When you wish upon a star: Walt Disney's dream of a theme park in which guests could immerse themselves in fairy tales is celebrating its golden anniversary

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Sept, 2005 by Stacey Eager Leavitt

Disney is inexhaustible when it comes to pleasing guests. It is quite enlightening to listen to company executives as they discuss research, development, design, construction, etc. They endlessly examine their product in every detail, from the attractions to guest services to the response of the parks' patrons. They continue to be innovative, yet all the while are sure to maintain a regard for visitors" sense of ownership through memories of past experiences at the parks. They have no desire to redesign the properties to meet the expectations of those who wonder why a company which continually has broken new ground does not create an ultra-modern, more technologically spectacular theme park. Disney recognizes that countless people have been venturing to their venues for decades. Some--previous visitors as children--make repeat appearances to share memories with their own children or grandchildren. Many have delighted in the experience of returning to ride the attractions and recount with family members tales of the first time they enjoyed that special journey. It would not be the same to come back only to find your memories vanquished for the sake of wholesale change.

This is not to say them are no new attractions: it's just that they appear on a steady, rather than overwhelming, basis. For instance, of note is the novel Turtle Talk With Crush, held at Disney World's Living Seas. Crush--from "Finding Nemo"--is, according to the show's producer, Rhonda Counts, "an interactive spontaneous computer animation." Viewers are awed as the character converses with audience members, emphatically gesturing while answering questions.

Another impressive work of technology is Pal Mickey, a plush Mickey Mouse doll--available for rent or sale--that provides updated announcements on park activities. For instance, if a scheduled show implements a time change, Pal Mickey will tell you. If a particular ride is getting crowded, he will note that now might be a good time to use your fast pass. He even will inform visitors when they unknowingly have entered a different section of the park. Moreover, he can play games, which helps pass the time on line. In addition to English, Mickey speaks French, Spanish, and Portuguese. For the hearing impaired, them is a visual transmission.

Florida's Walt Disney World is the largest of the company's resorts--the only one to have four theme parks. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, attractions from different venues have been imported to their sister parks. Tokyo Disneyland, for instance, now features "Rock Around the Mouse," a salute to California in the 1950s. Disneyland Paris has updated Space Mountain, re-opening it as Space Mountain 2. In addition, Paris is displaying the fireworks show, "Wishes from Walt Disney World Florida." California's Disneyland has opened "Buzz Lightyear," an intergalactic adventure from the Florida resort. "Buzz" also can be found at Tokyo Disneyland.

Walt Disney World, meanwhile, has brought in attractions from all the parks around the globe--sort of a "Cinderellabration." Banners hang everywhere to highlight the occasion. The piece de resistance, though, is a sky-high plaque mounted on one of the turrets of Cinderella's Castle that alternates images of castles located at the different parks around the world. As for the future, Expedition Everest--a re-creation of the Himalayan Mountains in which a roller coaster will take riders from a Tibetan village in search of the yeti (the guardian of the mountain)--is due to open in 2006.