Tom Sawyer's Island, Disneyland - soon no more?

[raidermatt]

TSI, again to me, is an overgrown (an interesting) playground. Which again is basically for kids.

Many feel differently, which continues to be my point. Not that "I" feel differently.

Unfortunately, Disney has not maintained or enhanced the area, and has actually closed portions of it down out of legal concerns. Then, when it seems "uninteresting" its used as justification for changing it.

Keep in mind that the move to change it has NOTHING to do with park management or WDI wanting to increase the popularity of the area. Its coming from corporate marketing who wants to exploit a synergistic opportunity.

Considering "pirates" were a popular idea even during Twain's time (he once even said he wanted to be a pirate), the pirate pheomenon has also lasted longer than the Tom Sawyer phenomenon...

How popular were pirates 5 years ago? Prior to Black Pearl, what was the last successful pirate movie?

The "phenomenon" being mentioned isn't generic pirates. At this time, there is no pirate phenomenon. Hasn't been one for decades. Its specific to the PotC movies. Black Pearl came out just over 3 years ago.

That's what is being questioned, and given Hollywood's dubious ability to keep "phenomenons" going, its a valid question.

 

[Bareacuda]

Walt said it himself...Disneyland will never be compleated.

This will be one more of Many changes I've seen in over 45 years at Disneyland. Some of the things I really miss, The "real" mermaids in the lagoon of the submarine ride, the different sky-way ride buckets(now gone) the movie that was taken away in 1968(?) and replaced with Pinocchio's Daring adventure, the farm at Big Thunder Mountain. Remember Mickey Moo? Oh... the list goes on...

It's just another change. I still wish Disneyland keep the mule ride!

TSI will always be there, just in another form! It's just my 2cents worth.

 

[MJMcBride]

Many feel differently,

Says who?

 

[vonpluto]

FWIW, Re-imagineering Blog's take on the TSI news/rumor:

http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/

 

[Another Voice]

Says who?

I do.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I rather resent the insults hurled at the noble people of New Jersey. It just shows the resentment of their many streams and rivers, rolling emerald hills, the plentitude of parks with real early American structures (and history), the wonderful farmland filled with happy cows and tomatos and the jersey shore that the Boardwalk was supposedly modeled on.

All that aside I think the pirate theme is short sighted. If Disney is going to change Tom Sawyer Island then select something else from prior to WWII, maybe the underground railroad (at least that would fit the caves and the period). Guests entering the island could become runaways trying to navigate the island without being detected but required to get to certain check points. Sort of the opposite of Buzz Lightyear. If you want to play you have to pick up an RFID device like a pal mickey. While there will be check points you can see there will be ones that you can't see that will constitute being caught. Depending on where you are caught your RFID could direct you to a location that its possible to "escape" from. Being caught twice would mean game over. Successful escape might yield a prize like a fastpass good once anywhere. Most people would be caught twice. Sounds like fun to me & the kids would enjoy pretending but there is no way Disney would be willing to take this on...although I suppose you could do the same game with pirates.

 

[catherine]

And so too with Tom Sawyer’s Island. We don’t have the kind of wilderness areas that you find so common. But we all grow up with stories of the “old west” out here – everyone in school learns about the missions and the great ranches. We see pictures of the old pueblo and of wagon trains. Mark Twain did a lot of his early writing here in California. Our state is drenched in the mythology of the gold rush. We are part of the Old West, but we don’t have any of it around. All we have is the occasional old farm house, some old pictures and a lot of stories. Tom Sawyer’s Island is a connection to those stories. It makes us feel, for a couple of moments, what things were like before the strip malls and freeways showed up.

Have you never been to northern CA?

 

[MJMcBride]

I rather resent the insults hurled at the noble people of New Jersey. It just shows the resentment of their many streams and rivers, rolling emerald hills, the plentitude of parks with real early American structures (and history), the wonderful farmland filled with happy cows and tomatos and the jersey shore that the Boardwalk was supposedly modeled on.

Don't worry double, I know AV is just jealous.

 

[MJMcBride]

I do.

You're wrong.

 

[yalegracey]

Says who?

I do, too.

 

[yalegracey]

Also, a nice pirate ship at dock in Liberty Square certainly is NOT contrasting themeing. In fact a square-rigged ship would be pretty darn cool. The Peal might look out of place, but the Dauntless would be pretty impressive.

This would be nice but would people ride it? There would have to be plenty of space under the deck where people could be protected from the daily rain.

 

[Ariel Mae]

Why does this not surprise me? TSI is best the way it is. We don't need the media to influence something so original. I do hope this doesn't happen in Florida, or I will no longer have reason to visit the parks. (This coming from someone who has been 23-25 times...and is only 18 years of age.)

 

[Soccermom-Cheri]

What I object most strongly to is not the change per se ( I know things must change, even the Park I want so desperately to stay the way I remember it, down to the Carousel of Progress), but what I fear is the direction it is going. A POTC theme is very different than a pirate theme. I think Disney is going to try and capitalize on the Depp-Knightly-Bloom popularity thing and that will be the mistake. Pirates, I could care less about. Changing an original part of DL to showcase a few movies? Not smart.


BTW- for DS the only reading list Tom Sawyer and Hunk Finn was on was Mom's. Too bad.

 

[SoCalKDG]

TSI is not just a playground like these newer places. Lack of updating, maintenance and fear of lawsuits has taken chunks out of it, and I'm not saying it should sit as is. And once again, I'm not even saying it can't be completely changed.

I loved TSI as a kid, but then again the fort was open, tunnels led to the fort, climbing up and shooting one of the guns in the fort was always exciting, additional tunnels, etc. all existed. Now its half of what I remembered.

The question is this(I know there are other options but lets pretend these are the only two options):

Would you rather have TSI at the DLR as is(2006 version) or would you take a pirates retheming if it meant money being invested and the fort area being put to use on a scale similar to or greater than Redwood Challenge at DCA or the Boneyard at AK.

If its a cheap retheming, then leave as is. If they redo the whole Island making the whole thing accessable then I say go for it.

 

[MJMcBride]

A POTC theme is very different than a pirate theme. I think Disney is going to try and capitalize on the Depp-Knightly-Bloom popularity thing and that will be the mistake. Pirates, I could care less about. Changing an original part of DL to showcase a few movies? Not smart.

I think it depends on the classicness of the movies. I think at least the first two will be watched for a long time. There seems to be no problem in coverting attractions to a Toy Story theme. Why?

By the way, excellent sig, soccermom.

 

[Another Voice]

If its a cheap retheming, then leave as is.

Because this has to be ready for the movie's opening in May, all indications and rumors say it's going to very fast and very cheap. The best description I heard was "about 25% of the 'Tarzan Treehouse' redo". There will be changes to signs, a pirate flag on top of the treehouse, and couple of new walls. It's thought most of the money will be spent to tear down the fort and turning that space into a stage for the 'Pirate Tutorial' show. The basic design brief is to invest as little capital as possible (e.g., in permanent structures), but to "theme" the place using decorations and live entertainment (which can be slashed on a moments notice).

In the end, it's going to be the worst of all possible outcomes. It's not a significant change, just enough to erase all the traces of what exists right now. But it's not enough to make it interesting in its own right after interest in the movie fades away by Fall.