The Challenges Imagineers Will Face

Disney has entered an unprecedented growth phase, especially at Walt Disney World.

Currently, three different theme parks are undergoing massive changes.

Some of it is best described as repurposing, but all these places will get bigger, too.

So, what are the challenges Disney Imagineers face during expansion?

Are the Rides Good Enough?

Let’s start with the biggest concern, which is almost impossible to anticipate.

At this point, Disney is competing with itself in terms of attraction quality.

Whenever a new ride debuts at a park, guests don’t evaluate it in a vacuum.

Instead, they immediately contrast it with all other existing Disney theme park rides.

So, anything new that Imagineers design must match the quality of, say, Pirates of the Caribbean or Jungle Cruise.

That’s an impossibly high bar to clear, as those attractions have entertained guests for generations.

You may think I’m being hyperbolic here, but I’ll point out a couple of recent examples.

Na’vi River Journey is, by any reasonable standard, an absolute masterpiece.

This boat ride immerses guests in the forests and rivers of Pandora, all of which seem very real.

This gripping ride surpasses virtually everything at a new, competing theme park, Universal Epic Universe.

Why then do Disney fans dismiss Na’vi River Journey as boring and less than Avatar Flight of Passage?

The answer is simple. Between the two rides, fans prefer the latter, which diminishes the former.

We’re witnessing the same thing at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where fans have chosen a winner.

When this themed land initially opened, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run was the only ride open.

People adored the premise…right up until Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance debuted and stole its thunder.

I could add Alien Swirling Saucers as a third example of a perfectly solid Disney ride that guests overlook.

We have a tendency to do this, which will cause problems at places like the Tropical Americas.

Either the Encanto ride or Indiana Jones ride will fall short of the other and be harshly judged.

Building a Worthy Cars Area

That thought process is a recurring theme during the discussion of the first three challenges.

The upcoming Cars area in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland faces the same concerns.

That’s because Disney fans tend to travel and have visited both sets of American theme parks.

As such, they’re intimately familiar with Radiator Springs, the Cars Land at Disney California Adventure (DCA).

I’m not exaggerating when I say that Radiator Springs saved the entire park after a disastrous start.

The first decade of DCA included a never-ending onslaught of negative headlines.

Cars Land changed all of that due to Disney’s billion-dollar investment in unprecedented immersion.

Since I doubt the Cars area at Magic Kingdom will cost $1 billion, there’s already a disadvantage.

Even if Disney did spend that much, $1 billion in 2011 inflation-adjusts to nearly $1.5 billion today.

So, the Magic Kingdom version will be starting with two disadvantages, including the financial aspect.

 

Then, we have the problem I discussed in the first section, as new rides must compete with Radiator Springs Racers.

Disney has promised an off-track thrill ride and a family-friendly one that I’m sure kids will love.

However, if/when those rides fall short of Radiator Springs Racers, the outcry will be predictable.

“Why didn’t Disney just make that ride at Magic Kingdom?” And that statement underscores the challenge.

If Disney did duplicate Radiator Springs Racers, critics would lament a lack of Imagineering creativity.

Distinguishing Indiana Jones

Many of the same comments apply to the upcoming Indiana Jones ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Disney has indicated that the new ride will not be a clone of Indiana Jones Adventure.

Personally, that’s what I would do, as the Disneyland Park attraction is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year.

So, while the ride is timeless, it’s one that could use a refresh, and Disney knows it.

After all, Indiana Jones Adventure has received some new features in the 2020s.

A new version of the ride should be even better, preferably one with a standalone story different from The Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

However, an Indiana Jones experience comes with a secondary concern, as the brand’s on life support.

I’m one of the people who quite enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, one of the weirdest films ever.

That wasn’t the movie’s fault, as it told a classic Indiana Jones story. No, it was more of a societal one.

Dial of Destiny’s review cycle was one of the most unique ever, as the age group of the viewer determined the grade.

For every five years of age, a person was that much more likely to enjoy the film…and that’s a problem.

The people under 35 who didn’t care for Dial of Destiny are the same ones who will be frequenting the parks.

That’s the younger generation of current young parents and soon-to-be ones, the vacation crowd.

Indiana Jones doesn’t appeal to them, which heightens the challenge for Imagineers.

They must construct an Indy attraction that’s fun for everybody, even those not in love with the films.

I fully believe Disney can do that, but I’m biased.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is one of my top 25 movies ever. And I’ve seen more than 10,000 movies.

Making The Walt Disney Studios Useful

Animation Courtyard has died at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

In its place, Imagineers will introduce The Walt Disney Studios, which mirrors a very real place in California.

That’s Disney’s actual movie studio facility, and Disney wants to recreate it at the park.

This idea isn’t really new, as it was the original basis for the entirety of Hollywood Studios.

Disney moved away from the idea, as it didn’t appeal to as many people as expected.

While we all love movie magic in theory, each generation has grown a bit less passionate about cinema.

We know this from the weird historical fact that films have sold fewer tickets each generation since the 1930s.

So, Disney all but abandoned the idea of Hollywood Studios being a cinematic theme park in the 2010s.

Now, the company will bring back the premise while sprinkling a bit of modern Pixie Dust on the concept.

Since the repurposed themed land resides at a central park location, it needs to sell.

By this, I mean that guests must want to visit the new area. Otherwise, it’s a waste of money.

Disney’s 2020s playbook relies heavily on de facto playgrounds areas at the parks.

We’ve witnessed this with Mickey’s Toontown and, to a lesser extent, CommuniCore Hall & Plaza.

Presumably, the Mary Blair-inspired sections of The Magic of Disney Animation will do the same.

Will these changes be enough to persuade guests to visit a historically unpopular part of Hollywood Studios?

Planting All the Trees

You can go to Walt Disney Presents… at Hollywood Studios right now to see what’s coming next.

Disney recently updated this attraction/walkthrough museum with artist’s renderings of the planned changes.

So, you can examine all the changes for yourself, and I suspect you’ll notice something.

The Tropical Americas will feature a LOT of trees! I’m talking a comical amount.

The pathway to the Indiana Jones attraction could double as a spooky forest if Disney themed it that way.

Just to be clear, they won’t, but it’s hard not to notice the forest AND the trees.

Well, the thing about trees is that they take some time to grow. And Disney’s on a timeline here.

As such, I’ll be interested to watch how much the look of this place changes over time.

The trees that Disney is planting in 2025-2027 will probably look much different by 2040.

Keep an eye on this underrated part of the story, as the Tropical Americas will be tree-intensive.

What’s in Monstropolis?

Finally, we have a topic that I don’t feel is getting discussed enough: What will be in Monstropolis?

Disney has focused on the “doors roller coaster” thus far, which replicates the famous scene from Monsters, Inc.

What I want to know is what else will be there? How will Imagineers deploy the Monsters theme?

Will they focus exclusively on the first film or include elements of the prequel, Monsters University?

How about the Disney+ series? Will Imagineers acknowledge any of its settings or stories?

I have to think the answer is yes, but let’s remember one harsh truth here.

Monsters, Inc. is a widely recognized story made popular by DVD sales, cable television, and streaming.

The follow-up projects aren’t anywhere near as well-established, which could cause narrative confusion.

Imagineers must present easily engaging sights and sounds for theme park guests unfamiliar with the content.

Fortunately, the trio of Mike, Sulley, and Boo are so recognizable and beloved that it may not matter.

Still, my central concern here mirrors what happened with Toy Story Land.

Disney introduced a terrific area with an E-ticket roller coaster, and many fans went, “That’s it?”

Really, that’s my overriding fear with all these expansion projects.

Disney has spoiled us theme park fans to the point that we’re super-duper-ultra spoiled. So, we’re quite demanding.

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