dxwwf3, that actually suggests an interesting point. I've been thinking quite a bit about this recently, and I think I finally figured out why this character invasion really does upset me ALOT. This has nothing to do with it becoming Fantasyland East in light of the characters in the attractions. What is means is, as you have said, the DEATH of the land. I realize this argument will be somewhat obvious, but this death is what pains me most. When I was a kid, the elements of Disney I loved th most were the stories I created behind the stories that existed. A lot of that came from the feeling of the land itself. What sat inside that temple in the Jungle Cruise? What happened to the family after we slipped just past the dividing wall in Horizons? What happened after the spirits arrived at Leota's seance? What did the rockslide look like after we narrowly got through the caves on BTMRR? However, not all of these came from the attractions. I used to look down Main St. and think of what sat off the side streets we just couldn't see. Same for every land in MK except Fantasyland.
When it came to the new version of Tomorrowland, I LOVED IT! I really like the old one, but the new overlay truly gave it this ability to be something else. Where woudl RED line on the TTA take me? What would the other conventions at the Convention Center look like once they came?
The point is that Disney World never really TOLD stories outside of Fantasyland (originally). It was all abstract. It presented everything you needed, but it was YOU as a guest that told the story to yourself. That way, you could ride it again and find new things to create the story further. Add it into the surroundings themselves, and you have even more to work with. I always found Fantasyland to be the blatant story telling, and it didn't appeal as much. In an era of "interactive entertainment," I am truly missing what I consider to be the most interactive of all. The original EPCOT, some original MK attractions, etc.
With this character invasion, it brings the story into your face. You know the progression; you know the ending. Even if it is in a new setting, you are bound by the presentation of these characters in the film. This certainly has a role, but it is becoming the norm. It's frankly boring to me. I don't get excited seeing cartoon characters. I get excited by being able to be that kid in the back yard with the stick, cardboard box, etc. and taking a sailing adventure or mission into space. Luckily, at Disney, they had REALLY GOOD cardboard boxes and sticks, so the stories created were even better (to the point that I, as a child, teen, and adult, could still suspend and PRETEND once again).
Bottom line, I wish Disney would stop TELLING stories. I wish they would return to PRESENTING the scene and letting guests do the rest, at least with some attractions.
