Day 1644: Change is Hard

Since Disney made more than one announcement concerning the future of more than one Disney Parks attraction the other day, the internet has been buzzing with controversy. As a Disney Blogger and YouTuber, among other things, it can sometimes be difficult to stay quiet when there's such continuous conversation abut the future of the parks - about what's right and what's wrong and what Walt would or wouldn't have wanted. But if I've learned anything in almost five years of blogging, it's that you should probably stay quiet until you've had enough time to truly come to a conclusion about how you feel, and then you should probably reexamine that feeling more than a few times over. For some, this might only take a few minutes, but I prefer to take a bit more time to sort out my thoughts, and I think I finally have.

We'll start with the first announcement, concerning the attractions currently sponsored by Siemens: Spaceship Earth, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, and it's a small world. So many seemed shocked by this development, but for me, it was just a few weeks ago that I scoffed at an article that suggested the company would obviously renew their sponsorship with Disney. It hasn't been a question in my mind for almost a year actually; Siemens wasn't going to renew and I was prepared for it.

Given the track record of sponsored attractions in the Disney Parks, the fact that these attractions have kept sponsors on board as long as they have is sort of astonishing. It wasn't until January of 2016 when I stood in the Test Track Chevrolet Lounge gazing out at the Universe of Energy that I truly realized just how important sponsors are for these attractions. There I was, standing tall and pretty in a brilliantly decorated and designed lounge at Test Track when just across the courtyard was Ellen's Energy Adventure, an attraction I've come to love and adore over the years, slowly decaying. The cast member who brought us up to the lounge caught me looking at it and began to explain the sad story of how, because it has no sponsor, the Universe of Energy is only maintained to the point where it can continuing running. They'd make those minor repairs, just enough to keep it going, but it quickly became obvious that not everything at Walt Disney World is meant to stay the same, and sometimes for more reasons than one.

Does that mean I'm terrified for the future of not only my favorite attraction, but also my favorite nighttime show? Of course. I'm always terrified for an attraction that loses a sponsor, because I've seen what they've done to attractions in the past, Maelstrom at the forefront of that list. It's not a matter of Frozen Ever After being bad, because it's not. It's more about the fact that, at some point, every single one of these attractions becomes a part of the staple, normal Disney experience. We welcome new attractions into the Disney Parks family, and we say goodbye to them too, and even after all this time, I still feel for those that have lost their favorite attraction. Sometimes I even fear of it happening to me too.

Which brings us to the second announcement from Disney Parks and Resorts: the changes to the Auction scene in Pirates of the Caribbean. To say I wasn't shocked about this announcement, unlike the sponsorship from Siemens, would be a lie. I couldn't have predicted this one in a million years, and for me, it seemed so out of the blue that I initially found myself angry. How could they take out such an iconic scene and completely change it? It seemed unnecessary, regardless of the fact that I completely and 100% agree with the reasoning for changing it.

It frustrated me, then, that I was so upset about something that I knew I shouldn't be upset about. I watched as Twitter exploded with arguments on both sides of the discussion, some calling it a necessary change, praising Disney for finally working its way out of the gutters of sex slavery and human trafficking, and others petitioning to put a stop to the changes altogether. It felt odd, to sit on the sidelines and watch as so many argued about the fate of an attraction that, for the most part, will stay the same when the fate of my own favorite attractions hangs in the balance.

So I stayed quiet, until I happened across a tweet that made a reference to the future of IllumiNations. What will happen when they likely announce the replacement for my favorite nighttime show at the D23 Expo later this month? Am I not supposed to be sad? Am I supposed to walk around praising Disney for getting rid of something that literally means the world to me simply because others can do without it and it's in need of a change anyway? Am I supposed to ignore those feelings simply because what follows IllumiNations might be better or more politically correct or in tune with the world we live in today?

Simply, the answer is no, and that's what's important here. It's ok to be sad about change, even the changes coming to Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes, Walt always intended for the parks to be continuously changing, but sometimes change comes with a forced hand, oftentimes after the departure of a long-time sponsor or a change in the social climate. Yes, it's incredible that Disney has waited until now to update the Auction scene in Pirates of the Caribbean when it should have been done years ago. And yes, perhaps if you're arguing that there's nothing wrong with the scene itself, you might want to reexamine your views.

But because these attractions, whether it be experiences as a whole or specific scenes, become a part of our Disney experience, we grow attached to them. There's something special about sailing on Pirates of the Caribbean and hearing "We wants the Redhead!" because it's something we've done for a very long time. I know it was incredibly difficult for me when they removed the smoke and distinct smell of the burning of Rome on Spaceship Earth, and while that was a much smaller change than what's coming to Pirates, it still affected me. It affected a lot of us, just as these new changes will.

And as hard as it might seem, it is time to move ahead. I'm incredibly excited about the New Auction scene in Pirates of the Caribbean, because it's obvious that Disney has already put a lot of time and thought into creating a better message while preserving some of the history and nostalgia from the attraction we grew up with. If that's what we're truly getting and that's how Disney is going to move ahead with whatever is coming next, whether it be for Pirates or Spaceship Earth, IllumiNations or the Universe of Energy, what else could we ask for?

Have a magical day!

Day 382: FAF: The Universe of Energy

It's time for the second Featured Attraction Friday. Last week we looked at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom, and to continue our theme of "Starting Out," we're headed to Epcot. And since I have most of the big name attractions (Ahem...Spaceship Earth), waiting for June, we're heading to a different part of Future World: The Universe of Energy!

What's On The Map:

The Epcot Park map say s specifically Ellen's Energy Adventure, since that's what the nae was officially changed to when they redid it years ago. Take a multimedia romp through time and Ellen DeGeneres' subconscious. "The show begins with a film (featuring a few familiar faces). In it, Ellen DeGeneres is watching Jeopardy! One of the contestants is Ellen's annoying college roommate, Judy. Ellen plays along but keeps striking out, particularly in the Energy category. As she watches, her neighbor Bill Nye, the Science Guy pops in and is aghast at Ellen's ignorance. Shortly thereafter, Ellen dozes off. Ellen dreams she is a contestant on the show, competing against Albert Einstein and her former friend Judy. This time, all of the questions are about energy" (Birnbaum Guide).

"Thankfully, her friend and neighbor Bill Nye is on hand to tutor her, and you're along for the ride as they embark on a time-traveling quest for energy knowledge. Then witness the Final Jeopardy! showdown as Ellen is pitted against her college rival, a brainiac doctor she sardonically refers to as "Stupid Judy," and see how much you're learned about energy" (WDW Website).

A Brief History Lesson: 

This week's history comes from Lost Epcot!

The Universe of Energy opened on October 1, 1982, one of the original attractions of Epcot, and became Ellen's Energy Adventure in 1996. Originally, it was sponsored by Exxon from the years 1982 to 2004, and while the story has changed a bit, it's always been all about energy!

The first version of the Universe of Energy also had a preshow, although "the screen was made up of 100 turning sections that almost resembled cubes. They were not technically cubes though because they had three sides: one black and two white for projection. The five projectors and the turning cubes were synced together to create a kaleidoscope-like show." The theme here was that "energy is never destroyed, nor is new energy created, but energy is perceived in different forms."

From there you would board the vehicles that still grace the attraction today, you know...the really big giant ones that if you stand up or put your arm out too far shut off the entire attraction (it's a problem...please don't do this). There you watch an animated film on how fossil fuels were created before heading into the most talked about part of the show: Primeval World.

Finally you'd have a presentation on present-day energy sources before heading back to the original theater for the grand finale. "The song 'Universe of Energy' was played. Among many other laser-like images, was an astronaut girl. At the time, this was the biggest computer-generated film to be projected."

In September of 1996, the Universe of Energy reopened with the subtitle "Ellen's Energy Adventure."

Fun Facts: 

• Look up at the roof. It's covered with 80,000 photo-voltaic cells that provide solar energy, captured and converted into AC, and then used to power the ride. So, as the voice over indicates during your journey, you are literally "riding on sunshine." 
• During the pre-show, when Ellen realizes she is losing badly at Jeopardy! but has control over the outcome because she's the one dreaming about it, she says, "Freeze!" Note, however, her lips do not move! Oops! 
• Fans of the 1940 Disney movie Fantasia might recognize a small tribute to Walt's most ambitious cinematic undertaking as they ravel past a confrontation between the T-Rex and Stegosaurus. The same scene can be found in the movie's "Rite of Spring" composition, depicting the creation of the cosmos through to the dinosaur's extinction. 
• As you exit the dinosaur portion of the ride, you hear a radio broadcast compliments of KNRG News Radio. Do the station's call letters bring anything to mind They are a shortened version of "kinetic energy." 

My Thoughts: 

It's kind of funny actually. I may have told you the story of the first attraction I went on at Walt Disney World: obviously Spaceship Earth. BUT, I don't think I've told you the story of the SECOND attraction I went on! The Universe of Energy was just redone when I made my first trip in 1996, since I went in October and it had just opened in September. That meant that my parents hadn't been on it previous to going on it with me, and had no idea about what was coming. 

Well, if you've been on the Universe of Energy before, you'll know that it's three things other than hilarious and awesome and ELLEN: long, dark and loud. Now, at 15 months old it's kind of hard for me to figure out all of what's going on, and when the Big Bang came along, it's really loud, and I don't remember whether or not I freaked out  (my parents probably do), but I do know that it's the reason I hated loud noises as a kid. I honestly hated fireworks and everything...all because of the Universe of Energy. 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the attraction now (although I DO wish it were a bit shorter...45 minutes is just a really long time, especially when you're trying to get stuff done). I mean, it has Ellen and Bill Nye and those two are just hilarious. Plus it gets that Jeopardy! theme song just super stuck in your head! What's not to love?

Plus...it taught us the answer to the world's most important question! What is the one type of energy that will never run out! 

And that brings us to the end of our second Featured Attraction Friday. I've still got more to catch up on though...so I'd better keep working! 

What do you think of the Universe of Energy? 

Have a magical day!

Day 260: Bill Nye the Science Guy!

I promised you yesterday that today's post would be about my favorite contestant on Dancing With the Stars, and that's exactly what this is about! My favorite contestant is, obviously, Bill Nye the Science Guy! Those of you who have been to Epcot know half the reason he's so awesome, but honestly I did really grow up watching Bill Nye and learning about science, especially in the classroom.

It honestly makes me kind of sad that today's children won't enjoy Bill Nye's show like I did as a kid. I mean, when the teacher told you that you were going to watch Bill Nye in class it was like the best thing ever! You could learn about all kinds of stuff. Spiders, wind, chemicals, rocks, whatever!

But the best lesson we all learned from Bill Nye? Let me give you a hint: This is the one source of energy that will never run out!

The correct answer (or question if you are going by the rules): What is BrainPower!

That's right, Bill Nye still holds a special place in my heart because of one awesome Disney attraction: Ellen's Energy Adventure. I mean, how can you not not love that attraction! It has Ellen AND Bill Nye! That is just a recipe for AWESOME! Granted, if you're like me when I was a kid, you may not like all the noise (actually we're fairly certain that the Universe of Energy is the reason I have a fear of loud noises), and it is quite long...but you don't notice. Again: ELLEN AND BILL NYE!

So that's why I'm rooting for Bill Nye the Science Guy on Dancing with the Stars. He may have gotten the lowest score last night, but I think we can get him through to the next round so he can really show those silly judges what he's made of!

Frumpstagram today asked for Balloons, and luckily, that's something I had! I chose a picture of a blue balloon I have a picture of from my 2011 trip to Disneyland. The best part about it though is that it reminds me of a blue balloon outside a window at Mama Melroses's in Hollywood Studios I remember from when I was a kid! It's actually one of my earliest memories!

And here's today's Disney History: 1991: The new sitcom Home Improvement, starring comedian Tim Allen, debuts on ABC-TV. The show centers on the daily trials and tribulations of Tim Taylor, a TV show host raising three mischievous boys with help from his loyal co-host, patient wife and genius neighbor.

Have a magical day!