Mickey's Starland Show

Instead of taking a look at Epcot today, I thought we'd take a much different trip. It's time to bust out the Wayback Machine here at the My Park, My Rides Blog.

The year is 1995. We're at the Magic Kingdom. This is a different Magic Kingdom, though. Before the New Fantasyland, and even before Mickey's Toontown Fair, there was Mickey's Starland. This 5 year old land is what became of the temporary Mickey's Birthdayland which opened in 1988.

One of the centerpieces of the land was Mickey's Starland Show. The show featured everyone's favorite stars from the Disney Afternoon cartoons. The show was a lot of fun and looking back it just screams 90s. Excuse the quality, after all it is 16 years old. The very beginning is missing and some bits and pieces are choppy, but most of the show is there. Enjoy!

Mainstreet Bandstand

While Mainstreet USA is one of the most well themed areas of the Magic Kingdom Park, it isn't one that people often stop at. Most people are running down the street to get to the real rides and attractions. Shouldn't they have a reason to stop and be entertained?

That's where the Mainstreet Bandstad comes in. It would serve as a permanent home for live entertainment on Mainstreet USA. Turn of the century singers, musicians, and even actors could perform several shows throughout the day on the stage.

The setting would be a very intimate environment. It would be a relatively small stage in a garden like setting. Several benches would be available for seating and standing room would also be available for guests. While small size could limit the capacity of the show, it would create a much higher demand than a large theater.

This could provide for a wide range of entertainment. Stories could be told for kids, small plays could be done, or groups could perform classic music. Entertainment could also be themed for the holidays and special events. During Christmas, for example, Christmas stories could be told, holiday tunes could be played, and parties could even be held in the area.

What do you think? Would you enjoy this type of entertainment?

Happy Hauntings

Well, folks, it's that very special time of year again: Halloween. And what better time to talk about one of the greatest attractions in Disney history, the Haunted Mansion.


This truly is a great feat of Imagineering. Almost no other ride in the world has had such a timeless quality to it. The blending of humor and terror is absolutely genius and cannot  be found anywhere else. Riding the Haunted Mansion is enjoyable for guests of any age and has become a Disney tradition. So hats off to the 999 happy haunts that reside in the mansion, and may I be the first to wish them and all of you a very happy and spooky Halloween.

STARRY-O-PHONIC SOUND

Image Copyright Disney

No, the image you're seeing it not a fake. It is from the Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain. Months after returning from its major overhaul last November, Space Mountain finally has sound. Notice that I said sound, and not a sound track. That is because WDW was not as lucky as Disneyland when it got its Space Mountain plussed during the 50th anniversary celebration. When their Space Mountain reopened, it had new vehicles with on-board speakers that play an original soundtrack for the coaster. The Magic Kingdom wasn't so lucky. All it got was sound effects. Even the effects are barely audible due to the fact that the speakers are surrounding the track and not close enough to the guests.

While I appreciate the effort from the Imagineers, I deem this project unnecessary. The motto at WDI should be go big or go home. When you're the leader in theme park innovation and design, you shouldn't want to put your name on projects as tacky as this. Any changes to Space Mountain should be gratifying. Just should be in awe, not respond with a "meh" when told about the changes. WDI should and can do better.

Mainstreet Magic

Last time I checked, an idealized version of any Mainstreet in America didn't include long, connected gift shops that sold generic merchandise. So, why should that be the case in the Magic Kingdom. Mainstreet USA is probably the area of WDW affected most by the profit driven merchandising that is running rampant in the resort. Most of the originality has been taken out of Mainstreet and replaced with things you can find almost anywhere else in the resort. I think its time Mainstreet got its magic back.

Everyone loves a good magic trick. Its a fun way to spend a couple minutes on any day. And at one time or another, almost any kid wishes they could be a magician. This is why a magic shop would be a great addition to Mainstreet. Admittedly, it might not make as much money as the current generic gift shop. But even if you just sacrifice a small chunk of the shop, a fun little shop could be built. Along with an in house magician performing small shows for guests, small tricks could also be sold to still maintain a profit.

What do you think? Does Mainstreet need a magic shop?

The Liberty Square Storyteller Theater

This is an idea for a new show to take place in Liberty Square. The Liberty Square Storyteller Theater would celebrate the great American tradition of sharing stories. It would be unique in the fact that it would combine and audio-animatronic figure with an on-screen film. The queue would be a typical colonial style theater and the show would take place in an average size auditorium. On the right front of the stage would be an audio-animatronic figure in a rocking chair. This old man would serve as both your narrator and host. Several famous American folk tales would comprise the show. It would be narrated by the figure and there would be live action representations of the tales played on the screen. This is just an attraction about a great American experience that everyone remembers from their childhood.

This attraction could really become special during the Holidays. Specifically, during Halloween and Christmas. In the Halloween season, guests would gather around to hear the tale of the headless horsemen. And of course during the Christmas season, guests would hear the story of the classic Christmas Carole. I believe this would help keep the show fresh and give guests a reason to go back throughout the year.

What do you think? Would this help Liberty Square become a more prominent section of the park?

Revised Fantasyland Expansion

According to this article, Disney is currently rethinking the current expansion of Fantasyland. They have realized that the appeal for this project would be too small. Boys would not want to go see and land full of princesses and fairies. Little boys want fun, excitement, and action. There are plenty of  other franchises in the Disney world that don't have to do with princesses that can be added to Fantasyland.