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Ride deconstruction = sadness

Posted on February 16, 2012May 4, 2022
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The deconstruction of a beloved piece of the Walt Disney World Resort is clearly not as magical as the construction.  As photos of the Fantasyland expansion project have been popping up all over the internet, I have found myself captivated.  When you see the pictures of beloved rides being taken down, however, it just seems wrong.

I remember when the Sorcerer’s hand and wand were perched on top of Spaceship Earth in Epcot.  It was so beautiful and amazing to see and I took many pictures during my trip there at the time.  When that all came down?  It was just plain depressing.

Now as the saying goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and I get it; the same things goes for the rides and attractions at Disney.  Unfortunately, when you are there on vacation, nothing can kill the moment more than watching a little piece of the park’s history being torn down.  When a ride gets refurbished, it’s mostly interior.  Walls go up on the front of the attraction and you don’t see the mess and the destruction.  In the recent case of Dumbo in the Magic Kingdom, the photos that I saw made me want to cry – especially when it was just down to the skeleton of the ride.  It made it seem like nothing more than a cheap carnival ride.

With all of the “magic” that goes with Disney, I have to ask the question:  Why don’t they do more of this at night?  Or maybe why do they leave it out in the open during the day would be a better question.  I can remember on one trip there was a giant crane set up next to Cinderella’s castle.  When the photographer on Main Street stopped to ask us if we wanted our picture taken we asked her if the crane would be Photoshopped out of the picture.  She had a puzzled look on her face and said “No”.  Excuse me, but WHY would I want a picture of me in front of the wonderful Cinderella’s castle with a stinking crane next to it?  That’s not magical at all!

When other rides get refurbished, it’s mostly hidden.  When rides are being built, there is a wall erected up around it or in front of it so that the unveiling will be a surprise.  Isn’t there a way to do this when rides come down?  Nothing is sadder than watching a beloved ride come down.  Poor Dumbo.  Poor Sorcerer’s wand.  I don’t mind when I can’t see the destruction or deconstruction but when it’s right there in your face it just takes the shine off of the trip.

Have you ever had a “non magical” Disney experience where you saw some of the rides come down?  Do you watch it in wonder or did it make you sad to see a little bit of history disappear?  I think I would still photograph it but I’d have a hard time just moving on…sigh.

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4 thoughts on “Ride deconstruction = sadness”

  1. Alison says:
    February 16, 2012 at 2:07 pm

    I know what you mean. I never liked that crane near the castle. I didn’t pictures of Dumbo going down and don’t think I will search for them – too sad! Hopefully by the time we take another trip, ALL of the magic will return with no hints of the destruction.

  2. Lisa says:
    February 16, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    It’s what Walt called “Bad Show.” The guests are NOT SUPPOSED TO see the inner workings – we’re not supposed to know what happens behind the scenes, or “backstage”. We are only supposed to experience the magic. So sad that the company has forgotten it’s foundational principles. :o(

  3. J Ramses says:
    February 17, 2012 at 12:15 am

    The issue, of course, is that everyone is photographing behind the walls. If everyone kept themselves on THIS side of the wall, we wouldn’t all be subjected to pics of the skeletons of what was there before. Best thing to do is not look at the pics and wait til the walls come down.

  4. Olivia says:
    February 20, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    Luckily, though, the Dumbo ride is just being relocated a few yards away. I’ve never really seen a ride get taken down, but I do remember seeing Spaceship Earth the next year and having a mini-meltdown. It looks cool when they refurbish the outside of Tower of Terror, though.

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