Should I Stay? I'm not sure...

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Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Being passionate about theme parks doesn’t require a person to become upset about changes to those parks or the rides. I’ve been visiting Disney regularly my entire adult life and I look forward to changes. I’m incredibly passionate about my Disney vacations, but I could never work up a passion about Disney changing a particular ride. Others can, and there’s nothing wrong with that. People are different.
You are not a “purist”...not venturing an opinion on if it’s good or bad
  • They changed Journey Into Imagination into a monstrosity of a ride
  • They changed the World of Disney store into a run of the mill/chain retail outlet; it lost its charm and magical feeling
  • They changed The Great Movie Ride into a Ren (Mickey) & Stimpy (Minnie) projection ride
  • They got rid of Horizons, World of Motion
  • They got rid of the lights in the ground at Epcot that I always stopped to admire and jump on no matter how old I got
  • They painted the iconic Cinderella castle pink, which I do believe Cinderella herself would gawk at in absolute horror
  • They changed an iconic scene in Pirates of the Caribbean just to satiate the Karens (& Darrens) of the world
  • They are currently changing Epcot into who knows what, probably Ipcot
They got rid of/changed a lot of the things that I loved dearly and miss like crazy. But I will always have that initial love for Disney because of what it used to be.

Sadly though, I will admit. A lot of what has taken place over the years and what is currently happening makes me look at Disney in a whole new light and not in a good way I'm afraid.
You are a “purist”...not venturing an opinion on if it’s good or bad
 

KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
It doesn’t matter where you go...the “tone” will never compensate for the substance when Disney enters “bad” (relatively speaking) times...

And we’re there...
What do I mean?
1. Little investment
2. Decay in older ride systems combined with little to no new ones.

3. Increases in prices wherever they can get it.
4. “Yo-yo” promotions trying to disguise #3 while still trying to shake money out of everyone in desperation from the margins.
5. Bad economy at home eroding the “fantasy” of it all...
6. Difficulty in airline travel/convenience.

...just off the top of my head 😉
I believe 1. and 2. go hand-in-hand a good bit. They put little investment in upkeep of the classic rides, but put outrageous amounts for the new over-the-top (and some not so amazing) rides and attractions, and to also add strange paint jobs and sign changes.
 

Fox&Hound

Well-Known Member
To the OP, I am also devastated about Splash and it truly makes me upset. You have every right to your feelings and even if people disagree with you here, hold on to what you believe. Maybe avoid the Splash boards for the time being and enjoy the 100 other discussions.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
Upsetting to hear that someone thinks this thread was made for attention seeking, I assure you that was not my intention. I’m angry at Disney right now for more reasons than Splash, that just happens to be my biggest reason. And sometimes I just get so sick of people defending every little thing they do that it makes me want to just step away.
Opions and coins are usually 2 sided. You say you are sick of people always defending Disney, there are probably just as many people sick of those who whine every time Disney makes a change.
All part of hanging out on a public forum.
Pick the ones you agree with, skip the ones you don't.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
And yet still...
I doubt the fangs come out if we’re talking about six flags or target or time warner.
 
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chretts

Member
very important to realize that generally your, and mine, existence on a message-board like this is both trivial and meaningless.
nobody could possible answer the "should i stay" question you've asked because quite frankly they don't care.

probably time to buck-up and decide for yourself rather than having strangers attempt to make personal decisions for you.

advice for all of course OP, not just you.
 

Pepper's Ghost

Well-Known Member
And yet still...
I doubt the fangs come out if we’re talking about six flags or target or time warner.

Or is today the day we pretend that’s not “a thing”?

I'm not sure what the "thing" is, but do people really have as much passion for Six Flags or Target as many do for Disney? Is there a Target forum where some people complain about the move from employee cashiers to predominantly self-checkout, and yet others think self-checkout is the best thing since sliced bread? I'm in the sliced bread category btw. Nothing better than avoiding small talk, or attitude when all you want to do is pay for your stuff and jet.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
And yet still...
I doubt the fangs come out if we’re talking about six flags or target or time warner.

Or is today the day we pretend that’s not “a thing”?
Maybe that's because this is a Disney website. I imagine people are here to talk about Disney, good or bad. Personally, I find it just as puzzling that people who have almost nothing good to say about Disney spend so much time here, but they certainly have as much right to do so as the ones who are head-over-heels in love with the place. Why do they have to be "Disney defenders" or "naysayers?" What does that add?
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Maybe that's because this is a Disney website. I imagine people are here to talk about Disney, good or bad. Personally, I find it just as puzzling that people who have almost nothing good to say about Disney spend so much time here, but they certainly have as much right to do so as the ones who are head-over-heels in love with the place. Why do they have to be "Disney defenders" or "naysayers?" What does that add?

Lines tend to be drawn...it’s just how it seems to play.

To each their own...I suppose
 

FutureCEO

Well-Known Member
I for one didn't really like the Frozen ride, the Rat ride seems ok (watching videos of Paris) but Guardians (outside the monstrosity of a building) seems like it would be really cool. And I'm playing with fire here. Star Wars land and the rides seem just ok but I have yet to see it in person. I don't like interactive rides and yet, everything is now.

But there was a point to my randomness. Everyone has different opinions which is all good even though nowadays it's more like **** off if we don't agree.

Disney caters to the billions of people coming from all over the world, not to the thousands on websites.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
very important to realize that generally your, and mine, existence on a message-board like this is both trivial and meaningless.
nobody could possible answer the "should i stay" question you've asked because quite frankly they don't care.

probably time to buck-up and decide for yourself rather than having strangers attempt to make personal decisions for you.

advice for all of course OP, not just you.
My experience (quite long) about Disney fandom is that people find therapy/strength in numbers if they have a place to go to:
1. Praise disney
2. Blast Disney

I blame the internet. The truth is in the middle 95% percent of the time but is rarely found.
 

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
I guess I lead a simple, boring life, but I can't imagine getting upset about a theme park ride. There must be more to it. Care to share?


It could mean someone's childhood attraction, while it could mean someone else's first attraction ever rode, while for someone else it could be someone's all-time favorite, and it may even be something daring/special like a proposal. So many reasons why someone can be intensely upset about the closure of an attraction.

I remembered literally bawling my eyes out when I was 10 when we walked downstairs in The Land to see construction walls around Food Rocks. Of all attractions, right? The thing was, it was my dad's favorite attraction, because he loved the music. So it was a family tradition to watch it twice in a row on every trip to Epcot.

Attractions can be a huge part of someone's life. Saying "You can't imagine getting upset about a theme park ride." could potentially mean the same thing as "I can't imagine getting upset about a missing family heirloom" or "I can't imagine getting upset about a TV show I've watched for years being cancelled abruptly."

Material things can definitely mean the world to someone.
 
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mergatroid

Well-Known Member
Earlier this year, I started to be more active on this site than I had been for the past few years. I enjoyed participating in conversations, making new threads, and reading about all the latest WDW happenings. Obviously this year has been a complete mess in numerous ways, but nothing set off a fire in me quite as much as one particular announcement in late June...

As you all know, I was very, very, VERY upset with the Splash Mountain announcement and I have yet to let go of that frustration. I started losing confidence in both the future of the ride and myself a few days after the announcement, with people everywhere on the boards saying that there's a slim chance of cancellation and even some members making fun of people like me trying to save the ride and acting like it's not that big of a deal, that "this isn't the death of Disney." I felt like the voices backing Disney's decision were louder and that there was no use trying to speak up against it because who is going to listen to me? I've made my opinion clear and that's that, I can't exactly change people's minds after all. However, I didn't want to have to keep reading posts about how it'll be the "same ride, different theme," "you might like the new one," "the ride was in trouble from the beginning," and all the other phrases uttered that back Disney's decision and attempt to lessen the huge blow that this actually is, so I decided to take a hiatus.

Now something good that came out of this situation was that I started to post on my old Splash Mountain Instagram account again and I joined the Save Splash Mountain group on Facebook. I had been hoping to find a group of people who shared my appreciation for the attraction for awhile, and while the circumstance might not have been ideal, I finally managed to find some friends. That's one thing I can be thankful for with this whole ordeal and I encourage Splash fans to join it, even if you think the effort to save it is hopeless.

I made a status update earlier today about how I wasn't sure if I wanted to be part of these forums anymore considering how many people here are backing Disney's stupid decision and acting like they're "right" for having that opinion. I also mentioned on the FB group about how most people here seem to have just accepted it, whether they agree with it or not. There are people on the group telling me I should stay and fight because my one voice speaking out against it is better than nothing, but I'm not going to lie, it's intimidating when it feels like nothing you say and nothing you do will make an impact.

At the moment, I just don't feel happy here and there seems to be a pessimistic vibe that I don't want to involve myself with. Should I ditch this place for other communities, or should I just stand my ground and not let the negativity get to me?

Firstly I'm sorry that Splash Mountains announced changes have upset you so much. Unfortunately the reality is that in the wold we live in, things change all the time and when they do some people like it and some people don't. That isn't meant to sound harsh or unsympathetic, it's more to perhaps make you understand that these things happen to all of us in one form or another in life. Whether it be an attraction in a theme park, a tv show or character we love, a job we do, a band we love or even a human being we know and would like to go out with but unfortunately they're more interested in somebody else. Not everything always goes how we personally would want it to, it's a shame but it's also part of life.

When these things happen of course it's nice to have somewhere to talk about it and ideally we'd want everyone to agree with us and have the same opinion. But for those who do agree, there'll also be those who see it differently and wholeheartedly embrace those changes. A discussion forum on the internet is a place where you'll see varying opinions on everything, unless moderators exclude content to only accept and match what you like there's always going to be posts that differ from your point of view. I for instance truly love and enjoy Galaxy's Edge and have had several posters virtually calling me a liar for having that opinion. I'll happily debate with them about it but I'm under no illusion that I'll convince them to change their mind, I mean why would I and why would it bother me what somebody else on the internet thinks anyway?

The other week on here I was talking about masks in Disney Springs and saw somebody saying the virus was no worse than the flu and unless you're old or vulnerable you shouldn't worry. I replied to point out that I'd just lost a family friend who was neither elderly or vulnerable to it, only to be told to provide a name and obituary source to prove it by that poster!!!!! So yes there's people on here who can be 'thoughtless' at times, however there's also many decent, normal posters who just happen to have a differing view to ours and are going to air it. If reading a differing opinion to yours is upsetting you, then you'll probably get more joy from a site dedicated to that thing you like where dissenting views aren't tolerated. However I don't want to be that person advising you to avoid this site and go elsewhere.

So instead why not compromise with yourself? Come on this site still but adjust your expectations slightly on what to expect from Splash Mountain comments, accept there'll be differing opinions and try to ignore those you don't like. Alternatively come on here and ignore the Splash thread completely, its not the only topic so join in all the others and enjoy posting on those? As they say, there's no point cutting your nose off to spite your face. It would a shame to miss all the Disney talk over one issue, why not give it a try and see how you get on?
 

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
e.

It could mean someone's childhood attraction, while it could mean someone else's first attraction ever rode, while for someone else it could be someone's all-time favorite, and it may even be something daring/special like a proposal. So many reasons why someone can be intensely upset about the closure of an attraction.

I remembered literally bawling my eyes out when I was 10 when we walked downstairs in The Land to see construction walls around Food Rocks. Of all attractions, right? The thing was, it was my dad's favorite attraction, because he loved the music. So it was a family tradition to watch it twice in a row on every trip to Epcot.

Attractions can be a huge part of someone's life. Saying "You can't imagine getting upset about a theme park ride." could potentially mean the same thing as "I can't imagine getting upset about a missing family heirloom" or "I can't imagine getting upset about a TV show I've watched for years being cancelled abruptly."

Material things can definitely mean the world to someone.


I am referring to my experience and even asked OP to share more about hers, offering an opportunity for her to further express her feelings on a discussion forum, you know, to discuss things.
I still can't imagine getting upset about a theme park ride. Your mileage may vary.
 
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MickeyLuv'r

Well-Known Member
Should I ditch this place for other communities, or should I just stand my ground and not let the negativity get to me?

Both are valid choices.

While I'm partly sympathetic to your reason, I also find this thread a bit...dramatic. It is your choice to make, not ours. Just make the choice that fits you best; there's no need to announce it.

A number of times in the Splash forum, I thought some of your statements were great; others were a bit over-the-top. Mind, many of the posts in that thread were over-the-top, and some overly nasty.

Still, they are just words typed on a keyboard. And I appreciated the rational part of the Splash discussion. You made thoughtful contributions, else I wouldn't be responding now.

As the thread was dying, I asked an important question "Is Splash Mtn art?" If Splash moves us emotionally, the same way a play by Shakespeare moves us, then it is art. If it is art, then it is transcendent. It becomes more than the sum it of its parts. "Art" can be a painting, a play, a song, a sculpture. If graffiti can be called a mural, and mural = art, then why can't an immersive flume ride be art? Splash has paintings, sculptures, storytelling, AND music!

We preserve trees, old rocks, seashores, bones, and even humble houses. (see: Old Stone House in DC, protected by the National Park Service, or Fallingwater on the UNESCO World Heritage List.) Fallingwater boasts 5million visitors total, but surely Splash has triggered more smiles, no? Last year ALONE, MK had over 20 million visitors! TWENTY MILLION!

So if you want to preserve Splash, why not fight for it? Why not make an effort to have it declared a work of art? Or a building worthy of historic preservation? You want to quit because a few people on the internet disagreed with you? Okay, quit. But don't tell me over and over that you really care about preserving it, if you aren't willing to stand up for preserving it.

You want to take a stand and persuade people, then persuade people. If not, then don't.

**********

These are crazy days. In some ways, this national isolation has made us all a little crazy. In other ways, the national pause have given us time to stop, and think, and reflect. And that's really important. Many national problems have been simmering for years, and too many people ignored them.

Gosh, it'd be great if we could improve our education system, make our country more financially equitable, and reach a point where all felt we had a fair voice in our democracy.

But we aren't going to get there unless we are all willing to participate in many difficult difficult conversations. That's the only way progress happens.
 

Kate F

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I just want to point out that it’s more than simply disagreeing with people, a lot of people out there have been very rude to fans of the attraction and I know for a fact that many fans are scared to speak up in places where it seems like the majority of
people agree with the retheme, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated by the opposition also.

I know not everyone understands it, but Disney’s announcement really hurt me on a personal level and seeing a bunch of people back their decision really didn’t help, especially when some of them actively tried to rub salt in the wound. Even if I ignore those threads though, I’m still constantly going to be thinking about it, and it’s made me immensely less concerned about other projects going on like the repainted castle so there won’t be much drive for me to talk about anything else. I’ve made my opinion about the retheme clear on these boards and that’s all I can really do as far as this site is concerned.

Therefore, I think taking a break and continuing to hang around people who understand how I’m feeling with this whole situation is the best option for me. We’ve been doing our best to get our voices heard as a group and it’s made me feel a bit more motivated and optimistic, which is something I really needed.
 

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
Both are valid choices.

While I'm partly sympathetic to your reason, I also find this thread a bit...dramatic. It is your choice to make, not ours. Just make the choice that fits you best; there's no need to announce it.

A number of times in the Splash forum, I thought some of your statements were great; others were a bit over-the-top. Mind, many of the posts in that thread were over-the-top, and some overly nasty.

Still, they are just words typed on a keyboard. And I appreciated the rational part of the Splash discussion. You made thoughtful contributions, else I wouldn't be responding now.

As the thread was dying, I asked an important question "Is Splash Mtn art?" If Splash moves us emotionally, the same way a play by Shakespeare moves us, then it is art. If it is art, then it is transcendent. It becomes more than the sum it of its parts. "Art" can be a painting, a play, a song, a sculpture. If graffiti can be called a mural, and mural = art, then why can't an immersive flume ride be art? Splash has paintings, sculptures, storytelling, AND music!

We preserve trees, old rocks, seashores, bones, and even humble houses. (see: Old Stone House in DC, protected by the National Park Service, or Fallingwater on the UNESCO World Heritage List.) Fallingwater boasts 5million visitors total, but surely Splash has triggered more smiles, no? Last year ALONE, MK had over 20 million visitors! TWENTY MILLION!

So if you want to preserve Splash, why not fight for it? Why not make an effort to have it declared a work of art? Or a building worthy of historic preservation? You want to quit because a few people on the internet disagreed with you? Okay, quit. But don't tell me over and over that you really care about preserving it, if you aren't willing to stand up for preserving it.

You want to take a stand and persuade people, then persuade people. If not, then don't.

**********

These are crazy days. In some ways, this national isolation has made us all a little crazy. In other ways, the national pause have given us time to stop, and think, and reflect. And that's really important. Many national problems have been simmering for years, and too many people ignored them.

Gosh, it'd be great if we could improve our education system, make our country more financially equitable, and reach a point where all felt we had a fair voice in our democracy.

But we aren't going to get there unless we are all willing to participate in many difficult difficult conversations. That's the only way progress happens.
They closed the Village Grey's Papaya in NYC, nothing's safe!
 
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