Why doesn't Disney do things like this anymore

[Popculturekid]

I guess we all need some real Maximus in life...

 

[JIMINYCR]

Maybe because it takes multiple people to do, along with the horse being utilized and Dis wanting to cut costs, can avoid the expense.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Have they had characters on horses since the balloon incident with Merida?

She handled it well, as did the handlers, but that could have gotten bad quickly.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Why doesn’t Disney do things like this anymore?

Because MONEY.

 

[HakunaMatata89]

You want to force horses to be a show?

 

[flynnibus]

You want to force horses to be a show?

Guess DAK really sets you off eh?

 

[HakunaMatata89]

Guess DAK really sets you off eh?

No they got verbal agreements from all
The animals in in the lands

 

[Br0ckford]

View attachment 931210
I guess we all need some real Maximus in life...

The guy that followed with the shovel quit

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You want to force horses to be a show?

All those hairless great apes are forced to work for their food too.

 

[joanna71985]

You want to force horses to be a show?

they still have horses in Halloween and Christmas parade

 

[HakunaMatata89]

they still have horses in Halloween and Christmas parade

Animatronics

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Animatronics

You quip, but it led my thoughts down a wee little bunny hole:

When you think about it, Disney did to amusement what AI is threatening to do to modern work forces. All the fun stuff nowadays is done by AI - writing, architecture, astronomy, finance, film making. Meanwhile humans are relegated to doing the menial jobs - making coffee and cleaning. We expected the reverse...

Likewise, in a Disney park, the actors on stage are robots, the music is pre-recorded, the stars aren't fickle humans but cartoon characters drawn by anonymous workers in a factory. No live humans get to do the fun stuff. Instead the humans you encounter are employed as cleaners, fast food workers, and people pointing all day long at ride vehicle entrances for minimum wage.

We're so used to it that modern audiences no longer see just what a revolution Disney parks were, compared to leisure parks of yore - those had all music performed live, all live actors for theatrical performances, food was artistry rather than an industrial product.

 

[HakunaMatata89]

You quip, but it led my thoughts down a wee little bunny hole:

When you think about it, Disney did to amusement what AI is threatening to do to modern work forces. All the fun stuff nowadays is done by AI - writing, architecture, astronomy, finance, film making. Meanwhile humans are relegated to doing the menial jobs - making coffee and cleaning. We expected the reverse...

Likewise, in a Disney park, the actors on stage are robots, the music is pre-recorded, the stars aren't fickle humans but cartoon characters drawn by anonymous workers in a factory. No live humans get to do the fun stuff. Instead the humans you encounter are employed as cleaners, fast food workers, and people pointing all day long at ride vehicle entrances for minimum wage.

We're so used to it that modern audiences no longer see just what a revolution Disney parks were, compared to leisure parks of yore - those had all music performed live, all live actors for theatrical performances, food was artistry rather than an industrial product.

Skynet is coming

 

[jloucks]

I would imagine there are some liability issues, too, when horses are mixed with people.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Why doesn’t Disney do things like this anymore?

Because MONEY.

This has very little if anything to do with money and instead has to do with growing awareness from Disney and other theme park operators about the nature of using real live animals in their entertainment.

As someone else mentioned above, there was a VERY notable incident not too long ago when a cast member in character was riding a horse and a balloon popped and the horse got really spooked by it. It started a conversation about whether or not it was really good for the cast members, guests, or the horses themselves to be used in this manner. There are a lot of risks of having a large, strong, live animal in an environment where they can easily get startled and easily hurt someone or themselves.

Also generally, and I think rightfully, Disney and other theme park companies have been trying to reduce the amount that live animals get used for actual work within the parks. Reducing the hours of the stage coach at Knott's and the horse drawn carriages on the Main Streets are not just so they can pay less CMs, it's also to improve the quality of life of the animal. Disney I'm sure takes good care of the horses when they're not working, I don't doubt that at all, but there is a super valid discussion to be had about whether they should be working in the first place.

New York is currently having this discussion. There's proposals to end the horse drawn carriage rides in Central Park because there are legitimate concerns about how this impacts the life and wellbeing of the animal.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Guess DAK really sets you off eh?

In fairness I do think there's a large difference between an animal encounters in the context of a zoo setting and an animal encounter in the context of an animal being used in a live performance or to perform a service. The animals at DAK are not being worked, but the horses at MK are.

I don't for a moment believe that the horses at MK are treated badly. I'm sure they receive a very high standard of care. But it is a valid discussion to have about whether or not it's fully appropriate to still be using the horses in the capacity they're used at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.

 

[Disstevefan1]

This has very little if anything to do with money and instead has to do with growing awareness from Disney and other theme park operators about the nature of using real live animals in their entertainment.

As someone else mentioned above, there was a VERY notable incident not too long ago when a cast member in character was riding a horse and a balloon popped and the horse got really spooked by it. It started a conversation about whether or not it was really good for the cast members, guests, or the horses themselves to be used in this manner. There are a lot of risks of having a large, strong, live animal in an environment where they can easily get startled and easily hurt someone or themselves.

Also generally, and I think rightfully, Disney and other theme park companies have been trying to reduce the amount that live animals get used for actual work within the parks. Reducing the hours of the stage coach at Knott's and the horse drawn carriages on the Main Streets are not just so they can pay less CMs, it's also to improve the quality of life of the animal. Disney I'm sure takes good care of the horses when they're not working, I don't doubt that at all, but there is a super valid discussion to be had about whether they should be working in the first place.

New York is currently having this discussion. There's proposals to end the horse drawn carriage rides in Central Park because there are legitimate concerns about how this impacts the life and wellbeing of the animal.

Its about liability which equals MONEY.

 

[Jon81uk]

Its about liability which equals MONEY.

Not necessarily liability, but public perception and animal rights issues. Circus shows don’t have lion tamer shows any longer and it’s not because the lions ate the guests, it’s that using animals for entertainment is no longer seen as a good thing. Horses of course still have a role as working animals in places, but there is a difference between farm work and entertainment in a theme park.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Not necessarily liability, but public perception and animal rights issues. Circus shows don’t have lion tamer shows any longer and it’s not because the lions ate the guests, it’s that using animals for entertainment is no longer seen as a good thing. Horses of course still have a role as working animals in places, but there is a difference between farm work and entertainment in a theme park.

It costs a lot of MONEY to keep these animals, so they can SAVE MONEY to not have them any more.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

It costs a lot of MONEY to keep these animals, so they can SAVE MONEY to not have them any more.

Honestly that is just silly. For you, the cost of keeping the animals might be considered alot of money. But compared to WDW operating budget the cost of maintaining some horses to ride through the park is barely a rounding error. It is much more a view/perception of there not being a value add to having the horses for that purpose, and the general public perception about proper animal treatment than it just being "a lot" of money.