Disney Fan Central

7 Strangest Disney Attractions

Photo by robertpaulyoung [Flickr]

I love Disney Parks. They've got some amazing attractions, shows, entertainment, restaurants....

But some of their most interesting attractions haven't been those built on already recognized characters such as the Pixar characters. Nope. Some of the most iconic attractions were those that came from pure creative gruntwork on the part of the Imagineers. Pirates of the Caribbean was an original attraction before it was a blockbuster film. The Haunted Mansion, despite a horrid attempt at a motion picture spin-off, remains one of the most famed theme park attractions of all time.

And while it's still somewhat new, Walt Disney World's Expedition Everest is working on becoming its own iconic attraction.

Only one of these attractions was based on a previous animated film. The rest were original attractions and, while they are considered somewhat strange, they were also some of the most unique and entertaining attractions that Disney Parks has had to date.

Well, there's one or two that we could have lived without.

Alien Encounter (Walt Disney World - RIP)

I will forever hate the person who officially gave this attraction the axe. Are you reading this out there? Yeah. I kinda hate you.

This was one of the most terrifying, unique attractions I had ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The attraction locked guests in a room with an escapee alien. Think Alien from the Alien films. While maybe not that scary, this bad boy was pretty darn close.

The attraction peaked with a one on one encounter with Mr. Alien in which he attempted to remove you from your seat and even breathed down your neck. It. Was. Amazing.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Disneyland and formerly, Walt Disney World)

Luckily, this attraction still resides in Disneyland, but it was ripped out to make way for the lackluster "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh".

What makes this attraction strangely unique is that, not only do you go for a "wild ride", but you also get to go straight to hell. That's right people. Hell. Pretty unique for Disneyland, wouldn't ya say?

Stormrider (Tokyo DisneySea)

According to one user on YouTube, Stormrider is more intense than Disney's other simulator rides - Soarin', Star Tours and Body Wars - combined.

Technically, I've never been on the attraction, but the concept is still one that is unique. Guests are taken on a ride in a flying weather laboratory whose main goal it is to find and diffuse inclement weather situations such as tornadoes and hurricanes. You can imagine that this would be a thrilling and interesting ride.

Phantom Manor (Disneyland Paris)

Photo by bartworldv6 [Flickr]

What makes Phantom Manor strange and unique is that, unlike the Haunted Mansion attractions at Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Tokyo, Phantom Manor, while having much of the same interior as the other mansions (save for the finale), has a completely different storyline. One that is much darker and morbid.

Not only that, but the soundtrack is fully instrumental (unlike the famed "Grim Grinning Ghosts" of the other attractions) and ends in a Western version of hell complete with ghoul filled saloon and some nasty looking skeletons. To make matters even more grim, the bride, unlike the one in the other attractions, ages throughout the ride and then meets a nasty end. In short, it's a depressing take on the Haunted Mansion.

Body Wars (Epcot, Walt Disney World - Closed, Possibly Permanently)

Photo by meshmar2 [Flickr]

Okay, of all the attractions on this list, this is probably my least favorite. Not my least favorite attraction ever, of course. That title belong's to the Stitch Disaster at Tomorrowland.

However, here's the premise for Body Wars. Imagine being shrunk down and then being injected into the human body. Yup. That's Body Wars. To be fair, lots of people love it. I'm not one of those people.

The Timekeeper (Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Tokyo - RIP)

The Timekeeper was the last attraction in WDW's Tomorrowland to utilize the 360 screen that once showed "American Journeys". Currently, the theatre houses the Monster Inc. Laugh Factory.

The attraction took guests, through the 360 technology, on a trek through time where they finally were able to meet Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. It was a fun, unique attraction but one that quickly became dated and was soon "temporarily" closed which eventually gave way to a permanent closure. A regular occurrence within the world of Disney Parks.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (Tokyo DisneySea)

Photo by caq [Flickr]

Continuing on the Jules Verne bit, Journey to the Center of the Earth pays homage to another of Verne's classics as JttCotE takes guests on a wild ride through a volcanic mountain where they eventually come face to face with a righteous magma monster.

It's not so much strange as just different, but it's also unique and an amazing testament to the untapped creativity of Disney's Imagineers.

I, Too, Credit Walt Disney With My "Green" Awareness

 

Photo by mattwitmer [Flickr]

The current post on The Disney Blog regarding Walt Disney's green "propaganda", if you will, in films got me to thinking about how Disney has made me more green aware over the course of my life.

While many credit Bambi as planting the seed for the love of nature, I can't say I'm much different. Bambi's pivotal scene of the hunter in the woods has stayed with me forever and it's one that, I admit, I can't really watch much.

But there are others instances within Disney that have reiterated Disney's Green message - before green was cool. Some that have, through Disney's work, continued to spread his love for nature and the earth even after his death and beyond his films.

For instance, the first time I became aware of solar energy was as a child at Epcot Center (as it was then called). At a pavilion known as "The Universe of Energy", I learned at a VERY early age how alternative forms of energy needed to be sought as fossil fuels were becoming more scarce. This was something that wasn't in the news everyday as it is now and definitely something that wasn't taught in my school. It prepped me for the current conversation on global warming and made the rhetoric regarding fuel and alternative energy one that was easier to understand.

I don't think it's hard to see that Walt Disney was in love with the earth and, perhaps, he was trying to edutain us more than we realize. And it looks like Disney's *trying* to help that legacy live on. I was surprised to see a paper straw when I was at Animal Kingdom this past December. Honestly, I don't believe I had ever seen a paper straw before.

So yeah. I think that, despite some loud mouth protests, Walt has had a pretty strong voice when it comes to living green.

Disney Taking Back The Disney Store

Photo by The Killer Biscuit [Flickr]

According to this article in The L.A. Times, Disney will be taking back their Disney Store chain after The Children Place announced that it would be abandoning the chain.

Well, that's exactly what needs to happen.

It's only been in the last year or so since the chain has begun to get a small inventory of interesting merchandise. And that's been limited and seems to, for the most part, coincide with a holiday such as Halloween or Christmas.

I remember the Disney Store, before The Children's Place buyout, as a store that carried more collector's items as well as children's items. Since then, popular properties such as The Disney Villains and The Nightmare Before Christmas have all but disappeared from the stores.

In fact, during the 2007 Christmas season, I was looking to buy some villains merchandise. I asked one of the employees if they had anything with Maleficent, The Evil Queen, etc. and her answer? "We don't carry those guys. They're bad."

They're also Disney properties, moron. And you can find the merchandise - just not at that store.

So, hopefully, this takeover will see The Disney Store getting some much better merchandise. I'm just glad that they're not going the way of the Warner Brothers' Stores. I hated to see those guys go. Their vacancies took out interesting, licensed merchandise and filled it with chain jewelers and teen clothiers.

Blah.

9 Disney Moments We Weren't Expecting

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik [Flickr]

Like Coca-Cola and Hollywood itself, Disney is a brand. Therefore, there are certain things we expect from Disney. And certain things we don't.

That's not to say that the things that come from Disney that we would never expect to see from them are bad things. Just that they are surprising. In fact, some of the best things to come from Disney are those that we would never have expected. Well, some of them.

Craziness Ensues at Hong Kong Disneyland

Photo by Dave Q [Flickr]

What happens when you open a theme park in Hong Kong, but your ticketing system can't meet the demand of a country long denied the Disney?

Riots. That's what. When Hong Kong Disneyland opened, millions of guests had already been sold tickets that were valid for up to six months. The problem? Just because you held a ticket didn't mean you were guaranteed admission for the day you showed up. Ouch.

Understandably, people were upset and what happened was the equivalent of a horde of cats trying to swarm a mouse motel. People tried to tear down the gates. Parents attempted to drop their kids over the gate. For awhile there, Disneyland Hong Kong was anything but the happiest place on earth.

While the furor has settled down, Disneyland HK is still going through its growing pains while it suffers from a lack of attractions and operating in a country that is quite different from those in which it has operated in the past.

Disney Weddings Takes On Gay Unions

© Walt Disney Co.

In 2007, Disney made the bold step to offer its Fairy Tale Weddings to gay couples. While gay couples still won't be able to overcome the issues of having a court recognized marriage, they can still have their own Fairy Tale ceremony on Disney grounds courtesy of the Fairy Tale Weddings programs.

It was a progressive statement and one that made the news and, no doubt, will one day be looked upon as a small victory for the move towards gay civil unions.

Disney Hires Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

© Walt Disney Pictures

When you have a beloved park attraction featuring pirates and you want to turn that attraction into a blockbuster film, you obviously need someone who can fill those big pirate boots on screen.

It might have seemed a given that Disney would have went with someone "safe." Someone whose name was synonymous with good old fashioned family entertainment.

Instead, Disney went with an actor known for his risky roles that ranged from drug dealers to crossdressing Hollywood directors to a man who had scissors for hands. When Disney took on Johnny Depp to play the role of Captain Jack Sparrow, no doubt there were more than a few executives who balked and contested the idea.

Thankfully, they didn't get their way and today, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most successful movie franchises of all times. Thanks mostly to the swaggering drunkenness of its lead character, Captain Jack Sparrow. 

Disney Joins Forces With George Lucas

Photo by Official Star Wars Blog [Flickr]

In 1986, Disney, looking for new ways to revive both Disneyland and, eventually, Walt Disney World's soon to open bare-bones movie theme park, Disney-MGM Studios, joined forces with one of Hollywood's biggest creative giants: George Lucas.

It was a meeting of the monsters that surprised Disney fans and Star Wars fans alike. The offspring of this union was Disney's brand new theme park ride, Star Tours, which allowed guests to travel, via simulator, through the Star Wars Universe.

Over the years, the relationship would strengthen with Disney-MGM's Star Wars Weekends and Indiana Jones attractions in Disneyland California, Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea.

Currently, there are rumors that this relationship might become even more prevalent throughout the parks with Star Tours 2.0 and a possible land within Disney Hollywood Studios which would highlight Lucas' main properties: Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Disney Infiltrates Broadway

Photo by minimoniotaku [Flickr]

In 1994, Disney opened its first Broadway musical, Beauty and the Beast, based on the animated film. It was a bold move, but one that paid off. Since Beauty and the Beast's opening, Disney has created even more Broadway shows based on its films including The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Tarzan and The Little Mermaid.

Disneyland Opens California Adventure

Photo by robertpaulyoung [Flickr]

After plans fell through to build a third American theme park in Virginia and plans were scraped to build the West Coast equivalent of Walt Disney World's Epcot that was to be known as WestCot, Disney opened California Adventure in 2001, adjacent to the original Disneyland park.

And ever since, they've been trying to "fix" it. The problem seemed simple - much of Disneyland's traffic came from local visitors. So why would local visitors be interested in a park that mimicked the state in which they resided day after day?

Pair that with the fact that the park seemed to lack the trademark Disney magic and you've got problems. In 2007, Disney announced that it would be expanding and refurbing the park to the tune of $1.1 billion.

Disney Acquires ABC

Photo by dbking [Flickr]

In 1996, Disney took a bold step into the world of television when it acquired ABC. Now, Disney was a major player in television and ABC, under its new owners, began a slow revamp of its ailing network as the face of television changed from one that coddled the unrealistic family sitcom to one who demanded more realistic and gritty programming.

It took several years for ABC to move out of its slump, but it currently holds many of the ratings top spots with series such as Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Dancing With The Stars.

EuroDisney Opens in France

Photo by Dan Kamminga [Flickr]

Ah. Disneyland and the French. They just seem to be synonymous with each other, right?

When Disney opened up its EuroDisney park in France, the news was met with a chorus of "Huhs?" and "Oh boys." And for years, it seemed that the idea was one that was, well, a bad one.

However, after some growing pains, some revamps and a rename (from EuroDisney to Disneyland Paris), the park has finally grown out of its awkward stepchild phase and into one of a successful Disney park.

Disney Finally Acquires Pixar

Photo by Andrew Butt [Flickr]

For months, it seemed that Pixar and Disney would finally part ways for good. After a long and successful relationship that had begat such films as Toy Story, A Bug's Life and The Incredibles, fans worried that Pixar would go their way and Disney another.

The problem stemmed from a long, nasty feud between former Disney head honcho Michael Eisner and Steve Jobs. However, once Eisner was finally booted from Disney, the talks resumed and in 2006, Disney finally obtained Pixar and with it, John Lasseter as CCO of Pixar and Disney animation as well as Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

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No doubt, there are other "Holy Cow" moments within Disney's history. These are only 9 and I struggled over these and nixed others. What were your "Holy Cow" moments with Disney?