Did not write

[goofyernmost]

This is a topic that truly angers me. Political Correctness is a tool to transform and unify everybody's thought process. Let's never be exposed to negative images and we will be happy pod people. What if my idea of PC is different than yours. Who gets to have their viewpoint shown? The one with the loudest words perhaps. We have free choices, if you don't like something don't look at it. If it is a symbolic image then it is you and you alone that creates the negative response, that means it is your thought pattern not necessarily that of the designer. When you take a show that was planned to be entertaining then it is going to offend someone, there are fat people in PoC, put all thin people in because being fat is unhealthy, we can't show that. But then it is nothing but thin people, I feel as a fat person that I am not represented because I am not favorably thought of. Pirates are drinking and appear drunk, replace with AA members. They are burning the town down, let's get rid of that. They are torturing the town mayor in the well, loose that section. Oh my, they have a preference for "Red Heads", blond and brunette discrimination. Grow up people. We have become so jaded that we cannot see the humor in anything anymore. It is MAKEBELIEVE!! Even kids have the mental capacity to recognize that. We are to quick to belittle the intelligence of young people.

Also studies have been done that show that being SCARED is really a form of entertainment. Makebelieve scared, as in WDW. That is what made Jaws, Nightmare on Elm and mulititudes of other movies box office successes.

Besides what is accomplished by "protecting" our children from harmless showmenship when they have to see images of the Twin Towers crumbling to the earth and people leaping from the top to their deaths. Let's get our priorities straight. If you don't see both sides of life you cannot make imformed choices. Lighten up, life is short. An please let me decide for myself what I like and don't like. I don't remember assigning that to anyone else to decide for me.

 

[montessori]

Originally posted by pewing
Speaking of being 'non PC'...Disney is for kids. If you want adult entertainment...go elsewhere. I applaud Disney for making these changes (if they are).

Epcotfan has already addressed this but I have to put in my two cents worth.

I can't understand anyone saying "Disney is for kids".
Walt Disney designed a place where families could have fun together. He was tired of going to little amusement parks and just watching his children have fun.
I started going to DW as a teenager, when it first opened. Sometimes, the high school would sponsor a one day trip from South Florida. Hundreds of teens would board a bus at 5:00 a.m. and spend the day in the Magic Kingdom before heading back home late that night. We had a blast!
I started dating my future husband in 1974 (I was still in high school). We would often take one day trips to DW, or stay in inexpensive motels. Once, we did splurge and stayed in the Contemporary Resort, we could not believe we were spending $65 for a hotel room! We have such wonderful memories from those Disney vacations.

Our daughter was born in 1981 and we took a Disney break. We started going again on her 4th birthday and have visited 3 or 4 times a year ever since. That's a lot of Disney vacations! Even when our daughter was young, we occasionally went without her.
Our Disney vacations WITH her AND our Disney vacations WITHOUT her have been the BEST times of our lives. She's 21 now and hasn't gone on vacations with us for a few years.
We still go to DW 3 or 4 times a year and we still have a blast!
And we still sneak a kiss in the Haunted Mansion.

 

[pewing]

montessori

I never meant to stir up anything. There are plenty of things at WDW for everyone...as it should be. It is a wonderful, magical place of wonder and fun for kids young and old. I was just going to bat for the younger ones among us.

I totally agree with the simple sentiments of Jules Mom:

If something is too scary for small children...then don't ride it.
If something is too "liitle kid" for older children...then don't ride it.

goofyernmost...FYI: my children never saw the TT falling. That is not appropriate material for children to see. My children rarely watch TV and NEVER the news. My 8 year is very informed of relative current events (even not so 'pretty ones'), but my children are not bombarding with such images. They shouldn't be...they are children. You decide to do what you want...and I will decide what I want. But...please leave me some suitable choices for my family. My children are the most important thing in my life. I make all my decisions based on what is best for them. Don't mock me for trying to make a difference. As matter of fact...I WAS assigned to help them decide what they 'like or dislike' (by someone in higher authority than you : )


I am painfully aware that some people don't have children (I work with infertility patients every day who are 'childless, not by choice...gasp). Many of you obviously don't have children...or the burden of making decisions of what is and is not 'harmless showmenship '.

Again...I am so sorry. Wish I could have gotten half this response to some of my questions!

Lastly...I always try to be PC (that is POLITE and COMPASSIONATE)

 

[montessori]

Pewing;

No need to apologize. You are entitled to your opinion!

 

[tuck]

IF Disney does this to there top attaction.... they will loose my visitors than they are loosing now..... It's time for Disney to stop building and producing " CRAP" card board cut out rides and cheap made attactions. It's getting to the point that the local fair has more theming on there rides than Disney's. I use to love watching Disney Channel... they turned that into the a joke. Also they need to clean up WDW... It's getting so dirty and unclean.......




ANTI EISNER CLUB----THE FUTURE WILL BE BRIGHT WITHOUT HIM..

 

[Testtrack321]

Frankly, I don't know why we are getting woked up of some supposed "the friend of a manager who used to work at WDW" scenario. It's false. But for WDW is for kids, wait till Barron and others come. I don't want to waste my breath since they can do it better.

 

[cindyfan]

One more opinion that Disney is for kids of ALL AGES!!! From 1 to 92 ....so the Christmas Song says!!
Walt designed it so that there were things for everyone! Another reason for the different "lands"!!!
Keep the kiddy stuff in Fantasyland....and leave POTC, AE and HM alone!!!!!
IMHO....this politically correctness has gotten carried away.
People need to lighten up!

pewing......I mean no offense, but all the things you are trying to "protect" your kids from......well, that is the real world.
You may not have let them watch the TT on TV....but I guarentee that when they get to Junior High or High School it will be part of their history lessons. Just like the schools show the horrible murders of WWII, they will be showing the horrible acts of terrorists!
We watch the news as a family and discuss the realities of life. I don't want my DD to be faced with any surprises that she can;t deal with when she gets older. I do try to protect her as much as I can.....but I also want her to grow up being well informed.

 

[vernon]

God I hope this is all a load of BS, MK has more than enough "kiddie rides" , as has already been said WDW is for ALL the family to have an enjoyable time. There is a limit to how long any person can watch a 2 year old go round and round the Dumbo ride and it's less than a whole day. Quite rightly Disney has a selection of types of rides and shows to appeal to different ages and abilities, and long may it stay that way.

 

[Glenn]

I certainly hope this doesnt happen. Talk about sweet syrup. Has anyone ever read Treasure Island, Grims fairy tales, or many of the other classic tales?. These show disturbing situations but with good outcomes. Whats a haunted house without some creapy stuff (Casper?). I think MK is for familys and a little scary is fine for kids and adults just dont over do it. Grew up shivering to Vincent Price. If everythink turns PC and a version of its a small world why go if you dont have a 2 yr old.

 

[minnieluvzmickey]

If this country were a little less pc the twin towers might still be standing today. Majority rules.......political correctness drools

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by vernon
God I hope this is all a load of BS,

.

Ding..ding....ding...we have a winner.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Come on now. Last night I asked the original poster a question that he/she never answered regarding the origin of this info. This person is just stirring things up and really doesn't have any inside information! In a post back in June the poster tells about how the cave scene is his/her favorite in POTC. All of a sudden a six months later, a CM is telling him/her that it will be changed?

HBC

 

[montessori]

Originally posted by Happy Birthday Cat
Come on now. Last night I asked the original poster a question that he/she never answered regarding the origin of this info. This person is just stirring things up and really doesn't have any inside information! In a post back in June the poster tells about how the cave scene is his/her favorite in POTC. All of a sudden a six months later, a CM is telling him/her that it will be changed?

HBC

Well, that's interesting.
But, I never gave much credence to what the original post-er said anyway. Rumors are rumors and some come from more reliable sources than others.

This rumor came from out of nowhere yet was pretty much stated as fact. MAJOR CHANGES AT MK!! It's nuts!

What I find interesting and debatable is that some people think such changes are a good thing.

 

[mystic_storm]

My info came from management at Adventureland. The info came after I mentioned DL POTC cave section. That was how I got the detailed info. At the time he had 5 employees in suits standing around him. All had Disney badges.

 

[All Aboard]

So let me get this straight. A gaggle of Disney management is standing around in Adventureland spilling their guts about major unannounced changes to signature WDW attractions to a guest that they don't know from Adam.

Yea, makes all the sense in the world to me.

 

[Planogirl]

This whole thread makes no sense to me. If a parent thinks that a ride is inappropriate for their kids the solution seems pretty simple to me. Don't let them ride it. I see no logic in changing the classics because a few people don't like something about them.

I do have a 9 year old by the way. He has enjoyed PoC and HM for many years now. The only ride that scared him when he was little was Snow White. But every kid is different of course. And I still haven't let him try Alien Encounter. I know him well enough to know that it wouldn't work for him. But I definitely wouldn't demand that it be changed so he would enjoy it.

Besides, I can't see Disney spending money on what brings 'em in particularly when so little seem to be doing the job nowadays.

 

[mep319]

I failed to read thru all the posts and I'm sure someone else already made a similar post but I've been riding pirates and haunted mansion since before I can remember and my DD, 6, has been riding since she was 3!! For goodness sakes! AND I have the sense not to send my DD on the Alien encounter........I highly doubt a thunderstorm scares a pre-teen if it does how do the they survive the car ride or plane ride down!?!

 

[raidermatt]

I have absolutely NO idea if any of this is legitimate or not, but I wouldn't write if off as illogical.

Disney has seemed to lose touch with how to create "whole family" attractions. Stuff that you can bring the 2 and 3 years olds on, yet still be "Wow'd" by as a parent or grandparent.

Most of their new attractions are one of two types:

1- Simple kiddie rides, like Aladdin, Triceratops Spin, Bug's Land, etc. (Yes, they may be well-decorated, or even well-themed, but they aren't wow'ing adults, nor were they designed to. That's fine until you look what else is happening, or not happening)

2- Height restricted rides, like M:S, Test Track, Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, Primival Whirl, Dinosaur, etc.

There are very few "whole family" attractions being created. There's Kilamanjaro, the 3-D movies, and live shows, and that's about it.

And think about most of the new rumored additions/enhancements. Soaring over Whatever? Height Restricted. Yeti Mountain? Height restricted. Time Racers? Sure sounds Height restricted. Yeah, we are apparently getting a new film or two for World Showcase (Hooray!), and maybe a new pavilion (Hooray!), but still only the China film has been verified, and none of it sounds like it is on the scale of a Mission:Space.

Now, forgetting about why this is happening, what do PoTC and HM have in common, from an analytical point of view? Answer: They are "tweeners". They are designed to appeal to the entire family, which is a concept that is getting lost at Disney. Plus, I'm sure there are those with very small children who do find these two attractions too intense. Put these together on a spreadsheet, and "Voila!", you've got attractions "in need" of softening up.

Also remember that we have already heard "rumors" about HM getting some kind of makeover "in honor of" the HM movie, which stars Eddie Murphy. Granted, circumstances change, and things presented as rumors do no always pan out, but its not like this is out of left field either.

AE is a little tougher to figure out, as it seems to be the teen and adult-oriented height restricted ride Disney has fallen in love with, but its also a Stitch tie-in opportunity, dripping with synergy and cross-promotion... (Can you say Tiki Room under New Management?).

Again, not saying this WILL happen, only that its within the realm of possibility, and would fit with current management's mentality.

 

[raidermatt]

Speaking of cross-promotion and synergy, how long before we see a "Direct to Video" release where Stitch meets Buzz Lightyear?

 

[Another Voice]

Threads like this are why rumors need to be discussed rather than either totally accepted or totally rejected out of hand. Most rumors contain a grain of truth, a spoonful of incorrect information and a heaping mound of almost-but-not-quite ideas.

Yes, WDW is talking about changing a lot of the attractions inside the Magic Kingdom. This is all part of the 50 Years of Disney Theme Parks celebration (no one is even bothering with the façade of calling it Disneyland’s 50th Birthday anymore). But it’s not to make the rides more kid-friendly or more politically correct or because Michael Eisner is such a sweat guy.

First, the backstory: Disneyland sits just an hour’s limo ride away from Disney’s corporate offices in Burbank and therefore the park here is always on the forefront of the cutbacks, budget reductions and cost savings scheme that suits can imagine. That means the Disneyland folks have to be very cleaver about maintaining – and improving – show standards. And frankly they’ve become pretty good at it. Projects like Tarzan’s Treehouse, ‘Pirates’ rehab, ‘Small World’ Holiday and the ‘Nightmare’ overlay of the ‘Haunted Mansion’ are amazing creations considering the limited resources and flat out hostility these projects have received from the accountants.

Now the good folks out in Orlando are dealing with an aging Magic Kingdom that hasn’t seen anything really new in years and suffering from budget hacks to keep ABC afloat – and now they’re faced with a “major marketing” campaign with a corporate management that has a ketchup-is-a-vegetable budget mentality. So they are going to do exactly what Disneyland has done, use a lot of cleaver and inexpensive ploys to freshening up the attractions throughout the park. Back in the old days this kind of project went by the strange term of “routine maintenance”, but Eisner has brought in new thinking to town and now it’s a major deal. Not that I’m complaining, anything that helps the parks these days must be applauded as loudly as possible.

Just like Disneyland, a lot of the “special events” budget will be used to bring the attractions back up their documented show standards (new paint, fixing light bulbs, replacing worn furnishings, etc.). Additional show elements will be constructed out of bits and pieces that can be scrounged out of the boneyards at WDW, Disneyland and WDI. An example is that a number of the discarded figures from Epcot’s ‘World of Motion’ ended up in Anaheim’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to good effect (and after all these years finally gave the show a transition at the end).

The intent of these changes is to improve the attractions and they do not serve any subliminal motive. All of the PC changes to the parks had a much higher priority than refreshing the rides and the big projects (women-chasing pirates, firearms, Indians burning settlers’ – er -- Native Americans in touch with nature) were made a long time ago.

Most people have had problems with ‘Alien Encounter’ since it first opened and the problems spring from the show’s birth. The original concept was for a adult thrill attraction based on the ‘Alien/Aliens’ movies for then soon-to-open Disney/MGM Studios. When the studio was first created, the plan was to highlight all aspects of entertainment (including studios other than Disney) and to offer more thrill-based attractions than a “typical” Disney park. One of the hottest properties was ‘Alien’ from 20th Century Fox’. Deals were signed and a major show designed around Disney’s bi-aural sound technology was designed.

Well, guess what. Budget cuts! And I bet you couldn’t see that one coming, could you. The first thing that happened was that the show was pushed back to Disney/MGM Phase II to keep the park’s budget down. Then someone got a great idea they could amortize the show if they stuck it in the unused ‘Mission to Mars’ building out in Disneyland. And if the show was designed for that theater, why not save all those costs of a show building in Orlando and put it in ‘Mars’ in the Magic Kingdom. But since ‘Alien’ isn’t exactly keeping in the park’s light-hearted theme, the ‘Alien’ was cut loose (but that saved lots of money on royalties).

When all the dust settled the Magic Kingdom was left with a show too scary for the kids, a show too tame for the original teen-age audience, and a show too many people hate. They’ve been working on a way of fixing it since before it premiered. But Eisner, still miffed at all the money sunk into the attraction, refuses to approve a replacement. So WDW is trying to use another favorite Disneyland trick of using a hit movie shift around some budget dollars. This week’s attempt is for a ‘Stitch’ remake (there were ideas for ‘Atlantis’ and ‘Treasure Planet’ before as well as others). The changes of this happening depend on DVD sales and the success of the proposed ‘Stitch’ TV show. If WDW can convince the Powers of Burbank that additional merchandise sales will pay for the new show, it will probably be done.

But like most rumors, this too is subject to change. So don’t call me names when this or anything else doesn’t happen.