Walt Disney World is a magical place for many, but it’s not without its critics. Even the park’s long-time fans have taken issue with some of the changes. When a favorite ride is redesigned or a restaurant revamps its menu, there will usually be some kind of an outcry. But some of the park’s controversies are bigger than others and provoke strong arguments from both sides. Where do you stand on the following five Walt Disney World controversies?
1. Alcohol at the Magic Kingdom
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Something pretty groundbreaking happened just three years ago at Walt Disney World – a restaurant modeled after “Beauty and the Beast” opened in a redone Fantasyland, and because of it, the Magic Kingdom started serving alcohol for the very first time. There are taverns throughout the park, and of course everything from wine to margaritas can be found at Walt Disney World’s other parks, but there previously had been a prohibition in Walt Disney World’s most family-oriented location. Now, guests can get wine and beer that pair with Be Our Guest’s French-inspired cuisine at dinnertime.
Disney officials said the move to serve alcohol was made in order to match the restaurant’s gourmet feel, and they said that it’s impossible to go into a restaurant in France and not be able to order a beer or a glass of wine. Alcohol is only offered during dinner hours and it can’t be brought outside the restaurant, but some guests feel that serving it at all is the wrong move. They say that since alcohol can be found at the other parks, why not keep this one free from it, like it was for more than 40 years? After all, this park – and especially the Fantasyland portion – is filled with young children (and the young at heart), and drunken guests might not fit into the family-friendly theme.
2. From Maelstrom to ‘Frozen’
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Disney’s decision to close its Maelstrom ride in Epcot was met with fierce debate. The attraction in the Norway pavilion closed last year, and it’s set to reopen next year as “Frozen Ever After” – a ride based on the wildly successful “Frozen” film. Instead of whisking riders back in time to Norway’s Viking days with a mythological storyline that featured a Germanic god and several scary trolls, guests will follow Anna and Elsa through Arendelle as a winter day is transformed into summer. The trolls will be replaced by Snowgies from the “Frozen Fever” animated short, and there will also be a chance to meet both heroines at a seperate pavilion.
Some guests feel that there can never be enough “Frozen” and are looking forward to the changes, while others think that a fictional land in a park that’s supposed to showcase real countries is inappropriate. They think Norwegian heritage is being swept aside for the latest fad.
3. ‘Avatar’-inspired land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
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Another big change in the works involves Walt Disney World’s newest park. Ground was broken last year to transform Camp Minnie-Mickey at Disney’s Animal Kingdom into a land based on the Academy Award-winning film “Avatar.” Blue creatures will abound at the new land, which will include rides, restaurants and more. Like “Frozen,” “Avatar” was a huge hit, and some fans can’t wait to visit the lush world of Pandora. But others think that the whole purpose of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is to showcase real animals, not made-up creatures.
4. FastPass+ and spontaneity
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Waiting for attractions at Walt Disney World has evolved a lot over the years. For decades, guests would have to line up and wait for hours for a seat on the most popular rides. Then came FastPass, which let park visitors insert their park passes into machines at some attractions and receive paper tickets that served as reservations for the rides at later times. This let guests explore nearby shops and restaurants instead of killing time waiting in lines (leading to less-enjoyable visits and, of course, spending less money).
Now, Disney has expanded that concept further, offering paperless “reservations” that can be reserved a month or two before a trip. Through FastPass+, guests can plan to visit three attractions at the times of their choosing per day of their visit. Some visitors enjoy this feature, saying it adds to their anticipation of their trip while saving them time at the parks since they don’t have to rush around to FastPass machines at each ride to get (and possibly lose) paper tickets. But others miss being able to plan their days at the parks on the fly. They say the reservation system means that good spots for popular rides are taken quickly and that once you use your three FastPass+ times for a day, you’re stuck in standby lines the rest of the time. In the old paper-based system, visitors who planned their return times properly could get as many as 10 FastPasses in a day.
5. MagicBands and privacy
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It’s hard to believe that MagicBands have only been around for a few years. The wristbands replace park tickets, room keys, paper FastPasses and even a wallet, and there are tons of ways to personalize them — from sliders that frame the Mickey head that guests connect with sensors in the parks to rubber charms that feature a wide variety of characters. The bands are also very popular, with 10 million distributed by the beginning of January this year.
Many guests love the bands because of the convenience they provide: The wearers no longer have to worry about losing tickets and carrying cash or credit cards, but some people think that the convenience comes at a price. They think the information that the bands contain can be hacked, and they also believe the bands give Disney too much info. As the technology advances, Disney might be notified when MagicBand wearers go to a restroom, for example. Disney could use this information to make sure the restrooms are clean and well-stocked, but the fact that the company could know wearers’ personal habits is alarming to some people, who feel like they’re being tracked.
The future may not be totally clear, but one thing that is certain is that Disney will continue to make changes to Walt Disney World and there will continue to be controversies as a result. Which changes are you looking forward to, and which issues will you refuse to bend on? Leave your comments below!
