The ultimate 16 hour television commercial for the Disney theme parks!
What we missed the most about not having Netflix was these types of shows, whimsical documentaries or reality shows about obscure hobbies or professions. So, we were genetically predisposed to enjoy Disney Plus ‘Behind the Attraction’, where they deep dive into the backstories behind Disney theme parks’ most popular attractions (inclusive of food & accommodation). And over 2 seasons (16 episodes) they do cover quite a lot of ground here.
What I’ve learnt after sitting through all of this:
- There are different ‘Lands’ in Disney Land/World
So, I was lucky enough to go to Disney World in Florida as a 7 year old, and although my memories of that time are patchy now, I do remember spending 4 glorious days there, and parts of various rides still come to mind. But all along I never knew that each section of the park was a different ‘Land’, with similar attractions all grouped together in one land due to sharing the same theme. This revelation kind of blew my mind! Thanks to ‘Behind the Attraction’. The other fun fact which blew my mind was the fact that Disney World in Orlando Florida is geographically as large as 2 Manhattan islands!! Like ‘What the!’
- Walt Disney’s god-like status
Sure, I knew Walt Disney was an influential figure as he was the mastermind behind Disney, and Disney as a corporation is arguably one of the most well-known entertainment conglomerates out there! But after watching ‘Behind the Attraction’ and seeing how all the Disney employees spoke of Walt, down to a man, they spoke of him like he was a god! It impressed on me how one single person could be so important to an organisation, to history, to the world! From how employees cherished all the stories of Walt’s peculiar behaviours, admiration over his forward vision (it was the 50s and 60s after all), right down to the fact that his house-keeper has also been immortalized into Disney folk law by the way of the 10 or so recipes she used to cook for the Disney family (was it meat and one veg?). And it was also sobering to learn, that so many of Walt’s ideas he never lived to see as he died prematurely at age 65 due to cancer. So, yeah, learning of all these things was thanks to ‘Behind the Attraction’! And aren’t we glad that Walt had a unique surname? Imagine if he was Walt Smith, ‘Smith Land’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it……..
- The Developed World’s obsession for grandeur
Yes, it was entertaining to see the lengths people would go to, to design and build the most mind blowing attractions for their audiences, but there was a point when I was starting to think “Really? Do we really have to go to these lengths to wow people?” Like building a 249 feet tall tower just to house an attraction which features a free falling lift? (Tower of Terror). Or digging deep underground to enable an oversized attraction to pass under the train tracks (which acts as a perimeter wall to the park), so the rest of an attraction can use space beyond the walls of the already huge theme park? (I think this occurred for several rides). And having an off-site bakery so large that the Disney bakery on-site could easily fit inside the refrigerator of the off-site bakery! (This was in Florida). This all seems a bit excessive when you look at what’s going on in the Middle East with people’s homes being demolished by war, and all the hunger around the globe. Do we need to stop and think, what are our priorities here? Yes, these thoughts were also triggered by ‘Behind the Attraction’!
- My growing distaste for the ‘World’s Fair’
Don’t get me wrong, I love the concept behind the ‘World’s Fair and the Expo, however my distaste is for how people say ‘World’s Fair’, particularly the over-emphasis on the ‘S’, in ‘World’s’. And this bug-bear isn’t a new thing for me, but from years and years ago. As it’s nearly impossible to visit the United States and be at a tourist attraction without hearing a tour guide mention the World’s Fair. Grrrr! And they all do it, the over emphasis on the ‘S’ in ‘World’s’! And they also do it in ‘Behind the Attraction’! *Pulls hair out*.
- We’re never too old
And the last thing I’ve learnt from ‘Behind the Attraction’ is that we’re never too old to desire some fun and wonder! After sitting through 16 episodes (nudging 16 hours), I now honestly want to go to Disney Land again (or to one of its global derivatives). As a 7 year old it was all a bit overwhelming for me, and you’d think theme parks are just for kids, or families with youngish kids. But holy shit! After watching this, I genuinely want to go back, and I think returning as an adult, would actually be more enjoyable than to go through the entire experience again as a child. And this is all thanks to ‘Behind the Attraction’!
So, if you want to re-live some childhood memories; or you just want to be entertained for 16 hours while learning some fun facts; or if you’re just one to sit on the couch watching infomercials (as Behind the Attraction at times felt like one)- you’ll definitely enjoy ‘Behind the Attraction’, you can catch it all HERE! And with day passes for Orlando Disney World starting at US$109 for people aged 10 and above? Let’s go!
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