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Could Disney remove Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar from its theme parks?
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IPs in the Parks
IPs (or Intellectual Properties) refer to popular movies, TV shows, and video game series. Disney franchises such as Star Wars, Toy Story, the Lion King, the Avengers, and more are some of the most famous examples.
Credit: Disney
However, IPs aren’t specific to the Walt Disney Company or even Disney Parks. Examples also include the Harry Potter-themed rides and lands at Universal Orlando Resort or Sesame Street attractions at SeaWorld.
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Many people have criticized Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort for its overuse of intellectual properties. Some examples include the changing of Maelstrom to Frozen Ever After at EPCOT, the addition of TRON: Lightcycle Run at Tomorrowland, and the replacement of much of Disney’s Hollywood Studios with Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
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Meanwhile, many Disney Park purists point to classic rides that don’t have ties to a popular franchise as some of the best Disney has to offer. These examples include the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Spaceship Earth, Expedition Everest, and the Kilimanjaro Safaris.
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Over the years, the theme park community has constantly debated IP-based attractions versus original storylines based on rides and shows.
The Various Treehouses
However, Disney has recently sent a signal that it may be looking to drop IP attractions instead of those without ties to movies and shows.
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In Disneyland Park, located in Anaheim, there have been recent changes to the Adventureland Treehouse.
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The original version of The Treehouse was based on the Swiss Family Robinson, the 1960 film made by Disney. However, in the late 90s, the classic Swiss Family Treehouse became a newer IP – Tarzan (1999).
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The changes to the walkthrough attraction included new props and set pieces, including removing Swiss Family mannequins that were replaced by Tarzan characters.
Credit: Ronald Woan, Flickr
However, the Adventureland Treehouse has now undergone a new reimagining.
It is now…neither Swiss Family Robinson nor Tarzan-themed.
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So what is it exactly?
The New Adventureland Treehouse
Opening next week (November 10), the new treehouse is not tied to any of the previous movies. Although it is listed as being inspired by the Swiss Family Robinson, it has an original family and story.
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Although much of the main structure of the treehouse remains intact, it now contains a story about a family who lives in a tree – with rooms designed by each family member. The mother has a music den, the son has a nature room, and the daughter has an astronomy loft.
Credit: Disney
The new attraction also has a kitchen and dining room that the family shares, and the father has an art studio.
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Could this be a sign that Disney Imagineering may be steering away from using current popular movies and characters in attractions and returning to a more timeless style? We will have to see…
For someone that as gone to Disneyland and Disney World over the last 40+ yrs I have mixed feelings though I prefer the old school put I also like a mix of new ideas into the parks but need to keep in the mind that a lot of the rides wore base on old Disney movies so trying to take IP’s out might be a a little bit odd but they need to be in the mix of younger age and a mix of older park visitors as I am in my 60’s now I am not a rider but a show go’er whish is more of the movies than anything else so trying to get rid IP’s may not be a good thing. But I think Walt founded the Disneyland in part on Mickey Mouse so are you gonna take Mickey away as well?