To make way for some of the New Fantasyland, some of the old is going away. On May 31, 2012 Snow White’s Scary Adventures closed down to make way for a new meet-and-greet area while construction continues on the New Fantasyland. There is no official word on what will takes it place once the new land is open and the princesses are in their permanent homes so Snow White’s Scary Adventures goes the way of our beloved Mr. Toad.
Here is a video of the attraction to enjoy for posterity.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrJefGpuFlk&feature=youtu.be
Wrapping it Up
I understand, and applaud, the march of progress and updating the park to meet a new generation of guests’ expectations but I think closing an attraction to add a meet-and-greet area is just a bad idea. People pay a lot of money to visit the parks and replacing an honest-to-goodness attraction with a photo-opportunity is not the way to answer the challenge set forth by the magnificent Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Snow White’s Scary Adventure may have been dated, but it was a touchstone of the Magic Kingdom that was there on opening day in 1971 and provided an experience that was more than a long wait in a hot line for an all-too brief hug, photograph and autograph that its replacement will provide.
This is not to say meeting the characters is without merit but to create an oppressive queue area just to meet the characters is not creating the immersive entertainment experiences the Disney Company is world-reknowned for. I think the company could have developed a solution that met their current and future needs without the expense of removing an attraction beloved by fans from the park.
I am excited by the prospect of the New Fantasyland, but in the details provided thus far, I do not think it is a sufficiently powerful enough response to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to attract the demographic that the company wants, and needs, to continue drawing the lions share of visitors to Orlando. We will know more as this new land is phased in over the next few months/years but I hope it is comprised mostly solid attractions with a modicum of meet-and-greets; as a parent of their target demographic I expect more than photo opportunities for the price of admission. That’s just my 2¢.
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