Theme park attractions tend to do well if they are popular. Popularity can be determined in a variety of ways. Does it hit it's target count on a regular basis? What's the average wait time? Do guests rate it highly on surveys? All of these are factors in determining if an attraction is worth keeping around, but sometimes, a fan base can do more than that.
Attracting a hardcore following isn't easy to do. Just because you just built the biggest and baddest attraction out there doesn't mean it has a ton of fans. Often enough, the smaller and less popular attractions have the strongest fan bases. Case in point, the most popular show at Walt Disney World in all four parks is Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
FolK got it's start as a show in the temporary land of Camp Minnie Mickey. The land was designed to be a placeholder until construction could begin on Beastly Kingdom, a land themed to mythological creatures. Beastly Kingdom was never built, but FolK gained a tremendous amount of popularity due to the fan base it developed. The attraction became a must see show at Animal Kingdom and filled to capacity on a regular basis. Way back in 2011, Disney announced that Camp Minnie Mickey would be closing to make way for a new land based on James Cameron's smash hit film Avatar. Despite the fact that the land was closing, FolK re-located to a new theater in the Harambe section of the park in 2014 and is more popular than ever.
Fan bases can sometimes save an attraction, but more often than not, they fall short.
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was one of the most popular opening day attractions in The Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland. In 1998, it was announced that Toad Hall was closing for good in favor of a new attraction based on Winnie the Pooh. Fans organized peaceful in park protests and mass riding to hopefully save Mr. Toad, but alas, it closed on schedule and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh remains open to this day. Because of the fan base, three tributes are hidden throughout Magic Kingdom. In Winnie the Pooh in the tilting house scene, there is a portrait of Mr. Toad handing a deed to Owl. In the Pet Cemetery of The Haunted Mansion, Mr. Toad has gravestone. Lastly, in Town Square Theater in the queue for Mickey Mouse, there is a letter to Mickey from J. Thaddeus Toad.
Another former attraction with a huge following is Epcot's Horizons. It opened in 1983 as part of Epcot's second phase. Seen as a spiritual sequel to the Carousel of Progress, Horizons walked us through how the future could come into being and allowed passengers to choose their own excursion finale, a first of it's kind for a theme park attraction. Although Spaceship Earth is the icon of Epcot, Horizons was the heart and soul. It was the best and most unique dark ride ever made by WED (now WDI) in a park full of unique dark rides. After sponsor General Electric dropped out in 1994, Horizons fate became uncertain. It was closed for a year until it reopened in late 1995 due to Universe of Energy's transformation into Ellen's Energy Adventure and World of Motion becoming Test Track both encountered lengthy delays. Horizons closed for good in January 1999 after Test Track finally opened to the public. Today, Horizons fans continue to keep the attraction's motto alive: "If you can dream it, you can do it." One fan digitally re-created the attraction online on the website Horizons: Resurrected. WDI has proven they are still huge Horizons fans with references on WDW's Space Mountain, Mission: SPACE and even Star Tours at Tokyo Disneyland!
Passionate fan bases keep attractions alive I'm their hearts, but every once in a while, they can help institute a change. When Journey Into Your Imagination opened in 1999, the public despised the fact that Disney and Kodak replaced a beloved dark ride with an awful attempt at synergy, especially the removal of the ride's mascot Figment. A number of protest groups were formed to try to convince Disney to once again redo the ride by bringing back the beloved purple dragon. In 2002 due to low attendance and pressure from protest groups, Disney gave in and re-opened the attraction as Journey Into Imagination with Figment. One of the protest groups, the Friends of Figment, are referenced inside the attraction in the upside down house scene. Bringing Figment back into the spotlight was a step in the right direction, but for many fans, it wasn't enough to right the wrongs Disney and Kodak caused with the second version of the ride. Still, it was nice to see fans' criticisms answered with something besides a half baked apology.
Respecting an attraction's fan base is important, but sometimes getting their blessing isn't a top priority. In December 2011, Universal Studios Florida announced on their Facebook page that Jaws was closing January 2nd, 2012 and encouraged fans to ride while they could. To many, this seemed like a disservice to one of the park's classic attractions (and it honestly was) but Universal had other plans. On the last day of operation, the attraction experienced 75 min waits all day until it's final ride with one of it's original skippers. The ride closed the next day on schedule to make way for a massive construction project that became The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley, which many are calling the best themed land in theme park history. Universal knew that fans would be upset that Jaws was closing, but they were making was for something amazing.
In summery, a fan base is often a force to be reckoned with in the theme park industry. They are of then the hardest to please, but when they are, ride designers know they did a good job. Having a strong, passionate fan base is something most park can only dream of, but making one a reality and keeping them happy can be the most difficult and satisfying aspect of making a theme park, besides money of course.
Written by Chris Coburn