Back in the days of War and Depression (pre-television), the children of the world had only two doorways to Fantasyland. The first was through the magic of the movies on the silver screen. The second was by being named Diane or Sharon Disney. It was not until Disneyland that kids could actually step through Alice’s […]
Disney Theme Park Hidden Secrets
Disney Animated Movies Canon – The New Regime
Well now. That was an adventure, wasn’t it? Things couldn’t be better than they are, here in the fabulous 2010s. Parkeology hit the global media market in a big way. Our faces were on seemingly every TV channel in the country. A guy named John Cameron Swayze gave us all the news. A lot of singing […]
Disney Animated Movies Canon – Rise of Computer Animation
There is perhaps nothing more synergistic than Disney animated features and theme parks. The parks are loaded with rides based on movies, restaurants based on movies, shops that sell merchandise from the movies, an entire attraction called “The Magic of Disney Animation” which is about the making of the movies. Without animation, there would be […]
Five Windows Into Rides
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. I’m sure this must be true. I like to imagine my soul looking out on the world through the twin portholes above my nose in the corner penthouse of my head. I draw the drapes when it’s bedtime. Install hurricane shutters whenever I’m working with power tools. […]
3 Delightfully Low Tech Special Effects in It’s A Small World
It’s a Small World turns 50 this year. No one thinks of it as a technological achievement. Its charm is in its simplicity. Yet there are a few low tech special effects that actually make the whole thing work. The beauty is that you aren’t even aware of the clever gadgets. They’re just part of […]
This Sad and Lonely Crocodile Will Eat You
I think I read somewhere that journeys into the jungle are supposed to be dark and intense. Nobody ever says “I’ve returned fresh from the jungle.” They always come back half-starved, half-mad, half-naked, and half-bumpy from parasitic insects. But I’m starting to get suspicious about the Jungle Cruise. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems […]
A Very Muppet Magic Trick
You know how magic tricks are great, until you know how they’re done, and then you can’t not see your Uncle Dave palm the quarter before he reaches behind your ear? Ever since I figured that one out a couple months ago, I just don’t have the same interest in going to magic shows every […]
Mustard application is now easier than ever at Tokyo Disney Sea!
What does a Rolls Royce Phantom and a Jules Verne inspired ride vehicle in Tokyo have in common? Read on. At Parkeolgy we are always on the lookout for the little details that Disney pours into the parks and attractions. These generally come in the form of unexpected effects or nods to the past. One […]
The Thing Behind Door 24
It cannot be real. I won’t let it. Yet somehow the desperate, still-sane part of my mind will not let me forget the truly unsettling site I witnessed at the Magic Kingdom on the evening of March 24. As I write this, I am still quite shaken. I don’t know what will come of this nightmare. […]