Ghoulish Delight

For those not aware that the Hollywood Tower Hotel began as a far more direct homage to a real Los Angeles building - it is visible plainly when driving to Universal Hollywood from Anaheim, to the right side of the 101 freeway. 

“Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour” John Drury & Greg Paul, 1986

Today’s Disney castles tend to feature some kind of place of interest within them, whether it be a lavish restaurant, unique shopping or art exhibits. However, for 20 years, Tokyo Disneyland’s Cinderella Castle featured an expansive, (and dark!) walkthrough beneath it. Set up as a guided tour of the castle that is taken over by the forces of evil, guests traversed past Disney villains, dark dungeons, evil brutes and malicious mirrors, concluding with a showdown with the Horned King from The Black Cauldron. In Disney fashion, the villains are defeated and the mantra of “Good Conquers Evil” is declared. Upon its closure in 2006, the attraction was converted to Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall.

Mickey Mania - Upside Down Mickey

A dancer costume from the Mickey Mania parade at the Magic Kingdom from 1996

Artwork from Imagineer Eddie Sotto’s 1998 proposal for “Lafitte Island”, a reconfiguration of Tom Sawyer Island that would thematically link all of New Orleans Square together via the Pirate King of New Orleans, Jean Lafitte.

To make the island more accessible (and save costs from raft operations), a tunnel under the river would have been constructed. This would be entered by going into Jean Lafitte’s crypt, which would be in a graveyard across from the Haunted Mansion. As you go through the skull-filled catacombs, you find the buried remains of ships as well as the treasure room of the Lafittes themselves before finding a way up to the surface of the island.

Images from Eddie Sotto’s website.

La bataille des os , The Battle of the bones  -   Odilon Redon  , 1881

French, 1840-1916