Mostly reblogs about Disney Parks

[idreamofthemeparks]

Carthay Circle Restaurant ft the disapproving photo of Walt that stared at us while we ate

[disneygirl20-deactivated2016041]

[idreamofthemeparks]

Things I loved in Mission: Breakout's queue

[idreamofthemeparks]

Something extremely funny to me is that Toontown closes for fireworks and then reopens at 10pm so there's a second rope drop at night. And there's a significant crowd for second rope drop.

[plustheshow]

Train Thru Critter Country, circa 2008

[plustheshow]

ngl it was driving me crazy because I could NOT remember eaxctly where I was standing to get that photo. I knew it was in Critter Country, and that that was the bridge that ran between Splash Mountain and Hungry Bear, but the exact location, based on the height and angle of the photo, had me scratching my head. But I did a little sleuthing and

Thank you, JonRailVideos for taking this photo. I now know I was in the queue for Splash Mountain! And now that I know that, I can remember taking the picture! I can even recall putting my camera on that window ledge to make sure it was good and steady when I took the shot.

[plustheshow]

013. Yellow

Disneyland Resort 100 Prompts Meme Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean

[plustheshow]

Looking through my old original posts from when this blog was still shadowbanned, and

I'M GONNA MISS THIS GUY!

[plustheshow]

The first time I saw this video, years and years ago, it blew my mind. Because it meant that the only original song from the Enchanted Tiki Room was “In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room.” (And I guess the farewell song, as well.)

As a side note, who else has realized (or been told by someone other than me) that the song Timon sings when he dresses in drag and does the hula is to the tune of the flowers’ musical luau, specifically once the birds of paradise chime in?

[idreamofthemeparks]

I didn't care for Avengers Campus

[plustheshow]

Was it as empty as it looks?

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

Me in 2016: oh I don't need to save all this early Mission Breakout stuff! Why bother to keep press releases and opening info about a ride I dislike? It's a Disney ride, every single one of those gets hardcore fans that'll save everything about them; if I need to cross reference anything in the future I'll just have to search it up!

Me in 2026: So I very much should've saved that Mission Breakout stuff (there's no evidence of it online now so I *can't* just search it up)

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

In some cases, the only evidence I've found so far of certain claims or announcements is... my own decade-old posts complaining about them. Nothing I could properly cite as a source they existed, or how the ride was different when it actually opened.

Something something "the opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy..."

[disneylanddilettante]

This goes to show...something. The importance of archival, certainly, but also something about the kind of fans that are going to be attracted to Popular IP: The Ride vs. the kind of fans that have been attracted to the parks prior to the IP-ification storm.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

It is really strange, and I can't quite get what it's a sign of. My first thought was IP-ification, but there are IP rides with dedicated, detail oriented, archival-minded fandoms... although oddly those do seem to be centered around the *older* IP rides (Indiana Jones Adventure, Tower of Terror, The Great Movie Ride, the Fantasyland dark rides...). Maybe there's something different about modern IP-ification? It does feel different, but it's not exactly something I can articulate other than saying "different vibes."

But yeah, it's been WEIRD. This is an allegedly popular ride, supposedly more so than Tower was, but nobody else is recording the queue music, with its extremely bizarre and specific Easter Eggs? Nobody noticed an upside down sign for ten years? Nobody took note of what additional features were announced and changed? Or the addition of new exhibits in the lobby?

It's a popular ride where nobody seems to particularly care about it (even Disney apparently!) and I'm perplexed.

[plustheshow]

Maybe it's because, as an IP reskin, as a cash grab rebranding, it felt very temporary. (They've done it once, they're just gonna do it again.) Despite the fact that it's lasted ten years, the change over felt like it didn't matter, because it felt like the team who pulled it off didn't care about the change. (After all, they installed a sign upside-down!)

People were already upset that an already popular ride was getting rethemed. I know I never stopped shorthanding the name to 'Tower' when I suggested going on it, not out of malice, but because it wasn't a significantly different ride. Maybe, between that upset and the sensation of managerial apathy, it didn't feel important to people to record the changes.

Maybe everyone figured that someone else would do it.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

I think you're on to something. I have to say, I am sort of surprised it's been 10 years because it really does feel closer to something like Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy than an actual full redo of the attraction. A Mission Breakout employee told me once that at least some of the GOTG screens are literally just installed over the front of Tower's show scenes, and that he would sometimes go back and look at the original set pieces. That setup gives a different sort of feel than something like Superstar Limo to Monster's Inc, where even though the track and cars stayed the same the full physical sets and animatronics got overhauls.

I did get a lot of info and rare recordings of Breakout as a byproduct of my quest to decipher the "missing" audio loop that had Twilight Zone Easter Eggs in it. I keep going back and forth on whether I should organize and post that collection at some point.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

The Tower of Tarot part 2? And the Meanings of the Library Desks

In 2026, the Florida Tower of Terror has continued to have various refreshes and maintenance, which @chunkecheeks has helpfully been keeping

@chunkecheeks sent me pictures of more updates at Florida Tower, and they have some interesting implications for the lore and symbolism of the ride!

[disneytva]

Walt Disney Imagineering Slates September Opening Date For "Magic of Disney Animation".

Walt Disney Imagineering has revealed the opening date of The Magic of Disney Animation, an attraction at Hollywood Studios featuring experiences inspired by the Children's and Family Emmy Award winning short "Once Upon A Studio".

The Magic of Disney Animation, located in a large building at the end of the new Walt Disney Studios Courtyard, will open to the public on Sept. 14.

The Magic of Disney Animation will feature a collection of experiences centered around animation, including a learn-to-draw experience featuring Olaf, an indoor playground inspired by Alice in Wonderland artwork by Mary Blair, and a character meet-and-greet area.

Drawn to Wonderland Play Area 

The new Drawn to Wonderland play area is designed for little kids. The look of the space is inspired by Mary Blair's original concept art for Disney's "Alice in Wonderland." The play area will feature the Queen of Heart's rose garden, a Mad Tea Party and the Cheshire Cat.

Off the Page character meet-and-greets

The attraction will feature a dedicated area for character meet-and-greets called Off the Page. It will be divided into sections that reference a different part of the animation process, including story, layout, hand-drawn animation, computer animation, lighting and effects. Visitors can take pictures with different characters in each space. Characters that will make appearances in Off the Page include:

Mulan in Story

Rapunzel in Layout

Chip 'n' Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation

Donald and Daisy in CG Animation

Goofy in Lighting

Stitch in Effects

Olaf Draws! 

Olaf, the summer-loving snowman from "Frozen," will host this new Animation Academy experience.  Visitors will learn to draw Disney characters from Disney Animation artists who appear in a recorded video, while an animatronic Olaf adds his own humor to the mix. Each class will feature a different character that visitors will learn to draw, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Genie, Moana, Stitch, Olaf, Ursula, Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde. 

Actor Josh Gad, who voiced the character in the Frozen movies, recorded new dialogue for the experience.

Once Upon a Studio 

While at The Magic of Disney Animation, visitors can also watch the Emmy Award-winning short "Once Upon a Studio" inside a dedicated theater. The theater has been enhanced with effects to bring the short to life in a new way.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

Me in 2016: oh I don't need to save all this early Mission Breakout stuff! Why bother to keep press releases and opening info about a ride I dislike? It's a Disney ride, every single one of those gets hardcore fans that'll save everything about them; if I need to cross reference anything in the future I'll just have to search it up!

Me in 2026: So I very much should've saved that Mission Breakout stuff (there's no evidence of it online now so I *can't* just search it up)

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

In some cases, the only evidence I've found so far of certain claims or announcements is... my own decade-old posts complaining about them. Nothing I could properly cite as a source they existed, or how the ride was different when it actually opened.

Something something "the opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy..."

[disneylanddilettante]

This goes to show...something. The importance of archival, certainly, but also something about the kind of fans that are going to be attracted to Popular IP: The Ride vs. the kind of fans that have been attracted to the parks prior to the IP-ification storm.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

It is really strange, and I can't quite get what it's a sign of. My first thought was IP-ification, but there are IP rides with dedicated, detail oriented, archival-minded fandoms... although oddly those do seem to be centered around the *older* IP rides (Indiana Jones Adventure, Tower of Terror, The Great Movie Ride, the Fantasyland dark rides...). Maybe there's something different about modern IP-ification? It does feel different, but it's not exactly something I can articulate other than saying "different vibes."

But yeah, it's been WEIRD. This is an allegedly popular ride, supposedly more so than Tower was, but nobody else is recording the queue music, with its extremely bizarre and specific Easter Eggs? Nobody noticed an upside down sign for ten years? Nobody took note of what additional features were announced and changed? Or the addition of new exhibits in the lobby?

It's a popular ride where nobody seems to particularly care about it (even Disney apparently!) and I'm perplexed.

[plustheshow]

Maybe it's because, as an IP reskin, as a cash grab rebranding, it felt very temporary. (They've done it once, they're just gonna do it again.) Despite the fact that it's lasted ten years, the change over felt like it didn't matter, because it felt like the team who pulled it off didn't care about the change. (After all, they installed a sign upside-down!)

People were already upset that an already popular ride was getting rethemed. I know I never stopped shorthanding the name to 'Tower' when I suggested going on it, not out of malice, but because it wasn't a significantly different ride. Maybe, between that upset and the sensation of managerial apathy, it didn't feel important to people to record the changes.

Maybe everyone figured that someone else would do it.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

Me in 2016: oh I don't need to save all this early Mission Breakout stuff! Why bother to keep press releases and opening info about a ride I dislike? It's a Disney ride, every single one of those gets hardcore fans that'll save everything about them; if I need to cross reference anything in the future I'll just have to search it up!

Me in 2026: So I very much should've saved that Mission Breakout stuff (there's no evidence of it online now so I *can't* just search it up)

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

In some cases, the only evidence I've found so far of certain claims or announcements is... my own decade-old posts complaining about them. Nothing I could properly cite as a source they existed, or how the ride was different when it actually opened.

Something something "the opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy..."

[disneylanddilettante]

This goes to show...something. The importance of archival, certainly, but also something about the kind of fans that are going to be attracted to Popular IP: The Ride vs. the kind of fans that have been attracted to the parks prior to the IP-ification storm.

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

One of the funniest things that I've ever heard in a Disney promotional video is an Imagineer explaining that Mission Breakout's facade will be "something beautiful to look at," and then immediately pivoting to "our reference was an oil refinery."

[idreamofthemeparks]

My headcanon is that Figment sleeps the way a lizard does when he's very comfortable, with his arms and legs facing backwards (referred to in lizard communities as "splooted")

[idreamofthemeparks]

Also submitted for your consideration: Figment randomly jumping onto/off of things like a crested gecko

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

I drew the sploot

[idreamofthemeparks]

Hi yes this is the cutest thing I've ever seen and I am going to die.

[teatime-tangents-and-toys]

Thinking about how The Haunted Mansion, which I love, might have been if it wasn't designed by Disney in the sixties...i.e., the lack of racial diversity. The original ride is set in a Louisiana mansion and yet there are no Black people among the spirits. Madame Leota could have been a loose reference to Black spiritualists like Marie Laveau if she were cast differently, but I'm depressingly not sure of any time Disney could have actually gotten away with it. As a first idea in the sixties, it would probably not be viable, and if they made the change today, they'd get a shitstorm of bigoted reactionaries and traditionalists who want the ride to stay the same. An adaptation, at least, reframing Leota in Louisiana Black spiritualism could be cool, especially due to her positive role as a benevolent medium who frees the frustrated ghosts to enjoy their afterlives. That would have been absolutely radical in the sixties, and would still be significant today.

I believe the only Asian characters in the ride are the Bride's third husband, the late Marquis de Doome (seen only in a picture added to the ride in 2006), and the Bride in the Tokyo ride. Even outside the Disneyland ride, the American/Japanese rides are framed as a haunted home for ghosts from all walks of life, and yet all we get are European, American, and Ancient Egyptian spirits. I don't think there are any Latin characters either? Not having proper diversity exposes the era the ride was made in and who made it, and shows some missed opportunities to strengthen the setting. Trusting sixties Disney to depict diversity without atrocious stereotyping, on the other hand...

[disney-park-junkie]

“Fantasyland is dedicated to the young, and the young at heart and to all those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams do come true.”

—Walt Disney