Homogenizing the Disney Parks

rteetz

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
I thought this was an interesting discussion topic from the 6/12/18 show that could be brought to the boards.

My thoughts are similar to many on the teams. I don't want everything to be the same everywhere. I want to be drawn to each park for specific reasons. Now if they bring technology from one park to another but using a different IP or different story that is fine. Something like cloning Tron or Ratatouille and putting it everywhere isn't exactly a great idea in my opinion. Brining the Shanghai pirates technology with a new IP to the US is a great idea though.

What are your thoughts?
 
I agree completely.

The only homogenization I want to see is in chain restaurants, where your meal at a location in Kansas City should be the same as your meal at a location in New Orleans.

But as far as Disney parks are concerned, I want them to be different. Drastically different, in some cases. I visited DL last summer and LOVED that there were food items I'd never seen at WDW. Same goes for rides, shows, etc. If I'd visited Disneyland and it had been a carbon copy of my 10-12 WDW visits, I would've been severely disappointed.

I hate that homogenization has already crept into WDW. Very little resort-specific merchandise. The exact same shirts/merch at every single MK store(save for Memento Mori). Subtle dumbing-down of menu items to please the masses.

I want parks, restaurants, shows, resorts, and stores with distinct character.
 
I haven't seen the show yet, but I do not want homogenization. I want to experience and enjoy Walt Disney World for what they have there, and Disneyland for what they have there. For instance, I love the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train Ride. I look forward to going on it at the Magic Kingdom. I do not want the same/revised experience at Disneyland. I like that they have some classics at both parks, but I want different experiences to enjoy, including food, entertainment, and even characters.

Now, guests - I would like those at both parks. Would love to hang with you guys when you visit Disneyland :flower:
 
I am torn on this issue as it is easy to say every park should have a ton of unique and amazing attractions and everyone gets to go to every park in the world and experience them, but that also isn't practical

I definitely want each park to have it's own personality and some unique elements but also want as many cool experiences as I can when I get to any of the parks.

Part of the way for there to be so much new stuff coming is leveraging the development costs for what has already been created. So I'd rather get a copy of Ratatouille then nothing ... and I'd rather get 10 new, awesome attractions with 5 of them being copies rather than only 6 brand new custom attractions

So I guess I mix is the best for me
 


I appreciate that there is park specific merchandise. You can't get everything you see at World of Disney. BTW, what the heck is happening there? Half the store is gone! Same at Disneyland. Major overhaul.

Anyway, until it gets to the point that it's obvious everything is the same, I'm OK with it. You need rose gold ears everywhere you sell ears. People go nuts. But other stuff can be changed up.

Also, food is always better at Disneyland. There are more creative options and theming. I like that you can only get certain things at WDW or DL.
 
I completely understand the disdain some people have for homogenization, and the allure of every park being unique and one of a kind. I get it, but I'm conflicted.

As a blue collar employee that likely (very likely) will never travel over seas and usually has to save for 3 to 4 years to take my family to WDW; I want it all. That may sound greedy and narcissistic, but I guess what I really want is for my kids to have it all. Every theme park experience that will transcend them out of their Midwestern rural town life is magic for them.

Some of us will never have the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, or even California. I know that to have everything housed in Florida is ostentatious and simply not feasible, but that doesn't change my mind about it. I'm in my 40s and I'm okay with letting the magic slip away from me, but I want my kids to soak up every drop of it that they can while they're still kids. It's what dads wish on a star for I guess...
 
I completely understand the disdain some people have for homogenization, and the allure of every park being unique and one of a kind. I get it, but I'm conflicted.

As a blue collar employee that likely (very likely) will never travel over seas and usually has to save for 3 to 4 years to take my family to WDW; I want it all. That may sound greedy and narcissistic, but I guess what I really want is for my kids to have it all. Every theme park experience that will transcend them out of their Midwestern rural town life is magic for them.

Some of us will never have the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, or even California. I know that to have everything housed in Florida is ostentatious and simply not feasible, but that doesn't change my mind about it. I'm in my 40s and I'm okay with letting the magic slip away from me, but I want my kids to soak up every drop of it that they can while they're still kids. It's what dads wish on a star for I guess...
I can understand that but at the same time you’d be experiencing unique things at WDW that you can’t get elsewhere. Animal Kingdom for example can only be experienced at WDW.
 


I can understand that but at the same time you’d be experiencing unique things at WDW that you can’t get elsewhere. Animal Kingdom for example can only be experienced at WDW.

Oh believe me, I don't take the Florida parks for granted. As I said, I'm not lobbying for a cloning of the other parks. I'm just a father of 4 who wishes his kids could ride Journey to the Center of the Earth, Ratatouille, and Radiator Springs Racers. I should probably stop watching so many Disney vlogs and podcasts. Ignorance would be preferable I guess. Haha.
 
As a long time Disney World (and land) traveler I went on my first non-US park last year (Tokyo) and I'm going to HK and Shanghai later this year. For me, I think the homogenization is a positive because it allows me to skip the things that are the same in the US and focus on the things that make the other parks unique. As far as the US parks -- I'm a fan of new attractions just to keep things fresh. About three years ago I decided I was "done" with Disney World because I felt like I had done everything and it was starting to feel rote. With all the new-to-US (Tron, Ratatouille etc.) as well as genuinely new stuff (Star Wars, Toy Story Land) it's generated some interest for me to come back to FL.
 
A very small percentage of people will end up going to more than one park - but that set is the super fans who will notice the homogenization. The majority of potential visitors will see the name of the rides, at the most, and assume that one ride based on a character is the same as all rides based on that same character. And most probably don't even do that much research.

A few years ago, we were in HS and heard a group say, "We don't need to do the Toy Story ride, we did that yesterday in Magic Kingdom."

My wife and I were extremely lucky last year and ended up going to China where we were able to spend one day at SDL. We loved Pirates and Tron and both hoped that the rides would be brought to the US so that people here would be able to experience them. I also loved the Challenge Trails and would love to see them in WDW, but I don't see that ever happening lol. I also think the chances of us making it to another Disney park are very, very small.

Could they use the Tron or Pirates ride system and re-theme it? Sure. But they tried that with Indiana Jones and Dinosaur and look where that got us. ;)

The parks shouldn't be carbon copies, but it makes a lot of sense to reproduce rides in multiple parks to maximize value.
 
Last edited:
Don't know if I'll ever be lucky enough to get to any other parks outside the US (would LOVE to do Tokyo, after watching a recent series of vlogs done there!), or even if I'll be able to get back to DL. But I agree that some of the "basics" should have a lot in common (like Teresa and Ryno were explaing), but be different enough to still spark/hold your interest, and also that every park should have their own/unique stuff too.

Great synergy, bringing the question here, @rteetz ! :)
 
Could they use the Tron or Pirates ride system and re-theme it? Sure. But they tried that with Indiana Jones and Dinosaur and look where that got us. ;)
Dinosaur isn’t a bad ride.

Sometimes ride systems are used for the better too. Look at Test Track, now used for Radiator Springs Racers.
 
I love Dinosaur! I think the world (no pun intended) is big enough for us to have Dinosaur and Indiana Jones. Also, the Pooh ride in Tokyo is absolutely amazing and I would love to see it reskinned and brought stateside as something else. Or even just the Pooh ride in English. I had no clue what the story/dialogue was and I'd love to hear what was going on in English.
 
Haven’t watched the show yet. I don’t think they need ride for ride, but I do like what they’ve historically done where they spread the best rides or ideas around (like small world, or pirates, or big thunder mountain railroad) for the reason that’s been mentioned. Few people are going to be going to Tokyo, Paris, and Orlando (etc). Most people will only see one or two in a lifetime. And then for Star Wars I think they kinda had to to spread the traffic around.
 
I understand what everyone is saying but I still want some sort of Cars Land at World. My niece loves the Cars Movies but it is not likely that her family will ever go to CA. I know World has the hotel so that is cool but it isn't the same as a land. Perhaps maybe the over all theme of Cars Land but do some different rides.
 
Most guests will never visit other parks, especially the non-US ones, so having identical rides in two or more parks really isn't a huge deal. The parks will never be carbon copies. As noted, something like Animal Kingdom or Epcot is completely unique as is California Adventure or Tokyo DisneySea even if a few attractions in those parks might exist elsewhere, like Soarin'.

I don't expect to ever get to Shanghai or Hong Kong or Tokyo so I would love for more of their best attractions to come to Florida.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top