Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” This familiar quotation is often used as justification for enhancing, changing, or removing classic Disney theme park attractions. At times, it is taken out of context as a way of justifying unnecessary changes and misguided “updates” to the parks. Walt Disney was not promoting “change for the sake of change.” His idea was to “plus” the parks by making them more appealing, more interesting, and more beautiful with time.
The approaching closure of Snow White's Scary Adventures, one of Fantasyland's venerable opening-day attractions, made me think about the delicate balance between honoring the historical past and meeting the needs of present-day operations and guests. Most die-hard Walt Disney World enthusiasts agree that it is difficult to say good-bye to attractions, lands, traditions, or even landscaping tied to nostalgic memories (I, for one, will never recover from the removal of the mature trees in the Magic Kingdom's central hub, in front of Cinderella Castle). The word “classic” seems to work its way into every argument for preserving pieces of Walt Disney World history, and rightly so.
But it is faulty logic to think that everything original or “old” is necessarily classic. Think Mission to Mars. Does anyone really miss that attraction? To my way of thinking, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is far superior to the oft-lamented Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I realize that this statement borders on heresy for many long-time Walt Disney World fans, but I make it to underscore the idea that I am in no way suggesting that the parks remain static museums.
There is, however, something to be said about staying true to the original spirit and design of the parks.
Thankfully, there are people within the current Walt Disney Company who are able to delineate the difference between “outdated” and “classic.” The return of the Enchanted Tiki Birds at the Magic Kingdom, the recent refurbishment of the wondrous Swiss Family Treehouse, and the happy return of the Orange Bird to Adventureland illustrate that there are those at Disney who really “get it” when it comes to understanding the nostalgia and affection guests feel for theme park experiences.
This brings me to Epcot.
“This area is being reimagined for your future enjoyment.”
An encounter with this sign is certain to leave any of us a bit disappointed that a favorite Epcot attraction is closed during our visit. But there was a time, not all that long ago, when I also felt a sense of excitement when I saw one of these signs. After all, if the original attraction was great, just think what the wizards at Walt Disney Imagineering would do to improve it!
Sadly, things did not always turn out that way. Some refurbishments were good, some were bad, and some were downright ugly.
The Bad: Refurbishing the Future
One by one, favorite Epcot experiences were “enhanced” in ways detrimental to the guest experience or simply replaced by inferior attractions. Need examples?
The original narration of Spaceship Earth (read by the likes of Walter Cronkite and Jeremy Irons) was recently replaced by an inferior script that includes “clever” computer references during the beautiful opening tableaus. Isn't referring to ancient manuscripts as “the world's first back-up files” a bit dismissive of the amazing accomplishments of previous generations?
When a refurbishment of the Universe of Energy was announced, I had great expectations for an updated version of one of the most technically advanced of all the Future World pavilions. What did we get? Alex Trebek and Ellen Degeneres. What did we lose? The revolutionary “kinetic mosaic” pre-show, the awe-inspiring excitement of returning to the age of the dinosaurs, and an amazing computer animated light show. Does anyone really experience a sense of wonder and awe when an audio-animatronic Ellen shows up at the end of our journey into the past?
Many attractions that held wide appeal for guests visiting with multi-generational families are no longer on Epcot maps. The Wonders of Life—including the charming Cranium Command—has been shuttered, the legendary Horizons and tongue-in-cheek World of Motion—two originals that featured extensive casts of audio-animatronic characters and met the long-held Disney dictum that attractions should be enjoyed by guests ages 8 to 80—were replaced by thrill rides with limited appeal (however in all fairness, Mission: Space impresses me more and more each time I experience it).
The Ugly: The Unthinkable
When Journey Into Imagination closed for an extensive refurbishment, expectations ran high. The original was, after all, a classic. It featured an original animated character created specifically for EPCOT Center and was one of the few attractions at that time geared for younger guests.
We all know what happened next.
Beloved characters like Figment and Dreamfinder were removed; complex audio-animatronics were gutted and replaced with film; a meaningful storyline was dropped for unfunny gags. Even the original color schemes from the late John Hench were altered. Guest complaints were overwhelming, and to Disney's credit, the attraction was revised again with Figment once again taking center stage. But the damage had been done, and the current version is a mere shadow of the original classic.
Recently, one of World Showcase's original attractions was also updated. O Canada!—once a jaw-dropping CircleVision 360 showcase for Canada's natural wonders—now features Martin Short and a plethora of unfunny jokes and head shots of Canadian celebrities. It attempts to tap into a “hip” contemporary culture that is neither timeless nor tasteful. Like so many of the “improved” attractions, it lacks the heart and sincerity that were so much a part of the original EPCOT Center experience.
The Good: The Past and the Present Coexist
This in not to say that all the recent changes at Epcot have been disappointing. While some Disney purists condemn the recent renovation of the El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion, there is much to praise in The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. It preserves the spirit of the original, enhancing it with lively color, music from the classic film, and top-notch animation (I'm still hoping that the audio-animatronic versions of Donald, Jose Carioca, and Panchito from the Mickey Mouse Revue find their way into this attraction in the not-too-distant future). While it may not present authentic Mexican culture, it certainly celebrates the sights and traditions of Mexico in a fun, memorable way.
The American Adventure is one of Epcot's crown jewels. From the imposing theater building to the striking rotunda, this attraction was designed to inspire. The show itself is as impressive as ever; during the most recent refurbishment, details were added and some of the audio-animatronic cast members were completely rebuilt with updated technology to improve their movements and realism. The most substantial additions—scenes added to the montage that accompanies the moving “Golden Dream” finale—are seamlessly blended into the classic original.
Recently, the best film ever made for a theme park—Impressions de France—received its first upgrade in 30 years. I was terrified. Would this be another O Canada debacle? Would the content, and just as importantly, the tone, of this lovely, understated film be compromised in favor of another all-too-knowing “hip” remake?
Thankfully, the film remains unscathed.
The digital upgrade sparkles. The elegant chateaus of the Loire Valley, the fountains of Versailles, the cyclists in the Dordogne Valley, the soaring French Alps, the inspiring Mont St. Michel, and the wonders of Paris delight as never before. The musical score—a combination of classical French compositions arranged and augmented by long-time Disney composer Buddy Baker—seems fuller and deeper somehow in its digital incarnation. For me, the fact that the “characters”—the young man and women preparing the hot air balloon for flight, the couple on the railway in the hills of Chaporoux, the lovely blond with her son in the Gare du Nord, the charming grandmother in the marketplace in Riquewihr Village, and the vintner in Cognac Cave—remain intact. It's like visiting old friends; old friends who just so happened to inspire a life-long love of travel; friends who encouraged the “secret vagabond” in all of us.
A sincere thank-you to everyone at the Walt Disney Company for the decision to restore rather than remove this much-loved World Showcase experience. Vive la France, indeed.
