How do you feel about Change?

[AvonleaCF]

The discussion in news about the removal of the wand in Epcot got me thinking:

Do you like change in Disney parks?

It seems to me people like how the parks were the first time they visited. For instance if the first time you visited Epcot was after the wand, then you love the wand. Otherwise you don't like. Same with the Hat at the Studios (obviously there are exceptions, such as your child's first visit vs. yours).

Do you like when changes happen or wish they wouldn't?

Let's start with my opinions on Epcot. First, I am thrilled that the wand is gone, but am still upset about the Leave a Legacy towers (I just wish they'd move them somewhere else and bring back the gardens).

I prefered Horizons and World of Motion over Test Track and Mission: Space. I miss the Wonders of Life Pavilion. I miss the original version of Journey into Imagination. However I absolutely love the Nemo overhaul on the Living Seas pavilion. I think the ride and Turtle Talk are much, much better than what was there before. And the Ellen update to Universe of Energy was fantastic (compared to the original version). And I think Soarin' is excellent (I don't miss Kitchen Kabaret/Food Rocks).

At the Magic Kingdom I don't like when they decorate the castle (other than Christmas). I'd rather it just stay in its original glory always.

I like Pooh, but I miss Toad. I don't miss the Skyway at all. I never really liked 20,000 Leagues, but I think they could have thought of a better replacement than a playground.

I think Buzz is a great attraction, but miss Dreamflight.

And I've never seen a Pirates movie (for shame, I know), but I thought the revisions were very well done.

At the Studios (I'm trying to break the MGM habit!) I really, really, REALLY dislike the Hat. Really. And I miss the way the Backlot Tour used to be (back when they had the residential street).

All-in-all I'm all for updates and such, but I always feel badly when things are changed dramatically.

And I definitely think it depends on your first visit.

[snifflesmcg]

I do like change as long as it's change for the better. I saw MK and Epcot first in 1988 and MGM in 1989 and alot has changed since then.

I PREFER the hat and the wand. I love new things like Soarin', the Nemo additions, the Laugh Floor, Test Track, ToT ect. However, I wish they would bring back things like The Main St electrical Parade, the residential section of the Backlot Tour, Kitchen Kaberet, and the OLD Figment and Tiki Room. As far as new stuff I don't care for, I'm not totally in love with the Toy Story ride or Mission:Space either.

I'm also a firm beliver that some of the things they have now should be changed or updated such as Sound Dangerous, the speedway in Tomorrowland, the movies in the World Showcase, Star Tours and Dinorama.

[SignguyTom]

"Disneyland will never be finished..."


Walt Disney

I think this holds true with all Disney parks - and that is how Walt would have wanted it. As far as the updates go, I look forward to seeing what's been changed since the last time. I find it pointless to dwell on what 'used to be' and focus on what is cool about the way it is now... Everything is more enjoyable that way ;)

Except for the 2008 Dining Plan... (just kidding)

[LoriMistress]

Personally, I think change is a good thing. You're not going to be able to run an amusement park well if you have nothing but outdated theme/rides/topics/etc. Though, some people may not like certain changes, but over all, I think Disney has done a great job with "keeping up with the Jones."

[magicman]

I like change. Nickels and dimes are o.k., but I really like quarters.

:clown:

[goofiecrazy]

What are the changes to the Unver. of energy in Epcot?

[DNS]

I agree with sniffelsmcg, I like change as long as it's for the better. I liked the wand at Epcot. Since we've been going, there have been many changes. Some I like, some not so much, but I think it keeps things more interesting. Especially for those of us who return over and over. The only thing that really bugs me is when they shut something down indefinitely and never replace it. Or let it run down for a very long time before renewing or replacing it. I look forward to new rides and show.

[KylesMom]

I would agree that change, as long as its positive, is a great thing at Disney World. Do I miss 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and wish DS could have experienced it? Absolutely! Do I think they took one bad show in Alien Encounter and made it worse? Yup!

However, there have been so many positive additions to the parks since we first went in 1991 that I certainly can't complain. I just wish some of the things that DID need changing; i.e., buildings and areas that sit vacant and are considered "seasonal" all the time would once more become attractions.

I absolutely LOVE the additions of Splash, TestTrack, RocknRollercoaster, Soarin', etcetera. I'm looking forward to seeing the new HM next July, too! The changes to PotC were well-received by us, and frankly I can't wait until SM gets the TLC it deserves. I think we'd be very limited in our excitement, returning year after year, if things didn't change.

[krorx]

I miss Horizons and Mr. Toad. Otherwise, I think most of the changes have been positive. In order to keep people coming back, they have to make things fresh. I have not missed Food Rocks once since I saw that show like 3 times in a row when my daughter was 5 and we even have it on video tape. Thank God she's 16 now and wonders what she ever saw in it. :D

[#1donaldfan]

If we didn't like change or at least the ability to adapt then we'd still be living in caves trying to figure out how to keep our food without it spoiling.......actually I accept change pretty easily, however I tend to miss some of the attractions from way back when......I sometimes think how bad it would be if they just expanded and kept the main ones for us to enjoy "forever more"......I'm not saying keep 'em all, the park would be the size of FL over time.....just keep the main ones on maybe a rotation type thing......then when you arrive you'd be surprised with what rides / shows are there........

[DizneyRox]

Change for the better is good, change for the worse is bad. I just wish they would do more of the former and less of the later.

What Isee as the biggest problem is the short sightedness of many of the changes. Instead of creating more classics they seem to be content with quick hits and onto the next fire. EE is a step in the right direction. SGE, JIYI, and even the Pirates redo are going in the wrong direction.

Oh well, I guess only time will tell.

[illini]

I like changes/upgrades/updates to the rides and shows. I don't care for the changes to the icons (wand/hat/decorated castle). To me, that's not a park "growing" or "maturing," that's just cheap lipstick.

[tiaramom]

I suppose I am a creature of habit.
I remember my first time to Disneyland-
I forever wanted to move to California.
Since visiting Disney World- Disneyland still holds a real magical memory in my heart. But the World in far more a fantasty and a vividly bold intro into all walt disney is..
Movies- characters- creative dining- and a vacation destination that far exceeds Disneyland. I feel change is so very important- though sometimes hard to accept.
I go for change- but keeping what lights true spirit to hold on for an eternity. Such as the castle- an icon of Walt Disney that never gets dated. Even though some rides get outdated by technology and by whats popular in pop culture at the moment- leaving them to memories and new rides being bulit to reign a few good years. Hey, its called evolution. so , some is by demand- some no longer a place in the world.
I hear playhouse diseny will be replaced by soem new characters- Out with Bear in with Mickey and handy Mandy. I applaude the constant change - but will miss my Bear in the big blue house. He taught my daughter so much. I also remember a ride at Epcot ..If im wrong correct me... with Micheal Jackson..
THis was so cute- Im sure so outdated now. they should have a place for old rides- or a memory center film. Maybe they do ?

[Marilyn Michetti]

Oh, change is what keeps us coming back. I don't think I'll EVER get over Timekeeper being replaced with ???. I also liked Tarzan Rocks much better than Nemo, but on the other hand, we wouldn't have Test Track if WOM was still there.:thumbsup:

Change is progress, unless we're talking about age, weight, and income. (Sorry, the 55+ discount, just doesn't count.):blush:

[mttafire]

IMHO, Change= 100% A good thing.
Without it...There wouldnt have ever been a Disneyland to begin with.:mickey:

[Polynesian Dweller]

Change is what it is. A change from the way things were. Its what keeps life interesting and returning to Disney interesting. I always look forward to see what's changed, this year I really want to see the changes in HM and the new attraction, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor. WIthout change they wouldn't be there to look forward to.

Sometimes change works and sometimes it doesn't. A company like Disney hopes for more in the works category knowing it will have some changes that fail.

If things didn't change Disney would get very boring very quickly. Its why some other parks have failed. Not changing is a guarantee to become irrelevant.

[malz288]

i think change is a good thing as long as its not unnecessary changes. i thought adding the wand to the epcot ball was a great changes, and i think its going to look naked the next time i see it. whereas, the jiyi changes were unnecessary and just bad. they made a very cute colorful iconic attraction into something not as fun.

but change is what brings people back to the parks. it makes people want to see what is new, which makes disney a lot of money. so overall, i think reasonable change is good.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I like change too:thumbsup:I first saw Spaceship Earth without the wand but I loved it wih the wand:mickey: I don't like change at work though:blush:

[BMan62]

Remember the old adage "Nothing is constant, except change."

Change is one of the reasons to keep going to WDW - to see everything that is new and different. Not to say everything meets with my approval, but I am just one person and I am sure for each of my negative feelings there is at least one positive from someone else. And vice-versa.

I am not a young person, so some of the newer characters hold little or no interest for me, but I don't begrudge the younger crowd their 'stars,' I just wish there were more emphasis on the original Disney cast - Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto - they seem to be fading into the past somewhat.

In any event, I will always feel like a little kid on Christmas morning when I know a trip to WDW is coming up (only 368 days now!)

[big blue and hairy]

I don't have a problem with change in general. It depends what is being changed and what the replacement is. For instance, I like the Mission Space and Test Track. Sounds Dangerous...what a waste of space. It is a huge step down from what was there. Also, The Magic Of Disney Animation is a shell of it's former self. Change is good if it's a good change, but sometimes.....

:sulley:

[JPL]

I don't mind change at the parks as long it's for the better. What I really don't like is when they change something just for the sake of change and to create something new when the old attraction/show was good and didn't really need to be changed at all. I point to the change of Alien Encounter to Stitch. AE was much better done and more interesting. I understand this was changed to capitalize on the Stitch craze at the time but I think it could have been left alone while adding a Stitch attraction to a different park. I also don't like change when it compromises the integrity of the theming in an area. While I like the Laugh Floor I don't think it belongs in tomorrowland. The same can be said for the Nemo Makeover in the Seas Pavillion it takes away from the oringinal Edutainment theme that Epcot once had. I can go on put I think you get my point.

[mcjaco]

^ Right on!

I'm not fond of M:S, and although I like Test Track, I thought WOM was better. Same goes for Nemo, it's a nice overlay, but I like Seabase Alpha better. The edutainment of EPCOT has disappeared. I can't stand Soarin'. What the heck does it have to do with the Land? Food Rocks and it's much better predecessor, Kitchen Kabaret, are sorely missed. I hate the monoliths in the entrance plaza. Disney made the future warm and inviting with the gardens that used to be there. Now it's cold and uninviting.

For the most part I've liked the changes in MK. Tomorrowland has struggled, as Pixar has taken over. There seems to be less cohession in that part of the park. I miss Mr. Toad, but I was never that enamored with it. Pooh needed a presense in the park. The addtions of SM and BTMRR were great, as was the redo of POTC.

MGM has become a mismosh of nothingness. I miss the animation portion and the backstage tour. Again, TOT and RNRC were great additions. Star Tours needs a makeover.

[brownie]

"Disneyland will always be building and growing and adding new things..." Change is part of Walt's legacy; he was never content to let things stay the way they are.

Without change there can't be growth, and we often don't know if it will be good or bad until after the change happens (and even then we probably all won't agree that the change was either good or bad.) We sort of have to accept some bad change to get the good change.

If we never push to innovate and grow, we would never improve or get better. What a wonderful model the Disney parks can provide us about change.

I may not like some changes they've made, but I know if the parks never changed I'd eventually get tired of them, and a lot of the magic would be lost for me.

Here are some other quotes from Walt about change and the parks:

"[Disneyland is] something that will never be finished. Something I can keep developing, keep plussing and adding to. It's alive. It will be a live, breathing thing that will need to change."

"Disneyland will always be building and growing and adding new things..."

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as their is imagination left in the world."

[pook@wdw]

"Change is the only constant in the Universe."
" Without change, something inside us sleeps...the sleeper must awaken!"
"Disneyworld will never be finished."
With all that being said, I don't mind change for the sake of change as long as it's for the better (or at least different). Some changes should have been scrapped, but you live and learn. WDW will always be changing and updating, which as it should be! Hopefully, some of the classics will remain, but I will always have my memories (and my scrapbooks)!:D

[Samtastic]

Change is what it is. It's a constant in this life so you might as well accept it and get used to it. Of course I miss the past sometimes--I miss figment and dreamfinder, I miss lots of things--the backlot tour used to be so so good!

But then again I'm sure today's youth love Pixar and Little Einstein (my nephew has never seen a non-pixar disney movie!! I know, so terrible!!!) I hope kids appreciate the classics (my kids-to-be will) but in order to accomodate new fans you have to give a little, and plus if the parks never changed, not that many people would keep coming back in droves.

[century3]

Some change is good. It keeps things fresh and new. However, some changes should remain on the drawing board. I didn't mind the wand at Epcot (EPCOT Center forever!!! :thedolls: ) but it really didn't fit what Epcot is...or was, in my opinion. I preferred when there weren't the cartoon characters at Epcot. That's for the other parks. Yes, there is/was Figment and Dreamfinder, but they are Epcot specific and represented more than just a character from a good movie. Epcot was different. It wasn't about the characters, it was about being entertained and educated (actually educated, not just themed to something related to something educational). Don't get me wrong, I love the new additions, but there is liking the ride and then there is liking the whole ensemble of what the purpose/theme of Epcot was supposed to be. (If they built a Toy Story themed E-ticket attraction in Animal Kingdom, I'd love the ride, I'm sure, but also question the placement of the attraction.) But then, I guess making people think doesn't make as much money (sadly), which is, after all, the bottom line of running a theme park.

[Iluvpooh]

I do not like the castle PINK!! Bring back my grey and blue please!

[dumbo ears]

I like change. Its the only ay disney can stay with the times and the competition. Some change may not be what I wanted but I guess I have to live with it.

[devoted93]

I'm generally cool with change. Tearing down old rides and replacing them with new rides, I generally am willing to ride the new one and evaluate it on its own merits when compared with the merits of the old ride.

If we're talking about refurbing old rides, I generally like it when they do it to keep the spirit of the ride intact. For instance, I loved the changes they made with POTC and HM as the rides still felt the same. The new Mexico boat ride - yuck. I realize that El Tiempo Del Rio was outdated and needed to be updated, but there was no need to bring in animated characters. It felt cheapened to me. I wanted to see a ride about Mexico, I saw a ride about Donald Duck. WTF? There's no way they'd change the American Adventure to be about Minnie Mouse, so why do it to Mexico?

[jiifigment]

I agree with a lot of you. Change in the parks is good IF:

1) It has a focused purpose...staying with the original theme.

Tomorrowland is supposed to be about the future. EPCOT's Futureworld is as well, although it's always been about seeing tomorrow as the next step from the past, which involves edutainment. I think a lot of the people who have been visiting WDW for years miss the VISION, hope, and excitement it gave us about the future.


2) It is equalized. Changing a ride into a playground, or a musical into a piece of scenery is not an equal change. If you're going to close it, replace it with something or at least add something equal to it in a nearby location.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I like. change.
2) Change is necessary for survival.
3) In work, I am a Change-Agent.
4) However, change needs to be for the good.
5) It is called Continuous Improvement.
6) However, change not for betterment is wasteful.
7) In the case of WDW, some change has been good.
8) But, the much has not been good.
. . . there is less ride capacity that 5-yrs ago.
. . . there is a higher rate of attraction closure than 5-yrs ago
. . . there is less management training that 10-yrs ago
. . . there is less CM training than 10-yrs ago
. . . there is less uniqueness in restaurant menu items
. . . there is more taking advantage of guests *

* This applies to increased ticket prices, increased restaurant prices, increased merchandise prices, and increased resort prices, even though attendance is at a record level.

NOTE: With all this being said, let it be known that I really like WDW. They are good, but not perfect. They could and should be better.

[clou1028]

I like change, for the most part.

I for one, liked the Mickey hand/wand at Epcot, even thought I had visited Epcot before it was ever there.

I think enhancements to classic rides/attractions (PoC, HM) are fine and welcome. Unlike a lot of WDW fans, I don't remember rides in their full detail, even if I have been on them lots of times.

I don't know that I really remember Horizons, so I can't say that I miss it.

The one thing I'm sad to see go is Alien ... I've not experienced Stitch yet. But I really loved Alien, it was one of my fav's. Pretty much the only thing we did in Tomorrowland.