02/29/2004: 
Criminally Absurd
Disney's plan to make The Magic Kingdom the dullest place on earth
from the Associated Press
The teacup ride has turned tame and longtime fans of the Fantasyland attraction are not happy.
The Mad Tea Party ride with 18 giant spinning teacups was recently modified in the name of safety to make it harder for people to spin.
Purists acknowledge that Disneyland also faces criticism for not paying enough attention to safety, but they see the ride's modification as part of a pattern. They believe the fear of lawsuits is taking some of the fun out of the Magic Kingdom.
The ride, which was built in 1995 when the park opened, depicts a scene from Alice in Wonderland's "unbirthday party." The teacups have a wheel in the middle that allows riders to spin the cup on its axis, controlling both speed and direction.
The teacups still rotate, but fans said Disneyland has tightened the mechanism so it's impossible to reach dizzying speeds.
Park officials said they made the change after a disabled rider lost his balance last month and slipped from a teacup. The rider did not require medical treatment.
In a written statement, Disneyland officials insist "the ride remains entertaining and exciting for guests of all ages," and say few have complained.
After high-profile accidents and the passage of legislation that empowered state ride inspectors, Disneyland went "safety prevention crazy," said author Dave Koenig, who has written three Disney-related books.
"This is laughable," Koenig said. "They've taken the madness out of the Mad Tea Party. The Disney fan who plays by the rules - who keeps his hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times - has seen his experienced degraded, his thrills cut back little by little each year as Disney tries to foresee potential problems."
It is great that a few litigious deadbeats are ruining the fun for everyone else.
3 Annotations Submitted
Sunday the 29th of February, crazywriterinla noted:
Ahhh Disney, one of my favorite targets. They've got so many fucking problems that it's not funny, and yes, their parks have gotten BOOOOOOOOOOORING. This isn't coming from me, whose last contact with Disney was a job interview (For a job that wound up going to a lesser-qualified African-American woman hmmmm gee I wonder.)
This makes me long for the days of the Turkish Twist at Canobie Lake Park. I want to feel nauseous after a ride, damn it!
Sunday the 29th of February, prof noted:
the best was the kid who puked on the turkish twist and the puke was stuck to his face by the g-forces
Monday the 1st of March, Abe Froman noted:
Hey, Crazywriter, something tells me you were shooting a little higher, but did you apply for the job as tour guide of the "Jungle Cruise" cause that has to be one of the most coveted Disney positions.
They have to be the only publically traded company, that can demote its employees to wearing a big a fuzzy suit.
