Somewhere along the way, Disney lost the plot. The parks that once transported guests into carefully curated worlds, each with a distinct story, time period, and sense of place, have started to blur into a patchwork of branded experiences. And while change is inevitable (and often welcome), what’s missing today is the thoughtful cohesion that once defined Disney’s best work.
Remember when Disney California Adventure was a love letter to California? Or when Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) celebrated the golden age of filmmaking? Even Frontierland, once a tribute to the American frontier, now seems poised to become a confusing blend of pioneer past and Pixar present, thanks to plans for a Cars-themed Piston Peak area. And EPCOT? What began as a bold exploration of human innovation and international culture has softened into the vague and corporate-sounding “magic of possibility,” a catch-all theme designed to justify the addition of more Disney-owned intellectual property.
Let me be clear: I’m not against progress. Walt Disney himself famously said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Parks should evolve, and new ideas should be embraced. But the direction of that growth matters. Adding Pandora – The World of Avatar to Disney California Adventure made little thematic sense; it’s a beautiful land, but what on Earth (or Pandora) does it have to do with California?
It’s not that these additions are bad. On the contrary, many of them are incredible feats of design and storytelling. But what once set Disney parks apart was their commitment to theme, those invisible threads that held a land together and gave it a soul. That’s what elevated the parks from amusement to art. And too often now, those threads are being cut in favor of synergy and short-term appeal.
Should Disney say no to great new ideas just because they don’t fit a park’s original theme? Not necessarily. But there should be a genuine, creative effort to ensure new additions enhance the story a land or park is telling, not undermine it. Take the idea of a new Piston Peak National Park (mini-Cars Land), for example. It sounds like a fun addition, but wouldn’t a Cars Land make more sense to replace the outdated Tomorrowland Speedway in Magic Kingdom? That attraction is thematically disconnected, takes up a huge footprint, and a modern reimagining would better suit Tomorrowland than it ever could Frontierland.
Frontierland, once firmly planted in the 1800s, now faces a muddled future: part Old West, part modern-day National Park. It’s a thematic tug-of-war that risks leaving the land without a clear identity.
The one park at Walt Disney World that still holds its theme together remarkably well is Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Even its upcoming expansions, like the Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions, are reportedly being developed with the park’s mission in mind. Word is the Indiana Jones attraction may involve a mythical animal hidden deep in the jungle, a smart way to align with Animal Kingdom’s focus on wildlife and conservation. It’s not about the IP, it’s about how you use it.
That’s the key. Disney doesn’t need to stop evolving. But in the rush to insert familiar franchises, the parks must not lose what made them special in the first place: immersive, intentional storytelling where everything, down to the pavement you walk on, feels like it belongs.
Let’s hope that in the next chapter of Disney parks, the theme in “theme park” makes a comeback.
