The company made multiple and massive announcements at this year’s D23 Expo, and it’s safe to say that the Walt Disney World Resort will soon be unrecognizable. However, how much of this is keeping in touch with Walt Disney and his original vision?
Nothing stands in the way of progress, and Disney’s eternal maxim of keep moving forward has steadily been to for the past 100 years. That being said, will Disney and its Beyond Big Thunder project strip away more than some might expect?
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At the time of writing, multiple attractions and theme park fixtures are slated to be altered or changed as Disney reworks the Magic Kingdom. Since the initial D23 announcements, many fans shared many intense feelings and harsh words about besmirching the original desings of the parks. However, they’ve kinda forgotten the point.
Walt Disney was always in search of the next big thing, whatever would revolutionize the theme parks, movies, or whatever project he set his mind to. However, how would he feel about his original work being altered or otherwise demolished in the name of progress?
Disney World Ends Walt Disney’s Legacy
In reality, it’s hard to know precisely what Walt Disney would want without the use of a medium and a proper seance from Madame Leota. Still, some of Disney’s recent announcements are either permanently changing or otherwise uprooting attractions and concepts pinned by Walt himself.
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Although he never got to see his beloved and ambitious “Florida Project” come to completion, the Walt Disney World Resort is one of the hottest vacation spots in the world and one of The Walt Disney Company’s most lucrative features. Because of this, Walt Disney Imagineering has to work overtime to keep everything functioning as its founder would have intended.
A cold reality of that idea is that sometimes older attractions must be shut down or altered to make way for new, more advanced projects. Fans who have been keeping up with the recent news from the Disney Parks already know that many of the last surviving attractions with Walt’s signature have already been changed or closed, and some arguably not for the better.
Current Closings
As of August 2024, multiple classic Disney attractions are scheduled for either regular maintenance or complete reimaginings. Iconic fixtures like Test Track at EPCOT and the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom are both scheduled for refurbishment, but some are getting completely gutted.
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Walt Disney World is changing, and nothing’s going to stop it. But since the Magic Kingdom holds so many of Walt’s original ideas brought from Disneyland in California, it’s understandable to see why some might take offense to so many familiar faces being unrecognizable. These are no small changes, either. The following attractions are just a few that have either already undergone their metamorphoses or are scheduled for an upcoming closure.
The Country Bear Jamboree
Perhaps the one responsible for the most pearl-clutching, the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, formerly just the Country Bear Jamboree, was one of the last attractions Walt Disney had a hand in creating. Known as “Walt’s Last Laugh” in some circles, the original attraction was one of the last completed in his lifetime.
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With its new Nashville-inspired redesign and countrified Disney setlist, many fans are more than divided on the subject, and some are even predicting a backtrack similar to the one that befell Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. The fact that one of the new animatronics also had a major malfunction days after its soft opening doesn’t exactly paint a pretty picture either.
Inside the Magic spoke on the necessity for a Country Bears update before, and it’s not like Disney has erased them entirely. The original attraction was a classic, but it was in desperate need of some technological attention. Now, a new generation gets to experience a new classic.
Rivers of America/Tom Sawyer Island
The most recent original Disney attractions to be threatened by the chopping block in current Disney news are the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. While these fixtures might not be as popular or iconic as some of the others currently functioning at the Magic Kingdom, anyone who’s been on social media lately will tell you that fans are already growing restless over them.
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As part of the Beyond Big Thunder project, many attractions in the surrounding area are set to undergo massive changes, including parts of Liberty Square as well. However, as Disney lays the ground for a new Cars-inspired attraction, many are already saying goodbye to Frontierland as they know it.
This writer will be the first to admit that filling in a massive piece of the Magic Kingdom’s identity with a dirt racing track for animated cars doesn’t exactly have the best optics. Either way, change was inevitable.
The Liberty Square Riverboat
Of course, what’s the point of having a riverboat if the river is slated to be filled or otherwise closed off? The Liberty Square River boat attraction might have been a simple boat ride around the property, but there are some who would agree that losing both the boat and Tom Sawyer Island are stripping the Magic Kingdom of the distinct flavor of Americana Walt Disney helped pioneer decades ago.
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By essentially swapping out one of Walt’s original concepts for something entirely modern, many Disney park guests fear that his legacy is being erased. That said, to say it was one of the parks, more popular attractions would be untrue, and it was arguably a relic of the past to begin with.
Other Disney World Alterations
If you replace the blade on Abe Lincoln’s hatchet, is it still Abe Lincoln’s hatchet? Likewise, if you change Walt Disney’s and his team of Imagineers’ original designs, is it still a Walt Disney design?
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Not everything involved in this process is going to close, but many features have either undergone massive changes or received updates as time has progressed. However, the fact that many of the most recently changed attractions are all ones with Walt’s hand behind them hasn’t gone unnoticed.
At the time of writing, the Tiger Lily sequence on Peter Pan’s Flight was recently changed due to its offensive and outdated depictions of Native Americans. However, the change also removed the original character designs inspired by the Walt Disney film.
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A similar occurrence happened previously with “it’s a small world,” as a pair of Chinese dolls had their faces remade and repainted after guests dubbed them “racially insensitive.” Just like that, a pattern begins to form.
It should be stated that many of the original Disney park attractions do need some extra attention. Many of them, like the former Country Bear Jamboree, have existed since the late ’60s and are more than overdue for a technological upgrade. It might be a great, big, beautiful tomorrow, but Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is undoubtedly a product of its age.
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That doesn’t necessarily mean Disney should strip away everything that doesn’t compute with today’s modern culture or social norms, but rather those in charge need to be careful about what they take away and what they do with it afterwards. In the words of Indiana Jones, “It belongs in a museum!”
Keeping the Disney in Disney World
Walt Disney was a man of vision who permanently changed how we view cartoons, motion pictures, theme parks, and even the entertainment industry as a whole. That much is never going to change, but how much of his original legacy should truly be kept intact?
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Neither Disneyland nor the Walt Disney World resort are museums or mausoleums, they are theme parks dedicated to the joy and wonders of childhood, and they were designed to constantly be changing. That’s how Walt wanted it; he wanted there to be something different every time guests visited.
In order for that to happen, there needs to be room to grow. If Disney doesn’t have the space for it, the Imagineers and designers will find a way to carve it out.
Disney will always be the place where childhood memories come to life, and that’s how it will always be. However, nostalgia is as much a toxin as it is a flavoring for the Disney parks.
Many of the rides, attractions, and entertainment venues currently functioning at Disney World have been there since day one. Although many of them still retain their classic charms, such as Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion, others have not aged particularly well.
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How does anyone expect the Walt Disney Company to adhere to that age old motto of “keep moving forward” if too many things are stuck in the past? There’s no denying that some changes are needless and only in place to satisfy a vocal minority, but if Disney is to stay relevant, it needs to keep up with the times.
At the end of the day, Disney will do whatever satisfies the most customers. That’s how we ended up with things like Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) and the upcoming Disney Villains expansion. As the old VHS ad said, “There’s always something new and exciting from Disney.”
Are you in favor of these upcoming changes, or would you rather Disney stick to what works? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
