Disney Opinions

There was a little Disney meme floating around BlueSky a little while back about your Disney favorites. As a former member in good standing at rec.arts.disney.parks (before they got weird) here are mine with a bit more explanation than you can give on a platform that limits your posts to 300 characters.

Without further ado:

Favorite Movie:

Beauty and the Beast. After thinking for years that I was too grown up for Disney animated movies, I saw this on VHS at a friend’s house in 1990 and it absolutely blew my mind open. I’m probably due to break that thinking again, because I’ve skipped recent movies like Turning Red and Inside Out (1&2) because I feel like I’m too grown up for them. I was an anxious preteen, no need to relive that era, thanks.

Favorite Park:

Even though we always start and end a trip at Magic Kingdom, it’s Epcot all the way for me. I love the ambience, the attractions, and the food. I try to embrace changes in the park, but it’s hardest for me to do in Epcot. For example, I cried, yes cried, when I saw the demolition of the Fountain of Nations. And all they did was turn it into a sitting area for bored spouses to sulk and for al fresco diaper changes. I’m also not a fan of World Showcase’s current messy bach party vibe. When ‘drinking around the world’ became peoples’ (Annual Passholders, to be honest) entire Epcot identities, the charm of World Showcase started to go downhill. I said what I said!

Current Attraction:

Runaway Railway. It’s what replaced The Great Movie Ride at Studios. A lot have people have very passionate feelings about the removal of The Great Movie Ride. And hear me out, I would have preferred for WDW to update the Great Movie Ride because I was -30yo when Casablanca premiered. I think the modern movies deserved the animatronic treatment and the older ones should have moved to the clip show at the end instead of having it the other way around. There are so many attractions that Disney could preserve forever if they only bit the bullet and update them every 10 or so years. (See also: removing Aerosmith from Rock’n’Roller Coaster and replacing them with other popular bands every 10 years. Or the Electric Mayhem just once.) But Runaway Railway has my heart with the Fab 5, the “you’re part of the movie” plot, and the beautiful manic song. Every trip I pick up the related mouse ears and put them down again. Next time I’ll probably crack.

Former Attraction:

The original Journey into Imagination. Many years ago it was corny but whimsical and like with other attractions, a little updating of the original could have taken it a long way. But no. The first redo took Figment (little purple dragon) out almost altogether. The next redo put him back, but added a very cringy Eric Idle performance. At this point I think Imagination Pavilion needs to be burned to the ground and completely redone. Make it 3D, make it AI, do SOMETHING. It should knock your socks off and instead it sprays you with stale skunk odor.

Snack:

The classic Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar. Is the ice cream top-notch? No. Is the chocolate coating the best in the world? Also no. Is it difficult to eat in scorching Florida heat? Very. Is it exclusive to Disney Parks? Not anymore. But for me there is something magical about having a Mickey bar at Walt Disney World that can’t be duplicated anywhere else.

Show:

Fantasmic. I’m really not a show person, but Fantasmic at Disney Studios has music, fire, and Sorcerer Mickey saving the Day.

Parade:

Boo to You Halloween Parade – to watch it in person you need to buy a ticket for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. To watch it at home, hit up the video below. It skips the headless horseman’s entrance, which is sad. If you want to watch the best part, skip to 4:15 and watch the gravediggers dance with their shovels. It’s amazing.

As it stands today, WM and I are not going to Walt Disney World in 2025. (eyebrow waggle)