Wanting to preserve the magic that I grew up with, I found myself as one of those people always petitioning against the closure of classic attractions such as “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride,” “The World of Motion,” and “Dreamflight!” When my all time favorite attraction, Horizons, permanently closed its doors in 1999, I went into a state of shock! Granted, I was only thirteen, but I remember whining like a maniac to my mother, expressing the concern of my future children, my children’s children, and so on and so forth, never being able to experience the magic and wonder of Horizons. It wasn’t until recently, when I was sitting in my dorm room listening to the main theme of Horizons which expresses Walt Disney’s coined phrase, “If you can dream it, then you can do it,” that I had somewhat of an epiphany.
We have two choices, we can live in “Yesterland,” and hate the Imagineers for ridding us of some of our classic favorites, or we can thank them for some of the new magic created. Imagineers have dreams of bigger and better attractions, and well, their intent is not to demolish classic magic, but to provide us with more!
Lately, I’ve heard a number of guests voice a similar opinion while waiting in the attraction queue for Stitch’s Great Escape: “I bet it’s nowhere as good as Alien Encounter!” To be quite honest, that same thought crossed my mind as I headed to the attraction for pass holder previews, but as soon as that thought crossed my mind, I banished it. The attractions are totally different; we shouldn’t compare them, but instead approach new attractions with an open mind! After all, Stitch’s Great Escape is NOT Alien Encounter, its Stitch’s Great Escape!
Walt Disney once expressed, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” So I ask you this: Has imagination run dry? Of course not! Just visit Figment in Journey Into Your Imagination, he’ll tell you all the endless possibilities of imagination!
So yes, it’s sometimes hard to say goodbye to an attraction which holds so many memories dear to your heart, but think of it this way: every time a new attraction debuts at Walt Disney World, or any of the Disney theme parks for that matter, it’s just adding to Walt’s dream! We’re not losing magic, we’re adding more! So do yourself a favor: Remember the magic of those classic attractions, never forget that the Dreamfinder was the one who created Figment, and experience the magic that the Imagineers have worked hard for us to have today.
Have a Magical Week,
Melissa Kratish
