Coming to terms with maturing...Disney Style

There are a few certainties in life:

1. We will all pay taxes
2. Eventually we will all die.

But there is an area that can be very difficult to come to terms with. Growing older and becoming the older generation. I have no problem with losing my hair (that went when I was in my teens) or it even going grey. I can even deal with not knowing or liking what music is in the charts. And although I feel my kids are growing up too fast, I enjoy seeing what they will do next. But I do find the current attitudes towards Disney (by fans and imagineers/suits) hard to come to terms with.

As I read about changes at the parks and what motivates people, it makes me wonder...am I getting old?

I fell in love with Disneyland in the 1970's. Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and Tomorrowland on the move were all fairly new. Country Bears and America Sings were the new cutting edge attractions. More toony compared to the E-tickets before them, but nothing compared to the swathes to come. But there were many more highly themed attractions opening around the parks. Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain (opening up the trend for thrills) and over in Florida, the pinnacle of inspiration, EPCOT Center. As a boy (before the internet) I would druel over pictures, the VHS tape available at the video store, and I dreamt that there could potentially be something cooler than Disneyland for inspiring minds. When it opened, I was not disappointed, in fact the park exceeded my expectations, and I looked forward to what was coming next.

Tokyo Disneyland opened with Meet the World(although never very popular sadly) as another attraction that focused on Edutainment, a real hallmark of the Disney difference. Although World Bazaar may have missed the mark, it was an attempt to push the envelope to do cool things to plus the parks (something at Walt was always keen on). The introduction of waterparks and highly themed hotels, coupled with an imaginative night time entertainment district in Florida, continued the trend.

Just when we thought Disney couldn't get any cooler, Disneyland Paris (or EuroDisney at the time) opened it's doors to the world with the most beautiful, immersively themed park the world had ever seen. Hand made tapestries and stained glass in the castle, state of the art technology in its attractions, an attention to detail to marry the tastes of Europe with the Americana of Disney. Sadly due to timing (huge recession in Europe), poor communication and some management misteps, the company has never been the same since.

Now after DLP, there were still cool projects to come - Disney's Animal Kingdom, lavish Stage Productions, and the critically acclaimed (well Disney critic anyway) Tokyo Disney Sea proves that Disney can still push the envelope of theme. But somewhere the tides have changed.

Disney's California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Paris, while enjoyable days out (better than non Disney parks in my view), threw out the rule book. And they have both had to invest to make it up. People were asking for more Disney in them (I am sure people actually meant immersive theming, which lost in translation seems to have changed to more toons); Hong Kong Disneyland opened as one big fantasyland, with toons invading virtually every corner in every land, and they are not performing in line with forecasts; with the nadir perhaps being the toonfestation of It's a Small World. And the rumoured Shanghai Disneyland sounds like toons (this time in Pixar guises) will feature heavily again.

Looking Stateside, virtually every new addition in the pipeline we read about are toon laden whether it's the Carsland and Little Mermaid Attractions (joining Toystory Mania, Subs with Nemo and Friends, and Monster's Inc) in California; Finding Nemo taking over the majority of the Caribbean Beach Resort and shuttering excellent venues such as the Adventurer's Club in WDW; Mickey's Party as the next big event at DLP, or Monster's Inc coming to Tokyo. It used to be I would greet every new change with open arms and fall more in love with the Disney company. Now when I hear about change, I shudder with some trepidation and at times repulsion. Why? Because of the recent track record. Yes, Expedition Everest is an exception, but it falls in the camp of thrills. Or take Crush Coaster in Paris mixing thrills and toons. It seems Disney can no longer do family friendly, highly themed experiences sans synergy (well not for nearly 10 years anyway).

Now don't get me wrong, at some level I enjoy these new things, but not as much as I used to. And just as I get cynical, Disney will surprise me with something like Remember Dreams Come True or indeed although a thrill, Expedition Everest is world class. It's not the fact that I hate change. Afterall professionally I work as an agent of change. But it seems as I read about new Disney fans or young Disney fans being excited at seeing their favorite characters, or getting reservations 6 months in advance to eat in a just ok restaurant in the castle with walk around princesses, or long for more coasters to join the park repertoire, I wonder is it me getting old?

I miss hearing about a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, watching the cancan girls and spitting teeth in a Western Saloon, or enjoying the cuisine and entertainment in the Tahitian Terrace. As I walk down le rue Main Street in Paris, I long to hear a marching band or barbershop quartet, where instead I now here the awful character express music as the masses mob a spotty teenager on minimum wage dressed in a hot costume. I don't mind different new attractions, as long as they are high quality and furthers the themed experience.

Am I the only one that longs for the "good old days"? as a boy, the toons were a small part of the overall experience, now they have become the main event. And to counter the focus on kids (a core part of the family), they introduce thrills. But this trend worries me for the long term survival of the Disney Parks. What happens when those people become adults, where they have outgrown toons, and don't do thrills. Or when people travel while pregnant, disabled or old. I remember going to Disneyland with my great grandmother in her 80's and 90's and having a blast together. I remember enjoying it with people from all walks of life. But now, my teenage brothers do not want to go. They find toons childish, and cannot do thrills due to their disabilities. Once upon a time, this would not have been an issue, but sadly it is now.

Am I getting old? As Vegas throw out their themes, and chains such as Rain Forest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and Hard Rock Cafe close units, was theming a fab like the rubicks cube? But if that eponymous cube can enjoy a resurgence, maybe there is hope for the quality theme trend to come back too. Until then, if I want to see organisations pushing the envelope of themes and inspiration, I think I might be in Dubai (subject to security). But all that time, I would rather be with Disney.