Day 643: Goodbye Maelstrom

We've reached the end of yet another classic attraction, and I'm honestly sad to see it go. Not as much because I was a huge Malestrom fan (I wasn't, and I won't pretend I was), as much as I am just a fan of Epcot altogether. It's actually caused a lot of mixed feelings for me, since I'm not sure really how I do feel opposed to how I should feel. It's a big bunch of confusing, much like how people saw the attraction itself for the entirety of it's World Showcase run.

I'm definitely a fan of the Disney of the past though, as most of me memories as a kid come from attractions that are no longer there, things that have long since disappeared from the parks. I remember Horizons, I remember Wonders of Life, I remember the old Living Seas, I remember the old Spaceship Earth, and I remember the Millennium Celebration and everything that came with it. And that's just in Epcot. My favorite park is a far cry from what it was when I was a kid, and even further from what it was when it opened in 1982, but I guess that's just a part of the overall idea. Things keep evolving, we keep moving forward, and that's what makes Epcot, and Disney, what it is. It's one of the things I love so much about it.

But still, I can't help but be sad. There were a lot of people out there who really, truly, loved Malestrom. As I said, I wasn't one of those people, but the closing of this particular attraction, for some odd reason, really made me stop and think. Malestrom wasn't my favorite attraction, but for many it was, and I can certainly relate to that. We can all relate to that. I'm lucky. Extremely lucky. Spaceship Earth is relatively safe from ever disappearing completely. Yeah, it changes from time to time, but I doubt the overall basis of the attraction will ever leave, and I'm pretty darn sure it's never going to be closed down and replaced with an attraction featuring the newest animated hit. That would be ridiculous.

What if it was though? How in the world would I react if they announced that Spaceship Earth would be closing in a month? I'm not going to Disney for another three, so if it closed now there would be absolutely no way for me to ever experience it again. That's a tough realization to deal with. Or Illuminations? That show has been such a key part of me life, down to every last second of it, and I couldn't imagine, I can't imagine, what I would do if it closed with little to no warning. I do know, however, that I wouldn't be able to handle it. Not at all. I would break.

So to those out there that are dealing with the loss of Malestrom, I may not completely understand, but at the same time, yeah I do understand. I just can't imagine what it's like to be going through the loss of your favorite attraction. These things become such key elements of our lives that when we try to imagine a life without them it becomes impossible. For now let's all imagine a world where we can all ride our favorite attractions forever.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on October 19).