food IS a theme park
Disney just shared an inside look at a legendary attraction on social media!
Carousel of Progress
The @WaltDisneyImagineering Instagram account (one of our favorites as theme park nerds) shared a short clip of Imagineer Brice Croskey walking through the sets of Walt Disney’s legendary Carousel of Progress, detailing some of the small details that define this iconic show.
For just over five decades, Space Mountain has been the crown jewel of the Magic Kingdom and arguably the most famous Disney thrill ride in pop culture. Yet this marvel of ride design still holds some secrets within its intergalactic interior.
Space Mountain
The Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain, which is the first Space Mountain overall, opened at Walt Disney World in January of 1975. The revolutionary-for-the-time indoor coaster was an immediate smash, becoming the resort’s first true thrill attraction, and ushering in a new era for both Disney and the theme park industry overall. In the years since, versions have been built at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland, and the name Space Mountain has become iconic in pop culture. Despite all of that, there are still some things many may not know about the iconic ride.
In 1977, the world changed with the release of the first Star Wars movie, simply known as Star Wars at the time. That movie was followed by two more hit films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
©Disney
Now, this was long before Disney owned Lucasfilm, but Disney has had a longtime relationship with Star Wars thanks to partnerships with Lucasfilm to create rides based on the franchise. Star Tours, anyone? Now, Star Wars has become SO much more than those three movies, with many more movies having been made, as well as TV shows, novels, and comic books. But let’s talk about one particular movie…Revenge of the Jedi.
Over the years, there have been hundreds of Disney attractions that have been planned but not built. However, the stories behind “Why?” are wilder for some than others!
Cinderella Castle
Sure, most haven’t been built for money or budget-related reasons (and truth be told, that factor comes into play in some of these stories) others have more… interesting. There’s fights with some of Hollywood’s most famous directors, a clash with a major sponsor, and even a model that allegedly made Imagineers sick to their stomachs…
Something that separates Disneyland apart from Disney World, at least to me, is that Disneyland is really in touch with its weird and wacky side in a way that Disney World would NEVER. I mean, you can meet DEADPOOL in Disneyland. DEADPOOL.
Main Street, U.S.A.
Then there’s a ride in Fantasyland that literally takes you to hell and back (I love you, Mr. Toad). Plus you’ve got The Halloween Tree, which exists because of famed sci-fi author Ray Bradbury. And we can’t forget about the charming Little Man of Disneyland. Disneyland has always been in touch with its weirder side throughout its 70-year history, which brings me to something you may not know about: Pancake Races.
The Walt Disney Company and Disney engineers have been innovators and inventors since the beginning.
“it’s a small world” in Disneyland
Disneyland itself was the first theme park of its kind, a place where both adults and kids could go to have a magical time, and that was only the beginning. The Walt Disney Company has introduced rides and technology that had never been seen before, including the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction. Now, two of the designers involved with making the attraction come to life are being inducted into a Hall of Fame!
Oh, Disney World, you and your vast history never cease to amaze us.
Tomorrowland
Through its 50+ year history, many attractions around the park have come and gone. Some of them were sad goodbyes, while others were…not so missed. However, if you know where to look, there are tons of nods to old attractions that used to be, and some are more obvious than others. For example, we heard some chatter in the Magic Kingdom recently. It seems some people are confused about the large dark windows you can see in Tomorrowland, and we figured it was the perfect time to clear up the confusion!
If you’ve ever visited the West Coast, as a Disney fan, we’re sure you’ve made time to visit Disneyland (like we ALWAYS will make a Disneyland trip if we find ourselves in Southern California).
©Disney Family Museum
Maybe you’ve even managed to get in on one of those exclusive D23 Walt Disney Studios tours where you can visit the ACTUAL working studios of the company and even see Walt’s preserved office space. However, if you’re in Northern California and you skip out on the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, you may be missing out. We recently dropped by the museum and were blown away by everything there is to see.
A major piece of Florida’s theme park history is closing after over 80 years.
©Visit Central Florida
More than 30 years before Disney World changed the landscape of Florida tourism forever, Cypress Gardens was the most famous attraction in the Sunshine State. Originally opened in 1936 by the legendary Dick Pope Sr., the botanical garden and theme park was headlined by a water-skiing show that drew in millions of guests – – including some huge celebrities – – to see daredevil performers including Pope’s son Dick Pope Jr. The show’s success popularized the sport, made the park’s home of Winter Haven the “water skiing capital of the world”, and put Florida on the metaphorical map for millions.
Disney is getting dragged into politics again.
Magic Kingdom
For much of 2022 and 2023, Disney found itself locked in a political battle with Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. Issues initially spurred from Disney’s objection to the controversial DeSantis-backed Parental Rights in Education Act legislation in Florida, before exploding into a larger “culture war” issue regarding Disney’s “special district” status in Florida. The issue seems to be resolved through a settlement and a new Disney deal with Florida earlier this year. However, the company has now been dragged back into the political spotlight thanks to the upcoming 2024 United States Presidential Election.
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