WDW/DL in 100 years from now…

[Buzz Rules]

WDW/DL in 100 years from now…how much will remain the same and how much will have changed? How much do you think will change based on society? Do you think the theme park will still be a family destination in 2122?

 

[TipsyTraveler]

They might be liquidated and sold for parts by then, gone the way of Toys R Us, Sears, Barnum & Bailey… Nothing lasts forever.

 

[tvguy]

Well, looking back 67 years, I think someone who was at Disneyland when it opened in 1955 probably recognize the place. So I suspect 100 years from now it would also have a familiar look. Not sure the Star Wars stuff will still be there, although 100 years from now, they might have to make it part of Frontierland

 

[shh]

I think there will always be the appeal, but the real issue is how sustainable it will be to host families of all ages in 100 years, unless they can figure out ways to house almost everything they offer indoors to control the climate.

As a Florida native, I've felt first hand the dramatic escalation in heat & humidity over the past decades. A Florida summer today feels nothing like it did when WDW opened in the early '70s or when I was growing up. It was always hot, sure, but manageable.

Today's heat extremes prohibit most people from tolerating multiple hours outside during majority of the year, unless at the beach or pool. And temp trends are rising, not declining.

Theme parks that will survive & operate year-round will likely adapt a version of indoor water parks up north. They'll have to control the climate for guests far more than now.

 

[shh]

I think theme park appeal will always be there, but the big issue is how realistic it will be to host families of all ages, without migrating almost everything indoors for climate control.

As a native, I can tell you Florida summer today feels very different from when Walt bought the land for WDW or when I was growing up. Before, it was always hot, but manageable.

If summers continue to get hotter, those May to Oct extremes will be impossible for healthy folks, (let alone those older/with comorbidity issues), to tolerate more than 1-2 hrs outdoors unless at the beach or pool. I can easily see that in 10-20 years, let alone 100.

The theme parks that will survive will likely adapt a version of indoor water parks up north. They'll have to control the climate for guests far more. Or only open seasonally.

 

[mom2rtk]

I won't be here in 100 years and nobody I know will be here in 100 years. So I really don't care what happens to WDW then.

 

[tvguy]

I think there will always be the appeal, but the real issue is how sustainable it will be to host families of all ages in 100 years, unless they can figure out ways to house almost everything they offer indoors to control the climate.

As a Florida native, I've felt first hand the dramatic escalation in heat & humidity over the past decades. A Florida summer today feels nothing like it did when WDW opened in the early '70s or when I was growing up. It was always hot, sure, but manageable.

Today's heat extremes prohibit most people from tolerating multiple hours outside during majority of the year, unless at the beach or pool. And temp trends are rising, not declining.

Theme parks that will survive & operate year-round will likely adapt a version of indoor water parks up north. They'll have to control the climate for guests far more than now.

You bring up an interesting point. My first and only trip to WDW was 5 years ago and I was surprised how poorly the parks were prepared for rain. Nearly 50 years after the park opened, they hadn't figured out that you need shelter from the rain in Florida. But the parks are still packed, so apparently for most folks it isn't an issue. Funny though, about the same time WDW was being built America's shopping malls were going from open air to enclosed to protect shoppers from heat and cold and rain. However, the NEWEST shopper centers here have now gone back to the open air concept. Sorry, not coming to your shopping center on a 110 degree day, when the enclosed mall is 68 degrees inside.

 

[shh]

However, the NEWEST shopper centers here have now gone back to the open air concept.

This never made sense to me. I always felt this trend towards open air shopping centers would reverse at some point in the more humid, southeastern states. Sure, in Dec or Jan, it's beautiful and crowds flock to them. But when the heat begins in May and runs thru Oct, the sidewalks are usually deserted, the slew of restaurants and bars, each with their al fresco patios all sit largely unused - even on wknds. People park, go into specific stores, then leave.

What's even dumber is that many of these centers have beautiful landscaping, big public center square type areas: they could bring in live entertainment during happy hour/early evening/wknds to draw people there - make it more of a destination. But none do. It's all shopping and eating.