Once upon a time… So begins any epic tale of adventure and mystery, and for fans of both Disney and Universal’s parks, today’s tome may be one of the greatest theme park fables ever… The story of a single cancelled concept and the chain reaction it set off across Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative.
For years, we’ve been adding stories to our collection of Lost Legends – the full, definitive write-ups on rides, attractions, and experiences that changed the theme park landscape, and then disappeared. We hit the road to explore the beginnings of the original TEST TRACK, witnessed the interdimensional origin of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, pulsed through the bloodstream aboard Body Wars, and literally dozens more.
But today’s entry is a mythological double-feature: the almost-believable story of how the epic plans for one of Disney World’s most famous never-built projects, Beastly Kingdom, might’ve inspired or even shaped the short-lived land of legends, The Lost Continent, brought to life just a few miles up the road at their biggest competitor. It’s a swirling, time-traveling tale of the potentially-intertwined creation of two of the leading theme parks on Earth, and the could-be classic that turned into a Lost Legend between them.
Could it possibly be that Disney accidentally designed, then indirectly lead to the destruction of Universal’s most incredible themed land? We’ll let you be the judge… But to tell the story of Disney’s never-built land of dragons and unicorns and how the concept may have been temporarily revived at Universal Orlando, we have a lot of ground to cover.
And before we head off, remember that you can unlock rare concept art and audio streams in this story, access over 100 Extra Features, and recieve an annual Membership card and postcard art set in the mail by supporting this clickbait-free, in-depth, ad-free theme park storytelling site for as little as $2 / month! Become a Park Lore Member to join the story! Until then, let’s start at the beginning…