0:00 WDWNT’s Fairly Scary Halloween Party Preview
0:44 Opening
1:10 Walt Disney World Discounts Released
2:30 Extended Evening Theme Park Hours Continue Through 2023
3:44 Takumi-Tei Restaurant EPCOT Reopening in November at EPCOT
4:18 Galactic Starcruiser Bookings Have Crashed
5:54 Mickey Mouse and Globe Removed from Crossroads of the World in Studios
6:21 New Entrance Billboard for Fantasmic!
7:11 Signage and Lamps Added to Roundup Rodeo BBQ
7:46 Price Increases for Legacy Lightsabers
8:29 Qui-Gon Jinn and Count Dooku Legacy Lightsaber Hilts Coming Soon
8:49 Blizzard Beach Rethemed to Frozen
9:36 Typhoon Lagoon Closing in November for Refurbishment
9:45 Tom Rants About Ice Gator
15:32 Sign-off
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41 Comments
Did you know anything about Ice Gator before?
I absolutely agree about Blizzard Beach. Disney is becoming creatively bankrupt. Enough movie tie ins already
I did not know of the back story of Blizzard Beach.
Urgggh. The Water's gone cold. Long may you run, dear Ice Gator. 😥
sad to see ip overriding creativity agian
Sadly Disney has lost all its magic, Ice Gator was one of those fun things that you only saw there, the melting snow family, I wish I had my Ice Gator plush still, luckily I still have my old Blizzard Beach shirt with him on it
I am likely in a minority here, and I'm a bit shy to comment, so please be gentle….I like the re-theme. I like Frozen, and agree it does make sense to match it with Frozen. As for timelines, frankly, who cares? It's cute, it's fun, don't be one of those fans who rant against how something isn't perfect canon and thus ruins everything forever!
The SEA, in the other hand, I do wish would persist — they could tie it in to IP easily enough if they wanted to!
Tom you are sooo right on progress!! Progress is ALSO developing NEW things not relying on the same IP over and over and over again. We seem to continously keep dumbing down the public and dumbing down ourselves! We put these limitations on our creative sides to be safe instead of creatively risky. Walt took HUGE risks because it was art, it was imagination, it was special. This is not the way Walt looked at things. He had success with Snow White but he didn't keep doing Snow White, he moved on and developed NEW things. He also didn't throw away Snow White but kept it present but didn't rely on it as his next/new/additional thing. I think Walt would be amazed at how sentimental and slow we've become in terms of imagination and development. I think he would be disappointed in how things are going right now.
I bet all of the fired twitter executives get jobs with Disney.
Loved your rant about blizzard beach re-theming. It reminded me of why I was upset with Epcot getting rid of illuminations. IllumiNations was something set apart from the typical Disney movie related fireworks in other parks and themed perfectly to what Epcot is about.
The point is mute. If they imagineers make something it becomes IP anyways. Then only if popular it becomes a movie. Movies are proof of popularity. Makes common sense to make the movie first.
Just no creativity anymore. They just reskin attractions. Splash mountain, blizzard beach etc. Disappointed in Disney, remember growing up and they were so original.
Shallow talentless hacks made the stupid decision to add Frozen to Blizzard Beach. We’d much rather have Ice Gator!!
Good rant. I absolutely 100% agree!
You hit the nail on the head. Bob Chapek and Evil stepmother McCarthy only care about it if they can’t sell plush toys and t-shirts. Who cares about continuity and storyline that created fandom in the first place.
The imagineers are the only part of Disney that is worthwhile. They create the magic. Let them loose and all of Disneys current problems will disappear like "MAGIC!!!" Walt and Roy had it right create wonder and excitement and they will come OK .
I totally agree with your assessment Mr Corless. Replacing originality of a particular attraction with a movie theme connection is NOT progress!
Here's an idea. Remove the Blizzard Beach concept because it's sort of like painting yourself into a corner. Ya know; like making Galaxy's Edge take place in the sequel trilogy. lol
I've noticed every new ride recently has a long and dragged out or multiple pre shows. I think that if the story is too hard to figure out, it's not a good story. In regards to kids being stupid, have you seen some of the TV shows and youtube channels for these kids? These compnies really are just putting in the minimum effort and providing the worst type of entertainment for children. It's really upsetting.
The rant about the blizzard beach retheming was entirely too long. I understand your perspective and appreciate your point of view and Walt’s definition of progress but it was just too long.
This is a non issue. So one kid area was rethemed to frozen.. big deal.. grow up and move on.
The dumbest remark I saw about the Frozen retheme of that area was someone genuinely, unironically, saying “there’s FINALLY Disney theming in a Disney water park!”
I wanted to shake them and say “it’s a DISNEY water park! That makes everything they do DISNEY! Things can start in the parks as original ideas!!!!!”
9:43 Your comment of progression vs re-theming was spot on.
It's an extra $30 for TCW Ahsoka, not $20
I like Frozen, but put the Ice Gator back 😂😂.
I enjoyed your rant about Ice Gator. It is sad to feel that there is no longer anything sacred at the parks. My wife and I have felt that way for a while now, but we unfortunately keep getting reminders of it.
After they replaced the very real Norway with the completely fictional Arendelle in the theming of the ride at the Norway pavilion at Epcot, I lost faith in Disney's judgment . When they replace the racist theming of the log ride in The Magic Kingdom with one that ridicules the legitimate religion of Voudou, I was disgusted. What they've done at Blizzard Beach no longer fazes me.
In the updated backstory for Blizzard Beach, the yell from the slope came from a motorized scooter driver because Chapek installed a Lightning Lane at the fastpass lane for the ski lift.
Whole heartedly agree on the "retheming" of original park ideas…..Not everything HAS to be themed to a successful movie franchise. Part of the charm of the parks was always the original and exclusive stories, theming, designs, and………merch.
The title had me worried there for a second, glad it’s not the whole park!
HAIL ICE GATOR
Lol at the rant over a plastic alligator. Maybe it’s a generational thing? I’m Gen Z with a kid and we adore Frozen. I think it makes sense to have young generations interested in keeping the interest in Disney alive. Why would Disney cater to those who want zero change to the parks? They’re a corporation after all, they’re going to do what makes the most money 😂
I could not agree more!! I really don't like how Disney is putting IP's into everything!!! Can we please just leave some things the way they were.
Agree so much, Thanks!!!
Getting rid of the ice gator is kinda like getting rid of the orange bird.
Why give so much $ for star wars experience during holidays? You can take your family on a real cruise even a Disney cruise and get more value out of your vacation.
Nice rant.
You see taking the Blizzard Beach main theme away and then replacing it with frozen is progress for Disney now. Bob Chapek likes this type of progress because it's cheap You don't have to come up with any new ideas so they just simply wipe away the old decorations and put new decorations up. Then he can go back to the board and say look what I did. Unfortunately I fear this is what Disney's going to be like for a while as long as Bob is in the lead position.
Frozen Ever After is all well and good, but it doesn't go where they put it. They should have moved it's a small world to World Showcase, making room for a Frozen ride in Fantasyland where it belongs.
Guess I'm never going to go to Blizzard Beach 🤷
What a complete waste of potential…..
Takumi-Tei is one of the best restaurants in all of Disney Parks. Incredible food, and the Service is beyond compare. Never felt more welcome, and after not showing up for nearly 4 months, upon arrival our waitress from before new us by name and remember all our conversations and even my limited skills in Japanese. She was one of the very best waitress ever.