Walt Disney World is gearing as much as demolish Tom Sawyer Island and start building on the Piston Peak ‘Vehicles’ space of Frontierland this month. The Rivers of America is not going to be saved, let’s be clear about that. This isn’t a last-minute plea for Imagineering to alter course.
It’s as a substitute geared toward addressing the aesthetic and creative benefit of this space of the park for posterity and precedent. My actual hope is that the followers who’ve been dismissive concerning the ‘worth’ of the Rivers of America can perceive why locations like this are an asset to theme parks.
As a result of this isn’t a dialog confined simply to this one alternative–it’s an ongoing one which’ll proceed within the years to come back. That’s true typically, but in addition extra particularly with regard to the Rivers of America, which is on the chopping block elsewhere along with Walt Disney World.
This comes in opposition to the backdrop of the in-park areas that Piston Peak Nationwide Park will exchange completely closing. Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and Liberty Sq. Riverboat will all shut on July 7; the final day to expertise any of those sights and places is at the moment (or “was” for those who’re studying on Monday).
I wished to supply a closing ‘love letter’ to the Rivers of America, and the most effective tribute I can provide is making a case for it (but once more), and sprinkle that essay with my favourite photographs I’ve taken of the RoA through the years. So you’ll be able to both learn what I’ve to say or just scroll and benefit from the visuals for those who’re sick of this debate.
From the outset, let’s make a couple of stipulations. I’ve seen a lot of the controversy about changing Rivers of America with Piston Peak revolve round a couple of factors, which strike me as (respectfully) lacking the purpose. With that in thoughts, I’ll conform to the entire following factors and tackle them in flip:
- Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Sq. Riverboat should not fashionable.
- Vehicles Rally Racers and the family-friendly experience shall be fashionable.
- Magic Kingdom shall be extra fashionable with Vehicles than Rivers of America.
- Pixar’s Vehicles franchise can match Frontierland.
Let’s begin on the high. It’s no secret that the Liberty Sq. Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island don’t have the hourly throughput numbers as most sights in Magic Kingdom. Eliminating them reduces operational and upkeep bills on sights and areas which can be underutilized and don’t provide as a lot operational ‘bang for buck’ to the corporate.
Due to this, some followers will seemingly be completely okay with this choice to remove the Rivers of America–as is their proper. Many longtime followers have most likely by no means even been over to Tom Sawyer Island or accomplished a lap on the Liberty Sq. Riverboat. Others most likely have accomplished so sometimes through the years, and can do these new Vehicles sights extra. That is essentially true–therefore the ‘underutilized capability’ time period.
There ought to actually be no argument that the visitor throughput of Piston Peak’s queued sights shall be greater than what it’s changing. The Vehicles Rally Racers attraction will seemingly fall someplace between Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare and TRON Lightcycle Run over time, making it a high 5 attraction when it comes to utilization. These are apparent factors, not “gotchas.” It’s foolish to faux that any cheap Disney fan advocating for the Rivers of America believes in any other case.
The extra controversial stipulation is #3, which is that Magic Kingdom shall be extra fashionable with Vehicles than Rivers of America. I’ve heard some detractors of the Piston Peak plan declare that is the start of the top for Magic Kingdom. Whereas I’m considerably sympathetic to that line of argument (extra on that in a minute), I don’t consider it.
If Imagineering delivers, Piston Peak shall be a marketable addition and Vehicles Rally Racers will seem in advert campaigns. It’ll be on billboards, commercials, promoted social media posts, and so forth. Rivers of America isn’t on any billboards. Other than saying their goodbyes, a lot of company should not reserving journeys particularly to see it. Disney has metrics displaying that Vehicles will transfer the needle; the identical can’t be stated for the Rivers of America.
From my perspective, this additionally no less than partially misses the purpose. Theme parks should not simply the sum of their experience rosters, to be raced round and checked off one after the other. They’re as a lot outlined by the areas in between; by the absence of sights, too.
Viewing theme parks guidelines type, with every experience being considered in a vacuum is how you find yourself with studios parks the place every thing is housed in a giant soundstage and the theme is “motion pictures” or one thing nebulous as a result of it’s probably the most environment friendly route. This method yields the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, Disney California Journey 1.0, and areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Furthermore, this line of reasoning is antithetical to Animal Kingdom, Tokyo DisneySea, EPCOT Heart, Disneyland Paris–and the opposite greatest variations of chateau parks. As a lot as I like Disney’s Hollywood Studios and suppose it may possibly have an ideal sense of place, that is largely true within the areas that didn’t faithfully re-create the backstage expertise. No less than, aesthetically.
Suffice to say, there’s a cause so a lot of Imagineering’s current lands have been a departure from this type. Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are removed from excellent, however they’re a stylistic breath of recent air for DHS. The legacy lands at that park which can be greatest, for my part, are Hollywood & Sundown Boulevard and Echo Lake. Many followers would agree, and that’s largely for the environment. Visitors really feel the distinction, even when they don’t notice it and it isn’t surfaced by satisfaction surveys.
Even Common has realized this! A lot of the reward heaped on Epic Universe isn’t concerning the sights (though it does have a number of glorious and envelope-pushing rides), it’s concerning the sense of place. Ministry of Magic solely has one experience and one present, however the latest Harry Potter land is such a triumph of design that company get pleasure from merely being there.
The identical might be stated for Celestial Park, Darkish Universe, Tremendous Nintendo World, and Isle of Berk–each single land. Epic Universe has its points, positive, however the bones of the park are positioning it for long-term success. They’ve been working at getting away from their soundstage-style for the higher a part of twenty years now, making an attempt to be extra like old style Disney, design-wise.
Few areas at Walt Disney World excel from a being there perspective fairly just like the Rivers of America, Liberty Sq. Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island. These are unbelievable property to Magic Kingdom not only for the company who actively make the most of these sights. They provide serenity and pleasant environment even to company who stroll alongside the waterfront promenade, stopping for a second to catch their breath and take within the view. It’s unattainable to quantify this. That’s exactly what worries me.
Typically Disney’s decision-makers view the parks as figures on a spreadsheet, and from that perspective, it’s straightforward to miss “underutilized” issues which can be extremely necessary to the Disney theme park expertise from a holistic perspective. A reasonably persuasive argument may very well be made that each visitor who walks by way of Frontierland and gazes over on the Rivers of America, hears the Liberty Sq. Riverboat, and has their stress-levels drop by a proportion level or two has “utilized” these choices.
It might not click on within the second, however it’s the “little issues” we treasure simply as a lot as a experience on Large Thunder; small particulars or quiet moments that turn into indelible components of our reminiscences from visits to the parks through the years. These little issues may appear superfluous on paper, particularly when the choice is increasing the park and rising capability by hundreds company.
By viewing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island as underutilized actual property that’s expendable, Disney is lacking the forest for the timber. Areas like these are what assist make our days within the parks particular and separate Disney from the competitors. They offer us little moments to pause and take in the large sights and experiences we’ve loved. These items and locations are what maintain us coming again.
There’s a long run value to be paid for viewing the parks from the attitude that each sq. foot should be put to its most effective use, have its capability maximized, or be straight monetized. That’s too myopic of a view, and ignores the sensible actuality that company kind impressions primarily based on the totality of their go to, with these little issues or counterprogramming including as a lot because the E-Tickets.
If every thing is go-go-go, the visitor expertise as a complete can endure. And that’s true even when the person sights changing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island find yourself having greater visitor satisfaction scores. There are some issues which can be unattainable to quantify–that company simply take in, even with out realizing it. That is exactly why we worth atmospheric leisure–the power might be felt subliminally even when not consciously. It brightens the temper, even when unknowingly.
It’s the very same thought with the Rivers of America. There’s no visitor satisfaction “metric” for what number of company per day stroll alongside that waterfront promenade, pause for a deep breath, smile and take a photograph. It may very well be an indelible second burned into their reminiscence, or, extra seemingly, a fleeting little bit of happiness. It’s hanging the fragile steadiness of experiences and feelings that makes Magic Kingdom, effectively, magical.
In different phrases, environment can matter as a lot–perhaps extra–than a visitor including one other notch to their experience tally. It was necessary to their day as a complete. It was a much-needed reprieve from the customarily nerve-racking nature of the world’s hottest theme park. This has lengthy been my perspective on the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island–that they’re invaluable property that function counterprogramming to provide company an increase from the paved pathways and hustle and bustle of Magic Kingdom.
Areas like this additionally play a task in elevating the cultural function of theme parks, and reinforce our viewpoint that theme parks should not solely folly for youngsters. Theme parks as artwork. One among my favourite hidden gem books is Designing Disney’s Theme Parks: The Structure of Reassurance. This is without doubt one of the most educational and esoteric books about theme parks, and it spends a whole lot of time inspecting the design intentions of Disney Parks as symbols of Americana, and the cultural worth they provide past consumerism. I consider that the Rivers of America match squarely on this evaluation, as a deceptively easy man-made “pure” atmosphere that speaks to one thing deeper in us. I concern that this misleading nature means we additionally received’t admire the complete extent of what it provides till it’s gone.
Admittedly, it’s additionally a matter of nostalgia and sentimentality for these of us who lament the lack of the Rivers of America. This waterfront promenade is considered one of my favourite locations in all of Magic Kingdom, and now we have so many reminiscences of this waterfront stroll late at evening with a cool breeze coming off the Rivers of America, or early within the mornings because the solar flitters by way of the timber. It’s a kind of locations within the park that permits us to decelerate, take a deep breath, and absorb our environment. Perhaps that makes me biased, and overly delicate to dropping the Rivers of America when the typical visitor response shall be: “Who cares? Carry on Vehicles!”
Nevertheless, Disney can also be biased as evident from classes discovered by the late Nineties and early aughts. The corporate acknowledged what a mistake not wanting on the parks holistically was, and that’s exactly how we acquired Vehicles Land at DCA, World of Frozen, and just about the whole thing of the Disney Journey World overhaul. Trying again on the parts of opening day DCA that had been good and are nonetheless round, they’re largely well-themed, atmospheric places–Grizzly Peak, as an illustration.
That is exactly why I’m receptive to the spirit of the argument that dropping the Rivers of America might harm Magic Kingdom’s reputation within the long-term. To be clear, I don’t really consider that this can occur as an instantaneous or direct results of this choice. Magic Kingdom will turn into extra fashionable within the 2030s than it’s at the moment.
The priority is with the road of considering that views the parks because the sum of their particular person components, wait instances, and Lightning Lane gross sales knowledge. Taken to its excessive, this thought course of is the one that provides rise to large E-Tickets in large sq. present buildings. It’s how the environment is steadily eroded, all within the service of the experience roster or maximizing each sq. foot of actual property.
Even this concern feels hyperbolic, truthfully. The reality is that Walt Disney World has nice bones, and was designed tremendously effectively practically six a long time in the past. That there are a whole lot of cuts that may be made to the ‘fats’ (superfluous serenity and design) earlier than that bone is hit.
We simply noticed this play out with Island Tower on the Polynesian. Its exterior is ugly; plain, cheap-looking, and discordant with its environment. If Seven Seas Lagoon had been initially designed as a bunch of Island Towers within the Nineteen Seventies, there could be no love for the realm. Nobody would have nostalgia as a result of it’d be completely forgettable.
And but, it doesn’t destroy the skyline as a result of the bones of Seven Seas Lagoon are so sturdy that you would be able to overlook it. To the extent that it succeeds, Island Tower does so by leeching off the standard of and love for its environment. Irreparable injury to Seven Seas Lagoon would take many extra Island Towers, as a result of the unique design is simply that good.
It’s an analogous story with Magic Kingdom and even EPCOT; the bones are so good that it’s arduous to think about any single misguided choice dooming the park. No less than, for me. Some followers have recognized dropping the Rivers of America as their tipping level, and whereas I hope they’re overreacting, I can not fault them for the sentiment at this level.
Though this argument strikes me as hyperbolic, it nonetheless worries me due to how shortly followers are to excuse poor choices or design. It seems positive. It’s adequate. For me, it’s regarding that we as a fandom typically make excuses or don’t maintain Disney to its personal excessive requirements. (A problem I’ve had because the Court docket of Angels controversy and “it’s simply stairs” debate.)
As a reminder, Disney itself returned to those excessive requirements solely after a collection of choices so poor within the late Nineties and early aughts that they culminated in a collection of theme parks that had been infamously less than Disney high quality. They had been so dangerous that the tipping level was reached, regular company seen, and their attendance suffered consequently.
My view is that nice placemaking, themed design, and people “pointless” particulars are exactly what makes Disney, Disney. All of us have so many superlatives for why Walt Disney World is a particular place, and it normally isn’t only a experience roster. It’s the little issues that elevate the theme parks to an artwork kind. It’s exactly what makes us the supply of ridicule for outsiders who dismiss Disney as “children stuff” and us as adults with juvenile pursuits.
Trying in the direction of the longer term with a extra optimistic eye, my ultimate stipulation on my listing is that Vehicles can work in Frontierland. I’d hazard a guess that that is the place I lose most followers of the Rivers of America. Many are rightfully nervous about loud googly-eyed zooming across the wild west. On its face, this Pixar franchise in Frontierland appears completely discordant.
My view on that is that Imagineering has labored its magic up to now, taking motion pictures and characters that appeared at odds with their respective parks and lands, and making them really feel extremely cohesive. We noticed this with Pandora in Animal Kingdom, in addition to arguably Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, and Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT. Except for the Rat Trip, all of these had been met with fierce fan backlash when initially introduced. (Particularly Pandora–it was simply largely pre-social media, so many followers have forgotten or missed it completely.)
Whereas thematic cohesiveness of these additions is up for debate, my underlying level is that framing units and selecting the best canvas can work wonders. Within the case of Vehicles in Frontierland, they’ve picked Piston Peak Nationwide Park because the setting. This might work. It might work effectively! Higher than Vehicles in Future World or Tomorrowland, for those who ask me.
On the subject of issues of timeline, lore, setting or story, my perspective is extra ‘relaxed’ than many followers. The frontier is an American spirit. That sense of rugged individualism, manifest future, large folklore, and western exploration–all of it’s as a lot an ethos as it’s an period.
As America will get older and the 1800s are additional within the rearview mirror, the case may very well be made that the bygone period of the U.S. Nationwide Parks are a part of that spirit. It was a unique time in America, however one which embodied an analogous sentiment because the “go west, younger man” age. Our Nationwide Parks are America’s Greatest Concept, and their spirit and panorama is at house within the fashionable American understanding of the frontier.
The America of at the moment is additional faraway from that automotive increase and heyday of the western ‘Nice American Highway Journey’ than Walt Disney was from the Outdated West when he dreamt up the idea of Frontierland. No less than so far as the passage of time is worried, the center of the final century is already older than the Outdated West was within the Nineteen Fifties. I might go on and on–and do right here: Can the Vehicles Franchise Match Frontierland?
However the factor about that is that it solely works…if it really works.
Pandora might’ve been a trainwreck; a jarring break from the harmonious areas of Animal Kingdom. Ditto the entire adjustments at EPCOT. You would possibly even contend that some entries on that listing had been failures, not success tales. I’d argue that Walt Disney World has made loads of different thematic missteps. Simply because Vehicles can match Frontierland doesn’t imply it is going to.
Piston Peak Nationwide Park is the appropriate setting, however Imagineers should now nail the design, panorama, soundscape–actually every thing. It’s going to be a really robust needle to string; far harder than selecting an apparent thematic match for any given land. (Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Toontown, for instance, had no such considerations; no one is actually nervous about Monstropolis being an eyesore in DHS.)
The underside line is that if we’re dropping the Rivers of America, it had higher be price it. The marquee Vehicles attraction wants to be pretty much as good as Radiator Springs Racers. The themed design of the realm should be superlative and in retaining of the rugged spirit of Frontierland. The brand new space should have nice kinetic power and environment.
Since this undertaking was first introduced, I’ve been reassured that Imagineering understands the project. The brand new Enjoyable Map seems promising and Imagineering’s rationalization of their inspiration and how they’re working to make sure thematic integrity and sightlines is promising.
This Vehicles miniland is in succesful palms. The undertaking group clearly loves Disney historical past, basic animation, and Walt Disney World as a complete. They “get it” and can do every thing of their energy to lovingly create a land worthy of the American West and spirit of Frontierland. They notice they can’t ship two overly-short sights, a sea of concrete and a few timber, together with an idea that feels at-odds with Frontierland.
This has gotta be sturdy. They should make the skeptics (like me) concede we had been unsuitable about ever questioning the knowledge of changing the Rivers of America. The hesitation for me at this level is that we’ve been burned many instances up to now. Lovely idea artwork to promote followers on initiatives, with the completed product being a tragic shell of the promise. Price range cuts and value-engineering into oblivion. You get the thought.
If the completed Piston Peak seems just like the Enjoyable Map, it’s going to be a triumph that makes all of the above considerations sound just like the foolish rantings of a lunatic. However that’s nonetheless an “if,” and a somewhat giant one, at this level. Right here’s hoping the executives get out of the best way and provides Imagineers the assets wanted to make this essay sound idiotic in a couple of years. I’d love nothing greater than to sound foolish; that is one state of affairs the place wanting idiotic could be an enormous win.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
How do you are feeling about Walt Disney World retiring and changing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island with Vehicles? Has your opinion on Piston Peak advanced or improved in any respect since Imagineering revealed the Enjoyable Map, plus extra about sightlines and inspirations for the realm? Do you suppose the 2 all-new Vehicles rides coming to Magic Kingdom are “price it”? Do you agree or disagree with our sentiment? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
