Before Splash Mountain

[sbkline]

We just went to a resale shop the other day where I found a VHS video called "A Day in the Magic Kingdom". Apparently, it is a souvenier video that used to be sold in the parks. At the end, it advertised a sister video called "A Day at Epcot Center". No other DVD's were mentioned, so presumably, it was before MGM Studios opened. From the footage of the Hall of Presidents, George Bush senior was the most recent president. So I'm guessing the video must have been made in 1989, before the opening of MGM Studios.

Anyway, in FrontierLand, there was a big old Kiddie play area...can't remember what they called it. But I told my wife that it must have been what was there before the built Splash Mountain. But almost as soon as I said that, they showed Splash Mountain. So I didn't know if it was different video footage from different times, or if this play area was replaced by something else other than Splash Mountain. So I just had to ask...what was there before Splash Mountain? Was it this big play area that I speak of? Or was it something else?

EDIT: And now I must correct myself. I just realized that I read before that Splash Mountain opened in 1992 or 1994. So this video must have been from at least 1992 in order to include footage of Splash Mountain. But if it opened in 1994, then Clinton was President by then, but it must have been before they had a chance to add him to Hall of Presidents.

 

[marni1971]

Splash opened July 17th 1992, with its dedication 3 months later. Prior to its construction, there was nothing but landscaped space and the berm, and the original 1972 Railroad station. The area was a bit in limbo, since Big Thunder had fallen short of the space reserved for the Western River complex. However, with the success of the Disneyland version this was the ideal spot for WDWs attraction - main drop facing the castle, the merging of the existing river and the flume, and a mountain already next door.

I`ve a few caps of the area pre Splash in my album http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=8221&cat=500&perpage=24&ppuser=6710 and http://photoalbums.wdwmagic.com/showphoto.php?photo=8222&cat=500&perpage=24&ppuser=6710

The play area you mention could have been the original playground at Mickeys Birthday/Starland :wave:

 

[mcbates23]

Ah, before Splash Mountain. In my family we call that the Dark Times.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Disney is notorious for using out of date footage, so I would be surprised if the video was more recent and they just used old stock items.

 

[Scooter]

We just went to a resale shop the other day where I found a VHS video called "A Day in the Magic Kingdom". Apparently, it is a souvenier video that used to be sold in the parks. At the end, it advertised a sister video called "A Day at Epcot Center". No other DVD's were mentioned, so presumably, it was before MGM Studios opened.

There were indeed 3 VHS tapes put out about the parks

1) A Day in The Magic Kingdom
2) A Day at EPCOT Center
3) A Day at Disney/MGM Studios

I own all three.
It's fun to watch them and remember some of the attractions that are no longer there.

 

[sbkline]

Disney is notorious for using out of date footage, so I would be surprised if the video was more recent and they just used old stock items.

From watching the video (and by the fact that it IS a video and not a DVD), it is obvious that it is from the early 90s. But I do agree that it very well could be that Disney used footage spanning several years, rather than footage that was shot all in the same two or three month period.

 

[sbkline]

The play area you mention could have been the original playground at Mickeys Birthday/Starland :wave:

It was very much a frontierland type of theme, so it must have been in FrontierLand. I think it actually had a name, so I may have to pop that tape back in and rewatch that part. But maybe it was part of Tom Sawyer's Island. :shrug:

 

[kcnole]

I'd love to get my hands on those videos somehow. I love looking at the parks the way they used to be. Its my crazy fantasy to travel back in time to the parks around 1989, that way I could see The Magic Kingdom and Epcot at their primes. I'd love to go ride If You Had Wings again, and Mr. Toad, and 20k then head over to Epcot Center and ride Horizons and World of Motion and possibly see Maelstrom when the tesla coil still worked.

Alas, that time machine has not yet been invented so what is a man going to do?

 

[marni1971]

Alas, that time machine has not yet been invented so what is a man going to do?

Go to MouseBits

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I think Mousebits has those vids,kcnole.

And Marni already said it...LOL!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It was very much a frontierland type of theme, so it must have been in FrontierLand. I think it actually had a name, so I may have to pop that tape back in and rewatch that part. But maybe it was part of Tom Sawyer's Island. :shrug:

I have that video and have seen it WAY to many times and I can tell you that you either must be thinking of Mickey's Starland or Tom Sawyer's island because the only thing that was there in Fronteirland before Splash was the old WDWRR train station.

Anyway, the film has always been one of my favorites, although I also hate it because that video was where I was introduced to 20K and I saw the video before my first WDW trip which was after they had closed it. Liked the two parades shown too. I never had the other two videos, but at one point I saw them for sale at Disney's Vero Beach resort. I guess they sold them there so people would go to WDW on their way home.

 

[echoscot]

Ah, before Splash Mountain. In my family we call that the Dark Times.

Dark times? why? Although I enjoy the new stuff, I have gone to WDW many times every year since it opened in 1971...worked there for almost 25 years...and have enjoyed everyone of those years. They each had something wonderful and unique about them.

 

[mcbates23]

Dark times? why? Although I enjoy the new stuff, I have gone to WDW many times every year since it opened in 1971...worked there for almost 25 years...and have enjoyed everyone of those years. They each had something wonderful and unique about them.

Before SM that section of the park only had BTMR. Is just has so much more life and it was really the first new "thrill" type ride at the MK since BTMR opened up all those years before. I feel it really started Disney down the path of more teen/adult rides that came in the years following it's opening. But those are just my 2 cents.