4/1/2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Walt Disney Company disclosed today that theme park operator Six Flags has agreed to purchase the rights for one of its "classic" attractions for an undisclosed price.
"We asked ourselves, are we the innovator, or are we some kind of a historical society," Walt Disney Company Cheif Executive Officer Michael Eisner told reporters early today. "We decided, we are innovators, and that's why we build innovative rides, like Mission: Space" which opened recently in EPCOT near Orlando.
"And to innovate, we should not put our energies into preserving old rides. That's not what we do here at Disney. We innovate. And to innovate, we decided to sell some of the older rides," Eisner said. "Today's announcement is only the first."
The atrraction, Its a Small World, first debuted in 1965 at the Word's Fair in New York City. It was then moved to Disneyland in Anheim, California. A shorter version of it opened in 1971 at Walt Disney World in Florida, followed by versions of it at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
"Our guests have been saying 'enough already!' How many times do you have to play that [explicit word removed] song? And those dolls dancing around? I mean the first time you see dolls dancing like that you could contain your neursia, but we're at the point now where we're going to have to install barfbags," Eisner said. "And the ride is falling apart. The cost of installing the bags and refurbishing the ride just ain't worth it!"
Six Flags President John Lotts, however, believes the Its a Small World ride would be a welcome addition to Six Flag parks world-wide. "Our guests haven't had the kind of exposure to the ride, like the Disney guests have," Lotts said.
Lotts said his company's version of the ride will offer guests a more "interactive experience".
"We plan on only using the instrumentals, with no vocal track, throughout the ride," said Lotts. "It will be the first kareoki ride ever. Plus, we plan on putting beebee guns on every boat, giving guests the ability to shoot the dancing dolls. Not only will this make the ride more enjoyable to our guests, but we won't have to put it through as many rehabs, as Disney did."
Disney said they will gut out the show buildings at each of its parks where the Its a Small World rides are currently housed for "future use".
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Walt Disney Company disclosed today that theme park operator Six Flags has agreed to purchase the rights for one of its "classic" attractions for an undisclosed price.
"We asked ourselves, are we the innovator, or are we some kind of a historical society," Walt Disney Company Cheif Executive Officer Michael Eisner told reporters early today. "We decided, we are innovators, and that's why we build innovative rides, like Mission: Space" which opened recently in EPCOT near Orlando.
"And to innovate, we should not put our energies into preserving old rides. That's not what we do here at Disney. We innovate. And to innovate, we decided to sell some of the older rides," Eisner said. "Today's announcement is only the first."
The atrraction, Its a Small World, first debuted in 1965 at the Word's Fair in New York City. It was then moved to Disneyland in Anheim, California. A shorter version of it opened in 1971 at Walt Disney World in Florida, followed by versions of it at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
"Our guests have been saying 'enough already!' How many times do you have to play that [explicit word removed] song? And those dolls dancing around? I mean the first time you see dolls dancing like that you could contain your neursia, but we're at the point now where we're going to have to install barfbags," Eisner said. "And the ride is falling apart. The cost of installing the bags and refurbishing the ride just ain't worth it!"
Six Flags President John Lotts, however, believes the Its a Small World ride would be a welcome addition to Six Flag parks world-wide. "Our guests haven't had the kind of exposure to the ride, like the Disney guests have," Lotts said.
Lotts said his company's version of the ride will offer guests a more "interactive experience".
"We plan on only using the instrumentals, with no vocal track, throughout the ride," said Lotts. "It will be the first kareoki ride ever. Plus, we plan on putting beebee guns on every boat, giving guests the ability to shoot the dancing dolls. Not only will this make the ride more enjoyable to our guests, but we won't have to put it through as many rehabs, as Disney did."
Disney said they will gut out the show buildings at each of its parks where the Its a Small World rides are currently housed for "future use".
