Should disney really change thier rides to not scare kids?

[BwanaBob]

There are attractions at the parks that ARE family oriented.

There are attractions at the parks that have a slight edge to them, but aren't really "scary".

Here's my point...there are story lines to Disney classics that have the evil villian to make the story come full circle...what we've come to expect in a Disney tale.

If you have an attraction based on a Disney story, without telling the whole story, then guests complain they've been let down because the ride didn't reflect the storyline properly.

How many of you were scared on Snow White before the changes? I venture to say those people are far and few between.

Without sounding crass, there comes a point where the guest assumes RESPONSIBILITY. Disney has gone through the lengths to warn visitors that some parts of an attraction may be too extreme for younger guests. As a parent, I would ride the attraction first, then decide for myself if it is too extreme for my children. Every case is different. What MY children deem intense is not the same for the next guest. I understand your point completely...however...

These attractions ran their course for MANY years, and NOW they decide they're too intense? I would speculate the feedback would have been immediate if guests didn't relate in a positive way.

Disney has well over 30 attractions at MK alone that are "family oriented" --in keeping w/ Disney tradition. The difference comes in the interpretation of "thrill" vs. "scary". Does the drop in Splash Mountain scare you?...or is it just another "thrill"?

A theme park does what it's intended to do...take you away from reality and suspend your worries of everyday life. (How many of us are thinking about what we owe the IRS when we're shooting "Z's" on Buzz Lightyear?)

Disney needs that edge to be well rounded. The responsibility falls on the parents to deem whats suitable for their children. How come no-one is raising concern over the lousy selection of food offered at the parks? I don't want my children to become junk-food monkeys, but because the park sells it means we have to eat it?

Just because your on vacation, doesn't mean your morals and values go on vacation too. If you try to make a park for the individual, no one would come.

 

[BwanaBob]

...and just for the record,

I didn't say I wanted to go back and make rides "scarier".

 

[CREEKWAYNE]

Originally posted by Pumbas Nakasak
If I want a fright I just pull out my tax returns

TO FUNNY!:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bigbadwolf]

THANK YOU!!! BwanaBob

Your right in many ways.... Look at the time line between 1990 to 2003... The rides have been altered dramatically! They take anything out of the rides that make children cry. Kids need to tough it out. Screaming and crying dosnt do anything. If the kid is scared why dont they hug thier parents and close thier eyes. I ued tobe afraid of the haunted mansion when i was young! But i didnt go into a hissy fit over it. :zipit: I know not all kids act like this, everyone of them is different, but i noticed a high percentage of them cry and scream. When i saw "Its tough tobe a bug", 50% of the kids where crying. So what do you want them todo? Take out the fog, spiders, bees, and the villian grasshoper guy??? The 3d movie would S#$%! No excitment at all! There is a sign before riding any scary or thrill ride that has a warning before entering. So why do parents complan? They are too caustious and are being whiped by thier childrens actions. Just because your kid crys isnt Disneys fault, its your child and you raised them that way, not DISNEY. I bet Disney would have left the rides the way they are. I never recalled him saying once it had to be for toddlers and babys.

 

[imagineer boy]

Originally posted by bigbadwolf
See now you know how angry i am....

Now see here, there are plenty of signs in front of attractions saying that some kids may be scared and whaddaya know, stupid parents ignore them.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Originally posted by imagineer boy
Now see here, there are plenty of signs in front of attractions saying that some kids may be scared and whaddaya know, stupid parents ignore them.

I know....

They should setup speakers in front of the signs... maybe they will listen...

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by Lee
My 2 cents:

Fantasyland should be the area where everyone from infants to adults can enjoy every attraction, without having to deal with anything too thrilling.

The rest of the park....fair game. Put in something for everyone.
The ideal is a probably a blend of mostly family rides and a few thrilling attractions.

Alien Encounter should have never been changed, especially if the reason was that it frightened kids. It was never meant for kids, and they shouldn't have been on it. Now there is one less attraction for those of us who like a few thrills in the MK.

And I absolutely reject the idea that Walt ever intended for every ride in his parks to be suitable for all ages. The is no evidence for that at all. I was him, after all, that gave us Matterhorn (thrilling, with a height requirement) and the concept for Space Mountain.

AMEN!!!!! Finally somebody else get's it too! :lol: I agree with every last word.

They need to keep Fantasyland as is and keep it "kiddy". But my gosh why can't there be one or two scary and/or thrilling rides at the MK. It's not like there aren't at least 200 other things for families to do at the parks :lol: . I don't know why people automatically group Disney with "kiddie stuff". When I think of Disney I think of "quality" and "FAMILY entertainment". Last time I checked teens were members of the family. And anybody that thinks that Walt was totally against any type of thrill rides can read the last line in the original post, because Lee hit it right on the head. Of course Walt wouldn't want a Six Flags type park but there can be a few thrill rides.

But as long as WDW is popular there will be stupid guests that put their kids on things ment for an older audience. So I can see why Disney might feel pressure to change rides. But it's also not fair for us to be punished because some people can't read warning signs.

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by bigbadwolf
I know....

They should setup speakers in front of the signs... maybe they will listen...

LOL!!! That still wouldn't work.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Originally posted by dxwwf3
LOL!!! That still wouldn't work.

k... how about making the sign as huge like a billboard with flashy lights and arrows!:lol: Then we can have a army sargent yell at them to read the sign!

 

[ruca]

I think that if Disney wants to appeal to the entire family, that should include older members, who let's face it, don't get excited by It's A Small World. There are plenty of mild rides for really young kids, but there also should be some thrill rides, and some scary rides. I personally love rides like Dinosaur and Alien Encounter. I hope they add more rides like that and less like Dumbo!

 

[bigbadwolf]

Originally posted by HennieBogan1966
Well I would fall into the category of "family oriented" rides. I know that there is a certain thrill for us adults when it's a little on the scary or exciting side, but when you have kids, it is different.

We took my 7 year old in January, and there were certain rides that I knew she would be frightened on, so we simply didn't ride those with her. It's a small price to pay for all the joy that children bring to all of us. I understand the frustration of the younger crowd of today, wanting more "thrills" , but let's remember that this was always intended to be a family oriented theme park. Some will not like that comment, but I believe it to be the truth of what Mr. Disney intended from the start.


My Wife and I love the park as is, and wouldn't make any changes to make rides more intense or "scarier".

Maybe we're in the minority here, but I think if Disney starts to make those type of changes, it would be a mistake and would just seem like they were following suit with parks like Universal, etc.

When did we say we wanted all the rides tobe scary? My topic is about parents freaking out about rides that scare their kids. I completely understand how you feel and you did the right thing avoiding some of the scary rides... BUT... When did "family oriented" mean little kids... WHAT DOSE THE WORD FAMILY MEAN! It dosnt mean just the kids! It means the whole family! Even the teens! Who in the world said "family oriented" meant little kids!?! Do you really Think Walt said "Its meant for kids not teens and adults"

 

[sillyspook13]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Should disney really change thier rides to not scare kids?

Originally posted by SpongeScott
And I hope you followed your own advice and practiced safe snacking on SE.

No food on the ride.

 

[disneyisbest]

Originally posted by bigbadwolf
k... how about making the sign as huge like a billboard with flashy lights and arrows!:lol: Then we can have a army sargent yell at them to read the sign!

See that won't matter because morons are always going to be morons. I think it is a gene passed down by the moron parents of morons.

Do you think I used the word moron enough?

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by disneyisbest
See that won't matter because morons are always going to be morons. I think it is a gene passed down by the moron parents of morons.

Do you think I used the word moron enough?

LOL! I believe it's no sin to not read signs and ignore warnings. But it IS a sin to complain about something when you failed to read and use discretion. That is basically what screwed Alien Encounter (in my opinion). Not only did people not read the signs or educate themselves about the attraction but they complained about it afterwards. I have NO sympathy for those people. And most likely those people that complained may not even ever go back to WDW. But I am beating a dead horse and I know you all are tired of hearing me complain about AE being gone. I apologize

 

[disneyisbest]

Hey here is an idea. If they closed AE because it was too scary for kids. Then why not just move it to Pleasure Island where they are not aloud.:lol:

 

[BwanaBob]

I'll say it again...

There comes a point where an adult needs to assume RESPONSIBILITY. Period.

I won't go so far as to accuse another's child for being "brought-up that way" because there is a learning level/curve that isn't so much determined by a childs upbringing.

And I'll keep using my example of Snow White.
Why did they change this attraction after 20 years?
Did this ESTABLISHED attraction need to be changed? And for what?

I agree with many of the posts saying Fantasyland should be geared more towards children, but again I ask to read my previous post about storylines and Disney attractions.

 

[3IdAlienKid]

On the one hand, making the rides less scary actually goes along with Walt's philosophy of Disneyland. I remember Walt originally wanted Disneyland to be a place for the whole family to enjoy, not just kiddie stuff like the carousel, not just the stuff he used to take his daughters to at Griffith Park while he sat on the side eating peanuts. He wanted the whole family participating in as many of the attractions as possible. He didn't just want one section of DL to be kids stuff, another for adults. Thus, the majority of attractions during his time aimed to to be appealing to all ages, not just one age group (though of course there are exceptions).

This is how Disney is currently missing the point. Back in the 70's in order to remain competitive with up and coming Six Flags and other thrill parks, Disney began emphasizing thrill rides that kids wouldn't necessarily be able to enjoy. The trend had a resurgence when Eisner came on board.

However with all the adult stuff being added, parents began complaining there was nothing for kids to do. Best example -- DCA -- nothing for kids right? But instead of getting creative and designing an attraction for the entire family to enjoy, Disney went and made A Bug's Land which is more or less exclusively for kids -- it's pretty boring stuff for the adults without kids.

So now we have parks that are becoming more and more dichotomous. Too many rides for kids only and too many rides for just adults, not enough rides for all ages. (Kevin Yee made this point in one of his recent articles on MiceAge.)

Having said that, I have to say I still very much enjoy most of the newer adult attractions like Alien Encounter, Dinosaur, Temple of Forbidden Eye at DL, RocknRoller Coaster, Tower of Terror. All stuff too intense for children.

I think maybe I enjoyed every one of these attractions in the context of the parks they are in. The only one that felt out of place was Alien Encounter. A great attraction, but totally out of place in the Magic Kingdom for the very reason I stated earlier. It has a more sinister feel than the other thrill rides at MK like Splash Mtn, Space Mtn, Big Thunder.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

In the long run, no. I don't think many rides should be changed. I did think they wen't a little over board with AE. That could've worked better in MGM or Epcot but I didn't think something THAT scary belonged in the Magic Kingdom, but other things that got changed I REALLY didn't like. Such as tonning down Snow White simply 'cause some idiot couldn't read the signs. >> I mean, while I believe in family fun, they can't ALL be Small World and Peter Pan's flight. Then the parks really WOULD be for "babies" as many people say and they'd lose out on a huge audience. Also, Walt came from another time period. What's considered "family fun" has changed and sometimes, a great deal of park goers don't want "family fun" and they go somewhere else such as Six Flags or Universal which means, in order for Walt's dream to stay alive, exceptions must be made. Frankly, I don't see the problem with some scary rides here and there. Especially since a good deal of them (if not all of them) have warnings posted everywhere to the point of insanity.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Wow... when did I create this topic? 22nd November 2003!?!??!
I didn't even know until I just checked. lol wow...

I guess this is just and update how I feel... maybe an add on to it.

I feel the decision by removing Toads Wild Ride and 20,000 Leagues for Pooh is a bit to extreme. I do believe it was a little ok to remove the Alien and put stich in...but Magic Kingdom is getting watered down though. What if they get rid of the shooting arcade? or water down the HM? or take all the guns out on POTC? Fantasyland I feel isn't the same as it used to. Fantasyland has lost 3 rides and wasn't even expanded on. Instead 2 great rides where torn and thrown away for a character that is favored by almost all small children. (not saying anything is wrong with pooh bear.) But there is this atmosphere that is missing in fantasyland, I don't know how to describe it, but I feel like it is empty. There is this blank boring spot between the W. the Pooh area and the teacups to the entrance of Toon Town. Oh and Toon Town seems a bit dull also. The princess thing I feel has gotten out of hand. Do you really expect to see princesses in toon town and not Mickey, Donald, and Goofy? Dose anyone recall seeing these great classic characters there about 6 years ago? Sorry if I'm going on a ramble here, but seriously something is wrong with the magic kingdom around that area also. The MK is turning into a watered down child playground, it isn't like it used to be. The only reason I can think of this happening is money... The gift shops... ETC. Replacing old rides with popular characters is one way to save money and gain more money. Just think about it... more parents go to the parks with thier children. Most kids are probably going to want their parents to buy something they recognize, like Stich, Pooh, and the princesses. It's all about the money, and sorry to say but Disney has become more greedy.

To anyone who remembers what it was like before AE... some of you all might believe I am right about the atmosphere. It's not Main Street, Frontierland, or Liberty Square. It is every other land I didn't mention... And like I said about the money...


*Adventureland- Magic Carpets of Aladdin... The whole jungle atmosphere was completely ruined when that ride came in.
*Tomorrowland- Buzz is killing the atmosphere... Stich is a little ok, but the characters are ruining the theme of that area.
*Fantasyland- Pooh Bear's playground area and the ride which takes up about 40% of Fantasyland completely killed the atmosphere. (I honestly think an Alice in Wonderland ride would of been a waaaaay better replacement for Toad. The playground would of been fine, but having 1 popular character taking up that much of fantasyland is a bit extreme.)
*Toon Town- How is this place really Toon Town? There is something really off still. The tent has to be it... There was this farm theme that went on for a good period of time, but then the whole place is now some kind of random mess. I think the farm theme was allot better then it is now. Even around 1994 it was allot better without the coaster. That area didn't need a ride in the early 90s, it had a great show and it had great atmosphere. Now it is aplace for all the little girls to go see thier favorite princesses!!! Wow... how did the Disney Princesses end up in a Circus Tent? Which now is a huge giftshop? The place is a money pit, and that is the only reason it is like that now. Couldn't someone just setup a Princesses greeting area near the castle!?

So whats next? Are they going to get rid of CBJ? and replace it with Woody from Toy Story? :lookaroun (This is likely to happen sadly)

 

[Tinkerbell_13]

I didnt like it when Disney changed the Alien thing to Stitch. (Im not to fond of him and I liked that ride) It made me feel really scared but it was alot of fun.