When you ask the average park-goer to define their favorite experience in Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland, many will point to the various attractions that guests fill every day for hours and hours. Many love the high-thrills of Space Mountain, while others prefer to get behind the wheel at the Tomorrowland Speedway. The Peoplemover offers a scenic view of Tomorrowland’s energy and neon lighting, all with one of the best music loops in Disney Parks history (you can read my analysis of that loop here:
https://boardwalktimes.net/the-sounds-of-the-future-4f0a0b93042d)
Recently however, there has been a contender for the most popular experience in Tomorrowland, if only by the amount of times people talk about it on social media. Between the entrances of Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor and the Tomorrowland Terrace Quick Service Restaurant is a wall.
That’s right, a wall. One of many in the Disney Parks.
The “Purple Wall” (a name given by fans) is one of the most picturesque spots in the Disney Parks, preferred because the shade of purple it offers as well as the backdrop and lighting source provided for amateur photographers posting to websites such as Instagram and Twitter.
Here you can find over 30,000 pictures fans have taken at this famous wall, giving a glimpse at this subculture of the Disney Community: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/purplewall/
To capitalize on this fad, Disney has released a line of merchandise to hype up this cornerstone of millennial Disney culture. This marks a new era of the Disney company, now in tune with the wants of the masses and prioritizing a financial dependence on trends to generate brand loyalty.
Just kidding.
Nearly a month after Disney released their new line of Purple Wall merchandise, routine maintenance painted over the wall and removed the iconic purple pigment from the wall defined by its color. No longer could guests relish in the sheer beauty of this concrete pillar, eliciting great anger from those who chose to spend their day at a $120 theme park taking pictures in front of an empty wall.
But fear not! The legacy of the Purple Wall lives on! Just recently, Disney promised to “plus” the classic wall with new designs, which are currently being added to the Purple Wall as we speak! For reference, the image at the top of this article shows the transition from concept to reality. If you’re a fan of modernist art, the new and improved Purple Wall will surely delight for years to come!
Ryan Dorman is a Columnist and the Content Director for the Boardwalk Times. He can be found on Twitter at @OpentheDorman, and as a host of the Boardwalk Talk podcast on iTunes.
