On August 13^th, 2017, Walt Disney World saw the closure of two timeless attractions; the “Great Movie Ride” in Hollywood Studios and the “Universe of Energy” in Epcot both shut their doors to tearful fans to make way for new attractions based on a popular Disney Channel cartoon and the Guardians of the Galaxy respectively. As heartbreaking as this turn of events is (given that Disney didn’t give fans of the rides much of an advance notice of the closures), this isn’t the first time that Disney’s well-thought out plans faced backfire from visitors. Here are four controversial moments in Disney World history that still have Disney World fans fuming.

1. The Birthday Cake Castle of 1996

The most famous icon of the Walt Disney Company is no doubt Cinderella’s Castle. I mean, it is the first thing anyone sees when they walk down Main Street, when they turn on a Disney Movie, or even when they just search for “Walt Disney World” on the internet. That being said, all guests look forward to seeing the iconic silver and blue, regal castle as they first set foot in the Magic Kingdom. However, when guests visited the Magic Kingdom during the 15-month long 25^th Birthday Celebration, they were greeted by a castle decorated in a ghastly shade of pink with various bits of candy to resemble a birthday cake. Guests were outraged to find that their iconic front-of-castle pictures were going to be ruined by this monstrosity, especially if this was the only trip they were to take in a lifetime.

2. The Addition of Starbucks to Disney Parks

One of Walt Disney’s dreams for his theme parks was for the resort’s guests to be able to escape from the outside world and be fully immersed in his magical world. One of the main points he tried to emphasize was to have large chain restaurants and other big cooperation interfere with his little slice of paradise. Thus, he sought out land in the less-traveled regions of the United States in order to be able to give his guests that idea that they are truly in their own magical bubble. Guests appreciated this dream, but it was shattered in 2013 by the addition of a Starbucks in each one of the theme parks and Downtown Disney (now known as Disney Springs). Gone are the cute little coffee shops and ice cream parlors ( like Main Street Bakery), as the Starbucks Empire is now in their place, making classic Disney die-hards angry beyond belief.

3. The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter

In an effort to gain a higher number of teenage visitors (who usually proclaimed Disney World to be “boring”), then Disney CEO Michael Eisner decided to bring in some outside films into the parks, such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Eisner’s goal was for guests to be able to ride the movies so to speak, so he felt like a perfect addition to the Disney Parks was a ride that takes influence from the classic movie “Alien.” Given that the company didn’t want to scare away families by making the ride a blatant imitation of the “Alien” franchise, the Extra-Terrestrial Alien Encounter was born, with the main attraction being the escaped Alien who terrorizes guests by playing with their senses. This ride would have soared in other theme parks, but given that this traumatizing attraction was in the Magic Kingdom, guests thought that this ride couldn’t have been that scary. Ignoring the warnings that this ride wasn’t suitable for children under the age of 12, families boarded this ride not realizing that their young children would be traumatized by being “squirted with blood” and having an alien “breathe down their necks.” Parents were angered that this attraction was placed in the Magic Kingdom, and this ride, known to make children want to go home, was closed after a few short years. Now in its place, is Stitch’s Great Escape, a ride that utilizes the same setup, but features a loveable alien who isn’t out to scare unsuspecting children.

4. The Arrival of Anna and Elsa to World Showcase

Since its opening, World Showcase in Epcot has been a cultural hotspot for visitors to learn about the cultures and cuisines of various countries around the world. From devouring crepes in France to watching an informational video in Canada, guests are fully immersed in a world sans Disney characters and are able to be immersed in cultures other than their own. Personally, I credit World Showcase for teaching me more than I knew about different cultures when I was a young girl.

Flash forward to the year 2014, and the “Frozen” franchise has taken the Disney world by storm. Young girls everywhere are going crazy for Anna and Elsa, and Disney World wants to make money, so the best solution (in the mind of the company) was to completely transform the Norway Pavilion into the fictional town of Arendale. “Maelstrom” and its lovable trolls were replaced by a retelling of the movie, the museum about Norwegian culture was turned into a museum about how Disney made “Frozen,” and Anna and Elsa's dresses took over all of the gift shops. This angered many longtime Disney Park fans, as this seemingly educational section of Disney World was transformed into a one-stop money-drop spot.