Walt Disney – A Magical Life

[SuddenStorm]

Word is, they extended out the Opera House stage and removed the first row of seating in order to accommodate the turntable that rotates Walt and Lincoln.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Word is, they extended out the Opera House stage and removed the first row of seating in order to accommodate the turntable that rotates Walt and Lincoln.

Interesting. While I’m not 100% on Walt as an AA - I do like they are expanding and not replacing at this attraction. I give them lots of credit for that. One of the few things they are doing right and somewhat surprising.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Interesting. While I’m not 100% on Walt as an AA - I do like they are expanding and not replacing at this attraction. I give them lots of credit for that. One of the few things they are doing right and somewhat surprising.

I'm trying to force myself to be okay with it, for this reason. At least Lincoln will (to some extent) be saved, and the new attraction will be a show about Walt, not Lightning McQueen.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I'm trying to force myself to be okay with it, for this reason. At least Lincoln will (to some extent) be saved, and the new attraction will be a show about Walt, not Lightning McQueen.

There is that element as well - if it saves the opera house from a modern IP that is a huge win too.

Anyone remember when the Voices of Liberty performed at the opera house? Those were the days! Of course Firehouse 5 still existed back then too.

 

[Too Many Hats]

Many in the younger generations don't even know that Disneyland is named after a man. Many just know it as a place with their favorite characters. This show will hopefully change that, and because it has an AA it bring him back to life so to speak, so it makes him more real than just some old black and white film footage.

It's taken a minute for me to arrive at this perspective, but it's valid. If this Walt AA show is a means by which uninitiated visitors can become acquainted with Walt, his career, and the origins of Disneyland, then I can get behind that. There's just so much room for error IMO given WDI's recent track record -- if the show is saccharine, if Walt flails his arms like Tiana or Kylo Ren, if the AA is creepy and people snicker at it, etc.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Many in the younger generations don't even know that Disneyland is named after a man.

Eh…. Are you talking about 2 year olds? Everyone knows Walt Disney as the founder of the Walt Disney company.

I mean just his voice is recognizable - when they play his voice during shows people aren’t going “who’s that?”

 

[Disney Irish]

It's taken a minute for me to arrive at this perspective, but it's valid. If this Walt AA show is a means by which uninitiated visitors can become acquainted with Walt, his career, and the origins of Disneyland, then I can get behind that. There's just so much room for error IMO given WDI's recent track record -- if the show is saccharine, if Walt flails his arms like Tiana or Kylo Ren, if the AA is creepy and people snicker at it, etc.

The same can be said about anything, execution is always going to be the factor in any project. However this one I have a feeling they will take extra care given its Walt.

 

[Disney Irish]

Eh…. Are you talking about 2 year olds? Everyone knows Walt Disney as the founder of the Walt Disney company.

I mean just his voice is recognizable - when they play his voice during shows people aren’t going “who’s that?”

I think you're given the younger generation too much credit here, they aren't uber fans like us. They aren't into the history of the company, let alone who founded it, or who created the Parks.

So unless they have a parent or other relative that specifically tells them, the under 20 yr old crowd isn't going to have much if any knowledge about Walt. He isn't a character in Fortnite or Minecraft or Bluey or any other character, so why would they know who he is unless they are specifically told?

Also how many kids do you really know that is really asking who's voice it was in a 5-10 second voice clip from a show that is slammed packed with all their other favorite characters? I was literally at the DLR just last month with 3 kids, none of them asked who the voice was. None of them even asked who the man was that was holding Mickey's hand in the hub.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I think you're given the younger generation too much credit here, they aren't uber fans like us. They aren't into the history of the company, let alone who founded it.

Are you from Ireland? I’m wondering if you are speaking from outside the USA

 

[Disney Irish]

Are you from Ireland? I’m wondering if you are speaking from outside the USA

Nope, born in California.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Nope, born in California.

Gotcha! Well then I just completely disagree with you then haha.

 

[Disney Irish]

Gotcha! Well then I just completely disagree with you then haha.

Take off the Disney fan hat for one second.

Go down the street in any town outside of the LA area with a picture of Walt Disney alone with no characters, just him by himself, and ask anyone under the age of 20 who that was. I'm willing to bet over 90% of them don't know who he is.

 

[Disney Irish]

Take off the Disney fan hat for one second.

Go down the street in any town outside of the LA area with a picture of Walt Disney alone with no characters, just him by himself, and ask anyone under the age of 20 who that was. I'm willing to bet over 90% of them don't know who he is.

I'll even add to this, go to any town outside of California and Florida and I'm willing to bet its closer to 99% don't know who he is, especially among those that don't go to a Disney Park often.

Walt has fallen out of the public consciousness over the years, and continues to do so as time rolls on since his death. This is a way to keep him around and bring him back to the masses in a way that a film just won't.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Take off the Disney fan hat for one second.

Go down the street in any town outside of the LA area with a picture of Walt Disney alone with no characters, just him by himself, and ask anyone under the age of 20 who that was. I'm willing to bet over 90% of them don't know who he is.

I thought we were talking about people who go to Disneyland?

 

[Disney Irish]

I thought we were talking about people who go to Disneyland?

You know there are people outside the LA area that go to Disneyland right?

 

[Misted Compass]

None of them even asked who the man was that was holding Mickey's hand in the hub.

I would say that actually points towards them generally knowing who he is, thus not needing to ask something that would be obvious.
While younger generations aren't as familiar with Walt's "persona" it's still pretty likely that most know the Walt Disney Company was founded by Walt Disney from intuition alone.

 

[Disney Irish]

I would say that actually points towards them generally knowing who he is, thus not needing to ask something that would be obvious.
While younger generations aren't as familiar with Walt's "persona" it's still pretty likely that most know the Walt Disney Company was founded by Walt Disney from intuition alone.

Not to be snarky, but how would they intuitively know that? Many kids have seen a dollar bill, but don't intuitively know who George Washington is or that he was the first President of the US. They have to be taught that in history class or by a parent.

So I find it a far stretch to think that a kid who only knows TWDC through the characters, not the company itself, would intuitively know who Walt is let alone that he founded the company.

 

[MK-fan]

Not to be snarky, but how would they intuitively know that? Many kids have seen a dollar bill, but don't intuitively know who George Washington is or that he was the first President of the US. They have to be taught that in history class or by a parent.

So I find it a far stretch to think that a kid who only knows TWDC through the characters, not the company itself, would intuitively know who Walt is let alone that he founded the company.

But they don’t teach you about Walt Disney in history class.

 

[Disney Irish]

But they don’t teach you about Walt Disney in history class.

Think of this AA show as history class.

 

[captveg]

Take off the Disney fan hat for one second.

Go down the street in any town outside of the LA area with a picture of Walt Disney alone with no characters, just him by himself, and ask anyone under the age of 20 who that was. I'm willing to bet over 90% of them don't know who he is.

And if they do know him they know him as a Nazi sympathizer whose frozen head is in a jar, two outrageous concepts that have grown because of SNL, Family Guy, and similar outlets with such jokes.