January 4, 2017

Design Detail: Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain

Disney theme park fans rightly rave about the amount of detail found in the parks. Until more recent years with Universal's Harry Potter expansion, this trademark seemed to be the domain of Walt's Imagineers. We fans hail the smallest pieces of design in Disneyland, the gorgeous Disneyland Paris, the astounding Animal Kingdom and the most hailed of all- Tokyo DisneySea

Today's sweet photograph comes from Cory Disbrow, a terrific fan and  MiceAge / Chat photographer that covers Walt Disney World. The resort 's Magic Kingdom is a place chockful of touches I am only beginning to see in my last trip, so I do not know if this one has been around for awhile or not.

A wanted poster for Splash Mountain's Brer Bear, found on a tree in the queue for the iconic Frontierland attraction. Never before noticed it! Did you? I've ridden the attraction dozens of times. It's one of my favorites in the park, but it's always been out of my sight.

Perhaps its the beautiful Fantasyland Forest that has made me look at the park with fresh eyes. The recent addition finally brought charm to what should have been filled with it from opening day. Yet, Fantasyland suffered from the lack of it, something akin to the first Imagineers not being able to give Disneyland's Tomorrowland its best due to the budget being blown. That expansion / enhancement, even though it did not bring a new "E Ticket" to that part of the park, did bring a beauty (and a beast!) never before seen. In effect, the new area made me look at the park in a new way. This is something great Imagineering work should always do.

Thank you, Imagineers, for stuffing the parks with all the eye candy! And thank you Cory, for being my eyes in Florida until I return myself someday soon.

(Photograph copyright Cory Disbrow.)

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