Member Vault Archives - Page 17 of 19

May 28, 2020December 12, 2020

These 10 Classic Disney Rides Have Amazing “Spiritual Sequels” You Might Not Think About…

The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Heathers and Mean Girls.

The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

Jumanji and Zathura.

The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity.

The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.

The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror.

Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

How are the two films in each of these pairings connected? Well… they’re not… at least, not on paper.

Stories in the Extra Features and Special Features collections of Park Lore are all about connections – they’re the threads that interlace between the Lost Legends, Declassified Disasters, Modern Marvels, and Possibilitylands you’ll find in our Main Collections. In other words, these features are for people who really want to dig deep.

This article and hundreds more are available for Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members who help support this ad-free, clickbait-free, quality-over-quantity collection with a monthly membership. Park Lore Members can access more than a hundred Member-exclusive articles, unlock rare concept art and construction photos in every story, stream audio across the site, tune into podcast exclusives, and receive an annual member card and merch in the mail!

If you choose to join Park Lore’s community of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Members, you’ll instantly unlock this story (and of course, a lot more). You can learn more about joining and supporting Park Lore (and browse all the available Extras and Special Features) in the “Memberships & Perks” menu above. If you can’t afford a Pass, please contact us; we’ll make some magic happen.

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May 28, 2020June 5, 2020

The Seven Modern Wonders of the Theme Park World

From soaring the skies to exploring ancient tombs; racing through space to escaping perilous peaks… If you’re here, it means you’re inspired by the spectacular places theme parks can take us. But when you peel back the sets, the storytelling, and the emotion, you’re left with the most integral and essential part of any attraction: the ride system that brings it to life.

So far, our Seven Wonders series has taken us across the globe as we’ve counted down the Seven “Natural” Wonders of the Theme Park World, exploring giant trees, canyons and mountain ranges that might just be too good to be true. Then, we witnessed the majesty of our Seven “Ancient” Wonders, exploring the temples, tombs, and ruins of the past brought to unimaginable life around the world.

But today, we’re going to peel back the scenery to reveal the Seven Modern Wonders of the Theme Park World. We’re counting down the technologies and innovations that truly redefined modern rides and the stories they tell. These modern, technological, ride system wonders are astounding examples of the engineering that goes into Imagineering, and the hard facts that create the worlds and rides we love.

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May 27, 2020August 7, 2021

ICONS: The 12 Centerpiece Structures of Disney and Universal Parks

They’re iconic for a reason. They inspire breathless wonder. They’re orienting navigational centers. They’re feats of engineering. Though they come in all shapes and sizes, park icons all have one thing in common: they come to represent a park’s stories, settings, and style in our hearts and minds. The road to icon status isn’t always easy, as you might have read in our complementary list of Demoted and Demolished Lost Disney Parks icons.

Below, we’ve collected eleven of the most memorable, photogenic, and widely recognized theme park icons on Earth (in order of their introduction). Which have you seen? Which strike the greatest emotional and adventurous chord in you? Tell us in the comments.

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May 27, 2020August 7, 2021

10 Forgotten, Demoted, and Lost Icons of Disney Theme Parks

Not every castle can stand the test of time! Since the opening of Disneyland in 1955, parks have been identified by dominating structures often referred to as park icons. These structures come to represent a park’s stories and settings, and become synonymous with the parks they inhabit. From castles to “golf balls,” giant hats and lighthouses, we took a look at 11 of the worlds most awe-inspiring park icons just last month. But what happens when an icon falls?

Whether demoted, replaced, or never built, we’ve collected 9 park icons that just didn’t seem to make the grade for one reason or another. Which would you most like to have seen?

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May 27, 2020May 28, 2020

16 Walt Disney World Exclusives That Should Make Disneyland Fans Jealous

We know, we know – comparing Disneyland and Walt Disney World is like comparing apples and oranges. But when we can find concrete, objective ways to analyze Disney’s two U.S. resorts in new ways, we jump at the chance! For example, our Ride Count Countdown already ranked Disney’s parks by the number of actual rides they offer (with some surprising results) and we even tackled the impossible task by looking at the number of “E-Ticket” headliners each park offers.

And then, of course, there’s the big one: our list of 16 Disneyland Exclusives that Should Make Disney World Fans Jealous. In that popular feature, we intentionally avoided sweeping generalizations or emotional appeals (“Walt stepped here!” “It’s cozy!”) and instead offered a concrete look at enviable exclusive lands, attractions, and experiences at the California resort. But the story doesn’t end there!

Today, we’ll analyze the 16 things that even Disneyland loyalists will admit make Disney World worth a visit; the concrete attractions and experiences that Disneyland fans should be jealous of that Disney World offers that their Californian parks don’t… or can’t.

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May 27, 2020April 6, 2021

16 Disneyland Exclusives That Should Make Disney World Fans REALLY Jealous

We’ve all heard it, been asked it, or seen it on Facebook. “Why would I want to go to Disneyland? Isn’t it, like, a lot smaller than Disney World?”

And even if the question may make Disney history fans seethe, it’s a fair one for casual theme park goers to ask. How can the 200-acre Disneyland Resort complex that could entirely fit inside Epcot compete with the “Vacation Kingdom of the World?” In some ways, it can’t…! In real, quantifiable ways, Walt Disney World simply can’t be beat.

Especially if you grew up east of the Mississippi (or outside of the United States altogether), it’s likely that Walt Disney World is your home base for magic. And in that regard, it’s exactly what it was designed to be: an international destination righting the wrongs of the narrow paths and 1950s infrastructure of the tiny, landlocked Disneyland with the power of hindsight and a successful blueprint to work off of.

Of course, real Imagineering fans know that the “Disneyland vs. Disney World” debate is absurd and unwinnable. So next time a friend questions why Disneyland is worth a visit, here are just a few things Disney World fans should be jealous of Disneyland for getting first (or at all). And don’t worry – we won’t fall into the rabbit hole of “it’s the original,” “Walt stepped here,” “the weather is perfect,” or “Park-Hopping is simple!” Instead, we’ll stick to the rides and attractions that make Disney World fans jealous…

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May 27, 2020December 26, 2024

Living Legends – The Surprising Number of “Opening Day Originals” Left at Each Disney Park

Here at Park Lore, we’re always looking to see our favorite theme parks in new ways. That’s why we reported (and continuously update) a number of sometimes-surprising features that just may have you seeing Disney and Universal parks differently…

For Imagineering afficianados, we’ve broken down Disney and Universal parks by the numbers in two must-read features that are downright surprising: we ranked Disneyland, Disney World, and Universal Orlando’s parks by the number of certifiable “E-Ticket” anchor attractions each park offers (which do you think has the most? The least?) and, even more shockingly, broke it down to the sheer number of rides at each park… with some unexpected results…!

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May 27, 2020April 11, 2021

Four Types of Attractions Plucked from Disney’s “Playbook” That Universal Orlando Really Needs

Look – as tempting as the treatment may be, you won’t find many places on Park Lore where we pit Walt Disney World against Universal Orlando. Despite being Disney’s nearest competitor (in both proximity and quality), the sensationalized war between two themed entertainment titans is pretty unproductive…

… Except when it’s not. There’s no question, after all, that Walt Disney World and Disneyland are better because Universal Orlando exists, and vice versa! In that way, the existence of and competition between two mega-titans in the theme park industry (and within a taxi ride of each other, at that) is spectacularly productive! Thanks to Disney and Universal’s battle over tourist dollars, designers are able to flow between projects; new attractions come to market; the rising tide truly lifts all boats.

That’s why – if you ask us – it doesn’t hurt to see what works. Today, we wanted to “zoom in” on four “genres” of attractions that define Disney Parks, but are curiously lacking from Universal’s. Given that both operators have very different markets, audiences, and ambitions, it’s true that different paths and different histories have yielded different attraction lineups… but in at least a few places, we think borrowing from Disney’s playbook could be a brilliant way to fill some niche corners of Universal Orlando…

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May 27, 2020December 3, 2024

By The Numbers: The Surprising Number of E-Ticket Attractions at Each Disney Park

They are the Holy Grail of theme park attractions – astounding, breathtaking, spectacular rides both classic and modern. When you imagine the most amazing experiences at Disney and Universal parks, it’s probably E-Ticket attractions you picture: the coveted, beloved, fan-favorite, larger-than-life masterpiece rides that command spectacular crowds and engage generations.

Here at Park Lore, we took a global tour of Disney and Universal parks in our Ride Count Countdown to explore the number of rides each park – and ultimately, resort – offered (with some major surprises along the way). We’ve also explored the parks “By the Numbers” with specific counts of how many dark rides and Opening Day Originals each park offers! But how would our rankings change if we instead looked only at the so-called “E-Ticket” headliners?

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May 27, 2020July 23, 2023

16 ‘Easter Eggs’ of Closed Classics Hidden in the Rides that Replaced Them

As long-time Disney and Universal fans know all too well, even the most beloved rides don’t last forever. In fact, Imagineering aficionados may have already scoured our collection of Lost Legends – the definitive, full stories of forgotten fan favorites and closed classics from around the globe – or taken a look at our Then & Now collection of hand-drawn, before-and-after layouts as rides are swapped out.

Those stories are evidence that, time and time again, sometimes attractions simply disappear. … Or do they? Over their decades of experience removing rides that guests have come to know and love, designers have gotten pretty good at leaving behind hints.

Today, we’ll take a look at some of our favorite hidden “Easter egg” hints of forgotten rides scattered around Disney and Universal Parks inside the rides that replaced them… These clever remnants are like mini-memorials to the beloved rides of yesteryear… if you know where to look.

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