The Magic Kingdom is the capital of Walt Disney World and the world’s most popular theme park, but that doesn’t mean certain things at the park don’t make us cringe.
Whether it’s parts of rides or the behavior of certain guests, we can’t help but feel just a bit of the ick every time we come across these things at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Carousel of Progress Finale
Where do we even start with the finale of the Carousel of Progress? As we’ve covered before, the ending of this overall classic Disney attraction is in DESPERATE need of an overhaul. It hasn’t seen a significant upgrade – – and truth be told it’s barely been touched – – since 1994… and it shows.
The entire sequence is stuck in the 1990s, technologically and aesthetically. Which is especially cringe since, you know, the entire point of the attraction is the concept of a “Great Big Beautiful TOMORROW”!
And that’s not even bringing up Grannie, the “Resident Flying Ace” and her out-of-date-when-it-was-introduced video game.
Wasting Time After Rope Drop
We’re going to preface this by saying we have no issue with guests who don’t want to rush their Disney World mornings. There’s definitely an appeal to strolling down Main Street, coffee-in-hand, letting the early morning magic roll over oneself. However, it makes us cringe when we see someone do that after rope-dropping the park.
Why would someone wake up that early, get down to the Magic Kingdom, wait on a massive line, and rush into the park… only to wait on a Starbucks line? If you’re not going to try and take advantage of getting to TRON Lightcycle / Run or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, why put yourself through rope drop at all?
Rushing Out After Fireworks
Moving from the start of the day to the end, we can’t help but cringe when we see folks rushing out immediately after the fireworks. Don’t get us wrong, we understand the desire to get home after a long park day. However, the truth is that post-fireworks is a massive crowd crush that will just leave you packed in gigantic lines to get back to your hotel or car at the Transportation and Ticket Center.
Instead, hang out in the park for just a bit and let things empty out and clear slightly before heading out. It’ll make the experience smoother, and provide some serene time in the park after dark to boot.
Booing the Robots
While this has probably always been the case, the last couple of decades has seen a marked increase in the amount of cheering and booing that goes on in the Hall of Presidents.
Look, there is NO partisan argument. WHATEVER end of the political spectrum one falls on, it is peak cringe to cheer and boo animatronics. They’re not actual politicians, they’re robots. As lifelike as they are, it’s the equivalent of booing a photo.
While we love the Magic Kingdom, we wouldn’t mind skipping all of these cringey experiences on our next visit. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on the Disney World experience.
The 100-Minute Choice You Must Make at Rope Drop in Magic Kingdom
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What makes you cringe most at the Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below.
I think if you’re booing the Hall of Presidents you need to grow up
They should stop letting the current presidents give speeches. They never did this until Bill Clinton urged them to during his Presidency. Go back to just having Lincoln, Washington and other historically consequential Presidents speak.
Identity politics and the loss of civility in the US has killed the Hall of Presidents attraction. Let’s not be obtuse here. People aren’t booing robots, they’re booing what those robots represent.
One should question Disney for their decision to exhibit divisive political figures in the first place, although they’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Not displaying presidents after a certain point will not work, and shutting down the attraction would be extremely controversial.
Does the Kiss Goodnight still happen after the crowds clear?