Professor Calls on Other Entertainment Industries to Update “Problematic Material” Like the Disney Parks

in Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World

Left: A man with a red hat, white beard, and clear glasses speaks into a phone camera. Right: The exterior of Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort in front of a clear blue sky.

We’ve reported on multiple industry professionals that have taken inspiration for content from Disneyland Resort, from a psychiatrist to a self-proclaimed water expert. After all, Walt Disney wanted to be a leader in entertainment and Theme Park technology, to build a place where everyone could enjoy themselves.

On Wednesday, a musical theatre professor took to TikTok to share his takeaways from a five-day visit to Disneyland Resort. In a short video, he shared three things Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure do better than Broadway shows:

@musicaltheatreprof

Three things that Disneyland is doing better than Broadway (and we can learn from) #broadway #disney #disneyland

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“The ride always begins before the ride,” he began. “Moulin Rouge has a preshow, Harry Potter does some interesting things in the lobby, and of course, there were the pies in Waitress, but we can do this more.”

Secondly, the professor commended The Walt Disney Company for updating controversial and offensive attractions. “Disney honors their history, but they’re still not afraid to change problematic material,” he said. “…Most recently or currently is what we’re doing with Splash Mountain, which the ride itself wasn’t problematic, but it was based on problematic material.”

concept art for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disneyland Resort's Toontown
Credit: Disney Parks Blog

“Three, Disney continually reinvents itself through creative innovation,” the professor concluded. “If Walt had seen what is currently being done with the most recent ride, Mickey’s Runaway Railway, he’d be astonished. Not just in the technology but in the storytelling. Broadway technology moves much, much slower.”

Little did this professor know then that Disneyland Resort would soon take its own lessons from Broadway! Starting in April, Marvel-inspired “Rogers: The Musical” will premiere in the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure.

What could other entertainment industries stand to learn from Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments. 

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.

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