Many Neurotic Disney people enjoy reading books about various Disney topics, but did you know that some people in our community also enjoy writing them?  Kevin Yee is an author and blogger, he is our very own NDD #198, and he has written a new book called Walt Disney World Hidden History.

This book exposes the remnants of previous rides and attractions still visible at Walt Disney World, including many elements that were folded into the shows and rides that replaced them. There are also numerous intentional reproductions of parts of former rides, planted as a kind of ultimate inside joke. Interwoven with these remnants is a rich tapestry of homages throughout the Walt Disney World parks, there to pay respect to the designers, artists, and engineers who built these magical realms. These references are often hidden in plain sight, and many are given without explanation. This book uncovers so many tributes and homages, you’ll forever see the Disney parks in a whole new light.  Everyone has their favorite rides that no longer exist, but do you know where you can find homages to them?  You may need to read Kevin’s book to find out!

One lucky reader of the Disney Driven Life can win a free copy of Walt Disney World Hidden History. Simply post a comment to this post and share your favorite tribute in the parks (or, if you don’t know of any, just reminisce about the now-removed ride you miss the most).  A random number generator will pick the winner.  And if you’d like to buy Kevin’s book yourself, it is available at Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle formats!

Contributed by: Amanda P. (NDI #76). Amanda is our Community Reporter and creator of the Disney College Blog.

16 thoughts on “THE COMMUNITY REPORT: WALT DISNEY WORLD HIDDEN HISTORY

  1. Oh Might need to get this book, since I did not start visiting WDW until 2005, there are rides that are gone that I never got to experiance, but reading this book might make me stop and look at areas in WDW in a different light and allow my imagination go and think how things used to be.

  2. I love the Nautilus carving in the tree that use to be part of Pooh’s Playful Spot, but is now part of the entrance to the Queue for the The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

  3. My first visit to WDW was in 2008 so there aren’t any removed rides that I miss quite yet. I’d sure love to learn about all that was there though because I see how many people are so passionate about the oldies! 🙂

  4. My DH talks about MK’s Skyway and how he misses it. I wish I was able to ride it at least once, but it was permanently closed in 1999, my first visit was in 2000…one year too late!

  5. I remember riding 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a kid…and loved it!
    I miss that ride…but have to say that I don’t miss the Skyway…those bucket rides scare me 🙂

  6. I think Mr. Toad handing over the deed in Pooh is still my favorite nod to the past. Somehow it makes the bitter pill of losing our Wild Ride go down just a little easier.

  7. One of my favorite tributes is extinct now too – in the pre-preshow area of Alien Encounter, the “convention schedule” showing on the monitors included a speech on “Mission to Mars: Fact or Fiction?” It always made me smile and sometimes giggle, even though it made everyone else look at me funny when I did that. :0)

  8. I’d have to say my favorite tribute is in the exit of Space Mountain where you can find a Suitcase bearing stickers from Mesa Verde and Alpha Centauri from Horizons!

  9. I used to love Mr. Toads Wild Ride, I could ride it over and over. I think for every ride or attration some sort of remberence should be done in either the new ride or someone else in the park.

  10. My one visit to WDW was in 1979, rode 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea….my next visit was 2006, don’t even remember where it was, but I always look for it every trip since then:-)

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