7 Myths about Singleness by Sam Allberry

 Introduction

My feelings about singleness are no secret to those who have read some of my previous blog posts. It is well known in the Christian community that marriage is a beautiful thing. However the church has also done a fantastic job of elevating marriage to the degree in which singleness, or more specifically biblical singleness is inadvertently made to look like a negative thing. Now, I will be honest and say that I used to believe that getting married would solve all my problems, and that I would feel content. I also used to believe that the goal of the Christian life is to get married and have kids. Of course even still I desire marriage in my life, and to someday be a Father. Alas that is not my present circumstance. 

With that in mind, I recently had the pleasure of reading Sam Allberry’s 7 Myths about Singleness. The book is exactly as it sounds, addressing seven different myths that the church as a whole is sometimes lead to believe about singleness. Based on my own experiences, and even some of the external pressures to date and get married, it is clear that singleness is one of the most misunderstood things. I want to address five of these myths and provide some of my own insight based on personal experience and my view of the Apostle Paul’s words regarding the matter. 

1- Singleness is Too Hard

There appears to be a common idea that marriage is easier than singleness. This of course is one of the reasons I grew up believing that getting married would solve all my problems. Now, make no mistake, singleness is hard, but no harder than marriage. In fact there is a greater complexity to being married than to being single. As Allberry puts it, “The contrast is between complexity and simplicity. Married life is more complicated; singleness is more straightforward.” Off the bat I want to clarify something. Allberry isn’t alluding to the freedom of doing whatever one pleases when they are single. Rather, he is alluding to what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34, in which he mentions that the unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, but the married man’s interests are divided in the things of the Lord and how to please his wife. 

The truth is that both singleness and marriage are good gifts from God. However each does have its own unique ups and downs. As Allberry puts it though, “The temptation for many who are single is to compare the downs of singleness with the ups of marriage. And the temptation for some married people is to compare the downs of marriage with the ups of singleness, which is equally dangerous (Allberry 33).” Now I myself am guilty of this. I see a married couple and immediately think about how they always have a companion, someone to come home to every day. I also frequently compare my own life to the lives that people display on social media. In reality, we always put forth our best foot on social media, and never reveal our true authentic selves. As for the married person, they may look at the upsides of singleness particular during times of great stress, when they have to take into consideration someone else when making a big decision. Overall, both marriage and singleness have their unique challenges, but truthfully neither is harder than the other when all things are considered, though there is the matter of as Allberry puts it, complexity vs. simplicity. 

2 - Singleness Requires a Special Calling

This is a myth that I believed for a very long time. However, Paul never actually states this. You may recall my response to Jonathan Pokluda’s Outdated. Something that he mentions is that everyone who is single in this moment has the gift of singleness. The gift of singleness may be temporary, or it may be lifelong. However, under no circumstance is it a season of waiting for something better. In fact I would hardly call it a season of waiting at all. The truth is, your life does not begin when you finally get married and have kids. Your life started the day you were born. Opportunities exist all around you to advance the Kingdom, and pour into the lives of others. “Gifts are about building up the church rather than feeling a sense of individual, personal fulfillment. It is about serving others and not about feeling a special sense of peace (Allberry 45).” 

The gift of singleness isn’t reserved for the superhero who can bear the brunt of being alone. That type of life isn’t meant for any of us. The whole reason that Eve was created was because it was not good for man to be alone. This statement doesn’t say its not good for man to be unmarried. Outside ourselves community is of vital importance. Even for the introvert, some level of social interaction and connection is vital. Even the married person will someday once again experience singleness but will find they are not alone. 

3 - Singleness Means No Intimacy 

I want to start by saying that contrary to popular belief, intimacy and sex are not synonyms. One can easily exist without the other. The concept of friendship has become severely watered down, especially with the rise of social media. We now view friends as people we connect to on Facebook who can see our pages to keep up with our lives. But the truth is, a real friendship has an extremely deep level of intimacy, greater than that even of family. For the friend doesn’t have any obligation to the other person, but chooses to build the connection. I think of my best friends, Kate and Marissa. Young women I am so close to that I really do call my sisters, and they call me their brother. To me, they live out the Proverb, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24 ESV).” Furthermore these two have been by my side even during the lowest points of my life. “Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend (Proverbs 19:4).” They know me better than anybody in my family does. They might as well themselves be Halls. This is what intimacy actually looks like. 

Though godly singleness means to live a life of celibacy, it does not mean to live without intimacy (Allberry 54). Sex can exist without intimacy. One of my favorite tv characters is Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother. Barney is notorious for sleeping all over New York City. Each of these are examples of sex without intimacy. In this case, it’s just a physical activity. Tinder exists for this very thing, relatively anonymous sex. This has no intimacy. Of course there is a certain level of depth to the intimacy that a married person experiences with their spouse, but there is a breadth to the intimacy that a single person experiences with their friends. 

4 - Singleness Means No Family 

I mentioned in my introduction that I desire to someday become a father and have kids of my own. But even in singleness, you do in fact have a family. This family may not be biological in nature. I’m referring to the family of believers that surround you. I want to refer to the words of Jesus, referring to Peter’s statement about everything he and his fellow disciples had left behind. “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:28-30 ESV).” Now in the case of Jesus’ disciples, the cost of their discipleship was being shunned from their families, though they obtained new brothers and sisters and mothers through their fellowship. I personally know people who have had to leave their families after making the decision to follow Christ. But even in the present life, they do have a spiritual family. “Whatever the cost of our discipleship may incur, however much family we may lose in the course of following Christ, Jesus is saying that even in this life it will be worth it. Following him means an abundance of spiritual family. Nature may have given us only one mother and one father; the gospel gives us far more (Allberry 77).”

This may all sound great but it is rather unfortunate how rarely this is put into practice. Presently we all, including myself, value our privacy. Many are focused so much on their nuclear families are close off their lives to everyone else. And yet, this is contrary to what is commanded of us. Paul says to Timothy, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2).” Allberry takes great interest in the way that this is worded. “He [Timothy] is to not just treat them as family but as close family. Paul doesn’t say “treat older men as great-uncles, or, younger men as distant cousins.” They’re not distant family, but immediate family (Allberry 79).” I want to remind everyone reading this that being a Christian isn’t about going to church on Sundays. It’s about choosing to lay your life down to follow Christ, and allowing yourself to become sanctified through that. Your outward expression toward your spiritual family should reflect this sanctification, but in an age where we are always “busy” we fail at this, myself included. We choose convenience over our greater spiritual family. 

5 - Singleness is Easy 

The first myth that I highlighted is that singleness is too hard. But I also want to point out that this doesn’t mean that singleness is easy. Marriage and Singleness both present their own unique challenges. When it comes to singleness, one challenge that Allberry highlights is how others perceive us as a result of our singleness. This is less of an issue for young adults who are single and more so older adults who are single. Based on examples from his own life, Allberry states “remaining unmarried can alter how others perceive our maturity, and we feel the pain of that perception (Allberry 148).” I remember going into college and my parents telling me that I would find the one there. I remember the joke that most women go to school for their Mrs. degree. This of course creates unrealistic expectations. In my case, as I got further into my college career, still single and having been rejected for the umpteenth time, I started to think that I was doing something wrong, that I was somehow failing at college. It did not help that I went to a small Christian college where the dating culture elevated marriage to an extreme. 

The other big challenge with singleness is that as your friends start to get married, or even into relationships, your friendship with them starts to change. I have seen this in my own life. Watching a friend get married sometimes feels like you’re losing the friend. I remember when Kate told me that her current boyfriend had asked to her be his girlfriend. Of course I was happy for her, but at the same time, I felt a sense of bereavement. This would mean I would get to see her less, would hear from her less. It almost felt like I was losing one of my closest friends altogether. This is something that Allberry has experienced as well. Other close single friends of mine have experienced this. We find that we start to be primarily the only ones who take initiative in our relationships. It makes us feel as though our married friends really no longer need us. For me, sometimes I feel like my married friends, or my friends who are now in relationships don’t want me to be a part of their lives anymore. I would argue however, that married couples still need single people in their lives and would encourage married couples to continue to reach out to their single friends, welcome them into their homes and their lives. Treat them the way that Paul commands Timothy to treat his spiritual brothers and sisters. 

Conclusion 

Throughout the last few days, spending time reading this, as well as various scriptures regarding singleness, marriage and contentment I have come to the following three conclusions, which can also be viewed as applications. 

1. Singleness, even if only temporary is not a season of waiting. It’s not a period of waiting for something better. It’s a good gift from God 

2. Singleness is not a gift that only a few have that can somehow “bear the hardships” of singleness. Everyone who is single at this moment, presently has the good gift of singleness. 

3. Nobody should seek to find contentment in singleness, we should seek to find contentment in Christ being enough for us, for this must remain true regardless of our circumstances. 

I want to close this out by reminding you that life is hard and is filled with uncertainty. For the single person this may present itself as they think about the future, especially as they age. But for the married person, circumstances can also change in an instant. The spouse could be killed in an accident, a child diagnosed with a life altering disability, or a job loss. Marriage is also a beautiful thing and should not be discouraged. But we also need to do a better job of not idolizing it. We as the church need to do a better job for our single brethren. 

Apokalupsis: A Study of Revelation (Part 1)

 Part 1- A Background on Revelation (Revelation 1)

Revelation, seen as the last book in our version of the New Testament. When one hears Revelation, the first thing that may come to mind is end times, or the apocalypse. You may think of speeches and sermons that have been preached trying to tie current events with what is written in Revelation as 'signs of the times.' I myself can think back to some of the interesting things I've heard in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, my personal favorite being that the vaccine is the mark of the beast. But a lot of this seems to stem from a lack of understanding as to why Revelation as a book in the bible exists in the first place, and that brings me to introducing this new series, Apokalupsis. This five-part series will look at Revelation through the eyes of the early church to better understand why it exists, and what it means for us as the present-day church. 

Before discussing Revelation as a book, I want to dive in to the word revelation. The word revelation simply means that something is being revealed. When discussing revelation in a biblical context, there are two primary types of revelation, being general revelation, and special revelation. General Revelation refers to God revealing himself in a broad way, such as through creation or nature. In the most simple terms, general revelation is the revelation of God's existence. Special revelation on the other hand actually has to do with a special manifestation, such as the initial coming of Jesus, which is revealed to us today through scripture. The key difference has to do with redemption. General revelation is merely the revelation of God's existence but doesn't speak into salvation. Special revelation does go deeper in that way. Liberty University's Harold Willmington puts this in an even simpler way. General revelation being indirect and unwritten, special revelation being written and direct. This is a lot of words to say "to be revealed, or unveiled." 

Jumping into Revelation as a book, I want start by going back to this scripture's native language. As is much of the New Testament, Revelation was written in greek. The actual word in this case is Αποκάλυψης. Translating this into latin letters, this is Apokalupsis (also referred to by some as Apokalypsis). This translated into english is Apocalypse, which means destruction. However, Αποκάλυψης actually means to reveal or to unveil as to make known. Thus, we get the name Revelation instead of Apocalypse for this book. This is important for understanding Revelation as a book and why it exists, given how much it refers to trials, tribulations and chaos. 

Revelation is in essence, a letter to the seven churches in Asia Minor (which today is primarily Turkey). In fact just as with the epistles, there is a greeting in Revelation which appears in 1:4, "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and is to come from the seven spirits who are before his throne" (ESV). I will dive more into the seven churches in part 2 of this study. John reveals that he is writing from the Island of Patmos (Rev 1:9), which can be found in the Aegean Sea as a Greek Island. It is primarily believed that John was exiled there by the Roman Empire during a time of anti-Christian persecution. 

There is some debate as to exactly when Revelation was written, with a lot of the debate surrounding whether Revelation is connected to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, something that was foretold by Jesus as he was leaving it before going to the Mount of Olives and discussing signs of the end of the age (Matthew 24). However the predominant sentiment was that Revelation was written in AD 95, which was about 25 years after the destruction of the temple. The Roman Empire was the setting for most events that occured in the New Testament and around this time, Domitianus was emperor. Domitianus was known for being quite cruel particularly toward the later years of his rule. It is also worth noting that emperor worship was common at this time under the Roman Imperial Cult. I will be digesting the conditions that the early church lived under during this time in later parts of this series. 

This background of Revelation will play a role in diving deeper into why it was written in the first place, what it meant to the early church, and what it means to us today. I think it is safe to say that Revelation is a very misunderstood book and has used as a weapon of fear rather than what it is truly meant to be, an instrument of hope. It was been used improperly in politics as a talking point, it has been abused by televangelists hoping to make a quick buck. My hope is that I am able to at the very least cause you to dig a little bit deeper and recognize that even in this chaos we see in Revelation, just as we see in our own world, God remains on the throne. 

Citations

Ice, Thomas D., "The Date of the Book of Revelation" (2009). Article Archives. 75.

McFayden, Donald. “The Occasion of the Domitianic Persecution.” The American Journal of Theology, vol. 24, no. 1, 1920, pp. 46–66., https://doi.org/10.1086/480090.

“The Roman Empire: In the First Century. The Roman Empire. Emperors. Titus & Domitian.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/titus_domitian.html.

Willmington, Harold, "Question 36 - What is the difference between General and Special Revelation?" (2019). 101 Most Asked Questions. 14.

Outdated by Jonathan Pokluda

Note: Because I listened to this book as an Audiobook I will not be able to provide specific pages in this review and discussion, but will do my best to provide chapters. 

Singleness and Dating is not a new concept on this blog by any means. I've written about the struggles of trying to date while on the spectrum and having no success. I've written about the hurt that I feel that I am still single despite the fact that many people my age are in relationships or have been in relationships. And I have also feared the "spiritual gift" of singleness being in store for me. Since my first blog post about my life on the spectrum, I've grown a lot and gained a lot of new perspectives. I've also been able to do a lot of new things as a result of my lack of a romantic relationship, in part because I have a lot more time to devote to other people and interests. A close friend of mine, whom I have also mentioned in my blog recently shared a book with me called 'Outdated,' which I have been using some my reserve time to listen to. To summarize my feelings about this book, I thought it offered some really interesting points that many, including myself really need to ponder on. 

It is no secret that Hollywood loves to produce love stories. Furthermore, it is not even remotely a secret that I am a sucker for Disney movies. With that being said, these movies are written through the lense of a different worldview than what we should be looking to for dating advice. I myself am guilty of this. In fact, for a very long time, I found myself longing for my 'Happily Ever After.' But Pokluda pointed out something rather peculiar. How many fairytales that end in a 'Happily Ever After' wind up being remade instead of having sequels? Aside from Shrek, I can name quite a few. Beauty and the Beast was remade from the animated version to one featuring Emma Watson (who I still cannot see as anybody other than Hermione Granger). There was no sequel. Cinderella was remade from the animated version to one featuring Lily James. There was no sequel. Rapunzel saw her 'Happily Ever After' in "Tangled" 12 years ago and yet there have been no rumors of a remake. And even with movies that do have a sequel, like Shrek for example barely includes the romance as part of even a 'B' story. 

I bring this up to make it clear, I do not believe that happily ever afters exist in the real world. Marriage is not easy. If it was, divorce would be a very rare occurrence. In our broken world, there are so many reasons that so many marriages end in divorce, or wind up being extremely broken, even in communities of believers. I'm going to highlight a couple of the points that Pokluda mentions in his book 'Outdated' while also interjecting with some of my own thoughts. But the biggest point of all, is that so many marriages fail because they do not reflect God's design for them. The reasons many people choose to marry a certain someone is for reasons influenced by the world, by culture, rather than for reasons that will last much longer. 

Singleness

The first point that I want to highlight from 'Outdated' is actually not about dating at all, but rather singleness. I want to point out that one of the most important figures in the bible, the Apostle Paul was single. And he even addresses this in 1 Corinthians 7 where he states "Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another." (ESV). Now in this verse, Paul is speaking of his singleness as a spiritual gift, and Pokluda highlights this in two different ways. He highlights lifelong singleness as the spiritual gift, but also a season of singleness as a spiritual gift. He calls the idea that singleness being a period of waiting for something better a lie. And I used to think this of the season of singleness myself. You see, Pokluda is a pastor. But he is also married and has children. Because of this, his attention and time is split between his marriage and his congregation. But the single man has all his time to devote to the things that bring glory to God, whether this be through direct ministry in a church or even in the workplace. 

A good friend of mine has an uncle who attends my old church. He is in his 50s and is still single. Now one might pity him, but in reality, he is happy, and I would strongly consider him a Godly man. His entire life is dedicated to child evangelism. Bringing Children to Jesus. What an amazing life that must be! That on a regular basis, you get to see a child, with childlike wonder, turn their eyes and curiosity to Jesus. Despite the fact that the single person has more time and energy to devote to ministry, we rarely see single pastors in the protestant church. In fact, in many cases, you rarely see single people as leaders in the church. I believe this has part to do with the cultural belief that the single person is incomplete. This attitude is influenced by the worldly idea of a spouse being somebody's "other half." Now I have despised that saying for a while now, because to me the idea of not being complete until you are married is absurd. Why would you marry somebody who is incomplete? Why would you marry someone if you were incomplete? To me that is just asking for trouble. The reality is, that the single life, whether it be for but a season, or for life, is a spiritual gift, and the perfect opportunity to invest into others, and into the church as a whole. How this looks in practice will vary from person to person. 

"Physical Qualities don't last, but you can look for character that will."

The second point I want to highlight has to do with physical attraction. The lie that Pokluda points out is that physical attraction is ultimate. However, how many of us would consider an elderly person truly attractive? The reality is, that our bodies change as we get older. In fact, this is something that is even pointed out in Proverbs 31:30 as Pokluda points out "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." In fact Proverbs 31:10-30 really highlights this. Many people will choose to date because of physical attraction. But the reality of this is, as we get older, our beauty begins to fade. This isn't specific to women but also men. A relationship that is built on the foundation of physical attraction is guaranteed to fail. But a relationship that is built on the foundation of character, of a fear of the Lord that is reflected in that character, will succeed in the long term. 

A conversation that Pokluda often has with young adults involves women who say they are never asked out on a date, and men who say women always say no. While I have never spoken to Pokluda, I have certainly found myself in this category. But here's the thing... most women I have asked out have been based on physical attraction and not so much on character. This was a less mature version of myself. In fact the first woman I ever actually told how I felt, shot me down really hard. I've written about that in earlier blog posts. We've become really close friends since then, and if I knew what I knew now, I would have asked her out at the time based on her character, rather than her physical appearance. But the same can be said about myself. While I wouldn't consider myself to be especially attractive, I am not so much focused on my physical appearance but more so how I treat others. I also try regularly but fail to be consistent in my walk with Jesus. But with all that rejection and the hurt that comes with it, a new question arises... do I really want to be sad about somebody who rejected me on the base of physical appearance? I am finding now that the answer is absolutely not, because that relationship was destined to fail from the very beginning. 

Pokluda also makes a really great point. When talking about sex and physical attraction, we often hear people discussing how important physical attraction is... but why is this so important when it comes to an activity that is usually done with the lights off? My mind was blown as soon as he made that point. It's actually quite comical how big of a deal is made over physical attraction. Unrealistic expectations are born out of this, and can result in men and women who would actually make incredible spouses being overlooked because they aren't seen as physically attractive enough. 

Finding the ONE

How many have heard of the idea of finding the 'one.' The one who is absolutely perfect for you, checks all your boxes. Now... married folks, how many of you have actually found that? Pokluda and I are in the same school of though that the one doesn't actually exist. In fact, Pokluda even admits that there are other women who are probably better for him than his wife and vice versa. But this alludes to the fact, that his wife is the woman he has committed himself to. I used to have a list of things I was looking for in a woman. Blonde hair, blue eyes, cute smile was only slightly different from me in height, and was NOT on the spectrum. But these expectations were based on worldly ideas. These traits have nothing to do with character. And like I mentioned in the last point, physical qualities are only temporary, but character is something that can even improve over time. 

How many years have we all wasted on trying to find the perfect person? The truth is, every year we spend trying to find that is a wasted year. There is no such thing as the perfect person. In fact, just like when it comes to physical attraction, so many people who would actually make amazing spouses get overlooked. The only perfect one is Jesus. The rest of us... not so much. But this is something perpetuated constantly in our culture, from romantic comedies to fairytales to books and beyond. The "one" ultimately is the person you choose to commit to for the rest of your life. Not that perfect long, blonde and handsome that doesn't exist. 

Why we date

The last point I want to highlight in this review and discussion is the purpose of dating. Now Pokluda points out that the idea of dating is actually relatively new, however the reason we choose to date will have a major impact on the outcome. The lie he points out is that dating is supposed to be fun. And this is something we see all the time. Many people I know had their first relationship in middle school. But here's the thing... if we are dating for fun, that relationship isn't going to last, and we are going to get hurt, and we are going to wind up hurting someone else. Let's be realistic... how many middle schoolers who are going on dates are thinking of marrying the person they are with? The answer is probably very few. How many of these couples wind up getting married? Again... the answer is probably very few. Dating for fun, or for the sake of dating will almost always result in failure, and unnecessary pain for everyone involved. 

What Pokluda points out is that the purpose of dating should be to determine if the person you are dating is someone you would actually be comfortable and willing to commit to for the rest of your life. If you are finding that this person you are with may not make for a good spouse, at least for you, don't waste any more of your time or theirs. In that instance, the longer you put off the inevitable, the worse its going to be. It's just like when we were all kids and we ran away from our parents to avoid punishment. The reality is... it just always made it worse. Likewise, when running away from reality when it comes to relationships that really don't have a leg to stand on anymore, just makes it worse in the end. 

In conclusion, dating in the modern era is significantly influenced by popular culture. Because of this, so many people, Christian and Non-Christian struggle immensely in the dating field. There is a lot more hurt and tears than there really needs to be. When the focus isn't so much on the physical, but more so what is inside, who the person actually is, there's a greater recipe for success. When we choose not to set our expectations on love based on movies and culture, we set ourselves up for better results. We recognize that even when we do get married, the race is far from over, because it takes an incredible about of work to maintain a relationship. And with that in mind, when you marry someone for all the wrong reasons, whether that be physical attraction or having a bunch of things in common with you... when you both get older, there will be nothing left. But when you marry someone for the right reasons, who they are, what Christ means to them, as you age, your character continues to develop. Results of course will vary based on what happens in your lives, but success comes from doing what's hard, not what is easy. 

HarmonioUS: A Review

 Background: HarmonioUS debuted in September 2021 as part of the Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary Celebration. It replaced Epcot Forever, which ran from October 2019 until September 27, 2021, with a hiatus during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The show serves as the long-term replacement to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. The show occurs nightly in the World Showcase Lagoon, with the most ideal viewing areas being in the Japan Pavilion, American Adventure and the entrance to the World Showcase. 

I had the pleasure of seeing HarmonioUS in person for the first time on March 13, 2022. As of that date, I have now seen every show at Epcot that has existed in my lifetime. I did watch the World Premier on September 28 on the official social media accounts of the Walt Disney World Resort, though seeing this show on a screen does not do it justice. My viewing was from the Norway pavilion, so while I did get a clear view of the pyrotechnics and fountains, I was unable to see the projections on the water-based screen. 

The show reminds me in some ways of the World of Color nighttime show at Disney's California Adventure as it features large fountains that are illuminated at the base, affixed to the show's structure. The projection screens also remind me of the projection technology used for Disney's Illuminations which takes place at Disneyland Paris. Of course it also features the fireworks we all know and love from the Disney parks. Overall, I would consider the show to be quite breathtaking. The fountains are beautiful, the LED screens add a whole new dimension to nighttime entertainment at the Epcot Center, and the fireworks are amazing as usual. 

A departure from the tradition of nighttime spectaculars at Epcot, HarmonioUS is a celebration of the music of disney, representing different cultures around the world. This is fitting considering the show takes place in the World Showcase Lagoon. In a true Epcot touch though, not only is the music performed in English, but each song is also performed in the language native to the country in which the movie is based. 

There are some things that I feel HarmonioUS does extremely well at, especially where Disney Enchantment at the Magic Kingdom seem to fail at. First of all, the show does a very good job at connecting with younger and older audiences alike. Younger children will most certainly recognize music from Frozen, Moana and Coco, while older audiences will immediately recognize classics from movies like The Jungle Book, The Lion King and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Younger and Older fans alike will be enthralled from the very beginning when How Far I'll Go and Go the Distance are combined for an incredible introduction to this amazing show. 

In addition to this, I feel that the show does a very good job of reaching out to nearly every guest that is gathered around the World Showcase. The show is very intentional about featuring Disney music that is featured in films based all around the world. Almost every guest looking on in awe will see their culture represented in this nighttime spectacular. The only downside I see of this show is that the pyrotechnic features are a bit more muted when compared to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth and Epcot Forever. 

HarmonioUS has seen plenty of controversy since its inception. For starters, many have complained about the showpieces (which are permanently affixed in the center of the World Showcase lagoon). The sightlines from across the World Showcase lagoon are now obstructed by the showpieces. This is something I can agree with. However, this could be improved by making use of the fountains during the day, turning the showpieces into a massive water feature by day, and dazzling light and firework display by night. 

There were also may complaints that this show is inferior to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth and that it is not a suitable replacement. Many would agree with me when I say that Illuminations is an icon in the history of Epcot. Afterall, the show did run for 20 years, won multiple awards and even saw its soundtrack featured in a Super Bowl halftime show. But here's the thing... the show began in 1999, with technology from 1999. By the time I saw it for the first time in 2014, it had become a bit dated. That isn't to say I didn't like the show, but considering what Disneyland had to offer with their shows, I felt there was definitely a lot more that could be featured. Parks also must experience change as they grow and develop. While I believe Illuminations was a critical part of Epcot in its time, It doesn't really have a place in the future of Epcot. 

With that being said, I do find HarmonioUS to be a suitable replacement for Illuminations, and well representative of what Epcot is becoming. As Walt Disney once said... "EPCOT will always be in a state of becoming, It will. never cease to be a living blueprint for the future." EPCOT is becoming much more modern, especially with the developments that are currently underway towards the front of the park. HarmonioUS breaks technological barriers when it comes to nighttime entertainment. The show within itself is in a state of becoming. 

Overall, I absolutely love the show, and believe many of the complaints about it are simply that it isn't the old show... it isn't what they grew up with. It isn't the EPCOT they've been visiting for years. They scoff at what it is becoming, saying that the magic is gone. In reality, the magic is only beginning. To those who complain about the changes, I say only this. It was Walt Disney himself who said... "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, trying new things, because we are curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." 

 

Whatever happened to the Splash Mountain retheme?

Disclaimer: This article makes mention of a controversial subject. I did my best to write this in a neutral voice, focusing primarily on what is occuring. 

Splash Mountain is perhaps one of the most iconic attractions at both the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. If you've visited either park outside of the past two years, you may have noticed consistently extensive wait times for these attractions. It is not controversial to say that these attractions are extremely popular. Based on the 1946 film, Song of the South, these attractions have garnered some controversy over recent years, due to portrayals (or perceived portrayals given the wide range of viewpoints that exist regarding the matter) of individuals of multiple different races. 

Disney Parks, Products and Experiences as a business organization is no stranger to such controversies, as similar concerns have arisen in regards to the portrayal of indigenous people, particularly on the Jungle Cruise attraction. In response to these controversies, the company announced that some components of the attraction would be redone and integrated into a new story line to ensure that the attraction promotes an environment where guests of all cultures feel welcome. One of these changes that has already occurred was the removal of Trader Sam, although his Tiki Bar is expected to remain a part of the story, at least for the time being. 

What does all this have to do with Splash Mountain? For those who aren't up to speed, Disney announced on June 25, 2021 that Splash Mountain would be reminaged and themed to the Princess and the Frog. According to the announcement on the Disney Parks Blog, the storyline for the reimagined attraction will "pick up after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure - featuring some of the powerful music from the film - as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance." (Ramirez). This announcement also included an initial rendering of the rethemed attraction that was met with mixed reactions. 

Credit to Disney Parks, Products and Experiences

It is important to discuss the context of this announcement. Though Disney has stated this redevelopment has been in the planning stages since 2019, the official announcement comes on the heels of large scale protests following several high profile incidents of police brutality against people of color. This announcement came less than a month after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Department officers, and not much longer after Breonna Taylor was shot during the execution of a no-knock entry warrant by officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department. It is needless to say that the concept of racial justice and police brutality became a common theme in 2020 headlines, sparking conversations and heated debates in multiple facets of live, ranging from media, to schools, and reaching as far the Attractions & Entertainment industry.  

With all of this in mind, many people have asked the question... why the retheme? Typically when a theme park makes the decision to close and replace an attraction, there are a number of factors that park management will consider. These range from operating and maintenance costs, labor demands, as well as ridership. Attractions that have increasing operating costs and dwindling ridership counts are often the ones that get put on the chopping block. Such is the case for Vortex at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, which closed at the conclusion of the 2019 Haunt event. While the attraction was a historical icon at the park, the truth is that the manufacturer of the ride, Arrow Dynamics had ceased to exist over 15 years prior to its closure. This was due to dwindling ridership counts, increasing maintenance costs, and a growing lack of spare parts. The trains for Vortex can be found today on Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds. 

What is interesting about the case for Splash Mountain however is that it does not appear to meet any of the traditional criteria for putting an attraction on the so-called chopping block. This of course would be the reason for re-theming it rather than outright replacing it. But even in its current form, it is a very popular attraction. Even during the days of Covid when the parks were operating at reduced capacity and a number of popular rides were walk-ons, Splash Mountain still had a noticeable wait time. To give some perspective, during my visit to the resort in August 2021, extremely popular attractions such as Soarin, Expedition Everest and Flight of Passage had no wait times whatsoever, and yet Splash Mountain still held steady with a 30 minute wait. My estimate is that the ride has a theoretical hourly capacity of 1500 riders per hour. As such, if the attraction was not popular, it would have been a walk-on. 

Even with all this in mind, one important fact remains. Since making the initial announcement, Disney has remained mostly silent on the matter. the most recent information about the retheme came in August 2021  in an interview with Melissa Valiquette, who serves as the Vice President of Disney's Magic Kingdom. In this interview with Theme Park Rangers, she indicated that there was a lot of ongoing discussions and developments, but that such a project can take months to years. This begs the question, was the timing of the announcement the result of the current events that were happening at the time, or was Walt Disney Imagineering ready with the concept? At a seasonal amusement park, work typically would begin just a few weeks after such an announcement. At a destination resort that operates year-round like Disney, projects may even begin before they are announced.  

The primary reason for the retheme appears to be the concerns regarding the portrayal of people of color in the film, and also on the ride itself. Disney has been public about efforts to become more inclusive to all Cast Members and guests, and with this has come some changes to what were once considered timeless favorites. This of course has come with some pushback, particularly from longtime visitors. It has also been used as artillery for political discourse on both sides of the political spectrum. I personally think this is as big of a deal as it is because of the influence that Disney has on American Culture and society. 

Another question that is circling around is whether the retheme will happen at all. It's no secret that the global Coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on every sector of the travel and tourism business. And it's also no secret that Disney is currently interested in making and retaining more money rather than less. New programs such as Genie+ and the reduction of resort benefits should serve as glaring evidence of this. The complete redevelopment of an attraction is a multi-million dollar project and would result in the long-term closure of a key attraction at the Magic Kingdom. From a business perspective, Disney would not have any interest in moving forward with this project, especially considering the fact that there are several other large-scale projects that are still under construction and development, such as Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, and Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom. From a business standpoint, there is no financial incentive to redevelop another attraction regardless of the ongoing circumstances. I'm not even going to mention the ongoing situation with the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser resort slated to open March 1. 

From a Guest Experience perspective, Disney Parks, Products and Experiences might be more inclined to make this investment, to ensure that all guests who pass through the turnstiles of the parks feel welcomed. Inclusion after all is the newest core value of the company. With that being said, Disney seems to be less and less focused on the overall Guest Experience, and more and more on revenue. See the above paragraph for examples of this. 

With all this taken into consideration, only time will tell if this retheme ever comes to fruition. Personally, while I love the movie, Princess and the Frog, I find that retheming an attraction to the movie a bit disingenuous. I see a lot of opportunities for attractions and experiences inspired by this movie far greater than a rethemed attraction. Given how much there is to this movie, a better option would be to build a new attraction from the ground up, and build a plaza inspired by the movie around it complete with shops, quick service and table service dining options, and a theatre for live entertainment.