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How Different Would Disney Be If These Three Things Never Happened?

disney world changes past
Credit: Disney/Canva

Recently, Disney fans asked some big “what if” questions about Disney and Disney World and wondered about how different things could have been if some events had gone differently.

The Walt Disney World Resort, with its four theme parks—Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT—and its wonderful shopping and dining district, Disney Springs, is a treat for any Disney fan from anywhere in the world.

But for Disney World to exist in its current state, there are some pivotal moments in the history of the parks that made it such that the Disney resort could become what it is today. Some fans decided to debate some of the biggest “what ifs” in Disney and Disney World history.

"Partners" statue, Cinderella Castle, Disney's Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort

“Partners” statue in front of Cinderella Castle, Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Related: The Decade That Changed Walt Disney World…Forever

Michael Eisner and Frank Wells Partnership

Many Disney fans still believe that Michael Eisner’s time at the helm of The Walt Disney Company was one of the most successful periods the company had seen. While Eisner is certainly responsible for this, many also credit his partnership with Frank Wells.

Some fans questioned what the state of the company would have been if Frank Wells never died in the helicopter crash, considering “He was the peacekeeper between Eisner, Katzenberg, and Roy E Disney.”

disney's hollywood studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

Failure of Euro Disney

Many also pointed out the failure of EuroDisney and wondered about what might have happened if the company didn’t spend all that money on the Disney Park.

One fan opined, “Euro Disney set off at least a decade of making things way worse at all the other parks with all the budget cuts and canceled projects. I didn’t really realize how MUCH til I saw some deep dive type videos on YouTube.”

Another agreed, “That took so much steam out of the Disney Decade and in many ways the company is still recovering from decisions made in its aftermath.”

Mickey and Minnie at Disney Springs

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Disney Springs / Credit: Disney

Walt Disney Lived Longer

Finally, the classic “What if Walt Disney had lived longer?”

Many fans, even today, recall the founder of the company when criticizing the current state of Disney, commenting that the founder may not have liked the state of things. Whether you agree with the sentiment or not, one can’t help but wonder what the state of Disney World and The Walt Disney Company would have been if its founder had lived even ten more years.

Pandora Sunset Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Todd F. Burgess, Flickr

What do you think of these “what if” scenarios? Are there any you would add to the list? Let us know in the comments! 

About Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.

2 comments

  1. One thing is for sure, if both Walt Disney and Frank Wells lived longer, we would not have had Bob Iger for as long as we have had. Eisner might have stayed on another 10 years and that would have been much better. Iger and his executive team are the worst. Bland boring resorts, neglect of WDW, built resorts and partnered with communist China, and dived into culture wars.

  2. Christopher Jones

    I still wished we could had beastly kingdom

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