Collector’s Edition Giveaway Part 2
During my conversation with Warren Spector, creator of the new Wii video game Disney Epic Mickey, he mentioned the theme park attractions featured in the alternative world of Wasteland were mostly from Disneyland prior to 1967. Now Walt Disney World will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2011, and many attractions have come and gone since its opening in 1971. Therefore, if there is an alternative world of Wasteland for Disneyland, then there certainly should also be a Wasteland “Florida Project” for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his pals. Just for fun, let’s imagine there is a Wasteland “Florida Project” and begin to speculate on the attractions it might contain. With this post, the DIS Unplugged will give away 3 copies of the Disney Epic Mickey Collector’s Edition (all prizes provided by Disney Interactive Studios). Continue after the break to find out how to enter.
Image: Page from Disney Epic Mickey graphic novel courtesy of Disney Digicomics
Warren Spector mentioned one of the “lost attractions” currently found in Wasteland includes the Nautilus from the original Submarine Voyage at Disneyland. I loved the Submarine Voyage, and remember being transported to an undersea world when I rode it as a 6th grader in 1980. I knew I could peer out the porthole, look up, and see the top of the water, but I didn’t want to spoil the “magic.” I forced myself to look down, and totally immerse myself in this world of fish and giant clams. There was also a version of Submarine Voyage at Walt Disney World as Captain Nemo’s Nautilus prowled the Fantasyland lagoon in the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. I remember squeezing into one of these Jules Verne-esque submarines when traveling to the Magic Kingdom on a high school band trip in 1984, but, alas, the Nautilus now resides in the Wasteland: “Florida Project.”
Many other attractions have been replaced in all four Disney theme parks over the past 40 years including (in no particular order): the Skyway, Timekeeper, Plaza Swan Boats, Horizons, Discovery River Boats, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It! Many of these attractions were ones I never experienced, and are now a part of the Wasteland: “Florida Project.” There are also parades and shows no longer at Walt Disney World that now entertain Oswald the Lucky Rabbit when he vacations in Bizarro Florida.
Image: Tapestry of Dreams Parade final float
Epcot had an evening parade called “Tapestry of Dreams” that we saw when we took our daughters to Walt Disney World for the first time in 2002. Part of the show contained large puppets (similar to the Lion King Broadway show) that interacted with parade watchers, and our daughters were enthralled by the sight. Tapestry of Dreams also had a cool interactive element. Throughout the day children worked on craft projects related to their hopes and dreams. In the evening, when the parade went by, children tossed their “dreams” into the nets of the DreamSeekers to ensure they came true.
Image: Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade
We also enjoyed the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade at Disney-MGM Studios (as it was then called). This was a whimsical motorcade of stylized automobiles that included a Star Wars Landspeeder car, Andy’s bed from Toy Story, and many other fun car floats. I can definitely imagine a steampunk version of Stars and Motor Cars entertaining Oswald and the other characters in our Wasteland: “Florida Project.”
So here’s where you come in, we need some more “blue sky” development of our East Coast Wasteland. To win one of the 3 copies of Disney Epic Mickey Collector’s Edition you need to leave a comment at the bottom of this article. This time, we want you to reminsce about the closed Walt Disney World attractions that are now in Florida’s Vacation Wasteland Kingdom. Log in with your DISboards username and password, leave a comment on this article, and share some of your memories of favorite long gone attractions. Now if only we could *poof* send Stitch’s Great Escape! to Wasteland and bring The Timekeeper back to the Magic Kingdom. Bye, bye, Stitch… Bye, bye, chili dog burps… Hello Timekeeper… Hello 9-Eye.
Again, you need to leave a comment at the bottom of this article. Comments in other places such as Facebook or Twitter will not be official contest entries. Comments will close on Monday, Dec. 6th. Keep following the blog, there will be one more chance to win a copy of the Disney Epic Mickey Collector’s Edition plus a special Grand Prize. Good luck to everyone who enters.
Comments
227 responses to “Disney Epic Mickey: Wasteland “Florida Project””
I miss World of Motion at Epcot (1982-1996)! I clearly remember riding this attraction when I was younger…I thought the ramp that carried you outside the building was the neatest thing! Horizons (1983-1999) is another attraction that I miss dearly! I loved the end where you could choose your own flight path. Mission Space took its place in 2003….and I have yet to take my first flight into space!
I have a few wastelands:
Skyway
VMK
Adventures Club
Oh how I wish for their return!
Diamond Horseshoe Revuew — “Belly Up to the Bar!” for Sure!
I miss Tapestry of Dreams parade.. we saw that on our very first trip to WDW and it was just magical…. and now it’s gone. Also miss Adventure’s Club. sigh
I really miss the Adventurers Club. There is just no where else like it.
We are so totally pumped about this game! This will be our addiction for the winter. 😉
I also miss 20,000 Leagues, but I really miss the old Penny arcade and movie theater (2 separate places) that used to be on Main Street USA. I just loved the cool flip-movie machines and other old gadgets at the Penny Arcade, and the movie theater was a great place to hang out and cool off on a hot day. The theater I’m thinking of had big screens (180 degrees?), and you had to stand up at rails while watching the movie. IIRC, the movies had some panorama-type elements to them. Anyway, I asked about the theater in August when I was at MK, and no-one knew what I was talking about. 🙁 They directed me to a shop on Main Street, which had some Disney cartoons playing on a big TV at the back.
The Skyway would be the attraction I would bring back, because it made me feel as though I was flying, just like in Peter Pan’s Flight. Plus, this could be created in a really creepy, rickety perspective for the wasteland.
I miss so many things that now live in the Wasteland – the original Tiki Birds, Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit, World of Motion, Horizons, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, original Journey into Imagination, Body Wars and Cranium Command, Mr Toad’s Wild Ride, River Country…
I hope no more of my favorites get banished to the Wasteland, but if they offered me admission to go there and visit them, I would certainly pay to do so…
I’ve never been on it myself, but of course Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride has to be mentioned. I am young enough and have only been to WDW twice in the past three years, so not much substantial has left in that time.
I would love to have the Skyway and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride back and, especially, have the Enchanted Tiki Room put back to its original iteration.
[…] Original Post By Google News DIS Unplugged […]
Each time I pass the graveyard on the outskirts of The Haunted Mansion, I can’t help but glance toward, where hidden in the shadows, rests a monument to the not soon to be forgotten classic, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Its placement there, near the “happy haunts” of the Mansion, lends itself very well to the somewhat dark nature of Epic Mickey’s world, & I can only imagine a resurrected Mr. Toad’s journey being all the more wild among the Wasteland!
The artwork for this is awesome. I’ve watched the intro to the game on YouTube and I’m stoked to play this!
I miss Alien Encounter, even though it was pretty scary. I also miss the original version of the Magic of Disney Animation, when the animation studio was still around. Now, all that is left is the storyboard room 🙁
I can’t believe they have removed the Stars and Cars parade and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I had a blast with both. Only spent 1 time at the Adventurer’s Club but I had a really good time there
The one ride I never got to ride is Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. I understand that, unlike the version at DLR, it had two tracks. During my first visit to WDW Mr. Toad had been removed, but Winnie the Pooh had yet to open. I will always wish that we’d gone a few months earlier so we’d gotten to ride both versions of Mr. Toad.
Of the rides I have ridden, Star Tours of course would be the one not only I, but my boys, will miss. We got to ride it at both WDW and DLR, so it isn’t as if we missed out. But, while I’m sure 2.0 will be a fantastic experience, there was something very cool about riding a link back to the original movies!
Two things that I really miss still exist, just in truncated, altered forms. That would be the MGM Studios Backlot tour and the Original Journey into Imagination. Both are favorites that now just feel watered down. I would love to see them back in their original glory.
Three things. Dreamlight, Horizons and Mr Toad’s Wild Ride. I especially
have a soft spot for Mr Toad.
My first visit to WDW was in 2001. I can think of many things that have been added since then, but I can’t remember too many things that are gone. I guess I’d have to say I miss the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire attraction and the Comedy Warehouse. I’d continue to visit both if they were still around.
I loved the original Journey into Imagination, it was a much better fit for character of Figment. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is a pity, it was fun as a kid because I loved the Wind in the Willows. I don’t know if I’d want the original Journey wasteland’ed (my memories of it as a small child are near and dear to my heart), but Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride would be so cool even creepier than I remember it being, and perhaps broken down rickity.
(I’m really sorry to the originalists, but I (and my sister) prefer the Tiki Room Under New Management to the original version at Disneyland.)
I remember that Journey Into Imagination and Figment were my favorite as a kid. My son hates the “stinky smells” on the new version. Can’t wait to play Epic Mickey and see what elements of the parks I recognize!
i agree with Mr. Toad and Journey to Imagination- there seems like a lot of creative things you could do- the real Mr. Toad ride is a trip!
Maybe Epcot countries that never were?
I am really looking forward to this game. It seems like such a step beyond the usual Disney game offerings.
Let’s go all the way back to 1977 when you could take a trip out to Discovery Island. They had a really great nature trail and could hold a parrot in the exotic bird area. It was a wonderful place to explore.
This article was great! I remember a lot of those rides and parades from when I was a kid going with my parents in the back of our station wagon!
Good times!
20,000 Leagues and Horizons – thanks for the great article
Horizons could be a fascinating place for a game stage. Between the conveyance system, a rotating, time-travelling stage would be a cool level to explore (especially considering that this is all about Disney history) and/or a strategically fascinating location for a boss fight or, if nothing else, a good place for a cutscene detailing some back story. It seems to me that the “pick-your-own-ending” concept is PERFECT for an Epic Mickey setup where actions and choices determine outcomes.
There are lots of Attractions I remember from days gone by, Horizons, World of Motion, Imagination with Dreamfinder. The game looks really good.
I’m not a video game person but I’m really looking forward to playing this.
I remember going to DL as a small child, I think I was 4 at the time. I loved it and still recall some of the attractions we went on. It will be so neat to see them again.
I miss 20000 leagues under the sea!! Bring it back!!! 🙂
I think
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I think River Country would be the best addition to the WDW version of Wasteland. I remember going to River Country when I was about 10 years old and loved it, especially the rope swings! I have been playing Epic Mickey over the last few days, and I can see River Country really fitting in the gamescape.
The Dreamcatcher and original version of Figment need to return. The current Journey Into Imagination just doesn’t do it for me. That was my favorite ride as a kid.
Food Rocks, and River Country.
I miss the Eastern Airlines ride “If you Had wings”> great place to cool of and had the sense a flying> Also miss Alien Encounter!
The Skyway and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride would be great additions to the WDW version of Wasteland.
The three attractions I remember most that are not at the magic kingdom anymore are Timekeeper, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and the Skyway. The one I miss the most would be the Skyway. It gave a whole new perspective to the park.
Here’s an idea …. What if in the next installment of the game, Mickey had to collect all the old EPCOT World logos as coins. Here’s a design I had made a couple years back with the old logos ….
[IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/33n8gif.png[/IMG]
Here’s an idea …. What if in the next installment of the game, Mickey had to collect all the old EPCOT World logos as coins. Here’s a design I had made a couple years back with the old logos ….
http://tinypic.com/r/33n8gif/7
Along with Dreamfinder, Mr. Toad, Horizons, and such, Wasteland’s Florida Project could also include things that never came to be. For example, Walt’s original EPCOT concept as a real city, Beastly Kingdomme, Western River Expedition, Roger Rabbit… any other takers?
I would love to get this game as a true disney fan. i really miss the timekeeper attraction!
I don’t even have a Wii, and I want this game!
I know it’s strange but I miss Communicore at Epcot. That is where I got my 1st taste of computers and I believe solely lead to what I do today for my career.
I remember my second visit to WDW in the late 80s when I was in elementary school. I absolutely LOVED Horizons and I looked forward to seeing it again when I returned 10 years later. Little did I know that it had been relegated to the Wasteland… 🙁
I really miss the Tapestry of Nations parade in the World Showcase! Loved the music and the puppets! Wish they would bring this back!
Mickey is just TOO COOL!!!
Fingers crossed that Santa Leaves Epic Mickey under my tree!!
I miss seeing the park from the Skyway! It was a nice way to take a nice break with the family. =]
Brian, bjj50@msn.com
I haven’t read all the comments, but I miss Ariel’s. For those of you who don’t know or remember, there was a great restaurant at the Beach Club sooooo long ago. I had one of the best meals there ever. If it was still open, I think it would be more popular than Le Cellier or it would be a signature restaurant. It is still there, but it is now used for private parties and such.
Ahhhh memories!