It's a Small World refurb

G00fyDad · #1 (**permalink**) 05-22-2010, 08:58 AM

It looks like IaSW will be closed for a refurb from Aug 1st to Oct 22nd.

This is one of our favorites! Oh well. It could be worse.

Hey..... Didn't they just refurb this ride like 4 or 5 years ago? What are they doing to it? Are they going to be adding Disney characters to it? I hope not. That would ruin it for us.

Kylie'smom · #2 (**permalink**) 05-22-2010, 09:11 AM

The rumor that I heard was that they would be adding characters like in disney land. I'm not sure how I feel about that!

G00fyDad · #3 (**permalink**) 05-22-2010, 10:59 AM

The ride is a classic and should never be touched. New paint, update the audio quality, and knock the dust off but don't add to it! Dumbo should have been left as it was. Add another identical ride? Yes. But leave it as it was. The Fantasyland expansion is good and all but classic rides should never be messed with.

quinsippi5 · #4 (**permalink**) 05-23-2010, 07:19 PM

I agree with you Goofy Dad....leave to classic rides as they are...whenever we go with someone that has never been to Disney we always have them go to all the classics...it may not turn out to be their favorite ride at WDW but I tell them they can't go home without going on it once...they all agree when the trip is over....because they talk to others who have been there and people ask them if they rode IASW or Haunted Mansion or Mad Hatter's Tea Cups or Dumbo!

momh · #5 (**permalink**) 05-23-2010, 10:11 PM

Oh boy! I can't believe we are going to miss it on our next trip.

Winkster · #6 (**permalink**) 05-24-2010, 04:46 AM

I agree. Small World is a classic and should not be altered in any way.

I love it's innocent charm.

Fortunately the refurb will all be over by the next time we get to WDW. I'd be gutted if it was closed when we were there though. It's not exactly a favorite ride of ours but it's one of those rides that defines Disney - it's a ride that has to be done!!

Dismom · #7 (**permalink**) 05-29-2010, 01:54 PM

I agree that Small World should be left alone, but I do have to trust Disney to add characters in such a way as to not spoil anything. But, if they do then I am sure people will complain and they simply can return it to the original.

That being said, I am looking forward to seeing what they have done, if anything on my next visit. Small World is a must do for me.

belle05 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-04-2010, 09:22 PM

They added charatcers in the DL one and it makes it even more magical then before. They added characters like Cinderella, Lilo and Stitch, Nemo and Dory, Ariel, Aladdin and Jasmine, Mogli, and so much more. Its so awesome.!

Quote:

Originally Posted by G00fyDad

The ride is a classic and should never be touched.

I respect your opinion on this, but we have to remember that Walt Disney wanted Disneyland to always be changed so that its not always the same. This kind of refubishment may not have been what Walt was talking about, but the Disney engineers are trying their best to make Walt's wishes come true. No one really knows exactally what he wants.

G00fyDad · #9 (**permalink**) 06-05-2010, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by belle05

I respect your opinion on this, but we have to remember that Walt Disney wanted Disneyland to always be changed so that its not always the same. This kind of refubishment may not have been what Walt was talking about, but the Disney engineers are trying their best to make Walt's wishes come true. No one really knows exactally what he wants.

May be. And the Fantasyland Expansion is (I believe) exactly what Walt Disney was expecting. But IaSW, Peter Pan, Cinerella's Golden Carousel, etc... should never be changed. It would be like (dare I say it here? Disney Imaginear's may see it and get an idea.) adding Disney characters to The Jungle Cruise. Instead of the current lions we would see Simba and Scar. Instead of the current Elephants we would see Dumbo, etc...

There are just some rides that spark a wonderful memory in people that should never be sullied by trying to, as Walt Disney would put it, "PLUS IT". A fresh coat of paint, tighten the screws, replace anything damaged... yes. But don't turn the ride into something it never was meant to be. If Walt Disney wanted the characters in the ride then he would have put them in it from the beginning. The characters existed back then too.

I will still ride the ride (at least once more) when they get it finished but I doubt I'll pay any attention to or take any photographs of the new additions. At least they aren't changing the song are they? I can see them having the characters singing it. ACK!!!

Winkster · #10 (**permalink**) 06-06-2010, 04:09 AM

Oddly, I think I may be coming around to this idea.

Does anyone know exactly what the proposed changes are? Will the characters be in a Small World style - and are they all in one area or are Disney re-theming the whole thing and adding characters in each "room"?

If they are adding characters in each room, I'd worry that the character will take over the room and become the focus instead of the ride's message.

I think the final "white" room could look great if all the dolls (or whatever you want to call them) are replaced by Disney characters but ONLY if they are in a Small World style. IaSW is unique in it's style and I'd hate to see that lost.

The "end-room" idea would work for me though and could tie everything in the ride back to Disney. My only worry is that Disney does the tribute to America thing (there was talk, not so long ago, that the final part of the ride would be a tribute to America).

However worthy the sentiment, a tribute to America (or any country for that matter) is not the theme of the ride. All of the different countries get their nod during the ride itself as the boats travel through each one in turn. I think that any country singled out for an extra tribute at the end of the ride would be completely out of place and would overpower the ride's underlying theme of global unity and peace.

As a side point, I'm really not convinced that any of the imagineers do things these days because they think that's what Walt would have wanted. Surely that ideology went long ago (I'd guess any last remnants were stamped on by Michael Eisner!).

That kind of thinking may influence imagineers once the projects have been agreed and bought to the design stage but surely the decision to make any changes in the first place is only driven by money these days? Or am I too cynical?

Dismom · #11 (**permalink**) 06-06-2010, 01:54 PM

Like all things when it comes to Disney or anything related to the parks, we just have to wait and see and not get all worked up, they are going to do what they want to do regardless, once it is done however if the general public finds it not in keeping with the message as intended, then the writing campaign can and should start. There is and always be changes, that is the nature of all things, some we will not like others we will love. There for me is one attraction I will NOT do until another refurb is done and the offensive item delegated to the background. In the meantime, I have more time for those things I love about WDW.