Boy, I can’t believe you decided to click on this post when you saw the title ‘Tomorrowland Sign & Budget Cuts’. I thought about jazzing it up some but reconsidered since the dry title fits the mood of the news. I’m writing this post because I had a few things to say about the subject. What led you to click on a post about this dry of a subject? Is your day that boring? Anyway, welcome to Wandering in Disney! I hope you enjoy your stay and maybe you should consider clicking on any other post than this one after you read some stray (also, angry) thoughts about a sign and budget cuts.

We’ll start with the better news of the two: the new Tomorrowland sign in Magic Kingdom. Here’s a look at the sleek new sign via BlogMickey.com’s Twitter account:

With the obvious disclaimer that I haven’t seen the sign in person, I’m pretty lukewarm on the new sign. While I don’t have much nostalgia for the old sign, I did like it. That said, I think a new sign makes sense with all of the other aesthetic changes. I’m just not sure that this was the right sign.

I do like the sign from the angle of the photo above. The sleek design fits in well with the recent changes. I really like the lettering in the sign, although it does seem small. Where the sign falls apart for me (again, I haven’t seen it in person) is from every other angle that I’ve seen. The shape of the sign doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, looking like the world’s largest cup holder.

While sleek and modern look good now, I do worry about what happens in 10 years when minimalist design and clean lines are no longer the current (or future) trend. That’s always been the case with Tomorrowland, it’s hard for the land to find a place in time whether that be in the actual future or in retro version of the future. With that said, all of the aesthetic changes made to Tomorrowland over the last couple of years have been pleasant surprises for me. Yes, it leaves the current version in between the retro future Tomorrowland and the new sleek, space-y version of Tomorrowland but down the road I think this will be an overall upgrade. Personally, I would have preferred the land without a sign but I’ll put up with a few weird looking angles of that cup holder if other aesthetically pleasing changes continue to be made throughout the land.

Budget Cuts

From a lukewarm take to a downright negative one, the latest round of budget cuts have hit Walt Disney World. It’s the time of year where budget cuts at Disney Parks (at least in the U.S.) are announced and this year was no exception. In fact, this year may have been more expected due to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge not drawing as many people as Disney anticipated.

As usual, budget cuts suck but this one hit home a little harder for me since The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History in Magic Kingdom and Burudika in Animal Kingdom are soon to be cancelled. I certainly feel for any performers that are being laid off, regardless of the show they were connected to. Whether it’s right or wrong for Disney to be getting rid of atmospheric performers is a broader topic than I want to get into today. What I will focus on is that getting rid of Muppets Present… and Burudika hurts Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

Starting with Burudika who, despite my lifelong love of the Muppets, is the bigger loss of the two. I’ve talked quite a bit over this summer about my love of Harambe and more specifically Burudika. I just updated our Animal Kingdom itinerary a few days ago to make sure to include watching a Burudika set.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of this band to the Africa section of Animal Kingdom. While the section by itself is beautifully themed and one of the best lands in all of Disney World, Burudika livened the area up without being cheesy or inauthentic to Harambe.

Muppets Present Great Moments in American History debuted just three short years ago but fit perfectly in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square. This was another act that livened up the area and made an impressively immersive land feel alive. Disney’s usage of The Muppets has been frustrating but this was one integration that worked well. Guests gather around Liberty Square and watch The Muppets perform a short show about a time in American history. Just a few weeks ago I was hoping that they’d add on to the stories, now I’d just settle for it sticking around.

Writing about Disney Parks several times a week often leads me to wonder what other people think about the things I care about. I know that thrill rides and bigger productions are at the top of what everyone loves, myself included. But the smaller productions, whether it be a ride or show, often leave me curious and hoping that others liked them as much as I did.

With both Burudika and Muppets Present Great Moments in American History there was little doubt about what others were thinking while watching them – both of these smaller shows are loved. Every time I’ve watched them people around me are smiling. Burudika gets people dancing and the Muppets always had people laughing. To see these two going away takes away from the charm and theme of both parks.

Everyone can point to the biggest roller coasters or fireworks as the reason they go to Disney Parks. A main thing that keeps people like me coming back is the charm and incredible moments that you happen upon throughout the day. Both of these shows being cut takes away some of that charm and will make Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom worse versions of their current selves. Taking entertainment out of the parks makes for a lesser version of the parks in the long run.

I’m not typically one to just on the save this (fill in the blank) campaign. This is an exception as two of my favorite shows seem to be leaving WDW in the next month. If you have ever enjoyed either of these shows (or for some reason just really like this blog!) please email guest.services@disneyworld.com and respectfully voice your appreciation for one or both of these shows. Let them know that you’d like both shows to continue. Burudika and Muppets Present… have earned their place and it’d be a shame to see them go.

What are your thoughts on the latest WDW news? Please let us know in the comments below. Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our planning guide for help! If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages. You can do both of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!