If you’re a millennial visiting Magic Kingdom, you may be faced with a new problem!
Magic Kingdom
No, we’re not talking about how difficult it is to get in and out of the Space Mountain ride vehicles now, or that you may need to take an antacid before you start your Magic Kingdom snack crawl. We mean that the park is CHANGING, and it doesn’t look quite like how you remember it growing up!
It’s simply a fact that Disney World is going to change over time. We’ve seen it over and over again since the resort opened in 1971, with rides getting replaced, new lands being built, hotels getting updated, and food options coming and going seemingly constantly.
Welcome to Magic Kingdom
Visiting Magic Kingdom definitely isn’t the same as it was when you were growing up. Mickey’s ToonTown is gone and replaced with “new” Fantasyland, and soon, we’ll be saying goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat.
Tom Sawyer Island
But with these things from your childhood disappearing, you may find that what they’re being replaced with doesn’t appeal to you as directly as it used to. Think back — when Mickey’s ToonTown was replaced with New Fantasyland, the area became a millennial kid’s dream. It’s home to spaces inspired by The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast…movies that were a hit back in the 80s and 90s.
Gaston’s Tavern
Now, the changes and expansions are focusing more on IP that appeals to Gen Z or even Gen Alpha. Splash Mountain was replaced with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on a movie that came out in 2009. Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America will become a Cars-themed space, which is a movie franchise that was made popular in the 2000s as well.
Piston Peak ©Disney
Even Country Bear Jamboree got some updates in summer 2024 to make it appeal more to the generations of today. Now, the show features the bears singing country versions of Disney songs instead of the bizarre soundtrack of years past.
The Country Bears
Disney as a company is often focused on the motto of “keep moving forward,” and unfortunately, that means we can’t expect attractions, shows, and rides to stick around forever. If something isn’t specifically drawing in guests, then it’s essentially “wasted” space in the parks that could be transformed into something more profitable. It’s sad, but it’s the way that the theme park business works.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Thankfully, there are still plenty of things for millennials to enjoy in the parks. Disney definitely won’t forget about you entirely — there IS a Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom, after all!
Villains Land Concept Art ©Disney
Heading to Disney World? Check out 50 new things coming to Disney World in the video below!
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I still say that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is not as good, or interesting, or as funny as Splash Mountain. And I’m a BOOMER! I will always miss Splash Mountain.
We are planning to go sometime next year, the time keeps shfiting. I will say this – for us, we are all thrilled to see new characters, new attractions, and new lands. What isn’t going over well – and it’s hitting the youngest people in our group the most – is how much is being lost or changed. Some changes are great, and sorely needed. In other cases, what’s going away was beloved, or beautiful, or still had plenty of fans and saw plenty of traffic. And the inexplicable attractions that remain, and the closed down spaces that have sat for many years, rub salt in the wound.