“Classic” Attractions Do Not Translate Into Other Cultures Just as some themed lands do not translate well into other cultures, there are some attractions which are considered classics that do not translate well into other cultures. These attractions include Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Jungle Cruise, Country Bear Jamboree, and it’s a Small World. These attractions are considered classics because they were opening day attractions at either Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom or they were created and designed by Walt Disney before he passed away. Though they are considered classics to fans of Disney’s American parks and to Disney executives, the attractions do not translate well into other cultures. The …show more content…
Many of these guests do not know Disney characters and films like their counterparts around the world. A lot of scholars criticize the Disney Company for not giving guests the background of the characters in attractions before they experience the attraction. Fung and Lee (2009, p. 204) comment on this saying “Disney makes no attempt to explain the plot and the characters to the diverse audience [referring to the Festival of the Lion King attraction].” Attractions are not appealing to guests who do not know or understand the characters of the attraction and their story. This misunderstanding can deter guests from wanting to return to the theme …show more content…
Other classic attractions that are listed at the beginning of this section are discussed in Exhibit 4 of the Appendix. The original storyline for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction followed pirates as they pillaged and plundered an island in the Caribbean. This storyline has since been updated to include recognizable characters from the film franchise of the same name like Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbosa, and Davy Jones. This attraction exists in one form or another in Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Before the film franchise, this misstep was very relevant in Tokyo Disneyland as the Japanese could not relate to the idea of western pirates. Now that the film franchise exists, the attraction has been updated to include characters that people know and love from the movie. Guests focus more on the characters that they know versus the original story of the attraction. The update makes the attraction more appealing to younger guests who have seen the films but still creates a cultural tension in older guests in Japan who have not seen the films and cannot identify with the idea of western