In a previous article, we discussed the most controversial moments in the history of Disney theme parks. Today, we’ll continue to look at other contentious aspects of Disney. Specifically, we’ll talk about of the rides that have set off a firestorm of criticism at various points. Here are the six most controversial attractions
6. Kilimanjaro Safaris
Long before the days of Blackfish, Disney accomplished something impressive. During the mid-1990s, they generated nearly simultaneous protests from left-wing and right-wing advocate groups. The American Family Association famously boycotted for the body of a decade over political differences of opinion, particularly with regards to Disney’s stances on gay marriage. At roughly the same time, a diametrically opposed group encouraged tourist groups to skip Disney, too.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) heard the announcement that Disney planned to build a new theme park. That was fine in and of itself. The issue was that this park would be populated by animals held in captivity. PETA spokespeople resented the implication of the company importing hundreds of beasts for the sole purpose of creating a zoo.
One of the quotes at the time was, “Disney should put that money into habitat protection instead of building a menagerie.” As the ride that demonstrated said menagerie, Kilimanjaro Safaris drew the ire of protesters. Over time, Disney developed a reputation as a reliable caregiving organization that has saved several nearly extinct species. To this day, however, PETA still harbors a grudge.
5. Journey into Imagination with Figment
On rare occasions, the passion of Imagineers for plussing rides gets them in trouble. A prototypical example is the second iteration of the Figment ride. What’s the problem? Well, Journey into Imagination was one of the earliest attractions at Epcot. It developed a passionate fan-base of children and adults alike.
All of these fans loved the character of Dreamfinder, a Santa Claus-ish fellow with a flowing beard and a kind spirit. He rode an elaborate contraption known as the Dreamcatcher, a flying vehicle that somehow spun dreams into new ideas and creations. One of those new inventions was an adorable dragon called Figment, who has since become one of the most popular characters ever invented at a theme park.
Image: DisneyThe original version of Journey into Imagination was pure Disney. Alas, after 15 years the turn of the millennium was approaching. Park planners wanted to plus the attraction in time for the new millennium. It was part of an entire park update for the once in a lifetime calendar event. Alas, version two, Journey into YOUR Imagination was a horrible idea that was poorly implemented to boot. It threw out the beloved characters of Dreamfinder and Figment in favor of a new dude, Dr. Nigel Channel.
Everyone hated it, and Disney rebooted after less than two years in operation. The current version is the third one, and while it does include the return of Figment, it’s still controversial due to its subpar quality relative to the original. This turn of events was a harsh lesson for Imagineers, as they learned that not all change is good.
4. Frozen Ever After
Several attractions stir strong feelings among theme park tourist for what was lost as much as what they are. Were Stitch’s Great Escape in daily operation, it would qualify for this list for two reasons. One is that it’s terrible, and the other is that it replaced a genuinely great attraction, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
Frozen Ever After shares a similar story. The ride is great, which is why the lines for it are constantly long. It’s controversial for a reason utterly beyond its control. In order for the Norway Pavilion to gain this ride, the housing had to repurpose another great attraction, Maelstrom. In addition, one of the coolest aspects of Maelstrom, the indoor-to-outdoor section, was ditched for Frozen Ever After. While the consensus is that the Frozen ride is a definite improvement for the World Showcase, people will always miss Maelstrom.
3. Hall of Presidents
What happens when the most patriotic attraction in theme park history becomes a lightning rod for controversy? That’s the shocking turn of events that happened at Walt Disney World in 2017. The Hall of Presidents, the celebration of democracy and leadership, found itself in the middle of a media firestorm.
Historically, when a new President of the United States takes office, Hall of Presidents shuts down for a while. This downtime is necessary so that Imagineers can add a new Audio-Animatronic (AA) of the new leader of the nation. Plans were in place for the same thing to happen after the 2016 Presidential election. There was just one problem. While most major polls including ones done by both political parties indicated that one candidate would win, an upset happened. On the night of the election, Donald Trump upset Hillary Clinton to win the highest office in the land.
Ignoring the politics of the situation, rumors behind the scenes indicated that Disney had a Hillary Clinton AA ready to go. They hadn’t prepared one for Trump, who actually won. This caused multiple delays in the re-opening of the attraction. Since we live in an age of political division, speculation arose about whether Disney wanted to have Trump in the Hall of Presidents. Those fears were clearly unfounded, but the company faced a lot of negative press due to what was basically an oversight. They chose to make a single AA rather than one for each candidate. Disney’s unlikely to make that mistake again given what transpired.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
The Redhead is no longer up for auction at Pirates of the Caribbean. That decision certainly led to controversy, but a point gets lost when people lament the change. The mere existence of an auction of unwilling women to nefarious pirates was a controversial choice on its own. For that matter, a ride celebrating pirates was always a dicey proposition. It’s an attraction that heroicizes criminals.
When Disney constructed this attraction, it was the era of Mad Men, a time when men ruled the world and a woman’s home was perceived to be in the kitchen. Imagineers thought nothing of the scene, which was intended as comedy relief. Fifty years later, it seemed like a sexist relic of an era women don’t miss.
Park planners made the right choice in updating the attraction, but fans understandably hate the thought of change, especially in the wake of the Figment debacle. For that matter, this wasn’t even the first time a change on Pirates of the Caribbean upset people. The addition of Captain Jack Sparrow alienated many diehard fans.
Realistically, Disney didn’t have a good solution with the Redhead at the auction. They could stick with a relic or anger loyalists by changing something archaic. Either decision would have irritated a lot of fans. Pirates of the Caribbean was controversial when it debuted, and it remains that way even today.
1.Mission: Space
This subject isn’t fun for Disney lovers or cast members. Death is rarely funny to anybody. Still, when we discuss the most controversial attractions at Disney theme parks, Mission: Space is clearly the “winner.” It’s the ride where several guests got so sick that they needed medical assistance afterward. The sheer number of ill riders was so significant that park planners added a medical care room close to the Mission: Space exit.
Of course, these changes happened after the damage was already done. The centrifuge that simulated atmospheric escape velocity had caused unforeseen problems. It triggered health issues that were pre-existing conditions for the riders. Yes, Disney had posted warnings and yes, they posted even more after bad things happened. Still, the severity of the Mission: Space experience was too taxing for two people, one of whom was a young boy.
Disney adapted by adding an identical version of the attraction, only without the centrifuge. It was a milder version of Mission: Space that never really excited anybody. In 2017, Imagineers finally altered the ride such that the Green and Orange missions are finally different, but it feels like too little, too late. Since its first year of existence, Mission: Space has felt like the most cursed attraction at Disney. At a minimum, it’s the most controversial.
