Disney Parks Attractions May Need to be Updated for Modern Audiences
Ok, so after some of the recent news I figured it would be important to
actually take a deep look at which attractions should probably get some
sort of update to be more appealing to modern audiences. So let's start by looking at what has already been announced and hinted at by Disney.
Splash Mountain
Disney Just announced on June 25, 2020 that Splash Mountain at both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom will be re-themed to Princess and the Frog. In the announcement they said that the project has been underway behind the scenes for over a year, so this wasn't a reaction to the online petitions demanding the Song of the South characters be removed. If I were to guess, I think they probably had these plans and maybe intended to announce the project next year at D23, but that the current events and petitions forced their hand to make the announcement now. I for one am fully supportive of this change, especially at Disneyland where splash Mountain is right next to New Orleans Square.
I would also go one step further with this, and change Hungry Bear to Tiana's Palace and have both the ride and restaurant officially become part of New Orleans Square, leaving the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Pooh's Corner, and the Pooh meet and greet area as a mini Hundred Acre Wood "land" of its own. To add to the fun of a Tiana's Palace restaurant, I would actually make it be similar to Be Our Guest over in the Magic Kingdom, where all who go there get an opportunity to get a photo op with Tiana (all day), and Naveen (in the evening for Dinner). I would also take a little bit of the golden Horseshoe approach and have a live Jazz Band featuring Louis (not actually playing) during peak times of day. Just imagine going in for dinner with live music being played, getting to see Louis on stage, and have Tiana and Naveen greet you on your way out. They also aren't featured in Fantasmic which makes it so that they could be there the whole time and not be in conflict with the show outside).
The Jungle Cruise
Back in April of 2017, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced on instagram that he would be working on the Jungle Cruise film which hits theaters in Summer 2021. But if you didn't read his entire caption, you may have missed this part:
"Well, clearly I don't know how the hell
men were actually talking in the 50's, but what I do know is being able
to star in and produce #JungleCruise
is a dream come true. BUT what takes this to the next level, is that
we'll partner with Disney's brilliant Imagineers to help re-engineer and
re-design the #JungleCruise ride in all the Disney theme parks around the world. A very special opportunity for us and our @sevenbucksprod
to create an unforgettable and fun EXPERIENCE for families around the
world. And as Walt Disney himself would say... it's magical."
It looks to me like we can expect to see some updates to the Jungle Cruise when the movie comes out. If I were to guess, I'd expect the ambush sequence to be changed as that is a potentially racist depiction of natives, as well as maybe a few other areas that could stand to get some updated figures due to how old the existing ones are. Disney hasn't officially announced anything about Jungle Cruise but we should keep our eyes open.
Other Potential Changes for Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World:
Liberty Square, Hall of Presidents, and American Adventure. There are some fans suggesting a Hamilton overlay for both areas now that Hamilton will be released on Disney+ on July 3rd. I don't know that I would go that far, but I do think there are updates that can be done. this may be considered unpopular in some circles, but I would first nix the Hall of Presidents and do a completely different story in that building that is American History. Not all the presidents, and nobody added immediately, but a decade after they're major movement so that history has a chance to judge them before they are added. So for Hall of Presidents, something specifically those who founded the nation (Washington, Jefferson, Revere, Franklin, Hamilton, etc), as well as key movement leaders who pushed America to be better on civil rights (Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King jr, Malcolm X, Susan B Anthony, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Barack Obama). Then over in American Adventure, I would mostly keep the tone from the video montage but spread it to the whole show. Make the hosts be people that aren't old white men, and have it focus on scientists, musicians, artists, etc. Throughout both attractions, highlight the struggles of BIPOC in the country's history and up to today. Currently both attractions have a lot of white washing, like how American Adventure doesn't point out that the Civil War was started because the Confederacy refused to free the slaves. It also doesn't call out Andrew Jackson's horrific Trail of Tears. Whatever they do, I think it would be cool if they worked with Lin Manuel Miranda on it because he has figured out a way to make history entertaining instead of boring. Sorry, but both attractions are incredibly boring.
Another attraction that may need to be addressed is Peter Pan due to the racist portrayal of Native Americans. While I believe that the overall ride should be okay to stay, I do think that they may need to do some kind of adjustment to tiger Lily and the rest of the Native Americans in the ride. The scene with Peter Pan rescuing her at Skull Rock is fine, but the problem in the film is when they visit the Indian village. Knowing that her father is the one that sings "What Makes Red Man Red" I could see keeping Tiger Lily's rescue (Disneyland version) and changing where you see her father. For Magic Kingdom it might need a more intense retooling since right now Tiger Lily is only seen in the village, and not on her own.
That's all I have for now. But keep an eye out for future posts.
