Day 983: Frozen Carpet Ride

I'm certainly not the first to discuss the recent news out of Disney California Adventure and I'm sure I won't be the last. I have to say, first off, that I'm not a fan of Aladdin in general, but the musical that's called DCA home for the last how many years almost convinced me otherwise. I remember my first trip into the Hyperion in 2011, laughing my head off at Genie's jokes about Twilight (ironically enough, I was laughing at similar jokes just today), and I will be sad to see it go just as many of the Disneyland Locals that have signed the petition to stop it from leaving.

If you haven't caught up on the news yet, Disney is closing the Aladdin show at Disney California Adventure and replacing it with a Frozen Musical Show sometime in 2016, and people aren't exactly happy about it. I've always thought of Aladdin fitting so perfectly there, but as much as I'm with those trying to save it, I also wonder if Disney's making the right move. Not to say Frozen is the answer, but there was an observation I had while out at Disneyland that I felt is kind of important, and odd, considering the controversy surrounding Frozen in the parks.

There's been a lot of complaints about Anna and Elsa taking over pretty much everything, and for the most part, I wholeheartedly agree. Maelstrom, for instance, should never have been closed. Updated, yes, but closed, no. Frozen is not the answer for Epcot, and while I do believe it will be an extremely popular attraction (maybe wait times for Test Track will finally go down), there were probably better answers, and the same can be said for Aladdin and DCA. But before we really start trash talking Frozen as it becomes more integrated into the parks, perhaps we should look at a different film...The Little Mermaid.

I've never been quiet about my dissapointment of the Ariel attraction that now graces both DCA and Magic Kingdom. It just didn't impress me, and quite frankly, I didn't see the need for another Little Mermaid attraction. And then, while at Disneyland, it finally clicked. If you think Frozen is in a lot of places...think about Ariel for a moment. At Walt Disney World, there's reference after reference to the film, including the following: Voyage of The Little Mermaid (Hollywood Studios), Ariel's Undersea Adventure (Magic Kingdom), Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios), Festival of Fantasy (Magic Kingdom), Wishes (Magic Kingdom), and she has her own meet and greet. At Disneyland, however, things are a bit more shocking: Fantasmic, Disneyland Forever, Mickey and the Magical Map, King Triton's Carousel (DCA), Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Soundsational Parade, Paint the Night, AND Ariel's Grotto. Compare that to Frozen: Maelstrom Location (Epcot), Meet and Greet (Magic Kingdom - Moving to Epcot), World of Color Celebrate!, Disneyland Forever, Paint the Night, Sing-A-Long locations on both coasts, a Frozen Summer Fun Event, and Festival of Fantasy. There are a few seasonal events not listed, but do you see a problem here?

I'm not about to say that The Little Mermaid is a bad film, because it certainly isn't, and there's a lot of attractions and events that involve Ariel that I do love in the parks, but what makes The Little Mermaid so much better than Frozen? What makes it possible for one film to take over and receive backlash while another does it secretly in the background? Is it because Ariel, with her mermaid tail and upbeat songs, is easy to include in shows? Or is there another reason in the background?

Personally, I think we need to see more Princess and the Frog and Tangled stuff, if we're adding anything, and maybe a bit more Pocahontas too, but that could be beside the point. If you're interested in signing the petition to keep Aladdin at Disney California Adventure, you can do so HERE, like many of us Disney Fans that have already done so. And let me know your thoughts on either the Aladdin show leaving or everything I mentioned above in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 25 due to a tight schedule).