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.
At the end of the day, theme parks are in the business of deception. Of course, we don’t mean shoddy business practices and questionable pricing schemes. We mean that, from the earliest days, rides have sought to bamboozle and impress riders with simple tricks. Just using light, sound, and special effects, stories can come to life in awe-inspiring moments that cause guests to say, “How’d they do that?!”
Here, we’ve collected 10 of the most confounding special effects we could think of from today’s big rides. We’re sure there are others, but we’re just too speechless right now to think of them. For a few of these special effects, we’re able to give you a little insight into how they work. For others, we’re just not sure.
Either way, we’ve linked each entry to a YouTube video fast-forwarded to the special effect’s starring moment, as well as any behind-the-scenes videos we could uncover that explain the effect. It should go without saying that major spoilers lay beyond, in the videos and in the entries. If you’d rather not know, don’t read a word farther. Still with us? Okay. Read on and tell us which of these secrets left you speechless and which were easy enough to know in your first ride-through.
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1. The Disappearing Idol
Attraction: Tower of Terror at Tokyo DisneySea What Guests See: Video How It Works: Video
New Years Eve, 1899. The boisterous Harrison Hightower III – proprietor of New York’s fabled Hightower Hotel – is throwing his annual New Years Eve gala to celebrate the scores of ancient artifacts he’s “collected” (read: stolen) over the course of the year. His newest find is the supposedly-cursed African idol, Shiriki Utundu. Mr. Hightower, though, is not afraid of the idol’s legend. To prove it, he puts his cigar out on Shiriki’s head before retiring to his penthouse. Suffice it to say, the elevator never made it to the thirteenth story…
Now, it’s the 1920s. New York is roaring, but the Hightower Hotel still sits, windows smashed and abandoned, overlooking the city’s harbor. To save the historic hotel from the wrecking ball, the New York Preservation Society is running tours of the so-called “Tower of Terror,” including a look into Hightower’s Hotel, where Shiriki still stands on an elegant marble column over his desk.
This, of course, is the pre-show for Tokyo DisneySea’s one-of-a-kind Modern Marvel: Tower of Terror, replacing the Twilight Zone-tinged “library” scene in the other two Towers worldwide… but something here is different. After a stained glass window comes to life and tells the tale, Shiriki awakens. As eerie music-box music plays, his eyes scan the crowd. Shiriki cackles and the lights dim, leaving only its Cheshire Cat-like smile as the rest of its body turns to stars. In a micro-second, the lights come up and Shiriki is gone, ready to meet you farther into the hotel.
HOW IT WORKS – Tap to expand
How It Works: The surprising effect is surprisingly simple. As you might imagine, the Shiriki Utundu statue disappears by sinking down into the pedestal. What’s impressive here is the mix of light, sound, and projection that makes the disappearance silent, seamless, and spooky. In person, it’s sincerely a stunning event that feels inexplicable.
2. The 40-Story Freefall
Image: Universal / Marvel
Attraction: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (Universal’s Islands of Adventure) What Guests See: Video
That dastardly Doc Ock and his Sinister Syndicate are at it again. This time, they’ve stolen the Statue of Liberty thanks to a glowing green Antigravity Cannon. When you stumble (loudly) into their secret warehouse, the villains race off to stop you from escaping with their secrets. As Doc Ock fires, he levitates Lady Liberty’s giant glowing head directly over you as you narrowly escape. But not for long. The ride’s exciting conclusion sees the good Doctor hit his target, as your helpless SCOOP begins to rise up through the skyscrapers with Spider-Man webbing helplessly after.
Ultimately, what goes up must come down, and after a ringside floating seat to Spidey’s showdown, the Antigravity Cannon reverses. The SCOOP slams against a rooftops and ricochets, falling precariously to the earth below as riders scream and grab for the safety restraint. Of course, a last-minute web catches you as you hurtle down and plops you back onto the road for a congratulatory finale.
Image: Universal / Marvel
HOW IT WORKS
How It Works: Despite appearances, the big, 400 foot finale fall in Universal’s starring anchor attraction and Modern Marvel: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man only moves guests a few inches. The convincing trick of the “simulated freefall” might be common now thanks to its re-use on Transformers, Reign of Kong, Escape from Gringotts, the Lost Legend: Curse of DarKastle, and Ratatouille: The Adventure, but Spider-Man was the first, and its signature finale still genuinely wows audiences for its precision effectiveness.
The sophisticated process begins with the levitation, wherein air, dropping physical set pieces, and precise, subtle “weightless” motion simultation combine with screens to produce a surprisingly effective feeling of rising. Sideways sets lead to a wrap-around two-story screen that envelopes the SCOOP, leaving riders completely captive to the illusion as perfectly programmed motion, wind, and and leaning, swinging, slamming vehicle base give the sincere impression of a weightless fall. All it takes are a few physical effects and your mind fills in the rest!
3. The Vortex
Attraction: Poseidon’s Fury (Universal’s Islands of Adventure) What Guests See: The Vortex Opens
Image: Universal
What begins as a leisurely tour of an archaeological discovery goes horribly wrong when an evil high priest awakens from his cursed slumber, trapping guests in an ancient sacrificial chamber to the Dark Ones. The only way to escape is to find Poseidon’s Trident – the lost relic of the great god of the seas that will grant passage deeper into the temple; to the heart of the ocean. With Trident in hand, an ancient goddess opened the long-sealed connection to the seas: “Open up your oceans, swing wide the door! Let the waters rush and the oceans roar! For now is the time, with fortune unplanned, your Trident comes home – returned to your hand.”
As music crescendoes and the ancient stone tumblers of a circular portal lock into place, a door rolls aside, revealing the Vortex – a 40-foot-long tunnel formed by a tidal wave overtaking it, creating a continuous passage of water swirling infinitely around guests. The incredible, awe-inspiring effect is at the heart of the Declassified Disaster: Poseidon’s Fury, and as our in-depth look into the attraction reveals, it’s the reason Poseidon’s Fury exists at all.
HOW IT WORKS
How It Works: Poseidon’s Fury – and especially its iconic Vortex – was one piece of the pie that gave Islands of Adventure its “most technologically advanced theme park on Earth” moniker when the park opened in 1999. However, the effect was years in development by special effects company Technifex before its debut.
The effect is achieved by blasting water at 100 miles per hour (the speed needed for it to adhere to the tunnel’s wide diameter) as guests step along a bridge through the center. You can touch the water, but it’ll blast your hand right back out. The effect is totally stunning and the attraction’s absolute highlight.
Fantasyland, Cars Land, Tomorrowland… Glacier Bay? If park icons are the heart of Disney Parks, themed lands are the bones and joints! One of the basic tennents of Disneyland that set it apart from the amusement piers of the era was its lands that recreated idealized time periods and places brought to life in agonizing detail, almost like stepping onto a film set. (And that’s no coincidence… Walt was careful to hire filmmakers, writers, and urban planners to design and build Disneyland, a process that continues today as Imagineering.)
But not every land makes it off the drawing board! Be it budgets, replacement ideas, or frustrated Imagineers, some lands simply don’t take off, despite fan outcry and passionate designers. Let’s take a look at eight of the coolest lands that Disney planned or even announced, only to change its mind and cancel at the last possible second.
Just ask any Marketing 101 class: Disney and Universal Parks are the places where memories are made! But of course, if you want to cement those memories, you’re probably going to need to bring something home with you, right? At least, that’s the increasing hope of Disney and Universal, who’ve discovered a gold mine the likes of which they never imagined.
Far beyond PhotoPass, popcorn buckets, and pins, the long-standing culture of paid-for memories and limited-edition collectibles has kicked into high gear as never before. As theme parks increasingly race to transport their guests into new worlds, an entire galaxy of in-universe snacks and souvenirs has turned the tides of the industry as fans eagerly reserve, wait in line, and pay top dollar for customized creations and technological tools that bring the parks (and their stories) to life.
