Modern Updates Threaten Walt's Original Ride Designs

Things are changing at the Disney Parks, and guests are growing increasingly divided as classic rides and attractions continue to shift and evolve. However, some of these changes are getting in the way of plans made by Walt Disney himself.

Walt Disney in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle — Credit: Walt Disney Archives

Walt Disney was an innovator and one of the entertainment industry’s greatest minds. While he might not have lived to see the completion of the Florida Project, he contributed to the completion of many of the attractions and rides at the Walt Disney World Resort.

This week, the Magic Kingdom opened the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree. As Big Al, Henry, Wendell, Shaker, and the Five Bear Rugs gear up for a brand-new show, fans like @delloid have pointed out that many of Walt’s original rides have been permanently altered.

Walt Disney Erased at Disney World

@delloliod

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♬ original sound – Spirit of Dani 🎃🍷

If you change the blade on Abe Lincoln’s hatchet, is it still Abe Lincoln’s hatchet? The same logic can also be applied to any of the classic Disney attractions, especially when Walt’s signature was attached.

Although the last attraction he officially touched was Pirates of the Caribbean, The Country Bear Jamboree was one of the final projects that got his official seal of approval. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time in recent Disney news that one of Walt’s classic features was changed.

Along with the Country Bears, many of Walt’s personal works have undergone massive makeovers since his passing. Naturally, any piece of theme park machinery existing since the ’50s or ’60s is bound to need some extra attention to keep things up and running.

Many of these attractions also received complete technological and visual overhauls. The Country Bear Jamboree transitioning into the Country Bear Musical Jamboree isn’t the only one to go under the knife; it’s just the most recent.

Is Nothing Sacred?

A costumed character resembling a bear, wearing a cowboy hat, green patterned vest, and white shirt, plays a guitar on stage. The background features blue and red curtains with ornate golden pillars. The scene appears to be part of a theatrical performance. — Credit: Disney

As of 2024, we’ve seen alterations to The Enchanted Tiki Room briefly becoming The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management, Pirates of the Caribbean adding Captain Jack and removing the auction scene, and even the Carousel of Progress as we know it is incredibly different from Walt’s original plans. Does that mean anything and everything is up for removal or alteration?

If we’re being entirely realistic, the best the Disney Imagineers can hope to do is preserve Walt’s designs while meeting today’s changing technological standards. That means some things are going to have to change.

Reimaginings like those seen at the Country Bear Jamboree are inevitable as audiences and tastes consistently change. With change comes a natural adjustment period that many are quicker to adapt to than others.

Walt might have put his hand to many iconic attractions and their blueprints, but his primary design for his theme parks was the old adage of “keep moving forward.” This writer hardly thinks he would approve of any work of his kept stuck in the stone age.

Do you think Imagineering is editing too much? Tell Inside the Magic in the comments below!