What's for boys in the "new" fantasyland?

[Plumeria]

Don't get me wrong.... I love everything Disney and am VERY EXCITED about the new expansion & upgrades, etc.....
But.... IMHO.... the boys get shorted!

Read back through this entire thread for examples of why boys are definately not "shorted."

Disney would be nothing without all of its wonderful movies, many of which include princesses. We are talking about *one* land in all of WDW that is primarily dedicated to those princesses. I really don't see the issue here.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Actually Expedition Everest itself is just one ride. It may take up a "huge" area b/c it's a roller coaster and they tend to do that. It's still not the same thing. EE is just an attraction inside Asia. If you want to compare apples to apples you would need to compaire Fantasyland to Asia, not to EE. Inside the new Fantasyland there are many meet and greets, and a new attraction that are more geared toward girls. EE is yet again, another one of those non gender specific rides that people keep using as a boy thing b/c it doesn't have a princess or fairy in it.



Actually I have seen many girls that would rather run around in a pirate outfit than a princess one. This maybe b/c I used to work in day care and was around a lot of school aged girls every day. I would guess there are a lot more girls wanting to get the makeover at the Pirate League than boys wanting to ge the "cool dude" package at BBB. Unlike with the Pirate League, BBB has 2 locations for girls to get make overs. They don't have to offer multiple packages at the PL b/c the girls already have multiple to pick from at BBB. Actually girls are still getting a better deal at PL than boys get at BBB. At BBB boys do not have the option of buying a costume, and girls do get that at PL. No one said there isn't stuff for boys. However saying that it is equal, especially when most people site gender nuetral things as boys things, is itself "a gross exageration".





Maybe the reason they have added more boy stuff is b/c before those thing were added, there were WAY more girl specific things to do than boy specific things.

Let me ask you something....if pirates, cowboys, buzz lightyear, stitch, adventureland, frontierland, tomorrowland etc are "gender neutral" then what pray tell do you feel would be the appropriate "boy-specific" attraction for Disney to add?

I think that people on this thread have given numerous suggestions for the "poor unfortunate boys" to do while girls are enjoying the Princesses. Add to that, many posters have pointed out that vacations require the give-and-take dynamic of any family with both boys and girls. "suzie gets to meet tinkerbell this morning and then bobby gets to meet lightning mcqueen and mater this afternoon" etc...

I can take disappointment, but what seems now to be complaining for the sake of complaining is getting a bit much. What do YOU suggest that would be "boy-centric"?

And will I be the first one to toss out that some boys might like the princesses or fairies the way that some girls like pirates and adventure etc?

 

[Disflyer]

I finally found the solution to eliminate all reference to gender specific items within FL. Disney should now follow these guidelines when thinking of a park changes or a new movie.

1) Eliminate Cindy's castle, and replace it with some generic reference to Mickey Mouse (see DHS or the old "new" spaceship earth) for the photo op. I am sure my boy doesn't want his photo in front of a princess' castle and he will probably be bored waiting for us to finish our photo.
2) Destroy all classic fairy tale movies and replace them with a new cast of quality videos, Home on the Range 4 and Chicken Little 3 are destined to be huge!
3) Bring back Ed, he had a knack of boring changes and the cheap budget allows for swapping out old and new "flavor of the month" pop culture references relatively easy.

 

[Plumeria]

I finally found the solution to eliminate all reference to gender specific items within FL. Disney should now follow these guidelines when thinking of a park changes or a new movie.

1) Eliminate Cindy's castle, and replace it with some generic reference to Mickey Mouse (see DHS or the old "new" spaceship earth) for the photo op. I am sure my boy doesn't want his photo in front of a princess' castle and he will probably be bored waiting for us to finish our photo.
2) Destroy all classic fairy tale movies and replace them with a new cast of quality videos, Home on the Range 4 and Chicken Little 3 are destined to be huge!
3) Bring back Ed, he had a knack of boring changes and the cheap budget allows for swapping out old and new "flavor of the month" pop culture references relatively easy.

 

[letthewookiewin]

The following *all* have appeal to boys (and to girls, but they are not *girl-centric*)
- The Pirates League
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial
- The Jungle Cruise
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- The Frontierland Shooting Arcade
- The Haunted Mansion
- Peter Pan's Flight
- It's a Small World
- Mickey's Philharmagic
- Dumbo
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Goofy's Barnstormer
- Donald's Boat
- The Judge's Tent - Mickey
- Tomorrowland Autopia
- Space Mountain
- Astro Orbiters
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
- Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor
- Stitch's Great Escape (we may hate him but he is DEFINITELY geared to boys)

The following have *more* appeal to girls
- Pixie Hollow
- Snow White's Scary Adventures (though this could be enjoyed by boys as you only see Snow 2 times)
- Cinderella's Carousel
- Ariel's Grotto
- The Judges Tent - Princesses
- Bipity Bopity Boutique
- Cinderella's Royal Table

Personally I see a balance that weight MORE heavily in the favor of boys at the Magic Kingdom.

The biggest problem with that list is that anything that is gender nuetral you put in the boy list. The ones I highlighted are the ones that I disagree with the most. You also forgot to list the Princess meals.

I had to go back and requote the quote from the above post. However sense it seems you failed to read it, I repost it.

Let me ask you something....if pirates, cowboys, buzz lightyear, stitch, adventureland, frontierland, tomorrowland etc are "gender neutral" then what pray tell do you feel would be the appropriate "boy-specific" attraction for Disney to add?

I think that people on this thread have given numerous suggestions for the "poor unfortunate boys" to do while girls are enjoying the Princesses. Add to that, many posters have pointed out that vacations require the give-and-take dynamic of any family with both boys and girls. "suzie gets to meet tinkerbell this morning and then bobby gets to meet lightning mcqueen and mater this afternoon" etc...

I can take disappointment, but what seems now to be complaining for the sake of complaining is getting a bit much. What do YOU suggest that would be "boy-centric"?

And will I be the first one to toss out that some boys might like the princesses or fairies the way that some girls like pirates and adventure etc?

Let's see I don't think I ever said that Buzz, Stitch or pirates are gender nuetral. Although I will admit there are a lot of girls into the pirate thing now days, so it makes it more nuetral than it used to be. Cowboys, well ever heard of Jessie? Once you put her in the mix, yes I would say cowboys are pretty nuetral. I would say that all of the names of the lands Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and even Fantasyland are all gender nuetral. Little girls dream of those things just as much as boys do. All girls don't just dream of princess and fairies after all. Many have suggested ways they could have included boy attractions into Fantasyland.
This is a public board, and people have many different opinions. If we all had the same opinion about everything, that would be a little too Stepford Wife-ish for me. However, if you are going to disagree with something I have said. I just ask that you read all of what I said, and not go off half-cocked.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

I had to go back and requote the quote from the above post. However sense it seems you failed to read it, I repost it.


Let's see I don't think I ever said that Buzz, Stitch or pirates are gender nuetral. Although I will admit there are a lot of girls into the pirate thing now days, so it makes it more nuetral than it used to be. Cowboys, well ever heard of Jessie? Once you put her in the mix, yes I would say cowboys are pretty nuetral. I would say that all of the names of the lands Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and even Fantasyland are all gender nuetral. Little girls dream of those things just as much as boys do. All girls don't just dream of princess and fairies after all. Many have suggested ways they could have included boy attractions into Fantasyland.
This is a public board, and people have many different opinions. If we all had the same opinion about everything, that would be a little too Stepford Wife-ish for me. However, if you are going to disagree with something I have said. I just ask that you read all of what I said, and not go off half-cocked.

I did read your post, and many others, that spoke about "gender neutrality" and intentionally used a lengthy list (not all of which came from you) about how you can sway ANY attraction to be "gender neutral"

If we base this on your example of Jessie from Toy Story as making cowboys "gender neutral" here are other potential "neutralities"

Girl attraction that can be "gender neutral"
Snow White: There are 9 men and 2 women in the movie. There is Snow and the Evil Queen/Witch...then we have the hunter, the prince and doc, dopey, bashful, sneezy, sleepy, grumpy and happy. What could boys possibly relate to with 7 men who work in a mine? That is pretty "boyish." Additionally, Snow White's Scary Adventures is a dark ride that features Snow all of 3 times.

Boy attraction that can be "gender neutral"
Pirates: Appeal to girls because of Elizabeth, who eventually becomes the "Pirate King" nothing more "gender neutral" than that!

You can also sway The Little Mermaid as gender neutral because Eric, Triton, Flounder and Sebastian are strong and prominent MALE characters. Cinderella - Jack & Gus. Beauty and the Beast - The Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip, Gaston.

And so on...and so forth....you can argue from many angles than EVERY ride and attraction at WDW can be appreciated by both genders.

The whole point of this thread was the frustration, anger and disappointment of parents of boys at the Fantasyland plans. Are there a lot of princess and fairy attractions? Yup! But I would be shocked if Disney doesn't add more boy-centric attractions down the road...the Dumbo area for example could be expanded to include A Bugs Life...the circus theme and it fits with Pixie Hollow as well...perhaps Cars Land will come to WDW? Just because *THIS* announcement is princess and fairy (a number of which could be deemed gender neutral basing on your own logic) doesn't mean the attention for boys won't come.

 

[Colleen27]

I don't think the lines will be shorter at all. There isn't any reason they will be.

And patience is one thing, but all of the family should enjoy their time. Not just the princesses. You obviously don't think that boys should have stuff to do. I do. I've had to wait while a selfish person wasted time in DL. It sucks.

They will be shorter for the simple fact that the Princess crowd for the day will be divided between 4 meet & greets, not all gathered for a single one.

Absolutely I think boys should have stuff to do, but not to the exclusion of things girls like. No one in the family is going to enjoy 100% of any trip, IMO, unless there's no diversity at all of interest or age. The girls don't really enjoy the action shows (at least mine don't). The boys aren't having the time of their lives dining with Princesses. The parents aren't super-excited over Small World, and the little kids aren't ecstatic over being baby-swapped out while everyone else rides Space Mountain. That's what a family vacation is - everyone's interests matter and everyone gets to see their favorites, but they also have to be patient and understand when one person's favorite is something that another would rather skip.

You didn't answer my question - what do boys have to do now, while waiting in that ridiculous line for the Princesses in TT? I just don't see how themed areas and dividing up the line could be anything but an improvement over the current set-up.

 

[Colleen27]

The waiting balances out somewhere. Wait in a 1 hour line for princesses. Wait in a 1 hour line for Lights, Motors, Action! etc...

That is the second-worst wait in Disney, IMO (behind the character spots in Toontown, though from the sounds of it Fantasmic on the reduced schedule might take #1 these days. We haven't been since that change). If you want anything resembling a decent seat you've got to be there 20-30 min before showtime, and my son never wants to sit up high enough to have shade. Add in the 30min length of the show and it adds up to a long time to sit in the FL sun!

 

[letthewookiewin]

I did read your post, and many others, that spoke about "gender neutrality" and intentionally used a lengthy list (not all of which came from you) about how you can sway ANY attraction to be "gender neutral"

If we base this on your example of Jessie from Toy Story as making cowboys "gender neutral" here are other potential "neutralities"

Girl attraction that can be "gender neutral"
Snow White: There are 9 men and 2 women in the movie. There is Snow and the Evil Queen/Witch...then we have the hunter, the prince and doc, dopey, bashful, sneezy, sleepy, grumpy and happy. What could boys possibly relate to with 7 men who work in a mine? That is pretty "boyish." Additionally, Snow White's Scary Adventures is a dark ride that features Snow all of 3 times.

Boy attraction that can be "gender neutral"
Pirates: Appeal to girls because of Elizabeth, who eventually becomes the "Pirate King" nothing more "gender neutral" than that!

You can also sway The Little Mermaid as gender neutral because Eric, Triton, Flounder and Sebastian are strong and prominent MALE characters. Cinderella - Jack & Gus. Beauty and the Beast - The Beast, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip, Gaston.

And so on...and so forth....you can argue from many angles than EVERY ride and attraction at WDW can be appreciated by both genders.

The whole point of this thread was the frustration, anger and disappointment of parents of boys at the Fantasyland plans. Are there a lot of princess and fairy attractions? Yup! But I would be shocked if Disney doesn't add more boy-centric attractions down the road...the Dumbo area for example could be expanded to include A Bugs Life...the circus theme and it fits with Pixie Hollow as well...perhaps Cars Land will come to WDW? Just because *THIS* announcement is princess and fairy (a number of which could be deemed gender neutral basing on your own logic) doesn't mean the attention for boys won't come.

Actually if you had read my post you would have read not just once, but several times that I stated the list didn't come from me. Did I agree with them? Yes,I agreed with them. Did I think of some of them as examples? Yes, but instead of putting it I just quoted the person who said it first and said I agreed. Also in your examples, most of the "boy" characters in "girl" movies are mostly supporting characters. Jessie is more of a main character. Yes while I will agree that Elizabeth has some do to with girls being more into pirates, she is not the only reason. It has become more exceptable for girls to be interested in those thing. I remember growing up I was told I had to like pink b/c I was a girl. I was told princesses are girls, and pirates and astronauts are for boys. Girls today are told they can be and like anything they want, so I suspect that has more to do with the increase in more girls liking pirates. I do agree that it doesn't mean attention won't come for the boys, sometime down the road. However it wouldn't have hurt to have a little more up front.

Respond to this if you like. However I will not read it. I refuse to continue with a person who goes off half-cocked with reading all of what a person says.

 

[freepixie]

 

[PatriciaH]

Those with boys should really consider visiting the new Cars Land coming to DL. Or Harry Potter. Also, the mentioned Princess and The Frog will be in DL/New Orleans Square.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Thought I would add some interesting info to this thread found on another WDW message board.

If you look on the concept art you will see a coaster near dumbo. Sources that actually work at WDW have confirmed that this will be a completely NEW, and possibly looping, coaster.

An email from Jay Rasulo stated that the new area will be called "Fantasy Forest" and there are still numerous announcements to be made.

It seems that boys may get more "up front"

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I thought the coaster was 'goofy's and it would just be rethemed?

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

That adds a lot to a conversation.

 

[Plumeria]

That adds a lot to a conversation.

Yeah, just about as much as snarky comments do.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Colleen, I think that the line situation will be quadrupled, I may be wrond, of course. But I don't see any of those lines being short, we are talking face characters that take time with the child, and I think that there is no little boy who wouldn't get bored to death waiting 2 hours. That is a long time to wait for a kid. Obviously you don't care about that, and that is fine.

I don't see why people are so upset with others suggesting that disney could have put in something for those boys to do during that time. People are too funny. It isn't as though I am criticizing your home and decorating, it is a theme park for Heaven's sake!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Yeah, just about as much as snarky comments do.

LOL! Not snarky at all. Just pointing out that the popcorn smiley with no thoughts or opinions is stupid. Why post it?

LOL, just realized you are the poster with no kids, and especially no boys. Surprise, surprise you don't give a crap whether they are having fun or not.

 

[Colleen27]

Colleen, I think that the line situation will be quadrupled, I may be wrond, of course. But I don't see any of those lines being short, we are talking face characters that take time with the child, and I think that there is no little boy who wouldn't get bored to death waiting 2 hours.

The only way the line situation would logically be quadrupled is if the new attractions/areas draw 4x more people that the current arrangement. I don't see that happening; those who are into the Princesses and Fairies are going to wait to meet them, and those who aren't, won't. The meet & greets will appeal to the same audience, but that audience will be distributed between 4 queues rather than 1. And they're already talking face characters that spend time with each child; that aspect isn't changing and isn't going to add time to the experience.

So little boys will have shorter lines to wait through and parents will have the option of breaking up the wait time rather than doing it all at one the way it is now. To me, it sounds like a better arrangement overall - wait 20min for Belle, then ride Dumbo, then 20min for Ariel, then ride Little Mermaid, then 20min for Aurora, then ride Barnstormer... Much better and more balanced than just waiting 60+min in the Toontown Tent.

ETA: I'm curious what you envision when you say Disney should put something in for boys to do while their sisters wait for mett & greets. I can't really picture how that could be handled in such a way that one parent could adequately supervise the boy enjoying his thing without stepping out of the line for the meet & greet. Like at Ariel's Grotto - there are the little splash fountains, but the line isn't entirely in site of them and I wouldn't be comfortable with my youngish child running around that area with me very close by, so it really isn't much help as far as a distraction while waiting.

 

[Plumeria]

LOL! Not snarky at all. Just pointing out that the popcorn smiley with no thoughts or opinions is stupid. Why post it?

LOL, just realized you are the poster with no kids, and especially no boys. Surprise, surprise you don't give a crap whether they are having fun or not.

WOW, now who's being rude?

You are pretty immature for someone who is a mother.

 

[Plumeria]

LOL, just realized you are the poster with no kids, and especially no boys. Surprise, surprise you don't give a crap whether they are having fun or not.

And what does that have to do with you making snarky, yes snarky comments to other posters? If someone wants to post just a smiley as a reply, that's their business, not yours. You don't rule this thread, you know.

And FYI - People who don't have kids have just as much right to post their opinions on these boards as people who do have kids.