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Disney fans are concerned about these changes to the park, so we went upstairs.

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Disney fans are concerned about these changes to the park, so we went upstairs.

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At the D23 Disney Experiences Showcase in Anaheim, California, the power was electric over the summer. This quickly changed.

At the time, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro exclaimed like Oprah, “You’re getting a car! You get a car! You will get a car! the opening of attraction after attraction coming to the Disney parks.

“It was an incredible feeling to stand on stage in front of 13,000 people and tell them all these ambitious plans,” D’Amaro told USA TODAY. “Feeling that energy come back to me made me want to do even more.”

Squeals, cheers and thunderous applause filled the Honda Center like a rock concert as fans learned about the new Villains Land at Walt Disney World, the first-ever Coco attraction coming to Disney California Adventure, and more.

But just days later, cries of joy turned to protests when fans learned that two newly announced Cars-themed attractions would replace Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America at the Magic Kingdom.

Soon after, fans began to worry about the possible loss of Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios due to the recently announced Monsters, Inc.-themed suspended coaster, although Disney has yet to confirm the intended location.

“I love the fact that our fans are speculating and watching our every move,” D’Amaro said. “It means they care. This means they are engaged to us. It means they dream and hope just like us.”

Here’s what Disney fans should know.

When will Disney’s DinoLand USA close?

Disney first pitched the idea of ​​renaming DinoLand USA to Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the 2022 D23 Expo, but things began to change even earlier when the Wild Mouse-themed coaster Primeval Whirl closed permanently due to the pandemic.

Disney initially announced that other parts of the country would begin closing this fall, but the first wave of significant closures won’t begin until after the holidays, according to the Disney World website. TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures will close on January 13th. Disney has not yet announced when DINOSAUR, The Boneyard and restaurants like Restaurantosaurus will close.

Many fans have made it a point to take one last trip or stroll through the area on recent trips. DinoLand is deeply beloved by fans who either grew up on the land that opened with the park in 1998 or brought their children there. DINOSAUR has a cult following, and The Boneyard, like Tom Sawyer Island at the Magic Kingdom, is a treasured place for kids to play and burn off energy after a day of walking and waiting in lines. Plus, fans of Disney Imagineering love that DinoLand is an original concept land.

When Disney legend, former Imagineer and Animal Kingdom co-mastermind Joe Rohde recently posted photos and some history of Restaurantosaurus on Instagram, fans like Joe Winner responded: “A lot of people didn’t ‘get’ Dinoland, but the story behind him. “Land (and the way it is told through all the little details throughout the land) is some of the best storytelling ever created at a Disney park.” DinoLand is believed to be a tourist destination that came into existence after dinosaur fossils were found in the area. Sarah Tizzano wrote: “Personally, I’m sad about the renaming of this land, but I’m always ready for new magic!”

A new Tropical America themed land called Pueblo Esperanza will replace DinoLand USA.

“Like Harambe, this land feels lived-in, with a long and rich history, plus it has a large hacienda that will be one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort,” wrote Disney portfolio executive creative producer Michael Hundgen. . Official Disney Parks Blog. “The space will be lush and expansive, with a large fountain in the center where the villagers love to gather and tell stories. In addition, the woodcarver created a giant working carousel featuring his favorite animals from Disney stories.”

The property will also feature a new Indiana Jones attraction, unlike other Disney parks, and Disney’s first Encanto-inspired attraction.

What will happen at the Disney parks: All the most important D23 announcements

Is It Hard to Be a Bug closing?

Yes, although Disney hasn’t announced exactly when.

“It’s hard to be a bug!” is a hybrid 3-D and animatronic show inspired by the Disney Pixar film A Bug’s Life. As its web page warns, it gets dark and loud and can be scary, especially for younger guests. Perhaps that’s why the guests didn’t generate the same level of nostalgia, although some fans regret she left Animal Kingdom’s iconic Tree of Life.

A new Zootopia-themed show called Better Zoogether will debut there in winter 2025. Few new details have been released, but at last year’s Destination D23 fan event, Walt Disney Imagineering President and Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn said, “Our current concept is filled with humor and action, taking you to the various biomes you see in the movie and some to come.” remains to be seen. We’ll meet Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde and my favorite, the fantastic animatronic Clawhauser. It’ll be great.”

Responding to Disney D23’s Facebook post about the renaming, Amber Snipes wrote: “Sad because it’s hard to be a bug based on Animal Kingdom’s conservation history and I don’t see how it can be done with Zootopia/Gazelle Concert.” Another fan, Chrissy Betts, wrote: “I love the idea of ​​adding Zootopia somewhere in Animal Kingdom, but the 3D show A Bug’s Life is the best of all your 3D shows and it makes sense to have it under a tree. It’s like you’ve shrunk to the size of a beetle. “Zootopia” doesn’t make sense under a tree.”

Is Disney getting rid of Tom Sawyer Island?

Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America is just closing at Disney World. They will remain open at Disneyland, where, according to the California resort’s website, “this attraction is unique in that it is the only one designed by Walt Disney.”

“Walt respected the novels of Mark Twain and wanted the island to reflect the world Twain created in his stories,” explains Disneyland’s web page for Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. “A few days before construction began, he took the plans home and rethought the design, creating the coves, coves and atmosphere for which the island is known today.”

Disney World’s version of Tom Sawyer Island opened in 1973, two years after the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 and even longer after Walt Disney’s passing in 1966. Even if the Florida version doesn’t have the same connection to Walt Disney, fans still reacted strongly to his planned departure. There have been numerous petitions on Change.org calling for it to be preserved.

“Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America are two special attractions that remind you of simpler times, and losing them would be a great loss to all Magic Kingdom guests,” notes one petition with more than 500 signatures. Some of the features fans praise include the area’s scenic waters and shady trees, plenty of room to walk and quiet spots away from the crowds.

It’s unclear when Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will close, but Disney says work in the area will begin early next year for two upcoming Cars attractions.

“The first attraction is the thrilling race across the border,” D’Amaro said at the D23 Disney Experiences Showcase in August. “Our second attraction is designed specifically for our youngest riders and will be fun for the whole family.”

Many fans are excited about the new attractions, especially now that Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy has closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to make way for the new Villains show next summer. But that doesn’t mean they won’t miss Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.

What would Walt Disney do?

In a speech about bringing Disney stories to life at the Inbound business conference in Boston in mid-September, D’Amaro said: “I always remind my team that if we’re going to change something, we have to create something that will even better than what was before. We may not always get it right, but I believe Walt would want us to try. He would like us to be brave.”

D’Amaro, who worked at Disney for 26 years and previously served as president of Walt Disney World and Disneyland, also mentioned Walt Disney’s penchant for risk-taking in a conversation with USA TODAY.

“We will always introduce something new to our theme parks, just like Walt started in 1955 here at Disneyland,” he told USA TODAY.

Disney parks are constantly evolving. Just look at EPCOT, which this summer marked the end of a years-long transformation and immediately began reimagining Test Track. This does not mean that the past is forgotten.

“We have actors throughout the company, including myself, who care very much about making sure we find the balance between pushing the boundaries of something new and preserving the legacy and memory that so many of our fans have here in the world. parks,” D’Amaro said. “So I’m not surprised that people are speculating, but they should know that we take this seriously. We want to hear them and we think we will eventually find that balance.”