This just in: The Magic Kingdom is boring

[phillydan]

In reading this post, I think back to our very first trip with the kids; DD was about 5 and not interested in anything. She skipped Splash & Big Thunder, so DW and I had to do the whole child swap dance with DD7 and DS2. Fast forward 2 hours later, and all she had done was walk down main street and sit at 2 ride exits. She then complained to me that "this place is boring". Although I was upset, I guess I could understand her point. Once we started doing other things, like HM and POC, plus the shows and parades, her outlook changed. She is now 13 and loves every part of the Disney magic.

I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes, you have to let things grow on you a bit to be fully rewarded. However, in our fast-paced, instant gratification world, many people seem to miss out on the present beacuse they are to focused on the future.

[SelfmadeWade]

I'm also curious whether the attractions in the new Fantasyland expansion will be considered boring by kids today.

[tinka]

Great Post!! Gives us all a lot to think about! My kids are 14 and 11 and they LOVE the MK. On our last trip, we went to the MK all but 1 day, we did all the other parks too but kept going back to MK at night or first thing in the am. Fo me it has a lot of happy memories from going with my parents when I was a kid, and I love that my kids are so into it too! We are going in December 2011 and all they keep talking about is seeing the castle and the park at Christmas time...I guess it is not for everyone. To each his own

[johnO]

I went to WDW for the first time when I was 16 and I loved it. I totally "Got it". My DS, 18 yoa, while MK isnt his favorite park, he has a blast, DD 12 yoa, loves it, its her favorite park.

When I read the OP I could only picture the people living aboard the ship in the movie "Wall-E", all overwirght, bone loss from no physical activity, holgram type screen in front of their faces constantly, always eating from a straw, wearing the same clothes, everyone abiding by the same trends and fashion, and everyone in an utter trance like state."

I cant help but picture many of todays youth in this way and think, "no wonder why they wouldnt like MK....." They're all too busy texting, playing video games, facebook and anything that offers instant gratification.

I also keep in mind what "Scar" a previous poster wrote; "MK is the most visited theme park in the world." With this being the case, it can't be too bad of a place......

[KatrinaJ91]

I don't think video games, facebook and texting have anything to do with it. My kids (and myself) are very much into the technology craze. We love our video games, facebook, texting, etc.....but we also love our Disney World! I think it has to do with being well-rounded. Parents need to expose their kids to a little bit of everything that life has to offer!

[CiaoBella312]

What is the big deal about the Grand Canyon? It's travelling to a big hole in the ground. Mount Rushmore is just a big rock outcropping. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree? Just a big tree with lights, not even any ornaments!

In other words, everything is attitude.

One more thing....I have a daughter who loves thrill coasters. We live half an hour from Great Adventure in NJ. She has ridden Kingda Ka a bunch of times (for those who don't know, it has giant, if not the biggest, vertical drop) and that is now a bit boring, but worse, has made most other thrill rides she goes on tame and boring by comparison. Thrill rides are not everything.

That daughter, by the way, loves Disney.

Attitude is everything.

[MaxPower]

As the person who created this thread a few months ago, I have to say that I am surprised that it became one of the most viewed on this site.

I know that the love for Walt Disney World on Intercot is strong. It's the reason we all come here in the first place.

But I noticed that the two kids I mentioned in my original post quickly got labeled negatively by many responses. For the record, they are two of the most polite, smart kids you will ever meet. They're not surly. They're not spoiled. They're not brats. They're just kids and they were just telling the truth as they saw it when I asked them a direct question.

I bring this up because my original post intended to discuss the fact that the simple nature of many Magic Kingdom attractions may not translate in our current world. In the same way many people don't use VCRs anymore because everything is now DVD. Technology moves everything forward, including how we react to entertainment.

As it was pointed out by other posters, I agree that at a young age, many children are taught to love The Magic Kingdom. And as they grow into adults, they defend it fervently. I'm one of them.

But if a new theme park opened somewhere today that had multiple attractions where you ride through rooms in little cars and look at mannequins and cut-outs that swivel in sync with a recording as you ride by - I think a lot of us would yawn.

The Magic kingdom is magic for so many people because of its strong connection to memories associated with families, vacations and loved ones. But if you remove all emotion and just look at the Magic Kingdom in objective terms, it has multiple attractions that are overtly simple and a lot of what those two kids said is true.

I really like the fact that this thread generated so much discussion. That's what Intercot is all about.

[WDWCrazyKaren]

I won't say "boring", but I will say less appealing to us than Epcot. AK is our "most boringest" (Yes, I made that word up) park, and DHS and MK take second (equally) behind Epcot. There are really a number of exceptional things at MK-Splash, Space Mtn, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, BTMRR, Jungle Cruise, etc. that make it totally worthwhile. And frankly, the joy of just "being" there-smells, sights, sounds-that AK and DHS don't have that make it SO worth the time.

[Jared]

I read this entire thread and appreciate the responses. I started posting here more than nine years ago at age 13, and this question typically appears every couple years. Typically, a group of posters unite to criticize today's youth, ending in a morose discussion bemoaning the future.

I take exception to that analysis. I consider myself part of that group -- though I grew up a lot in my time writing on this site -- and know that the sentiments that prompted this entire conversation depend not on the kids' ages. I know plenty of adults who vehemently agree with their assessment and consider the Magic Kingdom boring. At least one member who responded in this thread feels that way, too.

I think we should create a distinction between the quality of the attraction and the quality of the overall park. On this site, we often revel in our ability to see the Disney theme parks for more than just the rides. We value the full experience.

I still rank Magic Kingdom as my favorite park. Yet when I list my favorite attractions on property, I find myself naming powerhouses like the Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania and Soarin'.

To an outsider, that statement likely sounds like a paradox. "How can you call Magic Kingdom your favorite park if it does not offer your favorite rides?" they wonder.

In reality, Disney fans understand the answer to that inquiry. The Magic Kingdom offers an entire world of wonder and imagination beyond the rides. It considers the details, emphasizes quality and possesses a certain indescribable nostalgic quality.

I understand why younger people never exposed to Disney could visit the Magic Kingdom and call the rides boring. They lack the explosive technology offered at the other parks. I imagine tons of these people go to Universal first and expect a similar experience at the Magic Kingdom. To those people, I challenge you to look at the Magic Kingdom for more than its rides next time. Take in your surroundings and stop thinking for once. You may change your mind.

As an aside, my girlfriend calls Main Street her favorite part of Disney World. Looks like I found myself a keeper.

[Laughin' place]

Well said Jared !!
I am often pessimistic about the future and the next generation ( I have four teenagers, it aint always pretty). But people like you, and my boys, remind us grumpy oldsters that the next wave has plenty of good in it.
Hope you and your's have a great trip, and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, kid

[disneycutie165]

Well gee this is kind of a disappointing post I may be what you consider "youth", but MK will always be my favorite place to go. The fact of the matter is WDW is a place where the "real world" is supposed to be pushed aside. I know now a days its hard to do that with all the phones/ipods and everthing else but come on, really? Who can't like MK? it's not all the "mannequins" or anything, but it's how society has given kids a different idea of "fun". Nowadays aint no such thing "fun" in old terms. Ugh, idk what i'm trying to get across here but I'm a little upset with some of the replies

[Gator]

Could someone please shoot this thread and put it out of it's misery?

[Goes4FastPass]

My goodness! Responding to this is like giving it a bump.

How do I give it a lump instead?

If a ran naked through this thread yelling "Mickey Mouse is a short person in a costume!" would that help?

[Jared]

Why should this thread die? I see lots of reasoned, thoughtful responses to a completely legitimate and interesting question. Frankly, considering the nature of most Disney sites, I remain impressed a topic of this nature continues to flourish. People typically attack at the slightest criticism of Disney and resort to mud-slinging and name-calling.

I commend and appreciate the people in this community for their thoughts!

[Dsnygirl]

But if a new theme park opened somewhere today that had multiple attractions where you ride through rooms in little cars and look at mannequins and cut-outs that swivel in sync with a recording as you ride by - I think a lot of us would yawn.

Wow -- now that is a thought I've never considered. I think of myself as a tried and true, died-in-the-wool, hard core Disney fan... and yet, you are right in this -- if some park opened somewhere with the same kind of rides we so fully enjoy at Disney, it just wouldn't be the same. And that difference has to lie in our associations -- whether we connect to Walt and his story, to Mickey & the Mickey Mouse Club of our youth, to the movies associated with the characters -- something creates the wonder & magic that just wouldn't be there, at least not for me, in something that was generically created to be similar.

And although I know for many people it is because they were introduced to Disney at a young age, whether via TV or park visits, for me it's nothing like that -- my parents had no love for Disney, we never watched the Mickey Mouse Club or visited WDW -- and to this day, my mom wants nothing much to do with it, although she'll tolerate stories of our trips. (Like we give her a choice... ) So I don't have any kind-of warm, sentimental memories of vacations as a child to color my vision of what Disney is. My first visit to MK was in my 20's - and then not again until in my 30's and married. Yet somehow, the magic of the parks reached me -- the intrinsic uniqueness of just what the imagineers have accomplished in all the nuances that are hiding everywhere, waiting for us to discover. Something in that spoke straight to me, as well as the magic of becoming a child again myself, feeling the excitement of a 5yr old when I saw Tigger coming my way for the first time.

Somehow, Disney has manged to create just the right mix of fantasy, magic and escapism, and nothing else done to be similar would ever get the same response, I don't think.

Sorry if this post went way "off-topic", but that paragraph really got me thinking... as you can see!

Now to return to our regularly scheduled programming...

[SelfmadeWade]

I agree with Jared. This thread is the type of discussion I enjoy on this website more than just the average question about what parade is better than another.

Obviously it has had alot of views because it's an interesting topic. As a Disney lover, I had to think about what it is that I truly love about Disney World - is it the rides themselves or the fact that they're connected to big chunks of my life making nostalgia a bigger part of the equation.

[SassySueMadhatterFanatic]

How can anyone say that? My daughter is 13, and it was by far her favorite park of all four. I am 36 years old, and I will never tire of MK. I do have a family member that did have that response with her children...however, I don't believe they even gave it a chance? Nobody can spend less than half a day in MK and say there was nothing there to see...that's just crazy! We could spend all day there, and still miss things! MK is the epitomy of Disney...I do like Epcot,AK,and Hollywood Studios also...but come on...MAGIC KINGDOM IS THE BEST! This November/December we are going back with friends, and they have a 2 year old (I can't wait to see his reaction to MK this year...seeing it through the kids' eyes just makes it that much more fun!) I love a good rollercoaster, but the rides in disney are something you just don't experience in any other theme park!

[SelfmadeWade]

SassySue,

I have been to the Magic Kingdom with a two year old before ( and a four year old) and you are right - the way you view thw Magic Kingdom will change. It's truly magic for the little ones.

[Brettracie]

We usually spend the least amount of time at Magic Kingdom, but we do like it. We prefer it at night when it is very beautiful. They need to redo Space Mountain completely and put in a new ride system. The one at Disneyland is my favorite ride there but I won't even get on the one at DW. It hurts too much!!

[Boost]

SBETigg
Senior Team INTERCOT Cast Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 11,224



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think the two kids in question are quite possibly unimaginative and dull, sorry to say, and not that the MK is boring. My kids were 8 and 10 on their first trip and they are 17 and 19 now, and still do not find the MK boring. It's their favorite park, though they also love the thrill rides and the other parks. I know lots of kids who love the "sit and look" attractions. I would not use those particular young specimens as gauges into the minds of kids everywhere or assume that they speak for their generation.

=====================================

I have to agree with the above remarks....I also wanted to add some additional thoughts:

1. The kids in question sound like they may possibly be ADD/ADHD. That, or they may just be brats.
2. I think that it depends on when a child's first visit to WDW occurs. If you take them from the time that they are young (in our case, we have three kids and all have been there since they were infants), they understand the magic, the nostalgia and get into the traditions that each family creates on their initial and subsequent visits.
3. With regard to new tech, I think that as evidenced by the parks to reach out to kids (i.e., Kim Possible cell phone game in EPCOT), the argument that there are relatively few things for really tech savvy kids to engage in is a weak argument.
4. Having been to Universal and Six Flags parks, there is NO COMPARISON to what Disney has to offer. Disney is not a destination. Disney is an immersion into a completely different world. Even on a day when we may encounter a cast member or two not giving their Disney best, IT IS STILL HANDS-DOWN an UNBELIEVABLY FUN PLACE TO BE.
5. Did I mention that those kids sound like brats???

We are planning our next trip to the Poly in the next couple of months....and our kids cannot wait to go!!!!