Are You Too Old for Disneyland? [Archive]

Lloydian

04-18-2007, 10:42 AM

I think this is more of a perception problem than anything else. It's kind of related to the "why do things occur in groups of three?" syndrome. The answer to that one is "because that's how you grouped them."

We're a very short time away from the Finding Nemo attraction opening at Disneyland, which I would venture is a senior friendly E-Ticket attraction. In the last ten years, limiting myself to US parks, I've seen Soaring over California make its debut, the safari ride at Animal Kingdom has arrived as has the "It's Tough to be a Bug" feature. The Winnie the Pooh ride has arrived on both coasts, and Disneyland's Autopia has been completely overhauled. Or how about the holiday overlays for Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World, not to mention the update to Pirates we recently saw.

One might argue that these are not all E-Ticket attractions, to which I would reply, "and Nature's Minetrain through Wonderland was?"

By their very nature, rides that appeal to large groups of people stand a greater chance of commanding the E-Ticket rating, but that does not mean that D-Ticket rides are not equally important to the experience.

As a 42 year old, I recognize that some aspects of these parks will hold less value to me as I age, but when I compare the Disney experience to those that Walt was talking about when saying that he wanted something for kids and parents to enjoy together, well I just think they're doing fine.