Name changes that changed nothing

[mharrington]

Several years ago on this blog called Parkeology, a rather humorous blog on WDW, there was created a list of ten name changes at the resort that changed nothing - i.e., the name of something changed, but the content of that something did not. You can look at the article (the first half) here: http://www.parkeology.com/2010/08/top-10-name-changes-that-changed.html.

This article was put up just after the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was renamed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. It was given a different name, but it's the same ride it always had been, "a boxcar on magnets, and has been since Nixon was president." The article goes on...

This isn't like going from Honey I Shrunk the Audience back to Captain EO. This is just your kid brother insisting that you call him Shazaam for a week, even though he's still the same snot-nosed pest he always was. TTA, Peoplemover, Captain Klactuu’s RoboCubeTrain… It doesn’t matter. It’s a boxcar on magnets, and has been since Nixon was president.

Don't get me wrong, I love the WEDway TTA NRA DorisDay Peoplemover. But Disney has a strange habit of renaming things just for the sake of renaming them.

Thus, I think it would be fun to reflect on that thread here and talk about WDW contents' names changed just to change them.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Best example...

There was no reason for the name change...It was better as it was before....

 

[lazyboy97o]

Best example...

There was no reason for the name change...It was better as it was before....

Indy is a trademark and the deal with the trademark owners ended.

 

[mharrington]

Then again, little of the ride changed when it was renamed to the Tomorrowland Speedway from the Grand Prix Raceway.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel -----------> Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

 

[Matt_Black]

Ooh, what about changing from Muppet-Vision 4D to Muppet-Vision 3D?

 

[copcarguyp71]

 

[Tinkerbella16]

Does this count?? Only bc it went from Polynesian Village to Polynesian Resort then back to Polynesian Village.

 

[mharrington]

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel -----------> Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

Interestingly, that was referenced in the actual list by Parkeology. Here's what they said about this:

THE REVOLVING CARROUSEL OF NAMES
I didn't even have to go back more than a couple of months [in August 2010], and already I've got a major renaming hit! Yes, think back to those heady days of anticipation, when Summer Nightastic had everyone salivating for Walt Disney World’s brand new offerings (leading to three months of mournful disappointment). Before it even really began, Cinderella lost her fairy tale Golden Carrousel to her ex-husband, who promptly changed it to Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Guess she should have insisted on that prenup.

Out of everything on this list, this one might be the most ridiculous, for one simple reason: Disney invented a "backstory" to go along with it. Every fan knows that the best Disney rides have stories, and Disney tried to tap into that sense of moral superiority by offering one for the Carrousel.

The only problem is, it's a freakin' carrousel. It's been a carnival mainstay for 150 years, as common in amusement parks as cotton candy and popcorn. Disney has never offered up a backstory for cotton candy, but for some reason, they felt the need to trot out some overwrought story about stables, a horse grooming competition, and Prince Charming’s desperate need to earn his stern father's acceptance, or some such nonsense. It was literally the worst idea you could ever think of for why there were wooden horses running in circles in the middle of a theme park.

I guess Disney thought all the fans were too dimwitted to see through the obvious reason for the name change, which is that Fantasyland was becoming a little too princess heavy. And because everyone knows how much boys like A) white prancing ponies, and B) namby-pamby princes who spend their time swooning over glass footwear, Prince Charming scored his own ride.

He then proceeded to mess it up by forgetting the possessive apostrophe-S after his name. They didn't have that problem back in '94, when the creators of the new Tomorrowland changed the Carousel of Progress to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress ('cuz, ya know, he built the whole thing himself).

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Dinosaur...not only a bad name change, but a bad name period.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Dinosaur...not only a bad name change, but a bad name period.

ahh...the dumbing down of Disney...because 'Murica


Edit: or maybe because 'Razil

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Dinosaur...not only a bad name change, but a bad name period.

I believe it was changed to promote the Dinosaur film.

 

[mharrington]

Dinosaur...not only a bad name change, but a bad name period.

Interestingly, Parkeology also thinks that is the number 1 name change ever! Here's what it said:

A COLOSSAL FLOP
Maybe you've noticed some trends with some of these renaming decisions. Need to beef up attendance at one of your rides or restaurants? Just slap some popular movie character's name on it, and voila! Instant boost! [Iago and Zazu invading the Enchanted Tiki Room notwithstanding...]

But only once has Disney done the exact opposite, and the more you think about it, the stranger it seems.

I'm sure they thought it would be a great idea at the time. Nobody can predict which movies are going to be flops ahead of time, and the feature film division had certainly invested a lot of money and effort into making a tentpole franchise adventure movie in the summer of 2000. And judging by the box office, you can't really call "Dinosaur" a flop. It still broke the $100 Million mark.

But it quickly faded into obscurity. The movie was visually impressive, but dreadfully boring, and the dreams of hooking generations of kids on Aladar toys and Carnotaurus Halloween costumes never materialized.

Too bad, because Disney had just undergone a major renaming of Animal Kingdom's biggest thrill ride.

The ride opened with the park in 1998, two years before Dinosaur hit theaters. It was the East Coast debut of the wildly successful Enhanced Motion Vehicle (EMV) ride system that had been a runaway hit for Disneyland in the Indiana Jones Adventure. The Animal Kingdom ride was a duplicate of Indy right down to the track layout. Only with, you know, dinosaurs instead of archeologists.

Countdown To Extinction, as it was called, never generated the kind of buzz that Indy had. It was hampered by factors outside of its control. For one thing, Animal Kingdom was woefully short on capacity. If the Magic Kingdom was Takeru Kobayashi, Animal Kingdom was Mary-Kate Olsen. It was often empty by lunchtime.

Also, Countdown To Extinction was buried way back in the corner, away from all the live animal attractions. It wasn't looking good for the park's big dinosaur blockbuster. They thought that if they could just ride the coattails of a popular summer movie, Countdown To Extinction (CTX in Disney shorthand) would get the respect it deserved.

So began the transformation to Dinosaur. Signs were swapped out. Aladar replaced the Styracosaurus in the entry fountain. A very brief clip appeared in the pre-show video. And, um, that was it.

Today, they still call it Dinosaur, but it didn't make one lick of difference to the ride's popularity. It was only after Asia and Everest came online that the ride finally started doing some business. By then, everyone had forgotten about the movie. You won't find any movie-related merchandise in the gift shop. In fact, except for the shared names and the fact that they both feature Iguanadons and Carnotauri, you're not likely to notice any similarity between the two of them. One of them has awkward references to a "love monkey." The other one actually delivers Wallace Langham.

So they share the same name. I think they can live with it. Just because you share the same name [with someone named, say, Theodore] doesn't mean you can sing in a squeaky voice or become president.

All that said, it does sound like a strange name so many years later!

 

[WondersOfLife]

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

Cinderella's Castle changed to Cinderella Castle. Stupidest name change ever. Lots of money spent on an apostrophe.

 

[mharrington]

Cinderella's Castle changed to Cinderella Castle. Stupidest name change ever. Lots of money spent on an apostrophe.

I don't think it ever had an apostrophe-S in its history.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I have to agree I am pretty sure the Disney grammar Nazi's began their campaign in the past five years in correcting people but I think it has always been Cinderella Castle. I could be wrong though as I am not 100% certain and since I am on my phone fact-finding is a pain in the butt today.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Ooh, what about changing from Muppet-Vision 4D to Muppet-Vision 3D?

The attraction opened as Muppet-Vision 3D. The 4D thing was a gimmick done later when other 3D films became more popular.

Cinderella's Castle changed to Cinderella Castle. Stupidest name change ever. Lots of money spent on an apostrophe.

I don't think it ever had an apostrophe-S in its history.

I have to agree I am pretty sure the Disney grammar Nazi's began their campaign in the past five years in correcting people but I think it has always been Cinderella Castle. I could be wrong though as I am not 100% certain and since I am on my phone fact-finding is a pain in the butt today.

Yep, always been Sleeping Beauty Castle and Cinderella Castle.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I never really thought about this stuff very interesting! Thanks for posting!!

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

I don't think it ever had an apostrophe-S in its history.

You are correct. My mistake. I guess a lot of people just called it Cinderella's Castle (and still is judging by the Internet.)