Ever since Universal Orlando opened its doors in 1990, challenging Walt Disney World in its own backyard, the theme park wars have raged in Central Florida. Passionate fans argue that one resort is inherently better than the other, and some even accuse fans of disloyalty if they venture over to “the other side.” Yet both sides of the debate generally agree that with some exceptions, Disney is geared more for families with kids, and Universal is directed more toward teens and adults. After all, Disney is heavily associated with fairy princesses and oversized mice, while Universal is known for high-tech thrills and a 100-year legacy of horror.
Although these reputations are not inherently unfair, they do leave out an entire body of work from each company. Take for instance Disney’s 1933 short The Mad Doctor, which was originally banned in the United Kingdom. In this film, Mickey’s beloved pup, Pluto, has been captured by a mad scientist eager to cut off his head and attach it to the body of a chicken. Attacked by an army of skeletons, including one from a giant spider, Mickey must fight his way through the demented scientist’s lair to reach Pluto.
But Mickey is caught and strapped to a bed beneath a giant buzz saw. Spinning wildly, it lowers to touch Mickey’s torso. Just before he is split in two, the entire sequence is revealed to be a nightmare. Pretty heavy stuff that fits more firmly into the category of “psychological horror” than “kiddie cartoon.”
Though this film reprents some insanely dark material, Disney’s theme parks have some incredibly dark elements to them as well. In fact, our next three Dark Disney experiences symbolically kill those who brave their journeys!
3. Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is, in many ways, a fun and lighthearted romp through some of the horror genre’s finest tropes. Yet it also has a pretty gruesome storyline. The mid-2000s revamp solidified the story of the mysterious, ghostly bride, who had long held court over the attic set. Now, her name is Constance and she’s anything but friendly. The attic is strewn with the detritus of her lost loves—lost to her own hand as she murdered them in cold blood.
Apparently she doesn’t care for tourists riding through her attic in Doombuggies, either. You know that backwards fall you take from the attic into the graveyard set? Thank Constance for that. She pushed you out the window, and as soon as you hit the ground, you “die.” That’s why the ghosts are so much clearer and closer than they were while you were inside the house.
2. Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Now closed at Walt Disney World, but still going strong at the other Disney parks around the world, Snow White’s Scary Adventures is aptly named. In fact, various versions of the ride have been scary enough to justify a warning sign outside the ride. The first Walt Disney World incarnation was arguably the most terrifying.
The concept was that the guest was Snow White, reliving her adventures, which primarily meant being chased relentlessly by the Wicked Witch. The witch was intensely terrifying, as were the darkly painted sets and the chaotic soundtrack. Even the Seven Dwarfs’ cottage provided only an illusion of safety, as the entire set was slightly “off,” and the dwarfs were frozen in place at the sight of an imposing demonic shadow.
At the end of the ride, the witch again appeared, this time inside the gem mine atop the door to the Vault, where a giant, eerily glowing, green gemstone seemed poised to fall. Sure enough, the witch took a crowbar (or more accurately, a huge stick) to the gem. She shrieked, “Goodbye, dearie!” before sending it careening down toward the heads of the helpless riders. As the ride vehicle entered the next room, they were rewarded with flashing strobe lights and clunking sound effects…just what one would expect to see and hear when being killed by a crashing green gem.
1. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Despite an immense Save the Toad campaign that culminated in several organized protests known as Toad-Ins, Disney killed off the Florida version of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in 1998 to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Yet the opening day attraction is still running at Disneyland. While the Disneyland version is Walt’s original, many fans agree that the two-track version at Walt Disney World was superior.
Despite its location in Fantasyland, this attraction was more of a psychedelic head trip than a traditional kiddie ride. Whichever side you boarded, you were treated to a bizarre romp through Toad Hall and then across the town. Your ride vehicle constantly headed toward solid barriers, such as a fireplace or a barn wall, only to have the obstacles move out of the way at the last moment. In many places, the two tracks pointed directly at each other, giving riders on opposite tracks the sense that they were about to crash into each other. Highly stylized plywood set pieces, painted in surreal color schemes, added to the sense of chaos.
Those in the know preferred the left side, where they could gaze upon the only naked lady at Walt Disney World. Hair strategically draped around her chest, she was a picture on the wall in Winky’s Tavern, and you had to look quickly to see her at all.
Regardless of which side you were on, your ride took an even stranger turn when you found yourself stuck on the railroad tracks. A bright headlight announced the arrival of an oncoming train, and before you knew what happened, you found yourself entering Hell, complete with a grinning devil. A true Disney classic, but at least as edgy and over the top as anything you would find at Universal…and packaged as a children’s ride!
