Habit Heroes Shut Down

[RIDizney]

See
http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance...2/02/Walt-Disney-World-Resort-Update/635402/1




Apparently Habit Heroes was shut down due to outrage of various groups and the fact that it may do more harm then good in regards to bad message it sends to children.

 

[Disneybridein2k3]

Writer/dancer/activist Ragen Chastain wrote on her "Dances with Fat" blog: "…I’m crying because I know how excited kids get about Disney. Disney is supposed to be the happiest place on Earth and now fat kids – who are subjected to a barrage of shaming, humiliating, stigmatizing, and bullying messages from society on a daily basis – will go on vacation and find out that people who look like them are villains who other kids fight for points and bragging rights. Why doesn’t Disney just hold fat kids down and let park guests kick them?"

Thank goodness they closed it down!

 

[mjaclyn]

I did not have a chance to experience this attraction before it closed, so I'm not exactly sure what is causing so much controversy. Personally, I don't think that there is anything wrong in encouraging guests to live healthier, more active lifestyles. Everyone can benefit from eating less sugary, empty calorie snacks and increasing their exercise... not just those who are overweight. I know that some have said they don't want to be preached to on vacation, however, I feel that a lot of what innoventions offers is preachy. If you don't want to hear it, simply don't go in the attraction.

Again, I didn't get a chance to see this so I can't comment on whether or not the delivery was offensive. I just hope that Disney doesn't completely toss out the idea of an experience based on healthy living. There are great ways to encourage people without making them feel bad.

 

[RIDizney]

I have never experienced it myself...Listen to one of the shows a week or 2 back and see http://www.disunplugged.com/2012/02/13/habit-heroes-opens-in-epcot-at-walt-disney-world/ Kathy reviewed the exhibit. Which is wny I had posted the article.

I do not think the message to eat healthy was the issue I think the issue was that the attraction was not well done and based on what I understood created competition between healthy and not healthy people, and if I recall correctly from the podcast ,it ranked guests publicly on how well they exercised

 

[Cherinva]

I was wondering how long it would remain open.

 

[Tamar]

Bring back the mechanical dog who did backflips!!

 

[papertraveller]

We did this attraction shortly after it opened. It was fun -- you try to zap falling tvs and other "passive" activities to give the kid enough energy to get off the couch.

Then you zap "bad" foods with "good" foods on a screen, with a shooter that is similar to those used in Toy Story Mania.

The final room was for exercise -- and this was weird. We were the only family even trying to follow the on-screen instructors. Even weirder was the CM who stood in a corner just watching us.

I don't recall being ranked at the end. But I can say that DH still wears his wristband as a reminder to try and make healthy choices.

Room for improvement? The CMs could make it a lot more fun if they joined in with us. It was also very, very slow to move from room to room -- the attraction could hold only 12 people at a time.