Category: Walt Disney World

Tokyo Disneyland is Like a Disney Time Machine

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Haunted Mansion, Japan, Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Tokyo, Tokyo Disneyland, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment

Welcome to the Crossroads! Tokyo Disneyland was an interesting trip and experience. The park is beautiful and a throwback to Disney’s bygone era. I think of Tokyo Disneyland as the Ghost of Theme Park Past. So, is Tokyo Disneyland stuck in the past? Not exactly, but the parts that are can be a fun look at what has changed here at the US parks. My first trip to a Disney Park was Disney World in 1987, when I was at the tender age of twelve. I vividly remember the rides, my wonder, and the excitement of being in the Happiest Place on Earth. I carry those memories with me as a full-fledged Disney Adult.

So, what does this have to do with Tokyo Disney? Walt Disney famously said that Disneyland would be an ever-evolving park. Change would be one constant guests could count on in the Disney parks. Yes, Tokyo Disney has new attractions, but it is also home to sights and experiences from the past. Tokyo Disneyland is modeled after the US parks. The Japanese investors at the Oriental Trading Company (OTC) wanted their Tokyo theme park to be a copy of their US counterparts. The Haunted Mansion is a copy of WDW, It’s A Small World mirrors Disneyland, and Pirates of the Caribbean is also modeled on Disneyland. Tokyo Disney has its share of new attractions as well. One of their most popular rides is The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. OTC has recently demolished Space Mountain and is rebuilding it in an exciting new design. So, it isn’t like everything there is stuck in the past.

Tokyo Disneyland is hardly a relic of the past, but it has many holdovers from parts removed or changed in the US parks. I will list my five biggest holdovers from the US parks in Tokyo Disneyland.

  1. Country Bear Jamboree-Tokyo Disney’s show is the same show WDW had until the program and animatronic upgrades in the past few years. Yes, it’s in Japanese, but it’s still fun to hear the original music and watch the bears perform. I will post a video of the Tokyo Disney show on the YouTube channel in the next few weeks, so be looking out for it if you want to see the old version of the show, but in Japanese.
  2. The Jungle Cruise—This one is a little controversial (not as much as one on this list, but close). When the skipper tells us the best Japanese dad jokes on the cruise, you will notice some people in the jungle who are not present in any other version. Tokyo Disney still maintains the dancing tribesmen and the headhunters. The end of the boat tour will take you by the original Trader Sam with his strands of shrunken heads.
Souvenir?

3. Pirates of the Caribbean- This one is an interesting mix of old and new. The Tokyo attraction did add Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa, but where the US parks altered the auction scene and the pirates chasing the women, Tokyo did not make the same change. Riding Pirates of the Caribbean in Tokyo allows you to experience the old-school auction and chase scenes with the women for sale and being chased. It is easy to understand why the change was made in the States. Disneyland Paris followed the US lead and changed the auction and chase scenes.

4. The Haunted Mansion- I loved this version. I rode the Orlando version dozens of times on my first Disney World trip. During the Electric Light Parade (also something else old in states that’s still in Tokyo), we rode the Haunted Mansion in a continuous loop for almost an hour because there was no line and the cast members let us stay in the Doom Buggies for repeated trips through the mansion. The Tokyo Haunted Mansion features the spiders and webs, where the staircase room is now, and the OG Beating Heart Bride. Props to OTC for not making her into the Constance Hatchaway attic bride we know and dislike.

5. Splash Mountain- This is the mother of all differences between the Tokyo and US parks. The ride in the States drew criticism because it is based on Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear from the troubled Song of the South film. In the US, Disneyland and Disney World changed Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, based on the animated Walt Disney Pictures film The Princess and the Frog. Tokyo has fought off all attempts by the Walt Disney Corporation to force OTC to change Splash Mountain. This is one of the most popular attractions in Tokyo Disney, and they aren’t in a hurry to make a change. They see the reaction and issues the US versions have had, and I don’t think they want any part of that action. Riding Splash Mountain again after having the opportunity to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was nice. It allowed me to make a better comparison between the two. I still prefer Splash Mountain, mainly because the story fits the ride better than it does with Tiana. I like Tiana, though; it is the right ride for the US. The Japanese don’t have the same cultural issues with Song of the South, which alters their views on the subject matter of the ride. They see it for the rabbit, fox, and other animals apart from the connotations we have with the film and characters in the US.

That wraps up this trip down memory lane to Disney’s past. We can still visit parts of the past in Tokyo Disneyland like we were time travelers. I’ve visited Disneyland, Disney World, Paris Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland. Only two parks are left, and I hope to get to them in the next couple of years.

Thanks for meeting me here at the Crossroads, and I hope to see you out on the road or in a Disney park!

Later,

Brent

I’m Ranking Disney’s Haunted Mansions…Where Do The Four Finish?

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Haunted Mansion, Tokyo Disneyland, Travel, Travel Blogger, Travel Vlogger, Traveling Writer, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment

Welcome, foolish mortals, to Brent’s Crossroads! I have visited Disneyland, Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. One thing about me is that I love the Haunted Mansion. In all of Disney, it is my favorite attraction in every park. Now that I have experienced all four versions of the Haunted Mansion, I sat back and thought about how to rank them. I’m not counting Mystic Manor because it is an entirely different ride compared to the classic Haunted Mansions.

So, let’s look alive, and don’t forget to bring your death certificates. I will start at the bottom and count up to the number one Haunted Mansion version in the Disney parks.

4. Tokyo Disneyland—It pains me to put it on the bottom, but sacrifices must be made. Riding the Tokyo version was like stepping back in time. This attraction doesn’t have the staircase room but still rocks the spiders and webs. The room is dark, and you can barely see the spiders, but it was a blast from the past. The spiders were still in Disney World when I rode it for the first time as a kid. The other big difference is the Beating Heart Bride. It did my heart good to see her in the attic and hear her heart beating. However, this is not enough to overtake the other Mansions. The outside queue is different with a ruined mausoleum, but the sightlines aren’t as good either. The Mansion here is beyond Splash Mountain and lacks the same uneasy feeling as Orlando (which it mirrors).

3. Disneyland—Putting the OG Haunted Mansion at number three is painful, too. It has been a few years since I’ve been to Anaheim, but things have changed a ton since my last ride on the Mansion. The new queue area looks fantastic, and I should be walking it this year. The other significant change is from an axe-wielding Constance Hatchaway to an updated version of the Beating Heart Bride. The updated spirit looks better, but I need to see it in person before passing final judgement. I need to move on before I rethink my ranking of the Disneyland ride.

2. Disneyland Paris– I struggled with putting Phantom Manor at number two instead of number one. It was almost a coin flip. Phantom Manor is what a haunted house should look like. Walt Disney said the mansion should look nice on the outside, and the ghosts keep the inside how they like it, but the Manor is all creepy from the gates to the doors. The storyline for Paris is also better than the other versions. In the first room, the narration is by Vincent Price, which is perfect for the feel of this ride. I love Vincent as well, so I may be a little biased. Overall, the attraction is similar to the other mansions, but it has different effects and scenes to better incorporate the storyline and the Phantom. The graveyard and broken open coffins in the transition area between the Manor and the Old West town are the scariest and most visceral. The skeletons are real-looking, and there isn’t the usual Disney-style camp in the scenes. The last portion of the ride is why I ended up not ranking it at number one. The Old West town is goofy. This is where we get a solid dose of Disney camp, and it detracts from everything else in the ride. It is so close to being perfect…

1. Disney World—You never forget your first, right? It has the same DNA as the original, and Tokyo is a mirror image of this majestic ride. On the first trip to Disney World as a kid, I rode the Mansion multiple times. During the Electric Light Parade, we were allowed to stay on the ride and keep riding because nobody was in line to ride. It pays to skip the parades and shows sometimes. The Haunted Mansion left an impression on me that continues to this day. It spoke to the way I felt and viewed the world. I like my world on the darker side, and this ride gave that darkness to me. Yes, it’s been updated. I hope they take Constance out of the attic, because the effect hasn’t aged well, and it’s time for her to go. The Hat Box Ghost in the hallway scene makes absolutely no sense. He shouldn’t be before Madame Leota’s seance. The spirits manifest after the seance; unless there is more to his story than we know, he should be in the attic. Okay, now I’m splitting hairs.

There it is, my Haunted Mansion rankings. How do you rank them? Do you think I’m insane, or do you agree with where the rides fell on the list? I plan on doing more of these to compare Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s A Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and others. Be sure to sound off in the comments below.

Well, I must get back to work on the next video for the YouTube channel (go here to subscribe for even more Disney, cruise, and travel content). Thanks for stopping in to chat, and I hope to see you at the Crossroads!

Brent

A New Bride in Disneyland and a New Closure Coming to Animal Kingdom!

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Disneyland, Haunted Mansion, Magic Kingdom, Travel, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment
Copyright Walt Disney Corporation

Welcome back to the Crossroads! I know it seems like all we’ve been talking about lately has been the rides we’ve lost and the attractions we will lose soon. One I didn’t cover was It’s Tough to be a Bug. This opening day attraction in Animal Kingdom is inside the massive Tree of Life. The 3D show is based on the characters from the Pixar film A Bug’s Life. I always loved the movie, and I’m sad it never got the IP love it deserves. It never received a sequel and now the attraction based on it is getting a makeover. This saddens me.

The last day to visit the attraction is on March 16, 2025. There isn’t much time left for It’s Tough to be a Bug, so hurry in to ride. They didn’t give it the year-long send-off that Dinosaur received. Soon, it will join large areas of Dinoland USA in oblivion and rebirth. What will the new attraction in the Tree of Life be when it reopens? Zootopia: Better Zoogether.

Yeah, Zootopia.

I’m not a Zootopia fan, so this one hurts like Muppets closing hurts.

The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland has reopened after its transformation from A Nightmare Before Christmas back into the classic Mansion. When it reopened, it featured a new Bride in the attic. This Bride harkens back to the older Beating Heart Bride and replaces Constance Hatchaway. The projection effects for Constance didn’t age well, and I think the idea of a hatchet-wielding bride chopping off her many husband’s heads didn’t sit well with Disney. We still have the hanging man in the Stretching Room for now, but we’ll see how much longer he lasts.

The new Bride stands in the same spot across from the Hat Box Ghost and now has a window in the attic behind her. The face appears a little odd-shaped, but the effect of her flowing dress is fantastic. The wedding pictures have also changed. Constance’s husbands featured their heads disappearing, and now the entire husband vanishes. Beside her is the spirit of the one-eyed cat from the loading area where you climb aboard your Doom Buggy. This was a nice touch for Mansion fans, who can point and look like a meme in their excitement.

Overall, I loved the older Brides in Disneyland and Disney World, and I think the new one fits well with the past Brides. It is an improvement over Constance, and I’m okay with the change. There are some changes I haven’t liked and some I’m preparing not to enjoy, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Thanks again for stopping by! Please be sure to check out the Brent’s Crossroads YouTube Channel and follow on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook. Any subscriptions and likes go a long way to helping keep gas in the tank to travel around creating content. I want to thank you, and I’ll see you at the Crossroads!

Safe Travels,

Brent

Disney Giveth and Disney Taketh Away

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Jim Henson, Magic Kingdom, Muppet Courtyard, Muppet*Vision 3D, Rocking Roller Coaster, Universal Studios Orlando, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment
Leaving for a voyage on the Liberty Belle in the Magic Kingdom

Greetings, and welcome back to the Crossroads! I want to switch gears today from what we’ve lost to what we will lose. Disney has transformed or demolished many attractions in the past, but what Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) has planned is making the fanbase upset. The idea they have to destroy to create is a silly notion in a park with tons of space to expand, but here we are. I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the desire to keep the Florida parks in the same footprint and never expand them to create more capacity. More capacity equals more guests. More guests equals more money from tickets, food, souvenirs, and resort stays.

I guess they don’t like money? Who knows.

The first set of projects has started in Animal Kingdom. The fun Dinoland USA is the first area under the wrecking ball. On the surface, a new area themed around Central and South America seems like a natural fit for the Animal Kingdom park. There is ample room to expand the park’s size and build the new Tropical Americas attractions themed around Indiana Jones and Encanto.

But that’s not what we’re getting. Instead, we get addition by subtraction.

Dinoland USA was an area themed around carnival rides and games anchored by the Dinosaur E-ticket attraction. A boneyard play area was also part of the dinosaur-themed land. Ironically, the Dinosaur ride has already been transformed from Countdown to Extinction into Dinosaur by adding characters from the Disney Animation Studios film and changing portions of the queue. Well, now it gets to become an Indiana Jones attraction. This wasn’t a surprise since it shares the same ride bones as the Indy rides in Anaheim and Tokyo. The Encanto attraction would be new and not a rebuild of an existing ride.

Disney’s second project is the new Cars-themed area and a Villain Land in the Magic Kingdom. Most of this project has been part of the Blue Sky “Beyond Thunder Mountain” planning for years. The idea was to build these areas beyond Big Thunder Mountain, not in front of it. The mountain is an integral part of the Magic Kingdom skyline, and to lose it would be tragic. The area had already lost the top of Splash Mountain when it was transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Where is the Cars attraction slated to be located? Right where the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island are is where. Not only will the river be filled in, but the Liberty Belle riverboat will go with it. WDI is changing the Liberty Square and Frontier Land area for no reason. The quiet and uneasy queue for the Haunted Mansion along the river? Now, instead of pondering your fate, you can listen to the cars zoom by. It will take away a key piece of the anticipation for the Mansion experience.

The Villain area does appear to be located in a new area past the Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain. I can’t complain too much about that one. New areas to expand the park capacity and the ability to increase attendance are what I thought Disney would be all about: more money.

But alas, here we are.

Lastly, this is the most terrible choice of all they have announced. In Hollywood Studios, Disney has revealed that a Monster’s Inc. area is coming soon. Is it going to be in a new space? Heck no. They’ve decided to further anger the fans by closing Jim Henson’s final project and shuttering Muppet*Vision 3D. The entire Muppet Courtyard is going to close and be transformed. Yes, the indoor roller-coaster may appear cool, but at what cost? Disney tried to make it better by also announcing the Aerosmith-themed Rocking Roller Coaster will become a Muppet attraction.

Wait…what?

So, in Disney’s infinite wisdom, they’ve decided to take a fast ride that kids can’t ride and make it a family IP attraction? Is that what they said? Yes, they did. I love the Rocking Roller Coaster, but the time has come for it to be rethemed. Aerosmith has retired, and there has been negative press concerning Steven Tyler over the past few years. But the Muppets aren’t a good fit. I may be wrong, but Muppets is a good joke between friends that can’t be enjoyed when you’re being shot off the starting line at 60mph and racing in the dark with some lighted features around the track. The Muppets aren’t something that you can get the humor of in that kind of environment. The kids you would want to become fans of the Muppets and buy merchandise won’t be able to ride it, so what’s the point besides trying to quickly pacify an angry fanbase?

For decades, the Walt Disney Company has given us countless hours of fun and enjoyment in the theme parks. They have given us many rides we’ve fallen in love with and wish we could ride every day (Haunted Mansion or Phantom Manor), but now the time has come for that same Disney to take some of our beloved attractions away. It has happened before, and it will happen again. This time feels different, though. This time, it feels like they got caught flatfooted by Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe and had to throw something out there. None of these ideas are really new. The Monster’s Inc. coaster, Cars track, and Villain Land have been ideas out there for years. The Indiana Jones attraction has the same ride system and track layout, but different themes, as Indy rides in two other parks. So yes, I do think this was an attempt to bring the attention back to Disney World.

DId it work?

Yes, but maybe not in the way they wanted it to be. I hope to be proven wrong, and all will be right in the World of Disney, but the crowd is lighting torches and grabbing pitchforks.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let’s talk about it!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you at the Crossroads!

Brent

Is Universal Orlando Leaving Disney in the Dust?

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Dark Universe, disney, Disney Adult, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epic Universe, Haunted Mansion, Jim Henson, Magic Kingdom, Muppet*Vision 3D, Muppets, Rocking Roller Coaster, Travel, Traveling Writer, Universal Studios Orlando, Walt Disney, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment

Hey gang, and welcome back to the Crossroads! The snow, ice, and prolonged power outages have created a world of havoc on my end, and I have found most of my work behind schedule. So, I’m back and ready to get the conversation going with you about the impending opening of Universal Studios Orlando’s Epic Universe park. The new park appears impressive, and I’m not sure Disney has been up to the task of combating the threat to their Orlando theme park dominance. What this means for the summer season at the parks is anyone’s guess, but I’ll give you my thoughts and have you weigh in.

First off, I want to start with Universal. They are opening a new theme park gate on May 22, 2025. Epic Universe looks like it will live up to its epic name. The park has three new hotels and is divided into five worlds. You can enter the Worlds of Harry Potter, Nintendo, How to Train Your Dragon, Celestial Park, and my most anticipated area, Dark Universe. I am a huge Universal Monsters fan, so a theme park world dedicated to them excites me. Universal decided to build a new park from scratch, allowing them to create something truly special. They also took some Disney Imagineers, which could be part of the Disney park problem.

Multiple YouTube channels have covered the construction, and there is some fantastic drone footage of the lands taking shape. I suggest checking out Theme Park Stop and Bioreconstruct for the best footage and updates. I feel Disney has been lacking the level of detail given to the Epic Universe lands lately. Look at Communicore Hall in Epcot or the DVC building at the Polynesian Resort for some examples of uninspired work.

I must admit, the theming around Epic Universe is something I always expected from Disney, but don’t feel like we’re getting any longer. Watching the footage of the illuminated Stardust Racer roller coaster cars streaking around the track at night is a testament to the care Universal put into making this park incredible. The immersive feel for Dark Universe is capped off with The Burning Blades Cafe, which features windmill blades that catch fire and burn at various times. I can’t wait to walk the streets of Darkmoor to explore the monster legends.

Now to Disney World…

The response to Universal and Epic Universe has appeared to be tepid. It feels like Disney was caught on their heels and can’t react fast enough to compete with the new park opening down the road. So far, all the announcements Disney has made about new attractions to the parks have been met with reservations, disappointment, and anger in some cases. Disney has announced some nice rides, but instead of building new ones and expanding the park’s capacities and footprints, Disney is destroying attractions instead.

A new Monster’s Inc. coaster and themed area in Hollywood Studios? Sounds good, but instead of tearing down the underused Animation Courtyard, they are destroying Jim Henson’s final Muppet project before he died in Muppet*Vision 3D. The kicker is that the ride isn’t taking over the building or being torn down; it’s just ceasing to exist. The same can be said about the new Cars area in the Magic Kingdom. Instead of building it behind Big Thunder Mountain as the Blue Sky Beyond Big Thunder project plans hinted at, Disney is tearing down Tom Sawyer’s Tree House and filling in the Rivers of America. This dramatically changes the landscape and ruins the peaceful and serene queue for the Haunted Mansion. Replacing water with concrete in the Florida summer doesn’t seem like a sound idea, and losing the River Belle will be ripping a wound in the heart of the Magic Kingdom that will never heal.

Imagine being in the extended queue for the Haunted Mansion. The once quiet and still waters of the Rivers of America, where you could peacefully contemplate the impending tour of a haunted estate, will be replaced by the noise of cars racing by. You lose the anticipation of the Haunted Mansion to loud motors and screaming riders. Next thing you know, they’ll tell us that Aerosmith’s Rocking Roller Coaster is being replaced by the Muppets.

Oh wait…

I won’t even mention what’s happening at Animal Kingdom in Dinoland today; I’ll save that for later this week. I will also talk a bit more about the Rocking Roller Coaster situation and how it doesn’t make a lot of sense to be made into a Muppet attraction. Be sure to stop back by and we can continue this conversation a little more about how Disney is being left behind.

I gotta go and catch up on stuff, so I’ll catch you all later at the Crossroads!

Brent

Picture Copyright NBC Universal

Disney Rides We’ve Loved and Lost Pt.2

On By Brent AbellIn Alien Encounter, Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Lilo and Stitch, Magic Kingdom, Star Wars, Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, Stitch's Great Escape, Tomorrowland, Travel, Traveling Writer, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment

Greetings from the crossroads, my friends! I started down a rabbit hole that I didn’t intend to start down. My last article discussed rides I loved at Walt Disney World when I first visited as a kid. Well, I started thinking about everything I’ve enjoyed over the years that has been closed and was either revamped or destroyed. The list grew larger than one article could do justice to.

So, here we are in a growing series that we’ll touch on for a few weeks.

I see you looking at the picture of me on the Galactic Starcruiser. I know you’re reminding me it wasn’t a ride but an immersive experience. I believe the experience puts it in the same categories as a ride. I also wanted to take a step out of the Magic Kingdom. Don’t worry; we’ll get back to it soon enough.

The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser was a two-day immersive experience hotel running in conjunction with Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The hotel puts you in the action and intrigue of a voyage set during the New Republic era. This disappointed many fans because it focused on the First Order era, not the classic Empire era. I believe fans would’ve wanted the prequel era over the sequel one, but we’ll never know. The very steep price included your two nights at the hotel, food, the actors, and passes to go to Galaxy’s Edge to ride Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run in the morning of your only full day at the hotel. The price was most likely the other colossal factor hastening the Halcyon’s demise.

The Galactic Starcruiser experience was terrific, but it closed before it had a chance to take off. The price and era worked against it, but Disney could’ve tried to alter the experience to lower the price or change the timeframe it took place. Once a guest went on the voyage, there wasn’t a real sense of needing to repeat the trip. Yes, some did take repeat voyages, but it was cost-prohibitive to go multiple times. Shutting down briefly to refresh the story could’ve gone a long way to saving the Halcyon. Instead of a cool hotel set in the Star Wars Universe, we now have a plain gray block building that doesn’t serve much purpose. Will Disney reopen the hotel as something else? Only time will tell.

Still with me? We’re running back to the Magic Kingdom for a ride that’s closed twice. One ride that stood out was the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter ride in Tomorrowland, which was inspired by the movie Alien. The ride put guests in a room where an alien was held in a containment unit in the center of the room. Horrifically, the alien breaks free, and the experience becomes a 4D attraction in the darkness. You feel the alien running along your chairback, hear it breathing down your neck, and get drenched in blood when the creature rips a company employee to pieces. The water sprayed on guests during that part of the show gave me a jolt of love for the twisted. Alien Encounter was dark, adult, and scary. It got many negative complaints and reviews due to the nature of the attraction being in Disney World. Plans to add it in Disneyland, Paris, and Tokyo were scrapped after the reviews became negative. Because the ride was so terrifying, it didn’t last. The ride ran from 1995 until closing in 2003.

But wait, the ride didn’t die…yet.

When Alien Encounter’s closing was announced, Disney also announced it would be replaced by a new attraction featuring Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. The latest version used the same show sets and effects but added some gross stuff, like Stitch belching behind you and releasing a foul stench instead of the alien breathing on your neck. This version would last longer, running from 2004 through 2018. The building now remains closed, and nothing has replaced Stitch’s Great Escape. You can say this ride counts as two-for-one in the dead attraction department.

Well, fellow travelers and Disney adults, I must pause our discussion for now and work on the new book some more. Don’t worry; we can meet back here at the crossroads again soon to talk about how much we’ve lost at Epcot and especially MGM…I mean, Hollywood Studios.

Until next, we meet my friends; I’ll see you out at the crossroads,

Brent

Disney Rides We’ve Loved and Lost

On By Brent AbellIn 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Travel, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, Walt Disney, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment
I miss Toad Hall in Orlando.

Welcome back to the crossroads! I’m happy we can meet up here again. Today, I want to shed some tears for the attractions we’ve lost in the Disney Parks over the years. Many beloved rides have fallen victim to the WDI expansion drive. I don’t fault Walt Disney Imagineering; I blame a company that would rather destroy than build. The parks in Florida have plenty of room to expand their footprint and thus their park capacity, but they refuse to expand the park sizes for some odd reason.

I visited Walt Disney World for the first time when I was twelve years old. Being from southern Indiana, this was a big deal, and it was an experience that would shape my love of Disney parks and the movies into adulthood. I watched Disney animated movies before, but visiting the park cemented my fandom. There were rides I loved and rides I didn’t love. I didn’t think about it at the time, but at any moment, Disney could take them away. This article will focus on the rides I loved on my first visit that have been replaced, but l will return to the topic later to discuss other attractions lost to the march of Disney expansion. The funny thing is that three of the ones I miss the most were removed and replaced in Fantasyland.

The first Disney World ride I want to discuss is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The good thing about this attraction is you can still experience it at Disneyland in Anaheim. The picture in the article is from Disneyland. The ride left an impression on young me. Before going to Disney World, I’d never watched the entire movie The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The only part I’d watched of the movie was a clip from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow that aired on television around Halloween in a Disney Halloween special we had taped for our VCR. I had no expectations of the ride, so I was surprised when it ended with the car you ride in being hit by a train and you go to Hell. The ending scenes even featured demons and the Devil. Let’s just say it shaped my horror love at an early age.

When the announcement came that Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride was being replaced, I didn’t hear about the sad report. I didn’t follow Disney on the internet in those days, and a story like this wouldn’t be in the local newspaper. I was shocked when I returned to Disney World as an adult in 1998 to find a Winnie the Pooh ride where Mr. Toad once stood.

That wasn’t the only change coming to the rides I loved in Fantasyland; Snow White’s Scary Adventure would be next.

Snow White was Walt Disney Animation’s first full-length animated feature film, and it remains one of my top three favorite Disney films. The ride was a scary dark ride that followed Snow White and the evil queen through the spooky forest, the queen’s creepy castle, the queen’s transformation to the hag, and finally, the dwarves chasing the queen to her death. The mood was dark, and the scenes were scary for the target audience, but it remained a fan favorite until its demise. It was on my list to ride before Peter Pan or anything else in Fantasyland.

Snow White’s Scary Adventures remained in operation until 2012. Once the plans were in place for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train roller coaster and the upcoming Fantasyland 2.0 upgrades coming, Snow White’s Scary Adventures became expendable. I could ride it on a few visits before it closed, so I didn’t feel blindsided like I did with Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The internet news for Disney was also a bigger thing, and I followed it at this point, so I knew the ride was closing soon.

Still, it was a sad loss.

Lastly, for Fantasyland, I mourn the loss of the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage attraction.

I was only able to ride this scary ride once before it closed. It wasn’t scary because of the images in the attraction, but instead because of how bad the submarine ride cars leaked when underwater. This made the ride expensive to maintain and led to its demise. There is still a version of it at Disneyland Anaheim, but it has been re-themed to Finding Nemo. Honestly, I think I like the Nemo version better.

The Submarine Voyage closed in 1994, and the area around it has witnessed many changes since then. Once the water was drained from the ride, it became Ariel’s Grotto, with a statue of King Triton and a meet-and-greet area for Ariel. Winnie the Pooh also shared the space with a play area until the plans for the Fantasyland expansion and the Seven Dwarves Mine Trains were announced.

I will close by saying I planned on this being a single article, but I think it is now a multi-part series covering the other Magic Kingdom lands and the other Walt Disney World property parks. We will also discuss the numerous upcoming closures and changes. If I started on the Muppet*Vision 3D closure now, I’d have a stroke.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you at the crossroads again.

Happy travels,

Brent

So, I’ve Taken the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Plunge- What Did I Think?

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, disney, Disney Adult, Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Tokyo Disneyland, Travel, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment

Greetings and welcome to the Crossroads! Welcome back, and I’m happy we crossed paths again. Today, I want to look at what happens when Disney rethemes a ride instead of building a new one. They are about to make the same mistake with the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to construct the new Cars attractions in the Magic Kingdom (or Muppet*Vision 3D, The Great Movie Ride, and Rocking Roller Coaster, to name a few others), but that’s a discussion for another day. We are here to discuss another Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom ride.

When the news first broke that Disney World was closing the Splash Mountain flume ride and replacing it with a new version based on The Princess and the Frog, I was a little upset. The first time I visited Walt Disney World as a kid, Splash Mountain was still under construction. Seeing the partially constructed mountain top was jaw-dropping to a kid, and I couldn’t wait to return and ride it when it was finished. Once we returned, it was open, and I rode it multiple times that trip. I wanted to ride so much that the rest of our group was sick of it. The only ride I go on more than I did Splash Mountain then is the Haunted Mansion anytime I set foot in a Disney Park.

I never had much of an attachment to Song of the South. Growing up, I watched the classic animated movies, but it was one we never owned or rented. Not knowing the story of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox made the ride a whole new experience. The Laughing Place and the briar patch became new places I could explore on the journey and get wet in the end on the hot Florida days. Once I got older, I viewed the movie more out of curiosity than anything else. I was more offended by Disney taking Pecos Bill’s cigarette than Song of the South being removed from the shelves. So, the change to a movie I had seen multiple times and enjoyed didn’t bother me, but I still had a connection to the original version I grew up with.

The outcry was loud online when the announcement that Splash Mountain was closing came out. I was upset because it was one of my top five favorite rides at Walt Disney World, but I would wait and judge it once I could ride the Tiana version. I’ve ridden it twice in the past few months, and I must say it surprised me.

I first rode Bayou Adventure at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year. Before I rode, I was afraid it would break down or wouldn’t even run at all during the party because of all the issues Disney was having keeping the ride operational. We rode it without any problems, and I must admit, I liked it a lot. The animatronics were a significant upgrade, and some areas seemed to have more figures and action than Splash Mountain. The story isn’t very good by comparison, though.

Splash Mountain had a linear story you followed as you rode and featured antagonists like Brer Fox and Brer Bear. You knew you were in danger of being thrown into the Laughing Place, and tension ratcheted up on you during the ride. The new story lacks any tension or fear of danger. The original story for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was about finding a special spice, and the final story is about finding a critter band for a big party Tiana wants to throw. Not something filling riders with dread. I miss the buzzards mocking you before you make the drop because the new ride lacks the same soul as the original.

The story could have been based on the film and not been an original concept. I believe the weakness is the missing villain, Dr. Facilier. By removing him from the story, it removes any sense of danger from a fifty-foot drop in a log. The original music is also better. The final scene is better on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but Zip-a-dee-doo-dah is a far superior closing tune.

Overall, I do like and enjoy Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. I wanted to ride it again before forming my feelings on the reskin. I rode it a second time and still had a fun time at the attraction. It does creep in slightly above Splash Mountain, but not by much. I can’t wait to ride it again in Tokyo Disneyland. The rumor is that it is the best version of Splash Mountain, and I’m ready to test that theory. Don’t ignore Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It may not be Splash Mountain, but you’ll have fun if you give it a chance.

If you’ve been on Splash Mountain and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which do you like better? Drop a comment below, and we’ll discuss it.

Well, back to planning the next trip! Take care, and I hope we’ll meet again out on the crossroads!

Brent

Disney’s Haunted Mansion Love

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Disney Adult, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Haunted Mansion, Magic Kingdom, Mystic Manor, Phantom Manor, Shanghai Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Travel, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, Walt Disney, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment
The Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World

Greetings, fellow travelers and Disney Adults! Today, I want to discuss my favorite Disney attraction, The Haunted Mansion. This was one of Walt Disney’s favorite projects, but he unfortunately never got to experience any of the ride’s completed versions. The original Disneyland project underwent many changes, and after a delay in the design phase and building due to the World’s Fair, it didn’t open until 1969, three years after Walt’s death. I have ridden three versions, so let’s talk about it.

The first version I want to discuss is the original in Disneyland Anaheim. This one started it all and is considered the standard by many enthusiasts. The Haunted Mansion began as a planned walk-through attraction where a host would guide guests through a haunted manor. It later shifted to a collection of bizarre items and artifacts. The shifting of the tone and theming led to design delays while the mansion’s exterior was built. The World’s Fair happened during this time, and attention at Disney Imagineering focused on it instead. So, the mansion sat in Disneyland with a sign posted by the entrance gate proclaiming it was a retirement home for ghosts and spirits.

While the attraction sat empty, the idea of the walk-through portion fell through. The decision was made to make the ride a ‘people eater’ and the concept of the Omnimover. This would be a continuous stream of Doom Buggies taking passengers on a tour of the mansion and the graveyards beyond. Unfortunately, Walt passed in 1966 before the final plans were made and built. The main Imagineers who worked on the project were Claude Coates, Marc Davis, Rolly Crump, X Atencio, and the narration performed by Paul Freese. The Haunted Mansion opened to all guests on August 12th, 1969.

I’ve ridden the original, and it is a classic, but is it the best? Many of the scenes in it are shared with Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. There are some slight differences, but recent updates bring it closer to the Florida version. Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland are the only two that transform into a Nightmare Before Christmas version during the holidays. The overlay was supposed to be on the Disney World one, but it ended up being what is used in Tokyo. I still need to experience the overlay because I love both the ride and the movie.

Second is Disney World’s Haunted Mansion. I have been through this mansion hundreds of times, which has left an impression on me. I love this mansion’s look, which is better than the original’s southern design. This one looks like how I would want my haunted house to look. Walt Disney wanted the original mansion to look pristine on the outside but dusty and old on the inside. The Florida house keeps up this tradition.

The stand-by line is designed and decorated better than the Disneyland mansion, but the insides are nearly identical, as stated above. The new stand-by line in Disneyland is an improvement, but Disney World’s mansion wins. This one is my favorite because it was my first and the one I experience the most often.

Lastly, let’s give some love to Disneyland Paris and Phantom Manor. This version is very close to being my favorite. I feel that not saying the original two aren’t the best is sacrilegious, but damn, this one kills it. The outside of the manor is broken down and weather. It looks abandoned and haunted. The grounds around the manor are dead and run down. The story is more defined here as well. It is a family tragedy concerning a jealous father and his daughter. All of her suitors end up dead, and Henry Ravenswood is responsible. The story also ties to the nearby Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster and the Thunder Mesa area of the theme park. Explaining it doesn’t do the weaving narrative any justice. Go there, lol!

The inside of the ride features a darker tone. There are similar scenes and themes, but most of this version is a variant parallel to the others. The ride doesn’t end in the graveyard scene but in an undead western town. The phantom spirit of Henry Ravenswood is present in various locations and is creepy, with his skeletal face laughing at your doom.

The other versions are in Tokyo, and a Haunted Mansion variant called Mystic Manor is in Shanghai Disneyland. I will be crossing Tokyo off the list next year, but it is primarily an exact copy of the Disney World attraction. Because of the cultural differences concerning ghosts and spirits, Mystic Manor is an entirely different attraction. I won’t discuss the differences here; we’ll revisit that later, fellow travelers.

I hope you enjoyed this brief look at my favorite Disney ride. If you’ve been on any of them, what are your thoughts and favorites? The YouTube channel for Brent’s Crossroads has finally posted its first video; you can check it out here. I’m working to get the links to the other associated social media sites in the sidebar. Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Hollywood Studios Jollywood NIghts pin by subscribing or following the other sites by December 9th. You can get one entry per follow here, on Instagram (@brenttabell), Threads (@brenttabell), or TikTok (@brent.abell).

Glad you could stop by and see me on the Crossroads, and I hope to see you out there!

Happy travels,

Brent

Ready for Phantom Manor

Bittersweet Goodbye, Muppet*Vision 3-D

On By Brent AbellIn Brent's Crossroads, Disney Adult, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Electric Mayhem, Jim Henson, Muppet Courtyard, Muppet*Vision 3D, Muppets, Rocking Roller Coaster, Travel, Traveling Writer, Uncategorized, Walt Disney WorldLeave a comment

Welcome back to the Crossroads! Today, I’m not here with happy news from the Disney landscape. A few days ago, word officially came down on something we knew was probably coming. The final announcement was about the future of Muppet*Vision 3-D and also the Rocking Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith. The news is both good and bad, depending on your point of view and fandoms.

First, Muppet*Vision 3D and the Muppet Courtyard area will be the future home of the Monster’s Inc. themed land in Hollywood Studios. The new location will feature the Monstropolis roller coaster, dining, shopping, and stage show. Since the original concept art for this new land was shown at D23 in 2023, it appeared the Muppet Courtyard was always going to be going bye-bye. What did surprise us in the announcement of Muppet*Vision 3D‘s closure was the retheming of Rocking Roller Coaster to the Muppets.

Next, so what about Aerosmith? The band was never the first or second choice for the ride-theming, to begin with. Add in the band’s retirement and the allegations against lead vocalist Steven Tyler; the days for this ride were numbered. Since Disney+ released the Electric Mayhem show, rumors about Dr. Teeth and the band taking over the attraction have swirled. Well, it looks like it will be happening. The Muppets are taking the roller coaster and making it their own. This wasn’t a surprise on the surface, but the timing seems like it was to lessen the sting of the Muppet*Vision situation.

Why is closing Muppet*Vision a bad thing? If you look at the wait times or visit the Muppet Theater, there never seems to be a wait, and the theater is rarely very full at all. The Muppets have a sizable fanbase, but since Disney bought Jim Henson Studios, they’ve criminally mismanaged the IP. This attraction was the final project Jim Henson worked on before his untimely death. This alone makes it something that should be culturally preserved. Disney has reported they digitally mastered the show and are looking for ways to put the visuals out for the public. I hope they’ll build another theater by Rocking Roller Coaster, but it will probably end up on Disney+. Disney+ would be a great disappointment because the film needs to be experienced in the theater with all the effects and mayhem.

Overall, I am saddened by the loss of Muppet*Vision 3-D, but I hope we can have a suitable replacement for Rocking Roller Coaster. It won’t have the same magic and memories of our times in Muppet Courtyard, but maybe we can love it too. I made a reaction video on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@brent.abell/video/7440205287061081390), and you can check it out. These are my raw feelings on the day the news dropped. I’ve calmed down a little since then, lol.

Well, back to the grind my friends!

I hope to see you all out on the Crossroads,

Brent