When Disneyland opened back in 1955, the family vacation was forever changed. Becoming the mecca of magic and memories, Disney quickly expanded their park-brand with new attractions, new parks, and new resorts. Throughout the nearly 70 year history of the Disney Parks, the definition of fun and excitement has been challenged both by a growing amusement/theme park industry and the perspective of new leadership within the company. In today’s theme park (and entertainment) world, we’ve seen a huge shift towards big budget IPs (Intellectual Property). Through rethemes and new builds, these themed lands and attractions encompass the most immersive and impressive entertainment experiences ever built. But does a big budget and a brand name buy a compelling story?
Rolling all the way back to the 80s, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells inherited a dying entertainment company. Disney was running on fumes with the release of several underperforming animated movies. The corporate and creative duo saw an opportunity to thrust both the animation studio and theme parks into a new era. Disney is no stranger to incorporating their own IPs into their parks, however, this era saw the beginning of brand partnerships and IP incorporation from other studios into their properties. Increasing their scope through Lucasfilm, MGM, Aerosmith and more, Disney began reaching out to new audiences, especially thrill seekers. During the first 15 years of Eisner’s tenure, he and Wells (who passed away in 1994) expedited the growth of the company, premiering attractions such as Star Tours, Splash Mountain, The Great Movie Ride, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, Indiana Jones Adventure, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Test Track, Dinosaur and so many more. Nearly every single one of these additions had a major thrill factor, whether that be speed, drops, or purely story-based suspense. Many of these attractions became synonymous with the Disney Parks, and while many of these attractions were created to appeal to an older audience, they still held low height requirements allowing families to experience the thrills and chills together. Disney had successfully pushed their definition of what family experiences have to look like.
Mostly, these additions were major successes for the parks except for ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. The horrifying sensory experience provided riders with a simulation of being hunted by a killer alien. Being located at the Magic Kingdom, the attraction, unfortunately, saw many young children and their families underestimate the intensity of the experience. This resulted in the eventual retheme of the attraction into Stitch’s Great Escape. I believe this attraction closing began an ongoing trend in the Disney Parks that removed or reduced suspenseful elements of attractions.
As Bob Iger stepped up to the helm of the house of Mouse, a new era for the company and theme parks began. Since taking on the role of CEO in 2005, Iger began prioritizing acquisitions of major collaborators, such as Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel. This coincides with Universal Orlando Resort’s most impactful addition to date with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The single-IP themed land put Universal on the map for many families. Gone were the days of Universal being an afterthought for Florida tourists. In response, we saw Disney jump into the IP game like never before with the 2011 announcement of Pandora: The World of Avatar. Opening in 2017, the James Cameron film inspired one of, if not the most impressively gorgeous lands with one of Disney’s most compelling experiences to date with Flight of Passage. As Universal continued to milk the Harry Potter brand, Disney had to find new ways to entice families with their array of IPs. This led to the additions of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Frozen Ever After, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Avengers Campus, Pixar Pier, Fantasy Springs, and more. The major additions also brought significant changes to the Eisner era attractions tied to unowned or no IPs, giving Disney motivation to update these experiences.
Two of the first major rethemes that occurred during this time period were Frozen Ever After and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! Both were highly controversial, with Disney fans crying out for thematic integrity and proper IP integration into the parks. However, the reimaginings were highly successful. Frozen, which replaced Maelstrom, became one of the most popular attractions at EPCOT, and Mission: BREAKOUT! was consistently receiving the highest guest satisfaction numbers at Disneyland Resort. Both experiences focused on the attraction interacting with its riders, enveloping them in the worlds they are inspired by. This has become the trend for new attractions. However, the replacement of Tower of Terror left a huge gap in the Disneyland lineup, removing the only “scary” attraction in the resort. The ride system, which is the exact same, no longer builds to the big drops, but immediately launches riders into a hilarious and bouncy experience that will leave you laughing instead of just screaming. For me, I was disappointed with the Guardians, finding myself longing for Tower of Terror while experiencing the, admittedly fun, attraction.
Most recently, Disney made the decision to retheme Splash Mountain, which features one of the biggest drops on any Disney property. The original attraction, which featured a problematic and irrelevant IP, was a prime target of Disney’s modernization of their parks. The ride builds to a five story drop, using the rides story and music to really build fear and tension as riders approach the apex of the mountain. In the newly opened Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the drop is no longer treated as a point of suspense, but more so just a part of the experience. While the drop and the thrill is still there in the ride, the attraction, in my opinion, tries to avoid the thrill that is built into the experience.
As both resorts have continued to grow and change, Disney has built highly detailed attractions like Cosmic Rewind, Rise of the Resistance, Tron: Lightcycle Run, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and many more. Several of which feature highly thrilling ride-systems and elements that push these experiences to older audiences. But, even within these new attractions, Disney has chosen to avoid tension and suspense in favor of action and adventure. I would even consider Rise of the Resistance, which really sets the tone for suspense during its pre-show experience, to abandon the story tool as soon as the attraction begins. While many of these experiences are incredible, it is clear that Disney is doing its best to appeal to younger audiences, even with IPs that consistently receive PG-13 ratings, such as Marvel and Star Wars. Even classic attractions like Haunted Mansion have seen “scary” effects, like the pop out ghosts, toned back.
An onslaught of new additions were announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Including new roller coasters, thrill rides, family rides, and a villains themed area, these future projects will, undoubtedly, be visually stunning and well crafted. But as we look into the future, I hope Disney continues to push themselves into incorporating experiences that may be scary and suspenseful rather than just another “adventure.”
Read More:
- D23 2024 Panel Recap: “Bringing the Worlds of Disney Animation to Life In Disney Parks” with Disney Imagineers
- Soarin’ to Tower — The “Soarin’ Ear Hat Guy” Recreated His Role For D23’s Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase
- Review: Horizons – Disney Experiences Showcase Pays Off Past Disney Parks Presentations (While Adding Some Self-Depreciation)