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By Mike Patrick, Jr., M.D.
www.pediacast.org
 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the El Rio Del Tiempo is no more. You heard me right—the River of Time in the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT reopened this month as Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros.
Okay, so maybe this doesn't exactly come as bad news for some. But before you get too excited about the prospect of a brand-new Disney attraction, I should point out the change is really just an elaborate rehab with a new name and the creation of a story line thrown in for good measure.
Those with a sentimental bond to the 25 year-old attraction will be happy to know the "It's a Small World" rejects are still dancing around in authentic Mexican garb. The mariachi skeletons are still there. So are the cliff divers and the fireworks. But some of the old video footage is missing, most notably the pesky shopkeeper at the end of the sequence—the one who keeps offering deals too good to pass up.
Apparently, there were complaints he shed a bad light on Mexican merchants. Too bad, really. He always made me smile.
So what else has changed? Well, the most notable addition are the
birds: Jose Carioca, Donald Duck, and Panchito Pistols—otherwise known as the Three Caballeros.
This trio has a concert to perform in Mexico City. Trouble is Donald Duck has wandered off and, to nobody's surprise, is up to no good mingling with the tourists. Jose and Panchito are on a quest to find their friend before he misses the concert. Do they succeed? I'll leave that for you to discover on your next visit to EPCOT.
The upgrades weren't reserved for the ride's interior. The loading platform also saw extensive change. Designed prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the entrance queue was too narrow to accommodate wheelchairs, forcing disabled guests to travel against the flow of traffic down an only slightly wider exit ramp. The new design fixed these problem with an ADA-friendly interface.
The loading area also features new eye candy, including festive banners and flags and large paintings of the show's three stars.
Change is no stranger to Mexico's World Showcase pavilion. The original design called for a giant vine-covered Aztec pyramid in the middle of a dense rain forest. Cool concept. But there was also concern many tourists wouldn't discover the structure as intended, resulting in fewer visitors, fewer opportunities to entertain, and fewer sales of merchandise and food.
So Imagineers changed the plan, moving the pyramid closer to the World Showcase promenade and eliminating the vines and trees. There were, however, voices in the Imagineering community whose support remained steadfast for the discovery motif. They worked out a compromise and, since the building's design utilized a steep set of entrance stairs on the front of the pyramid, they constructed an accessible ramp next to the structure that wound its way through a dense rain forest, complete with parrots and a thick artificial mist.
In recent years, the discovery path has fallen victim to progress. The birds moved to Animal Kingdom. The mist dried up. The vegetation shrank back. And the walkway received a new set of ADA-compliant handrails.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating a slippery path with fog-induced low visibility for those who need an accessible entrance.
It's just that the concept of a discoverable pyramid deep within a misty rain forest rocked, and it's sad to see it left unrealized.
There is some good from recent change. The Three Caballeros are vintage Disney. The green parrot, Jose Carioca, and Donald Duck first played off each other in 1942, during Walt Disney's sixth animated feature, "Saludos Amigos." They were reunited and joined by Panchito Pistols, a red gun-toting rooster, in the 1944 sequel "The Three Caballeros."
According to the documentary "Life Goes to War," these films were actually funded by the U.S. State Department as a goodwill gesture to Latin America during the second World War. Many Latin American governments had secret ties to Nazi Germany. But if the United States could win over the people of these nations, it would be difficult for the Nazis to wield influence.
"Saludos Amigos" (which translates into "Hello Friends") debuted in Rio de Janeiro, and "The Three Caballeros" first showed in Mexico City, each with Spanish soundtracks playing to large enthusiastic audiences. These films also included live-action segments with several Latin American stars of the period.
Walt Disney actually took a group of animators on a South-of-the-Border tour to gain inspiration and collect research for these projects. While the films fell flat in their American theatrical release, the fact their intended audience received them so well speaks volumes for the cultural authenticity of the story lines.
As it turns out, Jose Carioca became the largest Latin American star of the trio, later appearing in many cartoon shorts and comic books.
In the end, I think the addition of the Three Caballeros is good for the Mexico pavilion. I have read some disappointing reviews of their inclusion, but what these critics are forgetting is the historical importance of the three birds. They were ambassadors of good will when America needed a friend. And when called upon, they served this purpose well. It seems only fitting they be remembered in Mexico with the creation of an attraction mixing live action and animation—since that was the nature of their films.
Really, the only complaint I have is the death of that pesky shopkeeper. I'll definitely miss him.
If you haven't ridden Mexico's new Gran Fiesta Tour, give it a go your next trip to EPCOT. And when you do, be sure to mention the historical significance of the Three Caballeros with those waiting with you.
That's right, go ahead and share obscure Disney trivia with strangers.
Got a problem with that? I sure hope not. After all, I come here and do it every week!
Dr Mike is a board-certified pediatrician and host of Pediacast: A Pediatric Podcast for Parents. You can read his blog, listen to the podcast, and sign up for his newsletter at www.pediacast.org.
COPYRIGHT 2006 MIKE PATRICK JR
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