EDITORIAL: Is Walt Disney Sending a Message From Beyond? Fans See Signs as Magic Kingdom Falters and Rivers of America Refill

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Before I went to Walt Disney World, our team asked me to go to Magic Kingdom and see if the Rivers of America were refilling with water. I needed to check it out myself. What’s happening there is amazing, but it’s a surprising kind of magic.

Recent choices made by Disney’s current leaders to alter Walt Disney’s original parks-changes he likely wouldn’t have approved-are facing a surprisingly strong backlash. However, based on past behavior, Disney’s leadership probably won’t respond to this criticism and will continue with their plans.

My Time As a Pixie Duster

As far back as I can remember, I’ve loved theme parks.

I grew up visiting Six Flags in St. Louis with my family, but I’ll always remember the first time I saw Cinderella Castle at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in July 1977. It was a magical experience, and I was instantly captivated – just like a character in a classic Disney cartoon!

Yes, to quote a good friend, “pixie dust is a powerful drug!”

Growing up, we visited Disney World many times, and Epcot felt like a magical wonderland. I especially loved the Disney movies from the 1990s – like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King – and would sing their songs constantly. It was truly a spectacular experience!

I auditioned for the part of Gaston at Hollywood Studios in 2005. The following year, in 2006, I visited Walt Disney World with my family for the first time. Then, in 2009, I moved to Orlando and became a regular visitor with an annual pass.

I absolutely loved it! My passion for Disney just kept getting stronger, and in 2014, I was thrilled to start working as a Disney Cast Member.

I worked as a sales representative for the Disney Vacation Club, a job I’d always dreamed of having. While working for Disney was fantastic, my perspective shifted after seeing the inner workings of the company. Then, the pandemic in 2020 changed everything.

When I went back to work in 2021, I noticed the sausage didn’t taste the same anymore. Disney had stopped making that delicious, classic country sausage – the kind that smelled like a warm, comforting breakfast your grandmother used to make on a cold winter morning. You know, that inviting aroma that would fill the house and gently wake you up?

I used to love Disney – it’s what drew me to work there. But things started to change after 2021. As Culture Casino pointed out, it felt like the quality had really declined – it wasn’t the same Disney I remembered.

The Disney Difference That Was, But No Longer Is

The cheerful song “Zippety Doo Dah” was featured in a popular 2015 Disney ad campaign that celebrated what made Disney special.

Disney used to offer perks like early park access, free MagicBands, airport transportation, and the ability to skip lines with FastPass+. It was clear that making guests happy was a top priority for the Disney brand.

It really breaks my heart thinking about how different things used to be. I honestly didn’t realize Disney was already starting to struggle back then. And you know what? I almost envy the Disney fans who haven’t noticed the missteps Iger and his team have been making – they still get to experience the magic without a shadow of doubt, and that’s a beautiful thing.

But unfortunately, I’m at the parks enough to notice the slide.

It’s not just the parks struggling; the Disney brand as a whole is losing appeal. Disney is increasingly including messages in its shows and movies – and those of its owned brands like Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars – that many see as conflicting with traditional family values.

It’s come to the parks as well.

When Disney’s current messaging goes against the values Walt Disney held so strongly, it stifles creativity. The people now in charge of the Disney brand seem so focused on pushing a specific agenda that they’ve lost sight of what makes a good story for everyone. They appear to be creating content only for themselves, and the quality reflects that.

Disney has eliminated many of the things that once made a visit special, and standards for safety, entertainment, and customer service have declined. This change is being promoted under the banner of “inclusion,” but it’s actually creating a more unwelcoming environment. Perhaps the biggest mistake of all is adding alcohol sales to the Magic Kingdom, including opening a full bar right in the middle of Adventureland.

Is Walt Sending “A Message, From Somewhere Beyond”?

“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome.”

Walt Disney wanted guests at his parks – Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom – to feel comfortable and safe, and he specifically hoped to attract kind and respectful visitors.

He firmly opposed allowing any alcohol in his parks. When questioned about this, he explained simply that he didn’t want alcohol-no liquor, no beer, nothing at all-because it would attract disruptive people and those who didn’t need it.

Walt Disney wanted his parks to be places where families could have fun without being exposed to anything inappropriate or disruptive. He designed them to appeal to a wide audience, and he accepted that not everyone would be interested – and that was perfectly fine with him.

Company leaders are now adding bars throughout the parks, most recently opening “The Beak & Barrel” at Magic Kingdom on August 29th, 2025. Unfortunately, its opening was immediately followed by a complete power outage.

Walt Disney World experienced widespread power outages all day, causing the monorail to stop running and more than 40 attractions to temporarily close. Guests found themselves in some unsettling situations as rides halted unexpectedly.

The technical issue impacted all of Walt Disney World, including its stores and restaurants. Experts believe the company lost millions of dollars in revenue due to the disruption that day.

I found myself wondering if Walt Disney was somehow unhappy with the changes being made. He originally designed Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Rivers of America, both of which are now closed to create a new area themed around the movie *Cars*. This new land, called “Piston Peak,” will have a completely different feel from the original frontier setting.

In July, Disney Imagineers started draining the Rivers of America, and the riverbed was almost completely dry. However, recent rainfall has refilled the river, restoring the water level.

It seems they’re fighting against the very essence of Walt Disney himself. It’s hard to know for sure, but when I saw this on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, it felt like a powerful message from him – a very stern one.

He deeply cares about preserving American culture and history within his parks, and that really resonated with me – it was genuinely upsetting to see things heading in a different direction. It’s tempting to criticize Disney’s recent choices, and I sometimes do. But at its heart, I think our country could really benefit from remembering the strong values that Walt Disney stood for.

Stories about heroes, the fight between good and evil, and the pursuit of freedom are more important now than ever.

Walt Disney World used to be a wonderful escape, a place to enjoy imagination, American history, and a bright vision for the future. However, many feel it’s losing that special quality under its current management.

I’m not certain if Walt Disney is trying to tell us something, but as someone who appreciates classic Disney, I hope we all make it clear: we want the things we love to return.

We desperately need classic storytelling with strong values – stories where good triumphs over evil. If Disney doesn’t find leaders who embrace the original spirit of Walt Disney, we risk losing the wonder and enchantment that have always defined it.

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2025-09-14 17:59