style of Disney attractions I love so much.

Exactly. There are some things we have improved on since 1971 but in other ways, many ways, the world is a worse place today. Our attention spans are abysmal, half of society has ADD with a "what have you done for me lately" attitude. This is the last place that Small World should ever get trampled though. We should know better being Disney-ites. But you're right, the simplest attractions are always the most beloved. Disney is timeless, that's what separates it from every other park in the world. I hope it stays timeless as well. There's nothing wrong with adding new things and such but sometimes change isn't always a good thing.

 

[JWG]

Could you imagine if the internet was around when Pirate's opened at WDW? Oh my, what a cheap and utter failure compared to west coast Pirate's. What were they thinking!?

I kind of wish it wasn't around today (the internet that is).

 

[Expo_Seeker40]

My eyes would be going crazy staring at a black and orange screen, that by the time I connected to wdwmagic, my connection would disconnect and I'd have to use my punchcard to access the computer again. :lol:

 

[DisneyNut2007]

There are some things we have improved on since 1971 but in other ways, many ways, the world is a worse place today. Our attention spans are abysmal, half of society has ADD with a "what have you done for me lately" attitude.

Are you being insultive towards people with neurological disorders (autism, etc.)?! If you are, then you ought to be ashamed of yourself!