As
my readers may already be aware, there was a kerfuffle
in the Disney theme park fandom recently, concerning comments made by
Grand Poobah Bob Iger to the effect that IP-based attractions are
inherently superior to original ones. Big Bad Bob's description of
Expedition Everest as “nondescript” and “themed like India or
whatever” evoked such a backlash that it was later edited out of
the transcript of the interview where he said it, in addition to
which he assured us all over Twitter that he loves
Expedition Everest. But I don't think anyone takes him at his word,
because the insensitive wording was part of a larger assertion that
what guests really want out of their Disney theme park visit is to
encounter Disney characters (and that's why IP rides are so, so
great).
Except...Bob?
Disney characters are all over
the original attraction concepts. Expedition Everest itself has a
particular infamous one: the giant Yeti. He (?) may not be a
particularly detailed character, but he's still a character,
a recognizable one, and he was created for a Disney production, ergo
he is a Disney character.
And
if anything, Everest's Yeti is one of the least
interesting of the park-original characters, insofar as it's just a
huge ferocious animal. (Even that other
famous Disney theme park Yeti, Harold of the Matterhorn Bobsleds, has
a little more going on—he's a collector!*) There are quite a few
attraction personalities with a lot
more...well, personality. Turns out, the Imagineers are kind of
awesome at drawing characters in broad strokes so that you can get
what they're about even in the compressed timeframe of a typical
theme park attraction.
Here
are just a few examples, past and present.
