The Mouse Home is dealing with outrage over plans to scrap a 50-year-old theme park attraction that holds the excellence of being the one one which was designed by Walt Disney himself.
Tom Sawyer Island, which first opened in Disneyland in Southern California in 1956 earlier than a reproduction was erected at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando twenty years later, will probably be shut down on the Central Florida park as a part of its largest growth in historical past.
The transfer was introduced as a part of Disney’s plan to develop Frontierland, the part on the Magic Kingdom which was designed to evoke the spirit of the Previous West.
The information was earlier reported by the site SFGATE, which referred to as Tom Sawyer Island “an anomaly, a spot the place parkgoers wander at their leisure reasonably than speeding to the subsequent trip queue” and “witness wildlife that’s not animatronic.”
Disney introduced in a weblog submit final week that it’s going to repurpose Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America in order that it might set up a “Automobiles”-themed trip much like the one that’s already operational at Disney California Journey in Anaheim.
“To make means for this utterly new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will probably be reworked into huge and rugged terrains for a rally race with a few of the world’s most iconic racers,” Disney stated in a weblog submit Monday.
The renovations will embody the development of a Route 66 companion the place guests to the race trip will probably be pushed by way of mountains, geysers and trails, in keeping with Disney.
“A part of pioneering this new story consists of tapping into the themes of exploration and journey that encourage so many people to maintain propelling ahead,” stated Michael Hundgen, Walt Disney World Government Product at Walt Disney Imagineering.
The information didn’t set nicely with some Disney followers. Kevin Sparrow wrote on his X account: “And now a second of silence for Tom Sawyer Island. I’m actually gonna miss this basic attraction.”
One other X person wrote that the transfer to get rid of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America “appears like a serious mistake.”
“One they may remorse for a lot of many years to return.”
One other X person panned the transfer because the “worst concept ever.”
“We now have the last word* affirmation that Disney will promote its personal historical past and basic options for $$,” the X person wrote, calling it the “least expensive blow but to WDW Followers.”
X person Henry Taylor wrote that “there stays no house in any of the 4 parks the place a child can run round and discover.”
“It is a important a part of a theme park. Disgrace Disney forgot that,” Taylor commented.
The adjustments have been introduced by Disney at its D23 fan conference final weekend. Amongst new rides and sights set to debut on the Anaheim park is one impressed by the Pixar animated movie “Coco.”
Disney California Journey will even be getting two extra new Marvel sights — a King Thanos trip and Stark Flight Lab that includes Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man.
Disney World’s Hollywood Studios will probably be including a Monsters Inc.-themed space, the corporate introduced.
The Submit has sought remark from Disney.