With so much focus on upcoming attractions such as the Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster in New Fantasyland and the proposed Avatarland for Animal Kingdom, it leaves some Disney fans wondering: When will we get another original E-Ticket attraction?
Over the past few years, Walt Disney World has created several new attractions. Most recent and most notable is New Fantasyland, a beautiful and highly detailed area with great attractions that make a wonderful addition to the Magic Kingdom. The attractions here are all based off of Disney films: Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It seems more often than not, Disney is choosing to create attractions related to films.
E-Ticket attractions created at WDW, not based on Disney films, have included:
- Space Mountain (Opened in 1975)
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Opened in 1994)
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (Opened in 1999)
- Test Track (Opened in 1999 …but the 2012 revamp coincidentally looks a lot like Tron. Hmm…)
- Kilimanjaro Safaris (Opened in 1998)
- Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (Opened in 2006)
Magic Kingdom also has original attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and it’s a small world. These are loosely copied from their West Coast counterparts in Disneyland.
To date, Expedition Everest has been the last major, one-of-a-kind attraction created at Walt Disney World.
But why has it been eight years since WDW has seen any original content from Imagineering?
One reason could be that Disney believes Guests want to experience more family-oriented rides and shows.
For example, the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, a hit among hardcore Disney fanatics, was drastically altered in 2003 to become Stitch’s Great Escape. By choosing the popular 626 as the main character in this “friendlier” storyline, Disney hoped to create a less-scary attraction for a younger crowd. But did it work? Disney may also want to use familiar branding as an instant moneymaker. Other smaller attractions have been revamped over the years to include references to Disney films and characters:
- The Living Seas – became The Seas with Nemo and Friends in 2004
- Countdown To Extinction – became DINOSAUR in 2000
- El Rio del Tiempo – became the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros in 2007
- Tropical Serenade – Became the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under Management with Iago and Zazu in 1998 (although recently changed back to the classic Enchanted Tiki Room, followed by the roaring applause of many Disney fans)
Walt Disney World is not alone in this quest to have some of its less popular attractions “Disney-fied”.
Take Disney’s California Adventure, which recently went under the knife. When parts of this park reopened, new additions included Cars Land, as well as a prominently large face of Mickey Mouse on its former Sun Wheel, now aptly named Mickey’s Fun Wheel.
The idea of using Disney characters and films as the basis for most attractions does indeed create money. Guests can buy shirts, mugs, hats and stuffed animals of most of their favorite Disney characters right after they have journeyed under the sea, through the storybook, or back in time with that character. It’s genius.
Instead of more attractions based on films, it would be fantastic to see exactly the opposite. Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean have all had films created based on the attraction. It would be phenomenal to see a new, unique Disney E-Ticket attraction become so successful for Disney that it creates exclusive merchandise and a film franchise.
But until then, Disney will still be cranking out the “safe” option.
What ideas do you have for a new, original attraction at Walt Disney World? Leave your comments below!
