Since its inception in 1971, Walt Disney World has been providing guests with top-tier attractions from movies dating back to the late 1930s. Most of the rides at Magic Kingdom mirror Disneyland, but it seems Disney World wants to tap into a new generation.
The biggest headline is Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will be replaced with a modified Cars Land. After walking around MK post announcements, fans are swarming to the Island and river boat. So where was this level of passion prior?
Attractions like TSI don't provide guests with anything. There used to be a little quick service on the island, but it's since been closed and never reopened. Sure, there are washrooms with no lines which is a great bonus, but it's not worth waiting 5-10 minutes for a boat to pick you up and another 5-10 minutes to get to the island.
If you're a Disney fan who's had tickets from day one, sure you'll miss the attraction. But Disney fans are getting younger and want more thrill rides... or rides with better themes. Bringing in Cars will bring a new life to Frontierland, which is much needed with Tiana's Bayou Adventure bringing in a whole flood of guests.
Disney fans need to realize the more new things the company puts out, the more they have to change. With Inside Out 2 being a massive box office hit, it's just a matter of time before they replace Muppet Vision 3D with an interactive Inside Out 2 show. Sure, there's still a connection with the Muppets and every generation, but something new needs to happen in that area of Hollywood Studios.
Universal Studios changed most of their opening-day rides
Since it opened in the summer of 1990, Universal Studios in Orlando has kept only one attraction: E.T. Adventure. 10 of those original rides have either been replaced or like King Kong and Jaws, rethemed into something else.
So why isn't Disney allowed to do the same? Of course, we have fond memories of our grandparents or parents taking us to Disney. Some even have memories of taking their kids. It's fun to show them hidden Mickey's or places in the park where you cried, spilled your $14 beer, or had a memorable experience.
But we're in a go-go-go world surrounded by technology that wants to speed us up. Kids are playing fast-paced video games and taking it with them on rides. Disney's now trying to change that. We don't have time to take a 15-minute boat ride in a circle with hardly any scenery, besides waving to guests waiting 75 minutes for Haunted Mansion.
As a hardcore Disney fan myself, it's hard to say goodbye to beloved attractions (RIP Dinosaur) but there are so many exciting things to create. So it's time to say goodbye to what we loved and hello to new experiences and memories.