You only need to hear the Haunted Mansion wolf howl once and you’ll never forget it. Its long, mournful wail is as iconic as Disney park sound effects get – as memorable as the whistle of the steam train, the blast from the Riverboat, the ridiculous honk of the monorail. It’s really more of a […]
Lost and Abandoned Disney Details
Soarin’ Preshow Digitally Altered For No Apparent Reason
The Soarin’ preshow has been at the center of controversy ever since the ride’s Epcot debut in 2006. The original Soarin’ preshow video starring Patrick Warburton (who first found fame as Puddy on Seinfeld) was digitally altered to remove references to the ride’s original title of Soarin’ Over California. However, when the ride changed to […]
Abandoned Fantasia Gardens Pavilion Might Be Master Architect’s Lost Work
Most guests don’t even know about Fantasia Gardens mini-golf. It’s a secondary excursion at best – the kind of freebie they used to dole out on your all-inclusive package, right up there with “free admission” to Wide World of Sports or a crappy t-shirt from Planet Hollywood. Even Disney Transportation forgets about it. A self-assured Cast […]
Animal Kingdom 20th Anniversary Countdown to Extinction
On the occasion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom 20th Anniversary, we reflect on its celebration of all animals – living, imaginary, and extinct. And since we’re Parkeology, we’re going to focus on that last part with a Top 20 Countdown to Extinction. It’s fast! It’s a blast! It’s in the past! 20. Poached Elephants Kilimanjaro Safari […]
These Original Fantasyland Dark Rides Have Desperately Unhappy Endings
“Fantasyland is dedicated to the young and the young-at-heart, for they are most susceptible to nightmares. All that lurks here is graphic death, horror, and eternal damnation. Abandon all hope, ye who enter.” – Fantasyland Dedication Plaque, July 17, 1955 You want happily ever after? Go to Universal or something. We’re peddling unhappy endings here. […]
Recent Discovery! Long-Lost Epcot Double-Decker Bus Found!
Rides disappear all the time. Some were classics that fans still mourn to this day. The Epcot double-decker bus, however, was not. In case you don’t remember, the double-decker buses were a motorized option around World Showcase for people who balked at walking a 1.2-mile loop. My old Birnbaum’s Guide from 1994 shows bus stops […]