DON'T STOP BELIEEEEVAAANNN! And don't stop ranting, it's the reason we watch this... you rant about what we wish we could rant about with an audience this size! starts to cry again singing Zippity DooDah...
I absolutely agree that the details matter. I remember being at the Magic Kingdom when I was a kid and my dad saw a cast member removing gum from under all the tables. This was shocking and it was the level Disney went to to ensure that the parks were like no other place. It’s sad to see that go, even if it’s the parking lot signs.
Yeah, my Dad was one of those guys who struggle to find something good to say about anything, and I remember during our first trip he kept going on about how clean and well-maintained everything was, and how impressed he was by it. It's one of my happiest memories of him.
Tom your rants are the reason I watch the show. This platform and position you have is powerful and your opinions and rants are what everyone else is thinking versus seeing and hearing nothing but other shows and RU-vidrs smile, fake it, and wave, and it makes you feel heard. Speak your mind, rant away, and don’t let the opinions of people who disagree silence your view.
I heard it's because they are afraid it would crush guests' feet by accident, reportedly that did happen back in 2008 when it went around to promote the movie
that tech is working in thousands of restaurants across the globe in the form of front of house service robots. the issue is more about the fact the sensors and cameras don’t like direct sunlight.
Maybe he should be in the Land area teaching people about conservation with Eva. Heck isn't the whole Wall E thing about re-growing things on earth which relates to hydroponics.
Thinking the cancelled PLAY! In Wonders will be something Wall*E related now after the current construction is complete, hence the new signage. Would fit perfectly theme wise between Guardians and Mission Space.
You are so right tom, but Disney has totally lost touch with their customer. They are completely reactive rather than proactive. If we complain enough, they'll fix something rather than thinking through it from the beginning. If it becomes just a parking lot - we might as well just go to 6-flags.
You nailed it -- Figment is EPCOT. I was heartbroken when they changed that ride/area (I know the whole Kodak Sponsorship stuff), getting rid of the fun creative avenues within the park (Innovations, Figment's play area)... that might have been the only time I went to a staff and my family all questioned it. They brought him back because of we all basically demanded it, but they couldn't just show how important Figment it is to us and add it in this FIRST TOUCH spot?
Personally I think that Splash Mountain is a anchor ride, that it shouldn’t get heavily renovated. It’s a ride that many people over the years loved, kids who loved it grew up to have kids of their own who love it, it’s generational. People were singing the theme song as it was closed… that shows the love for the ride as it was. Update the animatronics, give it a new coat of paint… fine but it just doesn’t make sense to completely re-theme a ride that a majority of people love for a smaller percentage that have an issue with it.
I don't disagree with you entirely, however, everything has an expiration date. There will come a time when our grandkids' grandkids say... "remember when people use to buy stuff from a website?" "Oh yeah, there was one called Amazon or something like that." Maybe a case can be made that the re theme was an early demise but not that it should stay forever and ever
Did you complain when Thunder got its reno/update? Or any other of the major mountains in any of the parks? No? Have a seat then “anchor ride” 🙄 it’ll be back, geez
I’m glad that I was able to experience Epcot several times after it first opened before those in charge who don’t understand what the Disney experience means had a chance to screw it up
For years I loved Epcot far more than any other park from the late 80’s to mid 90’s. I enjoyed the attractions (Horizons, Motion, Land etc) but it wouldn’t end there. I’d return home and remember what I saw and experienced. It was endless inspiration at a very important time for me. Inspiration was everywhere. The attention to detail, technology, the musical performances, and the story telling made it such a great place. Even my parents liked it (Especially Mexico) since it was a good escape from IP. I’m glad at least I can visit places on RU-vid that revisit these attractions in their glory. I hope kids can still find inspiration. Epcot WAS more than a park
100% agree on Epcot. Every time we go my dad is always so upset about it, he went when it first opened as a kid and it was always one of the cooler places. Older kids, adults etc - not everything has to have a character or be completely for small children (this is like the whole thing of people bringing newborns). I get all these stories and I have a book from the 25th anniversary of the park (I thrifted) it used to be so… unique! God I wish I could’ve experienced it. You guys, especially Tom’s rants, are so right about the theming and the lack of that same magic. So much is different from when I was a kid and I’m talking early 2000s!! There’s just this .. loss. I don’t know how to explain it
Rant away Tom, I’m with you! I remember the first time I went to Disney World. I have never went to any other amusement park. I was 18 and stayed at Fort wilderness camping. This was the most luxurious camping I’ve ever done.😂 I was at Disney World for five days paid for by myself. I was with my friends, and it was the best experience to Disney World . Epcot was my very favorite park. The year was 1990.
I think they should keep some original rides at the magic kingdom, Like Splash mountain, Mr toads wild ride, snow whites scary adventure, 20000 lgs under the sea. Those are timeless treasures that I always enjoyed like the carousel of progress. If they ever got rid of that ride I would never go back.
I agree with Tom about EPCOT. I call it the dumbing down of EPCOT filling it with IPs. The EPCOT the opened in 1982 is not what Walt envisioned but certainly a lot closer than what it is becoming today. The park should have been allowed to evolve and still be unique with its own personality. Figment should be lifted up in status. There is a big fan base that is being ignored.
Did anyone get a video of the final heartfelt handoff speech over the PA that shut off the ride that handed off the mountain to Tiana? Man what an amazing atmosphere it was around the bridge last night.
Totally agree, Tom! EPCOT was amazing and really special in it’s original form!!! It’s a tragedy that we lost Horizons, Universe of Energy, Maelstrom and the other OG attractions! 😢
It's really hard to explain to people who weren't around, just how special EPCOT Center was. I got a little choked up several times during the "rant." And yes, the fact that details matter is integral to what the Disney parks are all about.
As always , great reporting Tom! As far as epcot goes , that’s been my kid’s fav park year over year and I love that . I think it still has that ability to be a special place .
I didn’t even know it was an issue and the minute I heard you announce those parking lot characters I rolled my eyes. It’s always catering to the lowest common denominator now. It’s also that every decision seems worse and worse.
My wife and I were talking about the signs over the weekend as well. Both of us grew up 90s Disney kids and we were talking about how EPCOT use to be the fun, educational park. It use to be a pleasant blend of learning, education, and fun. Now it's become less learning and education with all the IP that Disney has placed in the park.
It's interesting that they didn't represent the World Showcase in the parking lots. I'm assuming they choose characters that are recognizable but I wouldn't put Wall-E and Eva (although I love them) in the rememberable category. Agreed that Wall-E needs representation in the parks. Would love a meet and greet.
I completely agree with you my friend Disney is not what it was before. Visiting Epcot was extremely pivotal when I was a kid. The feeling of originality has become a memory now and no longer a reality. It’s sad and hard to get by. Just rolling with the punches now.
Keep ranting. I agree with almost everything you are passionate about. I worked at Epcot in the Summer of 1985 as part of the Disney College Program. Incredible experience and I miss the original park rides. Horizon's was my favorite. Keep on ranting.
Epcot used to be about reaching the future. It was the expansion of Walt's final opus - the New York World's Fair. The parking lot began the journey to "imagine" and "create". Epcot ceased to be about what could be and that was because the company forgot that we wanted to see hope and expectation. Now, we just go back to what has been done and drink ourselves into forgetting.
Tom, you are exactly right! My first time visiting Epcot was Christmas of 1982… it quickly became my favorite park. Even though it is still my favorite park, it is sadly no longer what it used to be.
I was at the EPCOT last week and saw the new names on the new signs. I have been visiting EPCOT since 1982. For me the new signs marked the end of the original purpose of EPCOT and what once was the most original and amazing park in America, probably the world. Though it was not Walts version at all it carried with it the spirit of Walt's idea of an Experiment Community of Tomorrow as well as hope that maybe in the future some version of his plan could be achieved. I feel the same way as Tom about EPCOT as it was the most original idea, with amazing landscape(s) ,immersive attractions and the music to go along with it . Yes each attraction lasted at least 15 minutes, yet attractions were designed with such high throughput it would still be a shorter wait even with today's crowds. Sure Guardians is cool but after a few rides it is just a thrill ride like everywhere else in America.
This is hands down the best Disney content channel on RU-vid, and it’s BECAUSE of your rants! When you talk about our collective love for Disney and the parks, you speak for all of us. Keep fighting the good fight.
Wow-Disney didn’t waste any time erecting construction walls around Splash Mountain. It would be very nice if they could find some way to keep just one Brier Rabbit as a tribute to the original ride. 🐰
I'm 27, but I'm a lifelong disney fan. I've always believed that the "magic" of Disney is that they don't rely on IPs. I recently went with my boyfriend for his first trip, and his overwhelming excitement and enjoyment was the themeing, how thorough it was, all without IPs. He was so happy it wasn't "overly disney" and keeps talking about going back because of the unique wonder that the Disney parks were. Epcot has always been my favorite. I remember crying when they changed maelstrom to Frozen. It was the first step in the commercialisation of something so precious and magical. It's bitter sweet because I know they need to make money, but it still hurts, and it's a hill I'm always happy to die on. Even the coffee shop upsets me. You're "in the bubble" for a reason. You're staying in an immersive experience, and all those small changes chip away at the real Magic of Disney.
As a small child I was fortunate to have gone to the 1962 Worlds Fair. When I first went to EPCOT in the mid 1980’s I was transported back to the feeling I had entered a Worlds Fair. Now sadly it’s just another Disney IP theme park. If it were not for the World Showcase it wouldn’t be worth going to.
im not lying, the day i rode splash mountain the last time on january 21st, after i got off the ride we were trying to take a picture in front of the splash mountain sign for a memory, and i saw someone behind the sign and the woman who took me to disney world (she took me because my mom was with my sister somewhere else) asked "is that the imagineer who made splash mountain?" and then after i looked slightly closer i saw it was tony baxter but with glasses and a white beard. since i know he came up with the idea of splash mountain in the 80s, he looks much older than the videos ive seen of him. the following morning, while we were eating our breakfast and getting ready to fly back home, we looked at the wait time for splash mountain and it was already 40 minutes. even crazier, when we checked it again, it was 100 minutes! O_O
Tom, we need your help getting their attention about the cross walks in the new walkway between the GF and the Poly. I nearly got hit today twice! It’s an accident waiting to happen.
You're right on the money with your thoughts/not-quite-a-rant about the parking characters. The attention to detail is what set Disney apart from other parks. Places like Universal have finally caught on and are starting to copy the attention to detail. As for Figment - Disney has a long history of quietly paying tribute to old rides and attractions. They're all over the place here in Anaheim. Max, Buff, and Melvin from the Country Bear Jamboree are now hanging in the replacement - Winnie the Pooh. The Indiana Jones queue has a sign from the old parking lot. You'd think that Figment should get the same treatment, and the Epcot parking lot would be the perfect place for that.
I appreciate the rants. Easier to sit through than a lot of other content. It does make me more critical of a thing I love, but they’ve needed to get their head on straight for the past few years. A little criticism from those that love them can’t hurt at this point.
man i cant believe this happen. im gonna miss this ride but at least i can still go on big thunder mountain railroad. but man im gonna miss all of the animals animtronics from splash mountain they used to make me happy all the time i go to the ride but anyways i hope the animals animatronics are still there thats what im going to miss about the most of splash mountain
My sister and I went to ride the Little Mermaid ride when it first opened, and somehow we got turned around and ended up coming into Ariel's Grotto via a door we apparently weren't supposed to use. We apologized up and down, but since there was nobody waiting they just waved us in. Ariel started chatting to us like we were old high school classmates, and we all had a laugh about getting lost. It was one of the best character interactions of the trip, and I really treasure those pictures because of how nice she was to us about the whole thing. It's little moments like that that preserve the magic even when other things at the park aren't going as well as we'd like. Nice to see the Grotto reopening.
Absolutely agree, Universal is starting to get it and add theming and care about everything and thats why other parks suck cause they dont pay attention to detail and do theming.
So we're all clear on this, Splash Mountain is being re-themed because it was based on Song of the South which was based on the book Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings which were based on authentic African folktales preserved by American Slaves. Princess and the Frog was loosely based on the story The Frog Princess by Elizabeth Dawson Baker which was released in 2002, and was based on the German fairy-tale. This makes a lot of sense. It might have been more cost-effective, profitable, and more popular to simply redo Song of the South in a culturally sensitive way, giving the Academy Award-winning song Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah to a new generation! Nice whiff Disney, the stroke counts!
@@ttintagel What details? Like the fact that that James Baskett won an honorary Academy Award for playing Uncle Remus. Maybe I left out that he was the first black actor to receive an Oscar? Or maybe I left out the fact that the film takes place after the Civil War not before. Maybe you are referring to the fact that I left out the fact that E. D. Baker is of Caucasian descent and that "The Frog Princess" is named Emerelda, a red-headed Caucasian not Tianna? I'm not defending Song of the South, I believe it demonstrates culturally insensitive portrayals of black Americans. I think however it could be wonderfully redone and made authentic to black culture now and then, thus preserving the characters of Brer Rabbit and others from the Uncle Remus stories. So instead of rewriting history, why can't we come up with a solution that honors the contributions of actors like James Baskett and the freed slaves who preserved authentic African folklore in the oral tradition? Give Tiana her restaurant! That was her life's dream, but keep Splash Mountain and for goodness sake redo Song of the South with the old characters, the old songs but with new cultural sensibilities. That is called a win-win solution, and they do exist!
Tom, I get the sentiment about the EPCOT signs, I really do. There are a lot of people that started attending Disney parks in their 30's, like myself and a few of my close friends; as well as the younger generation that have a much stronger connection with newer characters from the last decade or so. I was half-way into my 30's when I attended my first Disney park, and while it was an amazing experience, I lacked the same connection my partner has, she's got me hooked on Disney, and has been attending the parks for over 30 years. She too didn't like the change, but it's because it's nostalgic to her, and most likely to most of the people that have gone for as long as she has. I think these are positive changes for the newer generations, and refreshing to see for the middle generation that arrived a bit late to the parks. I love everything about HEIHEI, and I'm driving to EPCOT this weekend just to take a picture in front of that sign with my HEHEI merch. Great video, as always!
My family rode Splash Mountain for the last time on the 17th. We were warned that ALL Splash Mountain merch was gone, but I was able to get all the SM branded pressed pennies. I told my daughter that those dies would probably be around for years to come because I am not sure they are actually operated by Disney Parks. Although I have been coming to WDW for 25 years, I bought some ears for the first time this year. I was shopping for ears for my granddaughters. They each had VERY specific ear types they wanted, and I was surprised that we were able to actually find what they wanted. But, they insisted that Grandpa get some, too. How could I resist, right? So I got ears in plain black vinyl. But I was surprised at the tags attached to them. They were about eight inches long. We had to ask the Cast Members if they would cut them off for us, and they did, but warned us that they were neither returnable or exchangeable after that happened. We were cool with that, but perforated tags would be a welcome relief.
I think that you are right in what you refer to as Disney can't look at it as "just the parking lot" or "just the coffee shop" AND they need to be careful , because this is a lesson that they have taught Universal and they are using it!!! Be careful! I want Disney to continue to thrive and for this not to become their undoing.............Thank you for reminding them of that over at Disney........I hope they are listening. I think so...............
The details are SO important, and they are what set the Disney parks out from all the rest, even the likes of Universal who give stiff competition with theming in a couple of places. I wasn't an Epcot kid but I understand the feelings of those who were with regards to the parking names, even I don't understand why Figment didn't make the cut! The hotel remodel discourse with the coffee shop etc might just look like silly things to get upset about, but if it starts there then it can become a much bigger issue further down the line.
The Final Splash was a blast!!! I still believe Tiana should have received her own NEW attraction elsewhere in the park... But hey "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay" Will there eventually be a not white Ariel meet and greet 🤔 (Like the Santa situation...) When you set out to please everyone, you please no one! 🏰 Have A Magical Day!!!
@@TJ-Travler Yes I have. If you have noticed they don’t change the appearance of the characters in the parks. Even if they did it doesn’t change the character, she’s still Ariel. The blue fairy in Pinocchio was black but she is still white in meet and greets. Cinderella and Belles dress changed in the live action movies but that did not make it to the parks. It seems they keep them separate
Please don’t stop ranting! These rants are so spot on. Not many other people out there put it the way you do, and I don’t want this company to stop hearing that they need to try harder to keep the Disney legacy alive!
Tom, you make me squirm at times with your blunt truths, but I gotta say that's one reason why I watch your show. Someone has to say it, so why not you for all of us - thank you for taking that step for us. The main reason I messaged, though, is because the details are what make Disney Disney. If people wish to minimize the details, then they have no need to visit the parks. They can stay at their corner coffee shop, and we can enjoy our immersion in the magic. Next, the tags on ears is a huge deal to so many, as you say. My daughter had them cut off at the park a few years ago, and my "collector's brain" went TILT (a word for the young to look up). I sweated it out as she cut the mane of tags off, so I'm glad to hear they're moving to removable tags. Now I won't feel like we're desecrating sacred objects. :^)) Last, I WISH I had spent more time in Epcot! I didn't realize those buildings held such immersive experiences. I ran past them to Norway, then rode back to the Magic Kingdom - so sad. At least RU-vid has videos...minus the immersion..., and one can hope they retheme Journey Into Imagination with Figment back to the original. Thanks for your dedication to keeping the magic magic, and keep up the good work.
Tom, you may be Disney's best Brand Manager that isn't on their payroll. I didn't hear a rant. You were reminding Disney of their roots and what has historically set them apart. Well done 👍
Tom you surely need to keep Disney's feet to the fire.Even during Walt's era, the discussion of walk around characters came UP. They were trying to gloss over the details and move on to something else. At that point, other themed parks had opened. Walt said, "Wait a minute" and mentioned that point. He said the characters were unique to Disney and made the stay special. The backstory of the themed trash cans was from Walt. Only ONE supplier could fit his precise needs and remains so today. You betcha the Disney design/MAGIC is what makes us come back. Epcot Center is MY screen saver on my phone.With the pix of SSE + the painted model from the book. Chicken as the P-lot sign? Maybe they thought kids would think it was funny?
Rant brother! If they want to charge us top tier prices then we should get top tier experiences. From the off ramp of the freeway to the parking lot to the garbage cans. Thats what we fell in love with.
I feel like anyone who grew up visiting EPCOT Center in the 80s and 90s understands why all the changes are depressing. It was more than a theme park, it was a feeling. It gave me hope and made me feel wonder as a child. It was so special. EPCOT does not feel special anymore. it's a mish mash of whatever they think will make money.
I get why they added heihei on the parking lot signs. Space has 4 spots represented by two movies, same with Earth, but I completely understanding wanting a figment parking lot.
Disappointing, but honestly understandable considering just how old the ride is. Will they do any updates other than cosmetic changes, though? Maelstrom says no. RIP "Triple Mountain Whammy" from the wacky 2000s resort TV promos.
It is not just parking lot signs. It's not just a coffee shop. It's a trend. It's guest facing "SHOW." A little cancer kills the body. A little mold ruins the loaf. A bad act ruins the play. And a little more effort is needed for Disney to stay ahead of Universal. Also, stop using screens in every attraction, it's lazy and boring. P.S. Disney owes everyone of us who were disappointed by Oct 1, 2021, especially the opening non show. Still bitter about that.
I'm pro-change on this one. One of my first Disneyland memories was pulling into the parking lot, where DCA now sits, with Goofy out there, waving and "directing" traffic. We parked in Eeyore, which was not one of my favorite characters as a kid (love him now), and just thinking oh my god, we're in Eeyore's section, and it was one of the coolest things I had experienced. We as Disney adults, purists, whatever you want to call us, should remember some changes, are not for everyone. Is this one for kids? Maybe. They can't drive, but if the parents showed them where they park, they'll even remember coming out of the park....and maybe even when they're 40.
But he said it is fine to have characters just that they make sense with the park. honestly i really like moana but always hated the chicken i get he is comic relief but he is literally just a one and only gag walking literally anyone would be a better choice and others could make more sense and be of even more popular characters
