10 Photos From Disney World That Will Be VERY Hard To Explain To Future Generations

Over the last 50+ years, Walt Disney World has evolved considerably. Each of the resort’s parks has featured different franchises, characters, rides, promotions, and entertainment offerings that have consistently changed.

Personally, I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World for over 30 years, and over that time, I’ve seen elements introduced that have become iconic parts of the Walt Disney World experience. However, there are others that have mostly been forgotten now, to the point that photos of them seem mind-blowing to look at, especially for younger generations who never saw them.

They Did WHAT to the Castle?

Let’s begin with the Magic Kingdom’s iconic Cinderella Castle. While the structure has gone through several paint jobs over the years, its general shape and details have become the enduring symbol of Disney World, providing the backdrop for millions of memories and family photos.

Which makes it all the more bizarre that Disney has used the castle for some interesting promotions, like notoriously turning it into a birthday cake for the resort’s 25th anniversary…

… or covering in toilet paper in conjunction with the opening of Stitch’s Great Escape.

Not Quite Disney Characters

Let’s move over to Hollywood Studios, which is currently home to some of Disney’s biggest franchises, including Star Wars and Pixar’s Toy Story. However, during the park’s earlier MGM Studios years, it was home to some franchises that you wouldn’t expect to appear in Disney. These include a street show and meet & greet with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…

… various eras of the Power Rangers during Disney’s short-lived ownership of that franchise…

… and — perhaps most bizarrely — a stunt show starring the decidedly non-Disney character Ace Ventura.

Wrestling Takes Over

Speaking of MGM Studios, the park was also home to television tapings for World Championship Wrestling during the 1990s.

While most were done in one of the park’s soundstages, a noteworthy set of 1996 tapings was staged outside the park’s entrance. According to urban legend, a televised brawl between WCW wrestlers and the heel NWO faction led to local residents calling the police to report a “gang brawl” at the park.

Barb-COT

Hollywood Studios wasn’t the only Disney World park to feature some… interesting non-Disney characters. During the early 1990s, EPCOT featured a full Barbie stage show and an accompanying VHS release.

Back, Back, Over the Falls…

Remaining in EPCOT, one of the park’s iconic modern attractions is Frozen Ever After, which likely sounds like heresy to longtime fans who fondly remember Maelstrom. However, sad as it may be for some, images from that attraction, including the ride’s trolls and its boats looking like they’re about to tip backwards right out of the building, are going to look bizarrely out of place to future guests.

KiteTails Crashed Out

In October of 2021, KiteTails opened at Animal Kingdom. The new daytime show featured large balloons themed to Disney characters that functioned like kites pulled along by jet skis, as well as in-theater performers.

While the show did develop a cult following, most reactions were negative, exacerbated by a series of viral videos that showed the show’s kites “crashing” into empty sections of the bleachers. While Disney would claim these crashes were how the kites were supposed to land, the visuals definitely did not help the show’s reputation, and it closed in 2022.

Elvis-O-Saurus

Finally, wrapping it up, perhaps the most bizarre visual in Disney World history comes from a late-1990s stage show that ran in the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. Those who visited the Magic Kingdom in the mid-1990s might remember a stage show that ended with Goofy singing a duet with a gigantic robot-dinosaur dressed like Elvis Presley. No, this isn’t a fever dream; it really happened. The massive robot was actually a redressed prop from the short-lived Splashtacular show at EPCOT, which featured Mickey Mouse and his army of guards battling an intergalactic sorceress and her metallic dino/dragon in front of the Fountain of Nations. Yup.

While some Disney World images will be iconic for generations to come, these forgotten gems will likely look incredibly bizarre to future generations. Stay tuned to AllEars for further dives into Disney history.

It Blows My Mind That THIS Franchise Has (Almost) No Current Theme Park Presence!

Do you remember seeing any of these in person? Let us know in the comments below.

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