Disney’s ‘purple wall’ isn’t immune to change

My shortcut description of the purple wall goes like this: It’s a purple wall at Magic Kingdom. Oh, and people take selfies in front of it. You know, some things in life defy explanation. In the world of theme parks, one of those things at Walt Disney World is the social-media phenomenon known as the purple wall.

You can tell Disney didn’t name the purple wall or the name would have more adjectives and exclamation marks. Maybe it would be The Spectacular Purple Wall! Or Mickey’s Very Colorful Surface! – A Magical Tomorrowland Treat!

For the unknowing, the backdrop is a curved space connecting the Tomorrowland Terrace eating area and the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. It doubles as a shortcut from the Main Street area to Tomorrowland. It’s a narrow walkway that, somewhere along the way, became an Instagram darling.

Park guests stroll by, strike poses, get their selfies on and move along.

In this fast-paced social media environment, there’s already a newsy development. (Insert breathless broadcaster voice here.) Disney has repainted part of the purple wall. An offwhite and lighter purple geometric design is sprucing up the wall, which remains mostly purple. You know, the “mostly purple wall” doesn’t have the same simple elegance.

(For the record, the hue is more of lavender or lilac than purple, which to me describes the shade of Orlando City Soccer Club. But I’m not willing to fight the internet over it.)

Much of the 50-foot expanse remains plain purple, with about 10 feet of the new look. This week, the job was considered complete after an announcement on COMMENTARY the official Disney Parks Blog.

I went to Magic Kingdom to see if purple wall devotees care. Many Disneyphiles (insert gritted teeth) hate change.

“I think it’s really nice — more than just the plain,” said Daniella Delgado of Miami, proving me wrong.

“I like the asymmetrical type of thing going on and the geometric shapes,” said Delgado, who was visiting Disney World with friends. “I also like the mix of colors,” which includes lighter shades of purple, she said.

Her friends said they would “probably” post to Instagram and that the walls of Disney were not a priority on their trip.

I watched other purple people come and go for 15 minutes, during which 24 folks took snaps. Twenty of them were female. Many of them wore mouse ears, a few sporting the coveted rose-gold sequined ears. There was lots of posing and conferring about the pics, then repeating. Some people got it done in one shot, then scurried off, looking a little sheepish.

Some folks went directly to the new look segment, which looks similar to the triangular patterns on the exterior of Epcot’s Spaceship Earth only more irregular. Others avoided it.

My plan was to observe the area for an hour, but, honestly, it started feeling stalkery as all these teens and twentysomethings lingered.

So I made a loop around Tomorrowland and pondered why Disney was repainting that space. It could just be a regular sprucing up. The Florida sun is murder on those vivid brighter hues. Other nearby attractions, including Carousel of Progress and the dance party stage, have fresh new coats. Purple is a recurring color in the Tomorrowland scheme, popping up in the signs, back by the popcorn stands and bathrooms.

There’s also a refurbishment of Cosmic Rays Starlight Café going on. And there are touch-ups and new lighting in place here and there, not to mention that Tomorrowland is going to be home base for Disney’s Incredible Summer promotion.

Once I made it back to Purple Wall Central, the same two women who were posing when I left were still working it. They stood hand on hip or with one knee bent or looking over their shoulders or buckled over laughing like Laugh Floor was the funniest attraction ever. Ever! Farther down the curve, a guy took two quickie selfies and appeared to post one from his phone. Other folks sat in the shadow, not sweating that purple wall at all.

I didn’t wait around much longer, but I think it would be an interesting sociological study to hang out for a full day. Will future civilizations wonder “What the hey were they doing? There’s not even a backstory for the purple wall.”

True, but there are souvenirs. Step right up and get your cap or MagicBand that reads “Meet Me at the Purple Wall.”

No explanations required.