“It’s Fine, Everything is Fine”: Is “Just OK” the New Normal for Disney? When was the last time Disney blew you away? What attraction or movie made you sit back afterwards and say, “That was Disney Magic”? For us, it was Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which opened May 27th, 2022, over three years ago now. GoTG: Cosmic Rewind showed what Walt Disney Imagineering could create: a ride and queue that was immersive, great storytelling, a touch of nostalgia, and a physical ride that was both unexpected and fun.
For decades, the name Disney has been synonymous with “exceptional.” We went to the parks expecting to be transported to another world, we watched the movies anticipating groundbreaking storytelling and unforgettable characters, and we welcomed the magic into our homes. Disney was a brand built on the promise of the extraordinary.
Lately, though, something has changed. That feeling of anticipation has been replaced with something else: a sense of “It’s fine.”
This isn’t a critique of things being bad. That’s the core of the problem. If something were truly bad, we’d have a clear villain to rail against. Instead, everything coming out of Disney feels… just okay. The movies aren’t terrible, but they’re not masterpieces. The theme park attractions are enjoyable, but they don’t blow us away. The Disney+ shows are watchable, but they don’t become cultural touchstones.
Our site, which has covered Disney for years, has even had to stop reviewing many of the studio’s films. Why? Because there was nothing to say. We’d watch a movie, and the only honest feedback we could give was, “It’s fine.” It wasn’t a good use of our time to write a 1000-word review concluding that something was perfectly mediocre, non-offensive, and the average theater-going would be happy to see and then forget they saw it.
Let’s take a look at some of the newest projects at both the parks and in the theaters:
- Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away – It’s fine, magical, but the music lacks and is forgettable, but it was needed, and looks beautiful
- Geo-82 Lounge – It’s fine, expensive, but fine.
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, The Little Mermaid, Test Track, all of them unoffensive and fine
- Moana 2 – fine, Mufasa – fine…Captain America, Thunderbolts*, Fantastic Four – Fine fine FINE. Heck, even Snow White was fine.
See what I mean, who wants to read that review? How was riding the new Test Track? It was fine. Nothing new, but it is fun and fine.
We’re not the only ones who have noticed this shift. Even publications like Time Magazine have weighed in, noting that we’re “deep in the era of the ‘It’s OK, it’s fine’ movie.” It seems the collective consensus is that the golden touch of Disney has dulled into a lukewarm pat on the back.
The issue isn’t that Disney is failing. The issue is that Disney is no longer succeeding in a way that feels unique. The company is hitting its marks, meeting its quotas, and producing content that is technically proficient and moderately entertaining. But it’s no longer creating the kind of experiences that spark our imagination and demand our attention.
We’re left with a question: Is “fine” good enough for Disney? The Walt Disney Company once promised magic, wonder, and happily ever afters now seems content with simply existing and putting out content that won’t offend anyone. And for those of us who grew up with Disney as the gold standard of entertainment, “fine” is deeply disappointing.
That is why the future projects and movies need to be better than fine! The new Cars-themed land, aka Piston Peak National Park, Disney Villains Land, Monstroplis, Avengers Campus in Disneyland, and movies like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Tron: Ares need to be better than fine. We need something to spark our imagination, something that will resonate with audiences and draw attention back to Disney as a leader and not just another.
“It’s Fine, Everything is Fine”: Is “Just OK” the New Normal for Disney?
