Former Disney Fans Pinpoint the Moment the Company Lost Them

in Disney Parks, Walt Disney World

An animated scene of Splash Mountain (left) featuring a log ride with Brer Rabbit characters, and a crowded area near Cinderella's Castle at Disney (right) with many visitors sitting and standing. Blue sky and clouds are visible in the background, reviving the magic of a perfect theme park day.

Credit: Inside the Magic

What do you do when you love something but it continually disappoints you? For many former Disney fans, the answer was simple: they stopped giving their money to The Walt Disney Company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
Credit: Disney

But that begs the question: What was the breaking point for these former Disney fans? What happened over the last five years that forced so many people away from Disney?

One former Disney fan asked other former fans on social media, and while there were a variety of answers, three main reasons stood out the most for why so many people have given up on Disney.

IPing the Parks

When Disney World and Disneyland first opened, a few of Disney’s cartoons were represented in the parks, but most of the rides and attractions were based on new, creative stories just for the parks. Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic shift in Disney’s thinking, including introducing more of its intellectual properties to the parks. 

People evacuating a queue in the foreground of an image of the exterior of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Credit: Inside the Magic

That includes bringing more, replacing the Universe of Energy with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, opening Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, bringing Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to EPCOT, and replacing Rivers of America and Muppet Vision 3D with Cars and Monsters, Inc. Land to name a few.

However, the one that guests most often mentioned was replacing Splash Mountain with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (more on that later).

This trend was evident not only in the parks but also in Disney films. The company decided to constantly release sequels and live-action remakes rather than new, inventive ideas.

A large topiary sculpture of a woman, lush and green, set in a vibrant garden with trees, colorful flowers, and a view of a large geodesic sphere in the background under a sunny sky.
Credit: Disney

Cutting Freebies

Before the pandemic, a Disney vacation was still expensive, but some freebies were included with your purchase. You’d get to ride the Magical Express to and from the airport, a free Magic Band, and free Fast Passes for any ride you could book.

All of those have since disappeared and have been replaced with upcharged items. Guests rarely get anything for free anymore in Disney Parks, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by guests.

Magical Express Bus pulling up at the resort
Credit: Disney

Splash Mountain

The final reason that former Disney fans left the company is simply their anger over Disney closing Splash Mountain. The company clearly underestimated fans’ love for this ride and their willingness to sever ties over its removal.

It doesn’t help Disney’s case that since its opening at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has yet to function properly, giving Splash Mountain fans more ammunition in its fight over their beloved ride.

The old Splash Mountain attraction in Disney World
Credit: Andrew Dupont, Flickr

Most of those who responded chalked up Disney removing Splash Mountain over the company having “gone woke” and bowing to critics who saw the source material, Song of the South (1946), as racist. Despite that, these former fans are willing to die on the Splash Mountain hill and have given up on all things Disney.

From these responses, it is unclear if Disney can ever win these former fans back, but there appears to be a lot of them out there, as this post was viewed more than 63,000 times.

There are many reasons to be upset with Disney lately, but most diehard fans know that the company can and will do better. It’s just a matter of time before they figure it out. However, if enough people leave Disney for other entertainment companies, Disney may not get the chance.

in Disney Parks, Walt Disney World

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