Habit Heroes

Habit Heroes
Epcot
AreaFuture World
Coordinates28°22′27.44″N 81°32′59.51″W / 28.3742889°N 81.5498639°W / 28.3742889; -81.5498639
StatusRemoved
Soft opening dateFebruary 4, 2012 (2012-02-04)
Opening dateJanuary 18, 2013 (2013-01-18)
Closing dateJanuary 17, 2016 (2016-01-17)
Ride statistics
DesignerWalt Disney Imagineering
Located inInnoventions East
Sponsored byFlorida Blue Cross

Habit Heroes was an interactive exhibit located within Innoventions at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Designed to promote healthy habits by battling "bad habits" personified as villains, the exhibit soft-opened on February 4, 2012. Medical experts widely lambasted Habit Heroes, claiming that its approach body-shamed and stigmatized overweight individuals. Consequently, Disney closed the attraction days before its planned public opening on March 5, 2012.

Following extensive research and consultation with medical professionals, Disney retooled the exhibit. The revamped Habit Heroes opened to the public on January 18, 2013.[1] Disney closed the exhibit without warning on January 17, 2016.[2]

Original attraction

Conceived as a unique interactive experience, the attraction was initially housed within a simulated gymnasium that served as the secret headquarters for a superhero organization dedicated to combating unhealthy habits. Led by character hosts Will Power and Callie Stenics, participants were recruited to become "health heroes", tasked with acquiring the skills needed to defeat villains that embodied negative lifestyle choices.[3]

Controversy and feedback

Upon its debut, Habit Heroes sparked widespread backlash. Detractors argued that the exhibit perpetuated harmful stereotypes and bullying language towards overweight and obese individuals, potentially triggering eating disorders and suicidal ideation. Many also claimed that the exhibit contradicted its purported educational mission by failing to provide a balanced view of healthy habits.[4] Medical weight management specialist Yoni Freedhoff denounced Habit Heroes as "horrifying" and "demonstrating a complete lack of understanding".[5][6]

Quickly, the issue spread to social networking circles and even on national news headlines [7] . Within two days of the exhibit's initial opening, Disney decided to close it for retooling, prior to its official March 3 opening date. [8] One writer expressed disturbance that "Disney and Florida Blue felt the need to cave under the loud and misguided views of people who clearly didn't understand the exhibit," and lauded the exhibit's effectiveness in conveying its message. [9]

Revamped attraction

During the retooling, Imagineers at Disney consulted various national experts in children's health, weight and nutrition, including an obesity expert from Stanford University and a nutritional scientist from Cornell University. They sought assistance in retooling and recreating the attraction from scratch following the backlash.[10] Characters Will Powers and Callie Stenics, as well as the notorious villains, have been replaced in favor of four more heroes - Director Jin and three agents, Agent Dynamo, representing physical activity, Agent Quench, representing hydration, and Agent Fuel, representing healthy eating and nutrition. The villains were replaced with more pestilent opponents - Blocker-Bots (opponents that hid healthy food choices), Sappers (sentient boulders that prevent people from undertaking physical activity) and Scorchers (sentient flames that could dehydrate people without their knowledge).

Activities

Although retaining the identical floorplan of the previous attraction, the improved attraction contained three activities: one incorporating exactly the same dance grid, this time, encouraging guests to practice their 'power moves' against the pestilent opponents. Next, retaining the same cannons, participants would defend a city by shooting at the same opponents. In the final activity, with the cylindrical room and multiple control panels, participants would defend the world targeting the same opponents as before.

The attraction is notable for its use of cast-member interaction and mediation to the guests participating in it, and afterwards, there was an opportunity for guests to receive a mission in response to their chosen health habit to improve on. Also notable is the mobile application which encourages users to improve their chosen health habit via various activities (such as a pedometer for walking exercises).

Response

Since the retooling, the attraction was cited by the SunSentinel as a "kinder, more sensitive attraction" compared with earlier on, and despite mixed reviews, the improved attraction was well received by guests alike. Even Freedhoff wrote a follow-up blog post, praising the improvements. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Epcot's Habit Heroes now permanently closed at Innoventions".
  2. ↑ Good, Jeremiah (January 19, 2016). "Epcot Attraction Closes Without Notice". LaughingPlace.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  3. ↑ Barrett, Steve. "Habit Heroes - Bad Habits (and a Hidden Mickey)" AllEars.Net. Retrieved on February 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ McInnis, Frances. "Disney World blunders with anti-obesity exhibit" Shine On, Yahoo Canada. Retrieved February 11th, 2013.
  5. ↑ Laucius, Joanne "How an Ottawa physician threw Disney's fat in the fire" Archived 2020-07-21 at the Wayback Machine The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ Freedhoff, Yoni "Disney's Horrifying New Interactive Childhood Obesity Exhibit at Epcot" Weighty Matters. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ Gray, Emma "Disney's Anti-Obesity 'Habit Heroes' Exhibit At Epcot Causes Controversy (PHOTOS) [UPDATED]" Huffington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  8. ↑ Jameson, Marni. "Disney closes new Habit Heroes exhibit after criticism for stigmatizing fat kids" Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  9. ↑ O'Keefe, Gwen Schurgin, MD. "Disney's Habit Heroes: A Review From a Pediatrician Mom Who Experienced It" Huffington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  10. ↑ Jameson, Marni. "Epcot's Habit Heroes reopens as a kinder, more sensitive attraction"[link removed] Sun Sentinel. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ Freedhoff, Yoni. "Epcot's Habit Heroes Reopens. Did They Remove the Shaming?" Weighty Matters. Retrieved on February 11, 2013.
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