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I heard a rumor

Image: Disney

You heard it, too. We all dismissed it since the idea seemed so ludicrous…much like the idea of a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. This IP is sneaky in that way. The rumor none of us believed was that Disney would replace The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, one of their greatest attractions, with Guardians of the Galaxy. It seemed funny at first, but some of us started to worry once we started to think about the situation from Disney’s perspective.

Here’s something you may not realize each time you enter the Tower of Terror. You’re making a donation to CBS Studios when you do. They’re the rightful owners of The Twilight Zone IP, and so they’re the ones to whom Disney cuts a check each year. They agreed to this deal in the early 1990s when Disney-MGM Studios needed a savior, the proverbial e-ticket attraction. They did it because the CEO at the time, Michael Eisner, liked making deals with people he knew, which meant people in the movie industry.

Robert Iger is different. He has systematically boosted the Disney library whenever possible, paying billions of dollars to acquire some of the strongest IPs in the entirety of pop culture. He didn’t do that so that he could turn around and write checks to competitors in the marketplace. Disney isn’t at war with CBS Corporation the way that they are with Universal Studios and thereby NBCUniversal/Comcast. It’s not a petty act to want to stop those checks. It’s a sound business decision, at least in theory. The catch is that they have to break something beautiful to achieve that goal.

The problem everyone had with the rumor was the very feud with Universal Studios I’m referencing here. Disney’s enemy has an ironclad contract saying that they get dibs on Marvel characters at their Florida theme park. That matter’s eventually going to get settled in court or Disney will grudgingly write Universal a check to buy themselves out of a bad deal. Until then, they seemed locked out of a potential Marvel ride at Walt Disney World, at least one with characters already present at Universal Studios Florida.

What nobody had considered is that Guardians of the Galaxy doesn’t qualify. Since it was largely deemed a joke of a superhero team throughout its existence, Universal didn’t want them. That’s another reason why Disney execs struck gold when they locked in on Guardians as a potential movie project. They have an IP of soaring value that’s (arguably) free from legal issues. It already sold tons of merchandise prior to having a presence at Disney theme parks. You can connect the dots from here.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end

Image: Disney

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror didn’t arrive at Disney California Adventure until a decade after the original version. Since its 2004 inception, however, the attraction has become one of two wildly popular rides there, Radiator Springs Racers being the other. While it’s a dozen years old by now, that’s not much time at all at a theme park where some of the original rides from Disneyland’s opening day are still operational. Sadly, it will never celebrate its 13th anniversary.

On July 23, 2016, Disney once again leveraged their platform at Comic Con to make a grand announcement about Guardians of the Galaxy. This one had nothing to do with a movie. Instead, Disney confirmed the seemingly impossible rumor we’d all heard. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! would replace The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disneyland Resort. The current attraction will close permanently on January 3, 2017.

The explanation for this change is a financial one, and it exists on several levels. The critical one is that slotting the Guardians of the Galaxy in a theme park will enhance merchandising revenue for their newly improved IP. It’ll boost the awareness of the product among non-fans while enhancing the perception for everyone. Disney isn’t in the habit of building theme park attractions for flashes in the pan. They’re showing their confidence in the IP by shutting down one of the most popular attractions at Disney California Adventure to host it there.

Yes, there’s a downside to that move. Some Disney fans will always begrudge Guardians of the Galaxy for what it represents. It’s the death of Tower of Terror at Disneyland. A lot of people will never forget that. From the corporate perspective, however, it makes a ton of sense. In a single move, Disney can elevate one of their surging brands while simultaneously saving money on a payout to CBS.

Image: Disney

I feel you screaming at me about this, and I know what you’re going to say. Yes, Disney will suffer a cost in repurposing Tower of Terror into an outer space attraction. And yes, that amount might supersede any potential savings from the CBS payout over the next decade. Why doesn’t Disney care? They’re building something of their own at the expense of an IP someone else owns and licenses. Family comes first, and Guardians of the Galaxy is now an integral part of the Disney family.

What’s fascinating about this change is that Imagineers won’t duplicate it at Walt Disney World. Instead, a second strange rumor is floating around. It involves Epcot rather than The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. If true, Guardians of the Galaxy would once again signal the end of a longstanding Disney attraction, in this case Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Such a move allows Disney to save the original version of Tower of Terror while revamping one of the most outdated (but lovable) parts of Epcot.

The shocking aspect of this rumor is the hallmark change it hints at becoming a reality. After decades of frustration with the lackluster treatment of the Future World portion of Epcot, park planners are contemplating something dramatic. Should they discard an educational attraction in favor of one that’s pure entertainment and IP-centric, they’d backhandedly acknowledge that Future World requires a reevaluation.

The sad, frustrating truth is that Future World does need that sort of infusion of new ideas. Otherwise, it will continue to falter as a byproduct of the 1970s perceptions of what the world would look like in the 21st century. Apparently, it’s going to look like Guardians of the Galaxy, as Ellen DeGeneres now has one foot out the door. That’s a strange way to treat the primary voice of the number one movie of the year, but Disney’s considering it.

Image: Disney

Should this rumor become a reality, Guardians of the Galaxy, an unheralded comic book, accidentally becomes one of the seminal intellectual properties in the history of The Walt Disney Company. Just think about the achievements it’s unlocking. At the box office, it’s bested the live action version of one of Disney’s most beloved animated movies, Sleeping Beauty. It’s ended the run of one of Disney’s greatest attractions ever, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, at Disney California Adventure. And now it might become the first step toward discarding one of the basic premises of Walt Disney’s vision for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

If Guardians of the Galaxy replaces Ellen’s Energy Adventure, the core concept of the front half of Epcot is no longer valid. Instead, they’ll have a Frozen IP sustaining foot traffic at the back of the park and a Marvel comic superhero group at the front. I suspect Walt Disney would roll in his grave at the thought of any of this, but that’s the reality we may soon live in.

The twilight of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is also the breaking of a new dawn for Guardians of the Galaxy, one which may signify the end of Epcot as we’ve always known it. Welcome to the world of tomorrow. It’s all about corporate branding.

 
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Comments

In reply to by TK (not verified)

I had the same thought. What I'd wish they do is for once ADD something to EPCOT instead of replacing something.

"Instead, they’ll have a Frozen IP sustaining foot traffic at the back of the park and a Marvel comic superhero group at the front. I suspect Walt Disney would roll in his grave at the thought of any of this, but that’s the reality we may soon live in."

Epcot is barely a shadow of Walt's original vision of the "experimental prototype community of tomorrow" anyway. Further, he was not involved in the creation of what we've known as Epcot. So I don't think he'd "roll in his grave."

I know many of us hate to admit it, but Disney is a corporation with stockholders wanting a return on their investment. So, consider this next time you complain when admission prices go up. If Disney can save some money by using their own IP, and drive park attendance in the process, maybe (just maybe) that $10 hamburger won't increase to $15.

I for one am looking forward to seeing both attractions if the rumor of Epcot holds true. I'm assuming one of the reasons for re-theming is that today's youth hasn't heard of show's like The Twilight Zone. They want to see current movies or tv shows. Who's to say that Guardians of the Galaxy won't have an energy theme? Maybe it will only be a temporary theming for The Tower of Terror like they do for Space Mountain during Halloween.

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