What in the World? Walt Disney World’s Purple Signage is Being Replaced.

To channel a little bit of our friend Alexander Hamilton, “Can I be real a second? For just a millisecond?” Today, the latest chapter of what I can only describe as “When Disney Fixes Something That Isn’t Broken” has been revealed: the Walt Disney World directional signage appears to be in the process of being replaced.

It seems that the iconic red and purple signs are on their way out; we now have blue and yellowish/gold signage (hello, 50th Anniversary), as seen in the image above. Yes, we needed to have the Galactic Starcruiser added, but did we need a completely different color scheme and overall aesthetic than the one we’ve grown to love over the years?

I’ve tried to come to the realization over the last year and a half that being a fan of Walt Disney World now means that I must hold on to portions of my fandom loosely. After all, we’ve learned from the changes and decisions being made that anything could be taken away or changed literally overnight. But I’m finding that hard to do. I’m a fan. This is my happy place, and, sure, something like a change in signage shouldn’t be a big deal, but it is.

Those red and purple signs are ones that we fans delight in seeing once we’ve passed under the Walt Disney World arches (which changed in the past year as well). Those signs mean we’re home. They’re unlike anything that we see in our day to day daily lives. And now they’re going away.

So yes, there are positive things to celebrate in Walt Disney World fandom. That Starblaster? I could pull up a chair and sit on the walkway and stare at that thing ’til the cows come home. But, for what seems like the thousandth time in recent months, something’s being taken away.

Sure, they’re just signs along a roadway. But they signaled that we had finally returned to the Magic. And they were important to us.