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Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicWhile many parks are getting new additions like the Zootopia expansion at Shanghai Disneyland, many fans wonder when the next original Disney Parks attraction will be. Unfortunately, it might not happen as long as so much is invested in franchise material.
@fastpassfacts Why Doesn’t Disney Create Original Rides Anymore? #animatronics #disneyparks #disneyland
As @fastpassfacts points out in the TikTok above, the Walt Disney Company has far too much invested in acquiring franchises and expanding them that there simply is too little interest in anything new for Disneyland, the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris, or the other Disney Parks. So what does this mean for longtime fans and regular park-goers?
Related: Disney World Allegedly Neglects Prominent EPCOT Feature
While it’s true that the rides inspired by Disney movies like Zootopia (2016) and Frozen (2013) are impressive, the Disney Parks seem to have veered away from original content and concepts that made them so magical.
Are the Disney Parks Out of Ideas?
Fastpass Facts said it clear as day,
“It’s highly unlikely that Disney will invest in creating original rides because they’ve already spent a lot of money acquiring popular franchises, and they want to continue strengthening their existing franchises like Frozen and Zootopia among others. Why take a chance on a new character that may or may not work when they already have ones that generate revenue?”
It’s not that Disney has run out of ideas, but that the Walt Disney Company is simply too comfortable with the properties that are already making it a lot of money. However, complacency can be more damaging than risk.
The last original Disney ride, as in no use of existing characters or IP, might be Expedition Everest from 2006 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. That’s not to say Disney hasn’t given fans several amazing rides since then, but it’s been ages since we’ve seen something of that caliber.
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What happened to characters like Figment, the Country Bears, or the Hitchhiking Ghosts? Looking back, even Mickey Mouse was created on a gamble for Walt Disney, so where did that creative spirit go? As pointed out by @nitethekitten in the TikTok comments,
“Disney is a multi-billion-dollar corporation, I think they’d survive a couple of risks.”
Disney is notorious for deviating from the norm on the artistic side, but they’ve also had the habit of staying with what works and what makes the most money. Time and audience reception will tell whether or not that’s the best strategy.
Do you think Disney needs a creative wakeup call? Tell Inside the Magic in the comments below!