Is Disney still Disney?

[tractorm3]

Ok well fellow Disney fans, i have had some thing toiling in my gut for a while and I want to vent it off and hopefully get some imput from all of you and prove me wrong. It seems to me like disney is in "recestion" and has gone away from the disney i knew 10-20 years ago.

For instance, seems like the new rides are less Disney, and more PIXAR. Monsters, nemo, buzz, toy story mania, and the one I love EE which i know doesnt have ties to pixar seems to be constantly in need of repair and not functioning properly.

What happened to the e-ticket rides we grew up with like SM, TM, SM, pirates, its a small world, peter pan. why dont we have any more rides like those comming out? We have had good ones like ToT, RR, and EE but seems like there is a gap.

And then some of the rides we have to make so even the little ones can ride. I meant dont mis understand me i know it is a place where every one can have fun but i think there should be rides that are just made for the extreme thrill seeker. Examples. Mission Space never ran at full capacity for motion sickness reason and then the lesser version was even toned down further to what it is today. The alien ecounter ride was banished and is now stich.................. Then i read in the forum that dinosaurs was getting a restricting plate put in so its less intense for people.



I guess all in all i just want to hear that disney still has the magic touch in store for the future because for me it looks like we are getting away from Walt and it is becomming some thing else

Please dont get angry with what i sed i still love disney and still cant wait to visit again and if what i said is based on incorrect facts please correct me.

 

[phenom1307]

Ok well fellow Disney fans, i have had some thing toiling in my gut for a while and I want to vent it off and hopefully get some imput from all of you and prove me wrong. It seems to me like disney is in "recestion" and has gone away from the disney i knew 10-20 years ago.

For instance, seems like the new rides are less Disney, and more PIXAR. Monsters, nemo, buzz, toy story mania, and the one I love EE which i know doesnt have ties to pixar seems to be constantly in need of repair and not functioning properly.

What happened to the e-ticket rides we grew up with like SM, TM, SM, pirates, its a small world, peter pan. why dont we have any more rides like those comming out? We have had good ones like ToT, RR, and EE but seems like there is a gap.

And then some of the rides we have to make so even the little ones can ride. I meant dont mis understand me i know it is a place where every one can have fun but i think there should be rides that are just made for the extreme thrill seeker. Examples. Mission Space never ran at full capacity for motion sickness reason and then the lesser version was even toned down further to what it is today. The alien ecounter ride was banished and is now stich.................. Then i read in the forum that dinosaurs was getting a restricting plate put in so its less intense for people.



I guess all in all i just want to hear that disney still has the magic touch in store for the future because for me it looks like we are getting away from Walt and it is becomming some thing else

Please dont get angry with what i sed i still love disney and still cant wait to visit again and if what i said is based on incorrect facts please correct me.

really?!?!?

 

[DisneyJoe]

It's called "change".

Life without change would be boring.

So would Disney.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I have to disagree. Pixar is Disney, and in years you will see that those movies will be connecting with adults just as much as the classics do for us.

I think that there does need to be some things for the thrill seeker, but I would oppose the mega-coaster mentality of the Busch Gardens-style park.

As for toning down rides, it happens, unfortunately. I disagree with it, but things do need to have mass appeal, or else they really are not an effective e-ticket.

In a way, you are right. Is is not OUR Disney. It is turing into the Disney of people who are younger than we are. They will probably be making the same comments in 15 years when their favorite Toy Story attraction closes down.

 

[reptar77]

Disney is still Disney....They are updating the the times. I think they are trying to keep up with the demand from todays consumers.

 

[mousermerf]

Everything cycles. The design team will eventually grow out of this phase - how, when, or why, who knows?

That said, Pixar is Disney, and until Disney makes a good animated film then Pixar it shall be.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Pixar is Disney
Disney is probably more Disney than it was 10 years ago

Have a magical day!

 

[Elonwy]

I understand where you're coming from but I have to disagree.

Walt always knew that Disney World would be an ever changing, ever expanding world that evolves with the times.

You can find Disney experiences in the classic rides such as POTC and HM but you have to realize that there are entire generationss who grew up waiting for the latest Disney/Pixar film to come out and just because they are computer animated, they are no less Disney for them.

I, too am a fan of the animated classics and enjoy rides such as Winnie-the-Pooh but I also enjoy Nemo the musical and don't feel like It's less of a Disney experience. remember, Winnie-the-Pooh wasn't originally a "Disney" creation...he adapted and expanded it to make it part of the Disney family.

Try to think of the Pixar creations as the same.

As for the thrill rides. I think Universal (is that a bad word here) probably will always have bigger, scarier rides that Disney but there is at least one thrill ride in every park for those adventure seekers. Walt wanted Disney World to be a "family" place and while I personally prefer to travel with adults only I understand that many families don't want to have to "child swap" or have to miss every ride.

There will always be things that you don't like at Disney but there will also always be things that you find so magical that nothing else can compare.

When in doubt just remember....it all started with a mouse

 

[mousermerf]

Rcently i was being all "emo" about Epcot not being as cool as it was when it was Epcot Center - then someone told me that Epcot will be something different then it is right now in another 10 years too.

Things change, the good news is that change is constant.

 

[MousDad]

That said, Pixar is Disney, and until Disney makes a good animated film then Pixar it shall be.

Ditto. Think how bleak things would be (for the Disney brand of animated films) if there were no Pixar films the past 12 years. Pixar was more than happy to pick up that dropped ball.

 

[mousermerf]

Ditto. Think how bleak things would be (for the Disney brand of animated films) if there were no Pixar films the past 12 years. Pixar was more than happy to pick up that dropped ball.

We'd be looking at Home on the Range rides *shivers*

 

[tractorm3]

I cant deisagree with any one of you. i am just a bit sceptic because all new rides are just movies re-done. and i am not saying Disney should not change i just wish it kept more of the past along the way

 

[wedway71]

Everything does change including companies.

While Walt was alive Disney was very strong and it was a household name.
After Walt died untill Eisner came in 84 ,Disney came down to minutes of being ripped apart by corporate raiders. Disney struggled in the 70s since being wholesome was very lame.
Then came Eisner/Wells era where Disney was a Gigantic powerhouse and NOONE could come even close.

Then came lack of like for Eisner.The stock tanked,movies were very weak and AGAIN Disney was close to being ripped apart with Comcast bidding for the company and the parks to be sold off seperately.

Now Iger is doing a "F-AWESOME" job and the company is again a huge powerhouse.

 

[SSE]

I believe that Disney is still Disney, but it does have an identity crisis every now and then. They don't seem to have the same quality that they used to. I think some people use the word change as a way to defend Disney for making crappy rides and attractions. There is a difference between making a quality change and a change. I believe I have seen some signs of good changes and hoping that it continues and starts to spread all throughout the company.

 

[KaliSplash]

Ok well fellow Disney fans, i have had some thing toiling in my gut for a while and I want to vent it off and hopefully get some imput from all of you and prove me wrong. It seems to me like disney is in "recestion" and has gone away from the disney i knew 10-20 years ago.

For instance, seems like the new rides are less Disney, and more PIXAR. Monsters, nemo, buzz, toy story mania, and the one I love EE which i know doesnt have ties to pixar seems to be constantly in need of repair and not functioning properly.

What happened to the e-ticket rides we grew up with like SM, TM, SM, pirates, its a small world, peter pan. why dont we have any more rides like those comming out? We have had good ones like ToT, RR, and EE but seems like there is a gap.

And then some of the rides we have to make so even the little ones can ride. I meant dont mis understand me i know it is a place where every one can have fun but i think there should be rides that are just made for the extreme thrill seeker. Examples. Mission Space never ran at full capacity for motion sickness reason and then the lesser version was even toned down further to what it is today. The alien ecounter ride was banished and is now stich.................. Then i read in the forum that dinosaurs was getting a restricting plate put in so its less intense for people.



I guess all in all i just want to hear that disney still has the magic touch in store for the future because for me it looks like we are getting away from Walt and it is becomming some thing else

Please dont get angry with what i sed i still love disney and still cant wait to visit again and if what i said is based on incorrect facts please correct me.

As has been pointed out, Disney IS Pixar. And where did Pixar's John Lassiter get his training? Disney. I think this is a very good thing.

The more complex the ride system, the more it is going to be down for repair or will go without little design details. Think back to the MASSIVE delays in getting Test Track going even to the level that it operates now.

I would love to see more dark rides as much as anyone. But it appears that people are becoming less interested in merely riding past highly detailed scenes and just looking. Thus Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Mania where you DO something besides admire the great attention to detail that many of we older visitors love.

Particularly disagree with the concept that there need to be rides "for the extreme thrill seeker." That is precisely what WDW is NOT! Walt wanted a park where the family could do things together. If you are looking for extreme thrills, there are plenty of places to go. Just not WDW. Hopefully, Disney will NEVER become a 'coaster boy' park.

That said, I do agree with your concern about toning down rides. I like the full-scale version of Mission:Space. I was never a big fan of Alien Encounter. It was just ok. But it scared children. I realize that's why many people liked it. But that is NOT in Disney's interest to exclude it's biggest fan base.

One of the problems Disney has now is that children are turning away from the 'classic' Disney characters at an ever younger age. How can Minnie compete with Hannah Montana and her 'topless' photos. Yet, this is what many of the older young children are attracted to today. I don't like it. It does not change reality. Kids who have ipods and video consoles and such before they are 6 aren't going to be terribly excited by some of the traditional things we enjoyed as children. Disney must change to continue to attract audiences.

One final thought. As much as we idealize Walt and all he did, Walt Disney Co. is a business. It has to make money. In today's market conditions, it now only has to make money, it has to make more money than it is expected to make. Stockholders want to see profits go up every single quarter, preferably by double digits. This is the reality.

 

[kcw]

Particularly disagree with the concept that there need to be rides "for the extreme thrill seeker." That is precisely what WDW is NOT! Walt wanted a park where the family could do things together. If you are looking for extreme thrills, there are plenty of places to go. Just not WDW. Hopefully, Disney will NEVER become a 'coaster boy' park.

Exactly. The Disney parks were never meant to be full of high thrill rollercoasters. If it ever turns into that, I'm out. The parks are about theming and the experience. It's about shows, the characters, the magic made by CMs, dining experiences you can't find anywhere else, the small things that you can only find in a Disney park. Do you get goosebumps when you first catch a glimpse of the castle when you walk down main street? How about when you see a little kid sprint up to Mickey, or their favorite princess, screaming "I've been waiting my ENTIRE life to meet you!!!!!". If so, then yes, Disney is still Disney.

 

[TubaGeek]

What happened to the e-ticket rides we grew up with like SM, TM, SM, pirates, its a small world, peter pan. why dont we have any more rides like those comming out? We have had good ones like ToT, RR, and EE but seems like there is a gap.

I don't claim to have any sort of "inside scoop," but I'd put cash on that Disney will soon be announcing some big stuff.

 

[tractorm3]

Exactly. The Disney parks were never meant to be full of high thrill rollercoasters. If it ever turns into that, I'm out. The parks are about theming and the experience. It's about shows, the characters, the magic made by CMs, dining experiences you can't find anywhere else, the small things that you can only find in a Disney park. Do you get goosebumps when you first catch a glimpse of the castle when you walk down main street? How about when you see a little kid sprint up to Mickey, or their favorite princess, screaming "I've been waiting my ENTIRE life to meet you!!!!!". If so, then yes, Disney is still Disney.

That kinda struck some thing with me. I was focusing on disney as the park and not disney the feeling you get when you there. I dont even have to be on mainstreet, or see the castle. as soons as my plane leaves thats when i start

I dont want it to turn into a coaster park either where all you can see is steel rails on the skyline. Thats why EE took so long to design they tried to not have much track at all showing, all im saying is shouldnt the thrill seeker be able to enjoy atleast one or two rides that are intense ( intense having the meaning of the old mission space and alien encounter)

 

[Ilovewishes]

I think the parks are still very Disney, but I've been a little disappointed with some of the recent films. The Pixar films are all very ggod but I'm just not a fan! I miss the singing characters and when was the last time Disney had a fab song in a film that everyone knew the words to?

I just wish they would go back to more Disney-fied films. I don't mind them being computer animated or Pixar (although I prefer original animation) but can we please have our singing characters back? I miss the singing!

 

[lightboy]

Alrighty...I'm going to agree and disagree with some things this poster has written about.

Yes...Disney has changed, but I agree with this poster where it has changed a bit too drastically...and not in the favor of family.

I think we should define family park...and Disney's "family" park. A normal family park caters to all ages. A Disney family park caters too much towards the eh...under 10 age range.

I'm going to tell you that I loved Alien Encounter, and I love Dinosaur. Why? Well a good dark ride is good, but it is a unique ride, and adventurous. A good dark, unique, adventure ride that comes unmatched from any other theme park.

When I was in the teenage years (yes, typically still considered part of a normal American FAMILY), I loved Alien Encounter, and it had long lines a LOT longer than Stitch. But I thought it was so cool that I could experience Disney magic through something not "cartoony", but still fitting into the theme park experience...and something that catered to me...instead of my 5-year old brother.

Disney is becoming a montage of kiddy parks, but high scale ones at that. They want to gear everything towards little ones...look at Bibbity Boppity Boutique...Stitch...Monsters Laugh...Tiki Under New Mngmt...dumbing down Dino...Mission: S...and...bleck...Pirate and Princess hard ticket events...and...

READY?

OH GOD...the attack of millions of characters (although they are pretty cool...well some of them)...replacing the type of theme park entertainment Disney used to be known for (check Youtube if you don't believe me...live music can even make adults sit through character shows with more ease). MK is entertainment dead in leau of crappy kiddy shows encouraging the 3-9 age range to be a pirate or a cowboy.

Again...except for a small amount of teenager attractions (EE can carry smaller children)...such as RR, and maybe TT...everything is "kiddy" age range.

Even P.I. is basically DEAD, because of the same mindset that it needs to be family oriented. Well I'll tell you what...they are in the wrong market for that. Kids don't want to shop or ride a mini merry-go-round. Citywalk drinks Disney under the table when it comes to their profits resulting from respective night-time shopping districts.

I understand it...but it makes it hard for teenagers (still considered "FAMILY") to also enjoy it by making a "happy medium" instead of gearing one direction only.

I'm not stressing a Universal or a Busch...I'm stressing a happy medium. It's not necessary for 3-9 to have to ride everything, there's plenty of other things in the park to keep them busy. And even when there's not...there's always 1-hour long lines to see Mickey in the summer. Or...yes...naptime.

Being more of a "rounded" theme park, I believe would attract more visitors. You'd have the familys, but still the teenagers could tolerate it a bit more than they do now.

Trust me...I see the sad, bored, sulking looks on them (not all, but many) every day when they are being dragged around onto one after another after another of lame, unexciting Snow White "SCARY" Adventures type rides or Pooh (ahem, long live Mr. Toad).

Even Peter Pan's Flight is cool...why? It's unique...and that does carry traditional Disney value. And it will continue to, for years. It doesn't HAVE to be a dark, scary or a fast ride. But it needs to be family...but the whole family, not just some of them. Pirates...same...Splash...same...Big Thunder...HM...same...heck, even the Tomorrowland rockets! Cater to everyone. Catching my drift?

Other topics...Pixar IS Disney, sorry bud.

Rides breaking down? All I have to say is that nothing worked at Disneyland on opening day! Advanced ride systems need some fine-tuning.

But yes...Disney attractions aren't what they used to be, and they don't cater to all age ranges.