Credit: DisneyWalt Disney Imagineers are apparently unhappy with the company’s renewed focus on IP.
As per The Wall Street Journal, Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) lost some of its “prized autonomy” after Bob Iger took over as CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005 and repeatedly turned to the president of WDI to plead for more “new Imagineering original stories.”
Disney Pivots Focus to IP-Driven Lands and Rides
During Bob Iger’s years as CEO, there’s no denying that Disney’s theme parks have ballooned both in size and popularity.
In 2018, Walt Disney World Resort alone drew in a record-breaking 58 million visitors – driven in no small part by a slew of new attractions and lands dotted across its parks.
Iger’s tenure (or, to be more accurate, tenures) has seen the addition of areas such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Avengers Campus at California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park, Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland, and Cars Land at California Adventure.
What all of these new additions have in common is their singular focus on just one IP compared to the more conceptual Adventureland, World Showcase, or DinoLand U.S.A. This has become the norm in theme parks – arguably since the debut and success of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort’s Islands of Adventure – and the attractions within these lands have certainly won over guests.
More IP-driven lands are on the way, with a Monsters, Inc. land heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and yet another version of World of Frozen debuting at Walt Disney Studios Park (soon to become Disney Adventure World) in March.
But that doesn’t mean everyone’s keen on the change.
Bob Iger’s Impact
The Wall Street Journal reports that Iger’s mandate for Disney’s theme parks was “the same as for movies.” In other words, “Focus on franchises, whether from the company’s vaults or his acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm.”
As noted by the publication, Imagineering’s “rich history of creating original stories” has largely been abandoned since the 2010s – and Imagineers are keen to see that change.
“At every all-hands meeting, I would be asked if we’d get to create new Imagineering original stories again,” Barbara Bouza, president of WDI from 2020 to 2024, told The Wall Street Journal.
The good news is that Imagineers are about to get their wish.
Well, kind of.
Renewed Excitement For Disney’s Villains Land
Imagineers told The Wall Street Journal that they’re currently most excited for one specific project: Villains Land.
While not yet fully under construction, the land is set to open at Magic Kingdom at some point in the future. While it draws heavily on IP, featuring antagonists from the likes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Peter Pan (1953), it’s also the closest thing to the Disney lands of yore they’ve experienced in decades.
Little is known about the land so far. As per Disney, it will be “a place where poison apples are aplenty and magic potions can ruin your whole day.”
“Be prepared, you poor unfortunate souls,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro – rumored to be the next Disney CEO when Iger steps down (again) later this year – teased at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. “It’s going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.”
Concept art suggests that Villains Land will feature at least two major attractions, with one seemingly being a roller coaster. It’s also inevitable that the land will boast several shopping and dining spots, meaning our dreams of a truly villainous character dining experience may finally come to fruition.
What new Disney parks project are you most excited to experience?