Never-Built Archives

July 17, 2020July 23, 2020

Disney’s Possibility Studios: A Tour Through The Action-Packed Movie Park That Never Was

Possibilityland. If you’ve been with us at Park Lore long enough, you may have traveled with us to this spectacular place where never-built attractions are alive once more. In fact, our Possibilityland series is packed with in-depth tales of never-built rides from around the globe. But once in a while, our trips to Possibilityland take a detour. From time to time, we like to step back and walkthrough entire parks as they could’ve been if one person said “yes” instead of “no.”

So far, our “What If?” Walkthroughs have taken us through the Magic Kingdom that almost was; an alternate reality Future World with its cancelled pavilions restored; and an epic journey through Disneyland’s could-be-classics. And today, our trip through Possibilityland brings us to the Pan-Pacific Gates of a park you may hardly recognize… Welcome to the Disney-MGM Studios that never was.

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June 29, 2020February 21, 2021

Muppet Studios: The Wacky Tale of Disney World’s Most Muppetational Never-Built Land

“It’s time to play the music! It’s time to light the lights! It’s time to meet the Muppets at Walt Disney World tonight!” At least, it could’ve been…

Today, our Possibilityland series turns to the Disney-MGM Studios as it existed upon its opening in 1989 – underbuilt and not quite ready for show time – and the pet project of then-CEO Michael Eisner that would’ve plussed the park with an entire themed land around the timeless and evergreen cast of Jim Henson’s inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational creations… In the early 1990s, Disney-MGM Studios was due to get its first large-scale expansion: Muppet Studios.

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June 28, 2020August 31, 2021

The Enchanted Snow Palace: Inside Imagineering’s Icy Quest for “The Snow Queen”

Once upon a time, in a faraway land – farther even than the farthest kingdoms of the North – a queen born with the touch of winter’s breath reigned over a palace as frigid as permafrost and as fragile as blown glass…

Like so many of our trips into what almost was, you may think you know the prologue, but our story may not be quite what you expect… Long before Elsa, another icy princess nearly reigned over Fantasyland in a one-of-a-kind attraction once envisioned for Disneyland. The Enchanted Snow Palace would’ve sent guests on a watery voyage through a musical wonderland of joyful scenes, fantastic creatures, and a finale encounter the Snow Queen herself… Of course, it was never built.

That makes it a perfect fit for Possibilityland – our growing collection of in-depth legends behind the could-be classics that were planned… but never premiered. From an entire theme park dedicated to the hard truths of America; a Californian EPCOT that would’ve redefined Disneyland; an unbuilt backlot of Muppet moviemaking; a sci-fi Tomorrowland that never was; and even complete walkthroughs of “alternate reality” Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios with their never-built E-Tickets in-tact…

En route to the icy realms of fantasy, we’ll dig into Disney’s seventy-year quest to melt the icy antagonist of “The Snow Queen” and trace animators’ on-again, off-again attempts to turn this Scandanavian legend into a workable character in films… and theme park rides!

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