Imagineers Still Want to Create Original Attractions & Stories, They Just Aren’t Allowed To

Walt Disney Imagineers shared with the Wall Street Journal that continued attempts to bring original ideas to the Disney Parks have been consistently rejected by executives. Imagineers Restricted to Franchises by Executives Since Bob Iger originally took over as CEO in 2005, Disney Parks have received new lands and attractions almost exclusively based on existing IP, from Star Wars to Marvel to Avatar, and original attractions have been rethemed to fit IP. The list is long: Splash Mountain turning into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, EPCOT’s Maelstrom becoming Frozen Ever After, and Star Wars overlays on multiple Space Mountains. In Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, the Rivers of America in Frontierland — home to the Liberty Square Riverboat — is currently being demolished to build Piston Peak, a new land inspired by Cars....