Disney theme parks are supposed to be the most magical locations on earth, and they take guest comfort so seriously that they have even taken steps to control the mosquito populations in most of their parks. That isn’t much of a revelation to those familiar with Disney, and anyone who has visited a Disney park can doubtlessly attest that they hold guest experience in the highest regard.
With that in mind, there are actually lots of things about the Mouse House that they don’t want the public to know; from the network of computer wiring to a seemingly endless length of employee access tunnels crisscrossing their parks. There is an entire side of the magical areas that we aren’t permitted to see. What’s more, Disney’s secrets occasionally border on the wicked as abandoned rides and eerie ghost towns can still be found on company properties the world over.
Beyond that, Disney is famous for their filmmaking abilities. They have, of course, been doing it for longer than a century, and it seems that, when it comes to animated films, anything they touch turns to gold. From the ambitious, groundbreaking classic of the ‘20s and ‘30s to the mega-blockbusters of the modern era, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know anything about Disney’s work. A peek behind the curtain can prove hazardous, however, as it doesn’t take much to destroy the illusion and ruin their magical veneer. After seeing some of these things, you won’t be able to see Disney the same way.
20 Skeletal Mountain
Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a beloved attraction and a site second only to Cinderella’s iconic castle in the middle of Florida’s Magic Kingdom. That said, a keen eye can quickly pick up on just how artificial the structure is, but a peek behind at some of the support structures and skeletal framework can really damage the illusion. Sure, Disney probably doesn’t expect its visitors to believe that Thunder Mountain is a legitimate geological feature, but seeing the thing go down for repairs isn’t the most appealing of sights. We might all be better off sticking to Space Mountain.
19 Astronomically Inaccurate
Well, I suppose that, despite their best efforts, every Disney attraction is bound to break down every once in a while. Of all of the rides located in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is one of the oldest, and therefore one of the most likely to suffer from illusion-shattering malfunctions. Sure, in 2018, you really have to use your imagination to believe that a rickety roller coaster is taking you to infinity and beyond, but it’s much harder to capture that magic with the lights on and the train stuck at the top of the lift hill.
18 Under Construction
Sure, it can be a bit of a bummer if one of your favorite rides is down during your stay at the Magic Kingdom, but it’s even worse if half of the park is under construction. In 2012, Disney closed a large portion of the park in order to expand their Fantasyland section, but a peek at what was really going on behind the construction signs sort of puts a damper on imaginative nature of the park. Visitors want to believe that the park is otherworldly in that it requires no construction or maintenance—that it just runs on magic. Obviously, that’s not the case, and Fantasyland seems a little more like Brick and Mortar Land now.
17 Goofy Unmasked
A major no-no in the Disney world is allowing for the park’s actors to be seen unmasked or out of character. Nothing could be more damaging to a child’s sense of wonder than seeing their favorite characters removing their heads behaving like anything other than something out of a fairytale. As such, this photo of a Goofy actor is a pretty rare site, even though he appears to be in a private employee locker room. This guy actually did a Reddit AMA a few years ago and discussed what working for Disney was like, and it’s likely a peek into the life of Goofy more detailed than we may ever hope to get.
16 Jump To Hyperspace
Disney’s acquisition of the beloved Star Wars franchise back in 2014 was nothing short of controversial; dumping all of the old canon and filling in the blanks with their own unique stories, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag up until now. Resilient as the fanbase may be, it’s almost tough to look at this dismantled version of the Millenium Falcon and not wince. We all know that it is nothing more than a movie set, but most of us could do without that fact literally shoved in our faces. How are Han and Chewie supposed to smuggle illicit goods through the cosmos in a plywood cockpit?
15 Down The River
Disney’s River Country was an ill-fated attempt to introduce yet another water park into the corporation’s suite of amusement resorts. For whatever reason, the venture failed, and now the eerie remains of a once-bustling Disney park lay totally abandoned. Though I personally wouldn’t recommend doing this, urban explorers have flocked to the scene to catch a glimpse at what Disney might look like after the apocalypse. It’s not a pretty sight: log flume tracks lay abandoned, pools lie empty, and countless artificial features crumble and rot as time wears them down. Not the ideal Disney experience, to be sure.
14 Japan’s Disneyland
For one reason or another, Japan’s version of Disneyland was forced to close in 2006. Atypical of a country in which space seems to be at a premium, the ill-fated amusement resort seems to have gone totally untouched since the doors closed over a decade ago. While most of the original structures still seem to be standing—even including some rides and attractions—the scene is something more akin to Silent Hill than a Disney theme park. A mecca for hardcore horror fans, this is doubtlessly a creepy blotch on Disney’s otherwise relatively pristine track record. A word of advice: if you’re headed to Japan any time soon, steer clear of Disney.
13 The EPCOT Globe
Disney seems to mandate that all of their parks feature some sort of iconic structure near the front gate: Magic Kingdom has Cinderella’s Castle, MGM had Mickey’s sorcerer’s hat (until it was torn down in 2014), and Animal Kingdom has the Tree of Life. EPCOT, however, just might take the cake when it comes to Disney theme park iconography. What essentially looks like an oversized golf ball, EPCOT’s famous globe actually doubles as an attraction which covers Disney’s story in past, present, and future. Seeing a photo of its construction is, to some extent, a little creepy. Disney guests would like to believe that the park is run on magic, not held up by the tangible steel and concrete of mortal man.
12 Cinderella’s Scaffolding
If you though the construction of EPCOT’s famous globe was creepy, well, this will seem like an entirely new level of disturbing. Again, a cherished icon to an audience of all ages and backgrounds, we don’t like to imagine that Cinderella’s Castle—the literal hallmark of all things Disney—was ever put together by a construction crew. There is no magic in the steel and scaffolding used to erect typical structures; no, visitors want to believe that there truly is some magic to that building. Maybe it sprang up out of the ground, or perhaps a colony of fairies put it together. Either way, I would rather not think about contractors and budget estimations when I think of Cinderella’s castle.
11 Beauty And The Motion Capture Beast
Helping to kick of a whole flurry of live-action remakes to Disney’s classic older films, the Emma Watson lead Beauty and the Beast was a tremendous success for Disney and helped to prove that their properties could successfully be brought into the third dimension. Of course, unless the studio planned to bring a literal bear in to play the part of the beast, Disney had to resort to their usual computer-generated trickery. Who could possibly forget the scene in either film in which the pair, dressed to the nines, walk eloquently down the ballroom stairs and share a waltz. That scene becomes a little less iconic when we see what Watson actually had to work with: a man in an overly-large motion capture suit; not exactly the most romantic attire.
10 Frozen Fractals
Creating feature length animated movies is a small task by absolutely no means, and it can take years of hard work to get some characters to look or act like real creatures. Plus, should the production value of a Pixar film be reduced in quality at any point in time, there would be an uproar among Disney fans. In an effort to maintain their magical veneer and allow their works to seem as polished as possible, Pixar typically reveals little of their titles during a production cycle. Anna and Kristoff really look like they’re about to debut in their first Nintendo 64 game, and it’s not a great look.
9 The Bare Necessities
The Jungle Book is a timeless Disney classic, but it may not have translated perfectly to the third dimension in 2016’s live action adaptation. It did manage to receive some rave reviews and is generally viewed favorably, though a small side effect would be these slightly hilarious photos of actor Andy Serkis bumbling around in a mo-cap getup. Regardless of your personal opinions on 2016’s reimagining of the classic tale, we can all agree that this image doesn’t exactly do the film any favors, and it almost makes me long for the days of traditional animation, and certainly not a darker title focused on Mowgli.
8 I Just Work Here
Full disclosure: I chickened out of a ride on Disney’s Haunted Mansion when my parents took me to Disneyland when I was in elementary school. I regret that now, as pictures of the ride make it out to be a really mind-blowing experience, but it was just too spooky for me at the time. However, I probably would have been able to manage had I toured the attraction’s haunted halls with the lights on; the seance room looks intimidating when everything is working as intended, but you have to admit that much of the magic is gone when the on-ride lights lay everything bare.
7 Destroying A Classic
As I have already mentioned, nothing can be more damaging to a child’s sense of wonder than a spectacular foul-up occurring in one of the Disney parks; kids want to believe that the place actually runs on magic, and nothing sullies than image more than a technical mishaps, particularly of these proportions. This dragon, a steampunk version of Maleficent’s dragon form, caught on fire, and we’ve got an attraction scary enough to literally endanger the public. I doubt that’s the effect Disney was going for, but it’s certainly got me spooked.
6 Under The Parks
Actors often seem to appear from thin air in Disney parks, but that is the result of a carefully established mirage implemented by employees and administrators. In reality, everyone from ride attendants to Mickey Mouse himself get from place to place by way of a massive network of underground tunnels. Again, Disney doesn’t want an unsuspecting child to be subjected to the sight of one of their favorite characters walking around without their head, so they go to great lengths to ensure that Disney characters are hidden when in transit. A peak at these tunnels, however, tends to spoil the magic a bit.
5 The Magic Of Main Street
Magic Kingdom’s Main Street is one of the most iconic areas in the entirety of Disney-owned areas. A picturesque facismily of American life is eloquently framed against the backdrop of Cinderella’s’ castle, just about every Disney theme park offers a unique take on the concept. These parks had to, at one point, stand as nothing more than blueprints, rough outlines, and wooden frames—somewhere deep down, we all know that to be true. Yet, the magical sense of unreality brought by Disney’s facade doesn’t seem to be the byproduct of man-made steel, and it’s a shock to see it in such an unrefined state.
4 Galaxy’s Edge
Disney may have placed their upcoming Star Wars movies on hold for the time being, but that doesn’t mean that their interest in the property has waned at all. In fact, the company is looking to open a new Star Wars-themed addition to their famous Hollywood Studios park in Florida sometime next year. Tentatively titled Galaxy’s Edge, this new section of the park looks to be a celebration of the long running franchise, and it certainly offers a beacon of hope to hardcore fans who have been demoralized by the failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the subsequent canning of other works in development.
3 Weapon Of The Jedi Knight
Anyone who has seen the A New Hope will doubtlessly be aware that the lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi Knight; not as clumsy or random as a blaster, only those strong with the force may wield such a meticulous weapon. Of course, for those who aren’t quite as experienced with these deadly laser blades, like actress Daisy Ridley, a practice session with a faux lightsaber may be in order. Sure, we all want to believe that Rae really is as naturally skilled with Luke’s old blade as she appears to be, but, in truth, that skill comes from lots of off-camera practice.
2 Supreme Leader Snoke
An apparent motion-capture extraordinaire, Andy Serkis again makes his presence known through his portrayal of Supreme Leader Snoke in some of the recent Star Wars sequels. One of the most mysterious characters to be introduced to the new canon, Snoke is so well done that it can be hard to believe that he is actually the culmination of a marriage between crafty animators and high-end filmmaking technology. Fans of The Last Jedi won’t soon forget his intimidating visage, nor his golden bathrobe. However, behind all of the CG we see nothing but Andy Serkis in another motion capture booth. Quit ruining the fun, Andy.
1 An Innocent Warrior
In my estimation, 2016’s Moana was the first film to rival the popularity of 2013’s ultra-successful animated adventure Frozen, though I still have yet to see either of those films. However, much like everyone’s favorite romp through musical Nordic lands, Moana and her tropical paradise was the end result of an amazing amount of hard work. We’ve already been treated to a glimpse at early CG renders of Pixar films, and this one is no exception in terms of how jarringly ugly it is: a far cry from the finished production, Moana looks more like a PS2 game here than a feature-length film released two years ago.
