Friday, June 23, 2006
Page 15
AT THE SIDEBAR (Column)
The More Things Change, the More We Complain…
By J’AMY PACHECO
It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
—Alan Cohen
Change. People either love it or hate it; fear it or embrace it. Never has this been more apparent to me than now, with the debate raging about this week’s hottest topic: the soon-to-be-unveiled enhancements of Disneyland’s vintage ride, “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
It’s no secret that “Pirates” has been closed for several months, undergoing changes intended to bring the ride’s storyline in line with the wildly popular Johnny Depp-starring film that was loosely based upon the ride and, presumably, its sure-to-be-wildly-popular sequel.
It’s been a topic of debate for months on a Disney-related board to which I subscribe, with one subscriber going so far as to attempt organizing a “let’s lay flowers outside the ride to symbolize its death” kind of protest.
This was not really a surprising development. In the wide world of Disney freaks (and I count myself among those inhabitants), there are diehards who would rather nothing ever change within the hallowed walls of the Magic Kingdom. There are others who get excited about anything new, and lots of people who stand somewhere in the middle.
“Pirates” opened in 1967, and is said to have been one of the last major rides on which Walt Disney himself actually worked. Perhaps that is why some of Walt’s biggest fans are up at arms over the changes, which won’t even be revealed until this weekend.
Frankly, I’m delighted. I am also, I should point out, one of those who grew up with the original “Pirates.” I remember riding with friends last year, at the beginning of the park’s 50th anniversary celebration, and hearing one of them mention that the powers-that-be should add a Jack Sparrow figure inside one of the ride’s prison cells. She also suggested “they” put a set of golden anniversary ears inside the treasure room.
In spite of my roots in the vintage version, I thought both were great ideas. (And when I learned Sparrow would indeed be in the ride, I wondered if the boats were bugged.)
But others decry the commercialization of the ride.
Change is nothing new at Disneyland. Walt himself said the park would never be completed, and would “continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
I remember many Disneyland elements that have come and gone — the Skyway, which used to transport people across the park in suspended buckets, for example. Or the Adventure Through Inner Space, which we always called “the Microscope Ride.”
The Rocket Rods, America the Beautiful, the Carousel of Progress, America Sings, the pirate ship and Skull Rock are just a few of the attractions that disappeared. There is, in fact, a whole Web site (www.yesterland.com) dedicated to the memory of now-defunct Disneyland attractions.
Sometimes they come back. The Main Street Electrical Parade made a very public departure several years ago, only to resurface across the Esplanade at California Adventure. The submarine ride closed during the last decade, but will reopen next year with a new theme – but the old, familiar submarines.
There are some things I really miss – like the Country Bear Jamboree and the Skyway – but mostly because my little girl never got to see them and wishes she could. For the most part, I welcome change and look forward to seeing something new.
Besides, I recently saw a video of the “Pirates” ride during its early days, and I gotta tell you, it’s already changed. It changed most recently in the late 1990s, when it was decided to make the ride more “politically correct.”
The Greek philosopher Heraclites said, “Nothing endures but change.”
Disneyland has endured for more than 50 years, and the Pirates of the Caribbean have endured for almost 40 of those years. I have a feeling the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow isn’t going to change that.
I’m not invited to this weekend’s premiere – doggone it — but can’t wait to climb aboard. I want to see what’s new. I’m anxious to get a good look at the treasure room — where I’m hoping I’ll be able to spot a pair of golden ears…
Copyright 2006, Metropolitan News Company