Walt Disney World Nostalgia
I've been going to Walt Disney World since I was 3 years old, and so much has changed. In my opinion most of the updates and new additions are for the better. There are some changes however, that I don't know if I will ever accept.
And here's are some of the things I miss..
Toontown
The circus area was a great addition to new Fantasyland, but I really do miss Towntown (and the game 😉) and I was sad to see it go. A whole area dedicated to the fab five and friends; what's not to love? They definitely won't be bringing Toontown back, so I hope it remains at the other parks. Minnie's house was the best!
Rides with no safety restraints
I'm not a big risk taker at all. I'm the person who puts on a seat belt to drive from one parking space to another. However, something was really thrilling about the drop on Splash Mountain with no restraints. I even have one of those family photos in the paper frame of my dad rising up in the front of the log! Shhh....I know this is a no no, but it's still a great picture. He's probably one of the people that prompted WDW to add restraints to the ride. 😂 When I went to Disneyland for the first time a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised that they still don't have the restraints that were added to the ride at Walt Disney World. Hopefully, they keep it that way! Tower of Terror is another ride that I don't recall having a restraint as a child. I remember it was so much fun that you could hover off of your seat! I will say though, now that i'm older I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to riding TOT! LOL I kind of wish I could ride it with my whole body strapped against the wall. I think it would help me lose some of that anxiety!
That time they had a Hunchback of Notre Dame stage show
Not much to say here. Some remember it, some don't. This is one of my favorite animated movies, so It was a fun. My dad even made a recording of the whole thing on a camcorder!
Being mostly construction free
Don't get me wrong, I love every bit of Disney expanding with new areas, rides, tech, hotels etc, but seeing paper/plastic sheet facades covering up buildings while they undergo refurbs is not very magical. Pretty much since before I started my program in 2014, Disney has just been a big cluster of large scale construction projects. I love the idea of new stuff, but so much of it all at once is just.....well, ugly. Every single time I go to book a hotel I feel like it's under construction. The construction at the hotel not only is an eye sore, but it affects the dining and activity options at the location as well. I might also add, that some of the construction all makes the traffic suck worse. I'm hoping since over the next few years so much new stuff is slated to open, that after the 50th they will put the freeze on any major construction projects for at least a few years. Wishful thinking.
Push the Talking Trash Can
This just makes me sad RIP 1995-2014
Characters roaming all over the place
There was a point in time where characters were all over the place in the park. I mean, you couldn't walk more than 20-30 ft with out some character being right there. The variety was insane as well! Because guests had options, it at least appeared that lines were not nearly as long as they are now. I also remember that the characters were not so heavily guarded by attendants either. The introduction of more attendants to each character was probably introduced for safety reasons because of some bonehead or creep. Nevertheless, it still creates a more uptight atmosphere around the characters. It's just more fun when the characters are loose, free, and easy to find. They also didn't have to move guests along as quickly when spending time with them.
Hollywood Studios being whole
Hollywood studios is on the road to being complete again, but we probably won't see this completion until about 2020. I'm curious to see if the old Hollywood vibe will remain. I hope it does in at least the old areas of the park, because it's so charming! With the new scheduled additions, the park is changing a bit but there's hope Disney won't stray to far from vintage Hollywood theme.
SpectroMagic
The whole situation regarding SpectroMagic hurts me to my core. 😭 This was the parade of my childhood, and that other one (I won't mention names) doesn't hold a candle to it in my opinion. Spectro was an updated version, with arguably one of the best soundtracks Disney has ever created. Fight me! No other soundtrack fully captures the magic of Disney like the SpectroMagic sountrack. Everything about it was just what you would expect from Disney, and that Jimmy Cricket introduction and closing give me chills when I hear them. For those unfamiliar, SpectroMagic was the Magic Kingdom's version of Disneyland's Electrical Light Parade. It ran through the 90's and then for a few years took a hiatus, while they brought the Electrical Light parade to play for a bit at WDW. They brought SpectroMagic back, but apparently they were storing the floats in a way that allowed them to accumulate damage. Then, the parade was retired in 2010 after one last run. The Magic Kingdom currently doesn't have a night time parade, and there have been rumors swirling of a possible Spectro 2.0 by the 50th, and apparently, Disney is still holding on to some of the floats. It's hard to say if the rumors are valid or just old fans projecting their wishes, but we will see what the future holds for night time entertainment at MK. All's I gotta say is, if they ain't using parts of the original score then I don't want it!
A few other's that I miss include, The Osborne Lights, Backlot Tour, The Great Movie Ride, and Wishes
Now, if you haven't heard it go listen to the SpectroMagic soundtrack immediately! Listen Here: SpectroMagic Soundtrack
I still can't believe they got rid of Push...