Behind the Attraction

Seasons

2021

7.7

TV-PG

Explore the history of how popular Disney attractions and destinations came to be, how they have changed over time and how fans continue to obsess over them.

Episode List

S1 • E1

Jungle Cruise

Join a skipper for the story behind Jungle Cruise, and try to spot the backside of water. When Walt decided to create the original immersive attraction, he tasked Imagineers with building a river in the Southern California desert AND the mechanical animals to populate it. Lead designer Harper Goff and horticulturist Bill Evans scrambled to get it all built in time for Disneyland® Park's grand opening in 1955. Guests have been cruising its waters ever since. Dwayne Johnson also appears in this episode where he discusses his childhood memories of the attraction and his favorite joke from the skippers.

S1 • E2

Haunted Mansion

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion - enter if you dare. When Walt Disney developed the attraction, he didn't specify if it should be funny or scary. Ultimately, it became a perfect blend of both. Haunted Mansion proved so popular that it inspired several later iterations, including the chilling Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris and the weird and wonderful Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland.

S1 • E3

Star Tours

Lightspeed to Endor. A long time ago...Disney created Star Tours, a thrilling simulator attraction that takes guests to a galaxy far, far away. It inspired Imagineers to build a whole new land - Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. There, guests can use the Force to explore the remote outpost of Batuu and the cutting-edge attractions Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

S1 • E4

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Discover the ups (and downs!) of creating this gravity-defying attraction set in the eerie world of Rod Serling's renowned "Twilight Zone" television series. Then hold on tight as Imagineers reimagine the Disney California Adventure version as Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT. Learn what it took to build the attraction - and what it takes to ride it.

S1 • E5

Space Mountain

You're about to hear the story of Space Mountain in T-minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...launch. Walt's vision of an attraction that simulates space travel was a design challenge Imagineer John Hench tackled head on, creating a signature structure now in Disney Parks around the world. Imagineers continued the tradition by creating another thrilling indoor attraction, the landmark TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disney Resort.

S1 • E6

The Castles

Castles are at the heart of Disney Parks around the world. The original at Disneyland® Resort in California quickly became a symbol of The Walt Disney Company on par with Mickey Mouse. Hear the unique story behind each one and learn how Imagineers designed and built them.

S1 • E7

Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland® Resort with no hotel - what? It almost happened. Check in to see how Walt got it built. Envisioned as an extension of the Park, funding for the hotel proved hard to come by, so Walt struck a deal with producer Jack Wrather. Jack would own the hotel, but Walt's name would be on it. Together, they made it into an immersive experience, setting the stage for all Disney hotels to come. After Jack's death, The Walt Disney Company bought the Disneyland® Hotel. Today, Disney operates dozens of hotels worldwide.

S1 • E8

It's a Small World

It all began at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair. If a chance encounter between an Academy Award®-winning actress and Walt Disney hadn't taken place, this beloved attraction might never have been created. With its signature, unforgettable song, its flume boat ride design, and Audio- Animatronics® figures, it was a huge success. Versions were designed and built in Disney Parks around the planet, proving that it really is a small world, after all.

S1 • E9

Transportation

All aboard. Everything moves at Disney Parks, especially the guests - by land, water, and air. Walt loved locomotion of all kinds - trains, trams, monorails, and boats. They're all fun, but Walt also believed the monorail could help cities end traffic. The vast transportation network at Walt Disney World Resort is a testament to that. Every Disney Park built since has continued this tradition, creating transportation systems to whisk guests efficiently to their destinations.

S1 • E10

Hall of Presidents

This unprecedented presidential attraction in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom brings our commanders in chief to life. Walt created the world's first human Audio-Animatronics® figure based on his childhood hero, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe helped launch this revolutionary technology that populates Disney Parks today. Who knows what the future holds for this mesmerizing Disney technology?